A Fair Time

What a fabulous morning here in East Yorkshire - bright sunlight, no breeze, chill and damp. Autumn is here! In this part of the world, there are many associations with this time of year and one of the local folktales is related to the arrival of Hull Fair. This is the largest and oldest travelling fair in Europe.

We don't say, "the leaves are starting to fall" or "it's damp and chilly out there," or "first frosts must be due," we say, "It's Hull Fair weather."

In 1993, Hull Fair celebrated its 700th anniversary. The first Charter granting permission for a fair  to be held was in the days of yore, 1278,  for two weeks in March. A few other Charters and date changes took place and when all the calendars changed in 1751, the locals in Hull were pretty brassed off that they were losing several days of their fair, so the official date of the fair starting was set for the 11th October or the nearest Friday to it. This year it started on Friday 5 October.

The fair is held today on Walton Street car park, adjacent to West Park and now next to the recently built magnificent KC Stadium, the home of football (soccer for my USA friends) team Hull City AFC.

Of course since medieval times, the fair was a trade show, people came to buy and sell their wares.  As time moved on, entertainment was introduced, jugglers, theatrical shows, puppeteers all plied their trade to keep the populous happy. Although there have been many sites for the fair as the city has developed over the centuries, Walton Street has been the home of the fair since 1888. Queen Victoria was on the throne and it was the year Brazil finally abolished the last remnants of slavery, Jack the Ripper was at large in the Metropolis and China's first railway began operations.

There have been marvellous and famous entertainers offering a weird and wonderful spectacle for  public delectation. With a break for the war (1939-45) where the ground was used for the military, the fair then became bigger, better and doubled in size.

As a child I remember the bags of goldfish to be won hooking a duck, or throwing a ring over a prize or by throwing darts at playing cards on a wall. The coconut shy was in full swing and the rides were tame apart from the big wheel which then seemed outrageously high and modern. Helter-skelters proved popular as did the ghost train, the extraordinary wall of death with the motorcyclists (how the hell did they ever do that?) Bumper cars (dodgems), having your palm read and the traditional bag of chips were the order of the day.

We always brought back coconuts, bags of hot chestnuts, candy floss, nougat (broke your teeth), toffee apples (which weren't toffee at all but covered in a solid sticky clear liquid)  and the most famous of all - brandy snap.

I haven't been back to the fair for many years, it hold no interests for me now the kids are grown. I would love to go and take some photographs perhaps and experience the smells of the food and sights and lights - another year perhaps. 

If you are thinking of going, then don't go by car and expect to park, it's a nightmare, but there are very effective park and ride facilities on the outskirts of the town which are cheap and very frequent.500,000 visitors are expected in the week of the fair and the experience is generally very safe and pleasurable with lots of facilities.

This is a very good little video from the 2011 fair from  http://www.amusementridesdvd.co.uk


Enjoy this lovely autumnal weekend, take care.

Chat soon

Ta-ra

Eat, Pray, Love - Julia Roberts

I went with a friend to see Eat, Pray, Love the new Julia Roberts film at the cinema last night (Sunday). I don't normally read the critics before hand, if I like the look and feel of the picture, I go and see it. Sometimes I'm disappointed, sometimes I'm really pleased - and this time?

I enjoyed it. Julia Roberts is a very versatile actress who entertains with a range of emotions and where appropriate, the occasional gentle comedy in this one. I won't put any spoilers in here at all, because I recommend you see it.

Julia plays Liz Gilbert, a writer who actually doesn't know what she wants in life or a relationship - she needs to 'find herself'. She leaves her husband and sets off on a series of adventures firstly at home after her split and then seeing the world, in Italy, in India and in Bali.

The cinematography is visually interesting and it's well directed at a gentle old pace with a rather romantic view of Italy and Bali and perhaps we get to see just a quick snapshot of the chaotic life in India before she spends time in a retreat learning to meditate.

The critics generally don't like it - but when you get under the skin, these are paying critics who put their cash into the cinema to see the film and it seems they are mostly women! They don't like the arrogant selfishness that they see the character portraying - although this isn't obvious to me. They forget this - this is based on a true life story, recently published in paperback. Real life doesn't pursue obvious and clear cut paths or provide expected or stereotypical behaviours. Everyone is different and just because the critic doesn't see this woman exercise constraint, patience and observe 'normal' standards (whatever that is) they don't like the film.

Well done Roberts, good solid directing, great locations, adequate but not demanding story, I'll give it 7/10 - worth £4.70.

Are you 'enjoying' the same dull, dreary, drizzle laden weather we are here in East Yorkshire? In this part of the world, it's known as 'Hull Fair weather.' I'll be away whilst the fair is on this year, so I won't be reporting on it, but it's one of the great calendar events of the year in the city attracting over a million visitors in a week.

Have a great week

Chat soon

Ta-ra.