Showmen's Guild: Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Section
The travelling season in the Derby, Notts, mid and south Lincs area commences in the middle of March with the classic street fairs at Stamford and Grantham. In Nottinghamshire it begins two weeks before Easter with fairs at Warsop, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield. The first of the two annual fairs on the Market Place at Heanor is also held around this time as is John Whiting's fair at Shirebrook.
Over Easter itself there are few fairs, the two established fairs taking place at Ollerton and on the common at Church Gresley. The fair at Ollerton used to be on the Tommy Jervis run since when it has passed to the Shufflebottoms, Lawrence Bishton and now Lawrence's brother-in-law, Sherman Wynn. Church Greseley fair has always been presented by the Hollands - the current lessee is Bert Holland. Also classed as an Easter Fair is the large fair held at Derby which commences the Thursday after Easter. Under the lesseeship of the Showmen's Guild it is to here that many of the showmen who have been away for Easter return. The first week in May sees another classic Lincolnshire street fair at Boston, with the May Day fair. 1994 was a special year for this fair as the service was held on the brand new set of galloping horses built by Lawrence Bishton and opened at Boston for the first time. Also on May Day the firm of Proctors present the first of the two bank holiday fairs to be held in the shadow of the famous crooked spire at Chesterfield.
June features what are known as the Nottingham festival fairs. The main week of these consists of five fairs at various locations in and around the city of Nottingham, the largest of which is James Mellors' fair at Clifton.
Early June sees the Peak District fairs for the carnivals at Bakewell and Buxton and also the Well Dressing Fair at Tideswell. July includes David Cox at Newhall, an old established fair which must still be held on the correct date although it has changed location several times. Jimmy Whiting also presents another classic wakes fair in the field adjacent to the church at Shirland. The end of the month sees further wakes fairs at Arnold and Carlton while also this month the Armstrongs spend three weeks on the Bass Recreation ground at Derby before going to Bakewell and to grounds adjacent to Nottingham University at Beeston. For the August holiday Proctors return to the centre of Chesterfield and Bert Holland to Church Gresley. An interesting fair in 1994 was held at Burton Joyce by Lindsey Mellors. The last fair to be held there was thirty years ago and presented by Hibble and Mellors.
In September Proctors present the long established fair at Matlock. October sees Nottinghamshire's and Derbyshire's best known fairs, beginning with the Nottingham Goose Fair and followed by the street fair at Ilkeston and the fair on the Market Place at Ripley. Bonfire night sees the return of the amusements to the Goose Fair site on the Forest at Nottingham for the bonfire fair by James Mellors, which is then followed by the section's newest fair at Long Eaton called the Chestnut Fair.
Nottingham Goose Fair 1928/9.
Nottingham Goose Fair 1994.
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