The earliest days of this Tidman set of gallopers are beyond human memory and there is a lack of any written evidence for the era. There are many ideas about the origin of the ride, but it is believed it was owned firstly by the Harris family c1895. In c1921 the ride was acquired by Ted Andrews of Kent. It is believed that it did travel during his ownership until sold to William 'Bill' Penfold c1938, also of Kent. War regulations meant the ride was put into storage for a time until the laws were relaxed. The gallopers were sold to a gypsy,turned Showman John King in 1948, and the ride travelled the South Yorkshire area. Bill Bradley, a Preston based professional Showman, purchased the set in early 1952 for £1000. The ride was exchanged in 1956 for Oliver Aveyard's heavy, steel-plated Swirl. During his ownership, the ride was opened at Burnham Beeches pleasure grounds. The pleasure grounds were sold in 1961, together with the Gallopers to John Lovett. In 1963/64 Lovett made several significant changes to the gallopers (details of which can be seen in John Carter's Jubilee Steam Gallopers book available in the sales section of this website). John Carter bought the gallopers from John Lovett after a meeting, however the ride remained in operation until the end of the 1976 season. Once collected, John began major renovation work and the partly finished gallopers were seen in operation at events
during the 1970s. The machine log book reveals an intense and dedicated pursuit of safety and historical perfection. John renamed the ride in 1977 "The Queens Silver Jubilee Steam Gallopers". This name celebrated the Queen's Jubilee year and also marked the return of the ride to steam power after 25 years. When the gallopers reached their centenary year (1995) the machine was extensively redecorated using vast amounts of gold. Much of the artwork on the set was completed by Anna Carter.
|
