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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
The Steam Museum was a lot of fun but the way the show was laid out foot traffic was only medium. We were put opposite a row of stationary engines with there constant putt putt noises driveing me completely mad by the end of the day.
The Charity made their quota so all turned out AOK in the end. A very short break this week with us attending the five day Bridgewater Street Fair,,,set up tomorrow. Opening times 10am till 11:30pm,,,,I am going to have to catch up on the sleep at the end of December (If I last that long!). Nottingham Goose,Marlborough Mop,Pewsey Carnival will all have a zibb or two on display,,with VIP talkers (No not me) In attendance. Water`s loaded, so off we go. Ken |
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Well Bridgewater done from the Tuesday to the Sunday with opening times from 9am closeing at 11:30pm. Hell this is hard, no time for the toilet,on the go with no breaks for food (You eat as you work) With the show finish at 11:30pm then into the all night Pub (Back door lock down)Till 3am shooting the bull with fellow grafters.No time to wash and electric shave rashes popping up on every grafters chin.
You have to do this in order to understand the life,,,,,backend run of work is the winter cash, so we all have to push until you drop. No sooner does the head hit the pillow,,,then bang, bang your out again de-sheeting the gaff ready for another hard day. Bridgewater Fair, one of the largest and oldest in the UK is always well attended,,, the biggest and fastest machines always score well here with ticket prices of £2 to £4 a punter and 15 rides an hour with up to 60 punters when rideing black you can see the profits of a 14hour opening. Ground space here is like gold dust so my 20ft plot (Same place each year) Has been an earner and a half for many, many years now. With demming slum, and a singlo,,,we hit well and drove out after break down at 5am this morning,,,,,after count up we cleared £"!!!! (Mind your own!). Yes sure we will be back again, same spot,place, and time next year. In these days of the chequer plate,speed,flash rides and pic ticket cons,there will always be a demand for the old,the unusual and human oddities scam.Proved yet again with the zibbs and duckering gaffs holding their own. Off to bed now zzzzzzzz Ken. PS for any pretenders to this life who wish to learn more,,,you have to do this type of gaff,,,you have to feel the pain in order to get your dream. |
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
Chest, forearms, thighs, shins, cut up from barbed wire. Back covered with what started as indentations, and now look like fly bites, from nails. Deep indentations from other nails. Ear and foot cut from glass. Nostril seriously chapped from drill. Lips blistered by fire. Brushburn on elbow, from pavement. Boot print on forehead. Overextended knee. Pulled trapezius muscle. And that's just from a couple of days work. Tricks? Hah!
On the other hand, established a new and unbeatable (even by me) record for bed of nails, bettered the official one for height of a fireball by 50%, entertained thousands of people live, and quite a few more on TV, and went to bed with a feeling of having done a good day's work. One could ask for more, but why? Oh yes, more might be a paycheck. That's a nice thing too.
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
You got the pain too then Harley !!!!
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
If we weren't 6000 miles away from each other, I'd gladly sit down with you right now, and order something to ease it!
Probably would lead to a brushburn on the other elbow!
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Quick scoop,,,,,just verified a three day booking for the zibbs at Lacock Abbey.
This is where the Harry Potter films were made (Not seen them myself but will make the effort now!). What better venue than the home of real!!! Magic and wonder!!! Hogwarts!!!! Now zibbs. Ken |
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Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
This is all well and good for your memory banks but if my Zibits are on display at Hogwarts...I want freakin' pictures! No excuses this time.
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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Harley Newman Inner circle 5117 Posts |
I saw one of them last night, lurking in a parking lot of a haunted attraction, that wasn't open yet.
Doug, your work is...well, beautiful may not be quite the right word, but it is!
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus” -Mark Twain
www.bladewalker.com |
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Marvello Inner circle It's amazing how little I can say in 1612 Posts |
Very cool! Lacock Abbey was also used as a location for a couple of episodes of "Robin of Sherwood"
Never criticize someone else until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Then, when you do criticize them, you will be a mile away from them and you will have their shoes.
