In 1996 we celebrated the Silver Jubilee of our National Show. From the vantage point of the Noughties the anniversary will be seen as a natural progression, but back in the early Seventies such ambitions were not the immediate priority.

In 1971 the Fancy was frustrated. Fowl Pest was at its worst in twenty or so years of outbreaks. Shows cancelled - movement stopped - birds slaughtered - devastating impact. At its height Council had, amongst other things, three related items on the agenda: discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture: an organized trip to Hanover show : problems with two London classic shows.

By late October that year matters came to a head. Talks which Rex Woods and I (President and Vice President at the time) had at Whitehall Palace with the Ministry of Agriculture saw our shows resumed. The Hanover visit underlined our need for self supporting classic shows. The sad demise of the Dairy and International shows was confirmed. The outcome of these happenings saw the emergence of our very own National Show. It wasn't easy, indeed, it took three hard sessions before Council gave final approval at the May meeting of 1972. Delay meant the 1972 inaugural show actually took place in February 1973; the venue, Victoria Hall, Nottingham.

Your current President was elected Show Organizer with a full supporting committee. The mandate was tough. No cash handouts. No financial loss to the Club. Hence our pioneer show was run on donations and guaranteed entries. Our budget pitched the guarantee at 10 entries per class. The result was 1367 entries in 130 classes. So we just made it.

Billed as, "The combined show of The Poultry Club and Breed Clubs", it was a success. 31 Breed Clubs out of 34 (then listed) participated. A mutual triumph which set the seal on future events: our National was underway.

The second of the series was ahead of its time. Our column in, "FUR & FEATHER", had attracted the enterprising London Championship Show. They were keen to add feather to their fur exhibition. It looked to us to have great potential. Negotiations were handed to our then active Southern Counties branch. With William Parr at the helm arrangements were soon made. The Alexandra Palace era had arrived. Bill had a display unit at the 1972 show (ahead of the Nottingham opener) then a full scheduled event on the 2nd and 3rd November 1973. Eggs and waterfowl (BWA) sections were added bringing 1798 entries.

There was wonderful atmosphere at this venue, our hosts were chicken and children friendly. Families swelled the attendance and fanciers of varied species bonded. Our backroom staff coped with the trauma and tribulations of penning and unpenning with great camaraderie. In the process our National made excellent headway in size and content.

By 1977 David Hawksworth took over. It was the centenary Year of the Poultry Club and an anniversary dinner was held. Also another record breaking entry. Following year, 1978, we were honoured by HM The Queen Mother's visit. Club and London Show officials were presented to Her Majesty in the first year as our patron. Sadly fire in July 1980 ended the North London base for us.

The 1981 show was the ninth and last held there. It was a period that had seen our entries doubled to the 3500 mark and an invaluable influence on our National's progress. In 1982, by courtesy of, "POULTRY WORLD", we turned to the fanciers one-time favourite venue, Bingley Hall, Birmingham, for continuity. The grand old hall was refurbished and resplendent for the occasion and gave us a great show. A 1983 repeat performance failed by the prevalence of Fowl Pest associated virus. Then the sponsorship was discontinued.

It was time to relocate again. We turned to Les Garlick to use his influence with RASE. The happy outcome was two 1984 shows, one in January the other in November, at the Royal Showground, to maintain our sequence.

The January event met with severe weather. Not the ideal introduction to the Rank Village - promptly dubbed, "Cell Block H" - the November show restored the balance.

Subsequent shows later, and the Stoneleigh venue was looking permanent. However there was a downside. The "Boom Eighties" brought on expanded egg, waterfowl and true bantam sections to swell the demand on space and the two halls were inconvenient and inadequate. We were in danger of losing our status. Thankfully the near crisis was resolved in 1989.

In November 1989, the big longed for breakthrough came. The eighteenth show in the series was hailed as the best ever. The one big hall, improved lighting, and self - contained facilities were superb. A group of American poultry tourists called it as good as anything in Europe. It was a united effort. The improved conditions offered to the Breed Clubs meant more and more extended classifications, greater diversity, more variety of pure bred poultry than ever seen before. The Championship Awards increased. A superb array of silverware fit for a National occasion. The coveted National Gold Cup, otherwise known as the Isherwood Trophy, for the Supreme Show Champion still headed the list. It was won five times by large fowl and five times by bantams during the past ten years. Twice by Black Orpingtons and Dark Brahmas and once by a large Australorp. The bantams had two wins for black - red Modern Game and one each for Old English Game, white Leghorn and white Wyandotte. The Championship selection system changed in 1987 from a four man team to one individual championship judge. In the process all 44 Breed Club Champions appeared in the selection line - up. An attractive gold coloured medal was awarded to each. Now they have become much sought after annual collectors items. It has to be said the improvement of benching owed much to the penning contractor and this was another happy success story of the decade. Private business enterprise inextricably linked with the progress of the poultry fancy. The appearance of our shows from the National, throughout every region, were attractively transformed. It was the end of an era of tedious labour intensive D.I.Y. rituals.

Our RASE landlords' improvement programme gave us one big refurbished hall. We now had adequate facilities and favourable conditions for our National to get bigger and bigger. Formats changed and Breed Clubs made more and more extensions to their classifications.

In the process of change entries had incredibly increased by 5000 from the first show to the current 6500 mark. It is the escalation of classes however that really highlights the progressive developments and trends of our twenty-five show series. The original one hundred and thirty class schedule transformed into a staggering one thousand figure.

So too, much credit goes to the show organisers for maintaining continuity. A great deal is owed by the many to the few. The prize for consistency undoubtedly goes to our present Chairman. It too has been my personal pleasure to play an active part throughout the sequence.

The old, "no loss", mandate was not dissolved. Instead show revenue has made regular contributions to the general funds. No rule or condition in our constitution obliges the Poultry Club to put on a show masterpiece. Yet the National Show is a quintessential institution.

Twenty five years is a great achievement. Let us celebrate the Jubilee with a sense of pride and purpose, then confidently go forward to meet further changes ahead.

25 Years of National Shows - Key Dates.

1971 Objective developed after Hanover Show
1972 Council gives sanction.
1973 Inauguration at Nottingham (February).
1973 Moved to Alexander Palace (November).
1977 Poultry Club Centenary Year - dinner held.
1978 Visit from the Queen Mother (Patron).
1981 Last event at Alexandra Palace.
1982 Moved to Bingley Hall, Birmingham.
1984 Moved to Ryal Showground, Stoneleigh.
1989 Moved to Exhibition Showground, Stoneleigh.
1996 Jubilee Show - dinner held.
1998 Entries swell to 6557 exhibits.
2000 Special Commemorative Show planned

Adapted from 'National Shows - A Jubilee', by Will Burdett, in the Poultry Club Yearbook.