Show goes on, as North Yorkshire stages its big day three months late

This very scenario that has confronted many show organisers this year and befell Alan Andrew of North Yorkshire County Show on the evening before its June 17 start date.

The downpour meant he and his fellow committee members had to take the difficult but necessary decision to call off the show, with organisers having to stand at the gates of the Otterington Hall showground to turn away disappointed visitors.

However, despite Autumn being open us, Mr Andrew was determined to make sure that the showground between Thirsk and Northallerton did not go unused for the year and is now planning to stage the The Show That Never Was later in the month.

A day of entertainment and outdoor pursuits will be staged at the showground on September 29 in a bid to make sure the public get a chance for their annual get together, albeit three months after the event’s usual date.

And, with the show’s cash reserves having been seriously depleted by the event’s cancellation, the extra income will go towards making sure the 2013 is a top success.

Mr Andrew told the Yorkshire Post: “The last cancellation was 15 years ago and that was done on the Tuesday before the show.

“This year we took the decision on the Saturday before the show.

“We also took the decision to repay everybody everything. This meant over the last few weeks we have been repaying everyone from trade stands to entrants.

“We you take into account things like entertainment acts, toilets and all the infrastructure we have to put into place it meant we face a bill of £40,000 which has pretty much what we had in the bank.

“However the reputation of the show we feel remains intact.”

However not all of the show’s clients would take their refund.

“A lot of people would not accept the repayment, we had a few people rip checks up.

“We have done all we can do with the small reserve we have left. We fell that we have to try and generate income somehow so we decided we would do something we have not done in the past.

“We will host a day and an evening allowing people to go to the showfield for The Show That Never Was.”

The day will consist of clay pigeon shooting, archery and various other outdoor actives, including a coconut shy which will be sponsored by Mr Andrew’s 86-year-old mother Gwn.

As day becomes night this will turn into a dinner dance in a large marquee on the showground. This will feature music from local band Swaledale Stompers and a licensed bar.

Mr Andrew said: ““We would probably have to run a reduced show next year but what we are doing now will hopefully mean that doesn’t happen.

“People coming here will mean that we can go someway to making sure that next year’s show is good. We will only be charging costs.

“The intention is to have a good night and make sure that our reputation remains intact.

“I have been telling people that next year will be the best show ever and I am confident of that.”

And while the event could have been staged elsewhere, Mr Andrew and his fellow organises felt that they would be better of making use of the showground

“We though about hiring out a hotel or something but really we wanted to do it on the field, we wanted the ambiance that is part of the show here.”

The miserable summer weather has seen a raft of summer shows and events cancelled, most notably the Great Yorkshire Show which had to be abandoned after its first day. The weather is estimated to have left businesses and charities with a multi-million pound black hole in its finances.

North Yorkshire County Show’s decision to call off the event was said to have been heartbreaking for organisers but one that organisers had no option but to take.

The show takes place on working farming fields which would have been obliterated by cars churning the ground. Visitors had come from as far away as the south coast.

“The landowners whose fields we use for the show have been so supportive. They could not have been better.”