Give RADA staff credit

THE EDITOR, Sir: THE RECENT staging of the Denbigh Agricultural Show has received great reviews, notably because of some of the aesthetic improvements.

While those are welcome, there is urgent need for major upgrades to the Denbigh Showground and revamping of the entire agricultural display. The current format has outlived its usefulness.

In the midst of all the praise showered on many, one set of persons, without which Denbigh would be an absolute disaster – the staff of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) – are all but forgotten. It is a shame.

The staff of RADA are the ones who make Denbigh what it is year after year. Without them, everything would have flopped. They are the ones who go out and source all the wonderful produce that persons marvel at each year. The parish pavilions are all done by the team; they are the backbone of the agricultural show.

They have to undergo some of the most testing conditions to make Denbigh a success, such as sleeping in their own vehicles, sometimes even under cars! They have few bathroom facilities of note to use. Many of them have to drive from Kingston and elsewhere for the entire duration of the show, and yet they are treated with little respect.

I say to the unsung heroes of Denbigh, especially the RADA extension officers, take a bow.

FABIAN LEWIS