Nottingham Goose Fair

joanlawson

Hi

It's Goose Fair time in Nottingham. The Goose Fair is one of the largest travelling fairs in Europe, and it dates back at least 700 years.

When I was teaching in Nottingham years ago, we used to take the children to see the opening ceremony each year. The Lord Mayor reads the declaration, and then rings a bell to open the fair. At one time, all the rides were free for the first hour, and schools closed on Friday afternoon so that children could go to the fair. I remember the excitement of it all, and one of those children I took to the fair was Jayne Torvill when she was just 9 years old. Happy days :!:

Joan

mellman01

Sounds like fun, we don't have anything like that round here Joan sadly, we have the victorian evening in Wallingford later on in the year and we take our nipper to that, they close off the streets and have period stalls and the local shop staff dress up but no geese!

valval

been to the goose fair quite a few times just to wander around lovely feeling. lincon christmas market well worth a visit as well but go early gets very buisy and get taxi up hill if coming on train hill very steep

loopylou

god I hate goose fair, it is in one of the dodgiest areas of town and is full of chavs, we used to go when we were little but then my parents decided that it was a) too expensive and b) too crowded.
I've not been since I was about 8 and don't feel like i've missed out on anything. we prefer ilkeston fair as its smaller and the area is a lot safer than the forest rec grounds!
lou
-x-

lindalegs

The magic of Goose Fair has to be the lights viewed from the hill.

Luv Legs

joanlawson

loopylou wrote:

god I hate goose fair, it is in one of the dodgiest areas of town and is full of chavs, we used to go when we were little but then my parents decided that it was a) too expensive and b) too crowded.
I've not been since I was about 8 and don't feel like i've missed out on anything. we prefer ilkeston fair as its smaller and the area is a lot safer than the forest rec grounds!
lou
-x-

I haven't been to Goose Fair for quite a few years, but when I last went, it had become very expensive. It's a shame if the Forest ground is such a dodgy area these days.

The fair always was crowded, but I'm glad that it is a Nottingham tradition which still continues. It used to be one of the things which Nottingham children looked forward to all year, but that was before Alton Towers etc. I still love all the rides though- great fun :!:

loopylou

the forest rec grounds have always been dodgy, they're in the middle of hyson green its to be expected. mind you anywhere around the city centre is dodgy so it wouldn't win wherever it was held! i'm not a fan of the rides so i'd be no fun going to fairs or theme parks to be fair!
goose fair was always the topic of school when i was growing up, everyone always got so excited about it. especially as the wk after goose fair finished ilkeston fair started so for about 3 wks everyone was on about the fairs!
loads of my friends on a certain social network have put their status' as going to the fair tonight/this weekend so it seems its still a big buzz for the people i went to school with!
lou
-x-

jackie1955

oh Joan, you've turned back the years for me with this posting!

I remember my aunt taking me and my sister in the early '60's. We were only little girls and found it all rather exciting, noisy and very busy. My lasting memory is that everyone was wearing bells on chains round their necks, all very hippyish and swinging sixties! Me and my sister both bought one with our 'pocket-money' and felt very trendy

Jackie x

joanlawson

Hi Jackie

I remember there being a great atmosphere of fun and excitement at Goose Fair years ago too. Perhaps it was more like a traditional old-fashioned fair in those days. As the rides have got bigger, it has got more expensive.

tonesp

My fondest memories of the Goose fair was the hot roast pork rolls Do they still do them :?:

joanlawson

Ooh, Tone, I had forgotten those :!: Yummy :!: I don't know whether they still do them, but there are usually lots of food stalls.

Did you live in Nottingham, or were you just visiting :?:

I lived in West Bridgford for several years, not far from Trent Bridge, and I worked at a school on Clifton Estate. I don't live there now, but I have always liked Nottingham and the friendly people there.

Wonkylegs

Hull Fair starts tonight and lasts all week.

timed our holiday right this year

not really into crowds, rides & overpriced junk food :roll: :roll:

once went and got trapped in a huge crushing crowd whilst trying to keep a four-year-old safe ..... scariest time I ever had :shock:

and they say fairs are fun!

trisher

Can you see it on You Tube? I wonder if they do it? Will have a look after and see.

It does sound really nice.

Joan, has it stayed the same or have some things changed?

Love Trish xx

annie_mial

Living near Epsom racecourse as I did as a child, Derby week was the highlight of the year. All the local schools had Derby day off - a Wednesday - on the grounds that if the schools were open, no one would be there!

It's never been the same since they changed the race day to Saturday.

We could walk to the Grandstand in 20 minutes or so and I was lucky enough to be able to retrace my childhood steps with my own daughters. Sadly the land we walked through has now been built over, but the memories stay.

Annie

tonesp

joanlawson wrote:

Ooh, Tone, I had forgotten those :!: Yummy :!: I don't know whether they still do them, but there are usually lots of food stalls.

Did you live in Nottingham, or were you just visiting :?:

I lived in West Bridgford for several years, not far from Trent Bridge, and I worked at a school on Clifton Estate. I don't live there now, but I have always liked Nottingham and the friendly people there.[/quote
No didn't live there but my son did He then moved to Newark.I aalso loved the people around that area...Me Duck

bubbles

Goose Fair, gosh, I used to go every year, for about 17 years, loved it, you had to hold on to each other or you were lost in the crowds. They had to stop the big wheel as I was hysterical and had to get off, how embarrassing is that??? Eh, brings back memories. Loved some of the other rides though.

I am not sure I would wander round the Forest ground now, back then it was the red light area, along the top road.