Friends old and new gather at the 2023 Newport Show

Friends old and new gathered at the Harper Adams University stand at this year's Newport Show - with a great day out had by all! 

The Show is the nearest agriultural show to Harper Adams University, and is held annually at the Chetwynd Deer Park just over a mile from campus.

The one-day family event boasts wealth of entertainment and attractions - including, of course, the Harper Adams stand.

Both the University and Newport and District Agricultural Society, who organise the event, have a long history serving the local community - and this was emphasised by one visitor to our stand who brought along a piece of history from more than a century ago.

A star guest at this year's show was Peter Wright, star of the Channel 5 documentary show The Yorkshire Vet. 

Mr Wright - who was appearing in an An Audience with... event at the show, holds an Honorary Degree from Harper Adams - and during the day, he made sure to call in to the Harper Adams stand to catch up.

Meanwhile, among those receiving Long Service Awards - which are annually announced on the showground during the show - was Mark Hall, the University's Grounds Manager.

As you'd expect, there were a host of experiences at the Harper Adams stand - from the chance to take part in a VR experience exploring the future of farming to an opportunity to see some of the biggest drones in the world in action.

In the days before the event, the Harper Adams Engineering department worked hard to set up a specially-constructed cage for the machines to fly in and their hard work certainly proved a hit with our visitors.

Harper Adams University Shows and Events Officer Sarah Swinnerton said: “Every year, our summer event is packed with shows up and down the country - but as our hometown event, the Newport Show is always special.

"It was a wonderful, busy day and a great chance to showcase some of the excellent work the University does at our local agricultural show, as well as discussing the wide range of courses we offer, the research we do right here in Shropshire - and the difference Harper Adams makes both nationally and locally."