Archived press release

Date Published: 20/08/07

Aylesbury Vale District Council will have its own action-packed, fun-filled marquee at this year’s Bucks County Show. The stand will focus on the future of the district and there will be competitions, activities and entertainment as well as...

Aylesbury Vale District Council will have its own action-packed, fun-filled marquee at this year’s Bucks County Show.

The stand will focus on the future of the district and there will be competitions, activities and entertainment as well as the chance to meet service providers face to face.

The popular County Show takes place on 30 August and once again it’s hoped thousands of people will visit the AVDC marquee to find out more about what the council does and the services it provides.

Visitors to the stand will have the chance to view a model of the new £27 million theatre being built in Aylesbury and watch an animated DVD of the interior. There will also be an opportunity to try out one of the new theatre seats and enter a competition to name the venue.

The new theatre will replace the Civic Centre in Aylesbury, which is scheduled to close in 2008. Its last year of operation is jam-packed with great events and people can find out more about the programme at this year’s County Show.

The Civic Centre will have a display about their fascinating history and will be promoting this year’s pantomime, Peter Pan, and the New Year’s Eve party to end them all, Bond Baby Bond. Visitors can also enjoy a wide range of entertainment on the marquee stage from musicians, acrobats and local dance group Urban Beatz.

It’s five years to go to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London and the council’s leisure team will be on hand to talk about the opportunities for local people to be part of the sporting legacy of the Games. Visitors to the marquee will have the chance to get a taste of the Olympic spirit by taking part in an exercise bike challenge to see how far people can cycle in a minute.

With Aylesbury Vale perched on the brink of a very exciting period of economic growth and re-development, a colourful exhibition inside the marquee will provide information about the many new developments planned for the district. People will be able to find out more about the housing plans for the Vale and what changes will take place in Aylesbury town centre over the next few years.

Climate change is never far from the headlines these days and AVDC will be doing its bit to promote the topic by urging people to think about the energy they use. An Inconvenient Truth, the critically acclaimed documentary film about climate change, will be shown in the marquee and visitors can find out how much they are contributing to greenhouse gas emissions by taking part in a carbon footprint game.

MK Energy Advice will be giving away free low energy light bulbs in the council marquee and staff will also offer householders practical advice on how to stay warm at home, reduce energy consumption and lower fuel bills.

Climate change won’t be the only environmental topic on the agenda at this year’s County Show. Officers from the council’s environmental health team will be highlighting the things people do to create excess noise and some of the measures they can take to prevent it.

On display will be noise-monitoring equipment, which is used by the council to measure just how bad noise pollution is, and a display board showing items that can cause noise nuisance. Children and adults can fix a marker on the board indicating the noise level that they think may be emitted by each item.

In addition, representatives from various departments, including housing, green spaces and design services, will be on hand to answer questions and encourage residents to learn more about their services and how they can benefit from them.

While the grown-ups are finding out about what AVDC can do for them there will be plenty to keep young people occupied. There will be the chance for youngsters to log onto the council’s Teenzone web pages in the marquee’s online area, while more creative children can show off their handiwork in craft sessions provided by the Jonathan Page Playcentre.

Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of the Council, said: “The County Show is a great event and a wonderful opportunity for us to meet local residents to discuss what we do and how they can take advantage of the enormous range of services that the council provides. We are pleased this year that more services are putting on displays and we can offer the public more to see and do. A visit to the AVDC marquee will be well worthwhile.”

The Bucks County Show is an annual show of the agricultural and rural community organised by the Bucks County Agricultural Association and will take place at Weedon Park, near Aylesbury, on Thursday 30 August from 8.30am to 5.30pm.

The AVDC marquee is on Stand ER5 at the Show. For further information and tickets, please call 01296 680400.