Revamping the produce shed on the Mayfield A&P Showgrounds at a cost of $120k is a project of significance to celebrate 100 years of the show, A&P president James Murdoch says.
At the show in March, that shed will also have one section with Royal Agricultural Show event status and offer special accolades.
‘‘With that we will be getting representatives from the Royal Agricultural Society down for the day and showing them around,’’ Murdoch said.
The centennial project could be the start of diversification for the Mayfield grounds.
“Over the years, it’s been quite central to the show, and we think it’s a wonderful building and it needed to be restored,” Murdoch said.
There were now plans the building could be a multi-use space for hire with the large building and land of the showgrounds likely to have more appeal for clubs, businesses/organisations, groups or for family reunions.
In the past it would not have been suitable.
A centennial show subcommittee of eight people was set up to drive the project and work started in May this year.
The cost of the project was funded through community donations and grants from Lion Foundation, South and Mid Canterbury Trust and Mayfield & District Lions and Hinds Lions.
The work was overseen by Hayden Breakwell of H2 Builders in Ashburton and members also donated time and material such as labour, timber, tractor use and trailers.
“As with an old shed you start uncovering things and you find there’s a bit more work to do than you envisaged,” Murdoch said.
Centennial subcommittee member Mark Morrow said foundation work had to be redone in some areas, 85 per cent of the exterior had been recladded, iron replaced on the roof and the inside wall lining stripped and relined.
The walls were now also flat after being uneven for many years.
“We were quite conscientious to get it pretty well tidy before Christmas, and we are right on track really. Our show is the second Saturday in March.”
Murdoch said the centennial committee did not want to be doing any produce shed restoration or fundraising for it around show day.
“So, we have actually had a centennial celebration in the Mayfield Hall as well; so, we can go into Christmas and the show day itself, just concentrating on the show.
“There will be other things on show day but there won’t be a big event, we’ve been there and done that.”
Morrow said the celebration was a dinner and also a fundraiser for the shed restoration.
“It was actually very successful and fantastic to get everybody back together again, A lot of us have got a lot of history and been involved with the show,” he said.
“We had that strong common denominator.”
The revamp of the nigh-on 100-year-old shed was a long time coming.
‘‘They were bringing woollen blankets and pyjamas down here and storing them in the event Christchurch had to be evacuated (in World War 2),’’ Murdoch said.
For decades birds had free range to its interior, and it had a fixed display cabinet running its length restricted use.
However, now it’s a watertight – bird tight – building and half of the display cabinets have been removed and made movable.
The restoration has given the shed another 100 years, Morrow said.
“There’s a multitude of different community-type of things (it could be used for).”
Discussion was now being held on where to place a gratitude board acknowledging people who had donated/ supplied materials over $500, as well as historic panels put together by association historian Hayden Tasker.
“We couldn’t have done this without donors and granting money and the support of the community,” Murdoch said.
