Much forced gaiety was in evidence as the Royal Show closed its gates for the final time last week – but for those of us who were obliged to attend an increasingly dismal event which failed to hide its acres of unoccupied space it will be no great loss.

In its final years it became increasingly clear it had not merely lost its way but lost sight of to whom it was supposed to be appealing. And as if moving it from one end of the week to the next from year to year wasn't confusing enough, it was never clear to whom the Royal was supposed to be appealing.

One year the organisers would go all-out to appeal to the general public - the huge potential audience from Coventry and Birmingham on Stoneleigh's doorstep - the next there would be no attempt to pull the public through the gates at all and the emphasis would be placed on rebuilding the farming audience.

In some ways it was resistant to change: the programme followed more or less the same format every year. But in other areas the changes adopted – such as the pointless ones made to the lay-out of the shopping areas – were quite disastrous. These, in fact, proved the biggest source of discontent in the first year of its management by Haymarket, when punters formed orderly queues to complain at the organisers' office – and once at the front complained about having to queue for 30 minutes to complain.

From that low point there was clearly little chance of recovery and indeed much of the spirit had left the event in its latter stages. Others had left previously, among them most of the international exhibitors who previously used the Royal for making contacts and doing deals, the machinery suppliers and, indeed, Defra.

Once they went there was no longer any incentive for farmers to attend unless they were exhibiting.

That the annual jaunt to the Royal will be missed by thousands of people is undeniable – but so is the fact that it was, ultimately, sheer bad management that killed it off.