This year, the Royal Welsh Show is celebrating its 50th year at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells.

Before 1963 the show was a moveable feast. The Royal Commission has recently published a 1950 aerial photo from the Aerofilms Collection of one of the first shows held after WWII. And guess where this Show was held? Yes, Abergele. The Royal Welsh was held in Abergele on Wednesday–Friday, 26–28 July 1950, with 61,311 people attending the show.

The Show was held where Maes Canol was later built. The photo seems to have been taken from a plane over Pensarn or the sea, looking south or south-west towards Tan-y-Goppa. I think I can see the Gwrych Gatehouse along that wriggly line of trees on the right. The river Gele enters the frame at the top left. Pentre Mawr Park is that triangle of trees on the right. You can make out St Michael’s clocktower, St Paul’s and some other churches and chapels. If you spot any other points of interest unique to the 1950s, please do highlight them in the Leave a Reply  section at the bottom of this page.

The writer Vernon Hughes described the 1950 Abergele Show like this:

“The weather during the three days was warm and sunny, the field was packed with happy, smiling faces, the caterers were busy, and the traders on their stands were obviously pleased with the public, other tents were full of exhibits and, most importantly, the farmers and their families were really enjoying themselves in the summer weather―a sure sign it was a good show.”