This is more like Christmas magic.

Colour, music and people enjoying good old-fashioned fun – in an amazing setting. Carousel l called it – wrong!

Thanks for the following from Dave Dixon:

“Love the photograph from Stall Street. Just for clarification, sorry! David Downes’ fairground ride is a “Galloper” and not a Carousel. Carousels tend to be American made and go anti-clockwise, round and round.

“Gallopers” are British made, usually in the late 19th Century and go clockwise. The reason they are called “gallopers” is that as well as going round and round the horses also go up and down at the same time.

They were made to mimic for a paying punter the effect of being on a galloping horse as they would never have been able to afford a real horse.

This particular model has been coming to Bath since 2002 and is one of only three surviving steam driven gallopers in this country. Regards Dave”

Dave added a bit more today – Monday, December 17th.

“I was just talking to David Downes this morning. I was wrong when I said that there are only three steam powered rides in the country there’s about seven apparently.

Their steam engine is called “John Bull” and if you ever visit the Dorset Steam Fair at Blandford that’s when David has the ride and the organ going all being powered by steam. All you can smell is coal.

He never uses the steam organ in Stall Street as it only has one volume setting – Loud! The music comes from a set of speakers.”