Biography

The Noyce family originated from Hampshire and has been travelling the British fairground for eight generations.

James Noyce Snr (c1898 - 1974), grandfather of the current head of James Noyce & Sons, grew up in Petersfield. He served in the army during the First World War at just sixteen years old, fighting in India and France where he was involved in the battle at Paschendale.

James married Clara Brown, whose family came from North Camp, and they moved to Farnborough in the late 1920’s. James and Clara had two sons Thomas (Tommy) (b.1943) and James Jnr. (Jimmy), who took over the business after their father’s death in 1974 at Witney Feast.

The brothers travelled fairgrounds up and down the country during the 1980s and 1990s including Leeds Valentine’s Fair, Cardiff Big Weekend Fair, Oxford St. Giles, Nottingham Goose Fair, Witney Feast, Bridgwater, Banbury Michaelmas Fair, Chichester Sloe Fair and Loughborough Fair.

In the twenty first century Tommy’s son Joseph (Joey) (b.1969) and his wife Narvenka nee Shaw, who are still based in Farnborough, continue travelling the fairs under James Noyce & Sons. One of their most renowned rides is their set of Golden Gallopers, which was originally made by Savages of King’s Lynn in 1884 and was purchased by James Noyce Snr in 1950. The ride famously featured on Marks and Spencer's TV Fashion Fairground advert in 2008. Joseph and Narvenka present their carousel every year at London Leister Square during Christmas, Stratford-upon-Avon and take it as far as Birmingham and Manchester.

Joseph and Narvenka have three children and one grandchild Savarnya Tia Noyce.

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