Indymedia York

It's one of those wonderfully old-fashioned village shows where people compare the size of their marrows and compete to see who can bake the best biscuits.

However, this year the Fulford Show has one black cloud hanging over it - the proposed development of 700 houses on green-belt flood-plain at Germany Beck. Shockingly it may be the site of the Battle of Fulford fought on 20 September 1066.

After the rigours of the public inquiry into the Germany Beck development, York Green Party is taking a humorous swipe at the developers with its stand at the Fulford Show on Bank Holiday Monday.

Green Campaigner, Denise Craghill, says, “Fulford is fortunate to have people keen to keep up the tradition of the village show and we’re hoping that one of the star exhibits this year will be our ‘Germany Beck Treasure Hunt’. “

Entrants will select a plot on a giant map of the proposed development and may win prizes if they ‘find’ an archaeological deposit from the battle site, a flood plain, a traffic jam, or a wildflower meadow.

Denise Craghill adds, “We’ve been making the serious case against the Germany Beck development at the public inquiry but we thought this would be a more light-hearted way to draw attention to the issue at Fulford Show.”

The Greens’ star prize in the ‘Germany Beck Treasure Hunt’ might also turn some heads as it is a pair of knickers designed by top York fashion designer, Julia Smith.

Fishergate Green Campaigner, Dave Taylor explains, “Julia designs bridal and evening wear but also lingerie. She was keen to help us fight this unnecessary development and has donated something from her ‘Mistress Collection’ in a most suitable shade of green.”

Julia Smith’s knickers have already had an outing at The Great Yorkshire Show where they were modelled by former Ms York, Georgia Horsley.