Boston incongruity

It's hard to imagine a greater incongruity than the airbrushed painting and coloured lights of a ride at Boston's May Fair and the top of the medieval tower of the church of St Botolph. However, it caught my eye and appealed to me, not least because the ornate stone lantern that tops the tower appeared to be an unlikely crown on the painted girl's head.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100

Boston May Fair carousel horses

The May Fair at Boston, Lincolnshire, is the modern successor of the medieval and later fairs that were held in the town for centuries. Today the event is solely a fun fair, something that would be only an element of a fair of much wider scope in those distant times. As I wandered through the fairground rides my eye settled on the brightly painted horses of the carousel, each with its name written on its neck. During my lifetime such carousels have been a permanent fixture at this kind of fair, but in historic terms I suppose they are relatively recent.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100