Starcross History Society: Dingles Heritage Fairground Museum

Showing posts with label Dingles Heritage Fairground Museum. Show all posts

Monday, 2 September 2019

The Starcross Gallopers

The plan to follow up on our first prize

for Kattanga the War Horse

with some carousel horses needed some more research to verify that carousel gallopers featured on the carousel which used to visit Starcross.

There was a fair in Starcross on Whit Wednesday, at least from the nineteenth century; according to Vision of Britain.
Whit Wednesday would be the Wednesday after Whitsuntide, which is the 7th Sunday after Easter (Wiki)

Perhaps its location was where the Starcross Cattle Market took place? Here's a Bernard Chapman postcard of the Starcross Cattle Market.

Many thanks Janet Bowdler for publishing an appeal for information in The Starcross Newsletter and to Marlene Parr for this response. (more details to follow)
The visiting fair was opposite the school. It was run by Alfred Whitelegg. Alfred's brother Tommy ran the Dawlish Fair, which visited every August Bank holiday. This fair continues, run by the Rowlands. http://www.rowlandsfunfair.co.uk/

Tommy Whitelegg's daughter ran amusements in Dawlish, in the old cinema building, which is now Dawlish Library.

Marlene clearly remembers the carousel which came to Starcross. It featured gallopers, which were horses with both sets of legs extended - like the olde paintings of horse-racing. Here' one from wiki.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Jean_Louis_Th%C3%A9odore_G%C3%A9ricault_001.jpg/1280px-Jean_Louis_Th%C3%A9odore_G%C3%A9ricault_001.jpg

Dimensions for carousel horses are online, by a firm who still make them
https://fairgroundcarouselhorses.com/

Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre near Launceston have a carousel gallopers ride. Its history is on this link:
Edwards' Golden Gallopers

https://fairground-heritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gallopers13.jpg

Friday, 15 May 2015

Our poster for the Official Opening of the Starcross Pavilion tomorrow

Starcross History

http://starcrosshistory.blogspot.co.uk/
FREE membership AND No admission charge to the bi-monthly meetings in this pavilion.

Wednesday July 8th 2015 at 7:30pm

Wednesday September 9th 2015 at 7:30pm

Wednesday November11th 2015 at 7:30pm

Wednesday January 13th 2016 at 7:30pm

Wednesday March 9th 2016 at 7:30pm

Speakers will be arranged

To cover the £20 charge to hire this brand new pavilion,

we ask everyone to please bring a raffle prize, and we charge £1 for teas&coffees

PROJECTS

Ø We are recreating Captain George Peacock’s The Swan of the Exe for Trail RecycledArt in the Landscape.Our ‘wackin burd’ will be installed on Teignmouth seafront during the week July 11^th - July 18^th. After the summer season, she’ll go On Tour.

Please cut out feathers from milk bottles

Ø How did Starcross look in the past? Information please, about buildings, wells, and roads etc; to help us with a series of illustrated, historic maps.

Ø A Twelfth Century stone cross stood at the top of a flight of stone stairs; and gave Stairs Cross its name. Does it still lie in the estuary silt, where it was thrown by order of Henry V111? Was it made from Portland Stone, Buckfastleigh Limestone, Dartmoor Granite, or Red Sandstone from the Heavitree breccias? Can it be recreated?

Ø Should there be a memorial to commemorate the achievements of Captain George Peacock? Did he invent the screw propeller?

Ø Oral History. Do you have stories to tell? We will record them; on paper, or on audio tape, or on video; whichever you prefer.

SOCIAL EVENT

Visit to Dingles Heritage Fairground Museum on a Saturday in September. Coach fare £8 for adults and £4 for children. Babies and toddlers must have their own baby/child seat. We have arranged a 15% reduction for the entry fee to the museum.

FUNDRAISING

Vintage Games at the Starcross Summer Fete on the Sportsfield on July 25^th

Hard enamel club badges for sale;depicting The Swan of the Exe £10. £15 for 2. £20 for 4

Contact : Monica Lang 01626890650 starcross.history@gmail.com

PS We welcome LOTS of help with everything J

Monday, 13 April 2015

Dingles Heritage Fairground

Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre is on the Devon-Cornwall border, 7 miles east of Launceston. There's vintage fairground rides, and a gallery of fairground art. Special rates for coach parties. What a great place for us to visit one day!?