Kayaks, clip boards and spinning for Prince Edward.

As I go all things NF show for a week, I thought I would share some of the memories with you.

The New Forest show has been an important date in my calendar my whole life. From coming as a child with my mum to actually competing there in the Prince Philip Gymkhana games when I was around 11 to going as a teenager with my mates and hanging out in the fun fair.

Going full circle, I took my own daughters regularly - the memory of trying to push a pushchair through wet straw covering the flooded concourse one particularly wet summer didn't put us off.

There was another year when my girls were around 6 and 8. We were watching some horse event and an elderly couple started to set up camp next to us, he getting out his shooting stick and making quite a theatre of driving it into the ground and opening up the top into a seat - both girls watching with keen interest as he reversed in and started to lower his rather portly posterior before misjudging the seat and ending up flat on his back with his feet in the air to which my youngest clapped her hands and said “that was so funny, can you do it again?”.

They had to endure more of our company as the stunt riders galloped in and did their thing, leaping over the backs of their horses from side to side before jumping up to stand bare back as the horses galloped around the ring, to which my eldest said in such a casual tone “oh, we do that in pony club all the time.”

I still have a corn dolly dressed from the “rag bag” in the kids area that my youngest took such care to style as a pirate. For some reason we named him Percival Montgomery and to this day he stands on a shelf in my office.

There were the in between years - having come down from Yorkshire with a friend and watching the birds of prey in the main arena and the man giving us a talk about training and care of the birds. He then released the eagle that was sitting on his arm and off it flew… and flew… and flew until it was “nobbut a speck in the sky”…poor chap kept blowing little peep peeeeeps on his whistle to this little dot in the distance. I have no idea if they were reunited.

Once returned to living back here, I did around 6 or 7 years standing for Naomi House having been on the committee for decades and remembering the year that rain met gales and the our entire marquee took off.

There was another very memorable year in 2012 when Queen Elizabeth visited as part of her Diamond Jubilee. As we all know ,she was a serious horsewoman but I am led to believe she impressed more than a few with her in depth knowledge of the New Forest blood lines

September social.

Thursday Sept 10th. 10.30am. The Larder, Early Court. Lymington. All friends of Juliet's Pilates welcome.

Enjoy the bank holiday and see you for a busy Autumn!

I had 2 or 3 years with New Forest health and Leisure, in my capacity as Pilates teacher and along with loads of other instructors, we did express class demo’s.There was a very memorable year in this chapter when we were getting a royal visit from HRH Prince Edward. Some official gave us a brief talk on how to address him etc. and the idea was that we were all on our spinning bikes and would be in full flow as he arrived. It was a very hot year and we were in a marquee but we did as we were told, pedalling furiously every time they hissed “he’s here, he’s here” and slowing down a bit when they said “no, false alarm” - this went on FOR AN HOUR.. when he finally did arrive, he actually spoke to me - me with my hair stuck to a sweaty, red face.

“I can imagine that is hot work” he said and I replied “well I wouldn’t be this sweaty if you had arrived on time” IN MY HEAD as out loud I said something like “Yes Sir, jolly warm”

One of my favourite stories is from one of the security guys who told me about years, ago, a very anxious old lady who couldn't find her car at the end of the show. I’ve been there. It’s horrible. He kindly offered to help her and they spent a good hour walking the vast parking areas before she was delighted to recognise her car number plate. As she approached her car, the security guy said “madam, YOU HAVE A KAYAK STRAPPED TO YOUR ROOF” - to which she replied “Oh, silly me. I completely forgot. My grandson bought it this morning and asked me to bring it home for him”.

And so the dizzying heights of being part of the Trade stands committee. We support the Show ground teams and all the trade stands. We start from the Saturday as vendors and livestock start to arrive but it is the Monday (day before ) that is really busy.

After gate security, we are the first face you see on the ground and we direct you to where you are going and so on.

