This is a quick follow on post to a lengthy history of Marlow's street based October fair that I published a while ago. That post dealt with the fair during its hey day and decline up to the time it's charter was cancelled in 1903. That might have been the end of the street based fair, but it continued on in October, fair charter or no, in more or less the old form until the First World War.
Immediately after the cancellation of the charter, the fair moved into two locations. One was Star Meadow off Wycombe Road, the other Crown Meadow (now Riley Recreation Ground) which had been used by the fair for more than 100 years already. The latter was still in private hands, as it belonged to the Crown Hotel. But they made much money out of letting out the meadow to the showmen and ride proprietors, and not just during the traditional fair time of October. The two sites switched roles from time to time, with the traditional horse and cattle sales featuring once at the Star and then mostly going back to the Crown site. Mr Porter's meadow near the station also housed rides in 1908.
In 1910 it was announced that both parts (pleasure and agricultural) of the fair would take place in Star Meadow but this was abandoned it seems as many attractions pitched up behind the Crown as usual. In fact the largest portion of pleasure rides set up there, understandably given its central location and historic association with the event. The entertainment on offer that year include Purchase's Menagerie, "Professor" Alfred Ball's variety show (his Bioscope is not mentioned this year), an intriguing sounding bicycle roundabout, hoop la, shooting galleries, Wilson's Switchback ride, and Beaches roundabout. Most of these are familiar names from fairs past. If this was not enough, heading down to Star Meadow, you would discover Marlow veteran Biddall's Menagerie as well as a large number of stalls and side shows. You would also find a good number of excited school children, who were entertained at Biddall's courtesy of the generosity of a local gentleman who paid for their visit. This was something of a Marlow tradition in the early days but seemed to lapse a little in late Victorian times when it became more fashionable for those in a position to subsidise the children's visit to turn their nose up at that kind of attraction. Mr Biddall nevertheless carried on his own fair tradition of donating the profits from one show to the Marlow Cottage Hospital. On handing over the donation he made a speech stressing his long term connection to the town of Marlow and his joy at seeing old friends and familiar faces each year and the hope they would soon meet again.
It's interesting the fairs are described as full of visitors enjoying the attractions. Those opposing the fairs continuance back in 1903 said it offered little attraction any more. Amusingly, back in 1894, the South Bucks Standard (always very anti fair) said "as a legitimate source of amusement, it is a dismal failure." The reason? It's attractions no longer included the sort of amusements the writer said had entertained children in the past such as clowns and montebanks. And all that had replaced them were the likes of roundabouts, "cocoa-nut" throwing booths and swings. I don't think the author had perhaps ever taken a child to the fair!
The full history of Marlow Fair can be found here A notice was posted in 1939 to say the traditional October fair would not be held for the forseeable future on account of the war. It never really came back as a standalone autumn attraction to the same degree and now the main fair to visit on any scale comes for the summer regatta.
Researched and written by Kathryn Day.
To find other posts about everyday life in old Marlow including in the Edwardian period see: here
Selected Sources:
South Bucks Standard 2 November 1894, 30 October 1908, 11 November 1910, 31 October 1912, from British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA.
Reading Mercury 21 October 1911, as above
©Marlow Ancestors
