a fairground life (friday the 13th aaaaaaargh!))
I didn't realise the date until a friend give me a call and reminded me. That was after he passed me on the side of the road while I was sitting in the back of a Police car. Oh I wasn't auditioning for Britain's most wanted or doing anything wrong, it was just time to pay my "Vanity Tax". You know, the fee you pay when you are booked for tweeking you private reg with the strategic placement of the fastening screw head. So there I was being told by the officer how my number plate could not be read by an automated camera because of that rouge screw head. However it did strike me funny that at 90 mph, on a dark road, in rain that same camera could read a similar number plate with correctly positioned screw heads, AMAZING! So £30 quid later my vanity tax is up to date and I'm on my way again. The day got worse from there. The Backflash lights on the miami just tripped off every time I tried to put them on and the strobe light had lost its flicker, frozen on like a solid xeon (pronounced zenon) spotlight. Many hours later and I finally got some backflash illumination working by removing all the fuses and replacing them one by one to track down the culprit channel. This was of course after climbing all around the ride and inspecting all possible connections, plugs, wiring etc etc to no avail. So 5 out of 6 channels will have to do for tomorrow night. As for the strobe, I took it home and thawed it out on the hall radiator. Its working for the moment but time will tell. On a positive note I did get that wiper blade fitted, the hinge repaired and ordered the foot brake valve. I hope its the right one.
posted by showman @ 21:59
21 Comments
21 Comments:
Ouch, thats an expensive screw. lol. Vanity tax up to date and another tick in plods notebook.
I am convinced the traffic lot are given a set list in the morning, three speeders, two number plates and a half dozen seatbelts. Yet another stealth tax. Very quiet today and with sundays old firm game i cant see tommorow being any better. Van in for mot this week so have everything crossed, allready hit with a sizeable pre mot repairs bill from tame mechanic. Hope the event good for you showman, this isnt the time of year to be outside! Sounds like you have a short on that channel, can you un plug sections to narrow it down? Time to get the multimeter out.
P.S. Where is blakey hiding?
good day ah yes we all pay taxes etc but the government still wants more cash from us on daft things like that lol to spend on bailing out our banks. yes where is blakey.Hows things showman when does the new season start calendar for 2009 updated yet cheers borderer.
2009 mostly updated
Contrary to what you’re trying to imply “the traffic lot” aren’t given a set list at the beginning of the shift.
Re number plate misalignment I personally prefer to use a bit of discretion and use a rectification notice. This usually means the matter can be resolved without the individual incurring any punitive fine. The idea being the motorist respects rather than detests what is being achieved.
I personally prefer to use my time and focus on the more irresponsible motorists amongst us. The kind who think it acceptable to run old vehicles for a year only to be “hit with a sizeable pre MOT repair bill”
Can I remind the author that in line with construction and use legislation you have a legal obligation to ensure that when used the vehicle should always be in a fully roadworthy condition. On the assumption that the author is towing a trailer this most probably means the train weight of the combination is over 3.5 tons.
May I suggest you consider a preventive maintenance schedule? Commercial operators are legally obligated to inspect their vehicles normally on a six week basis. This undoubtedly prevents them from getting “hit with a sizeable pre MOT repair bill” and ensures their vehicles are roadworthy to boot
ha ha ha ! I read the above comment, then read my post again. Obviously the above anonymous author thinks that the backflash lights are meant to be "tail lights or a tailboard" and the strobe is an "indicator light"!!! I think he hasn't read the previous post and realised I'm talking about parts of the ride used while erected on site, these are nothing to do with being road worthy.
I would have to contest anon as my vehicle is fairly youthfull compared to some i see driving about. It is inspected regularly for any imperfections. This ensures i can do my best to reduce breakdowns and run legally and as economically as possible in the current climate. However if a mechanic so much as looks under your bonnet and draws through his teeth then you allready have your wallet surgically removed. A sizeable bill dosnt equal sizeable repairs.
Think it was more a dig at my comment showman,
still, it goes to show you never know who is reading this and for what? I suppose no one can be completely honest about everything, we all have skeletons to hide. good job I didn't give my name, I would be frightened to take the car out! is this proof we are living in a police state? LOL
Big brother is watching, lol
in jokes can be understod by others.
just think before u ........
Hi i can confirm blakey is still alive'i just looked in the mirror.
With regards to the current debate i would like to say that i like the vast majority of showmen, check all my vehicles on a regular basis. Anyone who reads this blog would realise that running repairs are a major part of a showman's life. I personally check the more common problem's like light's tyre's oil water wheel nut's coupling's brake pressure etc etc,before every journey. If i do come across any problems then they are repaired throughout the year. The whole point of yearly tests is to look more closely in to any problems. I discovered pre test last year that my lorry required new brake discs. It was road worthy ,and the brakes where working fine,but i was advised they would not remain so for another year so i had them replaced at a considerable cost.
