Thinking of all those suffering in conflict today.
Book Of Ziggy – Ukraine
2 March 2022
Category: Fun Story
The Book Of Ziggy
27 February 2022
Sometimes it’s hard coming up with a consistent stream of posts for blogs, Facebook, Instagram etc. Although we offer a wide range of catering services, eventually the images all begin to look the same. Sure we throw in some funny stories, anecdotes, news items etc. But it is hard to keep in front.
Ziggy
When we began the new rebrand of the business, we had a logo designed professionally. This turned out to be an anthropomorphic zebra, which we promptly christened ‘Ziggy’. Mainly because whilst we were arguing for a name, we happened to be watching a documentary on David Bowie, during his Ziggy Stardust period. We liked the name, so our hero was born.
We have just taken a new team member on, who is a professional artists. He will be adding stories to our blog posts, and undertaking some design work for us, and he will also be creating a comic strip starring our aforementioned hero Ziggy. This will probably be monthly, but if it is well received it could be more regular.
It will consist of short 4 panel strips. Many will be humorous stories, hey we like making people laugh. But it might well also contain news, commentary on current affairs, thoughts from us, basically a hodge podge of ideas, that hopefully will add a touch of fun to our blog service.
So visit us regularly and keep an eye out for “The Book Of Ziggy.”
New Gourmet Burger Menu
26 February 2022
Birth Of The Boda Zapha
23 February 2022
Born from an egg on a mountain top, monkiest, mon…… erm no wait, thats the wrong legendary hero.
Monkey was a popular 1980’s Japanese TV show based on a 16th century Chinese novel. Noted for its dubbing, bad acting and crap prosthetic effects, it was so bad it was a cult hit.
Our here though, Ziggy, had a different birth. We liken it to the super soldier serum used on Steve Rogers to create Captain America. We took the best in anthropomorphic beings and supercharged him to create the Boda Zapha, the new look to our long standing catering company, the leader as we venture into our new incarnation of CRAZY & Co.
Ziggy Is Our Leader
As we move into a post pandemic phase, which has seen a massive increase in the work we are winning, Ziggy will be our main branding on our catering units, photo booths etc. With staff uniforms, vehicle branding, even a bi weekly comic strip starring our hero to spice up our social media.
Coronavirus And The Fashion Industry
26 January 2022
Coronavirus and fashion. Not really natural bedfellows you might think. For many people, high fashion is something they aspire to. Whether its a Louis Vuitton handbag, or a Chanel little black jacket. For many of us they are luxuries that will remain out of reach due to their costs. I mean, Chanel make some lovely jackets, but at like £5000 to £10000 a pop, there something most of us can live without.
However, if you are one of the unfortunate ones who catch Covid-19, you may well find yourself in designer wear without realising it.
Louis Vuitton
The French fashion house, famed for its monogrammed handbags, has announced that it is switching the factories producing its perfume over to hand sanitiser production. Obviously with all the stores in lock-down its sales will have fallen through the floor, and it won’t need its regular supply of fragrances. So rather than leave the factory mothballed its actually using if for something useful. So next time you are sanitising your hands, you may well be doing it with Louis Vuitton’s product, and all for a lot less than a bottle of Eue de parfum!
Burberry
One of those essentially British fashion brands Burberry did lose its way a little when it became the go to item for the chavs, but of late has experienced a resurgence and moved upmarket.
They have just announced that their Castleford West Yorkshire factory is being retooled to make surgical gowns for the NHS. Would be nice if they were in Burberry’s classic check pattern, but however they look its still a great example of companies coming together in a national crisis.
So just think when your laid there feeling glum, you might well be the height of fashion.
Prada, Gucci, YSL, Balenciaga
These between them are looking at making millions of facemasks for various European countries. I wonder if the price of second hand facemasks will rise if they are marked with Gucci’s famous double G logo, or the YSL script.
This probably isn’t what Gucci meant when they said they would be making face masks, in fact this looks more like something Christian Grey would have you wear. Can’t see us making candy floss in this one!
Now that’s more like it, expect these to appear on Ebay for a vast sum once the virus pandemic subsides.
Others
A number of others have also jumped into the fray. LVMH the conglomarate which own amongst others Fendi, Dior and Louis Vuitton have announced they will be producing some 43 million face masks for the French Health Service.
