Hull Fair then and now

Due to covid19 Hull Fair was last hosted in 2019. It is set to return in 2021 with reportedly stringent safety measures in place.

Contactless payments will be accepted, hand sanitising stations will be in place and more. Some however see this event as a potential covid19-superspreader. The city of Kingston-Upon-Hull has struggled to keep its covid19 numbers down failing on  more than one occasion.

The Fair has always been a big, brash, noisy and it has to be said grubby event. However if it appeals to you the dates for 2021 are at the bottom of this blog post.

If you prefer simply read on to learn about our Fair then and now

Hull City Council image

Kingston-upon-Hull, or Hull as it is commonly known, is situated on the North Bank of the River Humber, in Yorkshire England. As Autumn takes hold, leaves drift earthward and rain and wind increase, what is still often called the largest travelling fair in Europe arrives in the city of Hull.

It is noisy, brash and many would say expensive. It has a long history and remains a popular event for locals and visitors to the city.

HULL FAIR
A LITTLE HULL FAIR HISTORY

"This carnival of merriment is the largest travelling fair in Europe and one of the oldest - the fair celebrated its seven hundredth anniversary in 1993. The first charter granting permission for a fair to be held, from 9 to 23 March, was granted in 1278. The anniversary celebrated by Hull City Council dates from1293, when Edward I allocated six weeks in May and June for the festivities. By the 16th Century the festivities had become a 16-day fair, with 20 September as the start of the annual feast after an additional Charter was granted by Charles II.

These days

As Autumn approaches many locals in the city of Hull look forward to October and the annual fair. If truth be known these days as many locals probably dread this annual event as anticipate it; however it is a tradition that as a child was enthralling.

In the 1950's

When I was young Hull Fair opened on the first Saturday of October and ran until around 11pm the following Saturday. The fair was always closed on a Sunday and local children would mosey around the fairground during the Sunday afternoon, hoping to collect small coins dropped, lost or forgotten by fair-goers.

The fair was the largest travelling fair in England and an amalgamation of many fairs which toured during the summer months meeting up in Hull each October. The fair was, and still is, situated on 'waste ground' on Walton Street, in Kingston-Upon-Hull.

Even back then there was talk of relocating this fair but a move has never materialised to this day. These days the Walton street fairground is used throughout the year for weekly markets and car boot sales. A section of it is used for local buses, as part of the Park and Ride transport scheme in the city.


The bonus is, these days, much of the fairground has been levelled and is tarmac. When we were kids it was mainly cinder paths and the often wet and windy October weather left a muddy, messy area underfoot.

Back in the fifties, and sixties, the fair incorporated stalls such as The Fat Lady, small zoos and other peculiarities. A local eccentric called Roland could be seen outside some of the stalls trying to entice visitors inside. With his walking stick and strange attire he was quite a scary character to children.

The fair was large and had many rides but it is massive now.

The actual street is longwith a park at one end near the fairly new Hull City football ground and it links two of the main roads of the city. This street has stalls selling candy floss, chips, hotdogs, novelty dolls, roast chestnuts and more. These line both sides of the street and the smells and sounds are always as much a part of a visit to the fair as the actual attractions.

There was a time when Spring Bank West, during Fair week, had twinkling lights along it leading to the fair. This helped build a feeling of excitement as you approached the bright lights of Hull Fair. The fairy lights sadly disappeared years ago.

Hull Fair today

These days the fair is brash and noisy, but it always was to those who dd not wear rose-coloured glasses.

The rides are expensive and overly loud music hurts my ears. Still, I assume that older people felt just the same when teenagers, such as myself, hung around the rides whilst the music of The Beatles and The Stones belted out across the fair-ground.

There was a time I would never have missed the fair. I had to visit it at least once each year but as a child I had to visit much more often and usually did, living within a half-hour walk. These days, although I do not live too far from the fair-ground, I do not often visit. All I can see now is expensive, tacky goods and noisy, sometimes foul-mouthed, people.

When I took a friend’s child a few years ago it was shocking to hear younger people swearing appallingly as they toured the fair in the early evening. This means that, even if you visit early evening children may have to suffer abusive language. This behaviour can give the fair an almost threatening feel, which is a shame. A larger police presence has improved some concerns.

Overall

Despite some problems the fair remains great fun for youngsters and really anyone who loves Fairs. As a travelling fair the rides are assembled for the week and then taken down, but generally there are no accidents.

Hull Fair now runs a day longer, as it opens on a Friday. The Lord or Lady Mayor of Hull traditionally opens the fair around lunchtime Friday.

The local bus companies operate extended bus services for the duration of the fair and the council provides additional parking spaces. These are in demand as visitors come to the fair from near and far

From late September travellers arrive in Hull and park up their caravans at West Park, which is near to Walton Street. Once the fair is up and running the air is full of smells such as fries and hot dogs. If the wind is blowing in the right direction the noise, smells and chatter of what seems to be a million voices all speaking at once wafts on the air around streets. In our rear garden it can sound as if a million people are all chattering at once.

Local residents sometimes say, “I can smell Hull Fair is on the way” and that “it's Hull Fair weather.” Perhaps smelling Hull Fair is about associating it with the start of Autumn. Hull Fair weather means that it is usually wet and windy but when you are young the fair is fun even in appalling weather. For me these days it is no fun at all in such dire weather conditions.

Thinking of the fair as the time approaches though, brings back memories of my Dad, who died in 1969. He always loved the fair and all the rides. As children he took us on the Big Wheel, the Waltzers and many other stomach churners.

Hull Fair 2021

Note: Dates: 8 October 2018 – 16 Oct 2021
Location: Kingston upon Hull

Location Venue name:
Walton Street Car Park
Postcode:HU3 6JB