Malhamdale Local History Group    

 

 

 

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1972

1972 Official Party. From left to right (back row) are: Mr J Whitehead of Penrith, guest speaker at the luncheon, Mr R Haggas, chairman, Mrs P Whelan, secretary; Mr E Metcalfe, president. Seated are Mrs Whitehead and Mrs Metcalfe.

Alan Bolland

Alan Bolland in the motor cycle scramble in the mid seventies.

1975 - left to right - Mrs Jean Sharp, Mrs Muriel Bland, Mr Bill Bland and Mr Tom Sharp, President.

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1975 Fancy Dress - Alison, Susan and Jennifer Bland saving energy!

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Under 12's Fell Race - Neil Heseltine

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Mr Harry Fell, President, and Mrs Fell presenting prizes to winners of the Under-12's Fell Race in 1978. Neil Heseltine in the white shirt.

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Mr John Geldard, show president 1979 and his wife Margaret.

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1979 - Mrs Ruth Robinson, Mrs Vera Sharp, Mrs Elizabeth Metcalfe, Mrs Margaret Geldard, Mr John Geldard, show president, and Mr Edmund Metcalfe.

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1979 - Mr Harry Bolland with Mrs Margaret Geldard, wife of show president John Geldard, and Mr Derek Bennett.

 


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Malhamdale Show 1907 - 2002

 

The Seventies
     
Mr R Taylor who had been secretary of the Malhamdale Agricultural and Horticultural Society for 22 years from its inception and had been President of the 1968 Show died in 1970. Malham village hall became the venue for committee meetings. Previously they had been held in The Council School, Airton, or Scosthrop School. Accreditation started in 1972. Under the brucellosis accreditation scheme the field is to be empty, apart from sheep or steers over 6 months, for a period of 60 days before show day. No cattle, except steers over 6 months are allowed on the show field without a BS13 Permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Health Department. By 1969 the cost of admission had gone up to 5/- for adults, 2/- for children, free parking and the catalogue was 3/-. In 1971, the show's silver jubilee year, the cost was rationalised into "new money" as 30p admission, children 10p, free parking and 20p for a catalogue, making the basic cost of the day for two adults and two children just £1. From 1972 onwards the Show Committee made an effort to include more public entertainment in the show programme, to appeal to a wider public. At the same time the custom of having an evening dance after the show was dropped, following poor returns. Minutes of the committee meeting held following the 1971 show record that "it was thought that everyone having worked so hard all day at Show, it was unjustified to ask them to turn out again at night." Records show that the dance on the 1971 show night only netted £5 profit.

1970 - A good day and successful Show
     
The show made a slight loss this year. Dancing in the evening at the Kirkby Malham Church Hall to The Premier Quintet.

1971 - The Silver Jubilee Year of Malhamdale Show
     25 shields were presented to holders of lucky catalogue numbers. Jimmy Saville, The Duchess of Kent, Ken Dodd and Harvey Smith were invited to attend this show as celebrity guests, however all declined. A trade marquee was included in the show for the first time. A car handling competition was included for the first time, run by Messrs J Bosomworth of Skipton. Mr Harland of the Buck Inn, Malham donated a silver cup to be presented annually to the winner of the Junior Fell Race. Prizes were awarded for the first time for the first and second girls home in the Junior Fell Race. Persistent rain in the morning led to a drop in attendance this year. People took shelter in the marquees and tents and the beer tent proved popular. Proceeds from gate receipts and sale of catalogues was down by about £200 on the previous year. Some winners returned their prize money - many programmes went unsold. A loss was made on the show which was offset over the year by a highly successful whist drive and Christmas draw for which 6000 tickets were sold.. Dancing in Kirkby Malham Church Hall after the Show to the Philip Allen Trio for the last time after the Malhamdale Show.

