Our thanks and best wishes to our longstanding Show Secretary

After an astonishing 33 years of service in the role of Secretary, Jackie Shearman retired from the Edenbridge & Oxted Agricultural Show at the end of November. 

Jackie has been key to the growth and smooth running of the Show since it moved to the Showground at Ardenrun in 1988. During her time in the job she has supported its volunteer Council members to produce an event each year that has attracted and entertained many thousands of visitors. 

Whilst the list of Jackie’s responsibilities is too long to list, each year she has coordinated more than 2000 entries in the livestock and equine competitions alone, managed the marketing and allocation of some 300 trade stands and developed relationships with contractors, sponsors, members and an army of volunteers. Jackie has worked tirelessly to build the reputation of this two-day show. Her commitment to the Show’s charitable objectives has been consistent throughout her tenure and it is, in part, testament to her management skills that the charity has been able to weather the awful storm faced by the events industry in 2020 with the inevitable event cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Chairman of the Show, Louise Young, said, “It’s a rare thing to see such loyalty and dedication to a job. Coordinating all the elements of our Show is a feat of organisation and Jackie made sure that, without fail, everything would come together seamlessly each year. Rain or shine, the Show always went on. On behalf of all the Show’s trustees I want to ensure that Jackie receives the recognition she deserves for a job well done and retires with our best wishes for the future.”

New Office Team 

The Show’s trustees have used the time off in 2020 to put new arrangements in place to ensure that the Show returns stronger than ever in 2021. Taking the Edenbridge & Oxted Show forward are Judy Whittaker (Show Director) and Meghan Rice-Wilson (Event Manager). They are looking forward to meeting the Show’s volunteers, sponsors and exhibitors over the coming months and will be sharing news and the competition schedules for the Show in 2021 online and through social media channels. 

The Edenbridge & Oxted Show is a charity (registered number 1102127). Every year over the August Bank Holiday weekend the showground welcomes around 40,000 people to experience the very best of the countryside and agricultural life. 

Show dates for 2021: Sunday 29th & Monday 30th August, Ardenrun Showground, Lingfield