Nottingham's Goose Fair 'Goosey' out of hibernation

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-24213268

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Nottingham's Goose Fair mascot has been risen from hibernation to take up its annual residency on one of the city's roundabouts.

Goose Fair has taken place in Nottingham for more than 700 years and "Goosey" has sat on the Mansfield Road roundabout since the 1960s.

Nervous workmen undertake a delicate operation to move the model about four miles to signal the upcoming fair.

Goose Fair opens on 2 October and runs until 6 October.

The model - thought to be female but not scientifically tested - is made from fibreglass and timber, is about 6ft 6ins (2m) tall and weighs about a quarter of a tonne.

'Iconic' goose

Tony Papkiewicz has been in charge of the model for more than 20 years but never tires of the annual event.

"It is an iconic piece. It is one of those things people expect to see every year," he said.

"When we put it on the island people know the fair is on its way."

Goosey is stored in the Woolsthorpe depot in Bilborough the rest of the year and undergoes an annual repaint and clean by the community payback team.

Legend has it the travelling fair - one of the largest in Europe - gets its name from when hundreds of geese were taken from Lincolnshire to be sold in Nottingham.