Matthew Burbury

Here I sit, my head a spinning,
All the talk of maybe winning.
Or maybe fifth, for which is last
and why the show flew by so fast.

On Tuesday night we'll find out fate
a horrid time to sit and wait,
And wonder if the judge will spot
What worked well, and what did not.

For 5 long weeks we've practiced hard,
To dance, to sing, to act the card.
With tears, and laughter, and hair pulled out
The show went on, despite our doubt.

And in a flash of one half hour
We river danced, and did girl power
And on a bus that went 'too quack'
We did the trip to 'Greece', and back.

Tonight at Dalston, in hall of heat
They clapped their hands, and stomped their feet
The competition they came to see
Was 'Entertainment - YFC!'

So Longtown, 'Linton, and Skel-toon
Have done their bit, and very soon
Will boys and girls from down at Drigg
join Raughton Head, for Haven's gig.

And only once all five are done
Will judges tell us who has won.
And which 4 teams go on to county
(there will be tears, there's bound- ty.)

So like this nation we will wait
And let one man decide our fate
Civic centre.. a hush comes down
And wait the words of Gordon Brown!!



G'day! As Mr Black and family are on the piste, some of will probably think I have been on it too much as well!!. My name is Matthew Burbury and the blog baton has move half a mile up the road and landed in my ample lap. The above ditty sums up why I am sitting on my computer gone midnight and unable to contemplate bed just yet!!. For my sins I have been producing Skelton Young Farmers Entertainment, of which the first round took place tonight at Caldew School. More about the entertainments later!

So why I am your blogger this week? I wish I knew exactly why, but I think I have a good idea. I am of course the lucky man who is married to Pentalk Co-ordinator Alison Burbury. I imagine the email conversation between Stevie Patt and Alison went along these lines:

SP : Alison we have Dave Black, eminent vet of the county (nay the nation) for the week staring the 4th, and you've also lined up Paul Harper of wide renown to help out, but he can only do the week commencing 18th Feb. Any ideas?

AB: Hmm, not really Steve. Its half term and most sensible people will be away!

SP: Exactly. So we need a filler!

AB: And the weather's improving so everyone will be outside getting jobs done, and not have time to sit on a computer.

SP: Would Matthew do it?

AB: That’s the best joke you've sent for a long time!

SP: Very funny. Would you ask him?

AB: Well if you think its worth it. I'll tell him to do it. He owes me a favour or two. He's hardly been in for the last month. Reckons he's been helping Skelton YFC with their entertainment. But he can't dance, can't sing, and he certainly isn't very funny. Can't see why they would want him! Bloody traitor and all. Why isn't he helping my old club Raughton head?

SP: Easy petal, I just want a blogger for next week.

AB: Sorry precious, I'll tell him he's doing it!

SP: You are a star

AB: Anything for you!!!!!!



So here I am, your blogger for the week. I am a Tasmanian by birth, and remain proudly an Australian (yes Tasmania is part of Australia. We are one of the 6 states of Australia, and the current Aussie cricket captain is a native Taswegian). I came to the UK as a Rural Youth Exchangee in 1991, (Rural Youth is what we call YFC in Tassie), where a young lady stole my hat on the very first night at Stoneleigh. During the next six months she added the letters E.R. to hat, and stole that as well. Next thing I know I am married to Miss Wales (The lads back in Tassie were very impressed.... they thought I had landed the winner of a beauty competition waving daffodils and leeks about!!!). We currently live on Alison's folk's farm, with our two lovely children, Oliver 10, and Emilia 7.

I have lived in Cumbria for 14 years, two months, 3 days and 15 hours (but who's counting?) I currently work at the University of Cumbria, and before that I worked for University of Central Lancashire, and before that I was at Newton Rigg Agricultural College. Amazingly, I haven’t had to move location for these jobs. I just stay put and then every couple of years get paid by a different pay-roll!!

When not at work, I am involved with Caldbeck cricket club, helping out as a governor at the children’s school at Raughton Head, provide help and assistance to Young Farmers Clubs (Raughton Head, Skelton and Thirlmere at the moment), plus occasional Dad and taxi for the children, and even more rarely a loving husband to a very understanding wife. (Note to self, this week is Valentine’s Day, must organise a card that is bigger and more expensive than the one that will arrive from Streethead!!!)

