Deptford Show Ground

The last permanent fairground in London

Angela Catherine Cain

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English

Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd
15 December 2022

Other performing arts; Social & cultural history; Local interest, family history & nostalgia

Travelling cinema, wild beast shows, circus acts, boxing booths, exotic side shows - they were all to be found at the Deptford Show Ground on Deptford High Street before the First World War. My book follows the fortunes of my great grandfather Charles Cain, a travelling showman, his wife Hannah and family who were on the Show Ground from 1890 with their 'games' and also selling fairground prizes, distributed initially by horse and cart. Charles was so successful that by 1912 he was able to buy the Show Ground and run it as a year-round fairground, with a warehouse to store the fairground prizes. The Show Ground stayed open throughout both world wars and finally closed in 1961, by which time it was mainly frequented by teddy boys and families playing bingo. My book has lots of first hand memories from local people who enjoyed the Show Ground in the 1940s and 1950s and memories from family members going right back to before the First World War. The last chapter puts the story of the Show Ground into a historical context looking at the role of fairs, the effect of the World Wars, mechanised rides and the positive role of people from ethnic minorites and women in fairgrounds. There are over 90 photos, mostly hitherto unpublished.

By: Angela Catherine Cain
Imprint: Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 8mm
Weight: 206g
ISBN: 9781803813035
ISBN 10: 1803813032
Pages: 126
Publication Date: 15 December 2022
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

I have memories of visiting the Deptford Show Ground as a young child and helping my father run the Bingo. It sadly closed when I was thirteen in 1961. Fast forward to 1996 when I came across an album compiled by my great aunt Daisy about her early life on the Show Ground from 1912 and before. Later I read an article about the Show Ground in the Fairground Society magazine 'Platform' that only told part of the story. A BBC documentary about Deptford High Street, made no mention of the Show Ground. This set me thinking about the history of the Show Ground and of my family and I started to find out more: I visited the National Fairground and Circus Archive at SheffieldUniversity; I read the published works of different fairground historians; I contacted family members for information; finally I made contact with local people via Facebook about their memories of visiting the Show Ground as children. This book is an important contribution both to the history of South London and to the story of fairgrounds. This is my first book; I have an MA in Applied Social Studies from Warwick University which has been of great benefit in this endeavour.

Reviews for Deptford Show Ground: The last permanent fairground in London

"""'Deptford Show Ground' is a fascinating piece of research into a much overlooked subject. Encouraged by the discovery of the family's archive, Angela has uncovered the fascinating story behind what was a big part of her childhood. It is so important for this to be recorded, otherwise another aspect of fairground history would have been lost forever. "" Stephen Smith, Fairground Historian ""A really interesting read, with great stories, facts and photographs. Although I thought I knew plenty about the Deptford Showground, I've learned so much more. It's wonderful that this very special story will now live on into the future."" Harley Bell, great grandson of Charles and Hannah Cain, Show Ground proprietors ""Bumper cars.. penny a time...gambling machines...air rifle stall...and Frankie Laine records: magic for me at the time in the fifties."" John William Cripps, 'I grew up in Deptford SE8 London' Facebook group"