Malcolm Batten to be honoured at Devon County Show after 80 visits

Malcolm Batten, 94, will be honoured at the Devon County Show after attending the event around 80 times in his lifetime. On Thursday, May 21, he will receive VIP treatment and be introduced to Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh.

His recognition comes as the show opens Thursday to Sunday, May 21 to 23. Batten will also be presented with a bespoke cake shaped like his RAF jeep.

Moretonhampstead memories

Batten first experienced the show as a child while living on a farm in Moretonhampstead. He recalled being drawn to the shire horses, the dairy cattle and the ride in a Morris 10 with black and red leather seats.

“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!” he said.

The show itself was paused during the Second World War and resumed in 1947, a span that matches the reach of Batten’s own visits across most of his life. He now lives in Saltash.

RAF Jeep at the show

The honour also reflects the personal history behind the jeep he still drives around his yard. Batten rebuilt the RAF jeep himself using skills he learned while working in the RAF as a mechanic.

At the show, he will be taken on a celebratory lap of honour around the main ring in a vintage tractor. The programme puts an old regular visitor at the centre of the event’s opening day, with the Duchess of Edinburgh among those greeting him.

For Batten, the day folds decades of attendance into one public recognition. For visitors arriving this week, his treatment turns a long-running show tradition into the opening story of the event.