THE lights went out on a much-loved part of Woking’s history at the weekend.

Carters Steam Fair brought to an end a 30-year association with the town on Sunday evening, the last act of a two-day visit enthusiastically visited by crowds of all ages and punctuated by a spectacular fireworks display on Saturday.

The fair has been put on the market and will almost certainly no longer tour.

Owner Joby Carter said: “We had a fabulous weekend, very busy, the locals really did support us, especially this time round, a lot of kind words from members of the public saying how they had been coming for 30 years and how much they would miss us. And, of course, we will miss them.

“We have enjoyed coming to Woking over the years. We’ve only picked our favourite places for this year’s tour and, of course, Woking is one of them.

“Thank you very much for all the support from everyone. Keep an eye on our socials because you never know where the fair might end up.”

Joby also had an update on the progress of the sale.

“The fair is still for sale and we have had some excellent conversations with prospective buyers,” he added. “We are keen to find a home that can host the fair in a large covered building on an existing visitor attraction site, so the legacy of these beautiful vintage rides will be preserved for even longer for the public to enjoy. We are progressing these discussions.

    “We are sure that this will be our final tour, there won’t be another. Our aim has always been to sell the fair as one collection. There has never been an opportunity to purchase such a rare collection of beautifully restored vintage rides and sidestalls in working order. We are the only travelling funfair of this type in the world.

“If we can’t find a buyer for the whole collection, we may need to consider splitting the rides and selling individually, or selling them abroad, which would be a shame.

“We are doing our best to raise awareness with heritage organisations and visitor attractions around the UK who might be interested in buying the fair as a whole.

“But touring the fair has become increasingly difficult and it takes its toll on the vintage rides, meaning that more restoration is required each season. We believe it is best that the rides are located on a permanent site under cover.

“The interest in the fair has never been higher. We had a bumper year in 2021 with over 100,000 visitors in six months, and we are seeing high footfall at our events this year.

“We have been humbled by the outpouring of support we have received with many bringing Thank You cards, and one young boy made a banner saying, ‘Thank You Carters for the memories’.”

FOR more fair pictures, see the 8 September edition of the News & Mail, in shops now