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Cambridge Midsummer Fair

PostPosted: 23 Jun 2007, 17:24
by RJW
The largest travelling fair in the Eastern Region - on Midsummer Common up to and including Monday 25th June.

Many of the usual modern rides are in place - Booster, Sizzler, Miami, Freak Out etc, but for me the star of the show is Jimmy Bowery's Skid. One of my favourite "vintage" rides (am I really that old). The decor is "after" Fred Fowle, and some parts, such as the trellis around the top of the, is painted a single colour, but the ride itself is in fantastic shape.

A touch of the brake was all that was needed to have the car walloping the centre cable and lifting up off the track for a fraction of a second before thundering forwards again.

If you used to enjoy the skid "back in the day" - get over to Cambridge now!

Now - where's my Arnica cream for the bruises...

Rob

PostPosted: 17 Oct 2008, 14:19
by mathmos
:lol: I love the skid! one of the best old time rides ever! soooo fast and you can guarantee you will have neck ache the morning after!! :lol: the fastest one ive been on was william warwicks spectrum skid that travelled throught the midlands in the 80s and 90s-sadly no more! :cry: Cant believe they are so rare to find nowadays they are much nicer to ride than the waltzer and a lot more fun having the pedal to control your speed! Some of the new rides lack the novelty of having some control over the motion and speed of your experience and i think that ride makers should look to the past for inspiration for their new rides! or even BRING THEM BACK!!!!

PostPosted: 18 Oct 2008, 07:53
by Gary
mathmos wrote::lol: I love the skid! one of the best old time rides ever! soooo fast and you can guarantee you will have neck ache the morning after!! :lol: the fastest one ive been on was william warwicks spectrum skid that travelled throught the midlands in the 80s and 90s-sadly no more! :cry: Cant believe they are so rare to find nowadays they are much nicer to ride than the waltzer and a lot more fun having the pedal to control your speed! Some of the new rides lack the novelty of having some control over the motion and speed of your experience and i think that ride makers should look to the past for inspiration for their new rides! or even BRING THEM BACK!!!!


Agreed Mathmos - The Skid is a brilliant ride.

I have never been one for spin and spew rides but the control you had / have with the car puts the ride up there with the best for me.

I used to love The Swirl at Pleasureland Southport. Why they covered the ride with cheap tacky theming and turned it into the Black Hole I don't know. These rides were made to watch as well as ride.

PostPosted: 18 Oct 2008, 21:22
by Greg Pryce
As you probably know,Jim is at the Kettering 'Step back in Time' Vintage Fair with the Skid this weekend, the new artwork has been started by Bobby Ayres and looks Great, with 'Mercury' on the 'Trellis's'.

PostPosted: 18 Oct 2008, 22:57
by mathmos
:shock: no i didnt know greg when does it go on till? hope i havn't missed it!

PostPosted: 18 Oct 2008, 23:58
by Greg Pryce
Unfortunately it finished Saturday 18th Oct. (have sent you P.M as well)
Greg

PostPosted: 24 Jun 2009, 23:17
by steven mills
jimmy bowry skid is the old harry gray's one built in 1933 it is as fast as the old roller ball skid