It's hard to compare the situation of today with the 30's and 40's when a trip into Swindon was still regarded by most people as something special. Then the Show was a highlight of the year, as Jean Kent explains, 'There used to be a lot of excitement when it was coming round. It was a real proper event. When you couldn't travel very easily, it was ideal, it gave people something to look forward to.'

Jean's husband Roy was the secretary of the Horticultural Show for 35 years and a regular winner of classes and cups. 'Roy was on all week getting his entries ready. On Wednesday he was out inspecting the flowers, cutting them, bringing them in and putting them in cool corners trying to encourage them to come out just that little bit more. He had piles of vegetables out there, he'd dig them all up, trying to find 6 to match or whatever, and we'd have boxes of vegetables for weeks to use up. Roy used to be up at 6 o'clock in the morning getting all his exhibits collected up.' Roy's pride and joy were his begonias, 'When he was working and it was at the Village Hall I can remember being asked to take The Begonia up. They're very tender, one touch and the leaves will crack and I had to take it up on my bike. I had it tucked under my arm and I got it there. I went very slow!.'

As the Show grew, the Village Hall and the Recreation Field weren't big enough, 'It got that there was no room to put all the exhibits up. We used to cram them in, on the stage and everywhere' says Jean. At that time the Show moved to the Corn Marsh (the field was opposite the old bakery). 'That was in the 60's,' Jim Hewer recalls. 'It made it easy for us. When anything arrived we could just go across the road and sort it out.'