by scotsjock » Mon Jan 02, 2012 3:40 pm
the life of a travelling showman varies from day to day for instance at one ground they could be setting up rides or 'building up' which is a term more commonly used.each ride or attraction has a plot and has to be bang on so it fills that plot without going over the marks as set out by the lessee of the fair.the next day might consist of ride maintainance ie.welding,fixing lights,woodwork or painting.theres always plenty work to be done behind the scenes from maintainance to cleaning the rides.at other grounds the same showman might have other attractions such as food kiosks,bouncy castles etc with his equipment split up between different fairs.this means he has a lot of travelling between grounds to make sure all his or her equipment is ready to open.some showmen hire staff to work on their equipment as their familly members get married or leave the business in search of other types of employment.some staff employed have hgv class 1 and 2 licences which means a showman who has more than one truck can catch fairs more easilly.a typical day consists of dieseling up generators,trying out the attractions to make sure there are no defects then stop for lunch or sometimes get ready to open everything.
here comes the rain again !