Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Wallasey Gala

Anyone remember the Wallasey Gala? Used to be the highlight of our year. Travelling fair, taking home goldfish in little plastic bags (boo shame!). Massive fireworks display at the end. That's all I can remember about it but there must have been more to it?

It was held in Central Park.

That's about all I remember too! I guess the last one would have been about 1971? I remember a test your strength machine on one of the fields between St John's Church and the Art School, and the smell of diesel exhaust fumes mixed with Mr Whippy (or Mr Softy!) ice-cream. Even now I one smell reminds me of the other! I think the circuses that used to come used to pitch up on the same fields. Billy Smart, Gandeys, and one beginning with F that I can't remember. Nice family atmosphere at all these events - can't imagine it now!

Fossett's?

That's the one! Thanks!

Just saw this topic -
- Anyone else remember going to Bertram Mills' circus, in Central Park? Can't remember what year... I think it may have been the late 50s or early 60s but I do remember seeing Coco the Clown... a very famous clown ("Auguste", actually)!

I remember both the gala and the circus visits - in what we used to call the "band stand field", next to the rose garden. The gala was a great day out, seem to remember it started with a parade with morris dancers - the girls with pompoms type, not the men with bells on their legs type!!! - that went along Liscard Road. Had my first go on the waltzers (hated it!) at the fair, loved all the sideshows and came home with many a poor, doomed goldfish. The Royal Iris bus was always there, and great fireworks at night (though probably pretty pathetic by today's standards...).