Alan bounces back to his fun fair life
Funfair owner Alan Stokes was delighted to be back working at the weekend – if only in a very small way.
A large bouncy castle in Cae Glas Park brought bank holiday fun to families in Oswestry and a return to some kind of normality for Mr Stokes.
He has spent his entire lifetime in the travelling showground world.
And Stokes Funfair has been a permanent fixture in the life of teenagers growing up in the town for half a century. So much as that Mr Stokes has been honoured by the town council for his contribution to the community. He helped out at his father’s funfair as a small child and tells of sleeping underneath the family’s steam wagon.
He went on to take over the business and build up a large collection of fairground rides, which had been grounded after the coronavirus pandemic struck.
But Oswestry Town Council gave permission for a small fair to be based in the park over the weekend with the bouncy castle open across the bank holiday.
For more than a decade the Stokes Funfair has transformed Oswestry’s Church Street into a winter wonderland every Christmas. In just a few hours on the afternoon of late night shopping, his staff move into the street, Festival Square and part of Central car park, putting up the large fairground rides in time for the thousands who flock to enjoy the annual Christmas Live event.
However, the festive night of fun has also fallen victim to Covid-19 restrictions this year and will not be taking place.
