FARMING MATTERS: Biggest sheep fair in the UK

Farmers travelled from all over the country including as far away as Northumberland and Cumbria to buy and sell at the Thame Summer Sheep Fair, which is the largest breeding sheep fair in the UK.

More than 32,000 sheep were sold over two days from the Thame Showground where pens and a sale ring had been specially erected for the event.

And huge livestock trailers and lorries filled the car parks as drivers delivered livestock for the show and waited to make their return journey with different sheep.

As the annual fair grows in popularity so too do the ancillary stands and stalls around it.

This year saw more stands then ever before, and even a large catering marquee in addition to the mobile outside catering van.

Thousands of visitors were able to talk to representatives from the National Farmers Union, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institute and machinery and equipment companies including Kubota from Thame.

The sheep breeds on sale included Beltex, Texel, Cheviot Mules, Suffolk and Lleyn.

Livestock haulier John Joplin had travelled down all the way from County Durham with 150 Texel lambs, and enjoyed catching up with old friends at the fair.

He said: “This is a good fair, it’s very well organised and has good loading faciltiies.

“I’ve been here four times now.

“I’m staying overnight in my lorry, I’ve got a microwave, coffee machine and fridge freezer in there, although it’s still not as good as home!

“I’ll be taking back some Suffolk shearlings.”