Agricultural shows are popular local events at the heart of Brecknock communities - and many are taking place this month.
The Brecknock Museum collection at y Gaer has a wealth of information and objects relating to local agricultural shows, including the famous Brecon County Show.
“Brecon County Show is run by the Brecknock Agricultural Society, which is the oldest surviving agricultural society in the UK,” explained Collections Assistant Jacquie Morgan.
“It was founded in 1755. We have photographs in our collection of the Queen and Prince Philip visiting the Brecon Show to mark its 200th anniversary in 1955. The royal couple saw the animal classes, displays of handicraft work, and demonstrations of skills such as basket-weaving. The Queen presented long service medals to 11 men who had worked for 30 years or more on the land. And a Welsh mountain pony called Owain Glyndwr tried to eat the Queen’s bouquet of carnations!”
Photos from the early 20th century show agricultural implements displayed at Brecon County Show by two notable local businesses, Coppage and Son (formerly William and Coppage until 1908) and J E Nott & Co.
Coppage and Son were agents for Bamford’s, Massey Harris, Hornsby, Roberts, and other high-quality machines and implements.
“Photos in our collection show their impressive displays at the Brecon County Show in the years just before World War One,” said Jacquie.
They also produced various ironmongery, and their name is still on Bishop Gower’s well pump at Llanddew and a drain cover in the Struet.
J E Nott & Co advertised as “agricultural engineers, makers of cultivators, implements, dairy and barn machinery, and many other things necessary on the farm”. They had several premises in Brecon, including 28 High Street Superior (which was taken over by Woolworths in 1929). They too had large displays of machinery at Brecon Show as well as illustrated advertisements in the Brecon County Times.
Other photos show dignitaries attending agricultural shows, such as Lord Glanusk at Brecon Show in 1923.
Programmes and lists of entries illustrate both continuity and change, with similar classes remaining a feature of shows for decades and new classes being introduced as new breeds are introduced. Some shows combined agricultural attractions with more wide-ranging activities: a show programme from August 20 1938 states Glyntawe Show, Sheep dog Trials & Horse Races was taking place at Dan-yr-Ogof Field, Craig-y-Nos. Devynock Agricutiral Society’s shows in the early twentieth century included show of stock, driving, jumping, races, horticultural, and sheepdog trials.
“Two splendid objects at y Gaer help show the pride local farmers take in entering their stock for competitions at local agricultural shows,” said Jacquie.
“One is a beautiful cup, bought by William Jenkins of Trebarried Farm, Llandefalle, with a cash prize awarded for the best adult bull by Breconshire Agricultural Society. It was made by Benjamin Preston, a silversmith from Clerkenwell, London in 1825. The other is a medal to the value of two guineas which was presented as a prize for the best five mountain ewes at the Crickhowell Agricultural Show on October 9th, 1846. It was one of two medals given by the Rev. Charles Oxenden. The other was for the best ten lowland ewes, and had a value of three guineas.”
“The generosity of local people in donating such items to the Brecknock Museum collection at y Gaer enables us to record and celebrate local heritage such as the agricultural shows which continue to play a huge role in our communities,” added Jacquie.
If you have any stories about items in this article, or agricultural shows that you’d be happy to share with us, Jacquie would be delighted to hear from you. Contact us on 01874 624121 or at [email protected] (FAO Jacquie Morgan)