The Rodeo Switchback is the oldest ride in the Fairground Heritage Trust’s collection, and believed to be the oldest surviving powered ride in this country.

The ride has a fascinating history.It is believed to have been built in the 1880s for showman Thomas Pettigrove, but became more famous as William Wilson’s. It’s fortunate survival is probably due to its purchase by Billy Manning in the 1940s, and its continued presence in his Southsea Amusement Park until the 1970s.

The Rodeo Switchback was sold to the US in 1974 by showman Jimmy Williams, but was rescued again some years later by a syndicate known as Switchback Ventures. The ride was restored and travelled again under the guidance of Steve Postlethwaite, and eventually came into the hands of the Fairground Heritage Trust in 1993.

Fully illustrated throughout.

Softback
Pages: 24