Penistone Show

2001 Show
Nearly all the UK's agricultural shows were cancelled in 2001 because of the 'foot and mouth' epidemic and Penistone Show was also nearly cancelled. A good job that it wasn't, as this wonderful day kept me occupied for nearly five hours. The weather stayed dry and windy but not cold and the sun was out more than it was in.

Impressions from the show
These included:

Silkstone brass band, a ladies choir, stationary steam engines, bumping into old friends, vintage vehicles, handicrafts, horticulture, photography, refreshments, Scouts and Guides, dressage and other horsey activities, pretty girls in jodhpurs, army cadet display, hobby bobbies, the paramedic rescue helicopter, Womens Institute (cakes and marmalades), mountain bike display, political parties, Barnsley Council, Ramblers Association (boy did they go on), blacksmithery, drystone walling display, archery, and lots more - but there were no cloven-hooved animals because of the fear of spreading the foot & mouth disease.

Lots of interesting things for sale, such as: books, JT Smith's furniture, garden plants, tools, sweets, cushions, weathervanes, Skoda cars, some miraculous stuff that made my shoes go dull, 4WD beach buggies, overpriced chips and burgers, Yorkshire Post, Barnsley Chronicle, Sheffield Star, wonderful cheeses and yoghurts, walking sticks, meats, horsey stuff, tweedy and green wellie stuff, T Shirts (5 for a fiver) and, finally, the Co-op raised money for the Marie Curie cancer research.

The above list was from memory, sorry if I've missed anyone. Penistone Footpath Runners also ran their annual showday 10 kilometre race.

Penistone Council made a sterling effort with a model layout of Penistone, complete with little buildings. Hours of preparation must have gone into it. Local people pinned little labels on to give some input about which plans they would prefer their local taxes to be spent on. Then, the little kids moved the flags around. The best laid plans of mice and men... etc.

Blacksmith's display of making, then fitting, horseshoes to the very accommodating and placid poppo. Drystone walling demonstration. Also the well-equipped NHS paramedic helicopter.
A ladies choir demonstrating their very varied repertoire and skills. Their good efforts were marred at one point by the above helicopter doing maneouvres above their marquee. Father Time, their conductor, said that it was slightly off-key. In the same marquee, the trio with wind instruments were also very skillful and entertaining. No, she isn't having a funny turn, it was taken during that millisecond when the performer was taking breath.
Quite a lot of equine quadrupeds at the Show. A great deal of care and attention goes into these events. There were some very elegant animals and riders. RHS - Steam machines such as these, and larger ones such as were used to power Yorkshire mills and factories, can be seen at nearby Wortley Forge.
So many things to see and try at Penistone Show. Archery training in this country used to be a legal requirement for all males above a particular age.
Some real old timers in this section - and their vehicles. There were tractors, motorbikes, trucks and cars. It is always worth visiting Penistone Show to see these lovingly restored vehicles. The two trucks shown on the left are of particular local interest. Renovator Neil Whitmore, put the old Wm. Gittus's name on his 1938 Albion truck. William Gittus was a local firm which built and repaired railway wagons from 1900 to around the mid 1960s and employed up to 300 people. Neil is just about to climb into his Green 1954 Albion truck with 'Penistone Pure Malt Vinegar Co.' on the door. Penistone vinegar was sold nationwide under many different labels, including Sarson's.