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.
posted by showman @ 22:53
6 Comments
6 Comments:
The guys at the Glasgow green last year were doing 30 second rides. Whats you views on doing short runs. I heard many a dissapointed punter and was actually talking to some people last week about the shows at the green last year who thought it was a bit of a rip off.
30 seconds seems a bit quick to me. The only ride capable of that would be the miami as it has the high acceleration rate. my advice would be for the punters to watch the ride before hand, after all what you see is what you get and if you don't like it keep your fare for a better value ride else where. I must admit sometimes quick runs are required when there is a mass of people to try and keep the queues moving and stop the punters crushing. On a few wrist band nights and a couple of other gaffs I have given 60 sec rides on the miami. its that old economical law---supply and demand!
hi all hows things blakey and jesters hows things. hope all well. borderer
At last a bit of spare time to continue the big countdown. Been a bit busy lately,but i wont bore you with that. I like to leave that to showman.
At six is germany's own MAN. I have been driving these a lot lately for a supermarket chain.
MAN seem to be good enough lorries. They drive ok and there's always plenty of power in any i have driven,but this is a review of the best lorries to drive,and they only reach number
six.
The most annoying thing about MAN is there insistance on going with the flat floor so you can stand up in them. Great if your on long distance and actually living in your cab,but not necessary in the work i do.I even came across a rigid with the same feature last week. I much prefer a nice wee centre tray,and it must have a cup holder as well. The radio also goes off everytime you open the cab door,so you have to keep resetting it.What's that all about. Dont these people realise the radio,and night heater are the most important things in a lorry.
The MAN cabs are also very high,they dont seem to make a mid range cab more suited to multi drop or town delivery's.Its actually difficult to see if anyone is crossing the road in front of you at light's,particulary school kid's. Why not make a mid height cab like daf or volvo do.
The first MAN i drove had the best gearbox i've used other than automatics. It was four high and four low,but all you had to do to change range was bump the gear stick to the left for low,and back to the right for high. Simple and it never missed a beat. Thers's even a light on the dash to tell you what range your in. Their four high four low with a switch can be a bit tempremental like the scania's [did a driving assesment yesterday for new contract my agency has. Not only was it a scania,it also had the ridiculous crappy rubbish pishy back to front gearbox i mentioned earlier.It is totally pointless and stupid,these people need to get a grip of themselves or be made to drive this rubbish. And you though clarkson was controvesial. I passed the assessment by the way.]
MAN also do an automatic. They drive ok and gear ghange good when driving. They are however a bit slow,and you need a bigger gap than usual at roundabouts. Where they really fail though is when reversing. It is very difficult to keep your rev's up unless your doin ten to twenty miles per hour.Not really an option when backing on to a bay. the result is you tend to reverse in instalment's.Many a driver will tell you they can make you look a right idiot. I dont usually need a lorry for that though. There is still only one auto lorry that reveses smoothly,but more of that later.
Anyway that just about sum's up MAN. Cab a bit tinny,and looks like big square box stuck on a chassis,and they also killed of erf so they lucky they not in tenth place.They did however help develop the first diesel engine so they got something right.
Blakey
Noticed your comment a couple of weeks back and meant to ask, did you get your FLC plated and how come you had to spend so much money ?
Rds S
Yes flc back in business. Most of money went on brakes,particulary,new disks and shoes. Lorry's can be expensive just like cars,sometimes even more so. Car service on monday,but ok with that as it still has warranty,and a paid up service plan.
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