Why arent showmen trialling the extra long trailers ? They could still hook another drawbar trailer to the back of that then possibly some living quarters or a hotdog van onto the back of that
Schofield:
Why arent showmen trialling the extra long trailers ? They could still hook another drawbar trailer to the back of that then possibly some living quarters or a hotdog van onto the back of that
That would require buying something new instead of keeping something 30 years old still going.
some of the kit the local fair to me run would make some of the motors at truckfest look like bog standard fleet spec!!
True m1cks they are handy with the spanners, good to see some of the old beasts still going. I am always wary when i go on the heats and diamonds ride and i see its being powered by a mk1 fiesta wheel
The fair doesn’t interest me, I just look at their lorries. Much cheaper. Sign of age when they operate lorries I once drove. 
it was back in the 70’s when the local fair was in town admiring the fodens and AEC that got me into lorry driving…never looked back…well looked back to admire the now vintage trucks of course
Trukkertone:
saw 2 of these road trains pulled into vosa Carlisle early hours of this morning… both were artics plus burger van type trailers towed behind…
where do the vosa bods start with these ■■?
could be a long job.
Hi All, I used to work for Patsy Gray back in the 60s working on the famous Coronation Ark made in 1921, which is now in a Museum in Toronto Canada. The old 8 legger Foden I used to drive is still going and lives down in Hereford and used for shows only. Its on Dorset Steam Rally pics. Patsy Grays father Harry Gray used to run a fleet of Steam Engines. The Biggest was LORD LASCELLES which is in the Wrexham area in prestine condition. I believe the legal length for Showmans outfit is 175 ft. The Foden I drove had 2 x 25 ft trailers behind it travelling all in and around London.
Best Regards
Ben
a good bit of history there Ben, thanks for sharing
Harry Monk:
I once met a fairground girl in the pub.We got on so well that we ended up leaving together. We get back to her place, and I noticed that one wall of her bedroom was completely filled with teddy bears. There were three shelves in the bedroom, with teddy bears carefully placed in rows, covering the entire wall. There were small bears all along the bottom shelf, medium-sized bears covering the middle shelf, and huge bears along the top shelf. I thought this was a bit strange, but I didn’t say anything. We kissed, one thing led to another, and afterwards I said “So how was that for you?”
She said “Help yourself to any prize from the bottom shelf”
Haha, very good Harry.
Harry Monk:
I once met a fairground girl in the pub.We got on so well that we ended up leaving together. We get back to her place, and I noticed that one wall of her bedroom was completely filled with teddy bears. There were three shelves in the bedroom, with teddy bears carefully placed in rows, covering the entire wall. There were small bears all along the bottom shelf, medium-sized bears covering the middle shelf, and huge bears along the top shelf. I thought this was a bit strange, but I didn’t say anything. We kissed, one thing led to another, and afterwards I said “So how was that for you?”
She said “Help yourself to any prize from the bottom shelf”
Yup, you need 3 wins for one of the top shelf. You didn’t re-decorate her face, or pop roun’t back to the tradesmans entrance for seconds and thirds did you? 
seth 70:
raymundo:
Back in the good ole days of my ‘youf’ I used to do a bit of travelling with Bert Stocks fun fair from Suffolk and worked the skid, my favourite place for sitting was on a speaker box in the middle for obvious reasons to those of the first mini skirt era in the seventies.There were also two lads who were identical twins and quite often a ‘young lady’ was given a tour of our living accommodation, a dirty smelly bunk in the back of the wagon and after a short time whichever twin it was would ask to be excused for a min or two and leave and then the other would take his place …
Nice life and we got paid a £5 a week and our grub, for what it was (and as much as we could short change the punters)He mentioned giving out dodgy quid coins out in change when they were starting the rides off,im talking thousands in fake money
Didn’t anyone notice the difference in weight when they chuck a pile of shrapnel in your lap on the dodgems? 
Those guys can handle them old motors, extra long rigs driving through town centres and unsuitable roads, proper drivers driving proper trucks none of your poncey Auto boxes that a monkey can drive in them old Fodens Scammels and ERFs… only skill timing and double de-clutch 
Asked one of them one day “How’s business mate” ? …" Oh Swings & Roundabouts" he said
Tax free too. Like their transit vans.
Anyone for asphalt?
Carters Steam Funfair make all the other operators lorries look brand new. Great sight to see when they’re on the move…As long as you aren’t behind them.
NOVE:
Tax free too. Like their transit vans.Anyone for asphalt?
Think you are getting them mixed up with …“Those that are not to be mentioned” on here bud,
These guys are business men not… Nah, won’t go there, couldn’t hack the hassle
robroy:
NOVE:
Tax free too. Like their transit vans.Anyone for asphalt?
Think you are getting them mixed up with …“Those that are not to be mentioned” on here bud,
These guys are business men not… Nah, won’t go there, couldn’t hack the hassle
Big difference — when your drive’s been tarmacked you’ll never see the bloke who did it again. But the showman will be at your local fair again next year, and the year after, just like his father and his father’s father every year before him so if you get ripped off you know what to do. And they can’t be that bad, at one time the Post Office used to employ a lot of them and their lorries every year to deliver Christmas post . I’ve come across many of both sorts and speak as I find.
Bernard
We always had fights with the fat lads from Wilson’s funfair when we were kids. Looked forward to them coming ever year.
When we had our workshop in the middle of Milnthorpe village I was approached by the late James Jefferies who managed a Waltzer on the circuit for Scotts of Rhyl,he asked if we could give their couple of 8 wheeler ERF’s a “bit of a service” So one day while the fair was still on the Square and we were quiet in the workshop we pulled the old motors in and gave them an oil change,grease etc.Afterwards I called to see James in his living waggon and told him how much the work had cost( he didn’t want a bill ) I think it was about £125 so he gives me these bags of silver coins telling me it’s all there son and thanks! So I go back to our office and gets our girl to count it,there’s a fiver too much she says,count it again then,still a fiver too much.So I go back down to James waggon and told him here you are there was a fiver too much.He just winked and said “I know there was” I don’t want it back buy the fitters a pint! We could do no wrong after that and we serviced his motors for a few years when the fair was in the village until we moved to another depot and I believe Scotts kicked their travelling show into touch to concentrate on their funfair in Rhyl.
Bewick:
When we had our workshop in the middle of Milnthorpe village I was approached by the late James Jefferies who managed a Waltzer on the circuit for Scotts of Rhyl,he asked if we could give their couple of 8 wheeler ERF’s a “bit of a service”
never heard of scotts in rhyl ? i can remember trusthouse forte owned much of rhyl fair back in the 70s and then the robbinson family started to take over things, and williams ended up opening up in towyn, there was also knightlys who had an operation around there to but never heard of scotts ■■
however when it comes to driving large combinations of over 100 feet long some of them would any of you guys like it ? lol
or how about playing around with dollys ? i can just picture many of the truck drivers who think they can reverse struggling like hell with loads on dollys
someone mentioned the old trucks and gear boxes and the real art of driving well thats true it is an art form, but lets not forget showmen are jacks of all trades there drivers, there electricains, there Mechanics, they work hard all year around to provide for there family, and protect there way of life,
they have my full respect as i had a go once myself and believe me i found out the hard way just how hard that business is, you can make a lot of money at one place and end up making no money for the rest of the month
rain = no money to pay the bills
i really do take my hat off to them for there way of life and belive me if you think you work hard in your job then you would be in for a huge shock should you end up being in a showmans shoes
A classic con the showies would do around here was to ask the local kids to pick up litter in exchange for a handfull of coins. Which used to be 1 and 2ps. Some of school mates got conned more than once. 