Remembering 150 years of Slaley Show

"Many generations of my family have lived in Slaley and I was weaned on stories of how things used to be," said Pat.

She has built up what she describes as a "vast collection" of Slaley items, including old photographs, flat irons, stone hot water bottles, shoe-making equipment, old parish magazines and show programmes dating back to 1850.

Pat has also carried out a survey of field names in Slaley parish. She has also written a new booklet on the history of Slaley show, called Don't Eat Those Scones! at £9.50, with proceeds going to St Helen's Church in Whitley Chapel.

The consensus is that the show began in 1845 as the Slaley and Hexhamshire Floral and Horticultural Show.

There was also a Slaley poultry show which is believed to have been a separate event.

An item in The Journal in August 1855 reports on the Slaley Poultry Show, saying: " After the exhibition, the members and their friends sat down to an excellent dinner at Mr Robson's, Travellers Rest Inn."

Local historian's work gets a 21st Century update

In 1986 villager Elizabeth Mason was completing her account of the parish, people and buildings of Slaley.

A limited number of copies of her book A Slaveleia Miscellany were printed privately.

"The book was out of print and people couldn't find copies," said Michael Elphick, chairman of Slaley Community Trust and a retired Newcastle University lecturer in computing science.

A group of villagers decided to reprint Miss Mason's work and include extra material, including interviews with long-standing residents.

The book, Slaley, Then and Now, will be launched at the show on Saturday, published by the trust.

Miss Mason had worked as a civil servant in Benton, Newcastle, and in 1967 she bought The Strothers in Slaley.

A keen local historian, photographer and weaver , she died in 1997 at the age of 83.

Her book describes how the 1848 show rules stated that the society should consist of two classes of subscribers - gentlemen, who paid five shillings, and amateurs, who were charged half that figure.

"No gentleman will be allowed to compete where a regular gardener is kept," said one rule.

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