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
With Pewsey Carnival (The best attended in the Wiltshire area)Done and dusted,,,the results made the front page in last weeks Worlds Fair,,,what a pic,,,we split the gaffs with Marlborough Mop (Charter Fair under the King John Charter) With The Goose Fair, this is proberly the best known back ender in the UK. Again good TV and press exposure with the opening by ringing Tom Normans twin bells (Tom Norman,,,elephant man promoter and bygone sideshow owner)Off we went again with frantic trade from 10am to midnight right through to the Sunday, weather good,turn out good,profits good.Once more the show corner was empty with my memories of the Scottish Giant,Ronnie Taylors Booth,Allens Girl in the Bottle and snake Pit, the Mouse Town etc,,,,,all gone and never to return,,,,,,Nottingham has lost its roots with the fast, glitter,check plate bank owned rides flooding the pitch.
This year the age teller and giant jumping bean seller were also missing,,,,,if this is a sign for the future then our little shows time is coming up too!! We split the zibbs into three units,,,,all made the minimum expected with the Marlborough Little Mop topping the league (Surprise was as this gaff was only open for 14hrs trade) Imagine the pressure of the Q`s here! The Inter Continental Hotel is under refurbishment and due to open in November,,,,positioned at the end of Park Lane in Mayfair and overlooking Hyde Park Corner this seems an unlikely venue for a zibbit,,,,,but the Mer and her Daddy have been booked for a corporate evening at the opening to give a lecture dem of our odd life!!!! A very fat fee for three hrs work will again expand the coffers for the Comedy Relief Charity. Bath time,,,,,,gotta get rid of this Candy Floss pong! Ken |
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
A short one this weekend with only a few thousand punters. But what a collection they were,,,, in the Manor House at Sulgrave,the ancestral home of the Washingtons in Britain,,,,with the largest collection of George Washington memorabilia in the UK. Showing the British contribution to the origins of the USA see http://www.sulgravemanor.org.uk/ We were entertaining the Rolls Royce owners club (Wow what a collection of motors queing up to see the zibbs!!!!) With entrance charges of £7.50 for such a small show,,,,,of course we made our XXXX`s plus.
Inside working is turning me soft!! Ken. |
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Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
That is definately the pointr of my How-To. Glad you absorbed it and reaping the rewards in your golden years.
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Another week has passed with private zibb viewings around the Dorset area. Worthy of mention the Digby`s of Sherbourne, The Castle and Abbey (In the grounds tented of course).With flying visits to Yoevil and Dorchester,,,,culminating at the Brewers Quay in Weymouth. Not exactly weather to swim in but a lot of fun, thousands of kids (Hate em).
The end of the sponsored run is now in sight with a bit of a shock being told that in order to squeeze the last £ for charity out of this contract, five of the zibbs will be charity auctioned!!!! Im not too happy about this as I thought they were to be given to a wonderful Showman for his personal use!!! Guess who??? Me of course,,,,,,still at least I get first choice and a single mate for my Mer. I may come across as being completely bonkers if I say that throughout this season I have become very attached to my odd friends (Please don`t laugh)Its true,,giving pet names to each and every one of them,,,, when we become parted it will be very hard for me!!!! I know this sounds silly, but it is true.... Better go now before the Mushrooms ware off. Ken. HMS Sultan again on Thursday next followed by three days at Newark Showground,,,later. |
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
With the Navy at HMS Sultan (Return gig)We had fun with Triton (Robot)and at least 1000 punters all eager to sample the little show,,,then off to Aztec Events Xmas Fair at the Newark Showground. Not my most favorite venue (Its miles from anywhere)But again a workable show at the backend of the season, also indoors was a blessing weather wise.
It is becoming more obvious that Xmas is expanding into Bonfire Night with the greed of shopping,,,credit cards to the fore,,,,,with Xmas presents in mind and Carols!!!! In October,,,,,what on earth next,,,,maybe Easter Eggs on sale on Boxing Day. Its not for me but no way will I loose out on the extra cash,,,so there we were,,,with zibbs in the Christmas Grotto (This has got to be a first???). Next w/e in the Corporate buildings in the centre of Brentwood North London we shall do it all over again,,,,including the Carols! Off to polish the sliegh,,,, Ken |
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Roslyn Inner circle UK 3405 Posts |
Sliegh, carols and a Mer?
