Bleatings from Todmorden: How volunteers and farming fans are hoping crowds will come flocking back to Calder Valley agricultural show

Lockdowns through the Covid health emergency and restrictions played their part in bringing a temporary halt to some of the region’s summer show season institutions.

For some it was the last straw, but not for a group of volunteers and agricultural enthusiasts dedicating to bringing the show in the heart of the scenic south Pennines back to life.

Last year saw the return of Todmorden Show, a much scaled down affair than those those glorious days when thousands flocked to Centre Vale Park before the pandemic struck.

Sheep farmer Chris Adamson, his Todmorden Agricultural Society committee and Stephen Curry and his team at the Riverside Centre, just three and a half miles away from the show’s former venue from 1912 until 2016, were all responsible for the show’s return in 2022.

And, while it has been a huge effort to get the show back on the Calderdale calendar, they are very much looking forward to welcoming visitors to a bigger and better event on June 18.

“We had a really good day last year,” said Mr Adamson. “It was all very relaxed and we spread ourselves out over the site.

“We knew that we had to start small and hopefully bring other elements in as we grow. None of us have any great vision of getting back to how big the show used to be, certainly not in a good few years.

“It was wholly just a sheep show last year, with a food stall for exhibitors and the sheep exhibitors came in their droves. We had classes for the Lonk and Derbyshire Gritstone that are this area’s main sheep breeds, as well as for Texel, Dorset, Kerry Hill, Any Other Breed Continental and Native, and an Interbreed title. We also held junior handler classes.”

What’s happening this year is a little step further with some new attractions, but Mr Adamson insisted he and his committee were not getting carried away with any kind of return to when Todmorden Show attracted 7,000 and entries for classes regularly topped 1,000.

“When we think about how the show used to be, I don’t think we’ll get to that stage in many years and we would probably have to change site again if we grow, because this site is only a certain size.

“This year we’ve got vintage tractors coming back, craft stalls, a fun dog show, an egg competition, ferret racing, and alpacas to meet, greet and walk with, plus a farm petting zoo as our main ring attraction. We are moving up, small scale.

“Our sheep entries are looking really well and we’ve kept the same classes as last year. Maybe next year we will add Wool on the Hoof and fleece competitions."

Mr Curry is responsible for the management and development of the Riverside Centre that was saved, some years ago, from potentially falling into the hands of developers and is now a social enterprise under the Upper Calder Valley Renaissance (UCVR) organisation.

He is delighted that the Riverside Centre is helping in the show’s return.

“It’s something that had been lost to the town and it needed to come back. If we can assist that in the longer term then that’s also part of our programme.

“From my perspective last year was a small trial and it is again this year. We are looking at investing about £30,000 into the sports pitches and so we also need to be aware of how things might affect that investment, but the point it is to make them more robust in quality and sustainability.

“We’ve looked at other centres similar to us that have invested and it looks as though land can be recovered in time for football season after such as Todmorden Show. I’m fairly confident we can sustain it.

"We are keen to see the show back, because it is a little bit of a forgotten community in some ways and part of our diverse community. Bringing it back has been the main thing."

While Mr Curry has to keep one eye on the numbers attending any show or event that takes place at the Riverside Centre he also has his own thoughts about how Todmorden Show has an important role to play in the culture of the upper Valley.

“It would be great if we reached the site’s limit. It’s another suck it and see year. If we suddenly get inundated there may have to be a Plan B for other years, but we would very much like to concentrate on it being a fun day out for everyone first and foremost this year.

“I believe it is also an ideal opportunity for learning about where your food comes from and how agriculture works. I’m not from a farming background and was asking a farmer recently about taking his cattle to market. He doesn’t. He sells them on to another farmer. It was something I hadn’t known.

"I was so interested in how it all works. I understand now that the same kind of things happens with sheep. Perhaps we will have an exhibition about the lives of different sheep farmers.”

Mr Adamson realises that the return of some classes to Todmorden Show is perhaps unlikely in the short-term but he would like to see a revival of the bursaries once given to young people through the Todmorden Agricultural Society.

“In the past the society used to give a grant to people wanting to get into agriculture. I’m keen to get that going again once we are in profit from the show.,” he said

“It was set up to provide a financial support of normally between £150 to £200 for any form of education or training or assistance with outfits, clothing, tools, instruments or books or travel where the applicant could demonstrate a connection with agriculture in trade, craft or profession. It was aimed at people living in Todmorden or the surrounding towns."

Mr Curry sees Todmorden Show’s revival as one of the many new steps the Riverside Centre is able to make with both local people and visitors to the area.

“The UCVR want the Riverside Centre to be something the wider community can use and we have recently managed to secure £1.1m from the Levelling Up fund to develop water sports on the canal, create a track and a bunkhouse.

“We are also keen to help promote the visitor economy. The bunkhouse will be for the use of the Scouts organisation and walking groups.

“Giving a much broader use to the centre is important. Football is a big thing in this area and for us here, because there is a limited amount of flat ground around Todmorden.

“We are looking to generate income to sustain the centre in other ways, using the canal at the back, weekend use by cyclists and walkers, greater use of the canal towpaths and the Pennine bridleway,” he added.

This year’s Todmorden Show will be held on Sunday June 18 at the Riverside Centre, Rochdale Road, Todmorden, from 10am until 4pm.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the organisers at https://todshow.org.uk/contact.