Fairground Follies
30 September 2023 / Story: Geoff Smith; Photos: Anda Clayton, Rose Smith
South Coast goes to Fairground Follies
September 17 2023
On a beautiful Tuesday morning 7 cars departed South Nowra for a run up Cambewarra Mountain and on through Kangaroo Valley to Fairground Follies in Bowral where we met up with 5 more cars from the Illawarra and Sydney chapters.
I had no idea what Fairground Follies was about, but it turned out to be far more interesting than I had expected. The owner, Craig, has an extensive collection of Fairground Carousels and other Fairground musical “contraptions” dating back well over a century. The most ornate and spectacular being the carousel with horses and large cockerels, and the Mortimer Taj Mahal decorated in gold leaf, with statues of Aphrodite and Saint Cecilia The complexity of the collection is truly amazing and the majority are still in working order.
Most of the music generated for all the instruments is now computer controlled as it is so difficult to obtain the original rolls. However, the sounds were truly authentic and had most of us dancing to the music. I was going to include a video of several members doing the Can Can to the music from the Golden Lion but the bruises that would have resulted were not worth it! The ‘Chicken Dance’ was equally entertaining.
Craig’s collection also boasts several beautifully restored steam engines and a Romany wagon that must be seen to be believed. The wagon, in its day, cost as much as two houses due to all the gold leaf in the decorations. As Craig pointed out it even has its own ensuite, pointing to a bucket hanging on the front of the wagon. One could hardly believe a family of six fitted into this small space. All the kids slept under their parents bed or outside in a tent. I couldn’t imagine that happening today.
There was something for everyone on this tour… music, mechanics, artworks and lot of historical and entertaining stories. Thanks to Craig and Gracie for treating us to a fabulous’ follies’ tour.
After a pleasant few hours that seemed to fly by, we headed off to lunch at the Bowral Hotel. Both the food and company were excellent.
Another MX5 Club run came to an end so we had a relaxed drive back down to the coast to top off a brilliant day.
Geoff Smith
