Lambeth Country Show cancelled due to ‘Olympics’

Lambeth Country Show 2011 - photo by Kaye Wiggins

Councillors have cancelled “Brixton’s own annual party” due to the 2012 Olympic Games.

The 37-year-old free event, which last year attracted about 180,000 people to Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, is the highlight of many south Londoners’ summer diary.

According to reports, staff in the council’s events team were officially told about the cancellation today.

Photographer Natasha Caruana, who currently has an exhibition at Photofusion gallery, Electric Lane, told the Brixton Blog this evening she had been told by a Lambeth councillor that the show was “taking a break for the Olympics” and should be back in 2013.

This evening the @wagfree twitter feed warned cllr Alex Holland: “The country show is Brixton’s own annual party. Cancel it at your peril.”

Last year rainy weather failed to dampen spirits of festival goers, an entertainment included sheep shearing, sheep dog displays, jousting, flower and vegetable competitions, livestock, dog stunts and dozens of food and drink stalls.

This evening people took to twitter to share their memories of the show, many of which involved over-indulgence in Chucklehead cider.

A statement uploaded to the Lambeth council website this evening said: “The Lambeth Country Show will take a break in 2012 as the focus is going to be on the London Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

“We have taken this decision because the Lambeth Country Show usually takes place in mid-July and would have come just days before the start of the London Olympics.”

Cllr Florence Nosegbe, cabinet member for leisure, said: “The Lambeth Country Show is a tremendous logistical challenge, even in a normal year.

“With the Olympic Games due to start just a few days later it makes sense to postpone it this year and concentrate on the Olympics.”

Take a look back at our report of last year’s show.

Follow the Urban 75 forum thread here.

newsdesk@brixtonblog.com

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