29 March 2008

All the fun of the fair

The weekend after Easter sees the traditional Easter Fair at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Held on the marketplace and adjacent open spaces it was for me as a child a landmark in the year signaling a transition from the cold, dank days of winter.

The standout feature was a tower with spiral slide winding down the outside. You paid your money, received a coconut fibre mat, climbed up the tower and slid down on the wooden slide polished by years of excited children's rides. It was also the time of year when Matthes the baker sold white and black Fair Buttons, largish round cookies (biscuits).

What were the landmark events through the year in your ancestors?

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