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Carter's Steam Fair

Really sad piece of history at risk here… i really hope there is a change of heart somewhere i get they want to enjoy retirement etc, which is quite rare in the fair community
 
Oddly, they've removed the wording from their Facebook announcement, but the post on the website remains up. I really hope something makes them.change their mind. It seems really strange as the facebook live videos until very very recently have been quite forward looking, this feels completely out of the blue.
 
The problem with most of the options that seem obvious is this is being sold as an viable commercial business with a price tag to suit, not being donated as a historic artifact.
 
And so it goes ... What an institution.

Made one final trek out to Carter's for the final night. I have some great memories of the fair so didn't want to miss one final opportunity.

I was absolutely delighted to see The Octopus back in operation. It has been absent for many visits. I guess the Victory Dive Bomber was too much to ask for.

Joby ran the Skid for a while, it was absolutely flying. It was somewhat bittersweet to see it buzzing and also knowing this was the last hurrah, at least in this form.

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I was there last night for the final fireworks. Was absolutely rammed with people at points.

Definitely sad to see it go, especially given how good a condition most of the attractions are in. They definitely aren't ready to be confined to a museum.
 
I was so gutted not to be able to make it to the last weekend, glad it was a success.

Still no word on a future site, would be a tragedy if the rides were split or just disappeared into storage.
 
Went yesterday morning to hear Joby Carter's speach.

He's got a storage yard, he's going to get as much undercover as he can in the yard. Things will still be available to hire out individually for a price. Thursford turned it down.

Ideally someone will come along with a place where they can build a building and keep the collection inside away from the weather.
 
MattyH said:
Ideally someone will come along with a place where they can build a building and keep the collection inside away from the weather.
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The problem with that is, as wonderful as the collection is, what is the realistic catchment area for an attraction like that? It'd have to be somewhere with very consistent heavy tourist traffic, and somewhere with that would almost certainly price out this as economically viable.

I was hoping for something like a summer residency at a fixed location, similar to what they used to do at Brighton, so it's still out there but without the cost of travelling and the tourists travelling to their area. But if they are insistent on indoor then I'm at a bit of a loss.
 
I mean the obvious answer is something like Dreamland Margate taking it on. Would suite the park perfectly, just carters and the scenic, get rid of everything else. But I doubt they've got the money for it.
 
MattyH said:
Went yesterday morning to hear Joby Carter's speach.

He's got a storage yard, he's going to get as much undercover as he can in the yard. Things will still be available to hire out individually for a price. Thursford turned it down.

Ideally someone will come along with a place where they can build a building and keep the collection inside away from the weather.
Click to expand...

Seeing as the UK lacks the kind of indoor amusement parks that you find in the US for example I wonder if there would be a market here for Carter’s Collection to be a year round vintage funfair park held in an existing big warehouse shed building somewhere? There are a few travelling funfair events that are held indoors (such as at Harrogate and Liverpool) so something like that could maybe work.
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
Seeing as the UK lacks the kind of indoor amusement parks that you find in the US for example I wonder if there would be a market here for Carter’s Collection to be a year round vintage funfair park held in an existing big warehouse shed building somewhere? There are a few travelling funfair events that are held indoors (such as at Harrogate and Liverpool) so something like that could maybe work.
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There are a few permanent indoor vintage funfairs as well, such as Dingles in Devon.

 
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pluk said:
Dreamland would turn it into firewood within a couple of months. They don't have any significant indoor area that would fit rides either, do they?
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I don't disagree, however I do think it would be a really cool park concept. I am sure they could find the space if they get rid of there concert venue and everything and put an indoor area there, could just stick up a prefab warehouse. But I know it won't happen.
 
Rick said:
I hate the idea of those rides being inside. Dingles is cool, but it all feels a bit clinical.

London park ... hear me out. It would be amazing in Jubilee Gardens or similar. Would feel like Tivoli Gardens.
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Crystal Palace Park, rebuild a big glass structure and stick the rides inside, it would be an absolutely stunning location for them in that park.
 
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