We get many calls from people putting an event on and looking for a new supplier and have been told they have to use their old supplier, and that they have no choice.
There are 2 main rules that will affect those who book rides even if its a one off,
1. Established rights
2. Time and distance
My information comes from the Showmans Guild Rule book
Established Rights
Page 104, "Established Right of Tenure at Fairs"
This is where a member of the Guild has attended any event for 2 years in a row he
can claim the above rule. This will mean that the showman has the rights to attend
further years and you as an organiser will have to use their services or rides and
cannot change suppliers.
Please do not think it only applies to public land or events
as this is not true, these rules are applied to anywhere in the UK including Crown
Property.
This means you are not free to choose which rides you have at your event.
Even if it is the first year you are organising the event, if it happened the previous
year someone could have rights to it.
Time and Distance
Page 110 Restrictions on Attending Rival Fairs, "A member shall not within a period
of 4 weeks before the opening of a fair at which established rights exist or within
22 days after the opening if the fair is still open, hold, occupy, let or take ground
or position at any other fair within 2 miles"
So you cannot have 2 fairs within 2
miles, so if you have a party or event planned and on the day the rides arrive and
find out that another fair is within 2 miles of them or will be in the next month
they will have to pull out of your event.
For breaking any of the above rules the
fine is up to £2,000 per ride.
Please do not think we are saying this as a sales ploy, sadly its not and all of the above can be proved, each week in the showmans newspaper there are notices warning other showman to keep away from “their” event any of which you could be the one you are putting on.
The clips above show what is put in the showman’s paper if someone else takes "their" event. RAF Events, Colleges, Companies and even a local church all affected.
We know of many events where there have been problems, BBC Children in Need hired a funfair but it came within 4 weeks of Thame Fair and all the showman who attended were fined £1,000, one appealed and the fine was doubled. This is all fact as we were the company hired to supply the rides to the Children In Need event.
Another was well known private company who had a big party for their 100th year,
for all their staff and families. All the rides were fined £1,000 because 3 weeks
after the party the local carnival took place a mile down the road.
We would like it known we do not operate within these rules, do not agree with them and we are NOT members of the Guild and are therefore free to attend any event
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