Particular joys - putting my hand up in acknowledgement along with a smile to welcome the vehicle, that drives straight past me without so much as a glance. These people are very, very important.

Walking towards a slowing vehicle with open window to say “can I help you with directions” to be told “nope” as vehicle pulls away. These people are also very important,

Fortunately they are very much in the minority as most people are really happy as the carnvial atmosphere builds.

Last year, on the final day, after a dreadful heatwave, the skies turned black, It was very nearly the end of show and the Musical drive of the Heavy horses had just started. I was sitting ring side with my daughter - this has always been my favourite show to watch and weirdly makes me really emotional, I have no idea why. Maybe the grace and majesty of these huge horses,

Anyway, they were doing their wonderfully choreographed routine when, from the blackest sky you can possibly imagine there was the most almighty clap of thunder. My daughter and I stared at each other and remarked how, looking at around 30 huge, heavy horses in the ring this could be a disaster. Of course what happened was that these magnificent horses never put a foot wrong as the heavens opened and the rain came down like stair rods with dramatic thunder and lightning - the show continued and what made it all the more special was that no-one left. We all moved under the stands and, like I have never seen before and oh, so terribly British, everyone started cheering and singing and stamping their feet.

The first year I joined the Trade stands, I brought a young and bouncy Bertie the Labrador. Now,for the 3 days pre show, there is one burger van open on the ground to feed everyone. (I know you are already ahead of me on this). Bertie leaped out of the boot and stood stock still - nose in air. He sniffed, he sniffed again before the split second half backward glance - the opportunity to either distract or grab him. I did neither and he set off, half the length of the show ground with me in hot pursuit. Despite being ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS with him, I couldnt help but marvel at his magnificence as his muscles rippled ‘neath gleaming golden coat shining in the sun, barely a breath of dust underneath him as his feet hardly touched the ground in his speed. Little bxxxxxxd.

By the time I got to him, he was on his second bread roll.

Forward to this year when I got his ramp up to the boot, held his hips to guide him down whereupon he lifted his nose, acknowledged adventures of yesteryear before taking his place on his bed by our cabin where he lay each set up day, watching the world go by.

Gretle the Jack Russell is a rescue you may recall and the first year I brought her, that first day, every time a tractor started up or a post was knocked into the ground, she leapt six feet in the air, turning herself inside out in one of her moments of needless overreaction. By the end of the last set up day, she was laid between Bertie’s front feet, snoozing while marquees and fence posts were put up around her and this year lay across the front door so I could not leave without her.

This year on the first day, I was given a new VIR (very important role). I was to help the judges who were judging the trade stands. Two visiting judges who run county shows in Somerset and Dorset were to walk the show and select winners in 5 categories

We don't do every section but we do visit 600 stands. SIX HUNDRED. I was the scribe and was highly entertained by my fellow steward Martin: far senior to me and hugely experienced and having worked in the Forestry commission for 40 years, I was once again learning all sorts as we walked the show. He introduced me to “Tools for self reliance” - a charity based stand who collect tools and basic machinery, refurbish it and send to African countries. Just this month they are sending 500 refurbed sewing machines. They are based just up the road in Netley marsh.

One thing that did amuse me was how people sit up and take note when they know they are being judged. My biggest take away from this - if you want people to pay attention and show you their best side, pop on a lanyard and pick up a clipboard!

.I have grown up on the forest, as have my daughters. Riding, cycling, running, walking. Picnics, games of rounders, paddling in the streams, camping.

I adore the forest and value what it gives us and for me, being part of the (huge) volunteer team at the New Forest show is to be around others who love the forest as I do, who treasure it and who want to preserve it and nurture it in addition to educating others about the livestock, the wildlife, the flaura and fauna and how to care for it and respect it.

For me, it is giving back to something that continues to give me so much. To be part of a community who love where we live and also to be around people who I may never otherwise cross paths with.

There is not a year goes by, I don’t learn something new.

