This year’s Southern Show will be the last one for Sarah Comish as show secretary. Sarah has moved on to a new role at the Manx NFU and Zoe Hampton is taking over from her.

Zoe is already familiar with the organisation of the show, having been treasurer for the last four years but her association with it goes back much longer than that. Her father, Colin Kelly, is a long time member of the show committee and her mum, Gwen Kelly, runs the Southern Beekeepers’ stand at the show.

’Even when we were little we would go down to help set it up: we would always be there,’ Zoe recalls.

Colin Kelly was born at Southampton Farm in Port Soderick and has lived at nearby Ballashamrock Farm since 1958. At least eight generations of his family have farmed around Santon and Braddan.

Zoe was brought up at Ballashamrock which is now run, along with Southampton Farm, by her brother David and his wife Judith.

Zoe lives in Ballabeg with her husband, Philip, and their children, Edward, aged 10, George, eight, and Aggie, four.

Philip’s sister, Stella, runs Ballawhetstone Riding School and always sends a good number of youngsters and ponies to compete in the show every year.

But Zoe’s interests lie in other directions. She says: ’We’re all tractor fans in our house: Philip is an agricultural contractor and the kids all love tractors.’

For Zoe, the Southern Show means a chance to catch up with people.

She says: ’I’ve got a lot of family involvement so it’s always nice to see everybody.

’Mum will be doing the Southern Beekeepers, Dad will be stewarding and the kids will be doing calf handling. Everybody’s very busy.’

The Southern Agricultural Show is taking place today (Satuday) and tomorrow.