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You are in: Manchester > Credit Crunch > A rocky ride

A rocky ride

Could the economic squeeze actually threaten the future of fairgrounds? For travelling showman Stanley John Cubbins, business is the worst it's ever been. In fact, things are so bad, he says funfairs and the people who run them could disappear.

Stanley John Cubbins

Crunch time: Stanley John Cubbins

Like every other ride at the fairground near Bolton鈥檚 Reebok Stadium, the Waltzer is strangely quiet. Which is odd, considering it's a sunny afternoon during the school holidays when you'd expect it to be overrun with whooping, screaming kids.

It鈥檚 run by 55-year-old Stanley John Cubbins from Bolton, who, like his father and grandfather before him, is a travelling showman. He says business has halved since last year:

"It鈥檚 the worst we鈥檝e known it for many, many years. People are cutting back dramatically on luxuries. And I have to say that a fairground, in this day and age, is a sort of luxury."

"鈥淚t鈥檚 the worst we鈥檝e known it. People are cutting back dramatically on luxuries. And I have to say that a funfair, in this day and age, is a luxury"

Stanley John Cubbins, travelling showman

The Cubbins鈥� family have been in the fairground business for generations. And like their father, Stanley John鈥檚 two sons also own and run their own rides, the Cyclone and the Meterorite.

But it鈥檚 not just the problem of persuading people to part with their money. Travelling shows are also being hit by soaring fuel prices on two fronts: both vehicles and rides are powered by diesel.

"Our cost of fuel has gone up 100% in the past 12 months," he says. "And of course, all the generators run on diesel. We don鈥檛 have an alternative - a generator won鈥檛 run on fresh air or water. It鈥檚 got to have fuel. We don鈥檛 have a choice."

Disappearing

Traditional fairground sites are also disappearing. As brownfield sites in town centres are being developed, fairs are being forced onto out-of-town sites, making it even more difficult to attract people onto rides.

So why not pass on the costs, like other businesses are doing, and put up ticket prices?

Dodgems

All quiet on the dodgems

"People are already struggling to pay," says Stanley John. "If we put the prices up anymore, it鈥檚 going to alienate us even further still. So putting up the price of rides up is not an option, as far as I鈥檓 concerned."

Trapped by a triple whammy of falling income, rising fuel prices and fewer sites, can Stanley John see a future for the traditional fairground and its families?

"Unless we get some severe help from government down in London and at a local help, then, no I don鈥檛. The future is very bleak at this moment in time."

Stanley John Cubbins is a member of the Showmen's Guild

last updated: 29/07/2008 at 12:14
created: 28/07/2008

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