The Blackwell Wakes drew visitors from a wide area to it’s annual entertainment on the corner of Alfreton Road and Gloves Lane. Memories of those halcyon days are being collected for this page.
The Wakes 1921
The 1921 census for Blackwell Parish was taken during Wakes week, which happened every year about the time of the secondary Feast Day of St Werburgh on 21st June.
The Census shows that there were 11 caravans on the Fairground with 49 residents including 16 children under 10 years. All had been born in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire except three from Lancashire, and one each from Yorkshire, Northants and USA.
Three families operated Skittle Alleys, two Cocoa Nut Shies, two Steam Roundabouts and Cake Walks, one Rifle Range, and one Swing Boats. Another family operated a Traction Engine which provided the power for the rides and lighting, and another were Confectioners… possibly supplying the Candy Floss and other once a year treats.
The Steam Roundabouts family at Blackwell in 1921 was Fred Cox, with son Fred aged 6, daughter Sarah Ann 6 months and two of his wife’s family: Kate, on domestic duties and Bertha as Nurse to Sarah Ann. The operator of the traction engine was employed by Fred., who with son Fred junior became well known in the funfair business throughout the Midlands; we have images here of an advertisement for them at Nottingham’s Goose Fair and their Father Neptune Scenic Railway.
The date of the ad is currently unknown, and the census information lists only Steam Roundabouts, so we don’t know if this was at Blackwell or a later addition.
Another 1904 image shared from https://www.antons-show.co.uk/heritage.htm shows Fred Cox’s Four Abreast Steam Gallopers.
The Cox family had come to Codnor Park from Gloucestershire a few generations before Fred, and were miners, iron workers, engineers and boatmen. In the 1860s Fred’s parents Joseph and Jane moved to Pennsylvania for coal mining returning before 1870 after several of Fred’s older siblings had been born there. While in America, Joseph was drafted in 1863 during the American Civil War for the Union side, probably not something he was expecting when he left Codnor! Joseph appears to have been the first of the family to engage in the travelling funfair business, and by the 1891 census the family were in a caravan at Morledge, Derby at the Whitsun Fair. When Joseph died, Fred’s mother Jane continued the business as a widow, assisted by her sons and daughters.
Fred’s older brother Joseph was the engine driver in the family business, prior to his marriage in 1904. This is a photo of their showman’s caravan, in which they toured with son George seen here on the step. George was born in 1904 so this photo shared by his descendants, would be about 1910.
Fred’s cousin had a son Joseph who with wife Agnes was working for Fred at Blackwell in 1921, on Roundabouts and Cake walk.
Listen to Alec’s memories of The Wakes as a lad in the 1930s & 40s
In this oral history , Alec mentions 2 steam Traction Engines appearing over the hill from Westhouses on their way to the Fairground. He remembers them as The Admiral and The Adjutant, which we believe to have been made by Fowlers of Leeds in the first 20 years of the 20th Century. We have obtained these 2 photos from enthusiast websites of these two engines.
The 1950s/ 60s
Some stills here from Vera Purdy’s Cinefilm “Village Memories” about 1960
Roll A Penny
Hook A Duck
Dodgems
Cocoa Nut Shy
Rifle Range
Please send us your memories!
Who won a goldfish or a china dog?
Who fought in the Boxing Ring?
Who met the Girl or Boy of their Dreams on the Walzter?
Send us an email at greatercreative@platformthirty1.com