We recently picked up a block booking for one of our candy floss carts from a Yorkshire radio station, Galaxy FM. The first of these events took place in the Trilogy nightclub in Doncaster on Saturday evening. We transported a cart through Saturday afternoon, parked in a pay to park car park outside of the club and set the candy floss cart up ready for that evening. We arrived back at the club about nine thirty and parked in the same spot we had occupied during the afternoon. About twenty minutes later I came down for something out of the car only to find it gone. Now I have spoke to people who have had cars stolen before, and they talked of the confusion at not seeing the car where they left it. I experienced it firsthand as I walked about the car park looking for my car and knowing full well it was gone from where I had parked it. After I came back into the club the DJ informed me that it would have been towed away as after 6pm that particular car park reverts to private land.

I looked about and managed to find a small warning sign, which was in complete darkness and phoned the number only to receive a recorded message telling me that I could not have my car released until the next day. When I went back the next day I was hit with a charge of £260. This broke down as follows, £90 for clamping, £110 for towing away (which must have been performed virtually simultaneously), £30 storage as it was impounded before midnight and £30 storage as they still had it after midnight (even though there wasn't any choice in the matter as they don't release cars until the following day, presumably to drive up the storage charge.) So that worked out at just about the most expensive parking ticket I have ever had. I could have just about stomached the clamping fee, or the tow away fee, but I think they are coming it a bit to hit someone with both. Its a bit like being caught doing 50 in a 30 zone and being fined for doing 40 mph and also fined for doing 50.


|

We had an interesting week just gone, perfectly illustrating the wide variety of jobs we undertake. We started off by travelling down to Godstone in Surrey on a Tuesday afternoon. Once there we set up a number of attractions ready for the arrival the next day of Trinny and Susannah for their Undress the Nation series. We were providing a traditional village fete backdrop to make the program a little more visually pleasing. We spent a large part of the Wednesday morning moving things around as the director etc wanted to try different angles on particular shots. At one point both of the stars of the program had a go at making candy floss, and did quite well for novices, and then proceeding to walk around eating it, bet they don't recommend that to their subjects!

After the derig on Wednesday evening, we drove around 70 miles to Winchester, spent the evening their and then Thursday morning set up for a telecommunications company fun day. Arthur travelled from the North East for this one, a round trip of about 700 miles! We only operated for 2 hours so it was short and sweet and we were soon on our way home.

Friday was a day off, we had equipment at various events, but nothing I needed to attend personally. Saturday we were off back down the country to a wedding at a stately home in Frome, Somerset. We only supplied a coconut shy there, but thanks to the design of our units we have some that can be fitted into the read of a Hatchback car so the fuel costs are kept to a minimum. Sunday saw us providing candy floss and popcorn to another wedding, this time at Blenhiem Palace in Oxfordshire. This has to be the most stunning venue we have attended to date. In truth I think you would need to be in Buckingham Palace to trump it. The drive in past the huge lake with the semi submerged bridge is awesome. This continues right through the impressive entrance gates, courtyard and main buildings.

Although the day went well, we were a little concerned at the fact that we were placed in the Indian room where the children were being entertained. This in itself wasn't the problem, the fact that there were no adults to supervise the kids was. After expressing my concerns to a couple of the parents, Louis turned up. He seemed to be some sort of child minder, however I use this word in its loosest sense, as all he seemed to do was sit immobile in a chair grinning. The grin was somewhat reminiscant of Jack Nicholsons performance in the Shining and I think given the chance I would rather have left the kids unattended. Predictably as boredom set in the kids began to explore, and it was reported that his Grace, who was in residence at the time, was none too impressed by gangs of kids rampaging through his flowerbeds!






|

I've just encountered an interesting problem. We switched our catering units to Fairtrade a while back and since then we have used only Fairtrade sugar on the candy floss carts. Whilst picking up some sugar from a supermarket for a last minute job I took the time to read the blurb on the back of 2 different packets. The Tate and Lyle packet made a big splash about how they were switching their entire production in this country to Fairtrade and were bringing the sugar in from 3rd world producers. Silver Spoon on the other hand made a big deal of the fact that they support British farmers by using British sugar beet, also their sugar is transported only a few miles thus being much better for the environment.

The dilemma is do we continue with our Fairtrade policy and save the 3rd world, or switch to Silver Spoon and save the environment?


|

The very first stall of my own that I operated was a shooting gallery. It used the Brocock range of pistols which looked like real guns and used a clever system of mini air cartridges which resembled bullets. You charged the cartridge up, placed a pellet in the end and then loaded the pistol just like you see the cowboys doing it on telly. You then had 6 rapid shots, opened the cylinder and ejected the used shells. Great fun and a successful game. A few year ago the law changed and these guns were outlawed. They now carry a 5 year prison sentence for possessing one. It seems that some criminals were having the guns altered to actually fire .22 calibre live ammunition. Now I am not allowed to use these guns because they in theory can be converted to fire live rounds. I can however quite legally use the firearms exemption certificate that I have been granted, to buy guns that have been manufactured to fire live rounds from the very start, really logical.

Whilst running around Yorkshire recently trying to find some replacement cork guns for one of our corporate games units, I was relating this scenario to the lady in charge of the gun dealers I was patronising. It turned out she had a better story. It seems that a young 16 year old employee at the store had applied for and been granted a firearms certificate, so he can quite legally buy rifles and live ammunition from the aforementioned store. However because he is under 18 they cannot legally allow him to buy an air rifle or pellets? as it is classed as unsafe. What sort of morons sit in their ivory towers making up these deranged rules?

Victorian Sidestalls For Hire

|