1972 - Attendance and exhibits maintain a high level
     For the first time cattle at the Malhamdale Show were accredited - entries were at the same level as last year but, as more farms become accredited it is likely that entry numbers will increase. George Bolland of Dykelands Farm won reserve champion with a 4 year old Friesian cow, the Fritsilver Trophy for the best local cow in calf and the Foster Memorial Trophy for the exhibitor with the most points in the accredited cattle and beef sections.

1973 - Gate receipts were a record for the last 5 years.      The show was advertised in the Yorkshire Post on the Friday prior to show day. Gate takings were recorded as £543, indicating an attendance of around 2000. Entries were up by 200 on last year when the show was accredited. There were more classes and more prize money. The cost of staging the show was also up - by £100. Timekeeping in ring events, which had been slipping in previous years, was noted afterwards as having been ahead of schedule. Events included in the programme for the first time included Junior Five-a-side Football and a Mounted Fancy Dress competition. Mr and Mrs Alan Cooper presented a shield to be competed for annually for the child, in secondary education who scores highest points in Floral Arrangements, Cakes, Preserves, Needlework, Knitting, Children's Section and Handwriting.

1974 - Popularity of the Show increases
      This year the show included a display of free flight model aeroplanes. Litter collection was added to the schedule, for children up to 16 years of age, with prizes for 12 to 16 years of age and up to 12 years presented at the Show. Competitors met on Malham village green on the Thursday before the Show, the event started at 6.30 pm and lasted till approximately 8 pm.

1975 - A jolly good show in magnificent Malhamdale which a sharp cool wind could not spoil.
      A Heavy Horse class was included in the Schedule this year. The show made approximately £100 profit.

1976 - Farmers have been praying for rain and it fell on Show Day!      
      The Caton family donated a trophy in memory of their late father Mr Frank Caton, to be competed for annually in the Heavy Horse Class. A new class was introduced for a Small Implement or Utensil now out of daily use. Mr T Arnold Foster donated prize money and judged the class. Mr W Wild put on a display of crafts in the marquee. Miss Hannah Hauxwell from Baldersdale judged the best looking sheepdog and bitch. Portable toilets were hired for the show - at a cost of over £80. Gate money was up £300 on last year.

1977 - Malhamdale Show raises cash to buy its own showfield      
      An auction sale of exhibited and donated livestock and produce raised £850 for a fund to buy the field in which the show had been held since 1960. The sum raised compensated for reduced takings at the gate, about £900, resulting from a cold blustery start to the Show Day. The target for the field was £3,000. The balance of the money required was raised by means of a bumper fund-raising effort during the year when every household in Malhamdale was sent a letter explaining the plans and asking for support. Other fund raising activities included a barn dance at Hurries Farm, Otterburn, a whist drive and raffle, and a coffee morning in Malham Village Hall. By the time of the AGM in January 1978 the Showfield had been bought and paid for. There was a charge for the first time for parking (50p). Prize money as well as entry fees were increased. The Army gave a drum display and there was a gymnastic display by a team from Skipton. A new item on the schedule was a tug-of -war utilising prize money donated by Mr Harland of the Buck Inn and Mr. White of Malham. Parts of the show were televised by the BBC and members of the committee were concerned that "politics had been in evidence on Show Day". The secretary was asked to write to the BBC asking that on no account was anything to appear on TV connecting our show with politics.

1978 - Record crowds and rare summer sun drew a record attendance.     
      Norman Painting (Philip Archer of "The Archers") was a guest celebrity at the show and judged the fancy dress. The Mellin Cup (for the best animal in the accredited cattle section) was won outright by Mr G Moorhouse.

1979 - Malhamdale Show now 33 years old      
      The first (post-war) show held at Airton (in 1946) was 10p entry and had a handful of trade stands. In 1979 the show committee owned the field, trade stands had increased four and fivefold and the Show covered five fields totalling over 20 acres. The show was considered a success although profits were slightly down on the previous year due to increased costs. Grass skiing was an added attraction at the show. The Yorkshire Caravan Club booked the showfield for two dates in May and September. A building was erected in the corner of the show field to accommodate the Show's equipment. On Show day it was used to replace the beer tent thereby saving money.

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