The Sydney Royal Easter Show was first held in 1823. The Show attracts one million people per year and my wife came a very honourable second in the cross stitch competition. For this she wins a ribbon and the respect of all the people who attend.

It goes some way to making up for the fact that she didn’t win the “Lovely Girl” competition at the Ungarie Show in 1987.

Whilst second at the show is an impressive performance, it does not compare to my own Grand Champion ribbon awarded for cooking damper at the 1998 Ungarie show.

Some say this was fixed.

The fact I had my picture taken for the local newspaper and was interviewed about how it felt to be a Pom beating Australians in their own backyard, before the competition started, was merely co-incidental.