AN exhibition looking at the role showmen played in the First World War has opened at Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre.

The exhibition ‘Travelling Showmen and the First World War’, is the first exhibition at Dingles and looks at how the Great War affected the travelling show community.

Show people suffered a loss of business, a loss of the ability to travel, a loss of staff and many of their own men who joined up didn’t return.

After the successful years prior to the war this period was very much one where the show people hung on for their survival. The exhibition, marking the centenary since the Armistice, has had a £10,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund so that it could be staged.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is a replica of a tank car as used on switchback rollercoasters from 1918, designed and produced by George Green Ltd of Glasgow.

This was made by Kevin Scrivens and Simon Harris, using works drawings. A similar model was made in-house by employee Rodney Wilcox.

Exhibition boards, telling the story of the fairground business during the Great War feature dozens of images of showmen from across the country in uniform.

The centre is also celebrating after its trust was recently awarded full museum accreditation. By being awarded accreditation status, the trust has proved that it meets the requirements of the standard for museums, as set out by Arts Council England.

To the Fairground Heritage Trust this is a major step forward and shows that the continued efforts made to raise the standard of the museums operation have been successful. Picture by James Bird.