The Royal Show, also known as the Royal Agricultural Show, was an annual agricultural show held by the Royal Agricultural Society of England every year from 1839 to 2009. The event encompassed all aspects of farming, food and rural life - from the best of British livestock to the latest business and technological innovations in the farming industry. Over 1,000 stands, world-class livestock and equine classes attracted visitors from over 100 countries. [1]
The Royal Show gave the name Park Royal to the part of west London which once hosted the show. The Royal Agricultural Society of England had planned to make the site a permanent home for the Royal Show. It was not a success and the Society sold the land in 1907.
Between 1839 and 1902 the Royal Show was held at various locations across the country: [2] [3]
Following the 1879 event at Queen's Park, which incurred a large financial loss due to bad weather, the Royal Agricultural Society made the decision to look for a permanent showground, in order to reduce costs and make additional income from letting the site for other events. Eventually a 102 acres (41 ha) site was leased near Twyford Abbey in West London, and given the name Park Royal by the society, a name it continues to bear. The first show was held on the site in 1903. [10]
The attendances at the 1903 show were disappointing, and even worse at the shows in the two following years. By then it was decided that the idea of a permanent show had been a mistake, and that the travelling show should resume. The show grounds were sold for industrial use in 1907. [10]
Year | Town/City | Venue | Rf. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1906 | Derby | Osmaston Park | [3] | ||
1907 | Lincoln | West Common | [3] | ||
1908 | Newcastle | [3] | |||
1909 | Gloucester | [3] | |||
1910 | Liverpool | Wavertree Playground | [3] | ||
1911 | Norwich | Crown Point | [3] | ||
1912 | Doncaster | [3] | |||
1913 | Bristol | [3] | |||
1914 | Shrewsbury | [3] | |||
1915 | Nottingham | Wollaton Park | [11] | ||
1916 | Manchester | [3] | |||
1917 | No show | [3] | |||
1918 | No show | [3] | |||
1919 | Cardiff | Sophia Gardens | [3] | ||
1920 | Darlington | [3] | |||
1921 | Derby | Osmaston Park | [3] | ||
1922 | Cambridge | Trumpington | [3] | ||
1923 | Newcastle | [3] | |||
1924 | Leicester | [3] | |||
1925 | Chester | [3] | |||
1926 | Reading | Caversham Park (later Henley Road Cemetery) | [3] [12] | ||
1927 | Newport | Tredegar Park | [3] | ||
1928 | Nottingham | Wollaton Park | [3] | ||
1931 | Warwick | Castle Park | [3] | ||
1934 | Ipswich | Chantry Park | [13] | ||
1936 | Bristol | Ashton Court | [3] | ||
1937 | Wolverhampton | Wrottesley Park | [5] [14] | ||
1938 | Cardiff | [3] | |||
1939 | Windsor | [3] | |||
1947 | Lincoln | West Common | [3] | ||
1948 | York | York Racecourse | [3] | ||
1949 | Shrewsbury | [3] | |||
1950 | Oxford | [3] | |||
1951 | Cambridge | Trumpington | [3] | ||
1952 | Newton Abbot | [3] | |||
1953 | Blackpool | [3] | |||
1954 | Windsor | [3] | |||
1955 | Nottingham | Wollaton Park | [15] | ||
1956 | Newcastle | Town Moor | [3] | ||
1957 | Norwich | Royal Norfolk Showground, Costessey | [3] | ||
1958 | Bristol | [3] | |||
1959 | Oxford | [3] | |||
1960 | Cambridge | Trumpington | [3] | ||
1961 | Cambridge | Trumpington | [3] | ||
1962 | Newcastle | Town Moor | [3] | ||
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From 1963, the Royal Show was held in Stoneleigh Park (previously known as the National Agricultural Centre or NAC) near Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, England. The first show at Stoneleigh lasted four days and attracted 111,916 visitors. [16]
More than 140,000 visitors were expected to attend the 2007 show; [17] however, bad weather forced the show to close early for the first time in its history. [18] Torrential rains left the showground saturated and police and show organisers took the decision to close the show a day ahead of schedule "to ensure the safety and welfare of the public, traders and exhibitors".
Two of the showground's car parks were closed on Monday evening after drivers had to be towed free. A further 30 acres (12 ha) of barley and hay fields were mown to provide additional parking on the Tuesday.[ citation needed ]
The decision was described as "heartbreaking" by the Royal Agricultural Society of England. John Moverley, RASE Chief Executive, said the financial implications of the wet weather and closing the show early were being assessed. "We haven’t got exact figures, but it looks as though we are down by about 10% for the first two days on last year," he said. [18]
The Royal Show was again run at Stoneleigh in 2008. However, on 3 April 2009, organisers said the 2009 show would be the last. [16] [19]
The Agricultural Buildings Show has taken over in part from the Royal Show at Stoneleigh Park.[ citation needed ]
Melbourne Showgrounds is located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia, next door to Flemington Racecourse. The largest and most flexible indoor/outdoor venue space in Melbourne the Showgrounds is the home of the annual Melbourne Royal Show, as well as major exhibitions, trade shows, and music concerts, including the Supanova Pop Culture Expo, the Caravan & Camping Touring Supershow and MotoExpo.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, commonly shortened to The Easter Show or The Show, is an annual show held in Sydney, Australia over two weeks around the Easter period. First held in 1823, it comprises an agricultural show, an amusement park and a fair and combines the elements of each, showcasing the judging of livestock and produce. The Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales is responsible for the event. Queen Victoria awarded the society and its show the right to use the word "Royal" in its name.
The Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) is an agricultural show which takes place on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, North Yorkshire in the North of England annually from the second Tuesday of July until the following Friday. It is organised and run by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS). Since the demise of the Royal Show the GYS has been the largest agricultural show in England, however within the UK it is surpassed by both the Royal Welsh Show and the Royal Highland Show. The show is highly successful and the society generated income of £9.6 million in 2016. A new Hall at the showground, costing £11 million, opened in 2016 and produced more than £1 million of income in its first year.
Stoneleigh is a small village in Warwickshire, England, on the River Sowe, situated 4.5 miles (7.25 km) south of Coventry and 5.5 miles (9 km) north of Leamington Spa. The population taken at the 2011 census was 3,636. The village is about 600 yards (549 m) northeast of the confluence of the River Sowe and the River Avon. The village's church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Stoneleigh has no public house: all three were closed by Lord Leigh more than 100 years ago, after his daughter was laughed at by drunks when she was going to church on a tricycle. However it has a social club, which meets in the evenings on Vicarage Road.
Queen's Park is an area in North West London and West London, located partly in the City of Westminster and mostly in the London Borough of Brent. Some of the area within Westminster forms a civil parish, the first to be created in London since the right of communities to establish civil parishes was enacted in 2007. The area is located 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Charing Cross, and centred around a 30 acres (12 ha) park, which opened in 1887 and was named in honour of Queen Victoria. The area gives its name to Queens Park Rangers football club.
The Royal Adelaide Show is an annual carnival and agricultural show run by the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia. It is held at the Adelaide Showground, a dedicated venue located in Wayville, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) promotes the scientific development of English agriculture. It was established in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science" and received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840. The RASE is based in Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.
The Perth Royal Show is an annual agricultural show held in Perth, Western Australia at the Claremont Showground. It features informational exhibits, agricultural competitions and animal showcases, a sideshow alley and rides, and showbags. It has been held for over 100 years and is organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia. It is held during the spring school holidays, either during the last week of September or the first week of October and at its peak, attracted attendance of around 460,000 people.
The Melbourne Royal Show is an agricultural show held at Melbourne Showgrounds every September. It is organised by Melbourne Royal and has been running since 1848. Each year Melbourne Royal Show attracts attendances of up to half a million people.
The Royal Bath and West of England Society is a charitable society founded in 1777 to promote and improve agriculture and related activities around the West Country of England. Based at the Royal Bath and West of England Society Showground near Shepton Mallet in Somerset, the society is a registered charity in England and Wales.
The Royal Highland Show is Scotland's biggest annual Agricultural show. The show is organised by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.
The Royal Highland Centre (RHC), originally the Royal Highland Showground, is an exhibition centre and showground located at Ingliston in the western outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8. The RHC now welcomes over 1 million visitors annually to a wide range of events. The largest event is the Royal Highland Show, which attracts over 200,000 visitors each year.
Stoneleigh Park, known between 1963 and 2013 as the National Agricultural Centre, is a business park located south-west of the village of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, England. It is home to the NAEC Stoneleigh conference and exhibition centre.
In the United Kingdom, a county show is a summer outdoor agricultural show. The events have competitions, with prizes awarded by judges, allowing farmers and breeders to show off their cattle or crops. There are many trade stands which offer the latest farming machinery, feeds, fertilisers and other farming products. Other trade stands and activities have been added to make the shows more attractive to locals and visitors. Often there are features such as showjumping, funfairs, falconry, military displays and food exhibitions.
The Royal Hobart Showgrounds are the site of the Royal Hobart Show and many other smaller events including a market on the grounds every Sunday. The Royal Hobart Showground is located 10 km north of Hobart, between the junction to Brooker Highway/Goodwood Road and the Main Road in Glenorchy.
The Inveresk and York Park Precinct in Launceston, Tasmania, once Tasmania's largest industrial site, is now the major cultural heart of the town. It is home to York Park, one of two current Australian Football League venues in Tasmania, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, TAFE Tasmania, and The School of Visual and Performing Arts. The annual Royal Launceston Show is held every October at the Inveresk Showgrounds. Invermay Park and other minor facilities are located behind York Park and near to the Inveresk Showgrounds. The precinct is also home to the Annexe Theatre, one of Tasmania's leading venues and home of CentrStage Theatre.
The Kent County Show is an event hosted annually by the Kent County Agricultural Society at their Kent Showground headquarters at Detling near Maidstone in Kent, England. The event is primarily an agricultural show, showcasing the produce of Kent farmers such as soft fruit, alongside a livestock show and various other attractions such as demonstrations of traditional skills like blacksmithery and displays from the Royal Artillery.
The South of England Show is a county show held annually at its own showground in Ardingly, Sussex during June.
The Three Counties Showground is a showground site in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, covering 90 acres (36 ha) owned by the Three Counties Agricultural Society. The Three Counties refers to the agrarian counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The first show at the site was held in 1958 and was attended by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
The Munster Agricultural Society, also known as the MAS, is a non-profit agricultural organisation headquartered in County Cork, Ireland. Founded in 1805, its stated charitable purpose is "to encourage and promote Agricultural, Industrial, Educational and Scientific Pursuits." It also oversees the Munster Dairy School and Agricultural Institute.