Lowerhouse History: Did you know? Part 7

Baby House

For a few years in the mid 1930s Lowerhouse held a fund-raising Carnival.  In 1935 they advertised a Bonny Baby competition, and were staggered to receive more than 300 entries.

In 1936 they bravely did it again, but “only” had 180 entries, but press photographs show the pavilion heaving with infants.

That year the sun shone and 5,000 people came to enjoy all manner of side shows, including showman Albert Wright who had to escape from neck clamp, foot irons and hand cuffs before a French guillotine cut his head off.  He was fastened down, a curtain drawn across, then a spectator pressed a lever to release the blade.  The effect was rather spoilt when the rope broke and the guillotine refused to drop, but “it did not make any difference to the crowd when Albert popped up in their midst and the curtains were drawn back to reveal an empty guillotine.”