All The Fun Of The Fair!

When I was little, the Easter Fair was held on a large piece of 'spare' land at Ewood. It was a proper old fashioned travelling fair and seemed huge to us kids.  It was usually muddy underfoot and the sound of the electricity generators and different music from each of the rides was deafening. There were toffee apple stalls and candy floss vendors....burger and hot dog stands.  You could get parched peas and pop, potatoes and hot drinks. The sight and smell of all these goodies was tantalising and I'm sure I spent much of the time tugging on sleeves saying "Mummy..... can I have? Daddy, can I have?"

I think my grandparents came with us most years and even when we lived in Southport for a while which had it's own permanent fairground, we still came to Blackburn because it was a proper fair. My favourite ride was The Caterpillar, it went faster and faster and then the canopy came over and it went even faster. Loved it.

I remember going on the Big Wheel when I was about six or seven.  I was sat between my Auntie Marion and Uncle David happily swinging my legs and eating a candy floss while the cars climbed slowly higher as other people got on.  I suddenly became a lot less happy when everyone was on and we started breaking the land speed record for a stationery object! (Honestly, that's what it felt like). Suddenly I wanted to get off and my candy floss was forgotten. As I panicked, I kicked my legs and it felt like we were going to tip out of the car. Believe me when I say I was quite relieved to get off the blummin' thing.

 

My Dad always had a go on the Speedway which was too grown up for us and too fast for Mum. My abiding memory of this was being terrified that he was going to fly off as he would stand up on it holding on to a pole and it went so fast it was a blur! I think my hot dog and pop probably threatened to reappear during this tense interlude. 

Another favourite was the Helter Skelter, flying down on those prickly mats and having to be on your feet quick sharpish when you reached the bottom, before the next person barrelled into you.  Such fun!

......and there were hoopla games, coconut shies, carousels, tin can alley and so much more and then....pause for drum roll.... there were goldfish and gonks on the way out. Magic, essence of childhood that I wish I could bottle.

                                                                                                       Tracey

P.S. Unfortunately these are not pictures of the actual fair I was talking about, but quite similar to what I remember. And another sign of aging... I had to put the word Vintage in the Google search to find the right kind of photo's!