New President & Chairman for 2013
The Melplash Agricultural Society is pleased to welcome their new President for 2013, Mr Cleeves Palmer of Palmers Brewery. Cleeves succeeds Lady Sandwich who stepped down at the Annual General Meeting after her year in office.
Commenting on his new role, the new President, Cleeves Palmer said: ‘I am thrilled to be elected President of the Society and in becoming the 4th member of my family to take on this tremendous honour. My Grandfather was elected in 1940, but due to the war he did not take up the post until 1946; my father in 1977 and my brother John in 1997. The Melplash Agricultural Society, and in particular the Melplash Show, has meant a great deal to me throughout my life... I entered many classes as a child and my gardeners Kevin Dean and the late George Eveleigh entered many of horticultural classes. In my twenties I helped the late Justin Mallinson with the setting up of the Showfield. Farming is vital to the area and it is incredibly important that the Society continues to promote what we do here in West Dorset for the local community and beyond. Our annual Show is a wonderful opportunity for bringing town and country together and I look forward to being even more involved in 2013.”
Our Chairman, Dan Newman lives in Chantmarle and is a beef and sheep farmer, farming 1500 acres. He comes from an agricultural family who have lived in the area of Cattistock since 1700. His family have been involved in the Society for more years than anyone can remember. By becoming Chairman of the Society the family take a new position in the Society’s history as Dan becomes the third member of the same family to take up the post. His father, Ralph Newman, was Chairman in the 80s and his Uncle Bernard Newman, in the 90s. The Society is now very much part of Dan’s and his family’s life. He is married to Helen and has two children, Bertie who is 17 years old who is studying at Sparsholt Agricultural College, Winchester and Tillie who will be 14 years old in March. For the last two years he has been Vice Chairman of the Society learning the ropes and is now looking forward to taking up the post and cannot wait to get started. Dan commented “It is the wonderful charm and tradition of the Show that makes it so special and I am determined that this never changes. One of my priorities over the next two years will be to get more young people actively involved in the Society. It is the continued support of the Society’s Members and the dedication and loyalty of the many volunteers who give up their time that keeps the Society’s traditions alive and developing for the future”.
