Year |
|
1860 |
Formation of the Gillingham Agricultural Society |
1862 |
Formation of the Shaftesbury Farmers Club ‘make application to the Most Hon. Marquess of Westminster for permission to hold the exhibition of flocks in the new market place’ |
1866 |
Cattle Plague - No Shows |
1881 |
Mr Buckland retired as secretary after 19 years, five of them as treasurer |
1883 |
Shaftesbury Show moved from the Market place to ‘Mr Upcraft’s field called Cockrams’ apparently near the Ship Inn |
1885 |
The band was paid £2 for playing at the show and during dinner, a total of 10 hours and 30 instruments! Dinner was held on the evening of the Show for many years |
1886 |
Balance in hand £9:19s:6d Shaftesbury resisted approach by Gillingham, Melplash and Dorchester that there should be a combined DORSET Show. |
1896 |
Balance in hand £21.11s:10d Secretary/Treasurer was paid £10p.a. |
1901 |
Shaftesbury Horse Show joined the Farmers Club |
1906 |
Troop Horse & Yeomanry Sports included |
1907 |
Introduction of ‘Judging for young men under 25 years’ thought to refer to ‘length of service with one employer’ Rent for the Gillingham field £10 but it was too small, a larger one had to be found. The sites to be inspected;- Pottery Field, Chantry Field, Mr Joseph Shutes ground, Mr Roses field, Stones field, Major Jacksons field…. |
1908 |
Gillingham Show moved to Mr Allard’s field in Hardings Lane, where shows were held until 1952. ‘Mr Allard to be offered £10 & 2/3rd. of the amount obtained from the Vanity fair people messes Coles. The Show having been previously held in a field belonging to Hudson & Martin, possibly in Station Road between the saw mill and U.D. creamery/egg packing station now underneath the by-pass |
1909 |
Committee complained of an exorbitant bill for £2:10s for the band performance at the Show (30 instruments). Admission 1 shilling. Conveyances 6d per wheel. Show date changed to September |
1910 |
Show reverted to late Monday in August. This was standard until the amalgamation. Protest about Daylight Saving Bill. |
1911 |
Show held from 1pm to 10pm. The Show Dinner & Dance went on till 3am! |
1912 |
Complaint about the call-out of the Territorial Army as it was interfering with farming. Foot & Mouth both Shows cancelled |
1913 |
Gillingham suggested amalgamation of shows or that they should be held alternate years at the two centres. Shaftesbury unanimously turned down the suggestion |
1914-1918 |
Show suspended for the duration. Both Societies met regularly to raise funds, Shaftesbury minutes record - £740 sent to Red Cross for the purchase of X Ray appliances to be installed in local Red Cross Hospitals in Mere, Gillingham and at the Westminster Memorial Hospital in Shaftesbury. £25 to the Prince of Wales Belgian fund |
1919 |
Shaftesbury Show restarted, admission 1s.6d. Shaftesbury Show moved on to land owned by Mr A Burton. The Shaftesbury Committee arranged a ‘Promenade Concert with fireworks and illuminations’ to be held at Pensbury House the same evening as the Show and to engage the Shaftesbury Comrades band. |
1920 |
Gillingham Show restarted but there was no capital. All members were asked to deposit £5 on long term loan. This was later refunded after a successful show in 1921. Shaftesbury was also broke. Members were asked to produce a float of £4 each. There is no record that this was refunded. The first mention of ‘Pitches and Tents for Cattle Cake Merchants and other business firms’ ‘Tents upto 10’ x 10’ @ £1 any other sixe at 2 shillings per foot extra’ |
1922 |
Mr Allard paid £20 for rent of field at Gillingham |
1923 |
Secretary’s salary increased to £40 |
1924 |
Zeals band paid £10 for 10hours performance |
1925 |
Proposal by Shaftesbury, that Shows should be amalgamated, turned down by Shaftesbury |
1927 |
Mr A G Gray appointed Secretary to the Shaftesbury Farmers Club and an office was rented from W H Smith & Son Mr Gary served as Secretary until 1961 |
1929 |
Mr Allard agreed to ‘provide and erect the Show ground’ |
1930 |
Amalgamation eventually agreed after 4 years of discussion. To be called the ‘Gillingham & Shaftesbury’ Show because Gillingham had been established longer. The first show was held at Gillingham because it had a railway station for moving the cattle. Each Society had a capital of about £600. The last Wednesday in August agreed. This date remained constant until 1998 with only minor changes with Show in even years at Gillingham, odd years in Shaftesbury. |
1932 |
Yeo Bros Paul tender for tentage £33. They were the tentage contractors until 1994 although the bill increased somewhat! Rent for Mr Allards field and the recreation ground £25. |
1939 |
Show stewards who were also members of the T A had been guarding the railway tunnel at Sandley overnight, before spending the day at the Show. |
1940 |
Show suspended for the duration of hostilities |
1946 |
Show resumed, this year in Mr Allards field at Gillingham, £155 in the bank |
1951 |
Show moved to Mr Burton’s fields Barton Hill Farm, Shaftesbury |
1952 |
Show held in Mr Sanger’s field at Stock. No cattle or sheep because of Foot & Mouth |
1953 |
AI Classes introduced. Household Cavalry booked, cost £100 plus expenses |
1954 |
Show moved to Mr Brain’s field at Stock, Mr Sanger’s field used for parking |
1956 |
Letter from Gillingham Chamber of Trade asking for Showday to be changed to Thursday, the reply - suggest you change Early Closing Day to Wednesday! |
1957 |
Show held on Shaftesbury Car Park and Grammar School playing fields |
1960 |
Show purchased a Post Driver |
1961 |
Mr A J Gray retires, he had been Secretary since the amalgamation in 1930 and had previously been the Secretary of the Shaftesbury Farmers Club since 1927. |
1968 |
Show held at Slaughters Gate in fields of Mr R O Light & Mr H T Green |
1973 |
Show held in Messrs C & R Young’s fields at Cannfield Farm, Shaftesbury |
1979 |
Show held on Saturday for the first and ONLY time |
1980 |
First Show with big main ring |
1981 |
First year with a team of three Presidents. Last Show with live pig classes |
1993 |
96 acres of land, part of Manor Farm, Motcombe was purchased by the Society. |
1994 |
First Show on our own Turnpike Showground, Motcombe |
1996 |
A wet Show - the Pluvious insurance funded the building of the barn, in which we store all the show paraphernalia. |
1998 |
Shows now held on the third Wednesday of August, the date was changed to avoid clashing with Melplash |
2001 |
Show cancelled due to Foot & Mouth Disease |
2002 |
Planning application to build a Pavilion on the Showground. The application was eventually rejected in 2008 after complaints from Port Regis School. |
2007 |
13th. Show at Turnpike!! Wettest July on record, horses cancelled because parking area too wet, F&M outbreak announced on Saturday 10 days before Show. The Show went ahead without livestock and it rained! Thanks to the generosity of sponsors a financial catastrophe was averted. |
