Show's bid to avoid traffic chaos

There were 10-mile tailbacks at last year's show Royal Welsh diary 2008 In pictures from Monday's show

Royal Welsh Show chiefs are urging visitors to use recommended routes and car parks in an attempt to avoid last year's "chaotic" traffic problems.

An extra 54 acres of parking is being laid on this year after atrocious weather conditions in 2007 contributed towards 10-mile tailbacks at the event.

Princess Anne opens the showpiece this year, the first time in four years it has received a royal visitor.

More than 200,000 people regularly attend the show at Llanelwedd, Powys.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, which runs the show, issued its warning to visitors travelling by road in an attempt to avoid a repeat of last year's problems.

Show director Harry Fetherston-Haugh said 800m of new drainage had been installed on the showground, just three years after officials spent £500,000 on the drainage system.

In addition, he said 1,700m of new roads had been built and 2,300m of tracking for the car parks were being used.

"If the weather changes we are in a far stronger position this year," said Mr Fetherston-Haugh.

Show officials have also urged drivers to cooperate with traffic marshals on duty at the showground.

A sleeping pig on the opening day of the Royal Welsh Show Enlarge Image

They said all visitors were expected to park in outlying car parks and travel to and from the showground using the park and ride shuttle services.

"The underlying principle of traffic management at the show is that traffic will be directed to park off their approach road whether it be the A483 from the south-west, the A470 from the south-east, the A470 from the north-west; the A483 from the north-east or the A481 from the east," said Royal Welsh chief executive, David Walters.

A special rail service is also being laid on over the four days of the show.

It departs from Cardiff at 0708 BST each days and stops at 23 station en route, arriving at Builth Road station at 1034 BST.

A bus will then be laid on to take visitors to the showground.

Ukrainian Cossacks

As for the animals on show, the restrictions imposed under blue tongue means there are only 400 cattle entries this year.

Sheep numbers, at 2,000, are relatively unaffected, while there are 3,500 horses.

The Princess Royal opens the show, but a number of other high-profile visitors are attending.

They include Wales' Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones, the chairman of the All Wales Convention Sir Emyr Jones Parry, Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy and, on Thursday, the leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron.

Meanwhile, among the visitor highlights at this year's show is the Bolddog Lings Freestyle Motorcycle Display Team, the Ukrainian Cossacks - a national horsemanship display team from Kiev, and the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment's parachute display team, the Tigers.