Dates

• Existence: Active 2001 - 2003

Biography

Shaun's passion for fun fairs grew from watching the arrival, build up and opening of M.A.Collins & Son’s Fun Fair in his home town of Altrincham, during the 1970’s and early 1980’s. His very earliest memory was walking across the ground to get the newspaper with his grandmother, and watching the fair from her flat.

From reading weekly copies of Worlds Fair newspaper on a paper round, he became aware of other fun fairs, and started to cycle farther afield to follow the fair, with trips to Wythenshawe Park and Knutsford.

Altrincham, had two fairs, one in spring and the second in September during this period. The Spring Fair always fell before Easter or immediately afterwards, when it preceded Collin’s show piece event - Knutsford Royal Mayday Bank Holiday Fun Fair. Showmen from across Lancashire, converged on Lloyd Street (the former site of Altrincham’s fairs) a derelict piece of land that provided a stopping off place prior to pulling on at Knutsford. Here the like’s of Wallis’s, Green’s, Wrights etc would join up with Collins’s.

Lloyd Street was used throughout the year, as a stopping off place for many showmen, with rides parking up here, more often than not beside the Bakers Arms.

The late 1980’s and 1990’s passed by with the occasional visit to the fair, but with the advent of the digital camera and desktop computer and websites like ‘All the fun of the Fair’ a new passion was awoken.

Shaun is extensively interested in documenting fairground art, and the build up of rides and attractions, with an extensive collection of over 45,000 images.

Shaun also provided reports for the Worlds Fair Newspaper, covering the Merseyside and North Wales region for a number of years up until it’s demise in 2019.

Over the last 10 years Shaun has been involved in building of websites for numerous travelling showman in the North West, and has helped design artwork for some events including the ‘Great Leeds Valentines Fair’.

Shaun is a member of the Fairground Association of Great Britain, serving on its Committee in 2020, responsible for maintaining the website and Facebook Social media presence. While also working as a School Catering Manager opposite one of Liverpool’s prestigious parks, where John Collins and his family attend throughout the summer. The Collins connection continues! Even when he moved to the Wirral in 2000.

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records: