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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.
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