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Onion Fair

Nero the Lion - Onion Fair - 1924

While my father, Richard Fryer, was a student at Station Road School, in Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire, he was outside in the area in which Nero, the lion that escaped, from the Onion Fair at the Serpentine Grounds, in 1924, was roaming.

He still remembers seeing claw marks on a church building or monument.

More details are given at https://www.astonbrook-through-astonmanor.co.uk/aston_brook_through_aston_manorb0.htm and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion-baiting.

Regards, R. Paul R.
 
Escaped lion.

:skull: I wasn't born until 1946 but I can remember as a child being shown a gravestone where the lion sat. Poor creature. He didn't know any better just wanted a thing called freedom. :skull: TTFN. Jean.
 
Wow! My mother used to go on at length about 'the day the Lion escaped'. She was 13 at the time and she actually saw the poor old lion wandering around Aston Churchyard, and she reckoned that he was more scared of people than the people were of him! I seem to remember Mom saying that the poor beast was shot in the churchyard.

The expression 'the day the Lion escaped' turned into a bit of family stuff-and-nonsense for us, meaning that something or the other happened so long ago that it had almost been forgotten.

Personally, I detest seeing animals kept in enforced captivity. Only once in my life have I ever been to a circus, when I was very young. I was taken by Dad to a circus in (I think) Perry Hall Park, and that did it for me. Apart from the nightmarish clowns, the sight of animals being made to do tricks for the supposed 'entertainment' of humans sickened me, and it still does.
Sorry to be so negative, in case some people reading this actually like circuses and zoos, but I really do feel very, very strongly about this.

Big Gee
 
Re: Re Onion Fair

mw0njm said:
THANK ALL. for replys to why "onion fair"
peter martin
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My mother lived at number 10 Yewtree Road,which was right by Serpentin site ,where onion fair took place. When she was a child,her father George Bullock used to let people use his outside toilet in his garden. In them days the onion fair had no on site toilets.The only catch was he charged them. My mother and sisters and brothers used to stand at bottom of there entry shouting toilets. my grandad charged them an 1/2 penny for a wee and 1 penny for a number 2. If they said they were doing a wee and took to long ,my grandad used to say charge him a penny hes trying to twist us.Other memories my mother used to tell us was when fair had moved they used to search serpintine foe any money that had been dropped.My mother also remembers lion escaping ,and she told me it finished up in Aston Church grounds.Unfortunatly my mother died last year ,she would have loved to here stories on web site about the fair.
 
Morriss. Is your sir name Gardener?. You would have lived close to Keith Scrivens. Only bumped into him the other day. He's bought a caravan on Banks Farm where we are. Small world eh. Jean.
 
Yes I agree Nas. I still have most of their photo's. Mind you do you remember the nude show. They were not allowed to move. Just stand there. Us holte road crowd stood at the back wolf whisteling and got kicked out. Jean.
 
Gee Gee Jean said:
Morriss. Is your sir name Gardener?. You would have lived close to Keith Scrivens. Only bumped into him the other day. He's bought a caravan on Banks Farm where we are. Small world eh. Jean.
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Hi jean my surname is Morris my first name is Reg.
all the best reg
 
hi i have a memory of a large boxing booth and Randy Turpin either just before or just after he had a title fight with( Sugar Ray ?) im fairly certain it was the Onion Fair perhaps somebody could confirm it
33bus
tom
 
Big Gee I too went to a circus in Perry Hall park and had a nasty experience when one of the bare back riders fell off falling partly on me. Never liked circus from that day on. Mind you as a young child I loved the fair and having the Humphresses as family friends I hardly paid for any of the rides. I remember Alan on the little wheel he was always giving me freerides. 33 bus. Pete's just walked through the door and says he remembers Randolf Turpin and others boxing. Mind you Pete is a few years older than me. Ha Ha. Jean.
 
Gee Gee Jean said:
Big Gee I too went to a circus in Perry Hall park and had a nasty experience when one of the bare back riders fell off falling partly on me. Never liked circus from that day on. Mind you as a young child I loved the fair and having the Humphresses as family friends I hardly paid for any of the rides. I remember Alan on the little wheel he was always giving me freerides. 33 bus. Pete's just walked through the door and says he remembers Randolf Turpin and others boxing. Mind you Pete is a few years older than me. Ha Ha. Jean.
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I REMEMBER RANDY TURPIN FIGHTING IN A BOXING BOOTH AT ASTON ONION FAIR THINK THEY USED TO USE IT FOR TRAINING. I THOUGHT ONE TIME I SAW FREDDIE MILLS THERE BUT I MIGHT HAVE BEEB MISTAKEN. THE BOXING BOOTHS AT THAT TIME USED TO OFFER CONTESTANTS IN CROWD THE CHANCETO FIGHT THE BOXERS,AND IF THEY LASTED 3 ROUNDS THEY USED TO GIVE THEM £10. THEY WOULD PLAY WITH YOU IN TWO ROUNDS THEN MAKE SURE YOU DID NOT LAST 3RD ROUND. IVE SEEN MANY A DRUNKEN MAN TRY FIGHTING AFTER BEEN EGGED ON BY THERE MATES. BY FOR NOW REG
 
I have the music to the old organ and as I have said before a perfect miniature that plays it. Jean.
 
where have all them years gone jean.
did,nt we have some fantastic times at the onion fair.
i can see the hot dog stalls
and smell the candy floss. happy days regards dereklcg.
 
