RCCGB Folly Farm 2015

Date: Friday 7 August 2015
Venue: Folly Farm near Kilgetty
Who Went: Me and a large number of other RCCGB members, including Andy Hine, Death, Planenut, Ryan Hackett, Wendy Evans.

DISCLAIMER: The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of everyone who attended. It's a small sample of attendees; mainly those I spoke to and/or rode with at Folly Farm. I sincerely apologise to anyone I've not listed.

Rationale For Trip

A pre-Oakwood add-on to RCCGB Mega-Glow-Mania 2015, a visit to Folly Farm near Kilgetty. The itinerary was the same as 2014: (i) the daytime was free for everyone to enjoy the Park amenities at their leisure, (ii) after closing time the day culminated in an exclusive fair session in the Vintage Funfair, including a basket meal in the Funfair Restaurant. For the purposes of Mega-Glow-Mania 2015, you could think of this visit to Folly Farm as the starter, and the Saturday visit to Oakwood as the main course.

N.B. Any use of "today" or "Friday" hereafter in this report means Friday 7 August 2015. Any use of "Saturday" means Saturday 8 August 2015.

Friday First Thing

Having awoke at 7:30 I had breakfast at 8:40 consisting of a choice of cereal (I had two Shredded Wheat), a glass of orange juice, a full traditional breakfast, four triangles of toast and a cafetiere of coffee.

Getting To Folly Farm

Since I was staying in Kilgetty for the first time ever, I considered walking all the way from my guest house to Folly Farm, and wondered what would be the best route. Having left the guest house I ended up walking to the centre of Kilgetty. When I got to the Co-op I decided to catch the Haverfordwest bus which stopped right outside Folly Farm.

Welcome To Folly Farm

I reached Folly Farm at 10:15. According to the trip letter, we were officially due to enter as a group at 11:00. However Folly Farm was already open, and the general public were being admitted, so I joined the e-tickets and annual passes queue. When it was my turn, I showed the receptionist my trip letter, badge and RCCGB membership card, and explained that I was on the trip. I was kept waiting a moment whilst another member of staff had to check what the arrangements for paying were, but when he returned all was fine, he ticked me off the printed list and I was able to enter.

Normal Opening Time

Follywood

I began the day in the Follywood area across the road. To get there I had to walk through The Jolly Barn and subway. Whilst passing through The Jolly Barn I spotted a new feature where the blackboard was last year. I asked what had happened to the chalk board on which visitors can draw animals; I was told it had been moved to another wall.

Percy's Piggery

The first attraction I noticed in Follywood was Percy's Piggery, home to various breeds of pigs. These included Saddleback Pig and Mangalitza Pig.

To see the rest of Follywood one needs to go for a ride on the Land Train. It wasn't long before one was due to depart.

Land Train

The train set off along a track, and passed various animals along the way. At the far end riders had the option of getting off to walk along a nature trail. I chose not to do that trail and simply stayed on the land train back to the start. The return route was slightly different to the outward route, thereby taking riders past even more animals.

The Jolly Barn

Back in the main part of the Park, I entered the Jolly Barn. There I spotted the new location of the sign showing drawings of farm animals, with the question "Can you draw the animals?" Visitors are allowed to draw the animals on the large chalk board beneath that sign. Largely due to me seeing the Shaun the Sheep trail around Bristol this summer, I tried drawing the sheep this time, and my attempt was quite impressive. I took a photo of my finished drawing and asked someone to photograph me pointing to it. I named my drawing Folly Shaun.

Afterwards I resisted the temptation to see the farm animals in the Jolly Barn or play in nearby Carousel Woods, because it was currently dry and sunny outside. Therefore I felt it was in my best interest to see the zoo and other outdoor areas now, and save the rest of the Jolly Barn and Carousel Woods for later.

The Zoo

Without further ado I headed for the zoo. I began with the giraffe enclosure in the Motobo Hills (African Reserve) section. My first sighting of other RCCGB members was when I met Wendy Evans near the giraffe enclosure after midday. We spoke to each other for a bit and saw the Penguin Coast area together.

