i was helping mummy put the shopping into the plastic carrier bags at the big carrefour hypermarket when a man in a blue jacket came up to us
HAVE YOU SPENT OVER TEN POUNDS MADAM? he asked
mummy told him that we had spent nine pounds and forty eight pence
he said that was fine and then took our receipt
he signed it and then handed us a strip of tickets
COUPONS FOR BARRY ISLAND he told us
ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
i had always wanted to go to barry island
my friend Adrian had been lots of times and gone on all the rides and had even bought a giant strawberry ice cream
daddy said that he wanted to go as well so the next weekend we went
barry island was big
there were lots of people everywhere
we saw an old woman selling candyfloss
how does she make it? i asked
daddy said that she poured some sugar in the tub then mixed it up with her hair and said a magic spell
i decided i didnt want any and daddy bought me a toffee apple instead
a big siren kept blowing
THATS FOR THE BUMPER CARS explained daddy
we gave the man one ticket each and then i climbed into a red car and daddy had a green one
i managed to make mine go with the special pedals but i got stuck on another boys car
daddy crashed into me and i banged my knee but my car started going again
after the siren went again we tried a ride called the whacky goldmine
it was funny
there were dummy cowboy mining people everywhere
one had fallen onto the track and so all the carts had to stop
a man came along with a torch
SORRY FOLKS he said
YOULL HAVE TO WALK THE REST OF THE WAY
daddy lifted me out and we climbed down the slope to the end of the goldmine
LETS GO ON THE PARATROOPER NOW he said
what does it do? i asked
IT JUST WHIZZES ROUND he replied ITLL BE ALLRIGHT
the paratrooper seats had plastic parachutes on top
we climbed in and the man blew a whistle
LIFT OFF he shouted
first we went round and round but then we went up and down as well
i quite like this one i told daddy but he didnt say anything
we went round for ages
lets go on that pirateship next i said
daddy said it was time to go home
he bought me a giant chocolate icecream and we left
later mummy asked how the fair was
OKAY daddy told her
then he went to lie down
I FEEL A LITTLE ILL he said
© Jonah Newton - March 2004
