Fair in the Farm grounds, 1950s

[grinder 10]

Anybody remember the fair that used to be in the farm grounds.

It was in the six weeks holiday and they used to have a talent competition

I think it was run by the Star newspaper..

It was started in the fiftys and must have gone on 7/8yrs till the council built the collage there.....

[Joanl 12]

I remember the fair very well. My mate and me used to go up on Thursday afternoon when it was there and we were on half day.

THIS is us there pretending to be two French girls......1958/59?

We were very innocently naughty.....

[grinder 10]

Joanl.

Just to listen to the music on the rides was fantastic, I remember one year there was a near riot and a bunch of youths tried to turn a police car over, after that unfortunatly I think the writing was on the wall ...

 

It must have all started around 1950 when I was 9/10 things were just starting to pick up after the war. thought it was magic

[skyrocket 10]

I remember the fair at the farm grounds in the 1950s. There were some bizarre attractions like a tiny bearded lady which would be totally unacceptable now.

[bullerboY 10]

I think it was there in the sheffield works holiday weeks ,my mother always took me so it must have been late forties early fifties,I seem to remember a lorry running away down granville rd and hitting the pub at the bottom.

[hillsbro 32]

..I think it was run by the Star newspaper..

Yes - it was the "Telegraph & Star Gala". There was indeed a talent competition - in 1956 I played my mouth organ and came second..

[stewpot54 10]

Ronny Crookes a well known boxer ran a boxing booth.People from the audience used to challenge the boxer for a prize and the audience used to show thier appreciation by throwing coins into the ring.

I seem to remember the Calverts and Jackie Hudson being involved.

[Harvest Moon 10]

The firework display at the end of the night used to be the highlight.

[pensionipper 11]

hillsbro - hard luck coming second - story of my life! Wasn't the winner a young lad of about 12 who played the guitar and sang 'Oh Carol'? They got him to sing it over and over again on that lovely summer afternoon in nineteen??. Cheers, good memories.

[hillsbro 32]

...Wasn't the winner a young lad of about 12 who played the guitar and sang 'Oh Carol'?...

Yes - that's right; he was very good, and deserved to win. In fact, one of the panel of judges came to me afterwards and kindly told me that he had marked me down as No.1 on his list. At the time, Larry Adler (of "Genevieve" theme music fame) was my "idol", and my grandfather had bought me an expensive harmonica, imported from Germany - I still have it. I think it was at that year's gala (or maybe a year earlier/later) that one of the professional entertainers was a young lady acrobat. After climbing a ladder to the top of a pole, about 50 feet high, she then stood on a tiny platform on the top, doing gymnastics and then playing "Oh Mine Papa" on a trumpet like Eddie Calvert. As you say, good memories!

[Sweatshopboy 11]

I remember the farm grounds and I recall one game that they used to play on the raised stage, it was for the men and was called wesh the babby, change the babby or shave the babby. The babby was a metallic life sized facsimile of a baby and the men had to wash it, change it's nappy or shave it, I can't remember which, the handicap was that every so often the baby gave out an electric shock that caused some hilarious antics. Before writing this I've asked some of my contemporaries if they remembered it, no one can, I do hope this is not a figment of my imagination, so come on someone, back me up and prove I'm not finally going ga ga.

[Organgrinder 1,946]

I remember the Farm Grounds Gala with great affection - we could never afford a holiday so our two greatest delights were the Farm Grounds Gala, (which we visited every day for the whole 2 weeks) & the day trip to Cleethorpes with the Upper Heeley Club.

 

As The Gala was organised by "The Sheffield Telegraph" & "The Star", it would be nice if The Star could run a feature on this with full details and, better still, some photos - I will try contacting them about this.