National Fruit Show

NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW 2012

OCTOBER 20th & 21st 2010 - KENT SHOWGROUND, DETLING, MAIDSTONE

About us

Heritage

Timeline for the Marden Fruit Show Society

1930s

6th March 1933 First official meeting/AGM.
View the Show announcement letter
19th/20th October 1933 First Show on Thursday & Friday. Total attendance 1538.
View a congratulatory letter
19th March 1934 2nd AGM. Balance sheet showed a surplus of £83 2s 11d
24th/25th October 1934 2nd Show on Wednesday & Thursday. Total attendance 2.208
23rd September 1935 Show cancelled due to a reduced number of entries. This was attributed to bad weather earlier in the year and recent gale damage.
7th/8th October 1936 1st show where judging takes place on Tuesday. Total attendance 1856
1937 View a letter from the Kent Messenger Newspaper
1938 Show abandoned due to severe frost damage
1939 Show cancelled due to outbreak of WWII
View the cancellation notice letter

1940s

14th May 1940 Emergency War Committee formed. Show postponed for the duration of the war
27th/28th October 1948 After an absence of ten years, the fifth annual show. Attendance 2477

1950s

26th October 1952 1st public post show event with the fruit being re-staged at Selfridges, London, prior to this the fruit was always sold at auction
29th October 1953 Royal Visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother

1960s

13th March 1967 Change of name to The Marden Fruit Show Society. Previously The Marden & District Commercial Fruit Show

1970s

October 1972 First Bonanza Prize – A Berthaud 1500 Spraying Machine

1980s

October 1980 First Handbook
October 1984 Royal Visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

1990s

October 1992 Show moves to the Kent Showground at Detling
1999 Show launched as The National Fruit Show
Old photo

The Marden & District Commercial Fruit Show at Walton Hall, 1933

The National Fruit Show is organised by the Marden Fruit Show Society, registered charity number 259586.