I bought a big and joined the circus.

[jon.k]

Yes, thanks puddlethumper. Checking back all the time to see the updates.

[puddlethumper]

2 hours ago, Dan302 said:

I'm really enjoying the behind the scenes photos/write up from the circus, absolutely fascinating thank you. 

Cheers Dan. There is more to come as you can imagine. Haven't done much on the people yet. I hate the word soap opera but I reckon you  could make one from this.

[High Jetter]

Ooh, do tell!

[puddlethumper]

For the performers and crew that don't have there own caravan or other accommodation there are three bunk house trailers with a number of bunk rooms each. Not luxury of course but good basic stuff with lecky, water, and I think some sort of cooking apparatus so you can make your coffee/tea, snacks breakfast etc. I haven't seen inside one yet but that's the sort of facilities you get. I'll see if I can get a pic.

[High Jetter]

So you're in comparative luxury?

[puddlethumper]

In the first pic, on the right, is a shower unit which has in the back two washing machines and a tumble dryer which was my job to get in and get water and lecky to. Another thing I put together was a tap to garden hose frame where six caravans/RV's etc can plug in. There are now three of these and there may come a fourth. Going to see how it goes with three first. Basically there is a certain way everything is laid out, with the exception now and again. It's sort of horse shoe shape where the front is the open bit and the rest is an inner and outer circle with enough room to get a vehicle around. Although it doesn't always completely work out. With these tap things I can put one half way down each side and across the back and nearly everyone can get water. The catering wagons get a separate one for now. This is all about making things quicker and more efficient. From the standpipe to these will be 20mm plastic pipe and the one nearest will be a straight through to either the next two or split to the others. Anyway here's a pic of the one from today.

[puddlethumper]

3 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

So you're in comparative luxury?

Depends what you consider comparative.

[puddlethumper]

1 minute ago, puddlethumper said:

In the first pic, above on the right, is a shower unit which has in the back two washing machines and a tumble dryer which was my job to get in and get water and lecky to. Another thing I put together was a tap to garden hose frame where six caravans/RV's etc can plug in. There are now three of these and there may come a fourth. Going to see how it goes with three first. Basically there is a certain way everything is laid out, with the exception now and again. It's sort of horse shoe shape where the front is the open bit and the rest is an inner and outer circle with enough room to get a vehicle around. Although it doesn't always completely work out. With these tap things I can put one half way down each side and across the back and nearly everyone can get water. The catering wagons get a separate one for now. This is all about making things quicker and more efficient. From the standpipe to these will be 20mm plastic pipe and the one nearest will be a straight through to either the next two or split to the others. Anyway here's a pic of the one from today.

 

[High Jetter]

1 minute ago, puddlethumper said:

Depends what you consider comparative.

No wife?

[puddlethumper]

Just now, puddlethumper said:

 

Tried to edit and did badly. When I said the first pic on the right I meant the crew quarters one.

[paulplom]

10 hours ago, puddlethumper said:

For the performers and crew that don't have there own caravan or other accommodation there are three bunk house trailers with a number of bunk rooms each. Not luxury of course but good basic stuff with lecky, water, and I think some sort of cooking apparatus so you can make your coffee/tea, snacks breakfast etc. I haven't seen inside one yet but that's the sort of facilities you get. I'll see if I can get a pic.

They look like police cells.

[puddlethumper]

2 hours ago, paulplom said:

They look like police cells.

We keep performers and crew locked up in case they run away from the circus.

[puddlethumper]

I know you all love* a guessing game so here's one. How much per week, in expenses, do you think it costs to have this show on the road ?

[Matty]

5 figures. That's the closest I'll get at this game!

[doug]

Keep the posts coming. Loving this thread.

Sent from my SM-A127F using Tapatalk

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, puddlethumper said:

I know you all love* a guessing game so here's one. How much per week, in expenses, do you think it costs to have this show on the road ?

No idea how many cast & crew to pay, so hard to guesstimate. £15k?

[puddlethumper]

7 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

No idea how many cast & crew to pay, so hard to guesstimate. £15k?

I haven't counted but I reckon 30 maybe 35 people being paid.

[High Jetter]

Maybe nearer £20k then?

