Was it a dog show? Was it a duck race? It was that and more at college fete!
Derwen College’s Gobowen campus erupted into life over the late May bank holiday weekend, as visitors poured in to experience the annual fete and dog show.
Community members from far and wide did an amazing job of coming to support the college and its students. The event offered a bustling array of family-friendly entertainment, and raised an amazing amount of money which will be used to benefit the learners and residents of Derwen College.
Visitors had a great time in the sun with their friends and family, enjoying a whole host of exciting attractions. There was something for everybody to get involved in, whether it was picnicking in the strawberry themed garden, choosing bedding plants in the garden centre, or enjoying scones and cream in The Orangery Restaurant.
The college is absolutely delighted with the support and the amount of money raised, which will go towards providing extra-curricular experiences and opportunities for our students with special educational needs and disabilities.
With so much on offer for visitors to enjoy, families had their choice of vibrant areas where they could explore and relax. The children’s play area was a big hit, with the kids revelling in the Mega Bloks building station and bubble blowing tubs. Many a blue, red and yellow Empire State Building was constructed and then toppled by its toddler architect-turned-Godzilla, much to the dismay of camera wielding parents.
The medley of inflatables featured a slide and bouncy castle which, beset by energetic kids, provided a colourful and lively backdrop to the independent local craft stalls which lined the bowling green. Fortunately, trade was not affected by the ravenous lines of aspiring Vikings at the blow-up axe throwing range, with their blood-curdling battle cries accompanying the crashing sound of Velcro on Velcro.
After a false start which saw the Duck Race briefly become a duck chase, anticipation began to mount as the crowd counted down in unison. Conditions were dicey; spectators feared the worst as the brave ducks navigated whirling eddies and jutting boulders. Despite cries of fowl play as duck number 43 left pileup after pileup in his wake, the race leaders displayed fantastic sportsmanship.
After three minutes of pure frenzy, the frontrunners came careering across the finish line. The crowd went absolutely quackers – only a beak’s length had separated second and first! Tension built as the decision went to video review before duck 14, a veteran of 2023, mounted the podium, brandishing his hard-earned bottle of champagne.
The help of college staff was fantastic; everybody got involved and did their best to make the event special. The Performing Arts department’s face painting stall did an amazing job of contributing to the magic of the day by transforming the faces of all visitors – large and small – into sparkling tigers, lions and more. The HR team worked tirelessly to supply visitors with fresh Derwen made ice cream, providing a delicious antidote to the midday sun.
Despite the gloomy forecast and a brief showering of rain, Sunday’s dog show delivered on its promise to bring the pet-loving community together with a fantastic day of entertainment. The turnout was brilliant with over 60 teams of handlers and pups defying the weather to compete and show off their talents.
Contestants packed out the classes, giving judge Debby Knight the impossible task of choosing winners to go head-to-head in the final showdown: best in show. Competitors in the ‘cleverest dog’ category were keen to bark out answers to problems that would have troubled even the most seasoned Chaser or Egghead.
The atmosphere across the whole day was perfect; even though the event was a competition, it was clear that what brought people together was the opportunity to meet new people, support the charity, and celebrate their love of animals.
Following on from their triumph in the ‘most appealing eyes’ class, dog Albie and owner James outshone the competition to be crowned overall champions. The chemistry between Albie and handler James was unmatched, and those glistening eyes proved too compelling for Debby to resist.
In addition to the competitors, the show was attended by local stallholders with services dedicated to pets. Park Hall’s doggy day care business Tails and Trails, and Mold’s Emerald Pawtraits, a professional pet photography service, were among the fantastic and dedicated lineup of traders.
The dog show was proudly sponsored by Duffy’s Diner, Oswestry, who kindly provided the incredible range of competition prizes. Their doggy bags of treats and gifts were responsible for many a lolling tongue, wagging tail and beaming smile. The ‘best in show’ prize was kindly donated by Farm & Pet Place, Chirk, and the winning dog, Albie, took home a new bed amongst an array of other fabulous prizes.
Derwen College Events Organiser and Community Fundraiser, Megan Charman, said: “Watching the months of hard work pay off over the course of this weekend has been an absolute pleasure. There was a great atmosphere and it was lovely to see families take advantage of the space and facilities we have here.”
“We would like to say a huge thank you to everybody who made the journey to join us over the weekend; your support has been incredible. The funds raised at the event will make an amazing difference towards the experiences we are able to provide for our students and residents.”
Derwen College is grateful to every single one of our donors for their support, and it’s still not too late to contribute! If you visited the event and enjoyed yourself, or if you would like to help us in delivering innovative experiences and opportunities for our many students, please consider visiting our website at derwen.ac.uk for more information.
By Sam West - Contributor