In recent years one of my favourite experiences was in the Old Farming section. I met Joanna Foat who wrote “The Lumberjills. Britain’s forgotten army”.

She only discovered them in 2012 while working for the Forestry commission and many of those still alive were so resentul at how they had been overlooked and I quote “Many of the Lumberjills I met were upset that they had not been recognised for their contribution to the war, so I wanted to make sure they were remembered. Now their incredible feats of physical and mental endurance and stories inspire women today. Given the freedom and opportunity to work together out in the forest, the Lumberjills became very strong and were a huge success.’”

Joanne’s talks included actual archive news reports and she displayed photos of these remarkable women - “Girl power” like you can’t imagine. I found her talks very moving and deeply humbling. Do read her book and look her up online. She is also currently exhibiting at the New Forest Heritage centre in Lyndhurst until 17 August so if you can, go along. I definitely will.

I watched the brilliant sheep shearing for a bit - very funny and very entertaining and did you know that the “not very pleasant, poo’ey, muddy fur” from under the tummy goes off to be used in felt and yes, in felt tip pens? No, me neither!

It is hard work and the days are very long. Aside from the pre show days, on the 3 show days we arrive to start by 7am, rarely leaving before 6.30pm. We are covered top to tail in dust, are a bit sunburnt and frazzled; my fridge is full of local cheeses and chutneys with weird names and I may have bought yet another hat….and I love every moment of celebrating our beautiful New Forest.

Members' Section.

Very little to add here. We had a very funny Commonwealth Games themed morning on Monday and thank you for indulging me as we swam, ran, played netball and boules, cycled and rolled around! Why not have some fun now and again.

No new content in library but well done to everyone who has been really busy taking advantage of the "on demand" classes.

Next week I head up to Scotland for a Pilates weekend with my favourite gurus, Michael and Malcom. I have decided to make a road trip of it and Gretl and I are heading North in the camper van and taking a few days off, so another short week in the live classes department and thank you to Lisa who is very kindly Bertie sitting while we are away. As always please check your calendar. You all know that when I am back, the calendar will be heaving with new classes!

Have a fabulous weekend, see you Mon and Tues next week (extra class Monday again).

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Supersets? Pyramids? What is it all about?

By juliet • September 10, 2026

It was lovely to see lots of you yesterday for our “Coffee and catch up” . It is always so good to see each other in person and I love our socials and getting together. I know those of you further afield are a bit left out of this and I really hope that lots of you have the Christmas lunch in your diary to come on down (or up) but I am also working on a London day out before then as a central meet up for everyone scattered around this country as least. Those abroad are a bit harder to reach. Perhaps we should hire a coach and go driving around Europe and find you all! Either which way, it is always a joy to see you “in civvies” and off your mat. We have been working really hard on the fundamentals over the last couple of weeks, covering breath, understanding imprint versus neutral, better control and precision and I have had some great feedback on this so thank you too! Working more slowly is, for some of us still a work in progress. I do know that a lot of you will be very glad to see me slightly further away and back on my mat.. although I am very much enjoying being right up at the screen so don’t hold your breath! I am getting a lot from observing you closely and seeing what you are getting from me and what adjustments I also need to make. I have been talking weights quite a lot recently and fear not - I will move on but I am on my soapbox so let’s see this one through, not least because in October the British Heart Foundation are doing the “Strong woman challenge” so if you find them on your socials or go to their website and want to join, you will be well prepared (and if you do, please post and tag me too and thank you Lou for drawing my attention to thi s). Ok, so we know why. The many, many benefits. We know how frequently and hopefully last week helped explain what a heavy weight will be to each individual. Now let’s talk about the different styles of lifting. If you are doing your own thing at home or in the gym, you will very probably keep it simple. I usually do. Select 8 - 12 exercises. Repeat each one 8 - 12 times. Repeat this 3 times.

I know I need to lift weights but WHAT do I lift?

