Around 25,000 visitors are expected to descend on Lawford House Park near Manningtree next Saturday for the 99th Tendring Show.
Volunteers were working hard on site this week and next to prepare the grounds for the event, which maintains its focus on the agricultural sector with sheep and cattle classes and a themed area showcasing the different ways farmers in the area are developing and diversifying their businesses.
Clacton arable farmer David Lord, who is chairman of event organisers the Tendring Hundred Farmers’ Club, said early forecasts indicate that the weather is set fair for the event and he is hopeful it will be a bumper year.
Two years ago, disaster struck when rain caused a washout year which halved the normal attendance numbers, but last year was a good one, and organisers are hoping to build on that.
For David, an arable farmer based at Earls Hall Farm who farms 1500 acres, and his team, this year is a particularly busy one as this time last year they were already beginning preparations for their big centenary celebrations in 2015.
“It’s been a busy year to try and think and organise both,” he admitted.
Almost everyone working on the show, including the 250 or so stewards, are volunteers, with just one full time and one part-time members of staff employed by the club, which is a charitable organisation. The event is steered by a 20-strong committee spanning a broad age range from 18 to 65 plus. Any surplus cash they make from the event goes back into future shows.
“It’s self-sufficient but as time goes by it gets more challenging as costs go up,” explained David.
“We are lucky in that over the years we have built up a bit of a nest-egg.”
Although on the face of it, the 2012 show was difficult, it did bring people together, he said.
“Everyone was stoic and it was typical British ‘roll up your sleeves’,” he said.
The event includes more than 200 trade stands, a sheep show and shearing demonstrations, children’s activity areas and family fun.
For more information about the show, including pre-show concession ticket deals and information, go to: www.tendringshow.co.uk
You can now also follow the Tendring show on Twitter and Facebook.
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