Book celebrates 160 years of great show

Simon Hill was given special access to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society as the staff worked to organise the annual three-day event, which attracts more than 130,000 visitors every year, as he snapped a number of images for the publication.

The 160th Great Yorkshire Show: A Photographer’s View includes a foreword by The Princess Royal who visited the Show and a preface by The Duke of Devonshire who launched the Craven Heifer sculpture at Bolton Abbey.

From magical moments as dawn breaks on the Showground to the excitement in the judging rings, Mr Hill captures a flavour of the three-day event that is all brought together in the new book.

Simon said: “The Great Yorkshire Show is a highlight of the agricultural calendar, not just in Yorkshire but nationwide.

“It has been a privilege to be the first professional photographer in the 180 years of the Show, to be given unrestricted access to photograph what is probably the foremost event of its kind in Britain.

“I hope my photographs, in this limited edition book, will be a lasting tribute to the work of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.”

Charles Mills Show Director said: “This is a beautiful book documenting an iconic event. Simon has done a great job of capturing some of the very special moments that took place this year as well as some of the things the public don’t see: the huge team effort that goes into the planning and organising of such a large scale and important event.”

The book is now on sale for £7.50 in Fodder at the Great Yorkshire Showground.