Afterwards I saw the Pride of Pembrokeshire lion enclosure, which first opened in 2014. This is surrounded by a high fence, with another secondary fence outside it. I went inside the building in which information about the lion enclosure is displayed. Also inside that building is a large window through which visitors can see and photograph the lions without being obscured by the fence wire. Having left the building I walked around the outside of the lion enclosure and saw another outdoor window through which visitors have an unobstructed view of the lions. After that I saw the emu enclosure.

Lunch

At this point I felt like a light snack. I went to nearby Carousel Café, where I had filled deli bread (coronation chicken with salad) and a cup of coffee. That's all I wanted after my big breakfast earlier.

The Zoo (continued)

By the time I had finished lunch, the sky had clouded over, but thankfully it was still dry. I returned to the zoo to see the rest of the animals, starting with the Bactrian camels (which have two humps each). Next I walked up the path in the corner of the zoo where it says "More animals this way". Animals I saw in this corner included African spurred tortoise, Red River Hog, ostriches and Reindeer. Also in this area is the Zoolympics challenge "get your dancing shoes on", whereby visitors can follow the step by step instructions to dance like a crane. I had a go, and did the routine twice over. Having left that corner of the Park, I went into the African Aviary.

Ice Cream Time

Having left the zoo for the final time, I saw an ice cream kiosk, so took the opportunity to have a whippy ice cream. The sun was now out again, and it remained dry and sunny thereafter until dusk.

Follywood

I went through the subway to Follywood again. Whilst there I briefly went into Percy's Piggery, and saw some piglets which I'd already seen earlier. However it was now too late to go on the land train again.

The Jolly Barn

Back in the main part of the Park, I re-entered The Jolly Barn. This is the indoor barn part of the farm. I looked at the chalk board. Unsurprisingly the space where I drew my sheep earlier had been reused by someone else since then, so it was just as well I photographed my drawing immediately after finishing it in the morning. For the next few minutes I walked around The Jolly Barn seeing the farm animals, which included ponies, sheep, a Kune Kune sow called 'Matilda', and goats.

Carousel Woods

A wooden indoor play structure, which adults are allowed to play on. It includes the following facilities:
4-lane Astra slide
Four tube slides
Log ramps and bridges
Multi-level towers; inter-floor access is by log ramps and/or climbing / dropping through holes

I played in Carousel Woods from 16:30 until closing time of 17:30. I began by sliding all four Astra slide lanes once each. Thereafter I covered all parts of the play area including the bridges, going up and down through the holes between levels in the towers, sliding all the tube slides at least twice each and all four Astra slide lanes once more apiece.

The tallest tower situated near the front of the play area has three wooden "proper" upper floors (first, second, third) above the ground floor. Each of the said floors has a hole in it, which one can pass through upwards or downwards. In addition a 2-stage log ramp at the edge of the tower links the first floor to the second floor, and another 2-stage log ramp at the edge of the tower links the second floor to the third floor. I went up the ramps at least twice, up through the holes once and down through the holes once. Going downwards through the holes, I went through the hole in the third floor, through the holes in two intermediate levels, through the second floor, through two more intermediate levels, through the first floor and through more intermediate levels to the ground floor.

Summary of my sliding in order

Start of session: Astra slide all 4 lanes left to right (as seen from the top) once each
Tube slide near front 2
Straight yellow tube slide near back 2
Dark green tube slide from top of front tower 4
Spiral tube slide at back 4
Astra slide all 4 lanes left to right once each
Tube slide near front 2
Straight yellow tube slide near back 2

Altogether a fun way to spend the final hour of normal opening time. My only problem was where to put my rucksack and trainers. Just before I began playing I found an alcove near the structure to leave them, and checked them from time to time during my hour on Carousel Woods. There really ought to be lockers nearby for you to put luggage in.

Exclusive Fair Session

Folly Farm closed to the public at 17:30. However for us it was the beginning of the best part of the day, our Exclusive Fair Session (EFS). I found other RCCGB members waiting by the Wurlitzer Organ.

The Club was split into two groups, A and B. The plan was to run two rides at once (rides 1 and 2 for explanation purposes), with group A on ride 1 and group B on ride 2, then swap over to have group B on ride 1 and group A on ride 2. We began by taking turns to ride the 1937 Coronation Speedway and 1950s Caterpillar Ride.

