This week saw the annual Pinner Fair; a single day where the normally sleeply, suburban corner of London turns its main streets over to the fairground. Unlike the more varied Rickmansworth Fair we visited a few weekends ago, Pinner’s offering is very much concentrated on rides, games and fun for the teenagers of the area and they come out in their droves.

Bridge Street during Pinner Fair

Pinner Fair has struggled financially in recent years, if the headlines of the local paper are to be believed, with organisers struggling to raise funds to hold the event. Unfortunately the weather didn’t assist, with the morning of the fair being something of a washout, unlike the rest of the week which largely enjoyed fine summer weather. Who know’s how this’ll affect the future of the fair but the local youth certainly weren’t thin on the ground, braving the weather in the morning and filling the streets as the weather improved in the afternoon.

The High Street during Pinner Fair

The event doesn’t receive universal support, as Twitter comments on the day attested. I must say I prefer the nature of Rickmansworth’s ‘Ricky Week’ which brought the town’s community together with a range of activities (Pinner sees more of this on the likes of St George’s Day), however I’ll certainly not begrudge the local young-folk a day of fun in what otherwise must be a less than enthralling surburban surrounds.

Defeat snatched from the hands of Victory

A few weeks ago the local paper, the Harrow Observer, covered the unexpected closure of the Victory pub, one of central Pinner’s four hostelries (this excludes the fine Vintage Wine Bar, of course). At the time it was reported that the pub would likely reopen within a couple of weeks, however we noted this week that the rear windows and doors of the pub have been boarded up with rather sturdy metal covering, although ironically and I assume for asthetic reasons the frontage appears unchanged. Reopening in the near future, therefore, is now looking unlikely.

The boarded up Victory pub in Pinner

Similar to the Fair, local opinions of the Victory are varied with it often regarded to as Pinner’s chav pub. I’d suspect its demise therefore will be less than universally mourned. Nevertheless with pub closures well publicised, I find it sad to see their loss and moreover another empty business in Pinner. It’s a fine, historic building and I hope it sees use again soon, perhaps in a more appealing form.