Great Yorkshire Show

A few years ago Graham was asked to go along and demonstrate sheep shearing, nothing unusual in that, isn't it all done by machine now?

But he is one of a few young men who can shear a sheep in the old fashioned way - by hand, and what's more he loves it.

Graham told BBC Radio York how he got into shearing by hand.

"I first started getting interested in sheep when I was very small, watching my Grandfather and his workmen.

"My Uncle would shear by hand and my Father would use the machine. It's quite interesting seeing the difference between the machine and by hand. The machine can take a fleece off in about two minutes, whereas by hand it takes about five minutes.

Graham thinks it's very important to keep a tradition like this alive.

"It's dying out now, especially with the gangs of shearers that go around and do the sheep. Occasionally a farmer will do his own, especially when foot and mouth broke out and the gangs of shearers couldn't go around because of the restrictions, so it does keep coming in now and again."

We're glad that's over!

Graham demonstrated along with Anthony Rooke from Helmsley who will be using a machine, but is he nervous in front of all those people and do they ask questions?

"I was nervous the first couple of times. When I looked up there were about 1000 people watching me! But I managed to keep going and I must have done a good job as they asked me back again.

"People take an interest in what they're seeing at the show and give me all sorts of questions like does it hurt the sheep? Where does the wool go?

"A lot of the young ones don't have a clue as to where the wool actually comes from and are quite surprised when they see the fleece come off a sheep and then told it can be made into a jumper, they're quite surprised."