IPSWICH Show Society will celebrate history when it presents its 150th annual show this week.
Preparations to make it one of the best on record have been ongoing in the local show office for months and all that is needed now is for the sun to give the three days its blessing.
The Deputy Prime Minister is even coming along to enjoy the event.
Shows bring back great memories for all of us.
I can still recall how I’d wash the neighbour’s car and mow the lawns just to get some showbag cash before I headed off to the Royal Easter Show in Sydney.
I once saved enough to buy 21 showbags and when I got home I proudly spread them out on my bed.
The brothers and sisters were allowed to look at my bounty, but couldn’t touch.
Of course I needed to guard them closely until I had read every comic and devoured every bertie beetle and freddo frog.
I don’t go to the showbag pavilion anymore, but I do enjoy walking through the displays of local arts and crafts, produce and seeing who won the photography competition.
My funniest story from a show visit was in Sydney when my father told me I could make a quick $20 if I put my hand up to take on a fighter at the Brophy Boxing Tent.
His advice was it was all a show and when they laced up your gloves they explained how it would play out.
Armed with that advice and surrounded by my senior school mates we marched off to the Blacktown Show and stood in front of the boxing tent as Brophy beat the drums.
“Who’ll take on Mad Max from Darwin,” he called out and I started feeling sick.
My mates pleaded with me to put up my hand, they no doubt wanted to see me lying prostrate on the canvas. I told them we needed to watch a bout first before I’d had a go and they all agreed that was a wise move.
We paid our entry fee and stood around in a big circle to watch a local lad take his shot for glory. Mad Max dropped him with one crashing right hook in the first round and as he fell I knew my dad had set me up.
My mates and I realised immediately it was better to watch than to be in the ring. When I got home dad asked me how I went, I said it wasn’t a show, it was for real.
He just laughed and walked away chuckling to himself.
