Perth Show Chairman Mark Mitchell has secured himself a unique place in the history of the event.
For the head of Perthshire Agricultural Society has been waiting three years to fulfil his role as host of the district’s largest agricultural showcase.
Mark is keen to see Perth’s South Inch come alive with the sound of animals and the happy buzz of the public again after a two year absence.
The managing partner at Bell Ingram in Perth guarantees that this year’s two-day event will take place at Perth’s South Inch in August, “no matter what”.
“Coronavirus completely scuppered all our plans for a Show in 2020,” explained Mark, “after so much work had already gone in to organising the event. We found ourselves in lockdown with a quick rethink resulting in a token event online.
“A year later and things were still up in the air with no hope of a physical show taking place,” he said.
“With prior warning, however, we were able to make a decent showing online, keeping the Perth Show in the public eye and offering some competition and interaction for our farmers and livestock owners.
“It was a real blow when we had to cancel the 2020 and 2021 shows - a bitter disappointment for everyone,” he said.
Mark first volunteered as a show steward in 1996 and then became a director in 2000.
In 2019 he was vice chairman when Perth Show made its most recent appearance on the South Inch.
Despite offering to step down after the normal one year in post, Mark’s board of directors was adamant that he should remain in post until the show returned.
“I can’t thank them enough,” he said. “I’m uniquely fortunate to have been chairman for three years - but sadly never yet hosted a show. I’m determined 2022 will set that to rights.”
Mark and his ‘top team’ of vice chairman Robert Gilchrist, junior vice Jen Leslie and secretary Neil Forbes now head up preparations for the August showcase with Mark admitting to feeling added pressure for this comeback event - the Society’s 160th annual Perth Show.
“The beauty is we have had three to four years of planning so hopefully we’ve covered all our bases and look forward to a first class show that will bring together the farming community and the general public in what has always been a great family day out.”
This year’s Show promises something for everyone in a spectacular programme of new and favourite entertainments featuring showstoppers as varied as pig racing to dog shows and food festival to farmyard favourites.
The farming community is also looking forward to a return to a busy agricultural show calendar in Scotland, with potential livestock champions being groomed and pampered in time for the August 5 and 6 showdown at Perth.
And the equestrian following is also delighted to have Perth Show back in their diaries with entries from far and wide lining up to compete in a busy competition schedule.
But Mark is looking forward to his own favourite moment to savour.
“When I hear the excited buzz and the happy vibe of a busy showground and know that we’ve done everything properly to make people want to return to Perth Show and enjoy themselves, then I’ll be content that my time as chairman was a success - albeit the most prolonged in our society’s history!”
