A LONG serving member of the Heckington Show committee has completed and published a personal account of the show and its history.
This revealing account, called An insider’s view of the Heckington Show by Ray Bell of Woodhall Spa, will be on sale in the Heritage Tent at this year’s show on Saturday and Sunday. Signed copies are available on Saturday and Ray will be there on Sun
day in person.
The 77-year-old retired policeman was born close to the showground and has been the show’s cycling secretary for 30 years, keeping Heckington at the forefront of grass track cycling by regularly bringing the national championship to the village. Prior to this he was a cycling competitor and has exhibited his wood carvings.
He has been working on the project, which is his first book, for the last two years. He said: “It is my view of the show and its history as I have been involved with it since 1934.”
He has drawn on his own experiences of the show and its characters.
Having lost his wife, he enrolled at Lincoln University at the age of 70 as a mature student and completed a four-year history degree. A 10,000-word dissertation was the basis for this 104-page illustrated book.
Show chairman Charles Pinchbeck wrote a book about the show 25 years ago and Mr Bell has taken that on to the present time. The show can be traced back as far as 1863 and moved to its present site in the grounds of Heckington Hall in 1867. The book will also be on sale at outlets in Heckington and local bookshops.
l See the preview feature for this year’s Heckington Show on pages 16 and 17.
The full article contains 303 words and appears in Sleaford Standard newspaper.
