The Bishop of Exeter supports the Show

The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt. Rev. Michael Langrish, has agreed to take up this post and will deputise for Her Royal Highness.  The Bishop has been closely associated with the Show since moving to the county eight years ago and established the popular eve of Show church service in the wake of foot and mouth.

 

The Bishop said: “I’m amazed to find myself Deputy President as I’m neither a farmer nor a land owner! To be accorded the privilege feels enormous and I want to make really good use of this opportunity to promote rural and agricultural issues which are so important.

 

“I’m particularly thrilled that in this year I am also President of the Devon Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, which is such a vibrant organisation, and the Show’s charity this year is Farms for City Children, which is about helping young people have a positive understanding of where their food comes from and what it means in terms of other people’s lives.”

 

He added: “I am passionate about the Show at lots of levels. It is a wonderful celebration of the county of Devon. The Show is a great shop window, and helps the visitors  to understand the connections between what they do and the countryside. The Show is vitally important.”

 

He has long been a supporter of country life and is Chairman of the Church of England’s Rural Strategy Group and speaks regularly in the House of Lords on matters relating to farming and rural affairs; until recently he chaired the Devon Strategic Partnership.

 

 

“A lot of people ask me if I’ve always had a passion for agriculture. The answer is no! But I have always had a passion for people who live and work in my ministry and their concerns,” the Bishop said. 

 

“I came to Exeter at the beginning of 2000 and set myself the task of spending the first six months going out and about around the county and listening to people and communities about their concerns. I saw the impact of BSE, farm gate prices in free fall, and issues were beginning to be raised about the rural community. I wanted to try and understand those issues and start speaking out about them.”

 

He has gained the respect of those who care about the countryside by helping to raise awareness of some of the issues that affect people living and working in rural areas. He was forthright in his views on the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001, and at the end of last year he launched a report from the church's Ethical Investment Advisory Group which concluded that leading food retailers placed "considerable stress" on the farming community through unfair methods of which consumers were largely unaware.

 

The Devon County Show is held on May 15, 16 and 17 at Westpoint near Exeter.

For more information, www.devoncountyshow.co.uk

Ends

 

For further information contact:

Mervyn Hosking, DCAA Secretary T: 01392 353701

Mrs Ollie Allen, Show Secretary T: 01392 353702

Anne Ashford, Media Relations T: 01823 490965; M 07971 275840

Ends

 

Notes to editors:

PIX OF THE BISHOP ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST: press@dcshow.org 

·         Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall is this year’s President.

·         The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Show in 2005, for their first major public engagement following their wedding.

·         The Devon County Show takes place from May 15, 16 & 17, 2008 at Westpoint near Exeter in Devon. 

·         The Show is organised and presented by the Devon County Agricultural Association.

·         To find out more and book tickets online visit the website at www.devoncountyshow.co.uk