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After years of uncertainty, the future now looks much brighter for the Fairground Heritage Trust and its collection. Since its inception in the early 1980’s, and its formalisation in 1986, the Trust has followed a path fraught with difficulties. Plans for a museum at a number of locations, including London, Northampton and Halifax sadly never came to fruition for various reasons. Trustees have come and gone, but the Trust has been successful in building up a large collection of rides and artefacts, many of great historical significance. Pending a move to permanent museum premises, storage was always a problem with such a large collection. After the final abandonment of the proposals for a museum on a site adjacent to the Eureka in Halifax, the collection had to remain in storage at Sywell Aerodrome, accruing rent at an alarming rate – far beyond the Trust’s resources. Unsurprisingly, the debts mounted, and in Spring 2001 with the bailiffs ready to move in, Roger Austin stepped in and saved the Trust from extinction by making a substantial loan to them, and moving the collection to safe storage at his own premises in Raunds, Northants. During the past two years, the Trust’s activities have remained fairly low key, but debts have continued to accrue, and this threatened to force the Trust into liquidation, with the total loss of the collection. Fortunately, following months of negotiations, a rescue package put together by Roger Austin, in conjunction with Richard Sandercock of Dingles Steam Village, has now been approved by both the Trustees and the Heritage Lottery Fund, safeguarding this important collection for the future. Under the terms of this agreement Roger Austin will remain custodian of the Edwards collection of rides,

Panel from Billy Wood’s Boxing Show, the full showfront and booth are part of the collection now at Dingle’s Steam Village.

The Fairground Heritage Trust

Above: Joe Ling’s Moonrocket ride at Morecambe on 18th June 1940 when the flash was new. [R. Taylor]

Gallopers, Noah’s Ark, Dodgems, Swirl and Brooklands Speedway track, together with their associated items of transport – at Raunds. The remainder of the collection, including the Rodeo Switchback, will shortly be relocated to Lifton, Devon, where they will form the basis of a new Fairground Museum at Dingles Steam Village. Dingles Steam Village, an established Industrial Heritage Centre, is already home to probably the largest collection of Fairground Art on public display in the UK. Dingles has many advantages as a site for the Fairground Museum, particularly as it is an established attraction, so much of the infrastructure is already in place, including car park, toilets, cafeteria, and supporting facilities such as extensive workshops. It is envisaged that much of the conservation, restoration and maintenance work can be undertaken on site, cutting costs and increasing controls. Dingles has already established strong links with the Showland community, and many showmen, both from the West Country and further a field, have strongly supported its involvement in fairground heritage. For the 2003 season, a selection of objects from the Trust’s collection will be added to the existing displays, meaning that access to the collection will be improved immediately, a key requirement of the funding

bodies. The remainder of the collection, including the Rodeo Switchback, Wood’s Boxing Show, Lawrence’s Bioscope wagon, Ashley’s living wagon, Bretts’ Ghost Train, a Cakewalk, John Ling’s Moonrocket, Tommy O’Brien’s Dobby Set, as well as a wide selection of stalls and smaller artefacts, will be housed in secure storage at Dingles. Looking to the longer term, the mammoth task of assessing will be started at the earliest opportunity, in order to produce a comprehensive Conservation Management Plan. There is also much work to be done in getting the Trust’s Registered Museum status reinstated. In order to undertake the conservation and restoration of the collection, external funding from a variety of sources will be essential, as will specialist expertise. The eventual aim is to have the bulk of the collection on permanent display, including working rides and stalls. This will be housed at Dingles in a new building of around twenty thousand square feet in size, with phase I hopefully being ready for the start of the 2004 season. The existing Trustees: Richard Ward – who has been with the Trust since inception – and Harry North, under the chairmanship of Sir William McAlpine, will be joined by three new Trustees: Richard Sandercock, Michael Smith and Stephen Smith.

