Tuesday 30 July 2013

The Fair & Being A Mother

Having always loved a fair from being little, the lights, the noise and the smell of candy floss permeating the air. As a teenager being able to go to the fair or as we called it in Leeds the Feast, Woodhouse was the main one we went to, with my mates felt so grown up. I have said before I was a bit of a daredevil so the scariest of rides I would be the first in line. Hearing your favourite chart songs thudded out all added to the buzz. To this day I can't hear Step Right Up (Sideshow) by Barry Biggs without it transporting me to being on a waltzer circa 1976, screaming so the feast lads would spin us faster. We would eye up the feast lads, they usually were, what in today's terms, were quite "ripped" tanned, covered in tattoos and a sleeper glinting in one ear, they seemed dangerous, mysterious and worldly, which they probably were. And we all had the sense not to go near them with a barge pole, despite their efforts. To be honest looking back they targeted the girls that looked equally worldly, not pre pubescent giggly girls that would take way too much time to get a result, they had to strike quickly only being in town for a short space of time.

My love affair with a fair started to diminish when I had kids, the dangers all too apparent and more so the potential for danger. Wrapping every limb around the kids on a ride, glaring at a feast lad if he so much as attempted to spin us, this eventually became imploring looks to please stop the ride, they never do take any notice. Wondering if we are going to get food poisoning from the stall food, taking them while it was still light, this time of day doesn't attract the youths. I took my nieces to Hull fair in their early teens, walking a pace behind them it was very clear how many leering looks the attracted. The fair stopped being fun.

Obviously the excitement in the girls when they see all the posters for the fair coming to town, I can't not take them. They have been nattering me all week so we went on Saturday. T is just like I was, the bigger the scary she wants to be on it. Thankfully my sis in law came too, I just can't go on them anymore, she was happy to. A is just bordering on to moving from the kiddy rides to something a little more adventurous, as I have said before with a bit of health and safety thrown in. The one thing I am more than happy to go on is the bumpers/dodgems which ever you prefer to call them, for me they are called dodgems as I am hell bent on no bastard bumping in to me.

My sister in law said after going on sorts of rides with T "do you know the fair is just not the same", I told her it's called being a mother.


Sha X

2 comments:

Lesley Beeton said...

I don't know how I made it to adulthood. I was so reckless, my poor parents didn't know the half of what I got up to. It's all about risk assessment x.

Sha said...

I was very reckless too Lesley *shudders* hate to think the girls will do the same xxx

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