1937 Coronation Speedway

Also called Royal Coronation Speedway, this has horses, cars and motorbikes fixed to a circular wooden undulating track. The ride went round and round, up and down. A fun start to the EFS.

1950s Caterpillar Ride

This goes round and round, and due to undulations in the track, it also gives up and down motion. Part way through the ride, the canopy is put over the riders, so the ride resembles a caterpillar racing around the track. Near the end the canopy is removed.

For the next two rides, the groups took turns to ride the Rock n' Roll Waltzer and Jets.

Rock n' Roll Waltzer

Self-explanatory, this is a typical fairground waltzer. Each waltzer has a rock star's face and signature on the back. I rode with Death in waltzer number 3, bearing Tom Jones on the back.

Jets

Mini jet planes at the ends of arms which radiate from a central hub; I rode with Death. When the ride started the planes all went around in a circle, and rose upwards shortly afterwards. However they didn't all go high simultaneously. A third of the planes reached full height, a third went to a midrange height and the remainder stayed relatively low. As the ride progressed each plane had a turn at each height. Finally all planes returned to their stationary height before the ride slowed and stopped.

Ghost Train

This has several individual ride cars, which resemble railway engines, running on a track. The group arrangement did not apply here. Instead members entered and left this ride one by one as trains became available. The train I travelled in followed the track through a spooky enclosure. After one lap I left the train.

1938 Dodgem Track

Another common funfair ride, the dodgems aka bumper cars. The group arrangement did not apply here. Instead the cars were filled on a first-come first-served basis. There were some members (I was one of them) who couldn't be accommodated on the first run though.

At the end of that run, everyone who had just ridden dodgems left the ride. A second run was held for those like me who missed out first time around. Some cars were still empty, and they were filled with members who had already ridden, on a first-come first-served basis. Thus some members were lucky enough to get two goes on the dodgems. Now I'm not too keen on dodgems at the best of times, but I was determined to give it a go. I tried my best at driving my car around the track, but at certain times got into difficulty steering it.

After that, I was very surprised to see a third run was held. Members filled the cars on a first-come-first-served basis. I managed to get on again, this time as a as passenger in the car Nev was driving. For me the ride experience seemed somewhat easier going when someone else was driving!

Evening Meal

Once everyone had left the dodgems, the time was 18:45. It was now time for dinner at the Funfair Restaurant. When booking we were asked to specify whether we wanted fish and chips, sausage and chips or veggie burger and chips. That didn't necessarily mean everyone stuck with their original choices whilst being served. I had what I'd originally specified: fish and chips. A fizzy drink was also included, I chose Sprite. Unlike last year there were no spare chips left over at the end for people to have seconds. At the end of the meal Nev outlined forthcoming trips. However there was no speech from a member of staff this time.

Around 19:20 everyone returned to riding. Normally I wouldn't go on rides immediately after eating, but this time I wanted to return to riding anyway. Thankfully even the spinning rides at Folly Farm are reasonably suitable for riding immediately after eating, unlike rides such as Disko, swinging pirate ship or Freak Out type rides. We split into the two groups we formed at the start, and took turns to ride the 1936 Lakin Swirl and Chair-o-Plane.

1936 Lakin Swirl

Also called the Super Swirl or Lakin Skid, this has waltzer style ride cars with small wheels beneath them. Each car is attached by a pivot to a triangle protruding from the spinning central unit. That results in a rather unusual ride experience; a car rotates as far as it can go in one direction before suddenly being thrown sharply back in the opposite direction.

Chair-o-Plane

Basically a carousel with chairs hanging from chains. As the ride spins the chairs are forced outwards on an angle. A gentle, pleasurable ride, that's all I really need to say about this. When the ride ended I was surprised it took several revolutions to slow down and stop.

Folly Farm's Famous Gallopers

Traditional galloping horses, no further explanation needed. The group arrangement did not apply here as, to the best of my knowledge, everyone was accommodated simultaneously.

