Tony Spurrett is a travelling showman known to generations of west Oxfordshire families for his live ammunition shooting gallery at the Witney Feast.

Now, in his 75th year, he has decided to retire, making one of the last two traditional shooting galleries a piece of history.

He said: "The shooting range is a dinosaur really. There's only one other like it left.

"It was passed down to me by my father and to him by his father.

"Some day in the future, will people really believe that there was a time when you could shoot a real rifle with real bullets at a fairground? It's the end of an era."

Mr Spurrett's eccentric lifestyle, wealth of stories and the experiences of his fairground clan are now being documented in a book edited by his friend John Comino-James.

Mr Comino-James met Mr Spurrett 17 years ago. Fascinated by his way of life, he decided to record the showman's life story to give people an insight into the world of the travelling fair.

Mr Comino-James said: "I first met Tony at Thame Show in 1989. Until then I knew nothing of travelling showmen and their cultural identity, their historical origins and the organisation of fairs."

Mr Spurrett has lived in Carterton for most of his life and was a founding member of the local rifle and pistol club, and he plans to carry on shooting.

He said: "I'll certainly carry on at the club, but it's time I stopped the shooting gallery and try to relax and get out and about and see a few places.

"I'm sad to say goodbye to the gallery. Nobody likes to get old, but it's the right time to retire."

The book, entitled Tony Spurrett, Travelling Showman, costs £5.

To buy a copy, send your name, address and payment to Truffle Books, Shepherds Close, Kingston Stert, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, OX39 4NL.