TEWKESBURY FAIR SOCIETY
TEWKESBURY
FAIR SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER No. 17
2004
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2003/2004
Dear
Member,
Welcome to Newsletter No 17.
Since the last issue your committee has been busy promoting the mop at
various fairs and model shows. In fact we travelled the furthest ever
when it was decided to make a trip to Newcastle Town Moor for the “Hoppings”
in 2003.
We also made the trip to Dingles steam village for their open weekend,
where we took along the photo boards and models. This visit also gave
us the chance to check on the Tommy Matthews Rotor front boards that are
on loan from us to Dingles, you can read more about this elsewhere in
this issue. As usual we also took up our regular spot at the Hospital
Fete with our throwing games.
On the eve of the mop fair we organized a showman’s social held
at the Kings Head in Barton Street which was well patronized, our vice
chairman Steve Perry put on a splendid slide show which promoted much
good natured banter from the assembled throng.
The mop itself was once again blessed with fine weather for the duration
encouraging the punters to turn out en-masse. One of the new machines
making its first appearance at Tewkesbury was the Freak-Out ride of James
Danter on Spring Gardens car park. A similar type of ride to the ‘Chaos’
of Bob Wilson & Sons, but with less loads on the road. The society
stand was in attendance as usual in Nelson Street, and I would like to
thank all those who came to the stand to renew their subscriptions.
Our Model Show was held the following day with the good weather hanging
on enabling us to have some live steam exhibits outside the hall, standing
alongside Mrs. Deville’s hand turned organ, which always drums up
trade for us.
Margaret was being ably assisted by her daughter and son-in-law. The show
itself was again a success with exhibitors from as far apart as Cornwall
and Long Eaton.
Into 2004 and we journeyed to Leeds with models and photo boards for the
Valentines fair held at Elland Road football stadium, followed a month
or so later with a visit to our friends at Stamford fair Society for their
annual model show.
And so as we embark on another season, 2004 will see us celebrate an anniversary
and a milestone. This year the society clocks up 15 years since formation
in 1989, but the far greater achievement is that of the Brewer family
who will be marking 100 years of continuous attendance at Tewkesbury Mop.
In the early the family wintered at Tewkesbury when Billy Brewer Snr.
worked at Walker’s in the paint shop. Many of our older members
may well remember the splendid hand turned Dobbie set with much twisted
brass and flamboyant paint work, on which as children they probably had
their first ride.
In honour of this occasion the society are mounting a special photo display
in our stand at the mop. We are also organising a special social evening
for the Brewer family, friends, society members, well anyone really on
the eve of the fair (Thursday). The venue has yet to be finalised at which
there will be a slide presentation by Mr. Graham Downie society member
and chairman of the Fairground Association of Great Britain, this should
be a good night.
Our Model show this year will be held on Saturday Oct 2nd in the Methodist
Church Hall. Please note the change of venue. This being a much larger
hall will allow us to display more exhibits, and provide greater accessibility
for our visitors.
To all members who are wondering what is happening vis-à-vis the
proposed one way traffic system and the proposed redevelopment of spring
gardens/cascades and Bishops walk areas, with respect to its impact on
the Mop Fair. Well I can tell you that as an “interested party”
the society is being kept informed by the council via meetings and correspondence
of what is being proposed or not as the case may be. As things stand at
the moment the one way system, if it happens, are still a couple of years
away, and the Spring Gardens/Cascades area is still only at the ideas
stage. We have been assured that the Mop fair is of paramount importance
and has to be accommodated into any plans that are proposed. So don’t
worry we are on the case, as they say.
Thank you all once again for your continued support of the Society and
Mop Fair.
Dave
Fellows (Chairman).
RIDE
OR VIEW
BY STEVE PERRY
The
late Tommy Matthews and family have been attending Tewkesbury Mop for
a considerable period of time. In 2001 it would have been Tommy’s
25th anniversary, if it had not been for his untimely death.
Tommy senior like his sons had been a good supporter of our mop fair and
fair society. In the early 1990’s Tommy Snr. Changed the front of
the rotor to a new illuminated one, so on behalf of the society I asked
if we could have the old front. The story goes as follows, after speaking
to his family Tommy agreed to this and gave us a ring in late November
when he pulled into the yard, and arranged for us to collect the old Rotor
boards. Dave Kennison, a committee member who works for Edgewick’s
transport, arranged to use a small truck to transport the boards.
OLD STYLE FRONT
We set off for Redhill, near Gatwick, where we greeted by Tommy and his sons, we had forgotten just how big the boards were and only just managed to fit them on the truck. On the return journey home Dave and I discussed where the boards were going to be kept, for the time being they were stored in Dave’s garden until we had time to take them apart. They were held together with approximately 500 pop rivets, which had to be drilled through to remove them from the extremely heavy box section. They were then screwed to smaller pieces of angle iron and wood to enable them to be transported around with ease.
