Axe falls on show . . . but keep the date free

EVENT CANCELLED – FOR NOW

MIRFIELD Show has become the latest event to be cancelled because of Coronavirus – but organisers want people to keep the date free, just in case.

Committee members took the decision to cancel the show, due to be held on August 23, but haven’t give up hope entirely.

Jonathan Evans, chairman of the Mirfield Agricultural Show committee, said: “We all find ourselves in unprecedented times and it is with a heavy heart that I make this announcement.

“With a very hard and emotional choice to make, health and safety of committee members, volunteers and visiting public alike was at the centre of the decision.

“Covid-19 has hit hard and, at the present time, nobody can confirm exactly when we will be clear of the virus but, as the days and weeks go by, it is becoming increasingly obvious that whenever restrictions are lifted, it will not give enough time for us to put on the show that we all know and love.

“We are considering alternatives that will help keep our community spirit alive – something to bring a little joy and a smile to people’s faces.

“We will update as the weeks and months go on but please keep Sunday August 23 free in your diaries, just in case.”

Held on Mirfield Showground in Huddersfield Road, the show dates back to 1944. It was founded to “bring a little sunshine into the wartime lives of local people.”

The show reached its peak in the early 1960s and after several years of decline it ceased to take place.

It was revived in 1995 and since then, despite some problems with heavy rain, the show has continued. This is the first time it’s been cancelled.

The show attracts up to 10,000 in good weather.

We are considering alternatives that will

help keep our community spirit alive