But for the most part of this last month I have been producing Skelton’s Entertainment. Each year the YFC has a competition that moves on rotation between drama, pantomime and entertainment. Drama and Panto are pretty self explanatory, but the Entertainment is like a cabaret/ music hall show. The clubs have 30 minutes to put on a show. How and what they do is completely up to themselves. This is a national competition, so if a club does well they have the chance of progressing to the National Finals. For clubs in the north of the Cumbria we have to compete against each other, followed by a county final. The top two clubs then represent Cumbria at Northern Area (taking on Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland, Lancashire and Isle of Man teams) and if successful there is a the National semi-final (north) before progressing to the National final.


I first came across Entertainments when I helped Raughton Head over ten years ago with ‘An American Tale’, produced by a certain Ian Blamire (who is currently producing Raughton Head’s entry this year). We were lucky / talented enough to get all the way to National finals with a very young cast, and that year we had to travel all the way to Torquay for the final. Four year’s later Raughton Head got to National Finals at Blackpool (once again under Ian’s direction) with ‘Let’s Dance’.

In 2005, the very young cast had grown up and decided to produce their own show, so I was asked to help Skelton YFC out as they had no experience in producing entertainments. It certainly raised some eye brows having a ‘Raughton Head-ite’ working with another club, but for me the experience and enjoyment of putting on a show was something that needed to be shared. In this year Skelton progressed to the County final at Theatre by the Lake (which is a magnificent set-up, and incredible opportunity for young people to tread the boards on such a stage), while Raughton Head took all before them before being knocked out (controversially and wrongly I might add) at the National Semi-Finals at Stockport.

The competition at all levels is littered with stories of injustices and upsets, but at the end of the day, the judges decisions is final. If you float their boat, you get through, but if you encounter a judging team that doesn’t like it, then the end of the road comes along!!!

So after 5 weeks (which is not that long really, especially as we have never had a full cast to a single rehearsal), Skelton’s production of ‘Are We There Yet’ was on stage second at Caldew tonight along with Longtown and Kirklinton. It never ceases to amaze me the talent that is evident in all the clubs. Young people on stage, wearing costumes they would not be seen dead in normally, acting the fool, singing solos in front of 300 people, and putting on a great show is a tribute to the hard work of the clubs.

For my part, the mad dash after work to get home, shovel in my food, and leave the house five minutes later is part of the thrill. The hour before curtain up is manic as the lights were not working, and the sound check needed doing. All the while, 40 Skelton YFCs are getting changed into Lederhosen, spice girls outfits, and having make-up applied. A quick run through some of the songs, and dance routines, and then sit quietly in a classroom as Longtown perform. This is always very hard as it would be great to view our competitors, but it is important that we keep our costumes and makeup a surprise so that the audience enjoy our show.

Once I am happy that the cast are ready, I go ‘front-of-house’ and watch. This always is a difficult thing to do. I know what I expect, and the hope is for smiles on audience faces, and hopefully a laugh or two. I also know what should and shouldn’t happen on stage, but the hope is that any mistake is not noticed by the audience! Alison, Oliver and Emilia are in the audience so I sit with them. The 30 minutes fly by, and a quick change means the whole cast can all watch Kirklinton.

Once the final show is over, a quick tidy up of costumes and set, and then we adjourn to Bridge End at Dalston for a well deserved half! The Raughton head cast and crew are in, and they have the joy of performing on Tuesday night at Whitehaven’s Civic Centre. I really enjoy the fact that the clubs can be fierce rivals during competition, and then have a beer together at the end of the day. The Skelton crew organise lifts and car sharing so we can be in the audience tomorrow night cheering and clapping. But once Drigg and Raughton Head have been on stage, we await the judges who will keep us waiting, and then announce the winners. Just the fact I am typing up about this gives me butter-flys. The sensation as the judges make their comments on stage about your production is one I don’t handle too well. If I’m nervous now, what will I be like on Tuesday evening.

Tune in tomorrow for the results!!! Time for bed.