The funfair returns to Hampton Court Palace Green this Easter, but did you know that we can trace its history back to the Victorian era, and it includes the story of a thrilling rescue? Our historian has been dep in the archives to find out more. As historian Todd Longstaffe-Gowan writes in his book on […]
We’re in Crystal Palace Park at the moment, where funfair rides have been delighting people for well over a century. Here you can see Sir Hiram Maxim’s Captive Flying Machine in front of the Crystal Palace in 1904 (postcard from George Irvin’s personal collection). This ride was designed by Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, an American-born […]
It’s been 60 years since Mary Poppins premiered, and Dick Van Dyke who played lovable chimney sweep Bert in the film (complete with atrocious cockney accent) has just won an Emmy award at the age of 98! Did you know that we supplied funfair props for both the 1964 Mary Poppins film and the 2018 […]
It’s nearly time for Amersham Charter Fair! Did you know that this Buckinghamshire market town was granted a fair by royal charter by King John in 1200? Thus by visiting, you are taking part in a tradition that is over 800 years old! These photos give a glimpse of what the fair looked like in […]
As we’re at Barham Park at the moment, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to share this 100-year-old footage from the greatest funfair that Wembley has ever seen: part of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition, for which Wembley Stadium was built. At almost fifty acres, it was the world’s largest amusement park, and it […]
Our funfair is currently on Islington’s Highbury Fields, but did you know that our ancestor George Irvin was born at the fair in Highbury in 1850? As you can see from this excerpt from the birth register below, George Irvin was born to James Abraham Irvin (NOT Irving!) and Elizabeth Irvin (née Young) on 12th […]
Saturday is Windrush Day, when we celebrate the arrival of the ship Empire Windrush from Jamaica to Tilbury Docks. Why not celebrate by visiting our funfairs at Kingston (appropriately enough!) Fairfield Park, or Roundwood Park in Harlesden? At Kingston, we are open from 1pm to 9pm, and in the afternoon, your little ones can meet […]
Last week, we were open in Wembley’s Barham Park – 100 years after the British Empire Exhibition that saw the opening of the original Wembley Stadium. Did you know that Wembley was home to the world’s largest amusement park, and the first place that dodgem cars were seen in the UK? We’ve unearthed this century-old […]
