Press Releases

EGHAM ROYAL SHOW NEWS REPORT - 11TH AUGUST

The Egham Royal Show on over the bank holiday weekend, 23rd & 24th August has managed to attract a number of local groups for both days of the show.

 
William Pearcey is the Tower secretary for the St John's Church Egham Bellringers and has arranged to bring along The Charmborough Ring, which is the name for a set of mobile bells owned by the Middlesex County Association. The bells were manufactured by Matthew Higby & Company Ltd and the bells were cast by Richard Bowditch and tuned and hung by Matthew Higby.

The St. Johns Bellringers are planning to start with a special arrangement called a ‘Quarter Peel’ (45 minutes and 1250 changes) on the Saturday. There is also a special Olympic flag handover ceremony on the Sunday to celebrate the end of the Beijing Olympics at which the bells will be rung to mark the occasion.

They will advise people how to get involved in bellringing and will ask the public to join in the demonstrations. The Guildford Guild of Bellringers will also assist as it’s a tiring business bell ringing all day!!!

Also the Laleham Archery Club will be at the show to demonstrate and encourage local visitors to try the sport. The club formed in 1955 has for many years Attended the Egham Royal Show.

Steeped in local archery history, the Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005. It has produced several top archers of note, including two who have represented GB at both World and Olympic Games, and several juniors who have also represented their country. In the 1960’s and 1970’s a famous Club bowyer made top quality bows used by champion archers, which were known throughout the country as Laleham Bows.

The Club is active in competitions, indoors and out, with members participating in both domestic and external club shoots, as well as county tournaments all year round. The Club hosts the renowned Laleham Albion each year in October, where around 150 archers from across the region attend. Run annually since 1963, it was said, during the 1980’s, to be the largest tournament of its kind in the country, when over 300 archers competed. The Club is also known locally for its willingness to become involved in fetes and other charitable events, including the annual Laleham Village Fete and the Royal Agricultural Show in Egham.

 
Archery demonstrations at the Egham Royal Show

Laleham Archery Club, located at the Staines and Laleham Sports Association Ltd   (SALSAL) ground in Worple Road, Staines, has around 50 members, ranging in age from 7-78, and is now recruiting new members for 2008. All-comers are welcome, especially juniors (over 8), with no upper age limit. The Club caters for three popular bow disciplines that are commonly seen in competition today. So come on all you mums, dads and kids – get on down!

Members shoot on our range on the field in Staines on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings, though once qualified, it is possible to shoot at more or less any time, though children are always supervised. We offer training course for beginners, starting in April. These comprise six sessions with one of our qualified coaches.

The Club is working towards Clubmark, a national accreditation scheme, which encourages commitment to the provision of safe, effective and child-friendly environments, and which is designed to be recognized by parents, local authorities and schools as a quality “kite” mark.

If you are interested in learning more about Laleham Archery Club, then visit the Club website at www.lalehamarcheryclub.co.uk. 

Among the highlights of the big Show weekend will be the appearance of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club in Surrey, which has chosen the Egham Royal Show to celebrate its 25th anniversary Trophy Rally.
 
Between fifty and sixty Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars, ranging from early Silver Ghosts – the car that proved so successful in endurance trials that it earned the name of the ‘Best Car in the World’ – through almost every model the Company produced, to the present day, will be on display at the Showground on the Sunday.

Show President Douglas Newton, who has run the classic car section of the Show for the last 29 years, commented that he was proud to host the Silver Jubilee Rally of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club at the 150th Anniversary Show. “ Egham has always had a strong reputation for its vintage and classic vehicle display, in which visitors vote for their “best in show” each day, and the presence of the Rolls Royce and Bentley models will be a massive morale boost for volunteers and visitors alike.”

The other traditional elements of this historic family show will also be on the Showground this August Bank Holiday weekend, including the Punch and Judy Shows, the steam and traction engines, the caged birds, the horticulture marquee, the crafts tent, the archery “have-a-go”, the community tent and choral music from local performers in the music tent which returns by popular demand.

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ROYAL VISIT TO LAUNCH 150TH YEAR OF EGHAM ROYAL SHOW
03 MARCH 2008

The Patron of the Egham and Thorpe Royal Agriculture and Horticulture Association, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT, will be the guest of honour at a special dinner to mark the 150th year of the Association on 31 March.