I think this LV branded face mask is a copy someone has knocked up. But I have to say I quite like it. I can see there being a market for them. Especially in countries like China where they quite often wear masks anyway. Perhaps we will see a few coronavirus inspired fashion lines coming through.
Coronavirus and Canada Goose
The well known outerwear fashion brand Canada Goose has announced that it is going to make scrubs and gowns. These will be distributed to local hospitals free of charge. Again a nice gesture when the health services are going to start straining under the demand.
Hopefully they will go easy on their signature fur trim, else there will be a lot of sweaty patients.
New Year, New Image
20 January 2022
Business Logo
We are able to trace our business activities back to a job entertaining Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. Not any of the the current staff members you understand, but a few generations back.
Our long term catering business Candy Floss Crazy, has stood us in good stead for a number of years. However, time waits on no man. With a new generation of family taking more of an active role in the business, we were ‘informed’ that in the modern world, it isn’t sufficient to be good. To produce and serve first class food. Provide funky photo booths, or first rate funfair rides. It seems that nowadays we have to be more quirky, and edgy, even a little crazy. The sort of thing that is deemed ‘Instagrammable’.
So we are currently undergoing a major re-brand of the entire business. From our logo, to the food we serve, everything will be massively upgraded over the coming summer.
Design Work
We had an idea for what we wanted as a logo. Something quirky, and a bit of fun. After a few brainstorming sessions we hit upon an anthropomorphic Zebra (a zebra’s head on a human body). We worked with a number of designers to draft some possibilities before hitting upon our final choice. Some of our favourite offerings are pictured below.
New Logo
After much debate, we settled on the image below, which we have names Ziggy! One of the main reasons was the more minimalistic design of the head. We felt it was a little cleaner looking than many of the others we had been offered. It was also much easier to use in our vinyl cutters, or to create stencils for burning the design into wood etc. It’s intended to portray a funner, more ‘crazy’ take on our business activities. And why ‘Ziggy’. Well, when looking for a name for it, we just happened to be watching a documentary on David Bowie, and his Ziggy Stardust period. Just the right amount of crazy, coupled with ground breaking music to suit what we want to portray.
Ziggy will be making an appearance on many of our vehicles, carts, branded cups and consumables etc. And will play a major role in our upcoming events. We will also be using professional design services for other upcoming items, hopefully to keep them tied into our business logo.
Wedding Crazy Golf Hire
1 October 2021
Our crazy golf has been a big hit this season. We have however been inundated with requests for a more ‘wedding’ themed layout. We finally got around to putting together our initial wedding course for a client. Pictured here are our initial wedding crazy golf 9 holes. Like most things we will modify and adapt this at it evolves and we come up with better ideas.
Hole 1….Love
Slalom the love letters, around the rotating wedding shoes, miss the stacked hearts and then into the birdcage. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Hole 2….Hearts
The iconic symbol of love is the heart. And we have lots of them, in various shades. Throw in a bouquet or two and you have our second hole.
Hole 3…Ducks Of Love
Our classic rubber duck hole. Through the ducks of love, avoid the funfair shooting gallery ducks, then up the ramp and into the bath.
Hole 4…Let Them Eat Cake
An important part of the day. The wedding cake. A selection of cakes, with fun toppers.
Hole 5….Make A Wish
Through the wishing well, dodge the windmill, and into the hole. On a role now.
Hole 6…Diamond Geezer
Dodge the diamond solitaire. Loop the loop of the engagement ring, up the bridge and into the hole.
Hole 7…Lucky Horseshoes
Lots of luck here, horseshoes galore.
Hole 8…Can The Can
The classic wedding cans attached to the back of cars as the happy couple flee the scene.
Hole 9…Mr & Mrs
The final hurdle, through the wedding party of skittles, slalom the happy couple (Which can be Mr & Mr or Mrs & Mrs) and up the ramp to the finish. Bobs your Uncle.
Of course you don’t have to have our wedding crazy golf for your event. You can just as easily have one of our multi themed golf courses.
Nottingham Goose Fair, A Major Fair
27 September 2021
Another of our looks at some of the major funfair events throughout the UK. One of three fairs to carry the name ‘Goose Fair’. nottingham is the largest. The others being in Tavistock and Colyford East Devon.