Dereck you've started the old taste buds off. My neighbour May used to do the pig roasts and once it was venison hence we had the biggest rolls going. Good days wern't they. Jean.:piggy::piggy:
 
Has anyone a photograph of the rifle range owned by the Humphries family?. A few posts back I put a photo on of Mrs Humphries who was the first owner with her husband. They handed it down to their two daughters Clara and Ruth who kept it going till they were elderly with the help of their fairground friends. They retired to Nuneaton but have both now passed away. Even owning houses they spent most of their final years in their wagon as they called it and only moved into one of the houses when they could no longer cope in the wagon. This is a photograph [not a very good one] of their wagon which went all over the country from fairground to fairgraound with them. That is there little dog that unfortunatly was run over just after this photo was taken. Jean.
 
HERES A PHOTO JEAN, CANT REMEMBER WHERE ITS FROM PROBABLY OFF THIS SITE SOMEWHERE, I Have about 3600 photos now so its difficult to remember where they come from or if they have been posted before
 
Astonite I can't believe it. That's Ruth on the left and Clara on the right. They were my Aunt Flosses and moms dear friends. We visited them at Nuneaton until they passed away. I have letters from them to my mom but only the photo of their mom if you would like to scroll back. It was wonderful as a child knowing these fair people as I have said before I would go on most of the rides for free. Brought a few tears to my eyes but thank you oh so much. Pete can't believe it as he used to take mom over in the car to visit them. Many thanks again. Jean.
 
One more for some kind soul out there. Has anyone a photo of the little wheel that used to be at the farr end of the Serpentine ground by Aston Hall Road. I used to have free rides and stay on all afternoon sometimes. A blond lad by the name of Alen used to run it. Thanks. Jean.
 
Hi ya Jean,i would say not, because the lorry is not modern modern but i would say 80s maybe, and the onion fair was long gone by then,i think?
maybe there is someone who knows better? if i,m wrong i,ll hold my hand up.
best wishes Derek
 
Hi All,

Just found this site with the Onion Fayre on it. This is very interesting. I used to live in Aston 1942 - 1953 and my Grandfather from Wales and his friend used to visit us every year when this Fayre was on as they used to join a trip from Wales. We always used to have such excitement when Grandad visited. He used to have his friend with him. We always used to have such fun to see him. Not many cars in those days you see. Anyway thanks to you all. Ann
 
Where in Aston did you live Ann?. I lived in Holte road from when I was born in 46 till I was nineteen. Jean.
 
Hi. I used live in Trinity Road. I have been looking for anything local to that. There used to be a cobblers shop on the corner and around that corner was Witton Road.
I used to go to a sweet shop around thatcorner which we used to call Lizzie Newbold. She had an awful disability with her hip but she was a lovely person.
I remember Princess Margaret in an open topped car coming down Witton road, and was there when they ripped the tram lines up. We had some of
these for our fire.
Unfortunately I cannot remember a very lot more as I was only 10 when we left Trinity Road on the death of my Grandfather in Wales. We went to Wales so that my mother could care for my Grandmother.
I think this is such a wonderful site. Regards, Ann
 
Ann my husband said "did he sell you the wood for the fire as he got lots of it up". I lived in Holte road and couldn't wate for the fair to come. I loved all things about it and the only thing that spoilt it once was when a fight broke out between the travelling folk and the local lads or men. Ann I am sure there is a thread on Witton road if you have a look on search. Bye. Jean.
 
Hi. Thank you Jean. I never got to the fayre. I shall have a look for the Trinity Road link. Many thanks anyway. Ann
 
Ann have just looked at the witton road and witton and aston barbers shops which are both very informative. Jean.
 
Oh the Onion Fair! I lived at the sweet and tobacco shop opposite and Church and the Fair from 1945 until 1960s. My mum and Dad were Beat and Sid Smith. Such memories - used to go up Park Road to the Wedekinds shop at the top on the right. Used to play on the bombsite at the back behind the post office and always went to the garden parties at the Vicarage. Such wonderful memories of Sunday School etc.
 
Hi Wallsalie there is a good thread on Aston parish church that I am sure you will enjoy also and the garden parties are mentioned on there. What was the name of your shop only I lived in Holte road and attended Manor Park Girls School. Fantastic memories of the fair. Jean..
 
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