WITH just six weeks to go until the 2003 Tendring Show, the organisers are busy with final preparations to ensure that visitors have a good day out.And the show, on Saturday, July 12, is on course to be a record-breaker, with all trade stand space having been sold weeks in advance.

WITH just six weeks to go until the 2003 Tendring Show, the organisers are busy with final preparations to ensure that visitors have a good day out.

And the show, on Saturday, July 12, is on course to be a record-breaker, with all trade stand space having been sold weeks in advance.

This has, however, given the organisers another challenge – of fitting the trade stands in while maintaining the spacious feeling that the Tendring Show regularly achieves at its Lawford Park venue, near Manningtree.

As well as many old favourites, there will be a number of new attractions at the 2003 show.

The theme this year is Diversification. The www.farmfuture.co.uk area will features examples of how many farmers and rural businesses have diversified their businesses and incomes away from agriculture.

Visitors to the show will be able to talk to individuals who have diversified their businesses, about the processes they went through and the decisions taken.

One highly popular part of the show last year was the Robot Area, which saw some of the robots from TV's Robot Wars demonstrating how tough they were, and the robots will be returning again this year – in greater numbers.

The Countryside area will also return, with new attractions for visitors to see, as will the Living River feature which was a huge hit last year. Visitors will have the opportunity to come face to face with many native species of fish found in Britain's rivers.

Livestock will continue to feature at the show. Not only will there be farm animals to see but also others including rats, pigeons, rabbits and poultry. Equine fans will also have plenty of entertainment in the form of showing and show jumping.

Concession rate tickets for the Tendring Show can be purchased in advance, and information is available on a special hotline number – 09062 101 452 (calls cost 25p/minute from standard BT land lines). Further details are available from the website www.tendringshow.demon.co.uk .