a fairground life
Alloa was pretty quiet on Thursday night. We closed just in time for me to catch the second half of the Gers match. The ground is really soft and getting out WILL be a problem. I left there this morning and went to open the Miami and DZ. The DZ wouldn't work! By looking at the position it was stopping at I quickly concluded that it was the same problem from last year (to the week). When "r" returned from uni, I got him to put the harness on and I sent him up on the gondola. He removed all the bands connections and cleaned them. It took around thirty minutes and at 2pm the ride was working again. Just oxidisation on the copper contacts. Later, just after 6pm I got a call to tell me the skydiver compressor was knacked and the ride was closed. I told "m" to go and buy a new one from any DIY store. For 7 pm the had bought one from Homebase in Stirling. They got back to the fair and quickly attached it. It promptly bust into flames!!! Obviously faulty. So back it went for a refund. I will get another in the morning then nip back to Alloa to fit it.
On the plus side-NO oil drip from the miami shaft seal today, yippee!, but it is early yet and I won't be getting too excited until at least a week. Nice night tonight, maybe the rain is leaving.
Been thinking about the business at Alloa. FACT->At Alloa the upright paratrooper rode more passengers on a Friday night in the early eighties than the skydiver will ride the entire fair 2008 (or ANY year since 2000). There are more showmen driving on Agency work during the summer (this year) than at any other time to try and make ends meet.
posted by showman @ 21:33
7 Comments
7 Comments:
good read hope u get a refund
k.j
Hi S
If fuel keeping continuing to rise at its present rate agency work won't be an option either.
Regards S
P.s
I take it since we last spoke the suspension problem on the single axle trailer has cleared.
The suspension is working well even though I had not adjusted the pressure on the ec12. I can only assume the extra pressure from the ec10 cleared something. However this unit was on the ride several times last summer and the suspension was squint, so putting in the other valve and splitting the bags must have had an effect also. Thanks for your help, A few ideas from someone certainly helps the problem solving process.
In the early 80s you could ride for 30P. Now it's two pounds a ride and up - try cutting your prices to get more volume!
I'll think you'll find that the simple economics of the matter are, compounding the annual rate of inflation over the last 25 years, show people are making far less money today at £ 2.50 per ride than they were in the early eighties when charging 30 pence. Over and above their direct costs fuel etc, we now live in a world where health & safety rules. This has resulted in far more stringent testing of equipment,this comes at a cost. The actual buying of a ride has also rocketed,just compare the price of a ton of steel today in comparison to what it cost in the early eighties. A decent 300 KVA generator is now well into five figures and in this world where it's always someone else's fault, the masive increase in good old fashioned public liabilities insurance.
As far as I'm concerned regardless of you're business, times are hard period.
Rds S
I know times are hard in a lot of businesses, and inflation is a nightmare. But the relevant question is whether your average teenager, say, has ten times more disposable income today than in 1982. A 14-year-old then might have five pound a week, and might spend 30P a ride for three or four rides. Does s/he have fifty pound a week nowadays? Doubt it, myself. (Anyway, the best thing to run on a fairground is probably a bingo!)
i think bingo's have their own problems, i stand next to one and sometimes they run with only a few players and still give any prize.
all the swag for the out of pocket runs still has to be paid for.
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