a fairground life (fuel rises)
Monday afternoon and I return to Drymen to pick up the rides. The marquees were just about dismantled when we arrived. I took the skydiver and Blakey took the DZ (thanks again, that's 3 times this year alone). This saved me about 4 hours and £30 in fuel as I didn't need to do a double. On the way we stopped at Stirling services and fuelled up. The skydiver unit took £170 of Derv and the DZ took £180- ouch! We arrived at the village mid afternoon and just incase the weather turned wet, we set the two rides and un-coupled the units. Heading back to Glasgow I phoned in an order for gas oil for the generator-£425 worth--I'm telling you now the price of fuel is going to finish us! Since Nov last year the cost of derv has risen 35% and gas oil 100%, that is more than it has risen over the last TEN years and 25 years respectively!!!
Tuesday.
Orthodontist for my daughter then to her school to pick up workbooks to take away so she doesn't fall behind. After that we took the Hobby over and started to erect the skydiver. "r" is still taking his HGV lessons so I had to do it mostly myself. "m" helped a bit with the levelling off and Blakey give me a lift with the cars at the end. Glad that's out the way, I'll do the DZ tomorrow. My back feels better, must be due to working it.
posted by showman @ 21:35
22 Comments
22 Comments:
Hi blakey here.Showman left for borders village so no internet connection for him at moment.Im off back to village in morning,will finish building up ready for opening friday night.I have been back in glasgow since tuesday night to attend to other business[told you i work harder than him].Keep saying i'm gonna go to village fair for whole two weeks and relax a bit,but always have to come back for something. Maybe next year.
By the way showman that's four time's drove dz this year,but who's counting anyway.
Nothing like a bit of moon lighting eh blakey ? i keep telling my instructor at Richies we could do a bit on the side, big empty lorry driving about all day surly someone needs something moved somewhere and it would brake up the day a bit !! lol.
Hope the weather is kind to you and showman blakey, Its looking a bit dodgy this weekend, it will depend what bit of scot your in i reckon. I need it dry between now and sat night so heres hopeing. Need to see some coins this wknd as just seem to be spending a fortune on everything, All the best, let us know how you get on!
clear the roads,get the children indoors,evacuate all houses near tight bends,ground all internal flights,close the level crossings,fit extra bumper's to your cars,r has passed his heavy goods class two test.obvious it's getting easier they be giving them away with a tank of fuel next.mind you it might be cheaper.
hope weather fine for you jesters think we be ok acording to forcast.
Wow, looks like showman will have less to do now, well done r, never mind r, i am bad enough with a 24ft load on, wheres the escort ??
Will see if all my bearings are still there on sun, keep that lister going blakey!
Well done R
I'm assuming you tested at Bishopbriggs.
Now for the big one.Have you got a test date yet ?
Regards
S
hi borderer here hows buisness? hope all is good, about these fuel rises i seriously think daily users of petrol/diesel should get a fixed price say 90p diesel and 75p petrol for haulage companys,taxi firms and showmen because you all need these to run lorrys and cars/4x4 etc. anyone up for making a petition what you think blakey and showman. many thanks borderer. and congratulations on your test r showman will be glad of the help and will save a good few pounds in long run.
well thats another one over, the sun was out and we had half decent business, one puncture and a wheel trying to depart from hub but otherwise alls well. Was nice to see punters out despite the current gloom! Hope the borders being kind to you, and your right borderer it pained me today watching the red stuff slowly drain away. It eats into your money pretty quick.
borderer here glad buisness good jesters how about we make a petition against fuel rises and a cap in the price for showmen and haulage companies. anyone interested.
Hello
reality check
Maybe I'm mistaken but has'nt the fuel petition gig been tried before like 2.5 million signatures
borderer here yes it may have been but its about time people done something about it rather than just sit back and watch the prices go up and right now and in future buisness's are going bust due to fuel overheads e.g haulage companys and i for one dont want the showman livelyhoods down the toilet just because they cant afford diesel petrol etc these people play a huge part in town/city/village funfair celebrations and people should go out in force to support them.many thanks. keep up the good work showman hope buisness keeps up for your duration in the borders.
I understand you're sentiments but when it comes to fuel we better all get used to current prices as it looks as if they're here to stay.