History dates the event back to a royal charter in 1284 granted by King Edward I. Though fairs in Nottingham were thought to predate this. Originally taking place in September, it was moved to an October date in 1752 when the Gregorian calendar was adopted.
It has taken place every year since then, save for 1646 when an outbreak of the bubonic plague stopped it, the two World wars, and obviously 2020 when the covid pandemic struck.
Early History
The creation of fairs by royal charter was a common occurrence in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. King Henry II had granted a charter for an annual Martinmas fair in Lenton Priory in November. This gave prominence to that event and prevented other fairs from competing with it. The 1284 charter giving Nottingham it’s own fair saw the event grow in size and prestige.
Records first mention the Goose Fair name in 1541, where it is referred to in borough records as ‘goosey fair day.’ The name comes from the thousands of geese driven from Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire to be sold in Nottingham. Like many fairs it started as a trade fair, for the sale of livestock, geese and most famously its high quality cheese. At this time it was based in the Old Market Square.
Entertainment
In common with other events of the nature, side shows and other entertainment was added to the event, gradually diminishing the trade element. As shops evolved and transport links increased, annual events like this were no longer a necessity to stock up the larder. The dawn of steam and mechanisation saw rides being added to the event. The traditional carousels, switchbacks, gondola rides and animal manageries gradually increasing in mumber.
As the event spread out it overwhelmed the market square and began to cause problems with congestion, not helped by the increase in traffic through the town centre. The decision as taken to move the event in 1928 to the Forest Recreation ground. A move resisted by the showmen, but in the event proving ideal, being twice the size of the market square.
Modern History
Held annually on the recreation ground for five days, it boasts over five hundred attractions. Everything from traditional carousels to the latest white knuckle thrill attractions.
The roundabout on the approach to the fair is notable for its giant fibreglass goose called ‘Goosey’ which appears in the run up to the fair taking place. The Lord Mayor opens the event with the ringing of a pair of silver bells. Still a massively popular event attracting over 500,000 visitors annually the fair has an excellent record as regards safety and trouble happening.
Dr Couney And His Amazing Infantorium
24 September 2021
Over the years fairgrounds have been the showcase for many new technologies. Moving pictures and electric light to name just two.
There has also been a darker side with many weird exhibits around the world. From two headed sheep, to woman who were allegedly half human half snake. Some of these ‘freaks’ as they were commonly termed were the result of medical conditions (not the half snake woman obviously). But tragic cases such as wolf girls, who in reality were suffering from hypertrichosis, a disease that causes excessive hair growth all over the body. Or young midgets that were dressed to look much older, then billed as living dolls.
Of course there were others such as the infamous ‘Hairy Mary’, from Borneo, rather than finding an unlucky individual with a medical condition, the sideshow proprietor took the liberty of dressing a monkey in clothes instead.
Premature Babies
Like most showmen of the modern era, I am too young to remember any of these, with ‘freak’ shows being something that society of today wouldn’t accept. I just about remember a show that did the rounds when I was a kid, but their freaks owed more to plasticine, than medical conditions or divine intervention. However I was aware of their existence. Like many things ranging from gladiatorial arena’s to some of the more gruesome forms of punishment, as society became more civilised they gradually fell out of favour.
There was however an exhibit, or indeed series of exhibits, that I was until recently unaware of. These were Infantoriums, actual rooms full of premature babies, in incubators, that people were charged to come in and view.
Now on the surface, this is something that will produce a reaction ranging from disgust to downright outrage. BUT, it needs looking at from the perspective of society and medicine in those days. In actuality, these ‘sideshows’ were responsible for saving a number of babies. Quite a number in fact, estimated to be in the thousands.
At one time premature babies were viewed as weaklings that wouldn’t survive, and therefore were not worth expending medical services on.
Incubators
Incubators had been used previously, in zoo’s for baby chicks. A French obstetrician, called Stéphane Tarnier took the basic technology and adapted it for medical use. Sadly they were not widely used, due to the medical professions aforementioned apathy towards the survival of prematurely born children.
Pierre Budin, a French physician began to conduct research around the technology, but ran into continue roadblocks from his colleagues. In 1896 he took an example of his work to the Berlin World’s Fair. At that time the expositions, and World’s Fairs, were not just centres of entertainment and amazing fairground rides, but also showcases for the latest technological innovations.
