THOUSANDS flock to Southampton Common every time the fair comes to town, all wanting to be scared, amazed or disorientated by the attractions on offer.

Stalls line up alongside the path, enticing people with promises of the opportunity to win large stuffed animals or tiny goldfish.

Arcades bleat out repetitive music loops, boasting classic gaming cabinets from yesteryear and continually moving shelves crammed with coins.

The bumper cars are home to a range of riders having fun –those who try to drive around in loops as calmly as possible and those will take every opportunity to smash into them.

The sweet smell of cheap ketchup, fried onions and candy floss fill the air, whilst the noise from merrymakers shrieking on the rides almost reaches migraine-inducing levels.

It’s not to everybody’s liking, but many of us have pleasant memories of wasting away an evening or even a day at the fair.

These pictures show some of the fun on offer to thrillseekers who visited Southampton Common on August 1977.