As the 159th Great Yorkshire Show prepares to get underway in Harrogate tomorrow, MAXINE GORDON turns back the clock to the 1960s to discover all the fun of this great agricultural fair

SOME things never change – which about sums up the charm of the Great Yorkshire Show, England’s premier agricultural show.

Crowds will flock to Harrogate from tomorrow to see the countryside at its best. On show will be some of the finest animals in the region as well as the latest agricultural goods and machinery.

Fifty years ago, visitors did exactly the same. Our pictures show some of the finest shire horses and Highland cattle in the land. Meanwhile, people were checking out the latest lines in lawn mowers.

Organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), the first show took place in 1838 in the Barrack Yard at Fulford, York. By all accounts it was a roaring success – perhaps too successful. Reportedly, police had to use their batons to restore order after a large numbers of visitors tried to force their way in without paying.

York Press:

Highland cattle at the Great Yorkshire Show, 1967

Originally, the idea was for the show to take place in a different location each year. Accordingly, it was held in Leeds, Northallerton and Hull before returning to York in 1842, when records show it had a paid attendance of 6,044.

The following year, it became known as the Great Yorkshire Show – and the name stuck. It continued to be held in various locations across Yorkshire until 1950 when it settled in Harrogate.

It has continued to grow in popularity over the years. In 1951, the attendance figure was nearly 54,000. Last year it was 130,000.

So some things have changed after all.