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The Swahili for eight is NANE, confusingly one letter different from the English nine.(For further confusion with Swahili numbers I refer you to Mr Modest Stout of "Bexley-on-Heath"). Anyway, Nanenane means 8/8, 8th August. This is Farmers Day, a National Holiday in Tanzania. In the week before, all the major towns have an Agricultural Show, and the Dodoma one is in full swing, building up to a glorious finale on the 8th. The venue is a permanent showground a few kms East of town.In fact NANENANE, being one of the major public transport destinations, is painted on half the minibuses rattling about the town. (Post on Dodoma's public transport "system" to follow; when I've sussed it). So it was easy to get there and I paid the 500 shillings entrance fee (2500 shillings = £1). Africa's ubiquitous jiggy, jazzy, happy music was pumping out at ear-bursting levels from the various stands. Nearest the gate were the mobile phone companies, keenly promoting the world's favourite product. Then everything and everyone was represented, from the Prime Minister's Office to a dusty heap of second-hand shoes. The agricultural element included little plantations of tea, coffee, grapes (my oenological research continues) and sisal. I was told there was a small zoo and sure enough I heard a tremendous ROAARRR! ROAAARRRGGH! which turned out to be a recording from the loudspeakers at the Tanzania National Parks stand. When I found the lion he was snoozing, with his feet up against the bars of his rather cramped cage, admired by a three-deep crowd of locals. The giant tortoise was relatively lively, enjoying all the attention; the black mamba scarily so, in his rather flimsy glass case. The dusty lanes thronged with schoolchildren in their smart English-prep-school-circa-1950 uniforms, all clutching armfuls of brochures, there were also families, and parties of VIP's, making things unpleasant for the hoi polloi as they brum-brummed round the site in their 4x4's. I stopped for a Safari Beer and a plate of tasty-if-tough grilled meat at the Mama Love Chakula Stand, then headed home.