Bois y Ffair Bois y....

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-For centuries, fairground people

-have travelled around Wales...

-..bringing attractions

-to towns and villages.

-Among them are the Studt family.

-Members of this special family

-have settled in Pwllheli.

-My name's

-Christopher Llywelyn Studt.

-I was born in Bangor

-but grew up in Pwllheli.

-I'm Colin Studt.

-I run Pwllheli fairground.

-The fairground

-has been in the family since 1837.

-My son runs the dodgems.

-He's the seventh generation.

-When I was a boy,

-I worked on the fair.

-Grandad owned this place...

-..and Colin owned the dodgems

-and everything else in between.

-Grandma and Grandad

-owned the arcade here.

-When Grandad was 70,

-he was ready to retire.

-It was a fair old age

-but he was reluctant to let it go.

-When he eventually did,

-Dad took over the arcade...

-..and Colin took over outside.

-Originally, there were four brothers

-in the Studt family.

-They came from Bavaria or Prussia...

-..what we know as Germany today.

-They were farmers...

-..who moved to Kent

-in the south of England.

-They continued pig farming there.

-They took their pigs to market

-to sell them...

-..and saw a horse with some sort

-of platform attached...

-..going round and round in a circle,

-carrying children.

-The children paid to have a go.

-The brothers thought,

-why are we selling these pigs...

-..when that man is making

-lots of money, and easy money too?

-So they sold the pigs,

-bought a horse and platform...

-..and did the same.

-We were a travelling fair

-to begin with.

-My family took their first fair

-to Halfway, Llanelli.

-From there, they travelled

-to Pontyberem, Pontarddulais...

-..Ystalyfera, Ystradgynlais...

-..working their way up through

-Hereford, Machynlleth and Rhayader.

-They'd spend two weeks in Porthmadog

-and four weeks in Pwllheli.

-It took about three or four days

-to move everything...

-..all the way from Pwllheli

-down to Neath.

-It was situated

-on The Gnoll back then.

-Everyone's familiar

-with that rugby ground.

-There's a strong rugby connection

-in the family.

-My grandfather was quite a player.

-Unfortunately, his father died...

-so he gave up rugby...

-..and joined the family business.

-My brothers and I

-have all played rugby for Pwllheli.

-Our sons, Chris and Carl,

-currently play for the first team.

-As the years went by and with

-the advent of the mechanical age...

-..the horse was soon replaced

-by the steam engine.

-Traction engines were important

-because they did everything.

-It was the traction engines

-that ran the fair...

-..in terms of the lights and the

-power needed to make things move.

-They used traction engines to travel

-from Swansea to Neath and so on.

-They didn't go very fast.

-They were lucky

-to hit six miles an hour...

-..but they were powerful...

-..and could transport anything

-from place to place.

-Sometimes, they put

-one behind the other...

-..to generate enough power

-to travel along the A470.

-Things haven't changed.

-The road is still the same.

-Following WW2,

-there were further advances...

-..and steam engines gave way

-to Army service lorries.

-After the War, lots of RAF

-and Army service lorries...

-..were being sold off cheaply.

-The Scammell tractor

-was a particular favourite...

-..as was the Matador.

-They're familiar to many, I'm sure.

-There was a hole

-in the roof of the Matador...

-..where the machine gun

-would have sat during the war.

-They used to buy these old lorries.

-I remember Dad saying that you'd

-be lucky to get 20mph out of it...

-..going downhill

-with the wind behind it!

-There is something rather feudal

-about fairground families.

-There is a pecking order

-and everyone knows his place.

-You had a riding master...

-..who acted

-as a kind of lord of the manor.

-He had his main boys

-on the smaller rides...

-..and the tenant farmers

-were the fairground tenants...

-..who had the guns, coconut shies,

-darts and that kind of thing.

-Then there were the people

-who provided the food.

-Hot dogs, toffee apples,

-candy floss...

-..all the usual fairground treats.

-My grandfather

-was the riding master.

-He was the one

-who planned the layout.

-He'd go to a site, measure up...

-..and say, "Right, the dodgems

-go there, the waltzer goes there...

-"..the Ferris wheel

-can go at the side...

-"..and the stalls along the edge."

-Everyone had their pitch and the

-riding master was totally in charge.

-Families had to travel from

-place to place out of necessity.

-That meant

-they didn't live in houses.

-Wagons served as their homes.

-We lived in wagons,

-though people call them caravans.

-There are trailers,

-caravans and wagons.

-My grandfather had two scarlet

-ramblers, as they were called.

-They were like railway carriages,

-positioned back to back.

-The doors opened like that

-to make it more spacious.

-I remember seeing it

-on television...

-..and explaining to my daughter

-that it housed a family of six - us!

-I've seen photographs and so on

-and they looked very grand.

-People think they're caravans...

-..but they would never

-have travelled in caravans...

-..because they were

-very proud people.

-The interiors

-were carved from mahogany...

-..and there was cut glass.

-The workers

-weren't allowed through the door.

-They weren't even permitted

-to cross the threshold.

-They used the back entrance

-to get their weekly pay packet.

-They'd knock on the back door,

-avoid standing on the steps...

-..and wait to be invited

-up the steps.

-They never entered the wagon.

-My Dad told me that he remembers

-a knock on the door one day.

-He turned to my grandmother

-and said...

-.."Mr Barclay's at the door."

-She looked at my father

-in astonishment.

-She said, "He's not a mister to you.

-He's called Billy."

-Dad said, "But he's 60 years old.

-He's a mister to me."

-And my grandmother said,

-"No, he works for you."

-He felt uncomfortable

-as a six-year-old child...

-..calling a 60-year-old

-by his first name.

-They tried everything

-in the amusements business.

-When the rides were introduced...

-..the first of which

-were the Ferris wheel...

-..and Noah's Ark,

-they could run the belt drive...

-..from the traction engines.

-The dodgems came soon afterwards.

-My family

-got into the dodgems' business.

-At one time, there were five sets

-of dodgems travelling around Wales.

-It's a hard life.

-We stopped travelling

-after a while...

-..but I still went to stay

-with my cousins.

-For a single man, there was fun

-to be had, travelling.

-Different villages,

-different girls!

-I hope the wife's not listening!

-Saturday night at the fair

-was a big night out...

-..from Haverfordwest to Pembroke.

-Back then, it stayed open

-until two in the morning...

-..with the lights going

-at full speed.

-When people left, we'd pull

-tarpaulin over the dodgems...

-..and pull down the lights,

-the signs and little things.

-As young boys, that was our job.

-We carried light loads...

-..and packed them away in trucks.

-Dad took the caravan or wagon...

-..and travelled overnight

-to the next location...

-..while Mam put us all to bed.

-Dad would go back with the lorries

-the following morning...

-..and set it all up again.

-I think it was around 1965

-when Dad finally stopped travelling.

-He went down to Aberystwyth

-where it was wet and windy...

-..and the fair took a beating.

-No-one came and he had

-to pull down all the rides.

-He decided

-he didn't want to do it any more.

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-Although Chris

-has been brought up with the fair...

-..the Pwllheli fair

-no longer travels.

-He has heard a lot

-about the travelling fairs...

-..but hasn't experienced

-this kind of life for himself.

-He has come to Neath to join

-another branch of his family...

-..whose fair still travels.

-It's nice being here in Neath

-to meet Henry, Roland Studt's son.

-I've heard a lot about the family.

-Now I can walk around

-and watch them get the fair ready...

-..for the crowds who will turn up

-in about half an hour's time.

-Walking around, I've noticed

-the different rides...

-..and the things

-people have been talking about.

-A lot of hard work goes into getting

-these machines up and running...

-..before they take any money.

-But years ago,

-they had to set it all up.

-Nowadays, they just turn up

-and the machines do the work...

-..with the push of a button.

-A lot of the machines

-need assembling too...

-..so they turn up early in the

-morning to get everything ready.

-They're up and running by 7.30pm...

-..and the money starts rolling in.

-It's a case of setting up,

-providing a service...

-..making some money

-and then moving on.

-In Neath, Chris meets Vernon Studt,

-who owns Barry Island fairground.

-The weather poses a problem

-for fairground people.

-The weather's destroyed us.

-The weather's destroyed us.

-

-It's horrendous, isn't it?

-It has absolutely destroyed us.

-We've got no chance.

-They're not even promising

-anything decent.

-We've got this

-till the end of the month.

-You can go in for a cuppa,

-come back out and it's raining.

-I've just met Vernon Studt again.

-It's been six months

-since I saw him last.

-We were talking about the weather...

-..and hoping that it improves...

-..because it's keeping people away.

-It's different running the arcade...

-..because the weather

-doesn't affect business.

-If it's sunny,

-people go to the seaside.

-But we're still open at night...

-..so people will come at night

-instead of the day.

-Because we're there permanently,

-the locals come to the fair.

-It's different for Colin

-outdoors on the fair.

-He has the same problem

-with the rain.

-We're hoping

-for six weeks of sunshine.

-It's starting to liven up now.

-The children have arrived

-and the rain has kept away.

-It's starting to fill up here.

-The dodgems, waltzers and twist

-will start up in a moment...

-..as the kids arrive.

-I've met lots of interesting people

-just by hanging around.

-One man has been working

-for the Studts for over 35 years.

-He worked for Henry's father.

-After his own father passed away,

-he was asked to look after the son.

-He's still with them today.

-He runs the dodgems.

-I'll give him a hand later.

-The dodgems are very close

-to the Studt family's hearts.

-At one time, there were five sets

-travelling around Wales.

-Many of them

-are still running today.

-The dodgems are a favourite of mine.

-My grandfather bought them in 1933.

-One of his brothers

-bought a speedway...

-..which has been converted

-into dodgems.

-Another brother bought dodgems too,

-so that's three Studt brothers.

-Delivered to Aberdare...

-..on said date

-and the money will be waiting.

-This is still going

-and I think the other is too.

-There aren't many older

-than these dodgems.

-It's a bit like Trigger's brush

-on Only Fools And Horses.

-"It's the same brush - all original.

-"It's had nine new handles

-and six new heads!"

-The dodgems are important.

-They're different

-from ours in Pwllheli.

-There's no emphasis

-on where the dodgems are situated.

-They can be anywhere

-as long as they're there.

-Usually, they'd put the dodgems

-at the back...

-..because people walk around.

-Here, they're the first thing

-people see and they draw them in.

-They walk around and have to pass

-the dodgems again on the way out.

-It's important

-where they're pitched.

-As I mentioned earlier,

-Henry owned the dodgems.

-It's one of two rides

-that always gets pride of place.

-There are lots of little stalls.

-Traditionally, it wasn't

-the Studt family who ran them.

-It was their friends

-or the people who worked for them...

-..who had the little stalls

-and the food outlets.

-But the Studt name

-always appeared overhead.

-That hasn't changed,

-as I've noticed today!

-Coming to Neath

-has been a great experience.

-I've heard lots of stories from Dad

-and Colin about when they came down.

-It's nice that I can see for myself

-how things are run here.

-The travelling fair...

-..is a different way of life

-from what Chris is used to.

-Would life on the road

-appeal to him?

-The fact they travel

-from place to place is tempting.

-It's far from packed here today

-but tomorrow's another day.

-It might be chock-a-block tomorrow.

-Since we're based in one place,

-we know what to expect.

-We know

-when it's going to be busy or not.

-But when you're travelling,

-you never know what to expect.

-If it's raining,

-no-one will turn up.

-If it's sunny, it could be packed.

-When it's busy,

-it's a great place to be.

-There's definitely a future

-for travelling fairs.

-As they've shown,

-they still go from place to place.

-They differ a little from

-the back-end fairs of years ago...

-..although they still exist,

-to some extent...

-..but they also do events now...

-..where rides can be hired out

-for private functions.

-I'm a Pwllheli boy

-and that's where I'll stay...

-..because Grandad and Grandma

-established the business there.

-We're all grateful to them for that.

-I'm glad we've decided to stay put

-and have a permanent fairground...

-..instead of travelling, although

-it's a good life on the road.

-But I think we've made the right

-decision to stay in one place.

-Back home in Pwllheli,

-Chris returns to the arcade...

-..and is looking ahead

-to the future.

-Over the years,

-the fair has entertained people...

-..and we're still continuing

-that tradition today.

-At the moment,

-I run the place with my father.

-My mother and Nicola run the cafe.

-When Dad

-finally decides to retire...

-..and move to Spain or whatever,

-who knows what he'll decide to do?

-When that happens,

-then I'd like to take over...

-..and carry on

-doing the same thing here...

-..adding a few of my own touches...

-..as other people

-have done over the years.

-There is certainly a place

-for seaside fairs like this one.

-People from England

-come here on holiday.

-They work in offices all year long,

-live in terraced properties...

-..and never get to see

-the sun or the sea.

-They want a seaside holiday.

-Eating fish and chips on the

-seafront and going to the fair...

-..is what makes a holiday

-for lots of people.

-Travelling fairs are struggling...

-..due to the rising cost of diesel

-and so on.

-They now have to pay tax

-on the lorries.

-Years ago, they had

-what was called a showman's special.

-I'm not sure it was legitimate.

-It looked like someone

-had scribbled on a beer mat!

-You have to work long hours.

-I start work

-at seven in the morning...

-..and sometimes don't finish

-until ten at night.

-It's not easy, but a lot

-of good things come with it.

-For me, it's not a job,

-it's a way of life.

-Tradition is important to me...

-..because our family's history

-dates back centuries to 1847.

-Every generation has brought

-something extra to the business.

-It's improved

-as the years have gone by.

-The only thing I want to do...

-..is carry on the tradition

-and continue improving it.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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