A short History of The Sandy Show

"The Greatest One-Day Show in England"

So it was billed in the 1920's.

The first Sandy Village Show was held in 1868. The Sandy Floral & Horticultural Society was formed the following year and played a leading role in the subsequent Annual Shows.

The Sandy Show was held on the last Friday in August until 1893 when the day was changed to the last Thursday in August in order to allow shop workers to attend the Show on their half day off.

From it's inception in 1868 to 1953, when the last of the traditional shows was held, with the exception of the war years, the venue was Sandye Place. In 1891 owing to the death of Mr J. N. Foster of Sandye Place the Show was held at The Cricket Ground, Sandy. Another exception, as recounted by W.G Western,* was in the 1920s when the show was held on Hawkesbury Meadow, Tempsford Road when a huge storm on the night before the Show wrecked many tents and stands, including that holding the Rabbit Show. Many rabbits took advantage of the breakdown in security and escaped into nearby Pyms Woods.

As can be seen from the accompanying illustrations the show became very popular. It reached it's peak in the 1920's and eventually became one of the largest of it's type in the country, with crowds of up to twelve thousand, obliging the LNER to lay on special trains to accommodate those wishing to attend .

The 66th Show was held in 1939 and proved to be the last for several years.
The Show continued after World War 2 from 1946 until 1953.

In the 1966 the show was re-born at Sandye Place. In 1979 & 1980 The Show was held
in the old Civil Defence Hall, London Road. From 1981 to 1997 the show, now held over two days was sited at Bickerdike's Nursery in London Road.

From 1966 until 1989 The Show was sponsored by The Royal British Legion, Sandy Branch.

In 1998 the Show returned to Sandye Place, which remains it's venue to date.

In 2007 under a completely new committee under the chairmanship of Nigel Aldis, the Society, which had previously been concerned solely with the organisation of the Show, became an open membership Association, with regular social events, talks, and outings throughout the year.

Today the main bulk of the work of the Committee remains the organisation of the Annual Sandy Show.

It is remarkable that in the 85 years from it's inaugural opening in 1868 till the last traditional show in 1953 only three persons held the post of Secretary.**

Secretaries of The Sandy Show

1868 - 1913
William Green [1838 - 1920]

1914 - 1938
Frederick William Western [1874 - 1939]

1938 - 1953
Brian S. Porter

1966 - 1971
Awaits

1972
Mr H. F. Barber

1973 - 1974
Awaits

1975
Mr Colin Osborne

1976
Awaits

1977 -1978
Mr R. A. Christopher

1979 - 1980
Awaits

1981 - 1985
Mrs S. A. Kettleborough