Tuesday 18 January 2011

A grand day out in Sheffield 11 - Carousel



This carousel was a heart-warming sight at the top of one of Sheffield's main shopping streets. Beautifully made, its dancing horses pranced up and down on their rotating arms, at the same time as circling the central core. The paintwork was fresh and bright and the lights gleaming in the foggy, late afternoon while the sound of the hurdy gurdy organ transported me back to another era!


According to the painted sign, this carousel was built by Savages of King's Lynn, Norfolk, in 1896. The engineering firm of Frederick Savage began around 1853, building agricultural machinery for the farming of newly reclaimed swamp land around the flats of the Norfolk coast. The business rapidly became a success and began to experiment. In the early 1860s they built their first self propelled traction engine; a three wheeler with a wooden frame which they named the 'Juggernaut'. After a move in 1872, to a new location on the northern edge of the town, they began to build fairground equipment.

Originally, of course, this carousel would have been powered by steam, but now it is electric.

8 comments:

  1. I've never been on a carousel, only seen them in movies. This one looks beautifully preserved and so pretty all lit-up.

    Did you and Sacristan hop on for a ride? I do hope so!

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  2. Fabulous photographs : and there is something about the lights on such attractions that give such a warm and colourful glow.

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  3. What a lovely thing to find on a grey winter's day - looks so inviting all lit up and ready to go:)

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  4. I love these old caroussels I have seen quiet a few here in Brussels too ! They look so romantic !

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  5. I can almost hear the music and the laughter of the riders!

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  6. I've always loved carousels. This is a beautiful one and so well maintained!
    I rode a beautiful carousel every summer in Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY as a child. If a rider was able to reach out and grab a golden ring that was on a pole as you passed by they would get a free ride. I was so excited the first time I was big enough to do that! Sadly that carousel is long gone.

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  7. What a glorious carousel. This post today made me smile! So sunny and happy!

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  8. I haven't seen a carousel in years. This one is just beautiful.

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