Chatham Library archive

Our organised trip to Chatham Library was really interesting. It wasn't just the archive that was impressive, it was the actual building itself, I almost felt like I was in a Harry Potter scene. The historic book collection was fantastic, and the gothic layout and architecture was unbelievable.

We flicked through the various leaflets, maps, posters and photographs, trying to grasp what life was like one hundred years ago. The "fairground" or "pleasure gardens" as it would have been named during that period, was a place for people to socialise, have fun, and escape from the hardships in life. It was a place full of attractions that the public had never seen before, therefore it was constantly advancing and growing. It was intent on bringing new and more exciting attractions to entice people to come back, or visit Belle Vue for the first time.

The fairground had a dark side though. At the time, animal welfare was unheard of. Belle Vue would buy exotic animals to show in their zoo, but the animals would rarely live past six weeks. Conditions were truly abysmal, much of this was due to a lack of education however the greed for money, and a need for more visitors played a part. Freak shows and circus's were also a common occurrence. Dangerous acts like the trapeze and wall of death attracted massive crowds.