Story about Steve Smith in The Fairground Mercury (Volume 43 - no. 4)

Fairground Art – You’re one of us!” – By Steve Smith

It’s March 2020 and Grantham and Stamford Mid-Lent fairs have just been cancelled, and the thoughts of a whole season without the fairground is troubling me. After not drawing for 30 years, and having lots of spare time this year, my instinct is to start my biggest drawing yet of Newcastle Town Moor Hoppings 2019. I decided, if I can’t go to the fair then I’m going to bring the fairground to me!

I suppose, in these brief memoirs, the best place to start is at the beginning: from a very young age I used my school text books- front and back inside covers to draw the loads as they drove past the school windows en-route to a purpose built travelling fairground site on Grange Lane in Winsford. I didn’t like school so my imagination and escapism was flowing in the form of art , I wanted to be at the fair and the excitement grew as I thought of what would be there, I didn’t want to miss a thing.

My first introduction to the Showmen and my lifelong friendships was at the local Carnival on Wharton Recreation Ground when I was 11 years old. It was 1977 (Silver Jubilee Year) and the fairground lessee was Roy Simons, known at the time for his unique Mojo ride. Looking back at some of my drawings that I managed to save between then and the early 80’s this fair had regular tenants including Ken Hawley’s Swinging Gyms, John Sharland’s Waltzer, John Greatorex’s Round Up, Joe White’s Paratrooper & Meteorite and Michael Ryan’s Ark (Speedway). Side stuff were Eric & Elizabeth Jennings and Mini Manders (all of whom I became lifelong friends with), and juveniles were by David Holland and Benny Burgin.

At this fair I offered my services of help to James and Dolly Smith who had 45ft of side joints, and this continued with me following them wherever they were all Summer to help build up. This help and support soon grew and I started helping Mini Manders, Eric and Elizabeth Jennings, Benny Burgin, and Jimmy and Hilda Codona. Whatever fair I visited, I drew it and this soon expanded to all of the premier fairs across the country, such as Nottingham Goose Fair, Hull, Kirkcaldy, Newcastle Town Moor Hoppings, and of course my local Knutsford Royal May Day. I was soon welcomed into the Showmen’s close-knit community where Elizabeth and Mini both told me, “You’re not a flatty – You’re one of us!” This was a great honour and I was soon an associate member of the Showmen’s Guild.

In the late Eighties I moved down to London where I started drawing fairgrounds in the south, including Pinner, Abingdon, Cambridge Midsummer, Thame and Banbury. Wherever I travelled, my fairground art went with me that I kept in a hard case. Sadly in the early nineties when visiting a friend in Northampton his car got broken into and my collection of fairground art for 10 years or more was stolen. This devastated me and I had the biggest set back of my life.

With this I moved back up north and followed a different path. I didn’t have the heart to start drawing again but my love of travelling fairgrounds took a different route. I joined the local carnival committee, which I served on for a little while. I wanted to inject new life into the flagging event as times were changing and, like many people, they couldn’t adapt to change.

In 1999, as we headed towards the Millennium, my biggest and most exciting challenge was to come. I wanted a fairground on the biggest car park in Winsford – on Dene Drive right in the town centre, and I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. That year the Mayor, Cllr Pam Booher told me that she would back me all the way, and after continuous Health and Safety consultations, and other obstacles, the Borough Council finally said in April 1999 that we could have the car park for the fair.

Since 1999 the fun fair was always held on the car park and I worked with 4 lessee’s. First was Jan De Koning & Gary Gore, then John Sharland, John Collins and most recently my dear friend Harry Sharland. Harry and I have selected many attractions and always introduced something new every year with a couple of floating positions.. Twenty one years later to date I have hosted fairs for 20 years on that car park and supporting the fair I have organised 11 music festivals, 2 Riverside Festivals during which I have been Mayor of Winsford twice, which aided me a little. In 2017 I held my town mayors ball on the car park as part of a German style event that I called Marchfest.

One of my biggest achievements on the car park was an event I started in 2013, Winsford Salt Fair, which included the resurrection of a Charter Fair that I had become aware of back in the eighties. When the lessee to Winsford’s Spring and Autumn fair, Irene Royal, died the charter had gone with her. I felt that it was time to bring this back so that the town had a big part of its history back. My partner Mark did the research and it was found in the British Library, so off we went to London and obtained three copies - one for the lessee of the event, Harry Sharland, one for the Town Council and one for us to keep. The Charter was granted in 1280 by King Edward I which allowed a weekly market and annual fair to take place for 4 days starting on the closest Wednesday to the 14th September every year.

Away from the car park on various locations I have continued to help host fairgrounds in Winsford and surrounding towns organising music festivals, one carnival, Olympic 2012 celebrations within the Netherlands Circus Big Top, dancing competitions and many more. One of the years I had a go being my own lessee at one of the Riverside Festivals, which was an exciting challenge

Back to March 2020… after many years away from my hobby following the devastating event in the early nineties, I felt that now was the time to bring the drawing back, especially as most fairs in 2020 had to be cancelled. At the time of writing this I have completed the drawings of Newcastle Town Moor Hoppings and Nottingham Goose Fair from 2019 (on 2 sheets of A3 paper) and I’ve just finished one of the Wirral Show in July 1997.

I can’t ever imagine parting with my art again, and in 2021 I look forward to getting back out to the fairs and drawing many more to build up a new portfolio. I have decided that I want to share my art with others so am planning to sell copies of my drawings, some from years ago, and some from my new catalogue.

I have been nominated as an Honorary Member of the Showmen’s Guild by the Lancashire section, who submitted it to the central office in London, which I am awaiting presentation of in 2021. This is an incredible honour and I look forward to supporting the Showmen for many years to come.