Organisers of the Egham Royal Show, which is the main activity of the Association, are delighted that their Patron will visit Egham later this month. They are planning the dinner at the Runnymede Hotel and Spa, so that the Duke, who has been Patron of the Association for more than 50 years, can meet members, volunteers and corporate sponsors of the Show, to celebrate the Association’s 150th year.

The Show will take place on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 August, on Caddey’s Field in Whitehall Lane, Egham, by kind permission of Runnymede Borough Council. Exhibitors and displays are now being booked, and local organisations such as Procter & Gamble, Gartner and Runnymede Borough Council will be sponsors once again.

At the recent Annual Meeting of the Association, the President, Douglas Newton, welcomed HM Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Mrs Sarah Goad JP, who spoke of her interest in agriculture in the county, and wished the Association every success in its 150th year. The president and his fellow officers were re-elected to serve during 2008.

President Elect James Doran, Chairman Paul Turney, Treasurer John Bonnett, Membership Secretary Bernard Dennis and Secretary Frances Wood are now working with the committee members to prepare for the annual dinner, and the August Show.

Among the highlights of the big Show weekend will be the appearance of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club in Surrey, which has chosen the Egham Royal Show to celebrate its 25th anniversary Trophy Rally.

Between fifty and sixty Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars, ranging from early Silver Ghosts – the car that proved so successful in endurance trials that it earned the name of the ‘Best Car in the World’ – through almost every model the Company produced, to the present day, will be on display at the Showground on the Sunday.

Glamorous 1930 seven-litre Phantoms with bespoke coach-built bodies (Rolls-Royce never made a body for a car until after the Second World War) will vie with high-performance Bentley sports tourers, stately limousines with all manner of luxurious accessories, and the elegant luxury saloons and convertibles of more recent times. These were built before Rolls-Royce came under foreign ownership.

The year 2004 saw celebrations around the world to mark the 100th Anniversary of Rolls-Royce while last year marked 100 years of the Silver
Ghost and the 50th Anniversary of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. The Egham Royal Show will be another important milestone in acknowledging the remarkable contribution Rolls-Royce has made to the history of Britain and the name that has become recognised around the world as a superlative for quality.

Show President Douglas Newton, who has run the classic car section of the Show for the last 29 years, commented that he was proud to host the Silver Jubilee Rally of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club at the 150th Anniversary Show. “ Egham has always had a strong reputation for its vintage and classic vehicle display, in which visitors vote for their “best in show” each day, and the presence of the Rolls Royce and Bentley models will be a massive morale boost for volunteers and visitors alike.”

The other traditional elements of this historic family show will also be on the Showground this August Bank Holiday weekend, including the Punch and Judy Shows, the steam and traction engines, the caged birds, the horticulture marquee, the crafts tent, the archery “have-a-go”, the community tent and choral music from local performers in the music tent which returns by popular demand.

Livestock will also make a welcome return to the Showground, after missing last August’s event due to the foot and mouth outbreak in Pirbright. Show President-Elect James Doran is responsible for livestock on the Show Committee, and is liaising with DEFRA to secure licences to show cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. The Show committee is grateful to Surrey County Councillor Marisa Heath for sponsorship of the livestock area, and the display of rabbits and poultry within the agricultural section.

“At present Surrey is clear of the disease, and we are working with the local farmers who lost their livestock last year, in the hope that they will attend the Show once again with new animals,” said Mr Doran. “ It is always wonderful to see the faces of young children who come face to face with a cow or pig at a show like ours. The education and information we can offer adds to their knowledge of the countryside and farming, and children are always happy to see the animals.”

The Show committee members are all volunteers, and are always looking for more helpers and sponsors. Anyone interested in joining the Association in this special year is invited to call Show Manager John Bonnett on 01784 472211.

Further information on the plans and organisers of the 150th annual Show can be found on the website at www.eghamroyalshow.org.uk. Details of all the competitions, and schedules for the horticulture and crafts marquees can be downloaded from the site during the year, and information about the main arena and the entertainment for all the family will be posted on the site as it becomes available.

For further information please contact Nick Wood-Dow on 07713 681322.
Reporters and photographers are welcome on the Showground.