TWENTY YEARS AGO Friday, August 2, 2002
It’s no fair, says showman
All the fun of the fair could be a thing of the past in Lochgilphead, with the introduction of a new pricing scheme by Argyll and Bute Council.
The scheme means an increase in rent of almost 1000 per cent for Billy Stewart’s fair at the Corran.
Mr Stewart has been coming to the Corran at Lochgilphead for 30 years, and his family have been coming to Argyll for 200 years, but now he says he won’t be back for the simple reason that he cannot afford the rent.
Last year his rent was £300 for two weeks, which was calculated by the number of metres his rides took up.
This year, to simplify things, a scheme has been introduced where the showman pays £350 a week for up to four rides; £650 a week for 4-6 rides, £850 a week for more than six rides and £80 a week for stalls and food vans.
This means Mr Stewart would pay £650 a week for his trampolines, bouncy castle, ladybird ride, cups and saucers and trucks; plus £320 for his amusement arcade, cranes, round stall and snack bar, taking his weekly rent to £970.
If he wants to stay for his usual three weeks his bill would be £2,910.
Mr Stewart said: ‘We can’t go to back to Lochgilphead at those prices, it’s impossible to pay that size of increase. They can’t expect us to pay that sort of money.’
He went on to explain that the pricing scheme is unfair because big rides such as the dodgems or the waltzers take a lot more money than small rides like the ladybirds or bouncy castle.
He uses Lochgilphead as a stopping off area before heading to Tarbert fair, and doesn’t make much profit at the Corran.
He says that the new charges will make it impossible to come to Lochgilphead in the future.
However, Argyll and Bute Council is now trying to come to an arrangement with Mr Stewart.
Andy Law, head of amenity and direct services, said: ‘Every fairground operator was sent a letter this year after the new charges were put in place.
‘Mr Stewart and ourselves have been in discussion about the charges and we would seek to come to an agreement within the terms of the charges. It will be sympathetic to his small operation.
‘We are seeking to be reasonable with him, recognising his small scale of operation.’
Mr Stewart claims he received no such letter about the new charges as if he had he would never have come.
Mrs Jennifer Evans, of Evans Funfair, presently at Inveraray and set to head for Campbeltown also said she received no letter.
‘No notification whatsoever,’ she said. ‘I am going to look into it. You couldn’t possibly pay that amount.’
As a member of the Showmen’s Guild, Mr Stewart said he is not allowed to pay the new rent.
According to a rule in the Showmen’s Guild, a showman may not pay an increase for ground on the previous year.
This rule exists to stop showmen outbidding each other and if Mr Stewart had broken it he would have been fined. As the Advertiser went to press, the chairman of the Showmen’s Guild said he had not been approached by Argyll and Bute Council.
Lochgilphead councillor Donnie MacMillan said: ‘We don’t want to drive a facility away which brings a lot of children a lot of pleasure. We hope to come to some sort of an agreement.’