THIS week I take a look at the history of the annual fair.

Fulledge recreation ground first became used as the site of the fair in July 1950. The event had previously been held at the cattle market site near Parker Lane and Grimshaw Street. The fair was held there from 1866 until 1949.

The 1950 fair almost did not take place. The showmen objected to the fair being moved to Fulledge recreation ground and Fulledge residents objected also, as they did not like the thought of their recreation ground being used for such a noisy purpose.

The main reason the fair moved from the cattle market was that the present police station was due to be constructed on part of the site. Almost no attractions arrived at Fulledge recreation ground for the fair in 1950 as most of the showmen boycotted the event.

In 1951 the annual fair took place at Hill Top, near Church Street. This was the site for the fair until 1955. Since 1956 the fair has been held at Fulledge recreation ground. However, in 1958 just one game was the sole attraction at the fair as showmen boycotted the event again.

There has been a fair each year in Burnley since 1294. It was in 1294 that a charter was granted to Henry de Lacy, the Earl of Lincoln, to hold a weekly market and an annual fair in Burnley. The markets and fairs were held in front of St Peter's Church until about 1770. The markets and fairs were then held roughly where the present market square is situated. In addition, St James's Street was also used by fairground people.

The annual fair was moved to the now cattle market near Parker Lane in 1866. In about 1930 some of the attractions of the fair here included roundabouts known as the "Golden Dragons" and the "Diving Whales," and stalls that sold such things as brandy snaps, balloons and black peas. Another very popular roundabout was called the "Flying Pigs" and 'Waltzing Balloons."

The Boxing Pavilion was particularly popular between about 1925 and about 1937. The Boxing Pavilion was run by Bert Hughes for many years, from 1914. His father ran the pavilion for many years before he did.

Burnley had quite a few talented professional boxers between about 1920 and about 1950. They included Tommy Marren and Tommy Kenny who both fought in boxing fights in the pavilion at the fair.

In 1932, Arty Smith, of Burnley knocked out another local boxer Harry Pollard in a famous fight at the pavilion. Harry Pollard lived in Lyndhurst Road and was a highly respected plumber for many years. he died in 1981.

The Boxing Pavilion was run by Matt Moran from about 1945 until about 1967. It was also a popular feature of the fair at Hill Top and at Fulledge recreation ground after the fair ceased to be held at the cattle market site.

Fulledge recreation ground has had many visits from circuses in the past, some of the most popular visits were those of Bill Smart's circus in 1959, 1962 and 1965. The biggest circus that has ever visited Burnley was Barnum and Bailey's circus. It entertained audiences at Fulledge recreation ground in September 1898, when this circus came to Burnley for the only time. The recreation ground had been created two years earlier in 1896.

On October 8, 1904, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show performed on Fulledge recreation ground, with over 700 participants. There were over 10,000 spectators in the grandstands that were built. For the occasion features of the show included Indian dancing by real red Indians and a re-enactment of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. In this re-enactment 100 Indians took part. Some of these Indians had been in the real battle in 1876 which is also famous as "Custer's Last Stand."

The famous Buffalo Bill Cody and his adopted son Johnny Baker also showed off their skills at shooting ball thrown into the air by attendants in the Wild West Show.

On the night before the show Cicely Southworth of Admiral Street committed suicide on the recreation ground.