Saturday 1st November: Well a busy day ahead which starts at the lock-up at 8am. The day continues well, and it is warm and by lunch-time tents are erected, catering tent organised, lighting erected, generators positioned, and we're ready to go.

Shane & Iain have decided to pre-cook food this year and keep it hot. This serves two purposes, firstly it will allow them to manage the peak demand, and secondly to use our usual burgers instead of the thin patties. It works well and there's not much left from the 700 servings Shane ordered.

I visit Hugh Crouch to collect the walkie-talkie radio, and he seems in good humour, and his wife, who I hadn't met before indicates that she thinks it's all a storm in a tea cup, and that everything will be fine. We agree the communication timing but as it turns out, the radio doesn't work well at all and I have to use the mobile phone.

The weather stays dry, but is cooled by a strong wind blowing in the direction of the studs, but the displays go off faultlessly, and over 2,000 people attend; we even sell out of tickets at Fords.

Two PCs turn up to help us with guiding the public into and out of the Showground, and the lighting works well. My role is a combination of photographer and liaison with the horse people, I also garble a thank you message over the tannoy between the two displays.

My photography is aided by a chance conversation with a local photographer in the morning, who tells me about the "bulb" setting, basically allows you to keep the shutter open with your finger on the button. Along with an ISO setting of 100, and the aperture set at circa f12, you can produce great firework images. The main tip is off course to use a tripod, but mine is broken, and I hand hold, but still get some great images, see below:

At the end of the second display, there's a mad rush for the exit, and we are able to get our tents packed dry, always a bonus.

Net profit, initial estimate, circa £4,500, not at all shabby.