Goose Fair

Well, it's that time of year again. Nearly the 1st weekend in October.
Goose Fair is nearly here, just a few more days to go...


I think you have to live in Nottingham, to fully understand Goose Fair and it's affect on the city. It's been going on officially since c.1278, so about 700+ years (some reckon it's roots go back to the Danish settlement here. In which case, closer to 1000 years) HERE

Everybody goes to 'THE FAIR'...(it's always referred to in capital letters and quotation marks).
It's a reflex action, similar to breathing or liver function.
Even the weather, at this time of year, is referred to as 'Goose Fair Weather',and you hear people,on misty mornings, saying "smells like The Fair"

The children are given an official day off school on 'Goose Fair Friday', so mothers with half a brain, book the day off work or rue the day.
I have been in the position of other people taking my child to 'The Fair' and it's nerve racking, wondering what nonsense they are going to buy, how much vomit can be produced by unsuitable rides and if they're going to get lost or injured. You also end up with an excited child so pumped full of sugar, additives and general crap, that you have to tie a rope to his leg, to stop him bouncing off the ceiling.



For some mad reason, the traditional food eaten, is a pot of unnaturally bright green mushy peas...with mint sauce. Don't ask, I don't know why. It looks like vomit before its been eaten...so you can imagine the resulting appearance of the following days' pavement pizzas.

Anyway, the Goose is up. HERE
It's a 12 foot high statue of a goose which is placed on the traffic island aka Goose Fair Island close to the Fair site. It usually gets kidnapped, at some point.

I went into town with Mini-me yesterday and there it was. So I can no longer assume that he had forgotten what time of year it was. Foolish thinking, I know. The noise of The Fair would have alerted him to it, plus his friends daring each other to go on the really big rides and his grandmother giving him 'Fair Money'.
Hey Ho...let's kiss goodbye to £30.

Who am I kidding...I LOVE THE FAIR!!!



I love the smell, I love the noise, I love the lights, I love bumping into people I haven't seen all year and I love being a child again.....just for 1 weekend.
It's divine