Councillors in a spin over new fairground ride

DESPITE the fears by some town Ccuncillors, a new, bigger ride will replace the ‘Jump and Smile’ that has regularly operated outside the town hall at Thame fair.

Speaking at last night’s meeting of Thame Town Council’s Culture, Leisure & Recreation (CLR) committee, several councillors described the proposed new ride, Superspin, as ‘inappropriate for that part of the town’, ‘frightening for smaller children’ and ‘not appropriate for the setting’.

Generally, the bigger, more scary rides are concentrated at the Upper High Street end of the town, and the smaller rides aimed at younger children, are positioned at the High Street end. It was feared that having a bigger ride outside the town hall would also make it difficult for security staff who tend to be at the Upper High Street end of the fair, because that is where trouble is more likely to occur.

After much discussion, the committee agreed that, because of the lateness of the change coming before them leaving such a short time to consider the proposal, they would allow the new ride just for this year, and that its impact would be assessed as soon as possible after the fair has left, and a decision made then as to whether it could stay for next year.

Both the Mayor, Peter Lambert and the Town Clerk, Helen Stewart, declined to try Superspin for themselves, in the spirit of research.

WATCH ‘Superspin’ in action HERE

WATCH ‘Jump and smile’ HERE