Chatsworh Country Fair and Sculptures

I've just realised that we've been to Chatsworth 3 times in the last 6 days. I love Chatsworth - we're "gold friends" aka season ticket holders and I go as often as I can. I particularly like that it's still owned by a family - not been given to the National Trust  - and they've worked very hard to make it pay its way. Hit by enormous death duties, which took 17 years to pay off, it's now a thriving business, (actually a charitable trust), and a huge employer in the region.

Last weekend was the Country Fair - an enormous event, and we get tickets for two days as part of our membership, so I get to go twice. Each day opens with an amazing parachute display

There's then a whole programme of entertainment, including falconry displays which I love. One of the birds landed very close to us:

And one very stupid one got stuck on the wrong side of the fence trying to get some food

But one of our favourite things to do is go round the food village. Loads of stalls, each giving away free samples. This year the favourite seemed to be flavoured vodka and liquers. Of course it would have been rude not to try them, and by about 1130 we were all a little tipsy. Soon sobered up by a small shot of naga chillis in vodka. One day I might get the feeling back in my tongue...  Of course there was cheese, bread, cake, chocolate and loads of other things to taste, but we still managed a hot pork sandwich and a pint for lunch!

There's always something a little out of the ordinary, and this year it was the dancing diggers - JCBs to be precise. Strange but true.



However, the stars of the show are always the Red Arrows. Amazing. Could watch them all day.

Then last night we went to the opening evening of Beyond Limits, the annual sculpture exhibition in the grounds. Think its fair to day that some I loved, some I didn't!  All these pictures are of ones I loved, especially the last one.

Definitely worth a visit.