London: Tea Time in Wonderland

We all have fond memories of childhood funfairs. The mix of colours, the flashing lights, the musics changing every couple of steps, the laughs all around, the bumping cars… Tastebuds were also treated with candyfloss and sweets. In my region, you could choose from a huge selection of nougats…

I’m less tempted to go these days – am I too much of a grown-up? The colours are much flashier, sometimes agressive, the decorations sprayed on and less refined. However I never resist a more traditional type of ride – such as wooden horses galloping forever, or those chairs that fly away in an elegant circle… My 5-year old daughter is much better public than I am and will go for anything at all!

Feeling nostalgic too? Then head to the Carters Steam Fair settled @ Battersea Park for a while.

Carter was passionate for those machines and arcade games and collected them, taking pride in renovating them: improve an engine, change a part, repainting them in accordance with the original motifs and colours, adding a little gold leaf… 7 months per year, he would open them to the public, or rent them for private events, even for film sets. Make them alive again.

He died in 2000 but his team is keeping the tradition.

You’ll find a lovely selection of those rides @ Battersea – the grandfather of turning cups, a Noa arch with Art Deco notes turning @ high speed with music of its era, cute wooden racing cars… The kids can’t even decide where to start, parents never hesitate to join them, dads seem fascinated by the old types of engines you sometimes get a glimpse of, you can hear cameras clicking away…

Wonderful to even just look, although you will not resist caressing the wood…

Older kids will prefer the arcade – all kinds of flippers there, even horse races where each player has to turn a wheel as quick as possible, horoscope readings… The designs are fab. Granparents look at them in amazements, recognising models...

My favourite certainly is the gallopers – splendid colourful wooden horses, paintings of the British monarchs above them, even a barrel organ. But take a few steps away from it. Although you do not notice any of those rides work on steam engines, this one does play on it – a lovely cloud of fog when it starts dancing around and even a chimney!

A great time for the whole family. Rides are only £1/kid, very reasonable. Such a pity, though, that there is no toffee apple, candy floss, waffles in sight… not even a coffee!

Carters Steam Fair

Battersea Park until March 28, 2010Battersea,
London,
SW11 4NJ

Ravenscourt Park, April 10-18, 2010
Paddenswick Road,
London,
W6 0UB

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