Historical Background
It all started in 1897 as the Bishop Wilton Flower Show in a tent erected in the school yard. In the early days it was accompanied by a cricket match, sports, a brass band and an evening dance. By 1907 a competition for mares, foals, cows and pigs had been added.
Find out more about the very first Show on the Local History Site (including a copy of the first Show Programme). Also, the earliest known photograph of the Show, from 1923, can be viewed there.
There was a South African connection with the first Show which is explained in an article on the Local History site.