Page 56 - K9News_Issue12_July2020
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How weird
was THaT?
by Mike John
I’ve attended Crufts every year since the early noticeably subdued.
80’s and have to say that 2020 definitely takes
And when I entered the Stewards Office it was
the prize for being the weirdest!
the usual pre-show chaos, but I immediately
From the minute I walked into the NEC at knew we were in for a weird time………Jim
lunchtime on Wednesday, I could tell something Peach was sitting there!
was different.
In the weeks building up to Crufts things had
Yes, there was the usual line of people picking generally been pretty ordinary. There was
up a quick lunch from The Cornish Pasty the usual Facebook-led onslaught about the
Company on the Piazza, myself included, it ‘ridiculous’ cost of parking, the ‘extortionate’
being one of the few food outlets open on entry fees, the ‘vast distance’ exhibitors have
Wednesday. Yes, there was the usual army of to walk to get to the show, and the ‘daylight
high-viz vests erecting stands, stocking booths, robbery’ for the price of a coffee, all of which
building displays and laying carpets. And, yes, being the fault of the Kennel Club of course.
my first thought as I entered Hall 3, was the And, at this point, I knew everything would be
usual “they’ll never get this ready in time”. fine. Everybody was just being their normal
selves as we counted down the days to the
But something was definitely different.
event!! The annual ritual sparring between
The atmosphere at Crufts is unique. Even those that complain and those that respond
before the show has opened and all of the with “if you’re that bothered, don’t go. It’s not
elements have yet to fall completely into place, compulsory” was reassuringly rattling on as
there is an air of excitement, an electricity, normal, so all was well!
about the place. But not this year. This year it
But, fairly rapidly, a whole new line of
was definitely a little quieter. Not greatly, but
‘discussion’ began to creep in. Coronavirus
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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / JULY 2020
