How Todmorden Show was brought back to life and revived with more family entertainment

Last year saw the return of Todmorden Show, albeit in a much smaller way than those glorious days when thousands were attracted to Centre Vale Park, a beautiful public park with a glorious cricket ground.

Local 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 location from 1912 until 2016, were all responsible for the show’s return in 2022 and are all set for a second show on Sunday 18 June.

“We had a really good day last year,” says Chris. “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 Chris says he and his committee are not getting carried away with any kind of return to when Todmorden Show attracted 7000 and entries for classes regularly topped 1000.

“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.

Stephen 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.

Stephen 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 Stephen 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 Todmorden area.

“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.

Chris 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.

“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.

Stephen 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.

Todmorden Agricultural Society and the Riverside Centre are to be congratulated on breathing new life into Todmorden Show.