a fairground life (Jedward,Ayr and Oz)
The month started off with "Jedward" turning on the lights at the mall. These two were definitely not in my top 1000 acts to see before I die. However they did attract a couple of hundred fans to the mall who all waited at the Grotto for them to appear. Meanwhile we were outside in the drizzle and opened the fair at 5pm. The lights were to go on at this time too and no doubt ran a little late. I looked at my watch at 6:40pm and the thought "we'll be shut for seven" crossed my mind. How wrong I was, just before 7pm the crowd of teenagers came out onto the fair. It was as many as I had seen there in a long time and we fiddled away until closing at 9:20pm. That's the latest we have ever been open there just for the fair. So for that reason Jedward have went up slightly in my estimation (as entertainers not singers!). After that we pulled down the DZ and Miami.
Friday morning we took the rides over to Drumchapel for their fireworks display as part of the Winterfest event. As in previous years the tracking was laid out ready for us. And as in previous years the grass around the rides turned to mud as we walked over it. "r" and I erected the two rides ready for the nights festivities and headed off to the local pub for a bite to eat. At 4:30pm the event kicked off, slow to start but by 6pm the rides were going hard at it and all the Q pens were full. The Q's for the rides were each over 100ft long. As usual some teenagers were skipping and I had to ask the security to place someone there. They must have asked the police as 4 officers appeared and watched the Q line for about 20 mins. That was fine while they did but when they walked off the skipping started again. The organiser appeared at 8pm and asked when I would have to close the Q line to be closed for 9pm.I told him 8:45 for the customers in the pen,but the other 20 yrds of Q outside the pen would not get on.So at 8:45 I closed the pen and the rides went hard right to closing at 9pm. "R" tackled the DZ with the help of "skyliner C" and I the miami. It was about 11pm when we pulled out of the park. I was last out in the miami.I had to brush through the trees with the vehicle to make the turn out of the park and as I pulled onto the road the Police stopped me. Unknown to me I had caught some lights put in the trees and literally pulled them all down!,oops!The officer helped me un hook them, at that I noticed that I had not put an underbox door on the trailer. I ran back into the park and picked it up. So I guess it was lucky I caught the lights or I may have lost my door. We headed straight back to the mall were the three of us erected the miami again. It was covered in mud, but not as half as bad as last year. It was half twelve and we headed home. The next morning at 7am we went back over to wash the miami before taking the DZ to Ayr. We had to run out 50m of hose to get the water to the ride. It was 9:30 am when we left in the DZ. The ride arrived onsite and as "r" jack knifed the ride onto its plot he nipped the red air line (emergency). The ride was still movable but the air was hissing out.We started work and the ride was setup at Ayr racecourse for 1pm , then we ran out 100m of hose to get the water to the ride. We washed all the mud off and at 2pm we were ready for opening. I returned to Glasgow to get a replacement air line. Funny how you never bust any for decades then you do two in a matter of months. We opened at 6pm and the rain was falling fairly heavily. It eased at 7pm allowing us to knock out half a living before closing at 9:20pm. By midnight we were back at the mall. Sunday morning we arrived on site at 10am to set up again ready for opening at noon.I was tired that night.
Monday morning Mrs showman and I dropped "R" off at the airport for his flight to Oz, she had a tear in her eye as we watched him walk through the departure gate and away for a month, and I must confess I had a lump in my throat.
14 Comments:
good evening showman, glad you have made a decent coin or to and thanks to jedward lol who would thought it, all is quiet in the borders just now just bits n bobs to do over winter and usual jobs plus wedding planning begins for 2012 lol. what do you have planned for the winter showman?, hows all regulars blakey,jesters,john skyliner c many thanks borderer
HI Showman nice to here from you. I was thinking you were having a week off but it looks like you were having a busy time of it. Sentiments about Jedwood I think you and I are in the same boat he's not one I would cross the road to shake hands with and definitely wouldn't go to see him in concert however Jools Holland would be another matter , and he brought out the teenagers and that has to be a plus for you. Its interesting that your bonfire did well I've just been to Lyndfield in East Sussex for there's and not one item of fairground equipment was to be seen, in the neighbouring town of Lewes I believe they had a fair but we didn't, why I don't know but I'm guessing there must have been 5-6000 punters just going to waste and if you know of any fair ground family how could remedy it let them know. When you had to cut the Q's at the rides couldn't you have extended the opening time for an hour or two, as you've guessed I'm a bit of an Idealist and it just seems a shame for all them punters had to go to waste. What I try to think of is the amount of effort you put into your business as against what you get out of it and it just doesn't seem enough. Bet you drink a lot of Red Bulls to keep you awake any one else would be dropping off in the paybox. I see Crs helped you thats good of him but were's the Blakes at? ness he was grafting also. Pitty about the light damage but lucky you got it sorted, it puts me a little in mind of the Whitby Regatta pull on when the Lorries are going down the hill with there ride lights flashing. Glad "r" got away alright a bit heart wrenching but hope he has a nice time and he is back fit and ready for the Secc.
