A Coronation Street star, Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner and successful theatre director are part of a stellar line up casting their eye over competition entries for a new online event taking place next month.
The Shropshire Virtual Show is being held between 10am and 9pm, Saturday 22 August and will host a range of contests, plus entertainment, activities and shopping experiences for people to enjoy at home and in their gardens.
The event aims to support local businesses and help fill the gap left by the cancellation of live events, all while raising funds for five Shropshire charities: The Cavalier Centre, League of Friends to RJAH, The Movement Centre, Dog A.I.D. and Shropshire Rural Communities Charity.
Ian Bartholomew, who was recently seen on-screen playing Coronation Street’s villainous Geoff Metcalfe, and his wife, West End and RSC Theatre director Loveday Ingram, are part of the panel for ‘Shropshire’s Got Talent’, while Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner Caspar Gabb will be judging the entries for the open gardens competition.
Registration is now open for all competitions, with categories also including ‘lockdown creations’ for the arts and crafts tent, ‘best trick’ and ‘waggiest tail’ for the virtual dog show and ‘prettiest mare’ and ‘fancy dress’ for the horse arena.
Anna Rose Bowler, co-organiser of the Shropshire Virtual Show and trustee of The Cavalier Centre, said: “While we want to entertain visitors and bring them ‘together’ to have a fun day, highlighting people’s passions and achievements is definitely at the heart of this special show.
“Our competitions give people the chance to show off what they’ve been up to during lockdown, whether that’s teaching their old dog new tricks or finally learning how to paint with watercolours.
“There are lots of different opportunities so please head to our website, take a look at what’s on offer and share your talents!”
To take part, visit www.shropshirevirtualshow.com/competitions and register which classes you would like to compete in, with entries submitted as either videos or photos.
The deadline for competition entries is Monday 10 August, with prizes awarded throughout show day. The competitions are free to enter but people are invited to make a charitable donation.
To keep up-to-date with the show’s latest line up and competition announcements, follow social media accounts @shropshirevirtualshow on Facebook and Instagram and @shropvirtual on Twitter.
