Review of Linda Robbins and Lesley Draper's book The Book of the Bakewell Show, by Julie Bunting
This review is by Julie Bunting, and was published originally in
The Peak Advertiser, the Peak District's local free newspaper,
on 1st December 2003, and is reproduced with Julie's kind permission.
THE BOOK OF THE BAKEWELL SHOW
'THE LITTLE ROYAL'
This new title from Halsgrove
traces the history of what many of
us know as simply 'The Show'. Authors Linda Robbins and Lesley
Draper have brought together a broad selection of historical
anecdotes gathered from news cuttings, catalogues and original
documents, interspersed with personal recollections. A lot of
people will recognise names and faces, perhaps even their own, in
these pages.
A fascinating insight is given into the decisions which have
shaped the show and helped to make it the special rural event it
is. With a foreword by the Duchess of Devonshire, The Book of the
Bakewell Show is an impressive large format hardback with 144
pages containing over 150 photographs dating back many years. It
makes nostalgic and intriguing reading for anyone with an
interest in agriculture, for everyone who has ever had a great
day out at the show and, especially, those die-hards who never
miss it, come rain come shine - very often the former, as a
number of photographs testify.
Bakewell Show is the largest tented agricultural event in the UK,
also one of the oldest. Over the years it has evolved from a
purely agricultural gathering where local farmers vied with the
gentry for championship titles to a show which reflects the
diversity of farming and the countryside today. It is high time
that its history was put on record and this book does it full
justice. Incidentally, if you don't know why the show is often
known as the 'Little Royal', this is where you will find the
answer.
The Book of the Bakewell Show by Linda Robbins and Lesley Draper
is on sale locally priced £19.95 (ISBN 1-84114-310-0).
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[Created 20 Nov 2003. Last updated 24 Oct 2008 - 11:02 by Rosemary Lockie]