1984

I left the fair at the end of the 83 season with every intention of returning the following year. I took a job in order to get a better caravan and ended up staying. This decision was very hard when the fair came out and its first stop was Exeter where I was working. Unless you have travelled you do not understand the calling it places on you to continue the lifestyle. I did not return and we sold the caravan. Sally and I got married in June of that year, Kuzz and Karen came to the wedding.

During the winter of '83 the Waltzer came in for some major changes. The ride was fitted with a new paybox and the truck was altered so that it lifted on Hydraulics and the back axles could roll out. This work was carried out by John Allen. I think this was also the time when the light strips were changed to aluminium. They were much lighter and leaked less.

I continued to work at weekends strapping on the Waltzer. Usual stuff building up, pulling down and driving on. During the year I changed jobs with my employer Booker Cash & Carry and started working at their other branch in Exeter.

I continued the life of working during the week and spending weekends at the fair for many years. I think it was 1984 or 85 that Colin bought the Meteorite. I moved to Newton Abbott Cash & Carry at the start of 1987.

1987

In 1987 I took over driving on the Ark lorry, it was to be the Arks last season. My first drive on was Honiton to Taunton, which meant traversing the steep hill at Corfe. The Ark lorry was a nice load to drive, it had 6 forward gears and one reverse. It did not have a dead-man air brake only the old ratchet one. Due to the length of the lorry when you got up to top speed on the motorway it would rock forwards and backwards. I enjoyed driving it and it was a great feeling driving it onto Paignton regatta that year.

From Paignton I drove the ark to Babbacome this is not an easy drive firstly the centre would only just go under the bridge with literally an inch to spare. Going up the long hill to Babbacome was difficult, stopping was not an option for the Ark or Waltzer lorry. As I started up the initial incline from Torquay the traffic lights were against me and there was a lorry unloading as well. I crept round this lot (the clutch was stinking) you had to go slow but you couldn't stop. After that we rounded the corner and there was the Waltzer stricken in the road. The drive shaft had sheared off, so once again I had to creep past the Waltzer lorry on a narrow part of the road uphill with oncoming traffic. Then when you get to the very top of the hill you turn into the ground. This is like a 45 degree hare pin bend of a turn with bollards and walls to navigate. I took the ark load wide and it went in like a dream. I had practised it many times in my mind!

Colin took the six wheeler to collect the Waltzer and pulled it up the hill to Babacome on a straight bar with the truck still on the back. Getting that lot around the bend at the top of the hill was not easy. Colin had to shunt several times and at one point the truck was rubbing a lampost. What was harder was shunting the Waltzer lorry on a straight bar. Brian was driving and of course there was no power steering.

Later on I took the Ark load from Newton Abbot fair to the yard at Culumpton. It went here since the Waltzer started going to Barnstable. The following Sunday I collected the Ark from Culumpton and drove it to Yeovil. Going out of the village I went up hill which went over the moterway it was short and very steep. I changed down very quickly and we made it to the top. From Yeovil I drove the load to Bridgewater fair. This was my last drive of the Ark load as after Bridgwater there was only Sherbourne and then the yard in Bristol. The Ark never left the yard again. It is still there today though I hear Colin is going to move it to Culumpton this winter (99/2000).

In 1988 I changed jobs with Booker again and got a company car which was great for gaff catching as it was fully expensed. With the Ark retired Colin waited for his new ride a Wools Orbiter. The ride arrived in Goodtington during the mid weekend of the Easter Visit. It was a huge truck and a large 6 wheeler to pull it. The 6 wheeler was the customary 2 lorries joined together. An arctic front attached to the back axles off Robert Kefford's 8 wheeler that he used with the slip.

The ride was built up and opened straight away. I took over driving on the Round up unit for that season. It was a nice unit to drive, modern and fast as well as short as arctics go. The biggest problem was that it was low at the back and also was very high as Colin had had all the walkups put on hydraulics on the sides. I drove the round up on until the end of 1990 when another job move forced me to give up my regular weekends. During that time I would occasionally drive the 6 wheeler on with one wagon on the back.

In 1990 we moved to Rothwell in Northamptonshire. I went back for most years to do the regattas and in that time drove on many loads including Colins new 50ft Articulated wagon and also the 6 wheeler with two wagons on the back which I took from Paignton to Babbacome. Getting round that bend was fun with a 6 wheeler tractor a living wagon and a 22ft trailer on the back. To add to these problems the power steering was not working properly on the 6 wheeler. My last ever drive on was the 6 wheeler with Madeline De-veys living wagon with a trailer on the back that I drove from Newton Abbot to Teignmouth Regatta.I have not been back to the regattas since 1996. Maybe this year I will go back?