a fairground life(end Dunkeld)

We left the yard just after 3pm. I was taking the skydiver unit and my wife was driving the jeep towing the touring caravan.
The sun was strong in Glasgow and it was a plesant trip back up. When we got to Perth however the sky was dark and the rain was coming down in torrents. My thoughts instantly turned to the skydiver ride in the middle of the field at Dunkeld. I did hope that the rain was only local and maybe Dunkeld (still 12 miles) had missed it. That was not the case. The road was wet all the way to the gate of the fairground. I drove the lorry in with no problems and got coupled up, but when I tried to pull out the wheels started to skid. I went to the funhouse lorry parked nearby and brought it back into the field to use the winch on it. ( My father had bought the winch cheap from a friend. For 14 years we tripped over it as it lay in the back of his lorry and never got it fitted up. When he did away with that vehicle, I claimed it and fitted it under the funhouse lorry. I did all the work myself and it still cost over £300 to fit up. The first year was a dry one and I never used it at all. I thought to myself "if I knew that would be the case I would have fitted it years ago". The next year I used it several times and wondered how we ever managed without one before. Having to tow vehicles with chains etc. Then I remembered that my father had an old Foden double drive with 1200 x20 track grip tyres on it. He had this lorry for 12 years and it never got stuck once, nor did we ever put an airline on a tyre. It would drive in and out of anywhere with a trailer attached. They were still good tyres when the lorry went to the breakers 3 years ago.)
I went to unwind the wire rope. There were a couple of bangs and a shudder! Before I could think ohno! what's up?, the winch came to life. I suppose it was just a little seized from waiting 18 months in between jobs! So with the winch attached to the front of the skydiver we slowly chugged it out of its ruts. Even at an inch a second it is faster than not moving at all. When the ride cleared the soft area the wire rope was removed and I drove it out onto the hard standing. An old wise showman once said to me, "f*#k the winches!, it is more street fairs we need!" I agree. The next fair is in a carpark just off the main street at Blairgowrie. We will wait until Wednesday before we can get access.