Interesting Steam Fair Statistics
taken from www.gdsf.co.uk
• With 1,000 traders, 2,000 exhibitors and their families, together with our
campers on the public campsites (5,000 caravans and tents) it is estimated that
the population living on site amounts to 25,000 people at any one time.
• Total number of people expected to see the show is in excess of 200,000.
•To cope with the large crowds the show brings in around 600 portable toilets
and has to dispose of around 76,000 gallons of effluent!
• An army of workers distribute and collect the hundreds of litterbins on site
and 150 tonnes of rubbish is taken away each year.
• Each year there are more than 200 paid staff and volunteers working during the
five-day show period.
•Each year we have 360,000 promotional brochures printed, 65,000 car window
stickers and 50,000 posters. These are printed 10 months before the show and
then distributed over the next few months all around the UK and to overseas
destinations.
•Due to planning regulations, actual site preparations do not begin until only 2
weeks before the event commences and we have just 10 days to clear the site
afterwards and put it back to a working farm.
• Over 2 miles of water piping is laid and 3,119,000 litres of water is used
during the show each year! 2,122,000 litres are used by the engines alone, along
with 997,000 litres used for domestic and drinking purposes. 750,000 litres of
all the water is brought onto site by tankers with a full time team of 6 workers
during the show and for a week before.
•Over 10 miles of electric cable are used with over 100 floodlights erected and
200 socket outlets placed. 27 large generators have to be hired each year and
just one generator is powerful enough to supply electricity to a small village.
Electricity has to be provided to 6 entertainment pavilions, 3 shower blocks and
other marquees. We have 3 full time and one part time electricians on site.
• Each year over 150 tonnes of coal are used.
•Over 1000 barrels of beer were drunk at last year’s show.
•80 tonnes of wood will be cut in this year’s wood sawing section.
• 16 acres of corn is cut before the show starts by an old time binder with 10
large ricks erected in readiness for the threshing demonstrations.
• 2,000 6ft high metal fences are hired to secure the perimeter of the 600 acre
show site.
St John’s Ambulance deal with an average of 500 cases each year ranging from a
wasp sting to a broken leg!
• To secure B&B or hotel accommodation locally for the Steam Fair week, you need
to book early as by the end of June nothing is left and the nearest available is
20 miles away in Poole, Bournemouth or Salisbury.