Back again and bigger than ever, with a fourth day added to its already bursting-at-the-seams line-up, this year sees the Balmoral Show launch its own app to keep track of events, stands, and competitors - and remind you where you parked the car! A celebration of the best of Ulster’s farming industry and heritage, Balmoral has a long history of showcasing technological innovation. Just watch this archival footage of the UTV show Roundabout, reporting live from the 1966 Balmoral Show.

Here we see the very latest in hay turners and a tractor-powered silage vacuum packer that doubles as a milking machine (I’m not sure how pleasant that experience would be for the cow on the receiving end…). There’s a large capacity dishwasher, too, alongside a demonstration of an early dimmer switch – after you’ve loaded your 42-piece dinner set into the former, you can settle in for a romantic evening under the soft glow of the latter (along with the five to ten guests who used all that crockery). There’s an international element to the event, with publicity-shy French Charolais heifers on display and poultry from China and Poland. This year’s exhibition will doubtless offer an even greater array of livestock, so why not head down and check it out? If the traffic worries you, you can always make like Roundabout’s roving reporter Maggie Gilchrest and arrive on horseback…

Other footage from the event showcases the ancient art of butter sculpture (the most delicious spread-based artform I'm aware of), the most fantastic sixties fashion shows (Balmoral knew how to swing!), and competitions from show-jumping to sheep shearing to milking. Have a browse and see if any of the farming faces look familiar!