Village show is saved at 11th hour

A Shropshire show which was facing the axe after more than 90 years of being in existence has been saved at the 11th hour.

Dorrington Show, near Shrewsbury, was set to be cancelled this year unless help was found to fill a key role in its organising committee.

Organisers of the event also warned that if it did not go ahead this summer then it was unlikely that the show would ever be staged again.

But Peter Smith, chairman of the show, said committee members met last night and appointed a new schedule secretary.

Sue Jones, of Radbrook Green, Shrewsbury, will replace Ann Clarke, who filled the post for 11 years and stepped down in November. Despite an appeal for a replacement only a few people initially came forward.

Mr Smith said: "We had a committee meeting last night and prior to that we had been approached by Sue who offered to take on the schedule secretary role.

"It's absolutely brilliant news and it means the show will go on at least for another year and hopefully significantly beyond that.

"When we deferred making a decision to end the show I thought we were postponing the inevitable so developments in the last week or so have been a very pleasant surprise."

The society was formed in 1918 and held its first show in 1920. In addition to the show, held at the village hall on the first Saturday in August, the society's events include talks and visits.