Category: Interviews

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 …

Murphy’s are one of the most famous fairground families in the North East. With the seventh generation on the way, John Henry Murphy tells us why he’s proud to continue that legacy and pay tribute to his late father. It was one Patrick Murphy who …

Leading Norwegian Showman Aasmund Lund speaks to World’s Fair about Oslo’s popular Christmas market, music festivals, doing business in -10°C conditions, and the extraordinary lengths he goes to for a loyal workforce. As you read this, Jul i Vinterland (Christmas in Winterland) will be well into …

As he prepares to relinquish the role of President at this month’s Central Council, John Thurston reflects on his three years leading the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, and what might be next. Before he set off for the Eastern Counties Section AGM in 2001, …

As Chris Danter Jnr’s Equinox thrills fairgoers in a busy backend run, the young Showman reveals why he wanted to bring the iconic ride back to the UK and his belief in the future of the business. For those of us living in the northern …

Autumn is in the air and that can mean only one thing for Showmen in the Midlands: it’s Mop time! Three lessees share their experiences about this hectic part of the season. As the nights get longer, fairground lights really come into their own. And …

Each year, John Lowery books hundreds of rides for dozens of events. Yet he still looks back fondly on the days he danced in a gorilla suit on the front of Ernest Hall’s ghost train. “All I had was a black bag with my belongings,” …

During the pandemic lockdowns, many people took up new hobbies, or resumed hobbies that had fallen by the wayside over the years. One such was David Wallis who found a new use for his paintbrush. Showman David Wallis is no slouch when it comes to …

It’s over a decade since Billy Williams left the North Wales coast, but he can’t get the beach out of his system. Or big wheels, too, for that matter. When he and his brother Adam were growing up, Billy’s parents operated amusements in Rhyl and …

Born into traditional Showmen’s families, Charles and Amy Charlotte Barwick have fulfilled the long-held dream of owning a pier they’ve always loved. Following their recent acquisition of the pier in the popular seaside town of Southwold in Suffolk, Charles and Amy Charlotte Barwick appear to …