May Fair in Hereford: what I got for £10

THE May Fair is back in Hereford and I had a trip around it myself with a £10 note in hand.

Over the years, like many things, prices of rides, games and even candy floss have gone up at the fair.

But with just a tenner to spend I had to be savvy about which rides to go on and what to buy.

The atmosphere was quiet with some rides not yet open today, but as time went on and more people came out for their lunch break the fair grew more lively. 

My first port of call was to walk around to see what was there and what had changed from previous years.

Most rides cost between £1 to £6

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I must say it is mostly how I remember it to be before the pandemic, and many of the classic rides like the helter skelter and waltzers are still going.

The first ride I went on was the Sizzler, a ride that constantly spins and gets faster “the louder you scream” – or just as it goes on.

It was £3 a go and lasted three minutes, but felt like longer.

Terminator in Broad Street is just £1 whereas Miami Trip, which is a similar ride, on the same road is £3 – so it was an easy decision to go for the cheaper of the two.

Speed is on King Street, as it usually is, and it can be spotted a mile off as people scream high up in the sky from either end of the ride.

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But I didn’t make it on this one because it was shut this lunchtime. It was £6, which was out of my budget.

Candy floss was a must, of course, but at £3 a pop at most stalls, I would choose to share next time.

I played hook a duck and bought a bag of candy floss

I later discovered the stall at the end of Bridge Street sold it cheaper at £2.50 a bag.

By this point I had just £3 left.

After passing so many games I decided one had to be played, and what better than the classic hook-a-duck.

Although it was meant to be £4, the kind owner of the stall let me have a go for £3 and I won a little dachshund toy from the array of options.

He said the more goes you have, the better the prizes get.

All in all, a couple of rides, a game, and a candy floss later my £10 was spent.

I can remember getting a lot more for my money years ago as a child, but things have changed and at least now there is the option to pay with card on some rides and stalls.