Route: Hull Fair
Area: Kingston upon Hull
Date of walk: 11th October 2014
Walkers: Andrew Gilly Lucy and Phoebe
Hull Fair is a massive travelling funfair which comes to Hull for one week in October every year, and has been doing so for more than 700 years. It’s part of the fabric of the city and anyone who has been here as a child will never forget it. I certainly haven’t, and vividly remember my parents bringing me here over 50 years ago. We brought our own children here when they were young, and now that we have a baby granddaughter we had a good excuse to visit again. The fair is an assault on the senses – lurid colours, loud music, the smell of hamburgers and candyfloss all combine to make this a unique experience
On arrival, Phoebe was duly installed in the baby backpack (weighing a lot more than a compass, OS map and waterproofs) and we made our way around the numerous attractions. In my day, the Waltzers were the ultimate white knuckle ride but things have moved on since then and some of the rides made the Waltzers seem like Hook-a-Duck. Luckily Phoebe provided a convenient excuse, and I was able to wander around at leisure watching other people screaming in terror and being sick
As for Phoebe, her eyes were out on stalks and I like to think that the family tradition of visiting Hull Fair is assured for many years to come