The Gala

For us, but not for all, it was the “gaila,” rather than the “gahla.” When we were children, it was a really big deal. It was held every summer in Central Park, Wallasey. It was the only time I went to a travelling or temporary fair as a child. New Brighton fairgrounds, both indoors and out, were there all year, but I think the gala had the edge, because it was an annual “one-off” and because it had extra attractions like marching bands, competitions and displays.

I can’t actually remember much about being there. I think they had given up bear baiting, cock fighting, freak shows and bare-knuckle boxing by the 1950’s, but I’m sure there was still plenty to keep us amused.

When the restored railways announce their galas these days, which is admittedly fairly regularly, the mere mention of the word means that Central Park flashes across my consciousness as a prelude, before I check out what is actually on show.

This October, at the Great Central Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala, Standard Class 5 No. 73156 came back from the dead in time to impersonate No. 73084 Tintagel, in keeping with the “50 Years from the end of Southern steam” theme. The star visitors were the two Bulleid Light Pacifics, rebuilt No. 34053 Sir Keith Park from the Severn Valley Railway and un-rebuilt No. 34081 92 Squadron from the Nene Valley Railway – that one in quite a fetching early BR green livery with “go-faster,” yellow, lining out.

We had a lovely day out and didn’t miss the candy floss, toffee apples, zoo animals, Punch’n’Judy and dodgems at all. Thinking on, though, in the late nineteenth century fairground rides themselves would have been steam-powered and one of the lasting fairground attractions to this day is the ghost train.