THEY were the high-days and holidays which everyone in Southampton looked forward to, a chance to, perhaps, forget about the post-war austerity and to enjoy a fun time for all the family.

Back in the late 1940s,1950s and 1960s so popular were the fairs, which established themselves on the Common, that the local corporation bus service laid on "Specials" which took the crowds from the centre of Southampton up to the drop-off point near the Cowherds public house in the Avenue.

The fairs, which had their roots far back in medieval times, were eagerly looked forward to by local people. It was time for candy floss, hot dogs, carousel rides, trips on the Big Wheel, the chance to win a coconut and even a goldfish swimming in a small plastic bag.

As people entered the fairground from the Avenue end the first few stalls were mainly traders selling crockery and other household its. "I am not asking £4 for this tea set, its yours for £2 10 shillings (£2.50), now whose going to have this fine bone china set!"

In those days the fair also included side shows including the Wall of Death where a motorcycle rider would go round and round inside a wooden drum, there was the boxing booth where fairgoers who fancied their chances of going three rounds with one of the resident boxers and winning £5 if they managed to survive the bout, another attraction was the rather risque "Artistic Revue" where customers could watch undraped models perform "tableaux direct from Paris".

Fairs dated back as far as medieval times when weekly markets were staged in Southampton and people would travel from far and wide to attend the gathering.

On three occasions a year another fair set up shop for three days at a time near the Chapel of St Mary and the Holy Trinity. There were also many other fairs across the county where weavers, dyers, tailors and drapers all sold their wares

This long tradition of fairs still continue to this day when the Common plays host to a travelling fair at various times through the year.