Latest News

We Rage Against the Machine in Finsbury Park

Title: We Rage Against the Machine in Finsbury Park
Date: 02/07/2010 14:57:08
On June 6th, in Finsbury Park, Rage Against the Machine staged a free concert for those 40,000 fans fortunate enough to get a ticket from the hundreds of thousands who applied, and we were fortunate enough to be there with our range of superb quality fairground rides. We want to make it clear that no one raged against our Machines!

4 hours of frantic music was enjoyed by ecstatic crowds in a concert organised by the group as a giant thank you to everyone who had helped them beat the X Factor winners, or Britain's Got Talent, or Pop Idol, Big Brother or whatever other production Simon Cowell was pushing last Christmas.

We specialise in providing superb and appropriate fairground rides and funfair items to support music festivals as well as community carnivals, so if you want to Rage Against your machine, or support any other leading music group, contact us. We should have our hearing back by then. Still ringing a bit.

Come on England!!! In Brazil in 4 Years.

Title: Come on England!!! In Brazil in 4 Years.
Date: 02/07/2010 14:56:38
We leave this information below on our website even though it is slightly out of date. We have realised what the problem is with our national team by looking at the others in the World Cup. To sum it up, some of the other countries are good and we are not! However we have just heard that our highly successful Manager Fab is staying, so forward to victory. Or not.

Published prior to June 27th and Germany.

With the World Cup progressing we at Carnival Funfairs send our best wishes and hopes to the England Football Team as they continue their triumphant (ish) march through South Africa and cannot wait for them to bring the World Cup back to England!

We are absolutely certain that they will succeed this time, no doubt at all, as we were in 1970, 74, 78, 82, etc etc and all the European Championships in between. However we know they have more chance this year than we did in the last European Championship finals, given we were not actually there!

We asked our Fortune Teller to confirm that we would win the World Cup Final but she pointed out that if she could foresee football scores she would not be at our fair working but in the Bookies making a pile of cash, so all she could recommend was to cross our fingers and hope for the best, as always, and pray for no penalty shoot outs! And now Germany on Sunday, and penalties, and ....... oh no, not again, surely. Worry, worry, worry, still having beaten the might Slovenia and drawn against magnificent Algeria and the United States (just think how huge that country is and we are so small) how can we fail? Please do not write in with your answers to that question. No need, really.

So here is a great and successful tournament, so why not visit our fairs on match days, and days in between, for a great night out free from nail biting in front of the TV and celebrate our success, or not, with your mates!

Pride in our staff - Mail on Sunday April 2010.

Title: Pride in our staff - Mail on Sunday April 2010.
Date: 26/04/2010 17:55:30
We at Carnival Funfairs know the superb quality of all our staff, but sometimes they surprise even us. Sunday April 25th was such a day when we read a moving article by Virginia Bovell in the Mail on Sunday about her son Danny who is autistic, and we hope she forgives us for reproducing part of it. We strongly suggest that you visit http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1268648/Writer-Nick-Hornbys-ex-wife-tells-fears-autistic-sons-future.html to read the entire piece, but here is the final section that made us very proud of our staff member, Kevin. Read on to see just why.

"Although it has been a hard time for Danny, last summer he was reunited with an old friend. Eight years ago I took him to a local funfair. He seemed interested in a ride called Deep Impact. Kevin, the man working the ride, led Dan to a seat, fastened him in and gave him a specially organised solo experience, going at half speed. Danny loved it, so Kevin gradually increased the pace. By the time it was operating at its violent, nausea-inducing maximum, Danny was shrieking with joy and bouncing up and down with excitement. After that, we would take Danny to the funfair summer after summer, and Kevin always looked after him.

Then adolescence started and Danny no longer seemed interested in the fair, or even going out at all. It was as if the pressures of growing up, combined with sensory overload and wariness of change, piled up to overwhelm him for a while. The sudden noise of a child's highpitched cry in the GP's surgery required me to physically restrain him from lashing out. It was sometimes a struggle even to coax him out of the front door unless he knew he was going to a place he felt safe and happy, such as home or school.

Last summer he started to feel better again and suddenly, out of the blue, the Bank Holiday found Danny firmly leading his carer a mile up the road to North London, so he could experience once more the thrill of the Finsbury Park funfair. Kevin spotted him immediately and dashed over to greet him, and Danny enjoyed two sessions on the ride. Kevin treats Dan as a real friend, someone to be respected and taken seriously. I like to think of my son going back to the fair over many more summers, and hope Kevin will be there for him.

Too much attention has been paid to discovering the cause of autism and not enough to making sure that those who have it can lead happy, fulfilled lives within society. It is now generally accepted that genetics plays a major part. Of course there have been times I have wondered but now, for me, for Danny - and for Kevin - why it happened is irrelevant.

