Howden Show tomorrow aims to be the first in the region to go "carbon neutral" to minimise its impact on the environment. The show committee will be measuring emissions from vehicles
and seeing how much electricity is used.

The show's chairman, Richard Dunlop, says: "There are many carbon credit systems that make it possible for us to offset our emissions in order to make the show carbon neutral. We have sought the advice of the Carbon Trust and propose to use the services of a consultant registered under the Energy Institute to look at the different options available to us."

Carbon credit systems work by attributing a monetary value to the carbon dioxide emissions that an organisation or business generates. To offset the emissions generated by Howden Show, the committee will look at investing the equivalent amount in monetary terms into a project such as investment in green energy or reforestation projects.

The committee hopes to take this approach a step further in future years by also evaluating and off-setting indirect emissions – those generated by the attractions, products and services that are part of the show.

This indicates the forward-thinking behind the event which last year went back to the future by returning to its traditional home, called The Ashes.

This followed a period of several years when the show venue was the sports field at the local secondary school. This coincided with the worst decline in the show's 128-year history. This was partly due to its peripheral location on the edge of the town, but also because of a shift of emphasis from the event's agricultural roots.

A desire to see the show back in its rightful place
in the heart of Howden, was the main reason the committee's longest-serving members, Anthony Huddlestone, first got involved nine years ago.

Anthony, the landlord of the town's Wheatsheaf pub, says, "It was never the same at the school and, although it took seven years to get it back to The Ashes, we did it in the end. We learnt a lot last year and preparations for this year have been going well – all we need now is good weather tomorrow!"

Like so many local people, Anthony has fond memories of the show dating back to childhood. His earliest recollections are of the fiercely-contested show jumping classes and the huge crowds that the event would attract. He sees the show as an important part of Howden's heritage and is determined that it shouldn't meet the same fate as so many others that have disappeared from the social calendar in recent years. He added: "We have lost so many local shows, including Newport, Thorne and Hatfield. If we don't carry on and if local people don't support us, we will have lost part of Howden."

This is echoed by Barrie Hart of nearby Willitoft, who said: "It was always at the centre of the social calendar because it's a rural area and was a great meeting place for people.

Barrie first became involved with the running of the show 17 years ago, when he commentated on the show jumping, but his own memories go back to when he was a small boy of around four years of age. "I'm from a farming background, so have always gone along to the show. As a child, I used to enter miniature gardens and, later, I would compete through Young Farmers; I have grown up with the show."

His earliest memories are of the firework display on the Saturday evening of Howden Show weekend, when it was a two-day event. He said: "We would go through the gates at the Minster end and have a picnic alongside the main ring. Later, we would head home for tea and then return at dusk to watch the cycle racing, when Bill Barrow would compete. Then we'd all wait until it got dark and watch the fireworks."

Barrie has recently retired from the show committee, but continues to volunteer his vast knowledge and experience.

While the committee still relies heavily on stalwarts, it has benefited from an influx of new members keen to offer fresh ideas.

Among them are husband-and-wife team Leonie and Russell Dykes, who live and work locally. Leonie explained: "We joined to bring some new blood to the committee, but also to get involved in a project that would benefit the community.

"The show had been dwindling prior to last year and we wanted to help get it back to what it was."

The show's survival also owes a great deal to an army of volunteers who offer their time and resources on the day and in the days leading up to it, from groundskeepers to judges.