Scarborough Fair Collection

The Scarborough Fair Collection is a museum of fairground mechanical organs and showman's engines, located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, one of the largest collections of its type in Europe.

Farmer turned entrepreneur Graham Atkinson is the owner of the Flower of May holiday park, in Lebberston, who wanted to both indulge his passion for fairgrounds and entertain his holiday park clients. Starting his collection in the late 1980s, the attraction was occasionally open to holiday park residents and enthusiasts until its formal opening in 2008.^[1]

The Iron Maiden at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, 2007

The collection spans vintage cars, miniature vehicles and model railways, but the three cores to the collection are:

• Steam engines: four showman's engines, including The Iron Maiden; a Foden steam wagon, and a Barrows and Co. portable engine
• Fairground rides: including a (circa) 1893 gallopers ride and a 1928 'caterpillar' ride
• Mechanical organs: including the 97-key 'Oktoberfest' Gavioli Concert organ, and the 101-key Hooghuys 'Condor' organ

There are two theatre organs that feature during open days and weekly Wednesday afternoon tea dances from 13:00. Both instruments are "Mighty" Wurlitzers of 3 manuals and 8 ranks (of pipes) with specifications:^[2]

• Granada Theatre, Greenford: English Horn, Tuba, Diapason, Tibia Clausa, Saxophone, Gamba, Gamba Celeste and Flute
• Granada Theatre, Mansfield: Style 'D' Trumpet, Diapason, Tibia Clausa, Clarinet, Violin, Violin Celeste, Vox Humana and Flute

See also

• Thursford Collection

References

External links

• Scarborough Fair Collection
• Flower of May holiday parks

Coordinates: 54°14′06″N 0°20′24″W / 54.235067°N 0.33989°W / 54.235067; -0.33989