I have enlarged it so it can be seen properly.
The fair was , I think, still being held on the spare ground near Mary Street and Newton Street when this was taken. This was where it was situated before the motorway cut Hyde in half and the fair was relocated to Park Road field near Hyde Park!
Mary Street / Newton Street site.
The Park Road Fairground Site.
Thanks to Nick for the loan of the photo. Much appreciated.
Up dated 23 June 2011 By Tom
This was taken in the 1950s on the Market Square on Wakes Week
This shot taken from the balcony over the main entrance to the Town Hall clearly shows Hyde Market Ground, and the Fun Fair. This is more or less how I recalled it in the very early 1960s.
If anyone has any memories ,or even better,any photos of the fair at any location in Hyde we'd be very happy to show them.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought many picture would be out there of the fair grounds which have been used in Hyde.
ReplyDeleteI know the Waltzes belonged to the 'Collin's' family... but I can't remember any of the other familys of showmen... I should do as I spent far to much time on the fairs.
Their was a Speedway ride that was very popular that came to Hyde... of course the Dodgem Cars.. and the Caterpillar which was very popular with courting couples.. as during the ride a tarpaulin cover came over the ride making it quite dark inside and allowed time for a quick fumble.. ha!
> The fair was still being held on the spare ground
ReplyDelete> near Mary Street and Newton Street when this was
> taken. This was where it was situated before the
> motorway cut Hyde in half and the fair was
> relocated to Park Road field near Hyde Park!
That's strange because I can only remember the fair being on the field next to the park and I must have gone to the fair most years from the mid sixties to mid seventies.
It'd be great if we could confirm when the fairground site moved. I'm just going off my memories of going to the fair when I was a young girl - I remember the Park Road site in the 1970's when I was a Teen, but can also remember winning a fish on the other site which had to be from 1967 onwards.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone help?
I was born in 1958...
ReplyDeleteI can recall the fair being on the market ground in front of the Town Hall. I remember winning a bow and arrow set, and nearby where the 90 bus stopped (389 now) there was a 'Small Wheel' not a big wheel that you would expect but a much smaller one that small children could go on..
I also remember the fair being where Nancy says... but this must have been before the 1970s. I started at Greenfield Street in 1969, and I'm sure the fair was on Park Road at this time... I'm sure that the showmen have the right to put up a fair in Hyde for a certain number of years... I could be wrong and it would be interesting to find out if I'm right. As for the future of Park Road it seems that Hyde once more as a 'Town Yard' again... the council have a compound that seems to be getting bigger. The big vats from the Dye Works have now gone at the bottom of Park Road, and the land as been cleared. Maybe part of that land at the bottom of Park Road will now be built on.... like parts of Ashton Brothers as.
I enjoyed the Black Peas in a little chip bag with plenty of vinegar on them.
ReplyDeleteI remember the fairground just off Newton St, it was ok,bit small of course,because there wasn't the room, I do remember the song 54321 by Manfred Mann being played a lot, so that puts the fair around 1963/64 but it certainly couldn't replace the wonderful fairgrounds we had in front of the townhall. What a great atmosphere there was there. Hyde has lost a lot since the fifties and sixties when I was growing up, all those lovely shops on Market St etc. And what on earth are they doing to the Market Square now? From Trish
ReplyDeleteHi Trish..
ReplyDeletewelcome to the blog and thank you for commenting.
So many happy memories on the fair at the old market place in the late 50,s , i remember it all so well..we really did have the best times ,its a great shame it had to change ,its really good to be able to look back though, thankyou all for keeping the memories alive , you do a great job ..Regards Anita
ReplyDeleteThe photo of Hyde Fair on the market place the rides in the view building up are Inghams Waltzer on the left and Michael Albert Collins Waltzer on the right.
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgems photo would belong to John Collins being new in 1957 and according to my records the first appearance of a set of Dodgems at Hyde Wakes since 1939.
The September Wakes fair moved to George Street West in 1965 and moved from there to Park Road in1973.
My interest is fairgrounds particularly the Lancashire/Cheshire Wakes fairs and I have a comprehensive collection of reports/photos of Denton,Hyde and Ashton u Lyne Wakes Fairs.
The Speedway or Ark ride that Tom refers to would probably E L Morley which attended Hyde Wakes ,after the demolition of houses on Norbury Street,Helen Street and Foundry Street, from 1958.This Ark also spent the Winter months in a corner of Hyde Market opening at weekends and is featured in a painting by a local artist.
Ross if you read this can you email me womtig@gmail.com
ReplyDelete