• Introduction
• A show is born
• The first show
• The 1920's
• Post war years
• The 1950's
• The 1960's
• The 1970's
• The 1980's
• The 1990's
• The new millenium

 

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Clicking on most pictures will show a larger version

1980 - the show president, Mr T E Arnold Foster and Mrs Foster presenting a trophy to Mr Bill Bland

1981 - Mr Frank Sharp with his trophy winning Dalesbred tup.

David Caton in the Dry-stone Walling competition 1982

1986 - Mr Charles Dobson, show secretary, Mr Norman Eastwood, president and Mrs Eastwood, and Mr John Heseltine

1986 - Mr Bill Bland of Kirkby Malham with his champion cow.

Local heroes..... The Litter Collection Team.

1988 - Mr Maurice Pullan with the William Nelson Trophy for the best vegetable exhibit in the local section, which he won with his entry of potatoes.

1989 - Fred Dibnah arrives at the Show with his steam roller.

Beautiful babies… Judith Stamper and Anne Bolland with Tim Bolland who won first prize in the 6-12 months class in 1986

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Malhamdale Show 1907 - 2002

The Eighties
      During the eighties the show consolidated on its previous successful years and introduced an increasing variety of attractions. At the same time entries in the traditional sections of the schedule gradually increased and the high standards of livestock and produce seen in previous years was maintained. Permanent toilets were installed on the showfield and water mains were laid in the neighbouring fields to supply animals. The area covered by the Show extended over neighbouring fields loaned to the Society for the event by Mr T Sharp and Mrs C Swinbank. In 1980 entry to the show was 80p for an adult, 20p for a child, car parking was 50p and a show catalogue cost 30p. This brought the basic cost for the day out for a family of four to £2.80, an increase of 280% over the 1971 cost.

1980 - Record Show day for Malhamdale.
     2,500 to 3,000 people attended the Show, gate money topping £2,000 and entries up in all classes. The weather was fine and warm, despite bad weather earlier in the week. Sheep dog trials were changed to an invitation demonstration involving about twelve dogs giving about two hours of dog running. There was concern that the tug-of-war was not held on a level site and the winner of the draw invariably won the pull. RAF College Cranwell put on an exhibition of survival equipment and a mobile fish and chip shop made its debut at the show.

1981 - Magnificent Malhamdale.
     Fine, warm weather attracted bank holiday crowds and takings were slightly up on 1980. A level site was found for the tug-of-war. RAF Cranwell repeated their exhibition of survival equipment.

1982 - A record-breaking Malham Show.
     Sunshine blessed the showground on Show Day drawing record crowds. Gate takings were £2,300. An RAF Sea King helicopter put on a display of flying and rescue techniques and the RAF College Cranwell put on their usual display of survival equipment. The Parish Church Council held a disco in the marquee on Show night. The Chairman, Mr E Hargreaves and Mrs Hargreaves accepted an invitation to visit the RAF College, Cranwell as representatives of the Show and Malhamdale farmers and later reported to the committee that they were royally treated. This courtesy by the RAF was repeated in subsequent years.

1983 - A splendid start to the Bank Holiday weekend.      Record numbers attended and gate receipts totalled £3,270. Relatives of the Show's President, Mr. Frank Caton, had flown in from Cairo and Canada and a sister had come from Edinburgh to attend the Show. In addition, his brother Val, of Otterburn took three trophies, the Mellin Cup for the best dairy cattle, the Preston Farmers Tankard for the best cow or heifer in milk, and the Associated Dairies Trophy for the best cow in milk, while he, himself, won prizes for the shearlings he had bred, making this a memorable day for the Caton family. To add to the international flavour of the show, two youngsters from Austria, Rosemary and Elizabeth Horl, 8 and 6 years, who were visiting their grandparents in Draughton, took part in the fancy dress competition. An under 14 yrs. class was included in the fell race, bringing the number of classes in this event to 4. Mrs Maureen Hill donated a trophy in memory of her husband Keith, for the new class. A scheduled RAF flypast and a hot-air balloon were thwarted by low cloud on the day. The RAF put on an exhibition of survival equipment and a lady from Beamsley ran donkey rides for the children. The marquee was again used for a disco after the show run by Kirkby Malham Church Council. The increased attendance on Show day was apparently being felt as it was agreed at the committee meeting subsequent to the Show to look seriously into providing permanent toilet facilities on the Showfield.