When I asked him if I could write about him, Kevin agreed readily, then paused, thought for a moment and added: 'I remember all my passengers.' In other words, yes, it was fine to write about him and Danny, but it really shouldn't be a big deal. Kevin knows that far from being a sad or embarrassing or unwelcome nuisance who places extra demands and burdens on other people, Danny is a fantastic guy in his own right.

The spectrum of autistic disorders is so broad that children and adults with autism need a whole range of different long-term support structures, education and employment opportunities. Sadly, at the moment, there isn't the commitment or money to go round."

www.talkabout autism.org.uk, www. treehouse.org.uk, www.nas.org.uk

Catch Our New Attraction for Summer 2010

Title: Catch Our New Attraction for Summer 2010
Date: 19/04/2010 16:46:09
The Crazy London Bus is a brand new attraction for 2010. No waiting for our bus, always on time, not stuck in the bus lane and no standing on top that is for sure, this fabulous new children's ride will be the centre piece of all our 2010 events and is available for hire for your children's parties too!

This is the only one in Britain, and worth a look. None of your bendy buses either, this is the good old fashioned Routemaster style! Apart from the flying effects of course.

Chilly Willy Out in Spring Sun

Title: Chilly Willy Out in Spring Sun
Date: 22/03/2010 14:48:33
Want to pick up a penguin? No need to visit Regent's Park Zoo as you can come to Carnival Funfairs and ride on our brand new and totally unique attraction, Chilly Willy!
Wrapped up warm for the winter, our peculiar penguins revolve around a central point, and you sit comfortably inside and get spun even more in this fantastic giant family attraction. Absolutely perfect penguin pleasure and not to be missed, this is another reason why you should come to one of our great value family days out at our London fun fairs.

Whilst you may imagine Chilly Willy with snow flakes falling in a Winter Wonderland atmosphere, these chirpy birds will spin just as fast as the sun beats down as it will at each of our fairs this year.(Well, we hope so anyway!) We cannot promise the blazing sun, but can promise great value fun.
Slightly silly, but fantastic fun, Chilly Willy adds to our range of rides waiting for you.

White Christmas at Van Hage's

Title: White Christmas at Van Hage's
Date: 23/12/2009 21:25:48
Christmas at Van Hages

It was a truly White Christmas this year at Van Hage’s Garden Centre in Great Amwell, Ware, Hertfordshire.

The snow gives a stunning backdrop to our beautiful Antique Ferris Wheel, that has proved to be a great success with Van Hage visitors.

The Ferris Wheel looks down onto a terrific skating rink, and alongside the Skating rink is our amazing Christmas Carousel.

The Magic of Santa Land

Title: The Magic of Santa Land
Date: 18/12/2009 21:52:45
Truly a magical experience within the heart of Winter Wonderland, Santa Land offers families with young children a completely different experience, with Santa’s Grotto (absolutely free of charge), Christmas themed rides and Festive games of skill. Or simply relax with a hot chocolate and festive foods hot and cold.

Kate Moss goes down a storm on our Snow Storm Ride

Title: Kate Moss goes down a storm on our Snow Storm Ride
Date: 18/12/2009 21:25:52
The Christmas Season is here again and with it brings the truly magical Winter Wonderland event in London’s Hyde Park right in the heart of our Capital City. This is the third year of this truly spectacular event and this year the event has exceeded all expectations, there is something for everyone from 1 to 101.

We have been involved with the event right from the start and this year have brought the North Pole direct to Hyde Park, with our unique Santa Land experience. Where children and grown ups can visit Santa in his Grotto absolutely free of charge.

You can ride the magical Christmas Train which takes you into the heart of Santa Land, once there you can relax with a Hot Chocolate “with cream of course” made by Mrs Clause herself and munch on some of the fine foods and festive sweets on offer.

There is lots of fun to be had in Santa Land, visit the Elves Workshop, slip and slide on the Candy Slide, ride a Reindeer or a Penguin or even a Swan you can even take an adventure ride in a Balloon, or the Snowstorm. If you don’t want to ride then there are some festive games to try out your skills and win prizes!

You can visit the Christmas Store which is bursting with some special gifts for that Christmas stocking.

Not only are the attractions brought in by ourselves, but there is wealth of attractions from Europe, the German Market is a great success and has a variety of gifts and food and beverages. Zippo’s famous Circus, a Giant Wheel and lots, lots more.

One of the best things about Winter Wonderland is that it is completely free to enter; you just pay for the things you want to use. Day or night Winter Wonderland is magnificent, but the night brings the choirs, the wonderful glow of the lights and breathtaking scenery of the Serpentine. Or you can do some star gazing for those famous faces that love to visit Winter Wonderland, Kate Moss, David Cameron and Gwen Stefani to name but a few!

So why not take a day or night out and visit Winter Wonderland, with its unique attractions and magical atmosphere. You will love it!!