Recipe for reviving Royal Show

The show with ‘something for everyone’ was, I believe killed off by greedy overpricing. With exorbitant entrance fees (I remember having to pay £15 in 2008!) and high ground rents for stallholders, this double-whammy was bound to result in poor attendances; the ‘kiss of death’.

So, my recipe for a healthy revival is simple:

1. Keep admission fees low. £5 per head is plenty and will ensure a very high ‘gate’.

2. Make pricing attractive to encourage stallholders.

3. Bring back all the superb attractions, from country crafts to parachute displays. From Land Rover driving to the cattle parade (the bull judging always provided entertainment especially if one got loose!); tractors pulling sledges in mud to sheepdog trials.

Originally for the farming community, over the years the show grew to embrace an eclectic mix of interests; all now sadly missed.

Yes please Ian, breathe life back into our Royal Show; gently. - Phil Taylor, Camberwell Terrace, Leamington.