Nottingham Goose Fair

It is not known exactly how long a fair has existed in Nottingham, but it has certainly been around for many centuries and may date back more than a thousand years. The earliest reference to a "St. Mathew's Fair" in Nottingham, held on 21 September, comes from Saxon times.[8] It is also known that the Danes had a settlement in Nottingham, and they most likely established a market, which may have included a primitive fair.[6]

The creation of commercial fairs by royal charter was widespread in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.[4] In 1164, a charter was granted by King Henry II to Lenton Priory, near Nottingham, to hold an annual Martinmas Fair starting on 11 November.[8] The royal charter meant that this fair took priority over any other fairs in the Nottingham district, which were forbidden for the duration of the Lenton fair. Then in 1284, King Edward I granted a charter for a separate fair to be held in Nottingham on St. Matthew's Day, although it is clear that a fair had already been established in Nottingham by the time the charter was granted.[4] Nottingham's fair flourished in Tudor times, because the 1284 charter released it from the restrictions and competition of the nearby Lenton fair.[8]

Hundreds of geese were driven from the Lincolnshire fens to be sold in Nottingham's Old Market Square

The first reference to the name "Goose Fair" can be found in the Nottingham Borough Records of 1541, where 21 September is referred to as "Goose Fair Day".[4][6] The name comes from the hundreds of geese that were driven on foot from Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to be sold in Nottingham. The birds' feet were coated with a mixture of tar and sand to protect them on the long journey of fifty miles or more.[6] It is recorded that up to 20,000 geese were driven up through Hockley and along "Goose Gate" into Nottingham's Old Market Square, where the fair was held annually for hundreds of years.[4][5] The geese were sold in Nottingham to provide the traditional Michaelmas dish of roast goose;[3] geese that had hatched in the spring were ready for the table by the end of September.[5] Michaelmas was celebrated on 29 September to mark the end of the harvest season.[6]

In 1752, the fair was moved back from St Matthew's Day (21 September) to the first week in October because of a revision to the British calendar.[5][6] On that year, eleven days (3–13 September) were omitted altogether from the calendar so that Britain could finally adopt the Gregorian calendar (following the Calendar Act of 1750) to align with the rest of western Europe. Hence, the start of Goose Fair was shifted to 2 October and has remained on or around that date ever since.

Goose Fair began as a trade event and, besides the sale of geese and other livestock, it became particularly famous for its high-quality cheese. In 1764, there was a cheese riot that was triggered by a sharp increase in the price of cheese compared with the previous year. The riot culminated in the mayor being toppled by a large cheese.[4][8]

From an early date, side shows were added to entertain the crowds, and eventually the trade element diminished as transport links improved and annual fairs were no longer essential for stocking up on items from travelling merchants. Fairground rides started to take over, and by the end of the 19th century Goose Fair included various gondola rides and gallopers, switchback horses, a tunnel railway, bikes, yachts, and animal side shows.[6] The fair gradually spread out into the streets surrounding the Old Market Square, which led to increased congestion, especially with the growth of traffic in the city. In 1928, the fair was relocated to the Forest Recreation Ground, having finally outgrown the city centre.[1][6] The move was highly controversial at the time, but the concerns proved to be unfounded as the new site, which is more than twice the size of the market square, turned out to be an ideal alternative.[9]

Nottingham's Goose Fair has not run continuously throughout its history. It was cancelled in 1646 because of the Great Plague, and again during World War I (1914–1918).[3][6] Although officially cancelled for the duration of World War II (1939–1944), the fair was held for a week in July 1943 during daylight hours (due to the wartime blackout regulations), and another daylight-only Goose Fair was allowed in August 1944.[10][11] The fair resumed on its traditional date of the first Thursday in October in 1945.

The length of the fair has varied over the years; originally eight days long, the fair was shortened to three days in the late 19th century,[6] but was increased again to four days after the turn of the 20th century.[3]

A traditional carousel (or galloper) photographed at Goose Fair in 1983

The Wild Mouse roller coaster at Nottingham's Goose Fair in 2010

Spinning drum ride ("XLR8") photographed at Goose Fair in 2010

Crane games at Nottingham's Goose Fair in 2010

Goose Fair's spinning swing carousel, pictured in 2012

Goose Fair is held annually at the Forest Recreation Ground,[12] which is about a mile north of Nottingham city centre. It takes over all of the grassy area of the recreation ground as well as half of the car park. A large area adjacent to the fairground is used as a temporary encampment for the show travellers to inhabit for the duration of the fair.

Special road systems take effect during the Goose Fair to allow the additional traffic to flow more easily. To prevent traffic congestion, parking is restricted in the local area, and no loading is allowed on local streets. The use of public transport is encouraged; there are regular trams to the Forest Recreation Ground and buses to the nearby Mansfield Road and Sherwood Rise.

The official countdown to Goose Fair is marked by the appearance of "Goosey", the fair's giant goose mascot. In the run-up to the fair, the 2-metre-high fibreglass and timber statue is installed on a roundabout on Mansfield Road, adjacent to the Forest Recreation Ground. This annual tradition started in the 1960s.[13] The fair is officially opened each year with a ceremonial ringing of a pair of silver bells by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham.[14]

Goose Fair has opened for four days over most of its recent history, but it was permanently extended from four to five days in 2009.[9] The date of Nottingham's fair has created a problem in recent years, as it overlaps with the Hull Fair. Some of the top rides from the Goose Fair have therefore to travel directly from Nottingham to Hull, not opening at Hull until around the fourth day of the fair. This was avoided in 2013 by having Hull Fair start a week later than usual.[15]

The fair has seldom been affected by violence. However, in 2004, 14-year-old Danielle Beccan was murdered near her home in St. Ann's, when a gang from a rival district opened fire from their car on a group of children walking home from the fair.[16]

Goose Fair was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it was officially cancelled on 21 August 2020 amidst ongoing safety concerns.[7]