a fairground life

Still no transport. I went to the auctions again and carefully vetted my choices. The pick of the bunch (for me) seemed to be three ex PO vans. All 1.3 ltr, 54 plate v/hall combo's. So I was there when they started them up to drive them through. The first had no throttle, the engine was powerless and at full rev's took several second to come alive. The second had damage to the drivers door jam and the window fell out when they tried to lower it, but the engine seemed ok. The Third had good body work all around and the engine was responsive, only problem was the pools of engine oil that spat out the exhaust when revved up! So I bid on the 2nd and topped out long before the £1400 bid+vat+sellers fee+1% cash handling fee. Maybe another week.

Was at Kilwinning last night with the DZ for their x-mas light up. It was in a small car park behind the main street. We had pulled in the night before but were unable to set on the plot due to the car park being nearly full. Arriving at 11 am the next morning the ride was set up ready for 12:30 pm . So we hung around until opening at 5 pm. It was nearly 7 pm before we seen any weight of people and we did ride well for an hour, then the heaviest hail shower ever, came down and cleared the event. We dribbled on until 8:40 pm and that was it. We had the ride down for 9:45 pm. Since the other rides were still erected and blocking our exit we managed to manoeuvre the ride through a narrow side exit and bump it down off the kerb onto the road. At that "r" took it back to the mall while I followed in the pick up. 

a fairground life

Sunday

well today can only be described as a disaster, rain then hail then more rain and even heavier hail. It never stopped all day and I don't blame the punters for not coming out to enjoy the rides. 

a fairground life

Mon

I arrived at Ayr racecourse just after 11am. The waltzer and miami were already in and set. Unfortunately there was concern about the grass just off the tar area. This meant that we could not erect the twist were it was supposed to go and it got moved into the centre of the fair and displaced the DZ plot. We looked for alternate positions for the tower but due to slope of the terrain and the way the tower had to swing, we could not find another suitable location. Just as I thought I would be leaving early we managed to squeeze it onto a plot were the funhouse had stood the year prior. I built up myself as "r" was at uni. I was ready for 3pm and my wife arrived soon after. "r" arrived just after opening. It was nothing special but a days wages, I suppose that nothing to be sneered at this time of the year. We were closed just after 9pm and back in Glasgow for 11:30pm.

Wednesday

Arrived at Drumchapel for 11am. "r" is able to help today, just aswell as we have two rides to erect, tower and miami. The park has been prepared for us with two lanes of tracking laid over 100m long. The rides pull on in rotation and every thing is in a straight line, including the generating vehicles. We set up the rides for 2pm, then shoot off to the other side of the city to pick up two staff. We will need extra tonight as it is a very busy event. At 4:45 pm we open the dz first, already there is a small queue and soon after the other rides open too. That was it, head down until 9:20 pm. All rides had queues over 160ft long for 4 hours!! The weight of people was around 4000. There was marquees, stage with lives acts and other entertainment too. Even when the fireworks were going off the rides never stopped. At 9:10 pm the security closed the queue gates and we finished off the stragglers. For 11:30 pm we were back on the road heading to the mall. We all moved off the tracking in rotation, out through the end of the park where the council had cut down the fence to make another gate. I arrived before "r" at the mall, he had taken a wrong turn. Just as I was about to go looking for him he appeared.

Thursday

Off and set up the rides for the x-mas lights switch on. "r" will arrives later to help me. I 'm tired but have to push on. The rides are erected for 3pm, then we spend another 2 hours washing off the mud for the night before. We just finish in time to open. At 8 pm I am dead on my feet and looking to go home. At least poverty is thwarted for this week!

a fairground life

It has been a while since I attended any Bonfire / Firework displays. In the mid 90s I had built up a small run, attending about 5 on a good year (when they didn't clash with each other). Bridge of Allan was always on the 5th, Greenock was always the Saturday nearest the 5th, Ayr was usually a Sunday, Arbroath was the nearest Friday (I think, its hard to remember) and Glenrothes was sometimes the Saturday before or even as late as the following week. They were hard work and heavily dependant on the weather. They all shared the same trait (except Arbroath) you got an hour before, nothing during and when the last squib went off you got a quick hour then it was game over. Arbroath was different because they didn't get a travelling funfair there during the summer (the town has a building with indoor rides sited permanent) and the novelty factor held the customers as they were mainly there for the funfair and not the fireworks (my explanation anyway). The thing that I hated about doing these events was the time of the year, it was dark,cold and damp when you left to get onsite, it was cold when you set up, it was dark when you opened and it was freezing when it was pulling down time. In the early noughties we started to attend the mall, no need for these events now as we had filled the dates with less work effort. I mean why chase it when you can sit were you are and tick over comfortably. So 2002 was my last Bonfire run with the Skydiver. I did one or two in 2003 with the miami. Since then none. So now I find myself looking again and have organised 3 ride plots at two events. Needs must and due to a serious fall in income over the last few weeks we are once again "chasing money". Hope this dry spell holds out. South of the border "Guy Fawkes" night is a bigger ado and the showmen there can get a good fortnights biz attending large firework displays.