Constable at the Fair

As Constable Nick awaits news of his future, he reminisces about times gone by in Aidensfield and recalls the variety of fairs he has attended; mop fairs, country fairs, game fairs, fun fairs, horse fairs, Scarborough Fair and even a mock old-fashioned fayre have all formed part of the rich pageant of history on his patch. The arrival of a noisy fun fair sparked off a hunt for a missing schoolgirl thought to have run away with a fairground worker; but her father had also vanished, and the discovery of a treasure trove and a long-dead body on the moors revived ancient memories of a mystery person going to Scarborough Fair. The Crampton mop fair was used as a cover for burglaries, the revival of St Aidan's Fair in Aidensfield created problems when the carefully planned advertisements were all removed, whilst a continuing worry was that the lovely Charlotte, a girl born on Monday and therefore fair of face, could not find romance. Dealing with these dilemmas, and more, was all part of Constable Nick's duty as the village constable.

Nicholas Rhea is the pen-name of Peter N. Walker, formerly an inspector with the North Yorkshire Police. He is now the creator of the Constable series, which inspired the hugely successful TV series Heartbeat, and author of many successful topographical books about Yorkshire and the Lake District. He lives in North Yorkshire. Visit the official Nicholas Rhea website at www.nicholasrhea.co.uk