1950s Cyclone Twist

A ride that should be familiar to everyone. This 1950s model obviously looks a bit primitive compared to the more modern ones you tend to see these days (which most of us are likely to have ridden somewhere, generally called Twister nowadays). The group arrangement did not apply here, but most members including me got on the first run. I sat in a red seat with Planenut during the first run. Being as I'd been on this sort of thing plenty of times before elsewhere, I knew what to expect. Just as I expected, this 1950s model gave a ride experience more or less the same as more modern models. Great fun, I still think the Cyclone is one of my favourite non-coaster rides.

Afterwards a second run was held primarily for those who had missed out first time around. The remaining seats were filled with members who had already ridden this first time, on a first-come first-served basis. I was lucky enough to get back on for the second run, this time I sat in a green seat with Death.

Brooklyn Cakewalk

Just like the RCCGB visits to Folly Farm in 2013 and 2014, the final ride of the evening was the Brooklyn Cakewalk. Finishing the day with this ride seems to have become a tradition now. The whole group queued for the ride. Although several riders could be on it simultaneously, members had to be admitted to it one by one with a short gap between each. I got on to it fairly early on; there was a strange sensation whilst walking along the moving platform. In the interests of safety I held the rails whilst walking. Perhaps the hardest part was stepping from the first moving platform to the stationary landing at the far end and on to the second moving platform to return to entrance / exit end. Just as riders entered the ride one by one, they left it one by one.

Having left the ride I re-joined the queue and managed to get a second go. At the end of my second go most were standing watching, but I tried queuing again, and managed to get a third go. I thought that would be my final go, but I queued again, and to my surprise managed to get a fourth go. Once I had completed my fourth go the ride was closed, thereby marking the end of the EFS.

Summary of my day in order of activity

Daytime

Percy's Piggery
Land Train
The Jolly Barn (sheep drawing)
The Zoo
Lunch at Carousel Café
The Zoo (continued)
The Jolly Barn (seeing farm animals)
Carousel Woods (about one hour)

Exclusive Fair Session

1937 Coronation Speedway 1
1950s Caterpillar Ride 1
Rock n' Roll Waltzer 1
Jets 1
Ghost Train 1
1938 Dodgem Track 2

Evening meal at Funfair Restaurant

After dinner:
1936 Lakin Swirl 1
Chair-o-Plane 1
Folly Farm's Famous Gallopers 1
1950s Cyclone Twist 2
Brooklyn Cakewalk 4

Alphabetic Summary Table of EFS Rides

Ride	Total
Brooklyn Cakewalk	4
1950s Caterpillar Ride	1
Chair-o-Plane	1
1937 Coronation Speedway	1
1950s Cyclone Twist	2
1938 Dodgem Track	2
Folly Farm's Famous Gallopers	1
Ghost Train	1
Jets	1
1936 Lakin Swirl	1
Rock n' Roll Waltzer	1
TOTAL	16

Rest of Friday

Once the EFS ended at 20:11, the day was over and we all had to return to the car park. This time I didn't bother trying to get a lift back to Kilgetty. Instead, at 20:20 I began walking back to Kilgetty. At 20:42 I finally got back to my room, and relaxed there the rest of the evening.

Outro

Highlights

Playing on Carousel Woods indoor play structure late afternoon.
Evening Exclusive Fair Session on the Vintage Funfair rides.
Evening meal in the Funfair Restaurant.
Meeting Nev, Death, Planenut, Wendy Evans and other members again.

Lowlights

Having to leave my rucksack and trainers in an alcove near Carousel Woods whilst playing on the structure due to lack of lockers.

Summing Up

Altogether a worthwhile appetiser to Mega-Glow-Mania at Oakwood. During the day I particularly enjoyed playing on Carousel Woods indoor play structure for about an hour late afternoon. Best of all was after 17:30: a few vintage rides, a meal, and more vintage rides ending with the Brooklyn Cakewalk. Furthermore it was great meeting Nev, Death, Planenut, Wendy Evans and other members again. Basically the visit to Folly Farm can be summed up as a leisurely day around the farm, zoo and other attractions, culminating in a spin on the vintage rides early evening, as a warm-up to Oakwood the day after. An added bonus was that the weather was quite good; sunny from first thing until mid-afternoon, cloudy for a couple of hours and sunny again rom late afternoon until dusk. At least it was dry all day. Many thanks to Nev for arranging this trip to Folly Farm, I hope it continues as part of Mega-Glow-Mania next year and beyond.