The first fair was held in Southampton as early as 1487. The Trinity Fair was held on fields adjacent to the River Itchen as it flowed past Chapel and into the sea.
A new charter granted by King Henry VII the year before guaranteed the continued existence of the Trinity Fair for generations to come in the city.
There were three days of attractions every year, luring fairgoers in with acts such as wrestling and bear performances. It would all have been watched as people gulped ale and ate cake.
To attract customers, merchants and traders rented stalls and pitches and displayed their wares along with food, drink, and visual spectacles.
In the middle of the 18th century, Trinity Fair ceased due to construction on and around the Chapel area.
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Over the centuries that followed, various fairs appeared including one in Above Bar where the attractions spread out into what is now known as Palmerston Park. In 1874, the Above Bar Fair and its sideshow attractions raised eyebrows among local councillors, according to the Daily Echo archives.
Under the headline “Proposed Abolition of Above Bar Fair”, the Echo printed an account of an exchange between councillors debating the future of the event.
“Mr Purkiss speaking at a meeting of the Town Council said he went through the fair at 10pm on Monday night and into every booth, and he saw sights he never wished to see again. He went on purpose to see how they, acted and he said it was a disgrace to civilization, and the abominations carried on were something dreadful.
“Mr Kilroy expressed a wish that Mr Purkis would explain what were the horrible exhibitions he saw at the fair, and at some length contended that the working classes should have their amusements.
“Mr Abraham said these fairs were a great detriment to businesses and brought thieves and vagabonds to the town. Mr Rogers proposed: That the council are of the opinion that the Above Bar Fair should in future be limited to a cattle and agricultural stock only. The proposal was carried by a majority of 12.”
A year later and the Above Bar Fair went the same way as the others - it was discontinued.
Fairs began on Southampton Common long before the Second World War, but they were never as needed as they were in the years that followed. Despite the dark cloud of post-war austerity, families discovered escapism in the fun they had there.
The rides were far from being the gravity-defying machines of today’s standards which whirl at breakneck speed while blaring loud music. The most exciting and advanced ride 75 years ago would most likely have been the big wheel.
These pictures were taken at the fair on Southampton Common in various years and decades.
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