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Loughborough Fair 2007
Posted on 14/11/07
P. Klein
14th November 2007
So the fair has come, fun was had by people wishing to have a good time, it was packed up and transported away, either to another fair or into storage for the winter months (the Loughborough fair for many people is the last of the season for many showmen. Gone with it is the ambience of the fair. The noise where the manufactured plastic music from different rides blends with the hum of generators. The coloured lights fighting with each other to bathe the area surrounding them in their own primary colour. The smell of burgers, onions and diesel fumes combining with the sickly smell of candy floss and the reek of cheap aftershave emanating from spotty teenagers too young to shave.
Before the ornate carousel, waltzers, multimillion pound hi technology rides arrived at 4am on 4th November 2007 there was a lot of behind the scenes lots of work carried out. Otherwise it would not be the success it is. The various agencies start thinking about the next years fair not quite but almost as the last one is still in the Market Place. Before the fair arrived lots of street furniture, such as bins and benches needed to be removed to allow both space for the rides and access to the streets by the lorries transporting them. Now that the fair has gone these are all being returned back to the streets from which they were removed.
Charnwood Borough Council during the duration of the fair removed about 6 tonnes of rubbish " thats almost one kilogram every minute the fair was here. Doing this took about 210 man hours per day " almost 1,000 hours for the duration of the fair, equivalent to one man working for about 7 months.
Mick Jackson, CBCs Markets and Fairs Manager, said the fair had gone tremendously well with tens of thousands of people turning up at the event. He added: "We had very good crowds during the four days and hopefully everyone has enjoyed themselves. Things have gone relatively smoothly and town centre was swept and tidied in time for the Remembrance Service on Sunday morning.
Indeed, by the time people started arriving for the Remembrance Service in Queens Park at the Carillon War Memorial and then the Medal Ceremony in the Market Place afterwards, the fair had completely gone and there was not a trace of machinery or rubbish about. Which is a good thing as it would have caused chaos to the marching of those who paraded through the town centre.
However the fair did seem quieter than previous years. Sarah from Loughborough told inLoughborough:We went to the Griffin for a quick drink on Saturday night for a couple of drinks. We came out at about 10:30 and it was completely deserted. There was hardly anyone about.
Although the forecast had been dismissal the weather cant be blamed on an apparent lower than usual attendance as for the most part it remained dry.
Perhaps the online generation prefers to stay at their computer screens for entertainment rather than attend an outdoor venue on a cold November night. Certainly it has been reported in the national press that for the 12 " 24 age group in the last year there has been a movement from the television to social networking sites such as Bebo, MySpace and FaceBook (MySpace is so 2006!). Maybe if the fair was moved to the early summer date of the first ever fair things would be different. One possible factor however is the cost of the fair. With rides costing up to 4 a time it can be an expensive evening.
Graham from Derby Road said:It cost me about 20. For me thats a lot of money. I could only afford to go out one evening.
The fair also has an effect on trade in the town centre. Whilst pubs and bars in Loughborough might see an increase, many shops which become hidden behind rides and stalls during the four days see a decrease in trade. Joanne, a shop manager from Market Street said:It happens every year. Our takings are always down during the week of the fair. Less people come into the shop during the 3 days. I think they just avoid the area at the time.
Obviously it is difficult to please all of the people all of the time. However next year the inLoughborough team will be back at the fair which will be between 12th November 2008 and 15th November 2008, taking pictures and maybe occasionally going on the stomach churning rides.
Meanwhile the Council will be busy putting up the Christmas lights ready for the big switch on in a couple of weeks.
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