Skippy, all the big shows are way down on exhibitors these days, cost to an exhibitor for the CLA, is appx 12-1500£, over the years they dont get the footfall required to make a decent enough profit, yet the show organisers still up the rent every year until it becomes non profitable.
The Royal Show is no more, and lots of others have gone the same way, lots of the County shows are hanging on a thread.
I did all these shows for 12 years making and selling cheese, you would not believe how the takings have gone down slowly in those 12 years.
I was made redundant Dec 08 it got that bad, over two thirds of the shows we did were no longer worth going to.
But now I can go fishing whenever I want.