94-year-old lifelong visitor to be honoured at Devon County Show

Devon County Show will welcome a truly remarkable guest on Thursday 21 May, as 94‑year‑old Malcolm Batten from Saltash returns to the showground for what promises to be a very special visit in his honour. 

As Malcolm recalls, he first came to the show when he was aged around eight, having been evacuated to a farm in Moretonhampstead during the Second World War. But even though the year of that first visit remains sketchy, what is firmly etched in his memory with extraordinary clarity is the day itself  ‘I just remember being entranced by everything, the towering shire horses, the lowing of the dairy cattle, and the excitement of arriving in a Morris 10 with black and red leather seats.  I can still smell them!’

From that moment on, the Devon County Show became a constant in Malcolm’s life. He has returned every year he possibly could, estimating around 80 visits in total, making him not just a loyal supporter but part of the Show’s living history.

This year, the Show will celebrate Malcolm’s lifelong dedication with a series of special moments in his honour. He will be introduced to Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh during her visit on Thursday.  He will also be presented with a bespoke cake crafted in the shape of his beloved RAF jeep — a vintage vehicle he painstakingly rebuilt himself, using the skills he honed whilst working in the RAF as a mechanic during the war, which takes pride of place in his garage and which he still enjoys driving around his yard. 

As a final tribute, the Show will give Malcolm a celebratory lap of the Main Ring in a vintage tractor, following the much‑loved vintage tractor parade. 

For all his affection for vintage machinery, Malcolm’s enthusiasm for the Show’s huge, shiny new tractors and cutting‑edge farm equipment is just as potent. Wandering the machinery lines to see how far agricultural technology has advanced has become one of the great joys of his annual visit. For Malcolm, this blend of heritage and progress is the very essence of the Devon County Show.

The Devon County Show takes place from 21–23 May. To find out more and to book now and save, visit www.devoncountyshow.co.uk