WINNER - THEO MCINNES

Funfairs appear in parks and town squares across the country every year. But where do these loud and brightly coloured attractions come from? And who keeps the punters hurtling around the white-knucle rides? The answer is a unique and sometimes misunderstood community, quite out of step with modern Britain: "Travelling Showmen".

At a time when most people change jobs more frequently than ever but stay in the same place, Showmen move home as little as every few days, yet work the same trade their families have followed for centuries. Most Showmen can go as far back as at least fifth-generation and trace their family histories back well into the 19th century. Showmen have their own traditions, customs and even their own language, Paylaree.

The life of a showman is permanently temporary. Every time a child is born to a showman family, the assumption is that they will become a showman too, carrying the family vocation to the next generation. There’s pressure not to leave. When showmen marry, they’re often given their first ride, from which they are expected to build their own travelling family business empires.

Despite a nomadic existence, showmen are a tight-knit community bound together by tradition, family bonds and a strong culture of self-sufficiency. Each year showmen follow a well-trodden path around the country, setting up at fairs, many of which date back centuries, like the Nottingham Goose Fair, which was inaugurated by Royal Charter in 1279.

Hull Fair is Europe's largest travelling funfair but also one of the annual opportunities for private social events for the showman community. Some extended families only meet all together once a year, at Hull. Showmen dances are where young showmen often meet their future partners. It is rare for showmen to marry outside the community, due to its insularity but also because ‘flatties’ (non-showmen) often don’t understand and can’t adapt to the challenges of showman life.

In a moment that Britain is particularly unsure of its place in the world, showmen have centuries of tradition to steady and guide them. Dating back to 1889, The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain represents showmen and fights for their commercial and cultural rights. Yet, tradition and togetherness only offer partial answers to the big questions and huge challenges of the present – and into the future.

Showmen have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and cost of living crisis. After nearly two years unable to make a living, now punters have less in their pockets to spend on entertainment. Rocketing fuel costs make moving more and more expensive, so showmen are trying to travel within ever-smaller areas. Adaptable businesspeople, many showmen are multi-millionaires but growing financial pressures have forced others out of the industry.

My project, Showmen, follows several different travelling funfairs up and down the country - turning the lens on the Showman themselves and aiming to portray this clandestine and close-knit community and, in the face of adversity, to portray how they adapt to modern Britain.

www.theomcinnes.com