Post by Dave on Sept 13, 2010 16:28:07 GMT
Dingles Fairground Museum
Did you love the fairground when you were young, the proper ones, not like the ones today. When I was young the fairground had rides, but so many sideshows, even a striptease show.
In Devon we have a fairground museum, its at Lifton and Carol and I went there on the 18th July 2008, so about four months ago. It was a very wet day so we were glad to find out the museum was housed in three different buildings, so we knew we would at least be dry.
We first had a bite to eat, then got our tickets, what I thought was great, is that its not expensive and if you go back to the pay deck when you leave, they give you a pass dated from that day for a whole year. So you can go back as many times as you like for one whole year for free.
In the first building you find many steam engines, but as you walk around you find many parts that have been found from all types of stalls and rides.
One thing that I loved the most in the old fairs was the boxing show, outside you would see the boxers and wrestlers and the showman calling for anyone to challenge his fighters, so much money if you won.
If you hung around long enough you got to know many fights were just staged, it was always some army man or air force man, you could often see the marks fresh on their faces from other fights that day. Still people were fooled and in they all went, but inside the fair fighter cheated and won because of it, but the challenger shouts out, he wants to fight him again.
So everyone go's back outside and ques to pay again to see the rematch, well it worked and the shows were always packed, so I was pleased to find these boards that formed a part of the boxing show.
The next picture is just Carol coming down some steps, but I put it up so Stuarb can see Carol at 49 years and 8 months, as he thinks she does not look like 50 now
[/uThe next picture shows the oldest known fair lorry.
There is plenty to see in the first building, then you go into the main building that has all the fair rides, when they have enough people in there, they let you ride them. Its a pound ago and they start of with the bumping cars, the ride lasts for ages, best pound I spent this year.
This next picture shows a ride that is not working yet, they are still raising funds to get it fully working
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After my fun on the bumping cars( why does some little girl about eleven,think I'm the one she has to keep bumping into ;D)
I paid another pound for a super long ride on this great old ride.
Had to go into the old mirror room, what funny shapes you become.
The last two pictures show some lorry's that you will find in the main building and many more in the third building.
