New (Additional) Rides List

[Bill Edwards]

Dear All

 

You may remember my previous attempt at making a Rides List Database available to forum members - It wasn't successful and was withdrawn. 

 

However, I kept the data and now have it available in an Excel Spreadsheet. It has taken me a couple of weeks to reconcile it against the Forum Rides list, and whilst it isn't perfect, I think it is now at a stage where I can share it.

 

Why do we need two list?

 

The Forum Rides List is important as it allows the storage of photos and allows members to reply to update and correct information. However, the searching, sorting and filtering of rides is very limited due to the constraints of the Forum Software. The Excel Spreadsheet allows advanced searching, sorting and filtering so allows members to find the information they want much more easily.

 

The instructions for using the Coming Events file will give you an idea of how to use the Rides List. (Please see http://www.fun-fairs.co.uk/help-faq/forumsoftware/using-coming-events/) (YouTube also has some excellent tutorials on using Excel)

 

For example:

 

Suppose you wanted to find out the year of manufacture of the earliest travelling Galloper's? Using the forum would require you to open every Galloper topic to check the date. Using the Excel Spreadsheet simple Filter "Ride" to Gallopers, "Status" to Travelling and then sort by "Year" (The answer is 1880!)

 

Want to know all new rides for 2016? Simply filter "Year" to 2016

 

The possibilities are endless.

 

You can also download the file if you wish to keep it offline or to use your own software (Many programs and apps available)

 

Before accessing the file, please note the following:

 

• There will be errors. Although I have been as diligent as I can the spreadsheet is very large (16 columns, 3215 rows - over 51 thousand individual cells with info in!)
• I still have a lot of tidying/checking to do - this will be an on-going process
• There is a lot of information on the screen, a desktop computer with a large monitor is highly recommended. Although the spreadsheet should be accessible on mobile devices, I don't recommend it and unfortunately cannot offer support for mobile devices
• Although I have tested the spreadsheet, no one else has. There may well be teething problems - let me know and I will do my best to sort the issues

 

By accessing the file you agree:

 

• Not to share the data or the link
• To inform me if you find any errors or omissions

 

The file is available on the "More" menu at the top of the forum.

 

The file is READ ONLY - You will be unable to alter the contents of any cell. If anything requires correcting/updating, please let me know by Personal Message or Email.

 

As the file is READ ONLY, you CANNOT damage it - feel free to play. If you are unable to get the spreadsheet back to it's original state, simply close the tab it is open in and reopen it.

 

All the best

 

Bill 

[Graham Vaughan]

Well done Bill, thank you for your time and effort in creating what appears to have the potential of being a great easy to use research tool for all member wishing to do so.

[Bill Edwards]

Two additional 'features' that I will be adding are:

 

1. Where a Ride is in a park, the "Park" column will be a link to the parks web site
2. Where a Showman has a web site, the name in the "Surname" column will be a link to that web site

 

Please note, that these are long term projects

 

 

[Paul McHaddan]

Well Bill its all looking positive thank you this is going to be very helpful to a lot of people 

 

 

[Bill Edwards]

On 1/2/2017 at 13:10, Bill Edwards said:

Where a Showman has a web site, the name in the "Surname" column will be a link to that web site

This is proving to be a little more difficult than I anticipated and I would appreciate some help

 

Where I know a family, I can identify which members should be associated with a particular website, as an example, I can link Scott & Chaz Manning to Amusement World (I know Chaz is Scott's son)

 

However, again as an example, Burnett's Family Fun Fair - In the rides list we have Peter, Billy Jnr, Peter & Claude and Chris (Pete) - Which of these can properly be linked to that web site?

 

It's further complicated by the fact that some Showmen will show on their web site rides they don't own, but are within the extended family or they have access to. What I am trying to achieve is where a Showman has a web site, his rides are linked to that web site, not links to sites where that ride is available. The surname/website link should only be used for that Showman and his immediate family i.e. children, spouse (possibly brothers?) etc.

 

To do this properly will require knowledge of the way families operate. If you can help, please let me know. If you are familiar with a family please send me a list of which names should be associated with which web site.

 

Many thanks

 

Bill

[Martin]

30 minutes ago, Bill Edwards said:

However, again as an example, Burnett's Family Fun Fair - In the rides list we have Peter, Billy Jnr, Peter & Claude and Chris (Pete) - Which of these can properly be linked to that web site?

