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Sep 28, 2009
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RE: Hastings/ Threadneedle Fair

Here is a cool photo from the souvenir book (1984 I think)

Notice in the small image there is that stupid game that was near impossible that you had to climb up a ladder that swiveled 360 degrees and ring a bell to win.

Don't forget if you lost, you still got a wooden coin called a "A-Round-To'it" Cute. Because eventually you will get around to it and win next time.
 

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RE: Hastings/ Threadneedle Fair

I once had a pewter chalice I won at the whack a toade. I really hope I find that thing someday. Also I seem to remember that at the crossbow you could win the burlap target (with the dragon painted on it) if you het the heart of the dragon. Tricky thing that, because the bolts were junk and the fights were all screwed up so you had to guess which way they'd fly. I also recall you could get a "dragons scale" as a loser prize. I always wondered what those things really were.
 
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I come bearing gifts from a long-forgotten Internet land called...

Wait... I know I have it written down here somewhere...

*shuffles through papers*

Ah! Here it is! They called it their... space... I suppose. Well, "MySpace" is the exact title they used... But that's neither here nor there. I ventured deep into the recesses of this soulless land and have safely returned—returned with spoils many thought lost forever!

---

Dramatic introduction aside, thanks in large part to a dead link I found on Great Adventure History, I managed to track down an old cast page for Threadneedle Faire! Many of the images seem to have vanished from MySpace's servers and a multitude of the ones that remain focus on the performers and their antics. That said, there are some that really help shine some lights on what Threadneedle Faire was like back in the day. I've included all of the Threadneedle Faire photos I thought worthwhile below. Enjoy!

Performers & Atmosphere


Show

The excellent photo below is captioned "The Tailors of Threadneedle 1988." Sounds like we may have an official name for one of Threadneedle's shows!

Show.jpg

Games

First up we have a few images of Ye Olde Dunk Tank. These are fairly self-explanatory.


Lastly we have part of the sign for the "Wacka Toad" game (full shot of the booth here).

Wacka Toad Sign.jpg
 
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Lower quality versions of the following images have been passed around for a while now without any sourcing provided. It seems that they were originally uploaded by a Pinterest user who goes by the username Speshy Sauce. Huge thanks to her for these excellent photos!

The first image gives the best overview of Threadneedle Faire that I know of. Left of the frame looks to be the latter climbing game. Heading down the hill though, I honestly don't know what I'm looking at. Can anyone shed some light on the rest of this photo?

b083c10d2788057e5c691e010e357fe7[1].jpg

The second image provides us an overview of the ladder climbing game. It's larger than I expected honestly.

aea45b70336a6396fef1a2a95cc44794[1].jpg
 
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Didn't this are also house the talking mouse? I was a little under 10 when this area was in its heyday. I remember watching people on the ladder for what seemed like hours and the mood walking through, but the things that ring clear in my head were the talking mouse (an animatronic with a person in a booth nearby providing the voice so it could interact with guests) and the monorail/brewery tour since this was a thing my entire family enjoyed doing every visit.
 
The first image gives the best overview of Threadneedle Faire that I know of. Left of the frame looks to be the latter climbing game. Heading down the hill though, I honestly don't know what I'm looking at. Can anyone shed some light on the rest of this photo?

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There was a cross bow game on the left in the distance where they high wall is shown. You had to shoot a bolt into the heart of a dragon target. The targets were printed on burlap (you can just barely make out on of them in yellow) and in the early years you would win the target, but they quickly changed it to a plush or something. On the right of that is a dart game where you had to throw a dart (an actual wooden one with feathers) and stick it into the hanging fruit or meat or some such weirdness. I remember it being harder than I thought, and the prize wasn't worth it. Next to that is a sling shot game where you had a fixed sling shot that you'd fire stuffed leather balls at targets. The covered building to the right of that was another game, but I can't recall what it was. You would obviously win that giant plush wizard though. To the right of that, slightly off screen, was "Whaka a Toad" you could win an actual pewter goblet (which I did, and still have :)) You had to "whaka" a catapult to send a large rubber toad into an open bucket. If you knew where to put the toad on the catapult and could swing hard enough you could clear the back wall and it would land in what is now the ravine. they didn't like that, lol. Whenever you lost a game back then, they would give you a "dragon scale" I still have one of these too. I'm not quite sure what its made of but its pretty cool about 2" long and 1" wide. I think they also gave away a "round tuit" sometimes, I'm pretty sure I have that somewhere as well. it was a little wooden coin with the Threadneedle logo and "round tuit" printed on the back. Yes, on the left is the ladder climbing game. They also had a padded log you had to run across I think it was behind the ladder game. the theater was off screen to the left as I recall, in the back. All the cast members spoke in comically thick old English accents and stayed in character often mocking game players and celebrating when they won. the whole place was layered in pine bark and never paved. Ahhhhhhhh, the old days when theme was more important than frivolous lawsuits. Thanks Lawyers!
 
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