Jill Holman, now Mrs Jill Monk, has good reason to remember to remember it. She was competing on her favourite mount of the time. Merry Monarch. The arena had a long fast straight, parallel to the Burgh Road, at the end of which was a gate, through which the riders could run out. Jill remembers that the stewards had failed to keep it clear of spectators, leaving nowhere for Merry Monarch, at speed, to go. She tried to turn, but in the wet, the horse, with her, went down. A loud crack echoed round the ring. Her Father, a doctor, feared the worse. In those days riding hats were lined with cork and fortunately it was this that so noisily split open, but Jill had to spend a few days in bed with concussion.

The recreation ground is a great asset for Aylsham. It’s a memorial to those who died in the First World War. The cost of buying the land and building the pavilion was donated by the Goulder family, who had lost three sons. Some 11 acres in size, it is home of the Town’s football and cricket teams. A thriving bowls club, tennis courts and a chickens play area, a basket ball pitch and an obstacle course complete the facilities. It is run by a voluntary management committee.

It was this committee, that in1946, was thinking of ways to raise money for some improvements, particularly in the children’s play area. They hit apon the idea of staging a gymkana, and three members: Ray Bond, Charles Ewing and William Nobbs were dispatched to explore the idea with Rex Carter, a prominent local horseman.

The accounts for the first year show a profit of £118. 12 .11d (which is the equivalent of nearly £3,000 today). 360 visitors, each paid two shillings at the gate and 198 paid a shilling. Pleased with their success, the committee did make one decision which has remained the same ever since. They moved show day to August Bank Holiday Monday in the hope of better weather. It’s not always been the case!

The event’s popularity continued and in 1949 it attracted 4,000 peopl. In 1952 the Aylsham Show Association was formed to run the event. By1955 it had outgrown the recreation ground. It was time to move. Matthew Mitchell who farmed on the Blickling estate, owned by the National Trust, offered an area of parkland which was accepted with alacrity by the committee.

By 1957, the show was well into its stride and for the first time distributed over £1000 to its charities. The Show Association had formally achieved charitable status and there was an agreement that 75% of the profits should go each year to the recreation ground committee. But outdoor events of this kind are very weather dependant and surpluses varied markedly from year to year.

A change in farming policy in 1969 meant that the Blickling Park would no longer be available. This was a crises. It was Lord Walpole who came to the rescue and offered Wolteron Park for a period of four years. By 1975 Jim Mitchell offered Blicking Park again subject to the approval of the National Trust. The site had been earmarked for a gold course but the Trust felt that this was unlikely to proceed for at least two years. Having been guaranteed for a further two years the committee agreed to go ahead, but not without some reservations over the short time scale.

The 1976 show is still a vivid memory for those involved, particularly Jim Papworth and his wife susan. There had been several problems in the run up to the event, but on the eve of the show, everything seemed set fair. On the day however continuous rain turned the ground into a quagmire and the attendance slumped. The show lost over £1500. Susan Papworth remembers having to empty water from the cups before presenting them. There was one happy co-incidence. The Starting Handle Club under the chairmanship of Joe Parker, had been invited to organise a steam threshing demonstration but they spent most of the time hauling cattle floats, lorries and vans off the rain soaked ground.

1977 saw the election of the first lady President, Deborah Cronne. Now married, she had been show secretary since 1959. Christopher Self and Amanda Postle took over, jointly, in 1977, and Chris remains in the post to this day. 1977 and 1978 were golden years for the Aylsham Show Association. A gate of 18,000 was followed by one of 22,000 putting ontold pressure on the Show’s arrangements.

Queues for the car park back into Aylsham, complaints about the lavatories led that year’s president, Tony Duffield to suggest that 20,000 was an optimum attendance.

In 1979, Foster Harrison, the incoming President, proposed reviving the Norfolk Farms Competition. It was to be open to Association members only and he would be pleased to donate a perpetual trophy. The idea was investigated and Barclays Bank, amongst others offers generous sponsorship. It proved to be a successful initiative. Over the years, the competition has been refines into several classes, and the Association is proud to run it as an annual event to this day.

The Show’s current site was first made available for the 1987 event. On the western side of the lake in Blicking Park, it is said by many to be the most picturesque of any in the country. The show has continued to be on this site, with the exception of the year of mad cow disease where the travelling of beef was phobited, the show has continued to a success which is the August Bank holiday tradition.

For more information on the Aylsham Show visit: www.aylshamshow.co.uk