| Carters Steam Fair | |||||||
| Country: | United Kingdom | ||||||
| Founders: | John and Anna Carter | ||||||
| Founded: | 1976 | ||||||
| Leader Title: | Operators | ||||||
| Leader Name: | The Carter Family and associates | ||||||
| Location: | Various
| ||||||
| Free Label: | Number of rides | ||||||
| Free Text: | Around 19 (dependent on site/ location) | ||||||
Carters Steam Fair (no apostrophe is used in the name) was a travelling vintage fair in England, founded in 1977 by John Carter (1942–2000), later managed by the next generation of Carters.
Carters operated and maintained a large collection of vintage rides and side stalls, ranging in date from the 1870s to the 1960s, and every season they travelled with vintage heavy lorries and traditional showmen's living wagons. The fair provided an opportunity to enjoy historic equipment and artwork.[1]
Their operating base and restoration workshops were immediately adjacent to White Waltham Airfield, near Maidenhead, in Berkshire.
Carters held a final 'travelling steam-fair' ending at Prospect Park, Reading on 30 October 2022,[2] finding new homes for some of their vintage rides, with the remainder up for sale.[3]
Carters Steam Fair was a travelling collection of rare working funfair rides, In April 2016, the touring rides with the Fair were:
| Ride | Height Restriction | |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Cars | Suitable for pre-school children up to the age of about 6 or 7 only | |
| Train Ride | There are no height restrictions, so adults may travel with younger children, if required | |
| Toytown | Suitable for toddlers and pre-school children up to the age of 5 or 6 | |
| Mini Octopus | Suitable for toddlers and pre-school children up to the age of 5 or 6 | |
| Scenic Dobbies | Suitable for toddlers and pre-school children up to the age of 5 or 6 | |
| Big Swingboats | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride | |
| Little Swingboats | No | |
| Jubilee Steam Gallopers | No | |
| Jungle Thriller Ark | No | |
| Chair-o-Plane | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride | |
| Steam Yachts | Must be over 1.05 metres (3.4 feet) tall to ride middle yellow seats, all other seats may be ridden by anyone over 1.2 metres (3.9 feet) | |
| Dive-Bomber | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall only when accompanied by an adult, or those over 1.3 meters (4.2 feet) unaccompanied | |
| Giant Octopus | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride | |
| Dodgems | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride | |
| Autodrome | No |
On their last tour in August 2022, they travelled with the following rides:
| Ride | Height Restriction | |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Cars | Suitable for pre-school children up to the age of about 6 or 7 only | |
| Train Ride | There are no height restrictions, so adults may travel with younger children, if required | |
| Toytown | Suitable for toddlers and pre-school children up to the age of 5 or 6 | |
| Mini Octopus | Suitable for toddlers and pre-school children up to the age of 5 or 6 | |
| Big Swingboats | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride | |
| Little Swingboats | No | |
| Jubilee Steam Gallopers | No | |
| Mini Boat Ride | No | |
| Chair-o-Plane | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride | |
| Steam Yachts | Must be over 1.05 metres (3.4 feet) tall to ride middle yellow seats, all other seats may be ridden by anyone over 1.2 metres (3.9 feet). You must be able to hold on, as there are no safety bars. | |
| Super Skid | Yes | |
| Giant Octopus | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride | |
| Dodgems | Must be over 1.1 metres (3.6 feet) tall to ride |
In 2014, Carters Steam Fair moved from taking cash payments at each attraction to a token coin system. By April 2016, there were two distinct minting productions featuring different designs. Both designs depict a Galloper ride horse on the reverse, with the texts "Carters Steam Fair", "No cash value", and "No refund value" around the image on the coin's edge. The text "1 Token" appears across the horse's neck horizontally in a rectangular box. All text is in block letters.
A number of die-cast models featuring the name of and / or reproducing vehicles used by Carters Steam Fair have been produced;
The Fair has been featured in many films including;
The Kaiser Chiefs' Meanwhile Up in Heaven music video was filmed on the fair in 2014.
Bartrip, P.W.J., The state and the steam boiler in Britain International review of social history 25, 1980, 77–105, Government intervention and the role of interest groups in 19th Century Britain in regard to stationary boilers.
David Whyley Austin automobiles, 1998, Volume looks at Austin children's pedal cars of the 1950s, including the Pathfinder racing model, illustrated with manufacturer's photographs.
Adrian G. Shaw with Anna Carter, A season with Carters Steam Fair, words by Anna Carter, soft-cover book of black and white photography by Adrian G Shaw, documenting a season on the road with Carters Steam Fair, 60 pages, paperback, illustrated throughout.
Paul Braithwaite, Arcades and slot machines: with an A-Z of British manufacturers, 1870–1970; edited by John Carter; photography by Brian Steptoe., White Waltham:Carters Books 1997, Lists known makers between 1870 and 1970 and describes particular models, features photographs from Carters Steam Fair's arcade machine collection, 105 pages, paperback, illustrated throughout.
Paul Braithwaite, John Carter's Jubilee Steam Gallopers: a souvenir of one hundred years of riding for pleasure!, With John Carter. The story of Carters Jubilee Steam Gallopers, from manufacture to the present day, including detailed information and illustrations of its restoration and history, Maidenhead:J. Carter and Sons, 1995, 64 pages, paperback, illustrated throughout, ISBN (pbk.) BNB GB9589409.
Paul Braithwaite, Swings, Park Swings, Overboats and Over The Tops, Edited by John Carter. Covers the style and manufacture of these types of fairground rides, Maidenhead:J. Carter and Sons, 1996, 28 pages, paperback, illustrated throughout, ISBN (pbk.) BNB GBA336684.
Kevin Scrivens, Carters Jungle Thriller: The lost ark / compiled by Kevin Scrivens and Stephen Smith, The story of Carters Jungle Thriller Ark, illustrated with clear photographs of the restoration process and the build-up of the ride, Maidenhead: Carters Books, 2006, 37 pages, paperback, illustrated throughout, ISBN (pbk.) BNB GBA907362
Anna Carter, Carters: No 1 For Family Fun, Introducing Carters Steam Fair, from its history to its rides. 40 pages, paperback, illustrated throughout.
John Carter and Anna Carter, Putting fun back into funfair, Maidenhead: Carters Steam Fair, 1994?