TEWKESBURY FAIR SOCIETY
TEWKESBURY FAIR SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 16
2003

Dear Member,
Welcome to newsletter number 16. Again during the last year the committee has been busy promoting the society at various events with either models or publicity stand. My thanks go to the hard working committee and to you all in supporting us and our petition we held at the 2002 Mop Fair
Dave Fellows (Chairman T.F.S.)

HOSPITAL FETE

On 24th August we made our annual visit to Tewkesbury Hospital Fete. We set up the stand early to do a few running repairs and fit on our headboards. After the fete opened we were kept very busy with customers throwing balls to knock the cans off the shelves, with the prizes we where giving away very kindly donated to us by Peter Aldridge. During the afternoon we managed to collect nearly £50.00 for the Hospital League of Friends.

VISIT TO DINGLES STEAM VILLAGE

On 29TH September we had a very early start for a visit to Dingles Steam Village, Milford Lifton, Devon for their fairground heritage weekend. On the way we made a quick stop in Bridgwater to see the last few rides not yet pulled down, after breakfast we then made our way to Dingles for a very enjoyable day. Our main reason for the visit was to take with us the top boards from the late Tommy Matthew's Rotor that he had let the society have on permanent loan a few years ago. After some consideration it was decided that instead of them lying in store and only brought out every now and then they should be put on proper display. After consulting the Matthew's family, who were in favor of our plans, we contacted Michael Smith who looks after the fairground memorabilia at Dingle's and he agreed to have them on loan from the society for display. We were all very suprised of the quality and number of fairground items on display, everywhere you looked their is something interesting to see. There are also a number of Steam engines, Cars, and Commercial Vehicles on display, if you are ever in the area it is well worth calling in for a few hours of nostalgia.

T.F.S. MODEL SHOW

Once again the society held a highly successful model show at Trinity Hall in Oldbury Road on Saturday October 5th. The show organized by Vice Chairman Steve Perry has gone from strength to strength and has now become an established annual event. This year's fine autumn weather saw a record number of visitors. Steve exhibited his Scammell Showtrac with box truck and living van. John Jennings displayed a selection of his 1/50th scale transport and loads with a part built Dodgem and Waltzer. Fellow committee member Michael Jones brought along his Orbiter based on Billy Danter's machine which would grace the town a few days later. Local modeler Neville Bassett had his 1/24th scale working Mont Blanc, Ark and Slip and George Gregory from Worcester came with a fine set of 1/12th scale Gallopers and transport. From Gloucester David Mellor presented his collection of 1/76th scale Gloucestershire based road transport haulage models. Ivan Taylor came from Trowbridge with his 1/48th scale fairground transport and Martin Nash from Cinderford presented a selection of 4mm scale rides and transport. As well as all the fairground models it was good to see Peter Ross from Evesham with his excellent Chipperfield's Circus layout. Committee member Roger Webb from Cheltenham brought a fine model railway and Ken Rundle, also from Cheltenham, with his 1/8th scale model the Showman's engine "Supreme" still under construction. Outside the hall Michael Freeman and others from the Model Steam Vehicle Society presented some live steam models and Margaret Deville and family kept us entertained with a hand turned organ.

Already plans are underway for this year's event which will again be held at the Trinity Hall on Saturday October 11th.

WALKER GALLOPER'S RESTORED

A recent edition of Channel 4's "Salvage Squad" featured the full restoration into almost original condition of a set of Walker's 3-abreast Galloper's built in Tewkesbury in 1911 for Frank Wilson of Middlesex, the ride later passed into the ownership of Sam Manning. By the 1920's they were owned by James Edwards of Croydon who presented fairs at Windsor where the Duke of York, the future King George VI is said to have ridden it. In 1950 the ride passed to Lancashire Showman John James Butterworth but was sold in 1958 for only £200! Joe Stevens was the fortunate purchaser but the machine passed to Scottish Showman Andrew Dunn in 1961. They later went to Screeton Bros who sold the ride five years later when they purchased a larger set. After passing through Teddy Reed and Nelson Smith's ownership, collector Fred Coupland bought the ride in 1979 and kept it until 1988 when an overseas buyer acquired it. For the past few years the ride was in storage near Zurich until acquired by enthusiasts Simon Harris and Kevin Scrivens who have the ride operating at Iron Bridge Gorge Museum in Shropshire.

