A TRAVELLING showman will celebrate his 50th consecutive year at Burnley Wakes Fun Fair when it rolls into town next week.

Fifty-year-old ride-owner Billy Hill, whose grandad and dad were both showmen, has attended every fair since he was born in 1960.

The father-of-three, who is teaching the trade to his children, said he had seen some huge changes over the years.

He said: “The equipment has certainly got a lot better. Everything is computerised now as we move into the modern age.

“We are competing with theme parks now so we have got to keep the rides contemporary.

“But we still have the classic traditional rides like the dodgems and waltzer.”

Wakes is a celebration reliving the golden age when mill towns shut down for thousands of workers to celebrate holidays.

Originally held in the town centre, the event dates back to a royal charter in 1294.

It was moved to Fulledge Recreation Ground in 1956, where it has continued every year except 2008 when bad weather prevented it from going ahead.

Billy, who hails from Salford, said: “People have always supported us in Burnley – it is their fair after all.”

The fair is organised by the Lancashire Section of The Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, in conjunction with Burnley Council.

This year it will feature more than 30 rides, including a couple of new additions, Chaos and Over The Top. To celebrate half a century at Burnley Fair, Billy is offering thrill-seekers a chance to ride on his Mission to Mars rocket simulator for just 50p.

The fair will run from Wednesday, July 6, to Monday, July 11. Opening times are 4pm to 10pm weekdays and 1pm to 10pm Saturday and Sunday.

THE WAKES’ WEEK

  • Originally held in Burnley town centre, Wakes dates back to a royal charter in 1294.
  • The title comes from the medieval wake of St Peter, the local patron saint, but is also attributed to the old mills holidays.
  • By the 1870s, mill workers enjoyed three days’ unpaid summer leave and by 1914, they were taking 10.
  • Now the annual Wakes’ holiday is established as the first two weeks in July.
  • Edwardian mill workers often spent Wakes’ week by making a trip to the coast, commonly Blackpool.