Cornwall Funfairs
The brain-child of Steve Andrew, Cornwall Funfairs is a story about the development of a very effective fair in an
extremely short period of time. Steve is another ex-Redruth person who, although not born into a showland family, was
attracted to the life and decided to invest in his own equipment.
The first ride that Steve bought was a Waltzer that was originally an Ark from 1930 and was purchased with the best of
intentions, but was not salvageable and was scrapped.
Photo: Steve Andrew Waltzer, photographed in Scorrier (C) Simon Reed
Un-deterred Steve decided to invest and purchased an Ark that once came from Pickmere Lake having been purchased
by J.Cheetham in 1937. It was sold to Keith Emmett in 1990 and traveled throughout the West Country by Barry
Wareham before being sold via Mike Stabb to Steve in 2003. Steve rebuilt the underside of the machine replacing and
upgrading the trams and gates
Photo: : Ark A128 at Mabe 'Shindig' for it's first opening under his ownership (c) Steve Andrew
Steve sold the ride in 2006 and it is now in the Scarborough Fairground Collection.
Steve applied for and was granted membership of the Showman's Guild and following the sale of the Ark he purchased a Satellite/Trabant and a Big Wheel.
Photo: Steve Andrew Trabant open at Redruth (C) Simon Reed
The Trabant was well known in Cornwall having been owned by Vivian Bartle (2002) under the Whiteleggs Amusements
banner, Robert Kefford (March 2003), Steve Andrew (September 2005), and (I believe) was sold back to Vivian Bartle in
January 2007 It is now owned by Nick Peel.
Photo: Steve Andrew Trabant in the yard between Redruth and Porthtowan (C) Simon Reed
The wheel was the ex-T.Whitelegg machine, which he purchased from Dean Bailey. This did not last long with Steve and it was sold in 2006 and it is now owned by John Reed. The irony here being that it travels in the home counties and so I see it more often now than I did when it was in Cornwall.
Steve is involved across the entertainment industry working in technology and management of theatre productions, most notably at the Wycombe Swan theatre as well as keeping a number of smaller rides and attractions operating throughout the West Country