Will’s World: Shorter summer will hurt Welsh rural families
Will Evans © Richard Stanton You’re eight years old. Your parents rushed around this morning to get everything done on the farm, then the whole family jumped in the car and sped off down the drive.
Aside from maybe Christmas, it’s the most exciting day of the year for you, and you’ve looked forward to it for months. You’re breathless with anticipation for everything you’re going to experience today.
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You can’t wait to see the animals – cattle, pigs, horses, goats, chickens and, best of all, the sheep. So many sheep.
Every breed is represented, and you’ll debate with your brothers and sisters about which is your favourite, and which you think deserves to win a prize.
You chatter away about which tractors, quad bikes and trucks you’re going to see, and whether you’ll get to sit in any and pretend to drive them.
You make a silent vow to yourself that you’ll get more free hats, pens and stickers than your friends, securing bragging rights for weeks to come.
Shear delight
Then there’s the shearing. How well you remember the noise and atmosphere from last year, and the exhilaration you felt as the commentator and the huge crowds roared encouragement to the competitors.
You hope your dad will put you on his shoulders again so you can see better.
Later, when you’re there, you watch the young farmers playing rugby and competing at tug of war, and you long for the day when you’ll be old enough to join in yourself.
You’re repeatedly told by numerous old friends and neighbours of your parents “how much you’ve grown”, and at lunchtime you have the best burger and chips you’ve ever tasted, followed by an ice cream with a Flake in it as you watch the dancing diggers performing in the main ring. Life doesn’t get any better than this.
As the day closes you reluctantly leave for home, and you quickly fall asleep in the car still clutching your precious bag of goodies from the day.
Your mum eventually carries you into the house and tucks you into bed, exhausted but deliriously happy after another wonderful day at the Royal Welsh Show.
We all have golden memories like this, don’t we? Whether from when we were young ourselves or from taking our own children and seeing the wonder in their eyes.
Culture shock
Then imagine that none of this happened. Instead, it was just another school day. Almost unthinkable, isn’t it?
But that’s what the Welsh government recently proposed, as they consulted on shortening the summer holidays by a week, meaning schools would be open during the show.
The fact they’d even suggest something like this, potentially denying tens of thousands of children the opportunity to experience the magic – and be exposed to the very best of rural culture – beggars belief.
But when you add in the estimated financial loss to the show of £1m a year that would result, let alone the fact that for many farming families it’s their only annual holiday together, it does make me wonder what they’re smoking down there in Cardiff Bay.
We recently received a letter, agreed by all headteachers in Wrexham and sent out to all parents, stating that the unprecedented level of funding cuts they’re about to receive will leave them in an extremely difficult financial position and, as a result, our children’s education will be negatively affected.
I’d suggest there are far more important things for the education minister to be thinking about than shortening the summer holidays.