Great fun and a fascinating insight today while representing the County Durham Lieutenancy at the Northern Section of The Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain’s annual lunch.
The guild, supporting travelling showmen attending funfairs nationwide, has nearly 4,000 members.
It’s not often you turn up for a lunch to find a traditional carousel available for rides outside the hotel.
In my speech at Ramside Hall, I was able to draw on happy childhood memories of attending Crow’s Fair every summer holiday on Eston Recreation Ground – locally known as ‘The Rec’ – on the outskirts of Middlesbrough.
Growing up in South Bank, and then Teesville, the arrival of Crow’s Fair every August was a cause of great excitement.
It seemed like a magical giant spaceship emitting flashing lights, pulsating music and intoxicating smells of candyfloss and hotdogs had landed among us.
In early years, my favourite attraction was the hook-a-duck stall, where a success resulted in an option of two prizes – a goldfish or a wooden bow and arrow!
Before long, I graduated to rides like the Bumper Cars, The Waltzer and The Satellite.
There was even a ‘freak show’ featuring a five-legged sheep that I never plucked up courage to go and see. Was the extra leg real or stuck on? I’ll never know.
The music that belted out from The Waltzer was the soundtrack of many a childhood. I can still hear ‘Rock The Boat’ by George McRae while whizzing round, trying not to be sick in front of my friends.
All these years later, it was lovely to chat today to Alan Crow, whose great-grandfather, Samuel, started the family business in 1865.
It was also a pleasure to see outgoing chair Philip Cooper present a Lifetime of Appreciation Award to former Spennymoor Mayor, John Culine, for his decades of dedication to the guild, including his service as President.
John was born into a fairground family, living in a Spennymoor caravan, in 1947, and still runs Culine’s Amusements in Tudhoe.
And I got to meet Albert Noble, who started Noble Amusements as a 16-year, running a stall with a home-made ‘Penny Falls’ machine.
I always go to events like this hoping to find a story, and the room today was full of them.
Alan Crow, John Culine, and Alan Noble will all be featuring on my page in The Northern Echo before too long.
In the meantime, thank you to guild members for their hospitality and giving me a better understanding of a traditional way of life that goes back generations, and created so many memories along the way.
Long may the show go on.
