Ellisons Tenement/Fair Ground

[claytonx]

Originally Posted by cashman

Yep they sure as hell did.

You as well ? I'll own up.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by claytonx

You as well ? I'll own up.

Yep twas dead exiting to young lads..............until the penny dropped.

[holpol268]

Hi just found this site iam researching my family tree my great grand uncle worked on the ellinson fairground on the shooting gallery in 1921 he was killed in an accident involving braking in a horse which was attached to a motor lorry on 31st october 1921 there was an inquest on 1st november i was wondering if you would know about any newspapers that may have reported on the accident.
Iam not from accrington myself
many thanks

[cashman]

The accrington observer would probably have covered the incident, its all in accy library reference room.

[Bob Dobson]

Enquire at

[email protected]

[janloot]

an old post, but i remember a firm when i worked on the fairgrounds, was whites, a scottish firm with a load of mis-shape-en animals two headed sheep ect,a guy used to stand on the outside shouting, "all alive on the inside alive" it came to accrington one year, but on having a look inside, some of the exhibits was in bottles of light brown liquid,
not very alive, but when they had your cash---,

[cashman]

Originally Posted by janloot

an old post, but i remember a firm when i worked on the fairgrounds, was whites, a scottish firm with a load of mis-shape-en animals two headed sheep ect,a guy used to stand on the outside shouting, "all alive on the inside alive" it came to accrington one year, but on having a look inside, some of the exhibits was in bottles of light brown liquid,
not very alive, but when they had your cash---,

Palming the punters change was better, they never bitched about it,cos they never knew.

[claytonx]

Originally Posted by janloot

an old post, but i remember a firm when i worked on the fairgrounds, was whites, a scottish firm with a load of mis-shape-en animals two headed sheep ect,a guy used to stand on the outside shouting, "all alive on the inside alive" it came to accrington one year, but on having a look inside, some of the exhibits was in bottles of light brown liquid,
not very alive, but when they had your cash---,

Looking back at that time I don't think that most people had the confidence to complain as they would do today

[janloot]

not much money handled now, alot of tokens, 5 ride tickets, entry fee, ride free,the gaff is gone as far as the lads are concerned, the safety has gone mad, thats why you never see any of the old speedways, ect, the insurance is so high no one will pay it, so many new rides now, in my day they was called novelty rides, now the new generation showmen are governed by insurance costs, fuel is sky high wages have had to keep up, and now there is not the same atmosphere, a lot of showmen are taking up other ways of making a living, and living on permanent sites, just opening the rides and stalls at weekends

[Bob Dobson]

It was called Ellison St and tenement because it was owned by the Ellison family, which had been in Accrington for centuries before the fairground appeared. I don't know what, if anything, was on there before it was cinders. Maybe it was cindered to give an all-weather pitch instead of a field which got boggy.