Thame fair recreated JHS style!

ARTSWEEK at John Hampden School, Thame, this year was a roller-coaster ride as pupils experienced ‘All the imaginary fun of the fair’ JHS style!

They whizzed round on Storm, had a spin in the Tea-Cups and took a turn on the Crazy Croc to create their own JHS version of the Thame Fair! The fairground theme saw the school hall transformed into Thame High Street, with all the familiar fairground rides we all love to enjoy every year at Thame Fair! A spooky ghost train, enchanting carousels, the Crazy Croc, dizzying, spinning tea-cups, and a whirling helter-skelter slide.

Hand-sewn prizes were to be won from the hook-a-duck stall, or a handmade goldfish in a bag (No goldfish were harmed in the making of these artworks!). An army of parents, grandparents, governors, guardians, teachers and teaching assistants, old and new, volunteered to support the children in their fairground artwork, with a multitude of helpers (over 60!)who contributed to bringing the childrens’ ideas to life.

Art Co-ordinators, J E Nichols and Clare Field, said: “The school’s PTFA (Parents, Teachers and Friends Association) funded the week, with a generous donation that enabled the school to provide a wealth of artistic experiences and resources for the children to enjoy. These ranged from Mr Eyre’s and Mr Sayer’s new fairground endeavours in MDF, to mobile carousels and flying Crazy Crocs, giant recycled fairground rides, and delicious stalls of cardboard treats and fluffy prizes!

“The staff also set the children the challenge of identifying which fair ride was their favourite, in the ‘Fairground Attraction Quiz’, with an arty prize for the winning entry. The week proved a whirlwind ride with the added treat of a Fair-trade Arts Café at the end.

“It will no doubt take half-term to calm down after the excitement of ‘All the fun of the fair!’,” they added, “But we can enjoy our hall in the weeks to come as a reminder of our artistic fairground attractions!”