I bought a big and joined the circus.

[808 Estate]

Awesome thanks.

[puddlethumper]

I'm hoping the phone signal is better in Plymouth as I only get one bar here and everything takes ages if it works at all. That's why there haven't been much in the way of updates.

Anyway, here are a couple of pics of George who has been hanging around since we got here. He/she comes up really close.

[puddlethumper]

Plymouth site. The rest arriving tomorrow. All marked out.

[puddlethumper]

The signal here isn't much better than Paignton. Ffs.

[puddlethumper]

Holland for 2 weeks is on as well. Yay. Lucky I renewed my passport. Well, I sent off for it and they have taken the money so hopefully I'll get it before December.

[puddlethumper]

Interesting* circus shite job I have been asked to do. All the pins have mushroomed over at the top from all the hammering and the hammer head won't go on them so I have been cutting the mushrooms off with a big angry grinder. I haven't counted how many there are because I don't want to become depressed at the number. Still, managed to do about 20 today. The last pic is just the ones that are not in the ground so it looks like I will be at it for a while. What fun*.

It's been a bit quiet, and the signal here is crap, so not much to write about.

[Matty]

Yep definatly better jobs to be lumbered with bud 😪

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, puddlethumper said:

Interesting* circus shite job I have been asked to do. All the pins have mushroomed over at the top from all the hammering and the hammer head won't go on them so I have been cutting the mushrooms off with a big angry grinder. I haven't counted how many there are because I don't want to become depressed at the number. Still, managed to do about 20 today. The last pic is just the ones that are not in the ground so it looks like I will be at it for a while. What fun*.

It's been a bit quiet, and the signal here is crap, so not much to write about.

Surely they just need a bigger hammer?

[808 Estate]

Are the spikes hammered in old school style with a big sledge, or do you employ a mini digger with a hydraulic spike driver?

[Mally]

I'm sure he said in the past they have a driver now.  Possibly never had an idiot for years who would grind the mushrooms off 😀

I've seen a Circus in Holland hammering them through a tarmac car park.

[puddlethumper]

7 hours ago, 808 Estate said:

Are the spikes hammered in old school style with a big sledge, or do you employ a mini digger with a hydraulic spike driver?

We have an attachment that goes on one of the telehandlers but a few weeks ago the bit for the hammer broke and the pins had to be done with sledges. A new bit costs about a grand and took a week to get a new one machined. It must weigh about 25 kilos. This site is quite small and to fit everything in the trucks are close to the tent so they have been used as anchor points.

[puddlethumper]

2 minutes ago, Mally said:

I'm sure he said in the past they have a driver now.  Possibly never had an idiot for years who would grind the mushrooms off 😀

I've seen a Circus in Holland hammering them through a tarmac car park.

Hopefully this idiot won't have to do them again. 😀

[puddlethumper]

It's moving time again. Off to Southsea. A few going this evening and coming back tomorrow for more. Portsmouth has a clean air zone but it seems my bus is good to go. A bit odd. Sunday is the big move after the last show as usual. Not much worth writing about lately just doing maintenance stuff which is not really exciting.

[High Jetter]

I see you're off to the races after that! Thought you might be coming my way, but not this year, it seems.

[puddlethumper]

I haz bin a Capitao de estrada. Involuntarily I hasten to add or, to put it another way, I was elected by others into the role.   On the way yesterday, in my rig, the A35, Honiton, Dorchester, etc, has quite narrow lanes, for a fair part of it, and a lot of bends. There are also some lengthy straight bits and I could see a queue forming behind so at the first straight I was waiting for someone to overtake. Nothing. Not even having a look to see. Ok. Next straight I could see there was nothing for a good half a mile so I stuck the left hand indicator on and slowed down to let anybody get past easily. Nope that didn't encourage any movement. So I became a Road Captain until an overtaking lane came up. I thought about fully entering into the role by giving it the flashing lights and horn But decided to be a benign RC and think they were just being ultra careful rather than a bit crap. Just got back from Plymouth with the minibus and a caravan and it was the same along that road.. I bet tomorrow with the truck and shop unit I will once again be a RC so from now I am identifying as one and expect to be treated as one befitting that role. E.g. You fucking wanker, but said nicely.

Off to bed. Got a long 24 hours starting at 7ish.

[808 Estate]

I hereby award you your honoury Road Captain badge.

Wear it with pride and the smug satisfaction that you have single handedly fucked up the traffic for miles around. 😁 😁

 

[puddlethumper]

I shall wear the badge with pride although I think my days as a Captain are probably over until we return to Dorset. Perhaps next year.

I finished sorting the water for everyone, about half an hour ago, and today we are not allowed to work coz the Council said so. Dead Queens and all that. This is the first circus here for a long time so we don't want to screw it up as it's a good site and hopefully a good crowd.  I am cooking a couple of Lincoln sausages for a sandwich and then maybe to bed although Spoons is open today and Lee managed to acquire a book of discount vouchers so we shall see.

[808 Estate]

I haz been to circus.

Firstly a big "thank you" to Paul for sharing his afternoon with me and showing me around. Its a great set up there and it looks like Paul has really landed on his feet with this one. I am almost a little envious. I didnt bother photographing the Peterbilt, as its already graced these hallowed pages, but as an ex lighting engineer, I couldnt help but photograph the rather impressive lighting rig inside the big top.

I then spent a good 10 minutes thinking this would be ideal tent for putting on a rave, although I am sure the council would most definitely not approve. Anyway, the dancing girls then appeared and my thoughts wandered elsewhere.

