Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural A Case Study of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show Greg Philip Thomas Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY June 2018 Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Cover Image: Royal Welsh Agricultural Society. Greg Philip Thomas ii Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Mandatory Layout of Declaration/Statements Word Count of thesis: 99,754 DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Candidate name Greg Philip Thomas Signature: Date 6th June 2018 STATEMENT 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Where *correction services have been used, the extent and nature of the correction is clearly marked in a footnote(s). Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signature: Date 6th June 2018 [*this refers to the extent to which the text has been corrected by others] STATEMENT 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signature: Date 6th June 2018 Greg Philip Thomas iii Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Greg Philip Thomas iv Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Dedicated to the many thousands of volunteers, past, present, and future. Without whom there would be no Royal Welsh Agricultural Show. Greg Philip Thomas v Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Greg Philip Thomas vi Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the support of all the staff past and present at the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, throughout my time as both an undergraduate and postgraduate student they have been a great support. To Professor Michael Woods and Dr Jesse Heley, thank you for your enthusiasm for the research, for guiding me through the research and writing process, and for your patience and encouragement in me completing the thesis. Without the access granted to me by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society this research would not have been possible. To Steve Hughson, Aled Jones, and Katie Williams your support has been invaluable, thank you for always answering my questions and for giving my so many opportunities and valuable contacts. To Dr Glyn Jones, thank you for all your contacts, and for all your knowledge. To everyone who has participated in the research, no matter how small of a part you think you have played, thank you. Thank you for letting me into your lives and thank you for being so open and sharing. I hope that I have done the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, and every single participant justice in my thesis. My geographical journey began in Builth Wells High School, to Claire Price, David Ronicle, Laura Lewis, and Karen Haresign thank you for your inspirational lessons, and for crafting me into the geographer that I am today. To the various academics, researchers, and fellow postgraduates I have met throughout this research, thank for your engagement with my work at the conferences and events I have attended. Our conversations have undoubtedly shaped this work, and opened up previously overlooked research avenues. To Dr Fiona Williams, you deserve particular thanks, for all your support, advice, and encouragement during the writing up of my research. Every single undergraduate student that I taught, be it at Aberystwyth University or University Centre Shrewsbury, thank you for your enthusiasm, attention, and inspiration. Our conversations, and your feedback have undoubtedly had an influence on this thesis and particularly the research methods used. I owe the biggest thanks to my family. To Mum and Dad, your love and support has always been appreciated. Throughout my life you have been a constant support. Thank you for putting up with the mess, the stress, and for supporting me through what has been a challenge for us all. To Paul and Kelly, thank you providing sibling rivalry and for making me even more determined to get this thesis completed. To Nanna and Grandad, the inspiration behind this work. Our summers attending agricultural shows, have clearly had an impact on my life and my future career. You have not only been inspirational, you have been true friends, always supporting me, and always standing by me. Grandad your stories have always entertained, and your straight talking always appreciated, and Nanna thank you for everything that you have ever done. Thank you both for simply being you. To Banker, although you passed in Greg Philip Thomas vii Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural the early stages of this process, your love for the countryside and its people will always stay with me. I will always cherish the time we spent together. I hope I have done you proud. To Uncle Mike and Auntie Julie, the hours I spent with you on the farm as a child, will always be some of my fondest memories, and I have influenced who I am today. Although we do not see each other as often as we should, I know you will always be there, and will always provide a listening ear. My friends have been the biggest support. There are far too many of you to name, but particular thanks must be given (in no particular order) to Chris Evans, Lee Brisco, Theo Evans, Tom Cammish, Anthony Mullaney, Dave Rodgers, Joe Lloyd-Jones, Adam Kirton, Charlotte Tomkins, Emma Jones, Jonny Trussler, Hannah Masters, Rebecca Price, William Andrews, Adam Lewis, William Hingley, and Oliver Haine. All of you at certain times have provided counsel, and I will be eternally grateful for all your support. To my fellow postgraduate students within the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, I will always appreciate our chats, and for us being able to share our PhD experiences together. Sometimes, someone enters your life when you least expect it, to James Langridge, you came into this process towards the end. But for the last year you have been the ultimate support. You have provided me with encouragement when I needed it the most, your unwavering support has truly been appreciated, and more than I could have ever asked for. The confidence you have shown in me has been inspirational, without you this thesis would not have been completed. Thank you for your patience, and for putting up with me, all the stress, and all the emotion. Thank you most of all for being you, and for riding with me on this roller-coaster of a journey that is my life. Finally, and to me most importantly, to Dominic Lloyd, my best friend. You have been there for me throughout my PhD journey, the good times, and the bad times. You have taught me that no man is an island, nothing can be achieved alone, and that sometimes, somethings are more important than work. You have kept me grounded, provided me with a distraction, someone to rant to, someone to cry with, someone to share a pint with, and someone to celebrate the little victories. The calm, the storm, we’ve faced it all. But most importantly you have shown me that it is okay, just to be me. The impact of your unconditional love, advice, encouragement, and support cannot be overstated. Without you, Elijah and Darcey, this thesis would have never been completed. Thank you. I will forever be in your debt. Greg Philip Thomas viii Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Summary Taking the case study of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, the largest event of its kind in Europe, this thesis examines the role that agricultural shows have in the modern-day countryside. Agricultural shows are a key fixture in the rural calendar. In recent years these events have changed from being a social and competition space, purely aimed at rural residents, to today displaying the finest livestock, mechanical, technological, and skills innovations serving a wide number of economic, social, cultural and environmental features targeted at the wider population. Despite their significance to rural society, agricultural shows remain largely unexplored in geography. Taking a mixed methods approach, and by undertaking an in-depth study of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, this thesis investigates the role that agricultural shows have in (re)imagining and (re)presenting their host communities. The thesis continues by examining the manner in which large-scale rural events can be seen as a nexus for knowledge exchange and innovation, before considering how large scale rural events influence the politics and governance of rural areas. This thesis suggests that agricultural shows are an important means of collective identity for rural people, and that these events reimagine their host communities. It also finds that agricultural shows are vital sites for the development of social capital in rural areas, have significant roles in knowledge exchange, and the development of rural buzz. Finally, it is concluded that agricultural shows inhabit a powerful, but extraordinary location within the political landscape of their host communities, having an influence on their politics and governance. Greg Philip Thomas ix Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Greg Philip Thomas x Agricultural Shows: Shaping the Rural Contents Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 1.1 – Introduction ..........................................................................................................