Rural shows in Britain: Agricultural shows gain momentum

Rural shows in Britain: Agricultural shows gain momentum

The Economist,

Angus neish dared to hope that his fine-looking cattle, bred at Rodmead Farm in Wiltshire, could nab a prize at the Royal Bath and West Show on June 3rd. The annual fair, held near Shepton Mallet, in Somerset, is England's oldest—and grandest. As well as a fiercely competitive livestock parade, it features Morris dancing, sheep-shearing and a vintage fairground. Its pony-chariot races, meanwhile, are second-to-none. Many contestants on a recent afternoon had first given generous custom at the nearby cider tent. They performed vigorously before a large crowd.

Britons love a fair. Thanks in part to sunny weather, 100,000 turned out for some of the three-day show. No one is sure exactly how many fairs there are, but at least 400 days of such rural events happen annually. A parliamentary briefing last year suggested that roughly one-in-ten Britons attend them each year. It appears their popularity is rising. Events that sell out all their tickets, as happened at the Great Yorkshire Show last year, could become more common.

Source:

(*) https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/06/23/britons-love-country-fairs-why