Saturday, March 29, 2014

The Showies: " part and parcel of the way of life which we accept down here at the Links"

The recent issue of showies in the Showfield has generated some debate on this Gurn page here. It has also inspired one of our regular readers to write the following piece:

"As a resident down at the Links for approximately 35 years I feel justified to point out what it means to live in this area for a fortnight before the Games with the showies, until late on  Monday afternoon after them.   Yes its true, at times we all have a moan about it.

Yes, we put up with the continuous noise and the thump thump of loud music, interspersed with the loudspeakers of showmen, trying to drum up more business.   The smells from the fish and chip vans and burger stalls and the sweet smell of the candy floss, diesel fumes, generator noise, litter everywhere (but tidied up each morning), no parking outside our homes in the afternoons or evenings, and when the showies close or overrun their 11pm stopping time, the generators keep running and not too many of us can sleep some nights as the noise continues well into the wee small hours until we drop off.


Games night is something else, the minute the showies close look out, the clanging and banging starts and will go on to the early morning,  hopefully some sleep when they get everything tied down, but no, the wagons start to move out. 
  
It continues throughout Sunday until late on Monday afternoon when we look across at diesel spills, deep ruts of mud where wagons have got stuck, all sorts of colours of grass and overflowing bins.   Now we wait for the tech. boys and gardening staff to work their magic.

But do you know something; we would not have it any other way.    We sigh with relief another year has past, but on the whole everyone has had a good time.   This is part and parcel of the way of life which we accept down here at the Links and has been for many generations, roll on August !!!!!!"

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a truly refreshing attitude, rarely seen or expressed these days when the norm is ME ME ME. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

well said,not enough people like you around,

Anonymous said...

Agreed, just been watching the 'showies' starting to pack up and leave the show field, i just wonder has it been worth it for them? Most nights this week they have closed long before the time on the posters, at least they are trying to do something to bring something into the town. We all as a community need to promote the community spirit, the town is dead on it's feet if we don't do something!!

Anonymous said...

Well said. The showies are part and parcel of Nairn and have been for years, what would it be like without them. This is the only time there is a buzz about Nairn. Anyone moving into the fishertown and complain about the noise should have thought of this beforehand. Not rocket science!!

Anonymous said...

Well the incomer of 35 years may not have noticed but in the last few years we've increasingly had a small group of showies turn up on the Links outwith their usual Games Day appearance, sometimes for just a few days but also for a few weeks

I too would not object to the regular Games Day fortnight even though the noise and nuisance has got worse, but much like the folk near the Farmer's field I'm not very tolerant of the unexpected arrival of the showies especially when we're not forewarned or told as to how long they'll be there

If you suffered a noisy neighbour who threw a party every night for several days this would not be deemed okay, but because it's showies then that is supposed to be alright

As said I have no objection to the showies being on the Links for the Games fortnight

Anonymous said...

I think you'll find the word used was resident NOT incomer!

Anonymous said...

I live by the snowfield and only one night did I hear any noise , less noise than the farmers show !!!

snow end to this said...

Snow tends to deaden sound which is probably why you weren't too bothered by noise anon 5:24