Battersea Fun Fair 1951-1974
by
Robert Preedy and Nick Laister
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ISBN Number: NA     
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 178
Publication Date: August 2020 (Third Edition 2023)
Publisher: Nick Laister and Robert Preedy

Battersea Pleasure Gardens and the Festival of Britain were designed for a national celebration of just one season. The Fun Fair, though, survived and thrived for over a remarkable two decades. The organisers constantly updated the mix of rides and always incorporated the latest attractions, making it a showcase for the whole country. The Fun Fair operators were chosen by application and then a ballot, with the largest space going to John Collins, owner of the Big Dipper. In the park's initial years there was a very attractive ambiance created by the artistic and floral displays, but this was mostly displaced when new owners took a “less arty, more gaudy” approach. In this book we trace the origins, the personalities, the heyday and the eventual decline of the capital's playground. Within two years of the 1972 Big Dipper tragedy the park had closed, leaving us with just fond and vivid memories of its once vibrant existence.

 

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