THE BALLOON MAN

Tyne and Wear to face fair battle after plug pulled on the Hoppings

Rival events joust to fill the void left when the plug was pulled on 130-year-old Town Moor Hoppings
 

View of the Hoppings from the top of the Helter Skelter, 2009 by Ernest Storeyfrom: chroniclelive.co.uk
20 Jun 2013
The rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland on the football pitch is legendary.
Now they are to be foes in the world of fun fairs as rival city events go head to head.
Fairs at Nuns Moor Park in Newcastle and Herrington Country Park near Sunderland both hope to corner the market left when the 130-year-old Hoppings Fair was cancelled.
The historic fair held on the Town Moor in Newcastle was cancelled due to a fall out between co-organisers the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain and the Freemen of Newcastle.
Now fairground families across the North East had to chose where loyalties lie as the fairs run on the same dates between Friday June 21 and Sunday 30 June.
The man behind the new ‘Great Toon Fair’ at Nuns Moor, Jamie Clark, said: “There was a lot of upset among the local community when it was announced that the Hoppings would no longer be taking place this year, which is why we are aiming to make the first 'Great Toon Fair' a fantastic alternative”.
Colin Noble who is running the ‘North East’s Largest Fun Fair’ at Herrington Country Park at Penshaw, said: “Ours is a lot bigger. They haven’t got the theme park rides like the log flume and giant roller coaster that we have. Their’s is just a standard fair. We’re not worried. We just hope there’s still a chance for the Hoppings to come back next year.”
read and see more at:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/tyne-wear-face-fair-battle-4685913