Burnett's Family Fun Fair represents C Burnett & Sons, which is Chris (Pete to all of us who know him) & sons Peter & Claude. It also shows Chris' late brother Billy's Waltzer which is now under Billy Jnr's control along with his Flying Coaster. Billy Jnr & Debbie Burnett are on Facebook as Burnett's Amusements. They still travel together as one unit most of the season. Hope this helps Bill. Shaun Mintern may add some info.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Martin

[Bill Edwards]

9 minutes ago, Martin said:

Burnett's Family Fun Fair represents C Burnett & Sons, which is Chris (Pete to all of us who know him) & sons Peter & Claude. It also shows Chris' late brother Billy's Waltzer which is now under Billy Jnr's control along with his Flying Coaster. Billy Jnr & Debbie Burnett are on Facebook as Burnett's Amusements. They still travel together as one unit most of the season. Hope this helps Bill. Shaun Mintern may add some info.

Many thanks Martin - I've updated the list.

 

If you, or anyone else can help with any other families that you have knowledge of, it would be a big help.

 

Thanks again & all the best

 

Bill

[Bill Edwards]

On 1/2/2017 at 13:10, Bill Edwards said:

Two additional 'features' that I will be adding are:

 

1. Where a Ride is in a park, the "Park" column will be a link to the parks web site
2. Where a Showman has a web site, the name in the "Surname" column will be a link to that web site

 

Please note, that these are long term projects

 

 

The Manufacturer name will also be turned into a link where available (as time allows).

 

If anyone is bored and wants to help with any of these.........?

 

Where there is a Showman, Manufacturer or Park without a link and you can provide one, please let me know.

 

Many thanks

 

Bill

[Bill Edwards]

Despite the almost total lack of feedback, interest and offers of help, I continue to work on the Online Rides List.

 

I have today altered the format of the "Date Acquired" field. This is now separated into Month & Year which allows users to filter & sort by year acquired. For example to find out who acquired rides in 2016, simply filter "Year Acquired" to 2016. You could then further filter by Month to see who had rides in, say, August 2016.

[Bill Edwards]

I have continued to reconcile the spreadsheet against the forum rides list. It's almost complete, just 306 rides left to do.

 

All 1991 Travelling Rides have been done and the statistics are (in my opinion) quite interesting

 

Of the 1991 travelling rides, we have photos of 1838 - 93% - Just 153 travelling rides don't have a photo. I think that's a massive achievement and I am hugely grateful to all those that have helped out with photos - THANK YOU!

 

Over the coming weeks I will reconcile the rest of the list (some scrapped, park, exported rides etc). I will also create a topic in the Photo Sought forum to see if I can persuade anyone to help with photos of the rides where we don't have a photo.

[Bill Edwards]

Some other facts I've gleaned from the spreadsheet:-

 

The oldest ride shown as "New" is

 

The oldest travelling rides are

 

 

and

 

43 Showmen took delivery of new rides in 2016 - The same as 2015

 

159 Showmen got rides new to them in 2016

 

The possibilities for searching, sorting and filtering make this a useful resource

 

[Bill Edwards]

All Park Rides have now been reconciled. There are 517 Rides Listed, 441 have photos displayed on the forum - 85%, lower than the Travelling Rides, but still a massive achievement. Again, thanks to all those who have helped with photos!!

 

Hollycombe has the oldest ride available in a Park

 

 

46 new rides went into Parks in 2016, up on the 32 in 2015

 

 

I have 172 rides left to reconcile - all exported, stored, scrapped etc. These will be done over the coming week or so.

 

[Bill Edwards]

The Online rides list is now reconciled against the forum list - all rides in the list should now mirror the forum. 

 

There is still a lot of tidying to do, and extra info such as links will be an on-going project which, like the Forth Bridge, will probably never be complete needing to be redone every so often. However, the list is reasonable accurate (with the amount of info therein I cannot guarantee 100% accuracy) and certainly usable. It will enable members to sort, search and filter with ease and being downloadable is available to members should they wish to customise it - for example to list only travelling or park rides or add/delete fields.

[Roger Peatman]

Yet another great contribution to the Forum, Bill.