THE rain and cold didn’t stop families and teenagers (…and me) wrapping up and getting down to the fair last night, for an evening of thrills, food and fun.

The fair has been lighting up the city centre once a year since 1227, when King Henry III granted the Bishop of Salisbury a Charter to hold the spectacle on the third Monday of October every year.

An event in my calendar, without fail, every year, I couldn’t wait to take a look around.

Walking through the bustling Market Place with my bag of candy floss, it was great to see the return of all the classic and favourite rides.

The waltzers, the dodgems, the ferris wheel – they were all back with bright colours, lights, smoke, and music in tow.

And for the thrill-seekers, new ride Star Flyer stood tall, very tall, at the edge of Guildhall Square – a swing that shoots you up, up, up into the sky, revealing a breathtaking birds-eye view of the city.

Salisbury Journal: Star Flyer - The view halfway upStar Flyer - The view halfway up

A self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, you would have spotted me on all of these rides last night, screaming with arms in the air.

Thankfully I wasn’t the only one – it looked like the fair had received a very warm welcome on its first full day back, with smiley faces and buzzing atmosphere wherever you turned.

I'll confess you’ll never catch me on the ghost train, but the teens who exited the haunted house looked like they had lots of fun.

And for the faint-hearted, the arcade, stalls and fun houses are the places to try out. 

I attempted winning a toy on one of the game stalls which went horribly wrong, to be expected, but when have I ever been good at throwing darts? Maybe next year.

Salisbury Journal: Another fair-goer attempting the darts Another fair-goer attempting the darts

After an hour of joyous twists, turns and being thrown about I escaped the rides unscathed, ending the evening with a steaming hot portion of chunky chips from one of the food vendors. You can’t go to the fair without a bit of junk food can you?

After the last year or so, the return of the charter fair feels like a genuine stamp of normality returning, and – and I can’t believe I’m saying this in October – has made me excited for all of the Christmas events coming up in Salisbury.