1984 - Malham swelters and attendance drops - the year we got it right!
      President, Mr Alan Cooper said the drop in numbers was disappointing, but thought the weather had made the day even more enjoyable for those who had turned out. A bouncing castle for the children was organised by Kirkby Malham School. After considerable debate and detailed studies, mains water had been laid to the field making it possible to use temporary flush toilets. The church disco was held in the marquee after the show. The show made a profit of around £1,000. At the 1985 AGM, the outgoing president, Mr Cooper, remarked: "1984 - George Orwell got it wrong Arthur Scargill seemed to get it wrong but Malhamdale Show got it right!"

1985 - High spirits defeat the mire.
     Bad weather resulted in a drop in attendance to 2,600, with takings £1,000 down on the previous year however President, Mr Eric Hargreaves, commented it would take more than "a bit of rain and muck" to put Malham Show off. (However Betty, his wife, was unable to wear her specially tailored show outfit!) Indoor entries were up to exactly 1,000 while horticultural entries were down due to the poor growing conditions this year. Mr George Moorhouse of Bell Busk took seven trophies in the cattle section, including the J Mellin cup for the champion beast. The Rochdale Cup, presented to the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association by Lord Rochdale and since given to the different regions of the association, had been awarded to Malham this year. Special attractions included a search and rescue demonstration by RAF helicopter, Rose and Crown Morris Dancers of Skipton and a children's bouncing castle manned by the Airton Pantomime Group. The church disco was held in the marquee after the show. Permanent flush toilets were completed in time for the show.

1986 - Sunshine smiles on record - breaking Malham Show.      
      A good year - the Show recouped the £2,500 loss made in the previous year. Pre-show entries reached a record number of 1,150. No bouncing castle due to increased cost of hire. Stanley and Newmarket Colliery Brass Band played at the Show. A Wessex helicopter from RAF Leconfield gave a rescue demonstration and flying display. The RAF Training School, Cranwell, put on a static display. The under-fives fancy dress was won by Victoria Newhouse wearing a Hawaiian grass skirt, and a banner bearing the message "I knew it wouldn't be weather like last year." For the first time the programme included a layout of the Show. The toilet roof which had been damaged by a hurricane (which affected many parts of the country this year) was repaired before the show.

1987 - Malham drove all records away      
      This was another year for records - record entries - 1252, record gate receipts - £4,200, record attendance - 3,100. Another record was that the Senior Fell Race was won by a local for the first time, Bryan Rycroft, his sister, Bridget, coming in a close second in the Ladies Section. Brian Moorhouse took top honours in the cattle section. An extra class was added in the Heavy Horse section for a pair of heavy horses. Attractions included an RAF helicopter rescue display, a recreation of a 1684 cattle drive, which was televised for a TV documentary, Stanley & Newmarket Colliery Brass Band, Skipton Morris Dancers, a children's roundabout and a bouncing castle.

1988 - Malham smiles amid the mud      
      Mud was everywhere following morning and early afternoon rain which was typical of summer this year. By mid afternoon the sun shone brightly and a drying wind prevented the condition of the field from getting much worse. Around 2,100 people visited the show. President Mrs. Maureen Hill was reported as looking "elegant in an eye-catching black and white patterned dress, matching hat - and green wellies!" Brian Moorhouse repeated his success of last year in the cattle section and Bryan Rycroft won the Senior Fell Race for the second year running. This year's attractions included a Falconry display, a Veteran Car Parade, Stanley & Newmarket Colliery Brass Band, a barbecue, a children's roundabout and a bouncing castle. The show produced a surplus of £400.

1989 - Show day was one of the few wet days of this summer
      Low cloud and rain resulted in the cancellation of the RAF search and rescue display. Pre-show entries reached 1,400, although entries in the beef classes were down. Mr G Hall of Coniston Cold took 5 of the 10 trophies on offer in the cattle section as well as the Foster memorial Trophy for the exhibitor with the most points. John Bradley of Penyghent Farm, Litton was awarded the Barclays Bank trophy for the Champion Sheep for the fifth time in nine years. This year's President, Mr R Haggas, was the third member of the same family to hold the position. Attractions included a Falconry display, Fred Dibnah with a steam roller, cars of yesteryear, Stanley & Newmarket Colliery Brass Band, a barbecue, a children's roundabout and a bouncing castle. The Show just about broke even this year.