Bearing in mind we get the VAT back and fuel is tax deductable it's not as bad as it first appears. The main problem is the man in the street does'nt have that facility so he is feeling the pinch, in turn this is meaning he has less available cash for leisure & recreation
I agree, the man in the street has less cash to spend generally, strangely though i also notice that the "poorer" areas have generally a higher spend at funfairs, this seems to go hand in hand with more trouble at fairs, ie more drinking etc, dont know why it works this way, has showman had similar exp? what you reckon blakey?
borderer here i understand and totally agree with jesters the poorer families spend large amounts at fairs which is good but on other hand the middle or upper class may not spend us much,how is buisness going jesters where are u at the moment?blakey hows things with you are you at west linton.i no that fuel prices will rise and rise and i read an article in the sunday mirror saying it costs 57p a litre to make diesel so the government whack 80p on that for tax/duty etc would be great if they cut that not like this country doesnt make enough money.whats everyone elses views.keep up the good work showman hope the borders is good for u buisness wise.
Borderer, business ok, nothing special booked until the next one, a private hire for a music thing (sounds like a rave to me) have a indoor usual pitch that i go back to if i have nothing else, it covers sat and sun, as i say i am just a part timer! The fuel situation will slowly resolve itself i think, apart from the coming tanker drivers strike, what next??
borderer here ah yes jesters a rave it sounds to me to glow sticks at the ready and blow your whistle as long as they spend a good few coins that will keep buisness up,the tanker driver strike may not happen if they resolve pay dispute but nowadays everything is finalised on the last minute and all the media say dont panic buy but i dont think people listen but i think it affects 10% of all filling stations so not that major, anyhow at least the weather this year is good hope the sun keeps shining through the summer and the families attend the funfairs and spend some hard earned cash,do u have a side stall jesters? hope everyone keeping well. borderer.
AT the risk of offending----I have noticed that for the most part-poorer or working class people will spend more on their children and generally be more willing to visit fairs than the richer or so called upper classes. This could be a social thing ie. the way they were brought up as children, their parents took them and so on, compared to people who have never been taken to a fair, may not think to take their children or maybe they think this kind of entertainment is beneath them. There is an old saying-"where there's muck there's brass". I would say that in any town that has had heavy industry there is a good chance of a fair doing decent business.
We used to open at Scone palace for the "Game fair" the green wellie brigade attended in mass. They all ate strawberries and drank champagne while watching Wimbeldon and booking shoots in Kenya, meanwhile their children wandered about the small fair area with a £1 of two "p"s split between them. Thank god Perth city was close and we seen some scally wags!
Sorry, that is how I seen it.
borderer here, i agree showman, most of the lower class enjoy an evening to the funfair but the middle or higher class think its not there scene but its all good fun to have a laugh and socialise with the family and friends i am not saying the upper classes are hands in pocket types but i am just saying what i think dont want to cause arguments whats other peoples opinions on this ?. showman wheres blakey hes not been commenting for a while he to busy with his extensive funfair life he leads lol. keep up the good blogs.
have to whole heartadly agree with showman on this one, did an agricultural show a few years ago, agreed pitch rates before we turned up, arrived and was told the pitch fee had now doubled. allready p d off we stumped up the cash in the hope of some return, all day they turned up in there quarter million pound horse boxes and not a pound was spent at the small attractions, wasted day and have never been back, never will.
Some of these events just think they can charge what they like. Do you think we can get this up to 20 comments? ? lol
borderer here comment number 20, yes the higher end of our society dont like to part with the brass some do tho im not saying they are all tight wads as people call them but some like to keep there money. doesnt do any harm to spend a couple of pounds when you see them drive in there huge 4x4s or mercs or bmw softops with the personalised plate. anyways hows things showman west linton been good to you many thanks border.
Hi blakey here.That's me back in the real world of bills letter's school run's and internet connection.Now as showman will testify[that means back me up r],i'm not one to argue.However i must defend the green wellie brigade.The one thing they will do is put on the said wellies and their wax jackets and come to their annual event no matter what our fine british weather throws at them.
I do however agree that most traditional fair's are supported by the the working class.
Not one to argue!! who are you trying to kid????
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