Old Fashion Fairgrounds

[JOHN HABS]

During the late 1950's and into the early 60's there use to be a fair that occasionally visited Sheffield and set up on what was then waste ground on Division Street ( now the skateboard park ).

 

This was the old fashion type of fair that had the old copper penny slot machines, the fortune teller dressed as a gypsy with the glass ball, an high diving act........ in which a man would climb a very high ladder and on reaching the platform at the top would dive into a pool of water which had oil on its surface and set alight, then there was a boxing ring where the resident boxer would challenge any man in the audience to take him on - if he was beaten the man taking him on would recieve a cash prize.

 

Anyone remember the fairground being there and did you ever go ?

 

I was only 8 - 9 years of age at the time but remember it well.

[hillsbro]

Yes, I remember the fairs that were held on what was known as "Devonshire Street bomb site", now Devonshire Green. Apart from the old-style fairs, in 1965 the "Cinerama" tent was erected there - here is a link to a photo on the pictuesheffield.com site.

[Nigel Womersle]

Yes, I remember the fairs that were held on what was known as "Devonshire Street bomb site", now Devonshire Green. Apart from the old-style fairs, in 1965 the "Cinerama" tent was erected there - here is a link to a photo on the pictuesheffield.com site.

 

I remember going to see the Cinerama show on Division Street. The film was 'This is Cinerama'. It was amazing in those days. I think three projectors were used as there was two definite joins on the screen (to give the really wide screen effect). However, it was an experience and we really did enjoy it.

[David T]

I used to go regularly to the fairs and the circus on Divisions Street. I also remember going to a Cinerama showing but for some reason I seem to think that it was on the waste ground roughly where the Exeter Drive flats are now.

 

Am I dreaming or did they have Cinerama there as well.

[JOHN HABS]

Cinerama was only on Devonshire ' bombsite '

 

Chipperfield's Circus use to set up there as well, on Sunday afternoons you could purchase a bag of husk like things for a few pence and feed them to the elephants, walk around the circus ground and see the animals in the cages.

[slotter47]

Remember back in the day a fair would come to the field behind Handsworth WMC, which is now the Medlock estate.

[raymondo1952]

Fairs used to come on land near old Stovin Road think it was pharas fair

[escort1]

Fairs used to come on land near old Stovin Road think it was pharas fair

 

Farrars - still operating , at Firth park until Sunday, then Endcliffe Park.