Tacky magic

If there’s something tackily magical about a fairground when it’s working, there’s something fascinating too about coming across a fairground – as SSO and I did yesterday – as they are setting up the rides and stalls.

This was the Hampton Court Fun Fair. We chatted to the stall- and ride-holders. I imagined that fairs like this were still run by extended families. Not so - too Romantic a notion. In this case anyway, there’s a trade paper, and stall-holders apply for given fairs, coming from all over the country. Gloucester and Walsall, the ones we spoke to. The guys from Gloucester were much more friendly!  Set up and pull down, every 3-4 days. £2 or £3 a ride. In these days of recession, too.

Fairs during set-up can be an opportunity for the surreal. Take this for example…

And for abstract beauty…

More photos at my Flickr site here.