A funfair will open a surprise summer season in Keswick this month — and its rides and stalls could remain at Fitz Park until September if it proves a success.
North East-based Turners Funfairs will bring a selection of attractions to the town from Thursday for an initial period spanning two weekends after parks trustees accepted the company’s offer of £750 a week to use the open-air venue.
Brett Turner, whose family owns the traditional fairground business, says he is confident it will prove popular with locals and visitors after coronavirus wiped out its summer diary of shows and fairs and led to the cancellation of all Keswick’s 2020 festivals.
“We are definitely going through to Sunday, 2nd August, and would pitch for a third week,” Brett sai. “It depends how successful we are, but we would go for maybe six weeks.
“We’ll see if they (the parks trustees) are happy with us and we are happy with them.”
The funfair will be family orientated and feature a range of nine rides and stalls, from waltzers to a children’s roller coaster and hook-a-duck, situated between the playground and multi-sports surface area.
“Hopefully we will be an extra tourist attraction for Keswick itself,” said Brett.
The park has 12 trustees, who are all Keswick town councillors, and at a meeting last week, they agreed by eight votes, with two abstentions and two absentees, to accept the initial offer from Turners for a two-week period.
“It is another boost for the town and they take all the risk with insurance or if it rains and no-one comes,” said Keswick’s mayor Paul Titley, who had been contacted by the funfair company.
“Ten years ago we tried something like this in summer time with a nylon ice rink and it didn’t make a penny because it rained solid,” he added.
Deputy mayor David Burn, who, along with Mr Titley, met Mr Turner, said: “The Turners are very keen to do this. It would have been daft not to give it a go.”
Councillor Allan Daniels added: “I am all in favour of looking into it. It would suit Fitz Park — and it is £1,500 we don’t have.”
Parks manager Christine Fawcett expressed some concern about possible damage being caused in wet weather by getting the funfair equipment on to the grass or by footfall.
Alexandra Boardman said she hoped the fair would increase revenue for Cafe West and the cricket club, which are both nearby.
The funfair will only be allowed to operate from 11am to 7pm and there will be security on site round-the-clock.
The parks trust usually charges £500 a week for the venue to be used and is constantly seeking more money to pay for the upkeep of Upper and Lower Fitz Park as well as Hope Park.
