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!