a fairground life (calm before the storm)

Since last Wednesday we have been busy busy working but not earning. The DZ was set up in the secc ahead of schedule as I had allocated 3 full days for this but managed to do it in 1 and a 1/2. Just as well as we had the miami booked in for the Soulwaxmas event at the braehead arena too and both gigs kicked off on the same night (fri 18th). The miami setup was supposed to be from Thursday but there was no activity at the Arena site, so I half pulled the ride down to move it the 100 yrds onto its event plot and left it for the next day. All the smaller rides were removed from the mall area as this was now being shared with the music event. To ease any congestion, avoid blocking the view to the music event entrance and prevent any damage being done to these rides, we removed them from site earlier in the week. This meant that they would all have to be re erected on Saturday morning before opening. I said "half pulled down the miami" as that was exactly what it was. We never removed the weights or lowered the backflash, we just packed the control box and raised the front platforms. The lorry coupled up ready to move. So back on Friday early noon to set the ride up again. It only took a few minutes to move the 100 yrds distance and about 20mins to re erect the ride. After that it was back to the secc for opening. I arrived back at 4pm to see one of the other ride operators pull in with his van. He had a large hydraulic ram inside, which he had just got repaired. Unluckily for him the seals had went whilst trying the ride out after trying out on Monday. The ram was repaired but now had to be fitted. So a few of us gave him a hand. We got the use of a forklift from the secc to remove the cylinder from the back of the van. Now we had to devise a way to lift it into position four feet off the floor at a 45 degree angle whilst being inserted through two beams with cutout holes and not forgetting that the eyes needed to align for the fixing pins! At that the helpful HSE officer for the secc arrived to give us the benefit of his wisdom. The outcome of that was- the forklift was not designed to carry the ram, but since it was safer than us lifting it by hand he would "kindly" let us use it. I suppose if we had strapped a palette to the bloody thing that would have been alright then! So watching the clock and with the help of the experienced forklift driver (which made all the difference) we did manage to get the ram in position and the pins hammered in literally on the stroke of 6pm when the doors opened. Mean while "r" was doing the music event with the crew from Falkirk. Skyliner "c" arrived to help me with the DZ.

The secc was quiet and I called "r" on the hour every hour but the news was always the same-"it's crap, there's no people here!" he informed me. So "R" struggled on until 3am in the morning before they half pulled the ride down and moved it back onto it's funfair plot again for opening on Saturday morning.It's a good job we only had 100 yrds to go or we would not have cleared the moving expenses!! thats how bad a gaff it was. At 8am I headed out to the mall to erect the ride again while "r" got some kip. It was after 11am before I got things ready again and I made a dash for the secc to get organised there for opening too. Everything was running smooth apart from the Miami set needing a filter change, which my bro took care of for me. Sunday was a nightmare, the snow was about an inch deep and it took an hour to thaw out the rides at the mall. No such problems for the DZ in the warm,dry hall 4 of the secc. Any way I shoveled four bin bags of salt and spread them all around the miami and skydiver. The water lasers were a no go, being totally frozen solid. I hope the pump hasn't been split, I'll find out tuesday no doubt. At 6pm we closed at the mall, just in time as a blizzard hit as we were leaving. I called in at the secc on the way home to see if "r" needed any help. Luckily for me "c" was still on hand so I got an early finish. On the way home the roads were so bad that the jeep got stuck on an exit ramp of the m8. I quickly put that fuse back in and got the 4wd working again. Maybe I will be able to keep it in now or maybe the diff problems will return????? Any way it got us moving and home. The roads were just sheets of ice again this morning.

Monday and I'm in the secc with "r" today, things are working well at the moment but that can change quickly as we have seen in previous posts. Managed to get a little x-mas shopping in this morning. It's the calm before the storm in here, just got to keep it all running!