Arts Trails - Children's Hospital
Goose Fair
Location: E Floor, QMC
Activity Coordinators shared this picture with people on the HCOP Wards and got them talking about their memories of going to the Goose Fair. They talked about the noise and the crowds of people, the rides and coconut shies.
What memories of Goose Fair does this painting prompt for you?
Memories of Goose Fair
Goose fair, it’s a long while since I was there.
When I was a kid, Dad said, “Don’t take a hat, else you’ll lose it.”
There were lots of people, very crowded.
I remember the coconut shies.
It’s the only time we ate coconut.
I was about 14 when I went. I liked it then, the Goose Fair,
Going into evening. Edgy.
People fighting. All in a park. But no bad memories.
After the fair, the gang used scout round, find pennies and coconuts.
Goose Fair was fun.
Reminds me of my wife, we used to go to the Goose Fair together.
Kids enjoying themselves.
I liked hook a duck.
It’s quite a way from here.
Nostalgia.
I’ve been to Goose Fair many times.
Very hectic,
Very crowded,
Very noisy,
Not my cup of tea.
I’m not particularly a fair or circus lover.
Noise and fun and
loads of food, chips, hamburgers, toffee apples.
I like the rides,
Dodgems, carousels.
The waltzers whizzed round and round.
“Scream if you want to go faster.”
You were dizzy when you got off the rides.
The smell of petrol.
All the lights, lit up at night.
People having fun. Goose Fair days are done.
Read Goose Fair…Seasoning the Seasons
Location: E Floor, QMC
Young people at the hospital youth club wrote lines of poetry using different flavours to describe the changing seasons. They wrote on masking tape so that the different lines could then be moved around and combined in different ways.
Spring is sharp like cherries
Summer is sweet like strawberries
Autumn is salty like soy sauce
Winter is sour like vinegar
British spring is sharp like ghost pepper
Our summer is sweet like ice cream – a 99’ with a flake in
Autumn has warmth like a chilli
And winter is bitter like dark chocolate
Spring is tingly like pickled gherkins
Summer is sweet like cherries
Autumn is salty like a pumpkin stew
Winter is dull like tahini
Spring is crunchy like Cheerios
Summer is bright as a torch
Autumn is spooky like Halloween
Winter is harsh like taki snacks
You could try swapping the lines about too – or see below for ideas of how to write your own Seasoning the Seasons poem.
What flavours do you taste in the seasons of the year?
The weekly youth club is open to all young people aged 12-18 who have regular treatment in the hospital and offers a positive community for fun and shared experience.
Read Seasoning the Seasons…Tina’s Tiles
Location: E Floor, QMC
Young people were invited to share their thoughts about the tiles and one of them remembered taking part in the project that created them:
These tiles make me think back to the time I spent in this hospital as a young person and drawing one of them myself.
It gives me a sense of our own history and demonstrates that there’s still opportunities to be creative and share a bit of your own story.
It’s like a jigsaw puzzle where each part fits perfectly, but every way you look, you get a slither of someone’s past.
Could you create a story inspired by the different tiles?
Read Tina’s Tiles…Cows chatting
Location: D Floor, QMC
Ciao Cow!
Hay!
Whatcha moo-ing?
Just chewing the cud.
I’ve got an udder idea… let’s go to the moo-vies.
Inspired by contributions made by staff, patients and visitors.
Read Cows chatting…Arts Trails - Children's Hospital
Activity sheets