Tributes to Doncaster funfair king Roger Tuby this weekend after death at 79

Mr Tuby, whose name and family have been synonymous with funfairs in Doncaster and across Yorkshire for decades, will be remembered at this weekend’s Bawtry Christmas Event.

Mr Tuby, who was described by his family as the “ultimate showman” will be remembered with the Roger Tuby Memorial stage at the event which takes place in Bawtry on Sunday.

A Visit Bawtry spokesperson said: “We learned this week of the sad passing of Roger Tuby Snr last month.

"Roger was instrumental in making the Bawtry Christmas Event the success it is.

"So as a fitting tribute the stage will be named the Roger Tuby Memorial Stage. The fairground will once again be arranged by Roger’s Son, Roger Tuby Jnr and the Tuby family. This event and many others around the country will be a lasting legacy of Roger.”

His death came just months after the passing of another stalwart of the Tuby family.

Terence Tuby, part of the Tuby family empire which has run fairgrounds in Doncaster and across Yorkshire for more than 150 years, died in January.

The Tuby name has been synonymous with Doncaster funfairs since the 1870s when the original fair was set up by renowned showman George Tuby.

The firm has two main branches, Arthur Tuby and Sons, which operates out of Mexborough and Roger Tuby and Sons which operates from Stainforth with both providing funfairs across the region.

Roger Tuby Jr said: “Dad (Roger Snr) was the ultimate showman - it was running through his veins.

“He brought the fairground industry into the 20th century.

He said: “He reinvested in new rides and kept everything to a high standard.

“I followed with running the business to a high standard as well.

Mr Tuby Snr died on September 15 and his family had two services for him — one at St Lawrence’s Church in Hatfield and one at the crematorium at Rose Hill on October 14.

They were followed by a celebration of his life at the Earl of Doncaster Hotel.

Mr Tuby Jr said: “I made a tribute and said a few words.

“We had an old fashioned lorry that we purchased last year and painted up.

“We took my dad to the church in it and it was a really nice send off.”

The Tuby fairground business was established by George Thomas ‘Tom’ Tuby (1857 -1932), a well-liked former Mayor of Doncaster (1921-22) and Chief Magistrate.

By the time Tom reached adolescence, his father, Thomas Tuby, had started a shooting gallery making a tour of East and West Riding villages.

Later, Tom set himself up with swings, coconut shies, galloping horses, a switchback and then horses four abreast.

He was operating in the fairground’s golden age, which had begun during the late 1860’s when a successful King’s Lynn agricultural engineer devised a method of driving roundabouts by steam.

Tom’s four sons also entered the showman’s world and commenced their own businesses. In turn their descendants have continued to be connected with fairgrounds.

Amongst them was Tom’s great, great grandson, Roger, who was born in Louth.

Breaking away from his family, he started in business on his own with dodgems, children’s rides and slot machines and started organising and presenting fairs within a 100 mile radius of his Doncaster home base.

In the early 1990s he teamed up with Stewart Robinson, from another well known fairground family, to form International Fun Fairs, specialising in fairs in streets, town centres and parks.