No Oldland Show 2009!

The Oldland Show takes a break for 2009 It is with the greatest regret that the organising committee has decided that this year’s event will not take place and it has nothing to do with the credit crunch.

Simply put, the organising committee has dwindled to three main ` activists’ who spend all year organising the Show with an additional four stalwart volunteers who wade in to set up the Show each August. When the Show started 36 years ago over 34 were involved !

Unfortunately after 18 years of organising the Show, two of the organisers have decided that they cannot continue with the pressure of putting on the Show, an event that has given them the greatest pleasure in putting on. Additionally after a similar involvement some of the stalwart volunteers have reached the same conclusion. Age and health have very much contributed to this decision.

It must be emphasised that this decision was reached extremely reluctantly as we appreciate how much pleasure has been given to so many people – but unfortunately by so few !

We have endeavoured to find people with the commitment, ability and most importantly the time to take over the reins but have not been able to do so. We have depended on a shoe string of personnel for far too long for such a major event and this has been a major factor in `organiser burn out’.

In addition the cause has not been helped by us having difficulty in finding additional assistance at the Show and being let down on a fairly regular basis by people who had promised to help. Furthermore some of the specialist assistance that we have needed in respect of the Horticultural Competition is also proving increasingly difficult to find - Old Father Time and the Grim Reaper are not working with us on this one !

The organising committee realistically needs 8 active `full time’ organisers throught the year and another 12 fit volunteers to set up and break down the Show between the Wednesday before and the day after the show itself. The groups we have approached recognised the scale of the task and were unable to assist.

We continue to seek a replacement team to organise the 2010 Show and will train them should they be found. Regrettably if a team cannot be found by this October then the committee will have to put the Show into very honourable retirement.

Any enquiries can be made to Bernard Jackson or any other members shown on this website. Our many thanks to those who have helped us over the years.

Roger Eynon, Chairman