It’s showtime again this weekend, and 79-year-old Arnold Bell will be there, just as he has every year since he was just 14-years-old.
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His father Roy ran the travelling boxing tent from the Northern Territory to Victoria, until a ban was introduced in 1972 moving the family into the amusement rides business.
"There’s no boring days but it’s hard work"
- Seventy-nine-year-old showman Arnold Bell
An entrepreneurial Roy started the tent in 1924, and was still boxing at the age of 70.
Arnold said while many things have changed over the years, others haven’t changed at all.
“I remember when all the men would wear suits and ties and the women would all be wearing dresses, now you can count on your hand how many wear them these days,” he said.
“The days’s are still hot though, and it’s always been hot.”
Traveling across Australia to entertain crowds at one or two shows a week each year, Arnold describes his home as the showgrounds.
“There’s no boring days but it’s hard work,” he said.
Bega AP&H Society president David Grainger said this year’s show will involve a world record attempt.
“We are going to try to achieve the world record for dog jumping,” he said.
“It’s going to be interesting and a bit of fun.”
Trotting NSW representatives will be raising money for ovarian cancer research over the weekend.
“We’ll be passing around the bucket on Saturday night,” Mr Grainger said.
The latest banking technology will be making it’s way to the show this year, making it easier to enter into the pavilion competitions.
“We are hoping for lots of entries and for the first time you can use payWave to enter, which we’re hoping will speed things up,” he said.
“We’ve got the finals for the wood-chopping and chainsaw events on Saturday at the main arena.
“It’s a fantastic spectator sport.”
This year will also see former radio announcer Ian Campbell take the reigns as announcer.
“Angus Lane and his wife Vicky have been announcers for over 20 years and they’ve done a fantastic job,” Mr Grainger said.
“We are going to miss Angus, we’re excited to have one of our own in Ian take over.
“I’m looking forward to the style he brings to the show.”
The popular annual destruction of the demolition derby will again wind down the show for yet another year.
“It’s a Bega Valley favourite,” Mr Grainger said.
“Every man and his dog gets there.”
