Well so much for a Midsummer Fair. This is a huge event when the Fairground Travellers from all over the country descend on Cambridge to catch up with friends and family, exchange news, buy outlandish dresses for children and arrange a marriage or two. Last year it was wet on the 'big night' (Saturday) but this year it's just wet. I like going along in the mornings when it's just the travellers and the market stalls as it's great for people watching and eavesdropping. I have a lot of time for these people - it's a hard life being on the go all the time, difficult to get a decent education for your kids and tricky sustaining a non-conventional life-style. They know how to charge for a ride though!
You have picked well to put the London bus at the front Judith! Nice calm processing to give it a quiet morning feel but I expect this roundabout & all others will be spinning & flashing tonight...a complete different atmosphere!
@happypat I'm feeling I should make the effort to take my camera down as it goes dark - but it's so cold!! @fueast This chap was walking along with his old mother examining the muddy ground and saying they were going to have to stop people driving down the gaps - luckily (!) the strong winds are drying the ground between the torrential rain. The joys of summer....
Love the vintage feel to your photo! I remember when I was in elementary school, I had a friend whose father owned a carnival that traveled all over the state. We all thought she had the coolest family - she got to go to the carnival every day, all summer, and got to go on the rides for free! Then, she told us how much she hated her life. While we were all home playing with our friends, she was either traveling to new towns almost every night or roaming around the carnival, not know anyone. It was a very lonely life for her.
@sparkleplenty1 Very hard - you may like this article about the first 'Fairground Traveller Student' to enter Cambridge University. There was an earlier article that I can't find which describes how she was identified by a teacher in a brief stay at school as being very bright. The teacher encouraged her to think about university and because of Midsummer Fair she thought of Cambridge. Given that in her community many people cannot read or write she has an amazing story. She is really proud of her roots and is clearly doing extremely well. http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/First-traveller-to-win-place-at-Cambridge-is-named-as-student-editor-18052011.htm
