Fairground societies and associations - history of journals

This page covers the publishing history of the four principal fairground enthusiast groupings in terms of the material that is used to form our indexing. All of these publications are amateur and have eratic schedules and occasional mis-prints in volume and sequence numbering. The journals are long out of print (aside from the current work from the Fairground Society and Fairground Association of Great Britain) and so are collectible amongst enthusiasts. Please note that original copies of FAGB journals have been digitised and converted to pdf files for easy download from the FAGB website as part of the NFA's commitment to support and work with the enthusiast communities.

Merry Go Round / Friendship Circle of Showland Fans (FCSF)

The FCSF published on a regular basis between 1941 to 1966, though the latter issues were part of a much more fractured scene

  • Volume 1 - Mar 1941 to July 1942 - 9 issues plus unnumbered 'extra' issue Aug 1942
  • Volume 2 - Sep 1942 to Dec 1943 - 14 issues with 13/14 a 'double' issue
  • Volume 3 - Jan 1944 to Christmas 1944 - 12 issues NOTE that issue 6 appears TWICE and issue 10 does NOT appear
  • Volume 4 - Jan 1945 to Dec 1945 - 12 issues
  • Volume 5 - Jan 1946 to Dec 1946 - 12 issues NOTE no issue 10 since issue 9 is a double
  • Volume 6 - commencing after two year break July 1948 to Autumn 1950 - 14 issues
  • Volume 7 - Mar 1951 to Midsummer 1954 - 17 issues
  • Volume 8 - Oct 1954 to Oct 1955 - 7 issues
  • Volume 9 - Dec 1955 to Oct 1956 - 6 issues
  • Volume 10 - Dec 1956 to Nov 1957 - 6 issues
  • Volume 11 - Dec 1957 to Nov 1958 - 6 issues
  • Volume 12 - Jan 1959 to July 1959 - 4 issues
  • Volume 13 - Sep 1959 to Christmas 1959 - ONLY 2 issues numbered 5 and 6 (ie this continues from volume 12 but is mis-numbered volume 13)
  • Volume 14 - 1960 to Jan 1961 - 6 issues but no number 4 and two number 3s
  • Volume 14 occurs AGAIN - Easter 1961 to Jan 1962 - 6 issues, note that first issue is confusingly numbered volume XII
  • Volume 15 - Easter 1962 to Easter 1963 - 6 issues
  • Volume 16 - Whit 1963 to Mar 1965 - 12 issues
  • Volume 17 - May 1965 to Nov 1966 - 9 issues (final issue labelled volume XVIII)

The Tober / British Fairground Society (BFS)

The BFS ran from 1949 to 1958 as a pronounced breakaway from the FCSF. Its magazine the Tober had a more attractive look and feel though echoed the content of the Merry-Go-Round. Publication was sporadic and the BFS was eventually merged in the Leeds and District Traction Engine Club.

  • Volume 1 is the only numbered volume, and runs as follows: Issue 1 (Dec 1949), issue 2 (Jan 1950), issue 3 (Feb 1950), issue 4 (Mar 1950)
  • Next issue is unnumbered and undated
  • Then marked as follows: Summer 1951, Spring 1952, Summer 1952, Autumn 1952, Spring 1953, Summer 1953, Autumn 1953, Spring 1954, Summer 1954, Autumn 1954, Spring 1955, Winter 1955, Summer 1956, New Year 1958

Century of Tobers and Fairground Mercury / Fairground Association of Great Britain (FAGB)

The FAGB was a response to the lack of published interest material at the end of the 1970s. Thus it has maintained a strong publishing profile to the current time.

  • Commenced 1977 with Century of Tobers Vol 1 (5 issues through 1978)
  • Century of Tobers Vol 2 (3 issues through 1979)
  • Renamed Fairground Mercury commencing with Vol 3 (1980) with 4 issues per year/volume

Jottings and Platform / Fairground Society (FS)

Formed amidst the troubles of the FCSF in the early 1960s the FS produced 18 typed newsheets in the late 1970s early 1980s. It commenced the Jottings magazine in 1985.

  • Jottings 1 - 40 published between 1985 and 1994 edited by Ray Tunnicliff
  • Jottings 41 - 49 published between 1995 and 1997 edited by Mark Waltham
  • Jottings 50 - 55 published between 1997 and 1999 edited by Malcolm Slater
  • Platform 56 - 75 published between 1999 and 2004 edited by Malcolm Slater
  • Platform 66 - published from 2004 edited by Kevin Scrivens and Stephen Smith


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