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The show began in 1926 as a simple flower show and has grown from there.  There are no existing records for it as far back as that, but we know that the Five Parishes Horticultural Society was affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society in 1939.  There was a gap of five years during the war when now show was held, but they have run every year, with four exceptions, since then.

The first minutes that survive are from 1954.  In those days the show was held at Crouch House Farm and the horticultural side was huge.  They had two 90’ marquees, one for the “Cottagers” classes which were only open to the residents of the Five Parishes and one for the “Open” classes which were open to anyone, and they had about 1500 entries.  To give an idea of the difference in the cost of things, the bill for hiring 2 x 90’, 1 x 40’ and 1 x 10’ marquees then was £41.10s.  Now we pay well over £1,000 for just one 90’ marquee!

The show that year made a loss over the year of £32 14s 8d and the whole event was kept afloat by jumble sales (the best one of which that year raised £18 10s), whist drives and a sweepstake on the Derby.  The event has never made money on its own and has always had to be supported by other things, but nowadays, thanks to sponsorship we manage to make enough to keep the show running from year to year and to make substantial donations to various charities just from the activities that happen on the day of the show, but it is a constant worry.  The first prize for the Grand Draw that year was a tea service costing £3 guineas.  Now we ask local firms for donations of prizes and are given many wonderful things some of which have a value of over £100.  We are very grateful indeed for the help given by local business.

In the minutes for July 1955 was a revolutionary proposal that “light music be relayed during intervals (in the ring) and the chairman stated that Lexden Radio “would provide this at no extra charge”.  Nowadays you virtually have to pay people to turn background music off.  There was also criticism of the catering after the show for using waxed paper teacups instead of china ones.

In 1955 the Society became affiliated to the Colchester Rose and Horticultural Society, a wonderful society that, sadly, no longer exists. There is a mention in the minutes that the show was easier to run in the old days when they had a committee of 35-40 people, whereas in 1955 they only had 28.  Today we run the show with a committee of only 10 people and a number of “willing” helpers dragged in on the day.

In 1956 the entrance fee was 1/3 for adults and 6d for children but it cost you 2/6 to park your car (if you had one).  1956 also saw the introduction of the Farmer’s classes and insurance for the whole show cost 1/-.  This year it is costing us somewhere in the region of £600.

In 1957 the first prize for the Grand Draw was a fireside chair bought at a wholesale price of under £7.  One can’t help hoping that the winner didn’t arrive at the show on a bike!  In those days, the table covering for the show was provided by the Essex County Standard who gave the society rolls of newsprint.

In 1960 the show moved to the football field in Peldon, where Newpotts Close now is and stayed there until 1963 when it moved to Langenhoe Rectory for a year.  It then had a troubled few years when interest waned, to the point where, in 1967, no show was held.  However, this seems to have galvanised people into action again and by 1968 there was a new committee, and the show was up and running again.  It moved around a lot until it found a long-term home on the approach to the Fingringhoe Army Ranges in 1983, where, thanks to the kindness of the Garrison Commander, it stayed until the pandemic.  The restrictions on public gathering meant that for 2021 and 2022 we were unable to stage a show and when we were allowed to re-open in 2023, it was to find out that, as the Army were closing Middlewick Ranges, all firing was being transferred to the Fingringhoe Ranges.  This would not normally be a problem as there is usually no firing in August – however, they had carried out major building work in some of the areas that we used and the space they offered us as an alternative was, sadly, not suitable, so our 40-year collaboration with the Army had to come to an end.  We were fairly desperate and therefore, extremely grateful when two local farmers, Jan and Eric Coan offered us the use of three of their fields for the show in 2023 as a temporary home.  We had a nightmare first show back in 2023 with torrential rain and gale force winds in the run up to the show that turned the whole site into a quagmire and wrecked many of our gazebos and tents.  Thanks to some quick thinking on the day by Eric and his son Justin – using tractors to tow out vehicles which had been stuck in the mud – and by Alex Miller who very kindly fetched some ground netting to put in the entrance, we were able to make the show work.  The public were amazingly good natured and kind about the whole thing – thank goodness.  Despite that disaster, Eric and Jan were good enough to invite us back the following year and we now have that site as our permanent home.  It is a great relief!

Nowadays the horticultural side is not as big as it was, we have only between 500 and 600 entries, but it is still a thrill to walk into the big marquee and see the blaze of colour from the flowers, fruit, vegetables, needlework, photographs, wine and beer and cookery and, above all, to see all the entries from the children. 

In the year 2001 we reluctantly had to cancel the show as the foot and mouth epidemic meant that large areas of the countryside, including all army land, were closed to public access and we could not find another site at 3 months notice.  Then in 2002, the heavens opened with violent thunder storms throughout the night before the show and the main marquee leaked, so there we were at midnight frantically carrying exhibits out of the way of the water by the light of car head lamps.  The rain stopped briefly in the morning but then set in for the rest of the day.  This is the first year, as far as we can tell, that the Society has made a claim on its rain insurance and we were extremely grateful for it.  Without it there would have been no show this year.  In 2009 we decided we could no longer buy affordable pluvius insurance so we started to bank our own “insurance” each year, saving what would have been our premiums against another wash out.

Looking back over the minutes for this article it has been astonishing to see the continuity in the names of people on the committee, with some people serving for 40 years or more, only to be succeeded by their children.  It is a tribute to the people of the Five Parishes, which cover a very small area indeed, that the show is now as successful as it is.  We have a gate of approximately 2,500 people, park over 800 cars and the show gains in popularity every year.  We have problems, as every show does – some years we have no dog show or horse show as there is no-one to organise it, but we usually manage to find some willing person by the following year.  It would be lovely to be able to provide more and better toilets, but we can’t afford it.  Although we get the odd complaint, most people are very supportive and members of the committee are constantly told how much people love the atmosphere at the show.  It is very friendly and we try to follow the traditions of the old country shows as much as possible.

In 1954 there was a Gymkhana, the Horticultural Show and a few trade stands.  Nowadays, apart from the Horse Show and the Dog Show, we also have a very full main ring programme. There are over 100 stalls and sideshows and we always try to keep the entrance fee as low as possible.

Planning the show is a year-round process.  We have a round up meeting in August where we note all the things we felt could have been improved or changed and an Annual General Meeting in February which is open to the public.  Then in October we have our first meeting to book the attractions which will appear in the main ring the following year.  From December onwards the meetings are monthly until the show.  There are low points during the year when things seem to be going wrong and we wonder why we are bothering, but when you are standing on the showground early on the day of the show, with the sun shining (I hope!) on the beautiful view and visitors are pouring in, you know that it is all worthwhile and that, whatever happens, something as special with such a history must not be allowed to die.  We owe it to all those past committee members who did so much work for the Society to carry on.