[DodgeRover]

On 6/24/2022 at 11:00 PM, puddlethumper said:

For the performers and crew that don't have there own caravan or other accommodation there are three bunk house trailers with a number of bunk rooms each. Not luxury of course but good basic stuff with lecky, water, and I think some sort of cooking apparatus so you can make your coffee/tea, snacks breakfast etc. I haven't seen inside one yet but that's the sort of facilities you get. I'll see if I can get a pic.

Used to call those the dog boxes, mostly only the single guys used them everybody else had something of their own.

[DodgeRover]

12 hours ago, puddlethumper said:

I know you all love* a guessing game so here's one. How much per week, in expenses, do you think it costs to have this show on the road ?

Absolutely shit loads, I'm assuming the acts are on a % of the door money and the rest are on a wage? 

 

[puddlethumper]

Pneumatic pin hammer and anchor point for the main supports.

[puddlethumper]

The Dublin trip has been put off till Thursday then back Friday. I didn't think it would happen just before a move. Probably won't be much news for a couple of days.

[puddlethumper]

Here's a pic of Ivors yard and the donkeys. Folklore says it's good luck to have a donkey with the markings of a cross on its arse which his Jack and Jenny have. May be there's a connection with a cross on a donkeys arse and God. A bit odd. The little one is only a few months old and rather cute.

[puddlethumper]

No more guesses on cost per week ? OK. It's £60,000 a week.

[puddlethumper]

Here's a pic, particularly for@DodgeRover, but for others as well .of a two trailer set up.

[CreepingJesus]

Really enjoying reading this! Couple of observations...

DAF fuel gauges - they all do that. I had an XF years ago with an 'eco' LPG kit fitted, which made it 120L of gas, 85L of diesel. Notwithstanding that the LPG was a nightmare to fill (and I had a couple of lovely gas burns up my right arm) if the gas gauge went red, the diesel gauge went orange pretty soon after. Although I also had a CF that the needle just swung about at random. A dipper of thick steel wire did a better job! Fuel gauges aren't one of DAF's strengths apparently.

Stand pipes - I used to move water into festival sites, about 20,000L a go. We used to get the metered pipes off local councils, but the old fireman's stand pipe did the bulk of the work. In a quarter of the time. Was that what Scottish Water's man's problem was? I know we kept an eye out for council clipboard warriors in the hedges, cos the fireman's pipe wasn't exactly legit for our purposes.

[puddlethumper]

6 minutes ago, CreepingJesus said:

Really enjoying reading this! Couple of observations...

DAF fuel gauges - they all do that. I had an XF years ago with an 'eco' LPG kit fitted, which made it 120L of gas, 85L of diesel. Notwithstanding that the LPG was a nightmare to fill (and I had a couple of lovely gas burns up my right arm) if the gas gauge went red, the diesel gauge went orange pretty soon after. Although I also had a CF that the needle just swung about at random. A dipper of thick steel wire did a better job! Fuel gauges aren't one of DAF's strengths apparently.

Stand pipes - I used to move water into festival sites, about 20,000L a go. We used to get the metered pipes off local councils, but the old fireman's stand pipe did the bulk of the work. In a quarter of the time. Was that what Scottish Water's man's problem was? I know we kept an eye out for council clipboard warriors in the hedges, cos the fireman's pipe wasn't exactly legit for our purposes.

I'm not sure whether Water man thought it was theirs or took it for, very, safe keeping. Didn't ask. He was back with it within a few minutes. Just glad to get it back.

[garbaldy]

Thank you @Split_Pin for putting me onto this thread 😉

@puddlethumper Is this the circus that's coming to Kelso soon ?  Excellent thread keep up the good work

👍

[puddlethumper]

38 minutes ago, garbaldy said:

Thank you @Split_Pin for putting me onto this thread 😉

@puddlethumper Is this the circus that's coming to Kelso soon ?  Excellent thread keep up the good work

👍

We are off to Stirling later today and tomorrow till 3rd July. Then it's Howden Park, Livingston till 7th July followed by Low Green, Ayr till 12th July. Then Noocassle. Circus Extreme is in Dundee at the moment and where they are going next I have no Idea so it could be them going to Kelso. 

Shows how little I know, as we have shows on today. As I said, if anyone wants to have a look let me know. 

[garbaldy]

2 hours ago, puddlethumper said:

 where they are going next I have no Idea so it could be them going to Kelso. 

 

The date for Kelso are 16th July for 3 days and just looked and its £7 quid a ticket so need to sell a hell of a tickets to make the 60k per week.