THE team behind the traditional Penrith Show in true show style vowed not to be beaten by the coronavirus pandemic.

And while other agricultural shows in the county remain cancelled, Penrith is going ahead with a virtual difference.

Tomorrow (SAT) was set to be Penrith Show day, set in the picturesque Brougham Hall Farm setting, but now thanks to today's technology, the popular one-day event is going online for the first time in its history.

Launched by Show President Tom Barr, “Penrith Virtual Show 2020” expect a feast of all things Cumbrian and its glorious rural acres, as the committee, sponsors and many competitors were keen to see the show go on in some form, bringing the community together, and still celebrating the essence of a fantastic farming and fun day out.

Richard Utting, Penrith Show chair said: “We wanted something that would make it easy for competitors to enter and allow virtual judging from a distance. So, we created a series of classes. These include categories for arable , livestock, poultry, rabbits, home made and home grown, plus children’s classes, a dog show and even a dry stone walling competition."

He added: “Competitors were asked to pay an entry fee and upload photos and a video for each class. They needed to display our 2020 sign so we would know their entry is current. When entries closed, our virtual judges logged in and reviewed the classes, making comments and selecting the winning entries, which will be downloaded onto our FaceBook page, adding comments where appropriate.”