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No room for alternative Michaelmas Fair, say organisers





West Berkshire Council announced last month that the historic fair at Northcroft Park had been cancelled due to flood allevation works in the area.
The cancellation had been mutually agreed between the council and the Showman’s Guild of Great Britain, who organise the event.
Newbury Town Council had said it would look at holding a smaller replacement fair at a different location. Some of the suggestions included placing rides in Victoria Park or alongside the market in the town centre.
The managing director of the Newbury Business Improvement District, Russell Downing, had also told the Showman’s Guild that the fair could not be relocated to Northbrook Street as there was no space.
The cancellation breaks a 68 years of tradition as the fair has been held in Northcroft Park since 1945 since it moved out of the Market Place.
The secretary of the London branch of the Showman’s Guild, Toni Bull, said: “The market has become more popular and there’s no room for rides. Access at the park is not big enough to get the equipment through and having a few juvenile rides would not constitute a fair.”
“It won’t be going ahead as a fair this year and we’re trying to maintain a tradition of the charter but we’ve been assured that the fair will go ahead as normal next year.”
The fair dates back to the 17th century when shepherds and maids turned up to seek work in the town but is now held as a funfair.



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