Fair in the Farm grounds, 1950s

[mikebatty 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.

 

If I remember rightly, that pub got hit more times than the bell was rung with the mallet on the "try your strength" thing in the Farm Grounds

[grinder 10]

I can remember mi dad trying to win a coconut there by knocking it off a stand, no chance, he swore blind they were nailed on.

My favourite was trying to toss little wooden balls into a tin bucket with out them bouncing back out, sounds easy but it was dam near impossible...

 

Makes you wonder what the overheads were for stall holders back then...

Edited July 7, 2013 by grinder

[louan 10]

I seem to remember hanging around the dodgems just to listen to elvis presley. I lived on granville road so just had to climb the wall. There was another funfare somewhere in sheffield earlier on, but i can't remember where. Great times, although i didn't have the money for the rides.

[stpetre 12]

Hi pensionipper - yes, the lady acrobat was fantastic. She also managed to combine gymnastics with playing the trumpet, that is, by adopting gymnastic poses while still being able to play "Oh mine papa". Her father actually stood at the bottom of the pole with his arms outstretched, as if to catch her if she fell (I think this was actually part of the 'act' as if the unthinkable had happened, there would have been two casualties).

 

It's a pity that the Telegraph & Star Gala ended (when? maybe c. 1960?) as it was an enjoyable 'family' event each year. Later we had the Sheffield Show, which moved from Endcliffe Park to Hillsborough Park and eventually also ended. Such a pity.

 

Larry Adler certainly knew how to play the harmonica. Once in London in c. 1969 I was in the "Palm Court Restaurant" of the Strand Palace Hotel and he was on a nearby table. I was too shy to go up to him and say hello!

 

Larry Adler was a musical hero of yours, and why not. Wasn't there another harmonica player around at the same a fellow Canadian of Larry's, Tommy Reilly?

[Jim Hardie 523]

Larry Adler was a musical hero of yours, and why not. Wasn't there another harmonica player around at the same a fellow Canadian of Larry's, Tommy Reilly?

 

Yes, mouth organs were very popular around that time. Remember the

?

Oops, going a bit off topic now. I remember having to walk home from the Farm Grounds after the big uns that were supposed to be looking after us spent up and didn't save any bus fare money. Not a long way really but when you've only got little legs......

[ptrA 10]

We used to walk down East Bank Road/Farm Road and you could hear the music. It was Joe Lings Fairgrounds that ran most of the rides. When they were rigging up, we used to fetch & carry water for the caravans and earn a couple of bob/free rides. From the fairground to the gala there was a fishing pond, I think it belonged to Sheffield Waterworks at the time. Both sides are now the home of All Saints School.

[hillsbro 28]

Here is an old map showing the pond etc.

[cookingfat50 10]

I remember the fair on the farm grounds, there was a boxing booth, a fat lady, strong man, a high diver from a tower into a small wooden barrel, some dwarfs performing, there were allsorts of stalls hook a duck for a gold fish, a brass band playing, all the usual fair ground attractions and unusual once to and it seemed so big to a little kid of 8 or 9 x

 

---------- Post added 07-07-2015 at 23:27 ----------

 

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.

 

I am a big friend of ronny crooks daughter joanne I worked with her for years

[trastrick 866]

I remember the fair on the farm grounds, there was a boxing booth, a fat lady, strong man, a high diver from a tower into a small wooden barrel, some dwarfs performing, there were allsorts of stalls hook a duck for a gold fish, a brass band playing, all the usual fair ground attractions and unusual once to and it seemed so big to a little kid of 8 or 9 x

 

---------- Post added 07-07-2015 at 23:27 ----------

 

 

I am a big friend of ronny crooks daughter joanne I worked with her for years

 

There was a "Butcher Gascoyne" down there at the time who fought all comers.

 

I think one of my uncles, or at least a friend of my uncles took him on, or wanted to, but without success. It was a family legend.

 

All we kids wanted to hear was Frankie Laine singing "Grenada", while we took our girlfriends from school on the waltzers.

 

---------- Post added 08-07-2015 at 02:48 ----------

 

Here is an old map showing the pond etc.

 

What would we do without you?

 

You hold the last key to Heeley history in your hands.

 

Thanks!

 

(Write a book or something)

Edited July 8, 2015 by trastrick

[hillsbro 28]

....

What would we do without you? You hold the last key to Heeley history in your hands...

Well, as a "grumpy old Sheffielder" (to quote Mrs hillsbro) I have lots of memories of the city, its history and - more significantly - quite a collection of photos, maps etc.

....Write a book or something...

I've actually written several, but they are on rather abstruse subjects..

[Asaw 10]

I use to live at Upperthorpe and we went round to it on the inner circular. . Always remember coming home eith black feet due to ash. The song that reminds me mentioning 3 ships one of them being rhe Santa Maria. Anyone remember who recorded it and the title?

[hector 10]

Didn't the trees near the bonfire catch fire one year?

I remember my Dad carrying my younger brother and telling me to be sure to keep my feet on the ground and not get crushed.....