A article written by the late Mike Grundy in Worcester Evening News -3-97
Glorious glimpses are recaptured this week of a once famous local funfair which gave untold enjoyment to may thousand of Worcester and Malvern families for more than half-a-century. Strickland's Amusements toured constantly around central England, from village fetes to the grounds of stately homes, and from town squares to main leisure grounds - all from the family's home base, a large lodging house at 20 Newport Street, Worcester winter quarters for Strickland's Funfair were under the railway arches at Croft Road, Worcester.
Mike wrote 'I've been learning all about the colorful Strickland family of showmen from Ray Hull of Bromyard, grandson of Harry Strickland who with his wife Damaris launched the funfair that was to be a popular feature of the Midlands scene from 1880s until 1935. Harry Strickland was born in 1860 at No 3 Dolday, Worcester and started work as a fruit dealer. However, as a young man, he married into a travelers family, the Fletchers, who had a travelling fair. His bride was Damaris Fletcher, and together they set up their own funfair. Its main attractions were a three-a-breast galloping horses carousel, a large shooting gallery, a coconut shy, swing boats, a' try your strength' stall hoopla and ice cream carts. Strickland's Amusements were seen annually at the Oxford St Giles Fair, the Birmingham Onion Fair and numerous town and village fair and fetes throughout Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. The gentry too would book Strickland's for events and birthday parties held in the grounds of their country houses and mansions.
