Agricultural Show 1950

Tickhill Young farmers held their seventh Agricultural Show on Whit Monday, 29 May 1950, at Eastfield Farm, courtesy of the farmer, Frank S Newborn. Apart from sheepdog trials, there were 31 classes to be judged, from a range of animals, for example best groomed cart horse, best bull and best pig, to a tractor driving contest, a series of show jumping classes for children and adults, as well as a novelty event: musical chairs in motor cars. A separate class for young farmers tested their prowess at sheep shearing and judging horses and cattle. Two teams of Tickhill Young Farmers entered this event, otherwise few Tickhill people entered the various classes, just R Clayton with his colts and G Storer with his sow. Other participants came from a wide area including Leeds, Sheffield, Worksop and Nottingham. Well-represented in the various equestrian classes was the Massarella family from Bentley. Some of you may remember Massarella's horse-drawn ice cream carts from this period. The family went on eventually to play a great part with Britain's Olympic equestrian team.

The first three in each class received monetary prizes of a pound or two, the best prize, £15, being awarded to the winner of the adults' show jumping class. A cup was awarded for the best beast in the show. The best team of Young Farmers won the Newborn Challenge Cup, with replicas and medals going to the whole team, reflecting Frank S Newborn's desire to encourage young farmers.

The Programme for the event, price 6d, suggests a very well-ordered occasion, likely to attract plenty of spectators for whom refreshments were on offer. Judging animals lasted from 11.30 a.m.- 2.45 p.m. winners then paraded at 4 p.m. before equestrian classes took to the field until well after  7 p.m. Twenty-one different firms advertised in the programme, including two from Tickhill, Jenkinsons, who sold seeds from their Market Place shop, and M Preece and Sons who owned Tickhill Garage on Castlegate. Most of the other advertisements from Doncaster firms were aimed at the farming community, with tractors, fertilisers and animal feed predominating. However, domestic matters were not forgotten: 'Calor' gas 'cuts housework in half' for those without a town gas supply, and modern vacuum cleaners and cookers could be bought from a shop in Silver Street.

Wadworth also held an agricultural show with a similar range of activities to Tickhill's. Only one person from Wadworth ventured to compete in the Tickhill show of 1950, J K Durdy, while very few Tickhill people participated in Wadworth's show. Miss M Lindsay has kindly donated a Wadworth Show programme to the TDLHS Archive.