Showmen's Guild: Western Section
Devon and Cornwall, the two most westerly counties in Great Britain, have an abundance of fairs which take place between mid March and late November of each year. Some of these fairs are ancient Charter fairs steeped in history while others are classed as private business or are associated with local carnivals.
Bridgwater, Somerset 1994.
Altogether there are five firms of Amusement Caterers travelling this part of the world. The largest of these is Anderton and Rowlands who claim to have been in the businesses since 1854. Over the years the firm has presented a wide assortment of shows and rides to west country fairgoers. For much of the season, the fair splits into two sections and between them they are currently travelling eight large rides, four juveniles and a selection of other attractions together with a fleet of transporters.
Based in the city of Plymouth is the firm of T. Whitelegg and Sons. The firm was founded in the 1920s by the late Thomas Whitelegg and went on to become a household name throughout the West of England. After the Second World War, under the guidance of T. Whitelegg's three sons, Tommy, Bibsey and Arthur, the firm became the largest amusement operator in the region, dominating the scene throughout the 1950s and 1960s with an immaculate selection of rides and transport.
J. Rowland and Sons is another established firm in this area. They spend much of the summer travelling in Cornwall where they also have their winter quarters. During the month of May the firm moves to North Devon for Torrington May Fair and then two weeks of private business at Bideford and Barnstaple before returning to Cornwall for Spring Bank Holiday. During the season they twice return to Devon, once in early June for Dartmouth Carnival and then in October for Tavistock Goosey Fair. The grandson of the original founder of the firm, David Rowland, branched out on his own in the 1970s and over the years has built up a high quality selection of attractions, an impressive fleet of transport and a run of fairs which include Holsworthy St Peters Fair, Kingsbridge Charter Fair and Dawlish Lawn Fair, as well as opening up new grounds in both counties.
Robert Pepper and Sons Amusements travels the smaller towns and villages of Devon and on occasions has gone into Cornwall. Bob Pepper at one time travelled the London area and came into Devon in 1952 to travel with T. Whitelegg and Sons. Gradually he built up his own run of fairs with the help of his family. Over the years they have travelled a variety of machines including Monte Carlo Speedway, Chair-O-Planes, Dive Bomber and a set of Dodgems.
Some of the main fairs that take place during the course of the season include Easter Fairs at Central Park, Plymouth, run by the Whitelegg firm, with Andertons and Rowlands opening at Goodrington. The Spring Bank holiday sees Anderton and Rowland presenting a large fair at Redruth in Cornwall. The following weekend sees the opening of Truro Whit Fair which is run by the Western Section of the Showmen's Guild. Cornwall's largest fair is the Corpus Christi Fair held in Penzance, held in June. The Amusements at this fair are provided by Anderton and Rowlands, Whiteleggs, and David Rowland and Sons.
August and September see the fair season in the West Country in full swing with resorts such as Teignmouth, Paignton and Dartmouth opening their regatta seasons. The third week of September sees the opening of one of Devon's oldest Charter Fairs, at Barnstaple in North Devon. From there the showmen split up to visit Bridgwater in Somerset for the St Matthews Fair, for the West Country's premier fair run by the Western Section. Others go to Summercourt in Cornwall for the annual Charter Fair where the lessees are David Rowland and Sons. After the Bonfire Fairs the showmen head back to their winter quarters, although some stay out for late carnivals and Christmas lights in town centres. The second week in November sees the families drawing into their winter quarters in preparation for the next season.
[Martin Burridge, World's Fair Reporter for Western Section, November 1994].
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