IT HAS been a festive fixture on Glasgow’s calendar for more than 100 years.
To celebrate the reopening of the IRN-BRU Carnival at the SEC, which kicks off tomorrow (December 22) we delved into the archives for some fantastic photographic memories from previous events.
Europe’s largest indoor funfair has been enchanting families from Glasgow for more than a century.
Kevin Carter has worked at the carnival all his life, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
“My grandfather helped run the first one in 1928, and when he died in 1953, my father took over,” he says. “Then, when my dad died in 1982, it passed down to me and my brother.
“I’ve been surrounded by this world since I was a child, for as long as I remember. When I was 13, I didn’t like school. My dad put me in charge of a stall at the shows and told me if I made money, I didn’t have to go back.
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“That was that. It’s changed a lot, of course, over the years, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Kevin has many memories of the shows, which started at the Kelvin Hall in 1919, and moved to the SEC in 1986.
“Too many to mention,” he laughs. “So many great characters and moments. One of my favourites, though, was a man who came a few years ago, who told me he’d proposed to his wife on the waltzers, 50 years before.
“His wife was not too well, and they wanted to renew their vows on the waltzers. Of course I said yes, and they came with some friends and family, and we lit up the scene with the lights and music, and it was fantastic.”
While the hi-tech effects and state of the art rides at the SEC are all the rage, many Times Past readers have fond memories of the carnival and associated circus which used to visit the Kelvin Hall.
Ian Hutcheson, of Broomhill, wrote to paint this picture of the event: “The Kelvin HallCarnival that ran through December and January was pure entertainment.
“It was an annual Christmas treat to leave the winter gloom of Argyle Street and enter the shiny, brash world of the fairground.
“The vast hall was filled with whirling rides, gaudy stalls and loud, raucous music.
“For a young child the experience could also be a little overwhelming. The speed of the waltzers, the juddering crashes of the dodgems, and the steep angle of the speeding Moonshot took the breath away. Each year, though, you would be older, taller, stronger and more capable, and soon you would advance to the stage where you could enjoy the thrills of rides that had formerly seemed daunting.
“The day at the carnival was not complete without a visit to the circus to marvel at the aerial exploits of the acrobats, to be amazed by real elephants, and to try to work out whether the clowns were funny or scary.”
Kevin is looking forward to doors opening tomorrow.
“Glasgow loves the carnival – we see the same faces year after year, and I’m now seeing people who came as kids bringing their own children – and grandchildren,” laughs Kevin. “I travel the country with the shows, but you cannae beat Glasgow crowds. They’re the best in the world.”
The Irn-Bru Carnival runs from December 22 until January 16.
Send us your memories of Glasgow’s carnival.
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