Dates

• Existence: Established c1870 - 1879

Biography

Silcocks Fun Fairs is run by the Silcock family, which started travelling the fairs of the north of England in the 1800s when Edward Silcock Snr. founded Silcock’s Travelling Fairs with a Flyer and a coconut shie.

Edward had four sons, Lawrence, Edward Jnr., Herbert and Arthur, all of who followed their father’s footsteps into the family business. They started to travel the fairgrounds in the years preceding the Frist World War with a set of swings, a children’s ride, a barrel organ and a set of Gallopers. The advent of the war however stopped them on their tracks and the brothers had to serve their country either in Europe or at home. After the war the brothers returned to the family business and prospered until the Second World War, when they run blackout fairs at Warrington Potato Market as part of the government’s Holidays at Home initiative.

Silcocks amusements progressed and expanded their busines by adding more rides and entertainments to their portfolio such as food stalls and arcades. In the 1950s they established themselves with rides at Southport fairground and started to operate amusement arcades in Southport and Blackpool.

The current head of the business is John Silcock, grandson of Edward Jnr. John has continued expanding the business and presenting rides in the north of England including at Nottingham Goose Fair, Hull Fair and Warrington Walking Day among other locations.

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