It was getting near the end of another season , we were open in Perth. The weather was turning cold. There were only a couple of bonfire events left before we would pack up for another winter. My wife and I had purchased another larger caravan in the summer due to the kids getting bigger. It was to be modified by myself before we were going to move in, new bathroom, kitchen, heating, interior décor, carpets and three pull out sections to increase the floor space. This caravan had been in storage in a yard in Glasgow awaiting us pulling in for the winter so I could start the renovation. We had sold our old caravan and the new owner was due to receive it shortly. This would mean that we were going to spend a winter in a borrowed touring caravan from my father in law. Not a welcome prospect trying to live in a 6m caravan with only a small gas heater in the winter.
It wasn't to come to that , a phone call from out of the blue to my wife from one of her friends would see to that. “A” is going back to Cyprus again this winter( he went 3 yrs earlier with a group of showmen from Scotland and England), what do you think she asked me. Well it seemed like a good idea, living in the sun for 4-6 months and possibly earning some money as-well. What about the new caravan? That would just have to wait. One phone call to “A”, a family discussion and it was all decided, we were going to go. The logistics seemed quite simple. We drive the rides down to the Isle of Sheppey were they get loaded onto a ship that sails to Cyprus. On the way the ship stops and picks up other rides from Europe. Then we fly out two weeks later to meet it and off load the equipment. The fairs are all arranged and booked up by “A”s partner (a Cypriot who he worked with in 96) in advance. Because Cyprus was an ex colony many of the laws were the same as in the U.K. So when it came to organising a funfair they just looked at the English procedure and followed that policy. All accommodation was to be in hotels and because it would be off-season the tariff would be at a reduced rate. It seemed quite simple and we were due to leave mid December, just after returning from our previously booked holiday in Benadorm.
We were on a high for the time being.
November 1999
With the bonfires behind us it was time to pack the ride in readiness for Cyprus. Since we would be living there for 5 months we had to take all our clothes and the children's Christmas presents. Far too much to take on a plane so it was easier for it all to be packed into the ride. The ride I was taking was on a 14m artic trailer and there was plenty of room inside for the luggage. My wife's parents were coming also to help us in Cyprus, probably because they would miss their grand children, especially “w”, who was only 3yrs old. To increase our earning potential we borrowed a hoopla stall and a market stall. I didn't have a game to go in either of them. Since other showmen had booked stalls earlier I would have to invent something different to get a plot on the fairs. I can't remember how I got the idea, it was throw the ball into the bin game. Easy you think? Not with the bin lids hinged and a motor fitted to open and close them rapidly. So a trip to the iron mongers for 6 galvanised bins with lids, another to the scrap yard for 6 windscreen wiper motors and I had the major components. It was quite simple, hinge the lid at one end and connect a rod from the lid to the wiper motor inside. Select the desired speed and power it from a 12v battery charger. Hey presto! Ball in the bin game. To make it harder I gave the bins assorted hardboard teeth to narrow the opening and named them accordingly- jaws, vampire, smiley etc.. As for the market stall game it would have to wait. There were some rumours that the Cyprus project was having problems recruiting operators to go, so we went to see Mr “A”. He told us everything was o.k and that he had several European showmen lined up to go, he even had video of their equipment. One thing about Mr “A” he could sell sand to the Arabs, so being reassured we continued with the project and put everything else on hold, including our new caravan renovation. We only had enough to spend on either the boat fare to Cyprus or the renovation work, we couldn't afford to do both and we still had our holiday to go on. Off we went to sunny Spain still feeling on a high… a week into the holiday and we got a call from home, it seemed the trip was to be delayed, then later we heard it was cancelled. I felt gutted, it was at that moment I know how much I really wanted to go. All the family were on a downer and it did affect the holiday spirit.
