Forgotten memory of Goose Fair


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Forest Road is at the top of the hill overlooking the Goose Fair site. You could see almost all of the Fair from this vantage point. There is a pub on the corner of Forest Rd & Waverley St - walk down a little & this is where the Arboretum begins. Burns St where we lived begins about 100 yards away down the hill from the Arborteum gates (not the main entrance on the corner towards town). People used to file past our house on the way to the fair all excited & squealing with delight. Then on the way back full of tales of what a good time they had had, what rides were best & had you screaming, Hands full of Candy Floss, Coconuts, Toffee Apples & even Bow & Arrows etc. These were rubbish & used to break when first used, they were as nearly as thin as Balsa Wood. I was a Tom Boy & my Brother's taught me how to make a brilliant one out of a tree branch.

The "Red Light" that was referred to earlier: I remember the red lights & the "Ladies" were very definitely "Ladies of the night". There were quite a few of them in the windows at that time. When I was an older teenager I asked one of the Policemen why they were allowed to ply their trade there, & one told me that for 3 Nights a year (Thurs, Fri, Sat then) they had better things to do (like catching Pick Pockets & Drunks & making sure that everyone had a good time & was safe at the fair, than to be arresting those "Ladies").

Does anyone remember the tiny little monkey (possibly a Spider Monkey) that I had a picture taken with, with two of my Brothers? The man & his monkey were there every year on the corner just down from Forest Grove & opposite the side entrance from the fair & where the main walkway entrance was (not the Mansfield Rd end). I know it is wrong now & wouldn't entertain such an idea, but I was only about 6yrs old at that time. It isn't allowed now anyway I wouldn't think, because it is cruel. I used to take my children to the fair when they were young in the late 1970's, but Thank Goodness it had stopped by then.

Haven't heard of the "man on the barrow". Are you sure he was alive & the eye & arm movements were not imagined to fill in your child memory to make the idea more comfortable to live with in your childhood mind? The Barrow sounds like an old Mortuary Barrow, where the Morticians used to wheel the body about on. They usually had a large pram looking wheel about 1/2 way down the length of it - just a thought. They had wheelchairs even all those years ago. After an accident, one of my Sister's had the unfortunate experience of being in a wheelchair for a time & could hardly move for months, but she was pushed around in a wheelchair. Wouldn't they have used one of those if he was alive? I think that it was most probably someone who had died & their last wish was to see the Goose Fair once again. So they sat him with his back against the wall to the Cemetary at the top of the hill so that he had his last wish fulfilled before burying him the next day possibly. If that is the case, how respectful of his loved ones to do that for him?

Maybe if some of the Gentleman's Family are still around, maybe they might remember & say why it was that they took him there. But I think whatever the story, it was a lovely thing to do for him - Alive or Dead.

Echo

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It's over fifty years since I last went to the Goose Fair, strangely enough it is the smells that bring back the most memories. The exhaust fumes and the oil smells of the generators, toffee appl

Is this what you're looking for, Compo?

Similar memories of being persuaded to go on the parachutes one lunchtime in the very early 70s, Mess. Manning girls were forbidden to enter the fair when in uniform. Four of us went on the parachutes

But nowhere near as big as pigs' boll*cks! Getting back on topic.....My ex, who was from Bolton (Notlob) was seriously eager to see a "Cock-on-a-stick". She really thought it would be a cock and not a cock.

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It's over fifty years since I last went to the Goose Fair, strangely enough it is the smells that bring back the most memories.

The exhaust fumes and the oil smells of the generators, toffee apples and candy floss, peas and mint sauce, hot dogs and onions, brandysnap and gingerbread.

Listening to Johnny and the Hurricanes belt out Red River Valley or Rocking Goose whilst trying not to throw up on the Waltzer

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I lived on Russell Rd 1961-72 and have very fond memories of the fair arriving and being erected followed by attending every day later in the week.

I still drive up from Northants every year to visit and always enjoy the atmosphere and smells. I never liked the rides as I suffer from motion sickness.

One year I forced myself to go on The Rotor where you stick to the wall. It seemed like fun at the time but I staggered off afterwards feeling thoroughly nauseous. Never again.

I always go on the cakewalk which my mum and dad took me on when I was quite small. As a little 'un I couldn't work out how you needed to go with the flow on the cakewalk so I hung on for grim death and was petrified.It took at least one candy floss and probably a toffee apple to pacify me afterwards lol.

I hope they have some roasted chestnuts on offer this year. They usually cost as much as £2 for which you get about 7 or 8!

I always get my mushy peas at the scout hut on Mount Hooton Rd. I'd rather they had the money.

It has always been a rip off and sadly it's even more so these days but I wouldn't miss it for all the happy memories it provides.

 

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Similar memories of being persuaded to go on the parachutes one lunchtime in the very early 70s, Mess. Manning girls were forbidden to enter the fair when in uniform. Four of us went on the parachutes which promptly jammed whilst we were at the top, in full view of the deputy head, watching through binoculars! My best friend lost one of her shoes and was sick. I've never felt so ill and turned green when I reached terra firma.

 

Never again.

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3 hours ago, IAN123. said:

The meteorite and Harry Lee's steam Boats or Yachts did it for me.Apart from knowing some show people..the buildup would start with wagons rolling up Mansfield Rd.56042.1.280.99999.unpad.jpgFoden waiting to be sited on Goose Fair.Did go down the Forest tatting for coins on a Sunday morning.

 

The Foden is carrying the "Dive Bomber" ride - in it's day it was considered to be the most extreme ride on the fair.

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I remember the Rotor.  I watched it several times before I plucked up enough courage to go on it.   I remember my heart thumping as I walked inside the 'drum'  - I was really scared but was determined to do it..   it was a very odd sensation when the floor went down and you 'stuck' on the wall.  Strangely, i don't remember feeling dizzy which was what I'd been worried about.  Then the drum slowed down and you felt yourself slipping slowly down the wall.  I was wearing jeans but I remember seeing girls in skirts trying to stay decent!  And why did we all try to get to the middle at the end....

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Ian, were you ever  one of the lads working the waltzer?  They really used to make us dizzy as the more we screamed, the faster they would spin us!

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