The Nottingham Goose Fair in Nottingham, England (UK)

Pack your travel bags and join me on an excursion over to England. I originally learned of the Nottingham Goose Fair back when I was stationed in southern Italy. I worked in the United States Air Force, and one of our sister units was based in England. I was lucky enough to visit there several times over the course of three assignments in Europe. The most amusing additional duty I ever heard of for my fellow junior officers was Duck Control Officer (DCO) for their base. The duty was a real job, not a joke! Queen Elizabeth has a vested interest in the local wildlife and waterfowl. On that particular Air Base, apparently the local ducks enjoyed high esteem in the royal family. If any military service member, government worker, or family member injured a duck, an entire investigation and report were completed by some (un)lucky young lieutenant or junior captain. I actually met the DCO at RAF Chicksands back in the spring of 1987, and my partner and I shared quite a few laughs over the specific duties described. And to think that we thought WE had it bad with our "extra jobs" back in Italy! This unusual assignment opened my eyes to an entire fair dedicated to the lowly goose, taking place a bit further to the north, in the lovely city of Nottingham, within the United Kingdom.

Nottingham hosts its annual Goose Fair each autumn, during the early part of October. Located approximately 126 miles north of London, the city is tucked into the county of Nottinghamshire, within the East Midlands. The festival itself is over SEVEN centuries old and brings many tourists, vendors, and goose lovers to the area in the early weeks of autumn! The city fathers take their goose fair very seriously, dedicating a section of their city website, as well as an entire set of webpages, to the Nottingham Goose Fair of England. It is said that Queen Elizabeth I was eating her Christmas goose, when she was briefed on the news of the Spanish Armada's defeat in 1588. Whereas we Americans might eat turkey or ham for the holidays, the Christmas Goose is a staple in England.

The most intriguing legend describing the origins of the fair dates back to a 15^th or 16^th Century angler, who reeled in a big perch from the nearby River Trent. "Perched high in the air a wild goose aspired the fish, secured it and carried it off with rod, line and angler attached." When the angler (sorry, no mention made of the fish or his fishing rod noted) was dropped safely onto the market place, a festival was born! A second story, ringing a bit more logical, notes that large numbers of geese were herded to Nottingham from surrounding areas for later sale, and festival eventually emerged. In the old days, before refrigeration, it was important to keep the birds alive. They were actually walked to the fair grounds, and had special leather gear to protect their feet. The fair dates dovetail with an even earlier festival, the Feast of Saint Matthew. The Feast of Saint Matthew marked a good time for the fat and meaty geese to be auctioned in Nottingham. Goose fairs flourished all over England in early October, but the Nottingham Goose Fair is King, with nearly a half of a million people gathering! People may buy their 21st Century goose at the grocery, but the Nottingham Goose Fair survived.

Over the years, many obvious changes overtook the festival, and yet it has endured. Originally stretching 8 full days, the popular fair now covers a Wednesday through Saturday schedule, or three and a half days of events. It's important to note the fair has only been cancelled four times in recorded history:

1. The Plague and travel restrictions stopped the fair in 1646;
2. The realignment of the calendar cancelled events in 1752;
3. World War 1;
4. World War 2.

Even the site of the Nottingham Goose Fair was maintained in the city center for more than six centuries, despite increasing crowds, traffic, and congestion. Finally, after decades of haggling and protests, the Goose Fair was moved just outside of town. In 1928, the fair was uprooted from the Old Market Place to its current digs on the Forest Recreations Grounds, a straight shot off Mansfield Road (A60), northwest of the actual city of Nottingham. The fair itself is so large that cars are prohibited from parking at the grounds. Bus and tram service is frequent and convenient, along with a Queens car-park for private vehicles, offering shuttle service provided to the grounds. Nottingham boasts a state-of-the-art public transportation system, with convenient and frequent service to/from the Goose Fair.

With modern food storage and geese available at the butcher for upcoming holidays, why do people go to Nottingham's Goose Fair? Tradition is a major player, and FIVE HUNDRED rides offered on-site draw in the most reluctant travelers toward a weekend of family fun. The festival organizers maintain that locally produced foodstuffs are the back-bone of the event. Many Americans downplay English food, but it's actually wonderful and diverse. The old English empire was vast, so many foreign flavors and specialties are found on the fair grounds. In years gone by, cheese held a center place in the fair's cuisine highlights. Folks remember the variety and good pricing within the seafood stalls, and most fair-goers associate cotton candy (candy floss in the UK) and candy (toffee) apples with their childhood memories at Nottingham! Some things are different across the pond; fortunately, some things transcend international borders.

Today, the Nottingham Fair is one of the best attended, prestigious events in England. Mushy peas with mint sauce are the Goose Fair's equivalent of Strawberries and Cream at Wimbledon or my local Murdick's Fudge on Mackinac Island, in Upper Michigan. Most people comment that the variety and depth of carnival rides available is amazing, with the Ferris Wheels highlighted as gigantic! A few thrill-seekers lament the lack of "really large" roller-coasters. Considering safety issues, I'm just as happy with permanent sites (elsewhere) for those speeding cars on rolling rails! Traders rush directly from Nottingham to the prestigious Hull Fair, located in a nearby shire (or county) at Hull, a coastal town northwest of Nottingham. Rather than forgo the Nottingham Fair, the traders arrive late for their time at Hull, which boasts a longer, 8-day schedule.

This year, you can plan your vacation at Nottingham Goose Fair, beginning at 5 p.m. on the 1st of October 2008. As always, the fair begins on a Wednesday, and ends just before midnight on Saturday. Traditionally, the fair closed before townswomen in their best dresses head off for Sunday church. Here's the upcoming schedule for 2008:

Wednesday October 1st 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Thursday October 2nd 12 noon - 11 p.m.

Friday October 3rd 11 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Saturday October 4th 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Admission to the fair is free, although the traders charge for their rides and foods at fairly competitive prices. One of the most frequently echoed comments reported by fair goers is the fact that Nottingham fair is fun the entire family, and a good value for the pocketbook.

The Nottingham Goose Fair website http://www.nottinghamgoosefair.co.uk/ is your best bet for discovering additional information. Unfortunately, their dates reflected last year's schedule during my most recent visit. I'm confident that this will be corrected soon...the information is already "current" on the associated city website. Check out my links, but detailed travel information, options, and pricing are available at http://www.thetram.net/ and http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/goosefair/p4.htm

For the best images of the fair without actually being there, visit Tim Holmes' Fair Pictures at http://timsfairpictures.fotopic.net/ This gentleman travels fairs all over England, and his views of the various rides and event are detailed and descriptive.