NEW STYLE FRONT
We
first displayed the Rotor boards at a Mop Fair display at Tewkesbury library
and afterwards they were shown at various model shows and socials around
Tewkesbury. The lady boards (girls) are much more manageable and have
been to many functions with the Fair Society display stand.
After much consideration, it was agreed that instead of being in storage
that they should be displayed properly as approved by the Matthew’s
family. Michael Smith, who takes care of the fair section at Dingles Steam
Village was contacted and asked if he would like them. As a result they
are now on display at the new home of the Fairground Heritage Trust at
Dingles Steam Village, Milford Lifton, Devon. This is approximately 6
miles past Okehampton on the A30 to Launceston and well worth a visit.
ROTOR BOARDS ON DISPLAY AT DINGLES STEAM VILLAGE
TEWKESBURY
FAIR SOCIETY MODEL SHOW TRIPS
BY MICHEAL JONES
In the heat of August we travelled down to the City of Cardiff to attend the Cardiff Big Weekend model show, organised by fellow fairground enthusiast Owen Ralph. The show was being held in the Cardiff City Hall which is right in the heart of both the City and the Fair itself. TFS had its presence made by committee members John Jennings and his pull-on/build-up layout, Roger & Robert Webb with their model fairground and Micheal Jones with his K’nex Orbiter ride. During the day many showmen visited and showed an interest in our hobby and passed on encouraging comments which always makes the day seem worth while.
K’NEX ORBITER BY MICHEAL JONES
A month later we made our way down the A30 and headed for Dingles Fairground weekend. Always a favourite with the committee members as the year before we took the Tommy Matthews boards down to have put out on display. On show to the visitors here we had the TFS display and information boards and a selection model rides and transport.
TOMMY MATTHEWS ROTOR BY STEVE PERRY
Then we are into October and soon comes our own Model Show. Held in the
Trinity Hall in the centre of Tewkesbury we had a full hall of exhibitors
and miniature steam engines outside on show to all. The show was officially
opened by the town mayor councillor Dawson at 10 am and through the day
we had a steady flow of people through the doors. We held a raffle and
provided Tea and Cakes for our guests, many of which had a great interest
in the fair and the Fair Society. On display were a range of Fairground
and transport models, a Circus layout, other transport models and many
photos from the past.
TOWN MAYOR WITH HAND TURNED ORGAN
Long
Eaton was in November and as the biggest model show in the UK we are privileged
to have our own room. On Display here we have all our display and information
boards, TFS Video Sales, Micheal Jones with his K’nex Orbiter, Ian
Bartlett with his Matchstick Steam engine, Steve Perry with his Rotor
and Dave Kennison with his Cakewalk. Out in the corridors were Roger &
Robert Webb and John Jennings with their model fairground layouts.
Also in our room we had a new member joining us with his model Miami and
Dodgems also made from K’nex. At Long Eaton you can find every type
of fairground ride in miniature and suggest any enthusiast to visit this
superb show.
DANTER’S – E.R.F. BY JOHN JENNINGS
After Long Eaton we have nowhere to go until Stamford’s Mid Lent
Fair, but this year we were all invited by Owen Ralph to attend Leeds
Valentines fair. So off we went in the early hours of a cold Saturday
morning up to Leeds. When we arrived the weather was not too bad except
the very cold temperatures, so we unpacked and set up all our models in
the marquee. During that day many people visited the show and talked to
us about the Society and we had a good day walking around the fair itself
and riding some of the attractions.
JUNE
23RD - Tewkesbury Fair Society A.G.M.
Tewkesbury Rugby Club, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury. 8.00pm start.
OCTOBER
2ND - TFS Model Show (New Venue!)
Methodist Church Hall, The Cross, Tewkesbury 10.00am – 4.00pm.
OCTOBER
7TH - Showman’s Social
Kings Head, Barton Street, Tewkesbury 8.00pm start.
Talk and slide show by Graham Downie on the Brewer family.
OCTOBER 8TH AND 9TH – Tewkesbury Mop Fair
DURING THE SEASON WE SHALL BE EXHIBITING AT THE FOLLOWING VENUES:
JUNE 26TH & 27TH - M.S.R.V.S. Steam Rally, Tewkesbury Rugby Club
JULY 23RD, 24TH & 25TH - Welland Steam Rally
AUGUST 28TH – Tewkesbury Hospital Fete
SEPTEMBER 26TH - Fairground Weekend, Dingles Steam Village
WE
ALL HOPE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE US AT THESE EVENTS.