Godmanchester Town Show godmanchester town show

The Town Show, for all ages, displaying an extensive range of ingenuity and talents across a wide range of classes

History

In August 1886 Queen Victoria was in the 49th year of her reign The Marquess of Salisbury was Prime Minister Karl Benz patented his first automobile and Godmanchester held its very first Town Show

Historical background In the second half of the nineteenth century, gardening came to be regarded as a recreational activity for all, and the first horticultural shows were held. In 1886, the Godmanchester Horticultural Society held it’s first show. By the next year, 1887, it was being described as an annual show and a detailed report of the second show appeared in the Hunts County Guardian on August 13th. “The day was very fine and hot and the Company large. A large tent was erected for the reception of the exhibits, which consisted of fruit, flowers and vegetables. The show was very large and a good one, exceeding the expectations of the inhabitants..... and upon the whole showed up Godmanchester as a very productive locality ” It was held in the grounds of Mr P E Tillard (at The Holme) and there was a military band playing, tennis and dancing, refreshments and lots of decoration - flags, flowers, Venetian masts and coloured lamps. Caged birds of the canary type were also judged.

Success and demise Under the Towgood family and later Marshall Sisson, Farm Hall became the regular venue for the show (except during WW2). Crochet and knitting competitions were by now added to the produce competitions, and there might be sports, fancy dress parades, maypole dancing, rabbit shows and baby shows. Around 70 babies were entered in the 1938 competition. In 1943, there was a “Victory Garden Show” held at Riverside, and it raised £160 for the Red Cross. By the 1960s there were fewer town shows reported in Godmanchester, although the Huntingdon, Godmanchester and District Green Fingers Club did hold a 1965 show at the Commemoration Hall.

Reborn again

Then in 2015, a small committee, supported by Godmanchester in Bloom, planned a new show and held it on September 12th in St Mary’s Church. It proved very successful, with nearly 300 entrants.

The Hunts Post included a report on September16th and the Best in Show trophy went to Neve Morgan, who also won the Children’s Section. Year on year, the show has increased in popularity with the number of classes increasing as well as the number of entries, participants and visitors. 2019 was even bigger and better with new classes, and participants, some of whom entered after just viewing in previous years, and visitors. Preparations were started for the 2020 Town Show which unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the COVID outbreak In 2021 the Town Show was held at the Godmanchester Community Nursery for the first time and was the most successful to date.