One of the more long-term projects in the collection is what remains of Ling’s Moonrocket. In an attempt to build a collection of rare and interesting fairground rides the choice open to the Trust has been extremely limited. Apart from a number of Arks, many of which now feature Waltzer cars, there are few 1930s machines in anything like original condition. It is extraordinary to think that you could go on to a fairground in Lancashire in 1977 and see a Moonrocket, Mont Blanc and a set of Yachts. Fortunately the Rocket has been saved by Howard Maden, and the Yachts are still being restored by Jack Schofield, but the Mont Blanc was cut up several years ago. The only other known surviving Lakin Moonrocket was owned by John Ling. It almost hadn’t: during the war one of the trucks caught fire, destroying the entire bottom of the machine and it had a new set of sleepers and gates built by Hursts of Retford. This was no easy task, with a war on and timber on ration, books were collected from as many friends as possible and put together. It was the support given by Sid Wright of Worksop that saved the day. He had connections with Hursts and was a competent joiner himself. Attempts to gain the dimensions for the ride by measuring Farrar’s and Proctor’s similar rides soon revealed one fact: Lakin’s never used plans for their rides and every one was a one-off. John Ling travelled the machine until the early 1960s. But, as John always said, travelling big rides when you have three daughters is not easy. Its place was taken by a Twist, and the loads were taken to the yard at Burn, near Selby, where they stood for sixteen years until saved for preservation. In 1978 it was acquired by Philip Knightbridge. A group of volunteers, including Michael and Stephen Smith, Pete Tei and Mick Cook, spent several weekends tearing through the

Below: Two box trucks and the centre of Ling’s Moonrocket as first seen in the undergrowth at Burn in 1977, not having moved since being towed into the yard at the end of the 1962 season. [Michael Smith]

Above: Sid Wright, who played an important part in rebuilding the Moonrocket during the Second World War, seen here several years later repairing the Popeye figure he carved to replace the original destroyed in the fire.

undergrowth and sides of derelict box trucks, unpacking the remains of the 1938 ride. Surprisingly the ride was in reasonable condition. The main casualties were the rafters and principals which had been stored on the outside of the trucks. Sadly after it was moved to the Stratford area a box truck containing the original cars was stolen. It will be a huge undertaking to restore the ride, but In the meantime there are parts which can be displayed, including the Popeye, and hopefully with some restoration, the front boards, painted by Edwin Hall just after the start of the War.

The Rodeo

By far the oldest adult ride in the Trust’s collection, and the best known is the Rodeo Switchback. It is one of only two surviving Switchback rides and, unlike the Gondolas at Thursford, this has a spinning top. There are claims that the Rodeo Switchback is the oldest remaining fairground ride in existence. Its early history is shrouded in mystery. Allegedly it was new, possibly as a Velocipede, for a member of the Pettigrove family. Certainly in 1870 a set of Bikes, powered by a double-cylinder centre engine works number 89, was supplied by Savages of King’s Lynn. Strangely no-one ever seems to have noted the number of the centre engine which was in the ride until 1928. At one time it seemed logical to assume that the ride was rebuilt from James Pettigrove’s Motors, but since that was not sold until March 1923, much too late to become William Wilson’s ride. There were two distinct branches of the Pettigrove family travelling in the South East at the turn of the 20th Century. Thomas Pettigrove was based in London, whilst his uncle, James travelled in Kent. James was married to Isabella Pelham, sister of Mrs Catherine Bird. It was Isabella who sold James’ machine in 1923, having outlived two of her three sons: James in 1915 and Frank in 1919. Only Alf survived her.

Below: Billy Manning’s Rodeo Switchback on Clarence Pier, Southsea, in 1948. [George Tucker]

Whatever its origins, Wilson’s machine underwent several transformations. In the winter of 1926-27 Messrs. Orton, Sons and Spooner built a complete new bottom for the ride, and a year later the steam engine was finally discarded when Allens of Oxford built an electric drive for the ride. It had zoological figures in place of the motors, including elephants and bears. Later it carried bizarre figures, created by Messrs. Orton, Sons & Spooner, Hollywood stars of the silent screen - Harold Lloyd, Jackie Coogan and cowboy Tom Mix. When William Wilson died in 1942 the ride passed to his son-in-law, George Studd. In 1947 it was sold to Billy Manning and by the 1950s the Rodeo was on Clarence Pier, Southsea. In 1954 it made an appearance at King’s Lynn Mart, where it attracted the attention of H.R.H. the Queen Mother, and later that year visited Nottingham Goose Fair. It lost its Rodeo decoration in a repaint in 1960, but remained open on Clarence Pier amongst a range of other historic vintage rides, including a Savage 3-abreast Galloper, Lakin Coronation Speedway and a set of Cartwright Yachts. It travelled as Jimmy Williams in 1974 but was exported to America at the end of the season. After just eight years it was brought back to Britain and restored by a consortium of enthusiasts headed by Steve Postlethwaite.

Produced by the Friends of the Trust. For further information contact: Stephen Smith at

38 Stratford Avenue, May Bank, Newcastle under Lyme. ST5 0JS