It's Sydney Royal Easter Show Time!

Hi!   Julia here!   Yes!   it opened yesterday (Thursday)with 40,000 people attending!   We will be going a bit later on, but on Tuesday evening  was the special Arts and Crafts Preview Evening.   It's a lovely do with every sort and age of person attending, all trying not to look too anxious to see whether or not they,or their loved ones, have actually  won a prize.   The Arts and Crafts show really is gi-normous.   There are hundreds - maybe even  thousands -  of paintings, all divided into scores of classes.   Even different ones for different types of portraits, for instance.   A great many pictures really do shine but there are, of course,   a great many by enthusiastic amateurs or beginners.   The same goes for photography - with lots of clever digital  stuff.   I was a little disappointed to see the tapestry section pushed behind a screen and near a wall where a very different class of work was displayed.   To list a few of some of the classes that really struck my eye, there are all kinds of sculpture and pottery, some very striking millinery, scrapbook craft, and parchment work (don't understand that - I must look some more when we go over later on)  A  class of marvelous models of trucks and cars in wood, fabulous saddlery. which one would expect from what is basically an agricultural show. Some lovely mosaics and stunning hand made glass ornaments. I admired a superb, large rocking horse, and a good selection of various toys. And oh the 'Sugar Craft' classes! That 's amazing cake decoration for people like me! There was plenty of food and wine  too, but my really  fun bits of the evening were rides in an open 'people carrier' from the car park, before and afterwards, through the fun fair  where people were getting on with their setting up, and most of the terrific lights were very much switched on.   It was after dark and a lovely balmy evening where everyone was soon having a really good time - whether or not they'd won a prize!  I'm looking forward to the dog show and flirting with the beautiful alpacas! 'Bye for now - Julia.