Every year Kings Park Bournemouth plays host to one of the counties top travelling fairs. James Mellors. Having thrilled holidaymakers from 9th August the fair would change towns 25th later that month. As we walked past the rows of lorries (2-Big Ben, Crazy Shake, Frisbee and 4-Crazy Mouse) sporting titles from the collection of rides the main attraction loomed above us. Big Ben.

The fair is called Funderworld but manages to claim theme park status. Presumably under the grounds a £1 entrance fee is charged. This isn't quite as bad a deal as you may first imagine. To encourage you to ride the £1 is exchanged for two 50p off vouchers.

We decided to walk the length of the fair to soak up the atmosphere and choose some rides to sample.

Tucked away at the back of the fair was The Toboggan, one of the three coasters. The easiest description is as a coasterized (?) Helter Skelter. The loading platform is just in font of a vertical cylinder. You board 'toboggans', Wild Cat style cars with a transparent cover. The lap bar locks back and we instantly enter the tower. Think Oblivion has a steep lift? Think again. As we engage the lift we pull up vertically to face the sky. This direction change is so tight it feels like we are turning up on the spot. As we ascend lights complete the illusion. It's not often that the lift is the highlight of the ride. The crest is as tight as the trough and suddenly the bulk of the fair comes into view.

Here we begin a Helter Skelter spiral back down to earth. We constantly accelerate quickly surpassing the pace I would expect to slide down on an H Skelter. The raised height offers a constant 'We're going over the edge' effect compromised only by the roof. As we approach the ground we suddenly keep on going as we plummet down a small but steep drop. The roof rattles in your ears as you're flung into the car side during the turnaround. The final is two well-paced bunny hops giving moderate airtime. It's always a pleasure to see fairs diversify and this is a perfect excuse. It manages to pack a punch into a short family coaster using novelty and suspense.

The second ride on the list was the Frisbee. You get a reasonable length ride although it lacks variation. It's a shame they didn't employ gimmicks such as stopping the gondola rotation. Although at one point the spinning does take a direction change, partly redeeming itself. Strangely my favourite part was when the ride hadn't got going properly. Here the airtime whisked riders out of their seats. However the full spin G Forces soon put a plug on any airtime. A good but not exceptional spin 'n spew.

The Shot 'n Drop Big Ben was to be our third ride. Theming was reasonable for a travelling fair with soldiers and the London Eye forming a backdrop and the famous clock perched 50m above, capping the tower. The only way the appearance could realistically be improved would be to have a real clock. Unlike some of the big theme parks we didn't have to worry about queuing. We instantly boarded and passed the time chatting to a friendly op that explained he was also an RCCGB member. The restraints were adequate but lacked the customary buckle to add security. Eventually a count down commenced. But we weren't launched until 3 seconds after zero. Although obviously a technical hitch, it added to the anticipation.

Unfortunately when the wait was over the shot was slightly on the mild side. I've heard this is due to Zamperla technology as opposed to the commoner S & S. At the top you're given ample time to savour that you're riding Britain's tallest travelling ride, to be precise 1 minute. The drop will come as a surprise but partially ruined by the 'Keep arms and legs in' announcement. As expected the drop can't compete with the more forceful drop towers. However the bonus is a spot of bouncing before repeating the experience. Count down and all. Again I was pleased to see something slightly bigger at a British fair. It may not compete with what the Germans look forward to, but it does come second best.

Our second Spin 'n Spew was the 'Crazy Shake'. No prizes for suspecting a Huss Shake Up. At a first glance I thought it was a Break Dance but the surprise twist is that gondolas flip head over heel. Once we were locked in the ride began to spin. Every second I imagined we had finally begun to flip but just when I was beginning to doubt it would ever happen we rolled over like a somersault whilst spinning. Sometimes you don't quite make a full spin and end up rocking backwards and other times you almost stop upside down. It had an element of surprise; other, more predictable spin rides could be improved by.

In my opinion the Crazy Shake was better than the Frisbee and did everything a good flat ride should. It wasn't too nauseous whilst still maintaining a good level of Gs. It was unpredictable and each ride's different from the last. A ride some of the proper theme parks should invest in.

Having passed up the junior Dragon coaster we had our last ride on the Crazy Mouse. I won't spend too long describing it as I've already reviewed several other versions and you'll probably have ridden one of them too. The best factor is too sets of zigzags. One set locked and the other spinning. The worst part is the lack of drops. There's only two of note. Surprisingly there was an on ride photo (£3.50)

Other main rides we didn't go on included: Waltzer, Octopus, Magic Carpet style ride and a Fun House. Although surprisingly no Ghost Train.

Prices for the main rides varied between £1.50-£2 (minus vouchers). Not bad considering the quality available. Although the ride compliment isn't massive, when you're paying per a ride perhaps this is just as well or there would be temptations to break the bank on rides.

Apart from Bournemouth, other locations on the circuit include Birmingham and the Nottingham Goose Fair. Visit if you can.