I shant detract from the show for anyone planning to visit. but it looks a whole lot better than those circusses with donkeys I remembered as a kid. Best of luck with the touring Paul and enjoy Amsterdam when you get there. 🤪

In other news, its good to know that Southsea hasnt changed much since the 70s and can still offer a properly shite dining experience.

Managed to catch the hovercraft as I left. Definitely not shite.

[puddlethumper]

Tomorrow and Tuesday is days off but not for me by the look of it. I'm off to Peterboghorror, as I believe it's called, to drive something back here so that's one day not off and Tuesday isn't looking good for a break as somebody in the 'ladies' toilets decided they were going to remove the linkage in the cistern and stuff toilet rolls into it. Ffs. The womens toilet is always the worst. Trying to flush nappies and shit loads of wet wipes and complaining about blockages. There are bins in every cubicle and by the wash basins and they don't seem capable of using them. Grrrrr. 

Holland has gone from 2 weeks to 4 in Amsterdam so that's to look forward to. Nice. Last show is on 6th January. Then it's 3 weeks off before a show somewhere. Don't know where yet. So November off and 3 weeks in January. Got to get some work done to the Big, service, brake pads, possibly shocks, a tyre has a bit of a bad bit on the sidewall. generator needs sorting as doesn't supply lecky. I also want to get the Lithium set up in. £1755 for a battery and then £100 for a controller, Dc to Dc invertor charger £600, and other bits £3/400. 

It was nice to meet @808 Estateand put a name and a face to a fellow shiter. 

[puddlethumper]

It's been all hands on deck here because of the wind. All the trucks and trailers have been put on the windward side to act as a wind break to shelter the tent. Performance still going on. Broken window in a bunk door that I had to temporarily board up in the pissing rain. I had to hold the door of the girls changing unit against the wind so they could get in and out. Aren't I the gent. My bus is rockin good. Starting the move to Ascot tomorrow.

[puddlethumper]

I mentioned about going to Peterboghorror to pick a vehicle up. Well here it is. A 2.0 dizzle. It was alright if you like that sort of thing. 6 speed and pulled quite well. The bum bit of the seat didn't give me a numb bum, which nearly all vehicles do to my unpadded ass, but the back of the seat was bloody awful.

[DodgeRover]

On 9/16/2022 at 5:21 PM, puddlethumper said:

It's moving time again. Off to Southsea. A few going this evening and coming back tomorrow for more. Portsmouth has a clean air zone but it seems my bus is good to go. A bit odd. Sunday is the big move after the last show as usual. Not much worth writing about lately just doing maintenance stuff which is not really exciting.

Showman's is exempt from the London LEZ possibly others and should cover yours as you could class it as a living van, means you are MOT exempted too...

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, puddlethumper said:

had to hold the door of the girls changing unit against the wind so they could get in and out.

Yeah. Eyes closed, obs.

[puddlethumper]

21 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Yeah. Eyes closed, obs.

Of course. I'm a gentleman.

[High Jetter]

4 minutes ago, puddlethumper said:

Of course. I'm a gentleman.

BGT buzzer needed!

[Crackers]

Passed a few Circus Vegas wagons on the A27/M27 heading west on Sunday, between Portsmouth and Southampton. From memory there was a big RV with a Range Rover on a trailer, Daf LF with a red single axle trailer and something else which may have been yellow if my memory serves. Don't suppose you were in any of them?

[puddlethumper]

On 10/4/2022 at 8:07 PM, Crackers said:

Passed a few Circus Vegas wagons on the A27/M27 heading west on Sunday, between Portsmouth and Southampton. From memory there was a big RV with a Range Rover on a trailer, Daf LF with a red single axle trailer and something else which may have been yellow if my memory serves. Don't suppose you were in any of them?

I was in the Daft LF and the side lights on the trailer stopped working on the way up. Couldn't really stop on the hard shoulder as only had the right hand indicator so no hazards. Typical circus shite.

[High Jetter]

So where now/next?

[puddlethumper]

Advance party is moving this afternoon to Rochester. The rest tomorrow. I had to put new calipers and pads on Big coz the old ones were absolutely shagged. No pics coz I forgot. I've been having fun* changing my phone provider. 3mobile were charging me twice every month the barstewards. I kept telling them I didn't have 2 phones. Customer services were absolute shit, Live chat, ringing up and waiting an hour  and going down to a 3 mobile shop to kick off. I got the other number they said was mine and rang it to find it was not recognised and was to a former address ffs. Previously I had asked for a manager to contact me, later they said he had tried to. I had no missed calls or Emails so I asked how he had done it. Shouted out the window is my best guess. So I dumped them and I've stopped the debit. I went to the bank and got a refund for 3 months and nothing was said about it. They can whistle for the remaining 5 months of contract. Wankers.

[Matty]

45 minutes ago, puddlethumper said:

Advance party is moving this afternoon to Rochester. The rest tomorrow. I had to put new calipers and pads on Big coz the old ones were absolutely shagged. No pics coz I forgot. I've been having fun* changing my phone provider. 3mobile were charging me twice every month the barstewards. I kept telling them I didn't have 2 phones. Customer services were absolute shit, Live chat, ringing up and waiting an hour  and going down to a 3 mobile shop to kick off. I got the other number they said was mine and rang it to find it was not recognised and was to a former address ffs. Previously I had asked for a manager to contact me, later they said he had tried to. I had no missed calls or Emails so I asked how he had done it. Shouted out the window is my best guess. So I dumped them and I've stopped the debit. I went to the bank and got a refund for 3 months and nothing was said about it. They can whistle for the remaining 5 months of contract. Wankers.

3 kept threatening me with court summonses over £40 I didn't owe. Rang every month, they agreed it was a mistake, then they sent it again the month after. Just took to ignoring them in the end, same as you.