By juliet • September 3, 2026

As the schools go back and the weather takes a dramatic turn, there is no doubt that Autumn has invited herself along. If you need any more convincing, apparently Tesco has got Christmas foods on display. Bonkers! SUE SUE SUE - I'm sorry for those who thought I had finally lost the plot (and GREAT to see two of you laughing as much as me) as I managed to squeeze that into a class online yesterday. Still making me laugh out loud. If you havent yet seen Ann Droid on Iplayer, do yourself a favour and settle in. It has got to be one of the daftest, funniest things I have seen in a very long time, and having started to use Chat Gbt a lot more, it is uncannily accurate. I met one of our fabulous online friends for coffee this week and every time we drifted into more serious subjects, we just kept coming back to quoting lines from the series like a couple of daft kids. A great tonic if you need a bit of a lift. And so to weights... It can be really overwhelming. I saw a post recently online that said "I feel more peer pressure in my 50's to eat protein and lift weights than I ever did in my teens to take drugs"! You can't go too far without being bombarded with podcasts, documentaries, magazine articles and radio interviews all promoting the need for a healthier lifestyle and how to achieve it but it can seem too much and very confusing. We recognise that Pilates is excellent but on its own, is not enough. The ideal blend is to practise Pilates, lift weights and then also bring in your walking or running or cycling or tennis. A bit of everything really. We have already discussed the "WHY" element of lifting weights and if you are still unsure, scroll back a few weeks as I have written a few posts on this but there is no denying the many ways it helps us and I regularly get comments on where in your day to day lives you see the benefits. I LOVE this! However, we are still not sure about how heavy to go so let's try and break this down and make it easier to understand . “Heavy” is personal—it means a weight that challenges you, not a particular number on a dumbbell. As a beginner, start light enough to learn the movement and stay in control. If you’re aiming for 8–12 repetitions, the final few should feel noticeably harder, but you should still be able to complete them without swinging, rushing or changing your posture. Aim to finish feeling you could manage another two good repetitions if you had to. If you reach 12 and feel you could easily do several more, try the next small increase in weight. If you can’t reach eight without losing technique, choose something lighter. Different exercises will need different weights, so one pair of dumbbells won’t suit everything. Take time to find your starting point—there’s no rush to lift heavier, and muscle effort should never mean pushing through pain. When you are more experienced and feel more confident, you are aiming to really dig deep to finish the last couple of reps. Typically we use 8 - 12 as a guide. If you are swinging the weights about, rushing the movement or feel you could do more, you are not lifting heavy enough. If you can't maintain an appropriate posture, are holding your breath or using momentum to lift the weight, it is too heavy.

The Autumn Series and what is coming up

By juliet • August 27, 2026

What to expect as we head into the Autumn Series

Balance. What does that mean to you?

By juliet • July 23, 2026

It's all about balance.

Why slowing down can give us so much more.

By juliet • July 16, 2026

Slow down.... which is what I did on a fabulous day at Wimbledon!

Tennis, Football, Ghosts and Hipflexors!

By juliet • July 9, 2026

WHAT a week it's been...

Route planning and going back to the fundamentals

By juliet • June 25, 2026

Firstly and most importantly, what a wonderful group we are! While several of you very sensibly chose not to travel on the hottest day ever recorded, and some of you are just too far and even overseas, we had a really great turnout for our first Summer Picnic on Wednesday. Ironically I had been searching for somewhere with shelter incase of rain - how could I have possibly known that we would need it for shade. We met in a beautiful venue, with a very welcomed sea breeze and had a great catch up over some amazing picnic offerings. It is always such a joy to bring us together and our social events are something that (as you know), I value enormously. While we continue to grow and reach ever further online, the funny thing is that we are so sociable and the more we meet up for things like this, the better connected we feel when we have a pre class chat online. The photos don't really do it justice and I apologise to those I haven't included but I chose not to use my phone too much and to just capture a few snaps of a really happy lunch. Thank you to those who came. It is always such a pleasure to see you.