Now that's a sight I'd love to see.
The Magic Cafe account of The Conwy Jester, Erwyd le Fol formerly known as Roslyn Walker.
My home online Join me on Facebook Follow me on twitter |
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Brentwood rocked again with the best Firework display in the UK.The Bond theme had everything including rockets which were fired along the ground with huge explosions on impact.
To give entry to over 20,000 punters for a four hour show at £6 per head speakes for itself as to the quality offered by the Brentwood team. Assisted by BBC Essex Radio and the Northern Stunt Team with Aztek Events supplying two large tents full of Xmas fair,,,,plus a full sized fun fair of both Giuld and Privates in membership......not forgetting our small offering,,,,,,a lot of hard work and tired Showmen left the ground around 5pm on the Sunday evening....what a shock in store for us all travelling the M25 Anti route,,,when as a result of a multi pile up we took three hours to travel two Junctions....I tell you,,,,no way do you want this hassel after a 36hour straight through work run. The Iceing was taken right off the cake for many of us!!! Back round the M25 tomorrow to prepare for the Colchester two day show. One Singlo (Due to very restricted space) So set and break will be a dream. Latest News bit for us is support given to our aims by Comic Relief,,,They have just secured us for a two week run through December at the Swansea Spectacular Ice Show,,,,also we will be showing the zibbs and street style entertainment throughout all of the 2007 season under their banner. December 23rd is the final day for our unusual zibb run this year (And what a season this has been)Shall sleep through Xmas and well into the New Year!!! Gone again Ken. |
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Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
Comic relief? Freakin' Comic relief? Good grief. First the Queen now this. I think it's time to start signing my work.
Ken you had better have that book forming nightly chapter by chapter...not to mention a phone call after all these months of relying on Café posts for my only info!! :) Doug
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Colchester ran without problems with a single Mer.This was the first open house weekend this season with no prior ticket sales,,,,the take shot back to a normal total of £1406 for the two days.....we upped the gate to a £1 per hit just to see if it would work.
So the lesson learnt was double the gate and halve the punters,,,but you do have to work it a lot more in order to get em in. Also of note,,,,their is far more interest and dosh at sealed shows (Tented or inside venues)Where the punter has to pay an admission charge to get in.Compared to the outside venues with an average weekend take from £400 to £1500. Strange as the logic tells you that the sealed make a charge in order for the public to go in and spend!!!!!! Would you pay to spend money????? Odd. Next weekend once again the M25 run,this time to Southend. Over 800 tickets pre sold with expectations of a 4000 punter turn out. As Xmas nears,,,,the anti rises as do their Credit Card costs....Emotion in with cash and wits out,,,,what sort of people are we,,,,like taking candy from a baby. Of note,,,,large, black ladies make a lot of noise when they get excited,,,three in the booth to see the Mer,,,,the resulting Q to see what all the fuss was about has convinced me to try and get a few on the payroll for next season!! Gone! |
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Doug Higley 1942 - 2022 7152 Posts |
English translations always cheerfully provided via PM.
Higley's Giant Flea Pocket Zibit
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
Southend-on-Sea would be classed as a silly weekend.
In the new centre built to very modernistic design we took over the whole venue. Bearing in mind that these were indoor tennis courts it was like working inside an aircraft hanger. The take was good for us but due to lack of security entrance ticket sales were down,,,,,,we found out why with the security not able to man all of the fire exit doors,,,,,,the little BGS were letting their mates in,,,,so for each ticket purchased, another twenty or so bodies entered free!!! With a sealed venue and presold paper it is so easy to sit back and relax,,,but do so at your peril. Two likely lads tried to make off with the Atomic Worm, four display glass fronted cabinets were cracked and the cash booth had the entrance charge altered from £1 to £1000 with red marker pen!!! I was not amused. So grabbing one of the offenders I was told by security that to take the law into my own hands was risky as I could get done for assault!!!! No concern for the damage caused and costs to me!!!! I am livid, Justice %%!!** So here we are back in the workshop putting things right for next weekend.Not sorry to have left Southend to the louts I waved goodbye to the area (With two fingers) At 12pm last night. Ken. |
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