Weather forces show to cancel (From Keighley News)
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Weather forces show to cancel
8:57am Thursday 30th August 2012 in News By Alistair Shand
Keighley Show chairman William Mitchell stands on the waterlogged show site at Marley
This year’s Keighley Show – the annual agricultural showpiece event which was due to be held this Saturday – has been cancelled.
The summer’s exceptional rainfall has left the Marley playing fields venue and car parking area saturated.
“We had a meeting at the site on Monday night and decided that regrettably there was no choice but to call off the event,” said chairman William Mitchell, 40, of Grange Farm, Oakworth.
“Work was due to start on Wednesday putting up the marquees and we had to make a decision before then.
“We are bitterly disappointed but there were pools of water on the field and it just wouldn’t have been able to cope with the show traffic.”
It is the second time in recent years torrential rain has forced organisers to cancel the extravaganza – the 2008 event was also called off days before it was due to take place.
This year’s show, the 55th, was to include the usual array of classes and entertainment.
“What makes the cancellation even more sickening is that there was a queue of people this year wanting trade stands and other sections of the show were set to be bigger – entries were up, for example, in the handicrafts,” said Mr Mitchell, who is in his third year as chairman. His family has been involved in the event since its early days.
He said it was unclear at this stage to what extent the show would be hit financially.
The cancellation is likely to result in a substantial loss, with some expenses committed that organisers will not be able to recoup, but there is sufficient in reserves to hold the event next year.
l Keighley Horticultural Society, which usually holds its own show as part of the bigger event, has been unable to find an alternative venue.
Secretary Mike Cunningham apologised to local growers.
He urged people who would have shown their flower and vegetables at Keighley Show to enter the show being organised by the recently-formed Worth Valley Horticultural Society, which is running at the Community Centre on September 23.
