Hull Fair

Hull Fair
Hull Fair, October 2015
GenreFairground, funfair
Location(s)Walton Street, Kingston upon Hull, England
Years active744–745 years
Inaugurated1279 (1279) (Royal Charter)
Most recent4 October 2024 (2024-10-04) – 12 October 2024 (2024-10-12)
Next event2025 (2025)
Attendance800,000 (in 2019)[1]
CapacityUnlimited (at police discretion)
Organised byHull City Council
Websitehull.gov.uk/arts-and-leisure/leisure/hull-fair

Hull Fair is Europe's largest travelling funfair,[2] which goes to Kingston upon Hull, England for one week from 5 pm on Friday[3] to 11 pm of the Saturday eight days later, encompassing 11 October each year. The fair is open every day between these days except Sunday. Unlike small local fairs, Hull Fair attracts rides, attractions, and travellers from a wide variety of different regions from around the country.

History

Hull Fair received its first Royal Charter in 1279, although it had operated informally prior to that time.[4]

The fair is one of the city's biggest traditions, as well as one of its oldest events. Carrying on with such tradition, the fair is opened by the Lord Mayor of Hull on the opening evening, normally at 5 pm.

Local tradition states that the changing of the calendar in 1751 led the locals to believe the loss of eleven days affected their fair. “Give us back our eleven days,” was the cry as an enraged mob charged around the streets of Hull, calling for the return of their eleven-day festivities which they believed to have been lost due to the calendar change. The outraged masses got their wish and from that year onwards 11 October, or the Friday nearest to it, became the official date for Hull Fair.[5]

The fair is held on land on the east side of Walton Street, situated next to the MKM Stadium and the Tigers Trust Arena.

Cancellations

There was no fair from 1915 to 1918 due to the First World War. It was almost cancelled in 1938 due to the Munich Crisis, but went ahead. The Fair was not held between 1939 and 1945, for the duration of the Second World War, when the fairground was used as a mooring point for barrage balloons, a military vehicle park, and a tank training ground. The Fair was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] The fair returned in full under its established calendar in October 2021.[7]

Incidents

In 2002 a 17-year-old student was seriously injured in a fall from the Bomber ride, after not being properly fastened into her seat. The incident resulted in the student suffering head and spinal injuries,[8][9] two broken legs, as well as an injured hip and pelvis.[10]

In 2008, the elastic cord of a reverse bungee ride broke whilst it was in use. Although people were on the ride when it happened, nobody suffered any injuries.[11]

On 13 October 2017, a fault with the Power Tower ride at Hull Fair left more than thirty riders, aged between nine and 60, trapped about 70 ft (21m) in the air for five hours. Firefighters had to use an aerial platform to rescue those stuck, and it was the third time that the ride had broken down since the fair had opened that year. Riders were given blankets to keep them warm and got off at approximately midnight.[12][13] That same year, a video was uploaded online showing a young boy managing to climb over and stand on a safety chain used to pin back riders, whilst on the Meteorite ride.[14]

On 7 October 2019, a woman was flung from a ride, the Airmaxxx 360. The bar on her carriage failed and she was ejected from the ride, landing on a teenager boy and hitting another ride. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries to her face, abdomen, and leg, while the teenager suffered minor injuries to his foot. The two rides were taped off at the time of the incident and closed.[15][16]

References

  1. ^ Hull Fair 2021: Show must go on after Covid-hit year, say showmen. BBC News. 8 October 2021. 28 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Hull Fair fun for all what's it all about? – What People are Saying". The Hull Fair Project. University of Sheffield. Archived from the original on 2 November 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Hull Fair Website". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "All the fun of the fair". BBC Humber. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Hull Fair". Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Hull Fair 2020 officially cancelled for first time in 75 years". Hull Daily Mail. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Hull Fair 2021: Crowds attend one of Europe's largest fun fairs". BBC News. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Terror at 135ft as girl 'knew she would fall'". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Girl critical after fairground fall". BBC News. 16 October 2002. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  10. ^ Stokes, Paul (16 October 2002). "Ride girl 'not secured'". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Mother's fear over bungee failure". BBC News. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Dozens trapped 70ft up as fair ride fails". BBC News. 14 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  13. ^ Leeson, Lucy (14 October 2017). "Hull Fair's Power Tower will remain CLOSED today – here's why". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  14. ^ Bullen, Jamie (14 October 2017). "Terrifying footage as boy climbs over safety chain on Hull Fair ride". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  15. ^ Robinson, Hannah; Mutch, Michael (7 October 2019). "Woman flung from Airmaxx 360 hits boy and smashes into second ride". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  16. ^ Riley, Anna (8 October 2019). "New police statement on Hull Fair ride after woman, 21, falls off Airmaxx 360". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
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53°44′55″N 0°22′26″W / 53.74871°N 0.37382°W / 53.74871; -0.37382