A special screening of archive footage at the Great Yorkshire Showground will reveal a fascinating portrait of Yorkshire farming and rural life in the 20th Century.

All are welcome at the ‘Rural Life on Film’ screening and social get-together at Pavilions of Harrogate on Wednesday 6th April 2022, from 1.30pm to 4pm. 

Held by the Yorkshire Rural Support Network in association with the Yorkshire Film Archive, around an hour of specially curated footage will be shared, with a break part way through the film for tea and cake.

The event is being held to bring together farming families, particularly more senior family members following a long period of enforced social isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Kate Dale, Coordinator of the Yorkshire Rural Support Network at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said: “We are offering this special screening as a small thank you to all those who have given so much to our farming industry over the years.

“It is very much about bringing together members of the farming community again, especially some of our more senior members, to celebrate the shared history that binds us as a community. 

“The film that Yorkshire Film Archive has kindly put together will be a lovely trip down memory lane, so if you have any family members or friends who you think would enjoy a warming afternoon of nostalgia, we’d love to welcome you along.”

In what is the year of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the film includes a nod to Royal celebrations past, with footage from the 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations in the rural community of Fearby near Masham.

Archive material from the Great Yorkshire Show also features, an event that The Queen has attended herself on four separate occasions.
Another highlight will be a poignant story about the men from farming communities in the Wagoners’ Special Reserve from East Yorkshire, who were some of the first men to go abroad in the First World War.

Graham Relton, Archive Manager at Yorkshire Film Archive said: “We have delved into our vaults to curate a special film show, featuring everything from sheep washing, working the land by hand and machine, land girls and farmers’ wives to traditional rural pursuits, village celebrations and, of course, the annual Great Yorkshire Show.

“The presented screening will reveal a fascinating portrait of Yorkshire farming and rural life in the 20th Century showcasing footage from regional television collections and amateur productions.”

Places are free but must be booked in advance by emailing kated@yas.co.uk. 

Ample free parking located within close proximity is available at Pavilions of Harrogate. Hand sanitizing points are located throughout the venue. Face masks are encouraged but are optional.