Radio Times: Review by:; David Brown

For generations, fairgrounds have delivered bright lights and a certain seamy edginess that their corporate successor — the theme park — lacks. But in the sophisticated 21st century, are we now immune to their pleasures?

In this evocative documentary, we journey back to the days of Victorian showmen before reaching the 1950s, the high point of the travelling fair’s popularity in the UK. As the country inched its way out of postwar austerity, we got our kicks on the Dive Bomber and marvelled at Wild West acts that hailed from Lancashire. But despite bigger thrills being offered these days on white-knuckle attractions, rumours of the fair’s extinction seem to have been exaggerated. Traditional steam-powered rides that tap into our feelings of nostalgia have made a comeback as families start to seek simpler excursions.

About this programme

Part one of two. The popularity of travelling funfairs in Britain during the 20th century, using archive footage and images to explore the evolution of the rides and attractions that captured the public's imagination. The programme also investigates the role fairs played in rapidly expanding industrial towns, where entertainment could sometimes be hard to come by. Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt.