What an amazing heritage our Flower & Produce Show has! In the year General George Custer was getting wiped out at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and the first ever telephone call was made by Alexander Graham Bell, 1876 was the year of the first St Ives Flower Show.
Hosted by the Mayor and Mayoress and ending with a fireworks display, that first show was so popular it quickly established itself as one of the main events in the town's calendar. Many businesses closed early to allow their staff to attend and there were acrobats, a Montgolfier balloon and dancing late into the night for entertainment. The exhibits didn't disappoint, with a section for singing birds and big cash prizes. Anyone winning several classes would leave a very happy contestant! Click the tab 'From 1876' above to read newspaper reports of those first shows.
More recently the show had stopped in 1995, but after a fifteen year gap a bunch of eager volunteers staged a revival in 2010. This much loved community event has gone on growing ever since.
The 2016 show will be held on Saturday 27 August 2016. Click the 2016 tab above for more details and access to the latest programme.
Might you have any photos of past shows in your family album? Maybe a snap of your grandfather or his dad proudly displaying winning exhibits? Do you have any old programmes? We'd love to hear from you. Just click the 'Contact me' tab above to get in touch.
(Photo courtesy of The Illustrated London News)
(Photo courtesy of The Illustrated London News)
