Dalkeith Old Charter Fair

Once a Dalkeith tradition, the Old Charter Fair would come twice a year (March and October)

The first of these Fairs took place in 1581, which was predominantly produce stalls.

Later the shows got introduced along with novelty stalls and amusements.

The Evans originally from Glasgow were the first to bring the shows to the Fair and had done so for over 70 years.

It was situated at the bottom of the High Street (east end)  and stretched from the Dalkeith Country Park gates all the way to the entrance to Tate Street.

They were very fond of Dalkeith and made many friends during their visits. They travelled all over Scotland bringing their famous shows to the masses. 

Mrs Evans had a right soft spot for Dalkeith and had family ties in the area.

Her niece Maureen Evans was born there and later in 1959, she married Alan Turner (also a show person) at St Nicholas Church. The wedding was referred to as the biggest anyone had seen with 500 people in attendance. The reception was held in the Empress Ballroom, and over 200 guests came to dance the night away until the early hours. 

The Evans were much loved by the community and were regular contributors to local charities one being the OAP Association. 

The fair was made famous by one of their shows called the Jungle Ride, it was so memorable there is even a song about it! Jungle Ride by Local singer and songwriter Fish (Derek Dick ex Marillion  front man)

Other favoured rides that accompanied the Jungle Ride were - The Ghost Train, Waltzers, Roundabouts and Mono Railway to name a few. 

In the later years the size of the fair got smaller and smaller due to the modernisation of the high street and the introduction of the SMT bus routes.

During the mid 40s there was debates amongst the council to axe the fair all together. This struck a chord with shop owners and the community, who felt that it was a big loss to Dalkeith and to the Evans family .

The locals and Evans fought hard to keep this long standing and historical tradition alive, by signing petitions and regular meetings with the council.

Sadly Mrs Lillian Evans had been suffering from shock in her final years, possibly due to the loss of her husband. She past away unexpectedly in 1959, the town was devastated by the news. 

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