Leek Show: A Celebration of Country Life
Updated: Aug 31
This year's Leek Show on Saturday, 25th July 2026, saw several thousand visitors to the Dunn Wood estate in Longnor. Temporary traffic lights were set up to help keep the queuing to a minimum. It was a beautiful sunny day as residents and visitors to the area gathered to see and take part in this traditional agricultural show.
There was lots to see and do; it was well organised with many volunteers, each doing their part to make the show a success. We met with Show Secretary Suzanne Sheldon, who not only had time for us but also ran the craft and exhibition marquees superbly.
There’s a real deference here and a respect for the organization and traditions. We were able to witness not only some of the most beautiful flowers and produce that you’ll ever see, but also traditional and modern crafts, spectacular examples of our local farm animals, and even demonstrations of farriery. Many local charities and companies were present, along with many who specifically support the farming industry, veterinary surgeons, agricultural equipment, et cetera.
There was plenty for youngsters to do too with many junior competitions to engage and support the farmers of tomorrow. There was a small traditional fairground, climbing wall and lots of opportunities for everyone to meet up with friends, showcase their work and handicrafts, connect with suppliers and other experts.
Churnet Valley Railway: Full Steam into the Future
We met with Nigel and John, directors from the Churnet Valley Railway, who were manning their stand with a rather intriguing selection of railway-related photos and a "volunteers wanted" pop-up.
John told us that he is the Head of Signalling for the commercial side and a director of the charity too. The charity is called the North Staffordshire Railway Company, which was formed before the Churnet Valley Railway Company (the people who run the trains), in order to develop the education and history of the line. From that, the Churnet Valley Railway was initiated in 1992.
The CVR runs between Froghall into Consall in the valley, round to Cheddleton, up to Leekbrook, all the way out to Ipstones and back. The railway has recently been expanded all the way to Leek, and they own the additional 4 miles to Cauldon, which is one of John's projects he's currently working on. They also own the two miles from Froghall to Oakamore, which is another of his projects. From the Leekbrook triangle, there is still the 10-mile connection to Stoke-on-Trent, which he's currently negotiating access to.
"At the moment we have a 10-mile railway; the aim is to have a 30-mile network, which will be the largest private network in the UK," said John. They do need to raise money for this and do get bequests from people who have passed away, with the majority of income coming from members' donations.
They are currently trying to merge the charity with the operating company. When they set up, the structure they needed was not an option; things have changed in the 30 years since the charity was set up. Once this is established, they will be able to access tax relief and gift aid, which they currently can't claim on tickets, and better grant access to help drive future plans.
CVR runs Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays daytime, and Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, plus bank holiday Mondays too. On all of the trains, there are meal options depending on the day. So, for example, on a Wednesday morning, you could have breakfast; on Sundays, you can have Sunday lunch. There's a whole variety of options - something to suit everyone.
In the wintertime, they run The Polar Express Experience and are the biggest Polar Express in the UK, with 71,000 passengers last year and are aiming for 85,000 this year, which is the limit on what the car park can handle - the only limiting factor for the event.
When they do the Polar Express, the large Froghall car park becomes one enormous marquee. So the car park for that is across the bridge; it's a colorful festive sight seeing all the people in their costumes on their short walk to the station.
On the charity arm, they run an archive and are currently digitizing all their photographs, some 20-30 thousand of them. In many cases, they don't know who's in the pictures and are currently running a campaign to find out as many of the people in the pictures as possible. Some are quite recent, and some are very old. So if you can help with that, please do get in touch.
Catching Up with Baddeley Green Hedgehog Rescue:
Helping Hedgehogs Survive the Heat
We spotted our friends from the Baddeley Green Hedgehog Resue on a very colourful themed stand and asked Wendy how this were with the hogs especially with the long hot summer weather.
Wendy told us that they were very busy because during the hot weather, if there are no water sources, the hedgehogs suffer from dehydration. They are urging people to put out shallow dishes of water (about an inch deep). Wendy recommended a saucer that you would get with a house plant as the perfect size.
If you want to feed hedgehogs in your garden, they recommend kitten biscuits or cat food in jelly. Cat food in gravy is best avoided because it can affect their stomachs a little bit. They are very fond of kitten biscuits, and feeding is best done every evening. They don't recommend putting wet cat food out during the day because it attracts flies. They themselves put out a little feeding station—a homemade plastic box with a hole cut in the side—which stops any cats from eating the food.
If you want to make your own feeding station, the hole should be CD size, which is about 13 cm. If you have an old plastic box lying around, this could make the perfect safe feeding station for garden hedgehogs. But the most important thing is to put out water.
Wendy told us that their colourful hedgehog-themed gazebo was purchased largely with a grant, and having a presence at local events is important for both raising funds and awareness. Wendy told us that founder Claire currently has over 100 hedgehogs in the rescue centre, and the weather isn't helping because they are getting very poorly. Baddeley Green is the only hedgehog centre in the area that is still open.
Our Beautiful Bees
Leek Show: A Celebration of Country Life
