Our local annual Show....The Stanthorpe Show.

Every year, at the end of January or early in February, depending on the calendar, our local Show occurs.
This is a cause of much excitement in the central large town, Stanthorpe, and its surrounding villages and farms.
Like most country shows, it only lasts two days, but there is plenty to keep people entertained and occupied.

This Blog will focus on the show section beloved of all small children....Sideshow Alley.
Certainly it is nowhere near as large as those of the city shows, and definitely not as crowded, but the participants derive a lot of enjoyment from being there.

I doubt if Sideshow Alley gets much busier than this.

There are always the Clowns:

The Laughing Clowns.....every child wins a prize!

And Fairy Floss...although this prepacked variety looks decidedly less tempting than seeing it twirling in a huge vat, and scooped out while you wait, to be eaten so fresh. This show is apparently not big enough to warrant that degree of sophistication!

Just look at the range of colours! Mauve fairy floss anyone????

The Ghost House was not doing a good business at all.

Where are the intrepid show-goers??

The merry-go-round, aimed at the very little ones, was popular.

Do you remember being this young, and riding on such as this?

As was the merry-go-round based on teacups and saucers. Influenced by Alice in Wonderland, and the Mad Hatter's Tea Party?? I wonder. 

Tea for two, or more!

But the trapeze-cum-trampoline was a favourite, with children queueing up to "have a turn".

There are 4 kids on this trampoline...each one bouncing as high as possible.

Similarly, riding inside these large plastic bubbles, floating in a pool of knee-deep water, attracted a lot of kids. Each bubble had a large black zip, which opened the ball so that the child could climb in. Zip it up again. No water can enter. Then the kids had fun rolling it around on the water.

A child running endlessly in here is a little like a hamster in a wheel don't you think?

This zip appears to be opening. HELP!

And of course you can't omit the dodgem cars. Nearly all kids, and quite a few adults, love the crashes and bumps of these sideshow attractions.

Spin that wheel, and try and crash your neighbour!

After sampling the delights of Sideshow Alley, and its associated rides, most kids would have been satisfied with their trip to the Show.