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Learn more about the history of Cain's Amusements and the rich history of funfairs and arcades through the years.
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Deptford Show Ground: The last permanent fairground in London
by Angela Catherine Cain
Travelling cinema, wild beast shows, circus acts, boxing booths, exotic side shows - they were all to be found at the Deptford Show Ground on Deptford High Street before the First World War. My book follows the fortunes of my great grandfather Charles Cain, a travelling showman, his wife Hannah and family who were on the Show Ground from 1890 with their 'games' and also selling fairground prizes.
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Arcade Britannia: A Social History of the British Amusement Arcade
by Alan Meades
The story of the British amusement arcade from the 1800s to the present. Amusement arcades are an important part of British culture, yet discussions of them tend to be based on American models. Alan Meades, who spent his childhood happily playing in British seaside arcades, presents the history of the arcade from its origins in traveling fairs of the 1800s to the present.
The George Wilson Collection.
George Wilson, an early graduate of Newport, spent two seasons in the early 1980s as a bingo caller in Cain’s Amusements. Whilst there he documented the often hidden activities, cultures and communities in this typical British arcade. George’s extraordinary collection is currently informing researchers into previously overlooked arcade cultures.
