Downs Steam Fair

The vintage fairground will stay on Crown Pier for Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May following Liberation Day.

Rides will be £3 each on these days.

Step onto the Gallopers, a hand-carved carousel built in 1893 by Frederick Savage. With twisted brass poles, cut glass mirrors and a traditional organ, it’s one of the oldest working carousels in the UK. It’s appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Half a Sixpence, and even operated at a Buckingham Palace garden party.

The Chair-o-Planes, built in the 1920s and redecorated in the 1970s by renowned fairground artist Neddy Matthews, are as popular now as they were a century ago.

The Helter Skelter stands 15 metres high and offers the same thrills it did in the 1950s. Restored by the Price family and featured in Paddington, it remains one of the few original slides still touring.

Children can also take the wheel in ten genuine 1950s Austin J40 pedal cars. Built by disabled miners in a Welsh factory set up by the Austin Motor Company, these chrome-trimmed classics run on a fixed circular track.

There will be a quiet hour from 10am to 11am on both Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May, with lower music and lighting levels for those who would benefit from a more relaxed environment. Visitors are encouraged to wear a sunflower lanyard if they are attending during this dedicated time. All rides will be free during this hour.