Category: Interviews

The Horton’s Steam Fair owner talks about swapping a career in construction for the fairground, the cost of keeping a vintage show on the road, and why there’s still some steam left in Carter’s old places. “Everybody told me I was barmy,” says James Horton, …

As he approaches his 75th birthday next month, World’s Fair sits down with Irish Showman Joe Cullen to reflect on fairs, family and showbusiness both north and south of the border. Before Joe’s latest landmark anniversary, the Cullen family will be providing the fairground attractions at …

Like his father, Gilbert Chadwick Jnr has made a living from ghost trains and fun houses, but has had less luck with haunted houses. Here is his story, from Frankenstein’s Castle to Bavaria. World’s Fair caught up with Gilbert last month as he returned to his …

After ‘emigrating’ from Lancashire to the Notts & Derby Section, Michael McKean has enjoyed a long Guild career and become a lessee. Here he reflects on seven decades in showbusiness, and reveals why he’s only ever dabbled at becoming a machine operator. “I’ve been a …

Eighteen years after taking over the reins at Pleasureland in Southport, operator Norman Wallis has rebranded the North West seaside park Adventure Coast. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” Norman Wallis tells World’s Fair. “To get away from that ‘Kiss Me Quick’ …

As seasonal attractions open up again across the country ahead of Easter, the operators of Great Britain’s seaside piers are approaching the 2025 season with a mix of hope and trepidation. Like many hospitality businesses, pier operators will be keeping a close eye on costs …

A six-part TV series has shed a spotlight on the Showmen and women that keep Scotland’s ‘shows’ on the road, whatever the weather. Lighting up the cold winter nights, Showpeople: Licensed To Thrill arrived as a welcome addition to BBC Scotland’s Monday night schedules in late …