SAFE…The PSNI’s liveried tractor which was on scene at the police’s stand offering advice
It may have been a new venue, but the former Maze prison site did not grab the headlines on the opening day of the Balmoral Show last week, rather it was the tailbacks of traffic, which left many including local MLA Tom Elliott frustrated.
“I set out with my wife and two children at 8.30 in the morning and was meant to be on a stand at 11.30, leaving three hours for the journey, normally ample time to get there and get parked.”
This was not the case though, as Tom and hundreds more were caught up in traffic at Moira.
“I looked at instructions the night before and going from the west it said to turn off at Moira. Just as we came towards Moira though there was a queue just off the M1.”
When he made his way up to the Moira roundabout, Tom heard reports on the radio to go to the Hillsborough turn off, but at that point it was too late and he and his family would not make it to the show until 1.30pm, five hours after they originally set off.
Tom was not the only one to be affected as many others from the county were also caught up in the opening day traffic chaos.
“I talked to someone on Friday and they said they had heard about problems getting out of the Maze, I think it was Noel Coffey’s son or daughter from Fermanagh and I heard they were waiting for an hour and a half or two hours just to get out.”
There were though some that did beat the traffic. “Another man I know left an hour later than me at 9.30 and stopped for breakfast along the way. He heard on the radio about the delays and turned off at Lisburn and he was in the show three quarters of an hour before me.”
Despite the delay though Tom was impressed by the new setting for the show.
“I felt it was a good location and certainly was much more spacious than the Kings Hall.There’s obviously quite a bit of work to do if they’re ever going to get permanent buildings, but the signs are good. We had to stay a wee while longer due to the fact we arrived later, but to be honest I think that helped when we were leaving.
“By and large we just tried to enjoy ourselves and have a good day and we did that despite the initial frustration of it all.”
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