Sioe Amaethyddol Frenhinol Cymru

Long before Glastonbury’s mud hit the headlines, there was the Royal Welsh Show of 1954, which called for wellies, waders and good balance!

Stalwarts of the Glastonbury Festival would have felt at home at the 1954 Royal Welsh Show in Machynlleth, where heavy rainfall ensured that the showground became as memorable for the prize-winning mud as for the best of breed livestock. Wellies and waders were much sought after but, despite the conditions, the showing of animals, presentation of trophies etc. went ahead. Ice-creams and beer were for sale, as were clean shaves and Chamberlin Weatherstrips.

The Royal Welsh Show has been permanently located at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, since 1963. Its first early years, from 1904-10, were spent in Aberystwyth but from 1905-63 it moved about Wales, from north to south on alternate years, as the National Eisteddfod (a festival of Welsh language culture) still does. The weather at this particular show, in 1954, was immortalised in an article entitled ‘With Gum Boots and Good Humour’ by farmer Ion Trant who was the Montgomeryshire Express's correspondent on farming and country life, writing under the name ‘John Kerry’. Ion Trant made a series of films about farming/country life for the BBC Children’s service - ‘Country Close Up’ (1956-62).