A SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD former milkman is getting ready to steal the show for the 10th year running -- the Royal Lancashire Show that is.

Bill Jones, from Cheshire Court, Ramsbottom, has been show director at the popular summer event since his retirement from a milk round in Haslingden in 1992.

This year the annual exhibition of rural North-west life runs from July 26 to 28 at Astley Park, Chorley, and Bill is once again in charge of the day-to-day running.

The sprightly septuagenarian always camps out in a caravan on-site from a week before the show until the site is cleared.

But for the first time ever, Bill will decamp sooner -- to attend a Queen's garden party at Buckingham Palace on July 30. The grandfather-of-two, who has been involved with the show for 22 years, is looking forward to the prestigious London outing.

He started at the show in the 1980s as a humble "jack of all trades", going to the show after finishing his daily milk round.

And he still enjoys the excitement.

"I love the job and seeing the end product is a great feeling," said Bill, who is well known around Ramsbottom for his involvement with the Rotary Club and amateur football.

"You go to the show and see all those people. You get to know a lot of them and they come to you and say how good it is -- you feel proud.

"My wife thinks I'm crackers, but no-one will run the show down in front of me. If they do they will get a mouthful."

Since leaving the milk round -- due to "a slight heart attack" -- being show director has become a full-time job for Bill, who is already planning next year's event.

But he still remembers the days when his milk float used to come in handy.

"We used the milk van to run stuff about. The road signs used to go on it and I would travel around the countryside with it."

Throughout the years, his motto has clearly been: "The show must go on". Despite foot and mouth disease, freak floods and other disasters, it has.

From the marquees to the electricity and toilets, and from the animal pens to the barriers, they are Bill's responsibility.

He said: "When you love doing something, nothing is a problem. I love setting the show up -- it's like a big jigsaw."

Once the curtain goes up on this year's show, is there anything Bill is particularly interested in?

"The animals," he said. "I can stand and watch the shire horses and the cattle, the pigs and sheep, all day.

"You would be surprised at the amount of people who have never touched a lamb, or sheep or a cow.

"And when they come to the show with their children, they can touch them and it's a great sensation for them. I want to carry on doing the show as long as I can."

The Royal Lancashire Show will be held from July 26 to 28 at Astley Park in Chorley.

It is an exhibition of rural life in the North West and features 17 different sections from horticulture to shire horses, cheese, honey and local produce.

RLS dates back to 1767 and is organised every year by the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society which has approximately 1,000 members.

This year there are gardeners' displays, a ladies' day, competitions for anything from cheeses to horses, countryside pursuits' demonstrations, craft workshops, a farmers' market and food hall.

There will also be entertainment by the Lancastrian Brigade Band, the West Lancashire Dog Display Team and the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team as well as general trade stands.

ROYAL LANCASHIRE SHOW FUN FACTS

The first RLS was staged at St Ann's Square in Manchester.

It now uses 27 acres of land plus 15 acres for car parking.

One mile of tents was pitched at the RLS last year.

Last year, 55,000 visitors attended the show.

It is the oldest county show of its kind in the UK.