by Chris Hunter

chunter@thekmgroup.co.uk

The sky's been glowering for most of the day but visitors to the 80th Kent Show at Detling - including the Earl and Countess of Wessex - have so far escaped a soaking.

Prince Edward and his wife Sophie arrived at the Kent Showground just after 10am, where they were greeted by crowds and welcomed by George Jessel, Deputy Lieutenant and Chairman of the Kent County Agricultural Society.

Mr Jessel bravely assured the Prince the weather would remain dry but for "a small shower", before the Royal party embarked on a tour of the showground on this, the first day of the 2009 show.

Manager Julie Monkman from Produced in Kent explains why fresh local food is a must at the show

Former chairman of the Kent Agricultural Society William McKeever said things had changed since the early days of the show, where his family displayed livestock from their farm in Faversham.

"The first one I remember is 1937 in Canterbury", he recalled. "The reason I remember it well was because it was the first time I saw a moving picture. There was a loop of tape advertising something and it fascinated me. I also remember Fremlin’s brewery had a life-size mechanical elephant that nodded its head up and down."

But while the show is still big business for traders, livestock have always been at its heart. There are now more than 2,900 livestock entries, compared with 883 at the first show in 1923 in Wombwell Park - and Mr McKeever believes the event is more important than ever to the farming industry.

Your handy guide to what's on in the arenas throughout the county show - so you never have to miss a thing!

He said the show brought “the living land” to a wide audience, adding: "It’s important to show where food comes from. We have to try to explain to the young population that milk doesn’t come from a plastic bottle. The important thing is to identify food that’s produced in Britain.

"It’s a shop window to the general public and its important to attract as many people as possible. It’s a great day out and good value for money."
And he said visitors can look forward to better facilities than the first shows he attended.

"The days of the lavatories being a pit in the ground with canvass and corrugated iron are a thing of the past."

• Tickets are£17 adults, £7.50 children and £12 senior citizens are available on the gate.
  A family ticket for two adults and two children costs £43.
  For further information call 01622 630975.