THE park-and-ride service at Usk Show was rescued at the eleventh hour last Saturday, after the firm contracted to provide the service failed to turn up.

The show’s organiser said the first she knew of the problem was at 9.30am on the day of the show, when a member of the public called to say there was no sign of the service at the designated pick-up point.

And while local taxi firms and Monmouthshire County Council minibuses were drafted in as last-minute replacements, that was not the end of some visitors’ transport woes.

Many of those who drove at peak times to the showground, just north of Usk, were stuck in long queues.

Delays affected those driving northwards to the show on the A449. Some visitors who used this route complained on social media of queuing for more than hour to get into the showground.

Nia Osborne, general secretary of show organisers Usk Farmers’ Club, said these delays were “purely down to the number of people who wanted to come to the show”.

Ms Osborne said glorious weather, coupled with the event’s 175th anniversary celebrations, had drawn a bumper crowd to this year’s Usk Show.

“Our normal system just couldn’t cope with it,” she added. “We tried to get people moving as quickly as possible, but some people got stuck at peak times.

“We apologise and we’ll be looking at traffic management next year to avoid those problems.”

Five coaches had been arranged for the park-and-ride service, but Ms Osborne said she only found out at 9.30am on Saturday that they had failed to turn up.

Fortunately, the show managed to get local taxi companies, the council, and a local London bus hire firm to intervene at such short-notice.

“We’re very grateful they stepped in at the last minute,” Ms Osborne said. “They helped us out of a sticky situation, and helped people up to the showground to enjoy their day.”

Among those who helped were council drivers Darren Jones, Geoff Taylor, and James Kendall, who manned buses throughout the day.

Council chief executive Paul Matthews said: "I would like to thank all of my colleagues who turned up to support the Usk Show on Saturday. It was an amazing turnout. Credit goes to our bus drivers who acted without notice to support the organisers and get people to the show so they could enjoy their day.

"Saturday just goes to show how passionate we are about supporting our community. It was an excellent show – thanks Usk Show team and volunteers for a great day – what a brilliant way to celebrate the 175 year anniversary.”