Reporter Martin Young follows the fortunes of a group of Glaswegian holidaymakers as they spend their annual Glasgow Fair holiday in the seaside resort of Whitley Bay, Tyneside, during the blistering July of 1976. There’s crazy golf and a trawl around the arcades, followed by a drink at the club and a snooze on the beach. Refreshments of cheese rolls and drinks from a thermos flask complete the picture.
The Glasgow Fair is a traditional holiday dating from the 12th Century and taking place during the last two weeks of July. Businesses and factories would close and railway and bus stations would throng with holidaying workers anxious to escape the city for more attractive destinations on the Firth of Clyde and the Ayrshire coast.
Clip taken from A Fair Fortnight, originally broadcast on BBC One North East & Cumbria, 22 February, 1977.
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42 Comments
All whites too Glasgow was better in these days
Illegal immigration has destroyed Glasgow
Aye,before globalists decided to destroy everything sentient,everything good
No idea why but this video makes me think of the Billy Connolly song Glasgow central
Instead of fair fortnight, we called them 'Wakes Weeks' here in Lancashire
I remember getting my ‘fair ‘ when working on the milk – a higher than usual tip on fair Friday , ahh, me and my mate Basco , 50 odd years ago ! . Memories
Lifeguard wearing jeans.
This brings back very happy memories.
what a gem!! my ma´s side of the family are frae glasgow, now i know what they got up to during the fair.
1976 I went to start my career as a chef at the County Hotel Ayr and now I’m retired. A blink of an eye and it’s gone☹️ R.I.P. Martin Young a talented journalist.
Changed days now with global warming, people from Barcelona booking a fortnight in Govan, its lovely this time of year.
I was ten that year and for the fair we went to visit my twin brothers who were 23, one with kids, down in Essex where they ended up living. I remember it being a scorcher. We caught train to london then bus and it was the first time I saw a london Bobby with his peaky hat and being fascinated by two little old london ladies talking some strange language to my ears, one was called Effie I still remember 😂
born '89 and feel i grew up in the shadow of glasgow fair. working hospitality, a few of my more distinguished colleagues would have no bother attributing all and everything in some way to it. it is so good to have a real tangible idea of it. usually if there is a regional accent on these im scunnered but is good to see this as a full episode rather than a feature. more please.
Sad that we never got to see any of the so-called: "Talent"… 😔
Too many White people, probably racist as well, if you believe the BBC.
What a curious programme, like a working class safari. I think the programme makers should made more of an effort actually speaking with the holiday makers…
My husband and I gifted our daughter a trip for her 50th birthday. She and her husband chose Glasgow. When she was younger she loved to party but now she enjoys a stress free trip. Glasgow gave her and our son-in-law peace and relaxation and plenty of sights to see.
I like how the "Lifeguard" is wearing jeans, dont think he's saving many people
Those kids at the arcade would be around 60 yrs old now roughly.blows my mind 😊
no fat people, no seed oils
Magic
They hey day of the uk, now it's destroyed and the seaside towns are finished as someone who doesn't there fair n torquay and Blackpool it's very sad to see
"A brisk cold July morning." Lmao
I remember in the 80s Saltcoats and Ardrossan, as well as Largs were popular during "The Fair".
What about the people who didn't have a income to goto places like seaside, I remember it was expensive in Ayr in the early 70s mum always made sure we went to seaside for the day on a coach and sometimes on the train that was good times on the train but dad drank to much and spoiled it sometimes but looking back and what I know now dad never had it good when he was a Wee boy remember one time his mum was with us my granny and she was alright granny but my mums mum was a drunking slag and stole off anyone I remember good and bad
Were people more contented back then? Their simple joy is heart breaking…i know it wasn`t all great, but im 62 , and i don`t see this , or feel this simplicity any more😢
0:4:28 typical BBC. It is TESCO not TESCOS, does the bloody sign read TESCOS!
I had the same safari suit in 1977!
Ha. 1977 our family went to Feathers Holiday Camp at Whitley Bay. Great memories.
I recall it had a kinda wooden hut style TV room, there was also a Scotland v England U-15 football game. I was just about to turn 15, fitba crazy, fitba daft. I scored a hat-trick, we won 5-0.
I can hardly remember seeing my parents in the afternoons and evening (apart from ‘tea-time’ ) They spent most of the time boozing in the Camps Social Club..
I recall a Geordie girl asking me if I wanted to ‘court’ her.. I didn’t know what she meant 👀😆
I guess we did have a wee holiday romance..
You see the caravan camp in the movie of The Likely Lads’ 😎
And my you did save up for those holidays none of the paying it up carry on 😢
He sounds as Glaswegian as my Lebanese grandmother 😂😂
I had a two week holiday in Whitley Bay in 1965, I stayed in Airdrie at the time. I spent most of my time in the Spanish City amusement complex, I also visited Wallsend (shitehole), North and South Shields and Blyth. A great holiday for an eight year old in the mid-1960's.
76 Morecambe on the motor bike then down to Torquay. The long hot summer. Meet a nice wee lassie in Morecambe. Happy days but where did the go…
Lot of glasgow folk used to go to.Leven in Fife
in 1977 we moved back to Glasgow from Sydney – then 6 months later we returned to Brisbane, where we have lived ever since. Thank god we did as we all bought houses, cars and had successful careers.
someone best get me a piece o jam right noo…
I could smell and taste the rolls and tea😋 better than any take away. Families together, so polite …No graffiti, no phones, lots of humour. Such a wonderful time❤
Those Happy Days Before Woke and Cilimate Change Nonsense 😎😎
This brings back memories. Fair fortnight also affected the northern parts of Scotland. There was a huge influx of "Weegies" to a town called Nairn near Inverness. It was the highlight of the year as the trains and coaches arrived in the town. Nairn in 1976 had the largest number of hotels, guest houses and licensed premises per head of population in Scotland and they were all "Hoaching" during fair fortnight. The people were cheerful and intent on having a good time in the little town nicknamed "Brighton of the North." 1976 was a particularly good year as the weather was awesome.
Unfortunately it died a death as holidays abroad became cheaper plus an oil rig construction yard near Arderseir brought an influx of sub-contracted workers who lived, drank and ate on expenses. Rooms for genuine holiday makers, including our Glaswegian regulars became scarce and expensive. Our rooms in 1976 were around £9 a night but almost overnight the demand from the "Subbies" with their expense accounts pushed the prices up to £50 a night and the genuine holiday maker was priced out. Greed killed Nairn as a holiday destination and 50 years later it hasnt really recovered.
This is a great little movie and brought back fond memories and to any Glaswegions that made it up to Nairn in the 70's thank you.
The Sewage pipe 25:10
until the day he died all my dad ever done was moan about how hot the summer of 76 was and cos i was born just before it was somehow my fault….
Ah to be back in the days where a good day out meant a trip to a fish processing facility. No one did glamour like the 70s.