Showmen's Guild of Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain exists to protect the interests of travelling showmen at funfair
s in Great Britain
.
The Showmen's Guild was originally founded as the United Kingdom Van Dwellers Protection Association in 1889 in Salford. In 1917, the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, as it became known, was recognised as the trade association
for the travelling funfair business. It acquired the right to represent the business at local and national levels.
The Guild has a code of rules and also makes representations concerning proposed legislation
when appropriate.
It has a membership of around 4,700 people and is organized into ten regional sections.
It supports the National Fairground Archive, set up in 1994 at the University of Sheffield
.
The Showmen's Guild organizes fairs, such as St Giles' Fair
in Oxford
, co-organized with the Oxford City Council
.
Funfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
s in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
The Showmen's Guild was originally founded as the United Kingdom Van Dwellers Protection Association in 1889 in Salford. In 1917, the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain, as it became known, was recognised as the trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
for the travelling funfair business. It acquired the right to represent the business at local and national levels.
The Guild has a code of rules and also makes representations concerning proposed legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
when appropriate.
It has a membership of around 4,700 people and is organized into ten regional sections.
It supports the National Fairground Archive, set up in 1994 at the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
.
The Showmen's Guild organizes fairs, such as St Giles' Fair
St Giles' Fair
St Giles' Fair is an annual fair held in St Giles', a wide thoroughfare in central north Oxford, England.It is unusual for an English fair, being held in a major street of a city and blocking traffic for its two-day duration in September each year.The fair is organised by the Oxford City Council...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, co-organized with the Oxford City Council
Oxford City Council
The Oxford City Council provides local government for the city of Oxford in England.- Overview :Between the 2004 local elections, and 2010 the council was in minority administration, first by councillors from the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats being the official opposition...
.