Category: Showmen’s Guild

Guild President John Thurston speaks on current issues being addressed by the Guild, including council charges to Showmen; building a working relationship with the Local Government Association; lobbying the Treasury for lower VAT for Showmen; and LEZ After a summer of rain of biblical proportions, …

Guild President John Thurston speaks on making the case for our heritage community-based entertainment, environmental responsibility, working with ADIPS and HSE, ULEZ expansion and the appointment of new General Secretary, Rob Marshall MBE. So much for global warming… We must have had one of the …

Guild President John Thurston recalls the heydays of Cambridge Midsummer Fair, its decline over the years and hope for the future as the Eastern Counties Section take over the running of the fair. Cambridge Midsummer Fair opening It seems a lifetime ago since I was …

Kirkcaldy Links Market is a great event, Showmen’s Guild Scottish Chairman Colquhoun tells luncheon guests, but deserves more recognition. Surprise announcement In a surprise announcement at the pre-opening luncheon for Kirkcaldy Links Market, Scottish Section Chairman Alex James Colquhoun announced that this would be his …

Guild President John Thurston speaks education, local councils, supporting members, new APPG, a fair deal on PLI, close-working with HSE, safety training, and SAGs. Welcome return of Showmen’s Section football I took time out whilst at the Guild’s Appeals hearings recently to watch my grandson …

Neil Calladine, long-time correspondent for World’s Fair and loyal fairground supporter, receives council award from his home town. The year 1991 was an important one for World’s Fair correspondent Neil Calladine. When for the first time in living memory, Proctors (Nottm) Fun Fairs Ltd did not bring …

Alex James Colquhoun, Scottish Section Chairman, elected Vice President of the European Showmen’s Union at Monaco Congress. At the first in-person European Showmen’s Union (ESU) conference for three years, Showmen’s Guild Scottish Section Chairman Alex James Colquhoun was elected as one of the new vice …

In November, Nipper Appleton was on our TV screens in the documentary We Are England. Now, this long-time committee member and organiser of special needs days has been recognised by the Guild for his work. King’s Lynn Mart luncheon The King’s Lynn Mart luncheon was …

Showmen’s Guild President John Thurston speaks on the promising start to the fairground season, the shadow of Covid-19 and its impact on Guild work, getting Showmen’s message across, countering misinformation and making the Guild stronger. As we welcomed the start of the new season with …

Over the last 40 years, the opportunity for Showmen’s children to access and succeed in education has changed enormously. For many years the education of children from travelling families was a contentious issue, with most of them reaching young adulthood with very little formal learning …