St Giles’ Fair
So, no blogging today, because I’m going to St Giles’ Fair!
Since the nineteenth century, St Giles’ Fair has been held on the Monday and Tuesday following the first Sunday after St Giles’ Day (1 September).
The Fair evolved from the St Giles’ parish wake of the early seventeenth century, which later became known as St Giles’s Feast.
In the 1780s it was a “toy” fair (selling miscellaneous cheap and useful wares), and by 1800 it had become a general fair to entertain children.
From the 1830s there were amusements for adults as well. By the end of the nineteenth century there were several proposals to close it, as it had become too rowdy and licentious.
In 1930 the city corporation (now the city council) took over the control of the fair.
There’s a beautiful panorama here.
So tonight is going to be all about wulitzers and helter-skelters and merry-go-rounds, as bemused tourists wonder where the Oxford buildings they love and have travelled thousands of miles to visit have gone (behind that day-glo ferris wheel just there, mate), Radio 2 advises travellers that the centre of Oxford is impassable (nothing new there then) and the students stay at home, unaware that Oxford has a life in their absence. (While I’m on the subject, I see college has done rather well in the Norrington Table- clearly they’re not having as much fun as my year did. Dame Fi will be pleased!)
I thought yours was the year that came seventh and prompted college to become an educational-fascist organisation. My year, now we were rubbish
Oh no, that was the year before mine, and us poor sods got the brunt of it. We never forgave them.