I was told yesterday that vosa are soon to be able to issue on the spot fines and are also to become self funding. This is quite simply wrong. After all do turkey's vote for christmas. All motorist are already used as a stealth tax no matter what anyone say's to the contary.
good day all good to hear from you blakey, mid feb and weather is picking up now good heavens for that when is your first fair of the 2009 season showman are you looking forward to it or are you getting to comfy in the permanent house lifestyle lol do you miss the living wagon?. cheers borderer.
Hi blakey again to try and brighten this dirge up a bit.
Spent yesterday in manchester at a showman's football tournament. Its an annual tournament[it's on every year r] which is attended by teams from all over the country. the good news is scotland came away with three out of the four cups. We won at under 7s ,under10s,and the over forties. My youngest son was in the under 10s,and i was stupid enough to play in the over 40s. My legs are paying for it now.
The north of england team won the under fifteen's cup. It was nice to see them win as they are one of the smaller sections of the showman's guild,and usually have trouble raising enough players for their team's. I had to say that as i'm attending a wedding in the north east on sunday.
The aforementioned football tournament involved getting up at four on thursday morn and arriving home at one on friday morn. So guess who was in my place before nine cadging a bit of ground for his show lorry. Yep that donkey showman. He arrived at the yard while i was out and proceeded to reverse in to my lorry. He then decides it might be better to move my lorry. I arrived on scene around this time. I give him the keys of my lorry,and tell him to shift it cos iv'e got the good togs on,and have to leave for a meeting. I then atempt to tell him how to start my lorry using the recently installed heating element. He of coarse tells me i dont have to tell him cos he knows how to start a lorry,and do i think he's stupid. Answer's on a postcard please. I arrive back about an hour later to see his lorry still siting in the middle of the yard. He's got the charger on my batteries cos he's nearly flattened them,and tells me my lorries still not starting right,and he thinks the pumps knackered. It cant be i say cos i cracked all the injector's,and got fuel from all of them. Did you wait for the heater i ask[like i tried to explain earlier]. Yes he said i know what i'm doin.[sorry cant be bothered putting in quotation marks]. I get in the cab half turn the key. Did you see that light and count to thirty i ask. Oh i did'nt see that he said [i did try to tell him,but luckely he's not stupid].Needless to say my lorry with the knackered pump started straight away. Your a donkey.
LIES and EXAGGERATION!!!!
I did NOT reverse into your lorry, I merely backed up until I "touched" it to confirm that my lorry wouldn't fit through the gap. What's wrong with that? and I did follow your start up instructions to the letter, its not my fault that your lorry has two amber lights that light up for 10 seconds and then go off. I was looking at the wrong one and not turning the key far enough to engage the second. Yes I am a DONKEY confirmed by the Cr@p I put up with.
BUT ask yourself this Blakey, you only learned of the cold start after your lorry started playing up and not starting properly, it still wont start without the heater plugs. SO WHAT HAS BROKEN / CHANGED that means you have to use them now but not in the previous four years??????? now thats a good question, it must be injectors or PUMP so who's a donkey too???????
Play nice now you two !
Blimey, a heated comment section. Unlike blakeys plugs. Have wondered about that, when cold my plug light wont go out. But it still starts ok. guess i should think about changing them? Any advice? Was dismayed to read about a incident involving a miami down south, hope it not serious but little info on this? Hope the music event was a good earner showman? Have been told it was very busy. Have to agree with r here at this point! Reguards to the usual suspects...
Hi S, Blakey & all the other regulars
Havn't looked in much during the closed season thought nothing much would be happening. How wrong can you be.
S did you manage to get the bumping sorted out on the front hub ?
Jesters sorry don't know what kind of vehicle you're running but normally heater lights staying on when it's cold is a sign that the feed is going straight to earth.
Regards to everyone S.S.
My heater light stays on as well and still starts ok. Unless showman's at the controls of coarse. Dont worry it's not a real heated conversation the donkey's wearing out my couch as i write. He's been parked on it for three hours
LOL
hi gang
Does anyone know whats happened to the Scotlands Funfairs web site.
Last September it went from almost daily updates to nothing and now it seems to have vanished.
comment number 20 in this post and its closed season lol.hows all the regulars doing blakey,jesters and ss so folkes whens the first fair of the 2009 showman will be attending. cheers hope all well .
Hi everyone
in response to one of the anonymous posts above, the scotlandsfunfairs.com website is no longer being updated. if you read their forum you will see this.
Hows things anyway Showman? Got my copy of Carnival DVD through 2 weeks back. Didn't know I looked so good on camera lol
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