The Yarm Fair

Step into early 1930s England with this striking sepia‑toned scene of The Yarm Fair, held in the market town beside the River Tees. In the foreground, two ornate bow‑top caravans—adorned with scalloped awnings and carved wooden steps—serve as home and shop for travelling families. Around them, women and children in interwar dress gather on the cobbled street, capturing a moment when this centuries‑old charter fair still drew both local townsfolk and Gypsy and Traveller communities to trade, celebrate and socialise.

Historical Context
Chartered in the 14th century, Yarm Fair has been a fixture of North Yorkshire life for over six hundred years. By 1931, it had evolved from livestock auctions and horse trading into a blend of market stalls, amusements and seasonal settlement for itinerant families. Despite the wider economic hardship of the Great Depression, fairs like Yarm remained vital cultural touchpoints—places where rural and travelling communities met, exchanged goods and stories, and maintained longstanding traditions.

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