A new president has been elected ahead of this year’s Royal Cornwall Show, which takes place on Thursday 7th, Friday 8th and Saturday 9th June.

Sir Nicholas Bacon OBE succeeds the outgoing president, Lady St Levan. Despite not being a Cornish native he is intrinsically linked to the county through the Duchy of Cornwall and his role as Lord Warden of the Stannaries.

The role was created in 1337 and the holder exercised judicial and military functions in Cornwall, and is still the official who, upon the commission of the monarch or Duke of Cornwall, has the function of calling a Stannary Parliament of tinners.

“Despite being a Norfolk boy,“ he said that he was “deeply delighted” at his appointment which was announced at the recent AGM of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association.

Agriculture plays a large part in Sir Nicholas’s life. The main activity at the 5,000 acre Raveningham Estate in Norfolk, the family seat since the 1750’s, is farming.

Having exited the dairy industry in recent years the livestock focus on the estate has shifted to beef cattle and sheep.

“We have a pedigree herd of Sussex cattle and a small flock of Norfolk Horn sheep graze the Park surrounding Raveningham Hall. Elsewhere we have a large flock of Suffolk ewes,” he added.

When it comes to events like the Royal Cornwall, Sir Nicholas knows the ropes.

“Agricultural Shows have run through my family’s veins for many years. My father was chairman of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association back in the 1970’s and I have been chairman since 2008.”

The unique identity, history and proud tradition that each agriculture show has is something that Sir Nicholas is more than aware of.

“I know that Norfolk ‘does different’ but I’m also very aware that so does Cornwall. We don’t have a Norfolk flag…yet!”

The cattle, bees and honey, forestry and local produce are sections this year’s President will be keen to visit.

The show’s impressive flower section will also be firmly on Sir Nicholas’ to-do list in June.

“As president of the Royal Horticultural Society, one comes into contact with many of the great botanists and horticulturalists of the age.

“The RHS Chatsworth Show starts on the Wednesday before the Royal Cornwall and will certainly add a bit of urgency to the journey between Derbyshire and Cornwall,” he adds.

He follows in the footsteps of The Marques of Lothian and The Earl Peel, both former Lord Wardens of the Stannaries, who fulfilled the role of Royal Cornwall president in 1982 and 2006 respectively.

“The weather is of great importance for agricultural shows and I shall have to bring dry weather from Norfolk,” he concluded.

For more information about the Royal Cornwall Show please visit: www.royalcornwall.co.uk