Thame fair...

There's nothing so magical or mysterious as a travelling fair coming to town... well maybe the circus, but a fair comes a close second.

Don’t worry, it won’t last much longer. I can’t go on talking about mellow fruitfulness for ever and now that there’s the smell of smoke in the air I’ll soon forget that autumn is here.

That’s the thing with this blogging habit, you find yourself covering the same old ground time and time again; at least I do. Some of the repetition is seasonal, hence my current Autumnfest, some of it’s cyclical – popping into my mind and triggered by a smell or a memory…

And so we come to Thame Fair again.

Late September is the time for Thame Fair which, when I was a boy, was the greatest show on Earth and still might be for all I know as I haven’t been for years. In my mind I can still smell the onions and candyfloss, hear the sirens of the rockets, remember that inquisitive feeling… just what does go on inside the boxing tent?

Thame Fair – running right through the high street, upper to lower, lighting up the towering Georgian buildings, higgled and piggled, one on top of the other, a river of flashy fun for all to enjoy. Roll up, roll up, come to the Fair, come see the the greatest show on Earth…

This year Thame Fair has its very own webcam - an opportunity for me to visit my childhood without having to make the journey back. On early school mornings I’d wander through Butter Market and watch as the rides arrived, erected by oily men in oily clothes. In the evenings I’d visit the fair and spend my two-and-sixpence and win a goldfish or ride on the horses of the Grand Carousel.

I haven’t been for years, but I’ll be watching the fair through the webcam. Here’s the fair at 8.30 this morning, well a small part of it. They’re busy setting it up, those oily men in oily clothes, the fun will start tomorrow night.

If I see anything interesting I’ll let you know.