Rachel and I wandered down to Midsummer Fair on Saturday evening expecting it to be packed. Sadly it was deserted. I've written before about how it dates back to 1211 and is an opportunity for all of the travelling fairground families to come together and catch up with family and arrange weddings. Well in the afternoon it was like a Mercedes garage as all the gypsy families arrived for the afternoon but by the evening there were more police than fair-goers. I had a chat with a nice fella who said that the council is trying to discourage it (I don't know if they deliberately are but the effect certainly seems to be discouraging the travelling show families). He said they charge £1000 for a market pitch (don't know about the rides) and the weather has been poor two years in a row so the families aren't willing to risk that amount of money. And they had left the grass a foot long 'so the cows could eat it', so that was quite anti-social for people walking round. It's a shame as many local residents like its historical significance (though to be fair it's a few years since I parted with £2 for the dodgems) and he said the only people who complain about it are cyclists as they are supposed to walk through. As earlier in the day I had (nicely) mentioned to a young man (looked like a student) who dinged his bell at me in a pedestrian zone that he was supposed to be pushing his bike and got a torrent of aggressive abuse in return I sympathised!
Don't think I've ever been. Well done on the bell, I don't know why more people don't use them. Shame about the fair. I met a very nice 'show person' on the bus into Cambridge recently, and had an interesting chat.
So many old traditions these days seem to be rapidly disappearing far faster than i have ever known, maybe it's our crappy last three summers, either way it's all sad...
Such a shame, times they are a changing! I blame the weather. Midsummer did you say?? Just flicked the heating on for an hour as I sit here in my jacket (kid you not). Love this shot, I am having a good look at what I fancy!
Cyclist do make you jump when they ring the bell behind you but worse when the woosh past without a sound!
£1000 seems very steep, I think they are pricing the travellers out of the town! Appleby Fair has just been on & the town was heaving as usual...bet the travellers pay nothing much there !!
Mmmm- my virtual dessert tonight! Thanks for the pic. Had to Google candy floss - we call it cotton candy. In my part of the US you can sometimes find maple cotton candy. It is awesome!!
June 26th, 2013
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Don't set me off about cyclists!
£1000 seems very steep, I think they are pricing the travellers out of the town! Appleby Fair has just been on & the town was heaving as usual...bet the travellers pay nothing much there !!