Nottingham Goose Fair

The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual travelling funfair held at the Forest Recreation Ground in Nottingham, England, during the first week of October, with the next fair starting on the 30th September 2016. It is largely provided by showmen (travelling fair people). It is one of only two established fairs in the United Kingdom to carry the name, the other being the smaller Goosey Fair in Tavistock, Devon.

History

The fair dates back more than 700 years. The consensus among historians is that the fair probably started just after 1284, when the Charter of King Edward I referred to city fairs in Nottingham. The Goose Fair was cancelled due to the bubonic plague in 1646 and again during the two World Wars in the 20th century. 1927 was the last year it was held in Old Market Square in Nottingham City Centre; it was then moved to the Forest Recreation Ground because of redevelopment of the Square.

The Goose Fair started as a trade event and enjoyed a reputation for its high-quality cheese, although it is now known for its rides and games. Its name is derived from the thousands of geese that were driven from Lincolnshire to be sold in Nottingham.

Nottingham

Nottingham (ⁱ/ˈnɒtɪŋəm/ NOT-ing-əm) is a city in Nottinghamshire, England, 30 miles (48 km) south of Sheffield and 30 miles (48 km) north of Leicester.

Nottingham has links to the legend of Robin Hood and to the lace-making, bicycle (notably Raleigh bikes) and tobacco industries. It was granted its city charter in 1897 as part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Nottingham is a tourist destination; in 2011, visitors spent over £1.5 billion - the thirteenth highest amount in England's 111 statistical territories.

In 2013, Nottingham had an estimated population of 310,837 with the wider urban area, which includes many of the city's suburbs, having a population of 729,977. Its urban area is the largest in the East Midlands and the second largest in the Midlands. The population of the Nottingham/Derby metropolitan area is estimated to be 1,543,000. Its metropolitan economy is the seventh largest in the United Kingdom with a GDP of $50.9bn (2014). The city is also ranked as a sufficiency-level world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

Hawkwind videography

The British space rock group Hawkwind have been active since 1969, but their earliest video release is Night Of The Hawk from their Earth Ritual Tour recorded at Ipswich on 9 March 1984. Since then, there have been numerous video releases covering the evolution of the band; some are professional broadcast shoots, others commercial, and a few are amateur.

There have also been some live video shoots of the band during the 1970s, although none have seen a commercial release. These include an early 12 April 1970 The Roundhouse, London performance and a Hawklords performance at Brunel University, Uxbridge on 24 November 1978.

The Hawkestra event, a reunion featuring appearances from all past and present members on 21 October 2000 at the Brixton Academy, was professionally filmed but disputes between band members would indicate any forthcoming release unlikely.

Promotional

Space Ritual

Nottingham (UK Parliament constituency)

Nottingham was a parliamentary borough in Nottinghamshire, which elected two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons from 1295. In 1885 the constituency was abolished and the city of Nottingham divided into three single-member constituencies.

History

Nottingham sent two representatives to Parliament from 1283 onwards.

The constituency was abolished in 1885 and replaced by Nottingham East, Nottingham South and Nottingham West.

Members of Parliament

1295–1640

1640–1885

Notes