MOP FAIR

This years Mop was a very busy time for us this year, as just before the fair it was announced by Tewkesbury Borough Council of plans for a one way system in the town centre. Fearing that this would seriously affect the fair the society quickly started a petition to remind the town of the traditions it has. Many people from the town and surrounding areas signed the petition, all of them stating that the fair should continue in the streets as it brings the town alive and has a friendly atmosphere. This led to a meeting in December with Terri Turner (chief executive) and Chris Shaw of Tewkesbury Borough Council who assured us that any road changes would take the Fair into consideration and the one way system in the town would not affect the fair. Both said that the fair is an important asset to the Town and should continue.

LONG EATON MODEL SHOW

On 23RD November we attended for the first time the model show held at Long Eaton, Northamptonshire. This is certainly one of the largest fairground model shows in the country. With models and displays of all sizes in every available space inside the town hall. We had a small room to ourselves and put on a slide show with fairground transport and also our mop fair presentation. Also a number of committee members put on a display of their models. Our latest committee member Michael Jones even won a cup for the best young model maker, for his model Orbiter ride constructed from K'nex.

WALKER CAKEWALK SOLD

Recently a Walker Cakewalk manufactured in Tewkesbury around 1907 was auctioned. The ride was owned for many years by Harry Bishton and more recently by Doug Knowles before passing to the Buxworth Steam Co. Ltd. Unfortunately financial difficulties forced the firm to auction their collection which also included Galloper's, Big Wheel, Chair-o-Planes, Wall of Death and "Lighthouse" Helter Skelter. Glyn Williams who has a collection of vintage rides at Folly Farm, Nr Tenby purchased the Cakewalk for £16,000 and the Helter Skelter for £27,000. These join the Dodgem's, Chair-o-Planes, Ark, Skid, Galloper's Caterpillar, Ghost Train and juvenile rides already in his collection. Folly Farm is open most days with the rides working from 1.00pm onwards and is well worth a visit.

BILLY DANTER'S 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

Tewkesbury Fair Society officers and committee members joined Billy to celebrate his 90th birthday at a family gathering at The White House Hotel, near Gloucester. Billy Danter started showland life when he was a young lad of 14 years and worked for the legendary Welsh showman Jacob Studt, at that time the Studt family would have attended our Mop Fair with their switchback ride. Billy's Fun Fairs stretch from the Black Country, Wales and the West Country, taking in Tewkesbury along the way. When Billy's Fairs have visited Tewkesbury they have been on different meadows around the town and October's Mop Fair is in Spring Gardens where his first class rides provide pleasure for all to enjoy. Billy has been a big supporter of many of Tewkesbury's organizations, especially the Swimming Pool Guild, who have raised the money to build the pool now situated in Spring Gardens. The Fair Society was proud and honored to have been invited to join in the celebrations of Billy's 90th birthday and wish him and all his family the very best for the future.

We now have available a video of the 2002 model show and Mop fair. This video is approximately 50 minutes long and features many of the rides and transport that attended in 2002 and of the model show itself.
The cost is £ 13.99 Inc post and packing For details contact The Secretary, Tewkesbury Fair Society, 103 Ash Road, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8QB

Email Tewkesbury Fair Society
Please make cheques payable to "TEWKESBURY FAIR SOCIETY".

Members are reminded that memberships are due in October, Our sales stand will be in Nelson Street during the Mop or if you unable to attend please send payment currently £1.00 to the above address. We very much value your support, and all monies collected always go towards us trying to stage a major attraction during the mop.

SOME FORTHCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY.

MEMBERS SOCIAL} Talk by Rod Spooner from the Worlds Fair from Switchback to Superbowl. 7TH May at Elizabeth Wyatt House, Barton Road, Tewkesbury. 8.00pm start. Members and Non Members as well as all friends of the society are all welcome to join us for this very interesting evening.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING} 25th June at Elizabeth Wyatt House, Barton Road, Tewkesbury. 8.00pm start. All Members and New Members Welcome.

HOSPITAL FETE} 23rd August.

MOP FAIR } 9th and 10th October

MODEL SHOW} 11th October at Holy Trinity Church Hall, Oldbury Road, Tewkesbury. 10.00am start

FOOTNOTE
One of the many events that the society has been invited to is a model show staged by Owen Ralph. This will be part of the Cardiff Big Weekend on August 2nd in a venue in Cardiff city centre, and will also form part of the Fairground Association of Great Britain's 25th anniversary tour.

 
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