Great Brickhill was shaped for centuries by farming, stock keeping, field work and the wider agricultural life of Buckinghamshire. One of the county’s enduring annual showcases is the Buckinghamshire County Show at Weedon, near Aylesbury. For GBHP, the show is relevant not simply as a day out, but as a living continuation of the farming world that formed Great Brickhill itself.
A county show with a long history
The Bucks County Agricultural Association traces its roots to 1859, when earlier agricultural societies combined to form what became today’s county association. Over time the annual show evolved into the Buckinghamshire County Show, with livestock, equine classes, produce, crafts, trade stands and demonstrations all forming part of a single late-summer event. The show has been based at Weedon Park since 1988, and 2017 marked the 150th Bucks County Show.
The annual schedules and prize lists show the range of activity involved: cattle, sheep, equine classes, young handlers, home and garden entries, trade stands and public attractions. In other words, the show continues to bring together both the serious business of agriculture and the wider social life of the county.
Why it matters to Great Brickhill
For a village like Great Brickhill, historically rooted in farming and estate life, the County Show helps place local history in a wider Buckinghamshire context. It shows the breeds, skills, produce, competitions and rural traditions that would have been familiar in different forms to earlier generations in and around the village. It also reminds us that agriculture is not only history: it remains a living part of county identity.
Many villages visit the show regularly, and some will have participated in; particularly the farming community. St Mary’s Church supports and village based organisations have exhibited there. For some, the show has been an annual highlight in their calendar. For exhibitors; a challenge!
Organisers, supporters and programmes
- Organising body: Bucks County Agricultural Association.
- Venue: Weedon Park, near Aylesbury.
- Programmes and schedules: annual printed and online schedules set out classes, entries, timetables and prize lists.
- Public attractions: livestock judging, equine classes, home and garden displays, countryside attractions, trade stands and family entertainment.
- County press and publicity: the show has long benefited from local newspaper coverage and wider county support.
Richard Savory and The Sheep Show
Among David Marlow’s most memorable Bucks County Show photographs are those of Richard Savory presenting The Sheep Show. These demonstrations brought humour, breed knowledge and crowd participation together, and they are a vivid reminder that the County Show is both educational and entertaining.
David Marlow photographs: selected years
The galleries below give a small selection from David Marlow’s photographs of the Bucks County Show between 2010 and 2019. They show livestock, judging, produce, family activity and the atmosphere of the showground.
2010
2012
2016
2017
2018
2019
Note: This page uses a representative sample only. Additional photographs, programmes and related material may be added later.