A group of five called the 'Selsdon Wood Preservation Scheme' banded to raise public funds to buy and save the area.

[4] The five leaders of the Preservation groups were Sir Lawrence Wesley Chubb, Alice Mabel Bonus (niece of Anna Kingsford), Winifred Mary Hudson (sister of Hilda Phoebe Hudson), Ernest Alfred Earl and Malcolm Sharpe (saviour of Croham Hurst).

Sir Julian Huxley (a zoological scientist) was a celebrity supporter of the Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve campaign.

Over the years it grew in scale and scope, with livestock even fairground rides and it became product of its own success with attendance in thousands.

There were safety concerns over access for emergency services, traffic and parking problems, the risk of damage to the environment from so much heavy equipment and escalating costs so it was decided that there should be no further shows after 2002.