Review of 'Countryfile Live 2017'
We so much enjoyed CountryFile Live last year (see my review here) that we decided to go again in 2017. As with last year we visited on the final day, on the Sunday but the event is actually on for four days and is probably best visited on Thursday or Friday when the crowds are likely a lot more manageable.
When booking tickets you have several choices to make including whether you want parking (they do offer a shuttle service from neighbouring train stations but there are large car parks offered nearby which are good value and generally quite easy to get in and out of), whether you want to pre-purchase a show-guide, and what talks/events you want to attend. The tickets do NOT include entrance to Blenheim Palace itself though it is unlikely you would have time during a visit to the show to also visit the palace…
This year was a bit confusing as it turns out you are now only able to sign up to one event whereas last year you could sign up for as many as you like. It is not a big deal as this only gives you a guaranteed seat at the event - You can just attend any event you want to generally without any problems. I received a phone call when I booked several events and forced to pick one (very politely, it has to be said). What you can sign up for is quite varied but generally they are talks from the various presenters of the television program or the big show (this year the big show was “Countryfile Close-Up” in the “Countryfile Theatre”). We chose the “Who's a Countryfile Whizz?” show to get tickets for (in the “Countryfile Theatre” as well) as this featured all of the presenters (it was at the end of the day at 5 pm) but was quite disappointed as it was a bit boring.
We also got tickets offered separately for John Craven to talk at the “Quilter Cheviot” theatre earlier in the day as we enjoyed his talk last year (and did again this year).
Again it was a bit of a walk from the car park, despite being early (as advised to avoid the traffic that was so bad it hit the news during last year's show) to the showground which occupies a large area behind Blenheim Palace. As we were early we were allowed to pick up our showguides then pass through security but we were only allowed into the front section of the show to wait for the show to open at 9:30. This initial area had a number of vintage tractors and historical items which occupied our time while waiting to be allowed into the rest of the show.
It is worth doing some work in advance to at least decide what you do not want to miss and plan accordingly. The maps provided are very helpful as are the schedules but they can be quite daunting. Best to have a look though otherwise you could miss a lot of what is here.
Main attractions are scattered pretty evenly throughout the show:
- This year we were quite surprised to see the number of exhibits and activities down at the water in The Waterside area - Much more than last year. We spent some time there today walking across the rather wonky plastic pontoon bridge.