Dates

• Existence: Initiated c1860 - 1889
• Usage: Incorporated 1972

Biography

The Shaw family’s fairground roots can be traced back to Sheffield in the early part of the twentieth Century, where the family stablished its winter quarters.

The Shaw family have been travelling fairs in the north of England for generations from Yorkshire grounds to Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester. The current firm, J.W. Shaw Amusements, is one the best–known fairground operators in the North West of England.

The Shaws first operated on fairgrounds around the late 1880s when Walter Shaw started to travel stalls. By 1897, he had expanded his business with the acquisition of a set of Steam Swings and progressively continued to increase his business portfolio by adding other rides such as the Wiggle Woggle and Switchback.

Walter had four sons, John, William (Bill), Walter and Charles who went into the family business from a young age. John expanded the business travelling a wide array of rides including Dodgems, children’s rides, a Helter Skelter, a Mono Rail, a Moon Rocket and a Noah’s Ark. Bill, also travelled many rides around Yorkshire and East Lancashire, including Arks, a Chair-o-plane and Dodgems while Charles focused on organising events.

John also had four sons, Walter, John, Joseph and Herbert who followed the family tradition, while Bill had two sons and a daughter, John, Bill and Pat.

John’s son Walter continued travelling the Yorkshire and Lancashire fairgrounds with various rides including the Moonrocket, a set of Hurricane Jets and a number of children’s rides. He also moved the business winter quarters from Yorkshire to Lancashire, where they have remained until now. Walter had two children, John Walter and Christina. Christina married renowned showman Anthony Harris, whereas John Walter took over his father’s business.

Walter’s brothers John and Herbert took over their father’s Dodgems and formed a partnership to acquire the business of Arthur Bates, under which name they operated for several years around Lancashire, Cheshire and Nottingham. In the mid-1900s John and Herbert dissolved their business to continue travelling separately. John retained the Arthur Bates Amusements brand, while Herbert traded as J&H Shaw Pleasure Fairs Ltd. When John retired from travelling, his business passed to his nephew John Walter, who now owned not only his father’s business but also his uncle’s.

From the late twentieth century onwards, the Shaw family business has been mainly known by the J.W. Shaw Amusements branding, after John Walter Shaw. John Walter travelled from 1974 onwards with a Waltzer, a Ramba Zamba, Dodgems and an Orbiter among other rides, which form the nucleus of attractions offered by JW Shaw Amusements together with several children’s attractions.

Although the Shaw family is now based in Lancashire, they still travel to Yorkshire and other nearby counties occupying some of the positions established over the years by generations of the family. The current generation of the Shaw family are John Walter’s children Farrar and Narvenka, who continue managing the business. Narvenka married Joseph Noyce and travels the Noyce family business with her husband and three children, James Noyce & Sons Funfair.

Shaw’s rides and attractions have appeared as far a field as Edinburgh, Dublin, King’s Lynn and Luxembourg over the history of the family, expanding six generations and are a regular fixture each year of the UK’s three premier fairs, Nottingham Goose Fair, Newcastle Town Moor and Hull Fair.

Found in 19 Collections and/or Records: