No April Fools; but too many April Showers:
There have been mixed reports of business from members over the Easter Bank holiday period. Many fairs were affected by weather with several cancelled altogether, as the ground conditions were just too soft after months of rain. At the fairs that did go ahead, members experienced daily, heavy rain showers and high winds.
For those who did get open there was the added benefit of the Eid (Eid Ul Fitr) celebrations, following the Easter weekend which benefited many Showmen.
Our costs are going up whilst councils are going bankrupt:
However, It’s not only the weather which is a major cause for concern but also increased running costs . Whilst inflation seems to be spiralling out of control, the public are still looking for value for money when they spend a day out.
Local councils are constantly increasing their site rental charges annually and it’s no secret that most of them are either bankrupt or running on empty.
This is an issue that the Guild is keen to get the message over to the Local Government Association that continual increases only get passed on to the public or in some cases, leave us no option than giving up an annual visit to the town.
It’s time for change; but its taking time:
In May, there will be local elections across the country for councils; as well as 13 Executive Mayors; as well as Police and Crime Commissioners and the Blackpool South (Westminster MP) by election. Significantly too there will be the election for the Mayor of London. Most likely in the autumn, there will additionally be a general election. It is a time of political upheaval at all levels, to say the least. For this reason, it has been nearly impossible in recent months to sign up MPs for our All Party Group (APPG on Fairs and Circuses). However, we are hopeful that once the various elections have taken place, especially the general the election, we can start afresh.
VAT, a problem to solve…
Top of the agenda now and continuing into the post-election cycle, is our continuing push for reduced VAT for the Fairground Sector. However we have work to do ourselves in surveying the economic landscape of the business and presenting it, with all its weather related and other structural limitations, in a detailed, structured and coherent way to the Treasury; we’re going to need some help from you in completing this sizeable task.
And in large part the solution…
Cue the re-arrival of Joe Mercer; now back on board with the Showmen’s Guild and several weeks in at the helm, as General Secretary.
I hope that members will get behind Joe and give him their full support overall and particularly with our push on VAT restructuring.. He was an excellent ambassador for the Guild during the time with us previously and many members spoke highly of him and are pleased to see his return.
For myself, I’m so pleased to have him back; from my experience of working with him, I know he’s a great asset for the Guild . There was so much that we achieved during the time he was with us and I was confident we were going through a major transition with the Guild at the time leading up the pandemic years with its three lockdowns.
Mental Health, it’s about having Awareness – and we have:
One of the things Joe Mercer was well aware of at the time, was the impact of the pandemic on members mental health. I recall him saying we should prepare for casualties. At the time, I thought , it was slightly over the top but time proved that he was right.
The emergence of the Guild’s Showmen’s Mental Health Awareness Charity, as the pandemic receded was welcome and it was helpful. However, the recent ‘trail by Facebook’ of SMHAC, when they announced they were suspending some of their services, was embarrassing.
The Guild has made sure that funds are available for any member in need of treatment . We put out a statement to that effect and I was disappointed to be criticised for “getting involved”. Unfortunately, however we are involved.
As President I felt and continue to feel obliged to respond and to show transparency. We need to explain to the members where we are, to allay the concerns of those who genuinely need the support of the charity.
We are looking to reassure members both that that we continue to be very discreet in handling personal issues and that we are being careful as to how the funds are being applied. As with other organisations nationwide, the Showmen’s Guild is prey to misinformation and negativity on social media overall and we have to meet that head-on.
All hands on deck at all levels:
The role of the Guild’s Presidents has changed and adapted considerably during the time of my term of office. We have needed to be more hands-on and I’m proud of some of the things we’ve accomplished over the past years. I am especially comfortable with our communications with members but, looking ahead, I’m also concerned for the future of the Guild.
Apathy and complacency at various levels appears to be taking hold. There aren’t many young members taking an interest or who have the time to devote to the Guild. I do hope that the current cohort of young Showmen who are showing an interest in the Guild, are nurtured by the 10 Sections regionally, because our future is dependent on those few coming through.
Reclaiming our Tangible Cultural Heritage as we seek recognition of Intangible Cultural Heritage:
I shall close this month with some positive news: we were able recently to secure a piece of the Guild’s history in a hand-painted piece of artwork, with the panels that opens up, known as a ‘Tryptic’.
The painted signed ornate artwork, was presented to Lord George Sanger one of our founder Members in thanks for his Presidency of the Showmen’s Guild from 1900-1908. There was national interest in this historical artwork and the National Fairground and Circus Archive hailed the importance of the Guild becoming its owners once again. It will be displayed at the Guild’s Central Office soon for members to see as a Tangible piece of the Guild’s heritage. The arrival of this ‘tryptic’ could not have been timed better, coming as it does when we are in the midst of our bid for |UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, with the DCMS in government and internationally.
Fingers crossed that the weather will change for the next bank holiday weekend so that and everyone can take something.
John Thurston.
President