Just enough space to say hello to every one Borderer,Skyliner c, ss,Blakey, Jesters. hope you are all making a bob or two, Regards Flatty.
evening all
I agree with Showman, Jedward arent on my top 1000 acts to see before I die...but after Drumchapel I can cross Shawaddywaddy off my list lol. Apart from helping Showman at Drumchapel, and a flying overnight visit to Stranraer at the weekend, mainly quiet on this side. Doing a couple of DJ'ing gigs on the Saturdays running up to Christmas time.
Hope all is well with regs.
C
All quiet here still, no sign of a christmas rush yet thats for sure. Glad you were able to cream off something from the Jedward visit Showman, any extra coin is good coin! I havent braved any fireworks nights or light ups this year must be getting lazy in my old age i guess. Glad to hear all the usuals are well.
hi to all. In answer to your question john,i have been busy with driving and also done a haloween gig and the fireworks at drumchapel. I notice showman did'nt mention my presence. propable something to do with him and r telling me it was my turn to by the scran in the local pub as showman bought last year. they made it to the pub before me as i was in the middle of carrying bits of fencing across the park for my roundabout,and another older showman's roundabout. This meant i arrived at the pub about ten minute's later only for those two clown's to inform me that they had ordered 3 courses. apparently it was cheaper.It was certainly cheaper for them. It's r turn to buy next so roll on next year.
So r is of to australia then. I was just thinking it's a shame things have moved on a bit in the last 2 hundred years. It would have been better if the vast majority of trips to australia were still one way.
HI Blakey,
Been looking forward to your input for ages. I just thought with it been the slow part of the year so to speak that you had gone on a short break, didn't realise you were at the same gig as showman. As for for buying the grub plus helping him out must warrant a nice Xmas present off him just hope he sees you as the reliable family member as much the same as we do. Nice to here from you also Sky c hope you have a good Xmas gaff same as showman and every one else.
Borderer never heard from you for a bit every thing ok?
Regards to all, Flatty
evening all, sorry for lack of comments things been non stop here in the borders, took order of my new 4x4 nissan navara yesterday so im over the moon with it , miss borderer had a lucky escape on monday her corsa i bought her in june was involved in a smash while she was in it and the damage was burst boot lid and back bumper so sourcing parts was hard in borderers so went to alex mcmeekin in ravenstruther for the parts on tuesday was a nice jaunt up there. miss borderer has been called up for a 10 week stint based on the greek island of kos and on the dodacanease sea so shes away monday and returns end january first xmas in casa de borderer on my own ah well, hope all regs well cheers borderer?
sounds like a rear ender borderer, so why are you looking for parts? surely its automatically the other parties fault, let the insurance sort it out for you, that what you pay the premium for.
evening showman, in relation to miss borderers accident. as shes just 20 shes had her licence for nearly 2 years and had no claims and has her own policy and doesnt to loose the claims i no sounds daft i told her what u said bout that what insurance for, so now i have her on the farms insurance through nfu. regarding parts got new boot and back bumper for £100 which included vat at mcmeekins which i was chuffed with the price for a newer corsa parts. hows things going for yourself showman? whats on for back end now for you and the family cheers borderer?
seen melboune now in cairns, was travelling with the showmen over here for 2 weeks now im on my own seeing the country, got lots of photos of the rides and even done a trip for a lad i met over here took one of the "Tango" ride trucks to another show for him was only a short 50 mile trip but i got a shot of a big bull nose american rig so well chuffed :)
hey "r" sounds good, how long u got left over there, bet the weathers a tad better than scotland lol?, hope all regs are well cheers borderer.
Hello "r" Can't believe it's two weeks since you left,glad your enjoying it, better still can't wait for your dad to publish the pictures.
Regards to every one Flatty
I told him to get plenty of picts, but I'm not going to publish them as I have an idea for "r" to do his entire oz visit as a christmas special for the blog, just to have something different, hope thats not too selfish.
I have been reading this blog with great interest.
My friend who was born into this business left and went into retail management - she tells me the reason for this is because travelling fairgrounds are a thing of the past..... a real shame...
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