Philip Walter Bradley (1920-1999)
Fairground enthusiast & chronicler
Jennings’ Ark – photographed by Philip Bradley on 20 May 1963.
Reproduced with permission of the University of Sheffield
Philip Walter Bradley (a Ewell resident for the second half of the 20th century) was born on 8 May 1920, the only child of Reginald and Amy Elizabeth (née Brown) Bradley. His parents had married in St Giles’, Oxford on 2 April 1918 when Reginald (born 23/07/1883) was 34 and Amy (born 15/02/1895) was 23. Both were originally from Worcester but, at the time of their marriage, Reginald (a “draughtsman”) was living at 14 Plum Lane, Plumstead and Amy was living at 12 Parks Road, Oxford.
Philip’s birth was registered in Lewisham, and the 1921 Census records the family living at 16, Spencer Gardens, Well Hall Road, Eltham. The now 37 year old Reginald is listed as “Manager Photographer” at Veysey & Co Photographers in Blackheath, while 26 year old Amy is listed with the conventional “Home Duties” – which included caring for the now 1 year old Philip.
We know very little about Philip’s early years. It is reasonable to assume that his lifelong interests in fairgrounds, circuses, model making and Meccano stems from his childhood – and perhaps stimulated by his father’s technical background in draughtsmanship and photography. When Philip was just 16, he decided to make a systematic record of the fairgrounds he visited. Just two years later, in 1938, he published his first list of fairground photos – see below. He was also a member of the first fairground enthusiast’s organisation, the Showland Model Makers’ Association, and an early member of the Friendship Circle of Showland Fans (FCSF).
By the time of the 1939 Register, Philip and his parents had moved to 19 Lyon Meade, Stanmore. The 19 year old Philip is listed as “Statistical Assistant Electricity Supply” industry and still living with his parents at 19 Lyon Meade, Stanmore (Harrow District). On 17 July 1940, Philip enlisted in the Royal East Surrey Regiment, with the Service No 6149289., but other details of his WW2 service are not readily found.
Philip married Joan M Godfrey in 1955 (Q2 Surrey Mid. East 5g 415) and various Electoral Rolls show the couple living at 88 Sunnymede Avenue, West Ewell. They had a daughter, Wendy, born in 1960 and, shortly afterwards, adopted a son, Kevin.
For more than six decades, Philip travelled to most of the fairgrounds in the Home Counties (and a few further afield) to photograph and record fairground equipment and circus transport. He built up an encyclopaedic knowledge of fairground equipment which he was always ready to share with other enthusiasts – and he wrote many articles for various journals.
From 1932 to just before his death, Philip built up a collection of 44 volumes of notes describing fairs he visited together with several ‘data books’ dating from 1944 of drawings and specifications of fairground equipment. His collection of images included almost 30,000 items, and was not limited to fairgrounds – it also reflected his other interests including all forms of transport, model railways, Meccano and model making.
Philip Bradley died on 9 January 1999, and was survived by his wife and his children.
His collection is now held by Surrey History Centre and, for its detailed history of twentieth century fairgrounds, is of national importance.
Peter Reed 2023
[NOTE: This September 2023 article was the last of many written over the years by Peter Reed, the founder of this EEHE website and its long-serving webmaster, before his untimely death the following month. His obituary is at this link.]
Main Source:
- Fairground Association of Great Britain Magazine –
Fairground Mercury Vol.22No.2
Addendum
Anne H. comments:
“Mr Bradley retired in 1975, which would have made him fifty five when he finished work.
I remember it was when I was quite young; and he used to pick Mum and sometimes both of us up from shopping; and bring us home, when Dad was working.”