As serendipity would have it, a German man, Martin Couney, happened upon an exhibit of 6 premature babies that had been borrowed from a Berlin hospital and placed in the incubator. He realised that not only would people pay to see babies exhibited this way, but it could also save lives.
It turns out that the hero of our tale had actually had a daughter born prematurely, so he had an especial interest in helping such children.
Coney Island
In it’s heyday, the amusement parks and beach at Coney Island hosted thousands of visitors. In 1903 a new exhibit was added. Well, two of them in fact, at the Luna Park and Dreamland amusement parks. These were the Infantoriums. Premature babies were looked after by medical nurses, whilst the public flocked to see the show. Outside carnival barkers would drum up trade, and lure punters in to see the tiny babies dressed as dolls.
Like I mentioned, it sounds rather distasteful at first glance, but the money earnt was reinvested to help premature kids and no charge was made for taking in the babies for treatment. The exhibits actually ran for decades, with the Coney island shows closing down in the mid 1940’s, not because they were no longer popular, but because by that time hospitals had actually caught up with Dr Couney and started to install incubators of their own. It was claimed that the success rate for saving babies in the show was around 85%.
So, weird as it was, an lot of people alive today can trace their survival back to an ancestor in a fairground sideshow and the amazing Dr Couney.
Sid Howell, Fairground Artists
21 September 2021
Another in our series of portraits on the great fairground artists. Sid Howell, and indeed his father Albert, were two highly regarded painters at the firm of Orton Sons, & Spooner. Or more commonly Orton & Spooner as it was referred to within the funfair industry.
The company produced some of the most ornate and elaborate rides, stalls and showfronts during the early part of the 20th Century. Indeed little since has come close to matching their style, both the early rococo theme or the later Art Deco. They were well known for employing the best of artisans and artists to work on their rides.
Sid Howell was born in 1906 in Bristol, but moved with the family to Burton On Trent, the homebase of Orton and Spooner. He not only studied art at school, but was helped with additional coaching from his father, and received actual working experience at the firm.
By the time he was 18, he had completed a study course at Burton Art School, and eventually qualified to teach the subject.
Many would assume that he would follow his father in to the amusement ride firm, but he chose a different path, instead accepting a position as trainee draughtsman at Branston Artificial Silk. Sadly this didn’t work out as the company folded three years later.
Orton Sons, And Spooner
When Sid found himself unemployed in a period where jobs were scarce, he ended up joining his father Albert decorating funfair attractions. He brought the benefits of a new younger generation to the company. His knowledge of new techniques and his introduction of newer styles was evident in the standard of work being turned out.
The father and son team were a perfect match, especially on the many jungle scenes they painted together.
They were interrupted during the war years, as were most ride manufacturers. But happily by 1946 the company was back producing rides.
Edwards Ben Hur
Robert Edwards owned a Noah’s Ark that had been built in the mid 30’s. He placed an order for the ride to be rebuilt.
The rounding boards were painted in the familiar jungle theme, quite probably by Albert. Sid however designed and painted a scene from Ben Hur on the main front panels. At over 40ft wide and 15ft tall it was a stunning work of art. This was widely recognised as the finest work of his career. Keep in mind that the front not only had to look right at ground level, but also when it was placed in the air. Add in the fact that the front was curved, and you have an idea of the level of skill involved in his creation.
Much of the fabulous artwork from these early artists has been lost, either when the rides were retired and scrapped, or when, as often happened they were repainted to keep them fresh.
Dingles
Happily the Ben Hur ark survived. It is now a resident at the Dingles Heritage Museum in West Devon. Well worth a trip out to see.
Sid eventually left Orton & Spooner as work from the showmen gradually dried up. The company turned away from the industry .
Sid had a spell undertaking freelance work, and worked at an amusement park, and also Blackpool’s famous illuminations.
He died in 1966, but the immensity of his talent lives on in his finest work.
His son, Alan S. Howell, researched and wrote a book about the artists of Orton & Spooner titled ‘Men At Work‘. This is fetching sums in excess of £100 for a paperback copy. It would be well worth a read if you can get your hands on one.
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