Home » World » Fairground operators panicked: “Fair was not the last time in World War II”

Fairground operators panicked: “Fair was not the last time in World War II”

Panic in the tent in fairground capital Apeldoorn, where around two hundred fairground families were just starting the season. “We are coming out of the winter break,” says Corry Sipkema (52). “For us this means a real financial disaster.”

View the report. The text continues below.

It has also been very abrupt for the fair industry in recent days. Twenty Apeldoorn operators had built up their attractions in the Czech capital, Prague, when they heard that they had to pack like the sod. “The borders would close on Monday,” said Sipkema. “Extra people have flown in, we have worked with all our might to get everyone home safely.”

Saudi Arabia

Dutch fairground operators were also evacuated elsewhere in the world. Albert Ordelman (42) first appeared in Saudi Arabia with a special rotating attraction. But he too had to break down and leave within 24 hours. “An English colleague of mine did not succeed. It is still stuck there, “he says.

Now everyone is at home defeated in Apeldoorn. The fairground attractions are stopped and collapsed on a sad emergency field along the highway, which the municipality of Apeldoorn assigned to them. Because the families would normally already be traveling, the temporary winter stables had already been canceled.

Head above water

“Public health is paramount,” said Sipkema, who belongs to a seventh generation fairground family. “But we invested all winter. Right now we need to make money to keep our heads above water. ”

That also says colleague Albert Ordelman. “My attraction is worth over a million euros. I have to pay it off. “An entire season fair that is going to be lost means no bread for the two hundred families in Apeldoorn, and a thousand families throughout the Netherlands. “Or we’ll sink into deep debt,” says Ordelman. The last time the fair had to skip a whole year was in World War II, says his colleague Sipkema.

Health

Every Dutch person is having a hard time now, says Atze Lubach-Koers, chairman of the fairground BOVAK. “We are primarily concerned with everyone’s health. We are proud of our fairground operators that they were able to respond so quickly, and we are very grateful to the municipality of Apeldoorn for the emergency field, ”he says.

But the financial disaster that is heading towards fairground families is of unprecedented magnitude, he says. “I hold my heart. We lose people, loved ones, but also jobs. In uncertain times, the public does not spend money. “Some fair operators will fall over. Some have already been picked up from Prague with borrowed money, ”he says.

On the street

Fairground operator Ida Oostenenk-Maas is even more gloomy. “People may lose their land, their house or trailer,” she says. “I expect families to end up on the street. The Easter carnivals have already been canceled. We may not be able to run until summer. ”

Of course we will not sit still, says colleague Albert Ordelman. “Working is in our blood.” But he also has to process the “bad film” in which he and his colleagues are. He looks sadly at the stationary cars on the emergency field. “It makes me quieter all the time.”

– .

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.