Appleby Horse Fair

Dominic

Anyone seen it / been there 
I passed a convoy of travellers on the road yesterday headed that way. It was sunny and van and 4x4 windows were down with arms hanging out - more gold Rolex watches than all the Bond Street jewellers combined !
 

Deijavoo

Yup. My mother in law's house is surrounded by it every year.

Dominic

Is that as terrible as the newspapers would have you believe ?

King85

Dominic said:

Is that as terrible as the newspapers would have you believe ?

If business shut shop and board their windows it must be quite bad 

digitalscream

Nah, but we have Burghley Horse Trials in our town every year, and it's a bloody nightmare with all the posh set clogging up the town with their Chelsea tractors for a week (well, even more than usual).

Dominic

Not "Chelsea Tractors " but the real purpose of the vehicle 
at least you don't have to hide the hedgehogs !

digitalscream

Dominic said:

Not "Chelsea Tractors " but the real purpose of the vehicle 
at least you don't have to hide the hedgehogs !

That's just it - they park their sodding 4x4s all over the town, and then walk to the park!

jonnyburgo

It s a good place to go to have a fight and sexually assault girls that you fancy.

Revolting1

Thats show Jumping........

zepp76

We have wickham horse fair every year and every pub in the vicinity closes and locks up, it's an absolute nightmare. A couple of weeks ago my local pub was taken over by Irish travellers, they caused loads of damage, vomit everywhere and one horrible sod took a shit on the disabled toilet floor, truly disgusting behaviour.

Dominic

16 years ago I helped a friend with a huge Antiques stall at the massive Newark Furniture Fair which attracts sellers from all over Europe to buy/trade and deal furniture of all types -it probably covers 30 acres of show ground.
You get a big Irish Traveller contingent selling Irish Oak furniture.
They really are something else ;
Every evening after the fair closed they would hold massive Bare-knuckle bouts to settle scores and for betting.Massively brutal fights and literally hundreds of thousands in cash being bet .They are as hard as Fuck.
In the morning at 5 am when people are setting up stalls in the dark (this was March ) I've seen one old boy who I saw pissed the night before , come out of the Caravan to have a wash - literally picked up a water butt of freezing water and tipped it over himself without flinching !
 The bit that really surprised me was how these huge groups of their girls from about 14 upwards parade around all day from 8 in the morning dressed like prostitutes and over made-up as if they were going a modelling shoot -I thought they were supposed to be chaste ?
I saw two girls of about 18 have a fight.......Jesus , I thought the blokes were tough !
The little crew-cut  fat boys go round in little gangs of 9 year olds with thousands of pounds in their pocket trying to deal -they come to your stall and bid for things at ridiculous prices and try and intimidate you into taking £140 for a £1000 item -they egg each other on and keep saying to you "go on ,go on........Jesus now, you must have stones for brains -Dat's good money now -I'm telling ya " .....
When they finally realise that you won't give in they leave with a gobful of insults ..."Ya Bollocks ya "
You never think they were under 18 !
 Quite an amazing culture .

JerkMoans

Meet you for a pint at Barnet Horse Faor this September, @Dominic

Dominic

Thought you want to meet for a fight 
A drink is far too civilised.......we should get in the swing of things and meet for 5 rounds of Bare Knuckle Boxing
Ya Feckin' bollocks ya .........the curtains in ya caravan haven't been washed for a month and yer ma 's a trollop !

jonnyburgo

Your Nuthin but a dorty dorty sausage so you are, I’ll fight the lorra yers

JerkMoans

Dominic said:

Thought you want to meet for a fight 
A drink is far too civilised.......we should get in the swing of things and meet for 5 rounds of Bare Knuckle Boxing
Ya Feckin' bollocks ya .........the curtains in ya caravan haven't been washed for a month and yer ma 's a trollop !

2 minutes a round; anything goes except biting and bottles.

munckee

JerkMoans said:

Dominic said:

Thought you want to meet for a fight 
A drink is far too civilised.......we should get in the swing of things and meet for 5 rounds of Bare Knuckle Boxing
Ya Feckin' bollocks ya .........the curtains in ya caravan haven't been washed for a month and yer ma 's a trollop !

2 minutes a round; anything goes except biting and bottles.

No biting? You wuss.  

Dominic

I'll feckin' do ya like the way I learned ol' Davey boy Connor the time he got a bit lively like 

Nitefly

What was that old Cher song?  Oh yeah - "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves"...

Deijavoo

Dominic said:

Is that as terrible as the newspapers would have you believe ?

It's not my cup of tea personally. Some pretty rank stuff goes on with animals, but I know some people love it. 

I'd rather go on holiday somewhere else.

marantz1300

We grew up  in a caravan with knackers.
It was fucking great.
My nan had a house in Cork,but we had a caravan in England. We went back and forth.
I moved more than 20 times by the time I met my Mrs.
went to five schools.
Was illiterate at 7 yrs old.
Always had trouble with the old bill.
We are Irish ,but definitely not pikies.
The best days of my life.

Lodious

I worked with a guy who used to spend his lunchtime watching the pre / post fight videos the families make. If you Google John Joe Joyce there is plenty of insights into that world. I'm glad I don't swim in those waters.