Celebrating 90 years
Looking back 90 years How the role of the show has changed and developed. By Joanna Wood. In 1933 thirty-five top fruit growers decided they wanted to improve the quality and packaging of their crops. They founded the Marden Fruit Show Society and held their first competitive event in October attended by 1,538 visitors at Pattenden Lane, Marden. Apart from the Second World War and a couple of frost years, the Society has organised shows annually ever since. Renamed the National Fruit Show (NFS) in 1999 having re-located to the Detling Showground in 1992, it’s the showcase for the UK fruit industry. It frequently attracts visits from the Royal family and senior politicians, most notably in 1953 the Queen Mother who came as part of a tour of the Weald of Kent and her daughter Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1984. To capture what the show has achieved and how its role has developed, I asked industry colleagues for their memories and what the show means to them. First visit impressions and most memorable moments at the show elicited some great comments. Those who remember the Pattenden Lane show agree that the tight space and liberal quantities of alcohol on offer led to a great atmosphere. Apple grower Robert Mitchell and NFS Trustee said: “My first memory of the show is the canvas marquee in Marden village, tightly packed with the most amazing display of fruit that I had ever seen, surrounded by busy trade stands which became very sociable entertainment venues as the day turned into evening. This was clearly an industry proud of its products and capable of having a good time.” John Guest ‘The English Apple Man’ says: “My first memories are from my early 20’s when father took me
to ‘the tented village’ (1960’s) and I became aware of the show fruit display, a demonstration of near perfect apples and pears. My eyes lit up at the glossy new machinery on display, and trying to persuade father to buy!” Fruit grower Robin Wickham writes that his father Raymond regularly entered in and supported the show from the early fifties. “One of his foremen, Punch Knight was responsible for selecting the entries which took him nearly three weeks. I remember a lot of jollity and drinking went on at Pattenden Lane as there was no drink and drive in those days. The main event was the lunch with a VIP guest usually the Minister. I remember the first time I attended; the speaker had stacks of a well-known loo roll brand piled high to the ceiling behind him. There were no frills in those days”. Veteran NFS competition winner Annette Bardsley’s first memory and first impression is 1983, the year the Duke of Gloucester opened the show. “I was stunned, totally amazed at the wonderful display of fruit, the dessert apples packed in single layer wooded trays, lined with white paper, wrapped in cupcake cases. It took hours and a lot of patience just to line the trays. Marks were awarded for presentation and packing as well as fruit quality.” Mandy Hounsell from the NFS Education Team is a newbie to the show with fresh eyes: “My first memory was seeing the amazing display of colour/variety of the apples. The photo of the competition fruit I show on the educational workshops always amazes the children”. The first ever National Fruit Show held at Walton Hall in 1933
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