Evocative shots of a pre-war fairground, complete with carousel, giant slide and flying saucers – all packed out by thrilled fairgoers of all ages.

This film captures some of the excitement vast travelling funfairs used to bring to an area, with every seat on every ride filled by boys and girls, young and old. Shown is the carousel, big slide and flying saucers – other rides included the Big Lizzie, a gigantic swing named after Elizabeth I.

A fair had been held on Mitcham Common since at least 1811 – folklore says it dates back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I – and is still held today, despite occasional attempts to shut it down.