A special centenary dog show is coming to Twickenham's Diamond Jubilee Gardens later this month.

This year's Twickenham Riverside Dog Show, organised by Twickenham Riverside Trust, is shaping up to be one of its biggest yet as the organisation pulls out all the stops to celebrate 100 years of public access to the riverside.

With 12 categories, every dog will have a chance to shine, with highlights like:

• Waggiest Tail
• Most Marvellous Male
• Best Dressed Dog
• Best Child Handler

Secretary of Twickenham Riverside Trust, Celia Holman, told Nub News the previous shows have had over 100 dogs participating.

Attendance was especially high during the COVID pandemic; being outdoors, the gathering was one of the few allowed to continue under the government's various social distancing measures.

Ms. Holman said: "It's a really lovely event, not just for the contestants but for the people watching too."

"The people of Twickenham love a gosh darn dog show," she added, before joking: "we make no pretence of being Crufts!"

Attendance for the dog show has been very high in previous years (Photo: Twickenham Riverside Trust)

Discover Twickenham BID is sponsoring this year's show, supplying rosettes to all contestants along with the winner's cup.

Joining them are King Street Vets and Reality Dog Training, providing demonstrations, freebies, and advice for owners.

Twickenham Riverside Centenary Dog Show is scheduled for 2pm to 4pm, Saturday 18 May, at Diamond Jubilee Gardens in Twickenham.

Registration to compete opens at 12.30pm, with a small charge of £3 for a dog's first category, and £1 each for any additional categories.

This year's dog show marks a century of public ownership of the riverside.

"We've done Royal Wedding and Coronation Dog Shows in past years. But this year, it's Twickenham's turn to celebrate," explained Ms. Holman.

Originally part of a large private estate known as Richmond House, the area was initially bought by the council in 1924 to widen King Street and accommodate new tram tracks.

The area was home to the privately-owned Richmond House until 1924 (Photo: Twickenham Riverside Trust)

Public ownership also meant locals could finally access the riverside for public recreation.

Improved transport links with the capital saw a population boom across Twickenham, as more and more workers were able to commute into London.

To help accommodate the new residents, a public bath for both swimming and bathing was opened in 1935, marking George V's Silver Jubilee.

An aerial view of Twickenham's public baths in 1937, two years after opening (Photo: Twickenham Riverside Trust)

Crowds gather at Twickenham Lido in 1955 (Photo: Twickenham Riverside Trust)

Sadly, the pool closed in 1981 for repairs, never to open again, leaving the site largely boarded up (Photo: Twickenham Riverside Trust)

In 2012 the current Diamond Jubilee Gardens were opened to mark Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, returning the area back to its roots as a place for recreation and community events – like dog shows!

Diamond Jubilee Gardens on opening day in 2012, with the old diving board clearly visible (Photo: Twickenham Riverside Trust)

For more information about Twickenham Riverside Centenary Dog Show, including how to register your own dog, visit the event listing here.