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Originally Posted by: itsapartytx 

...but they didn't take care of the help very well.



That's what the local girls were for....


Ride the Zipper?
I remember when they would come to our town of Graham, TX.
I joined for a few months but they didn't take care of the help very well.

I worked the Himalaya and Gravitron rides. It was probably summer of 1984
They would come to my home town a lot they had a contract with the Lee County Fair. I also used to work for them at one time their rides is nothing but junk always breaking down. The Lee County Fair was their biggest show hundred thousand people a week when they lost that contract Patrick Ladel the son of Gene Ladel got sick I guess he passed away the show was split up and sold off in Pieces. candy apple Amusement took some of the rides but then soon went bankrupt as well so all of the rides for the carnival was sold some of them was junked
The carnival used to come to my hometown for a long time up until 1996 when the show lost its contract with the Lee County Fair. I also used to work for them at one time. Their rides were junk and was always breaking down that was the reason for them losing their contract. The Lee County Fair was their biggest show of the year the most money maker. Would have an attendance of 100,000 people a week. when they lost their contract the show went bankrupt and Patrick LadeI died soon after. the show was sold off in pieces. Candy apple Amusement had taken some of the rides but then went bankrupt as well. as for the rest of them were either sold off to other shows or junked
I was a teenager, my friends and I always helped set up and tear down the carnivals that came through. It was usually either Gene Ledell Shows or Pride of Texas that came though here, but I do remember GLS.
Bill Hames Shows The Original show was left to Mr. Hames two grandsons.

Gene Ledel and Buster Brown. They each got a unit. Brown kept the name BHS and Ledel changed it to his name.

GLS no long exist and the BHS is now known as Carnival Americana. (Hardly hear or see of this show)

Buster Brown is Mary Talley's Father Talley Amusements.
Thunderbolt,I rememberthat show
from a while ago here in texas,had some decent stockshow spots,mid-size show with the regular line up.they played out in new mexico also.had a diver,reverchon himalaya,basic line up.think they there roots started with bill hames shows iirc.think they folded or sold out,in the early 2000,s ok then thanks bigjlh.
Ledel Shows mostly played out west, mainly Texas. Midsize but as with so many shows as a jointee I never paid much attention to their rides. Played a few spots with them ..... 83 was it? Somewhere around there anyway. Spring spots so nothing really stands out in my memory with them. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
An end, even with terror, is better than terror without end. F.Neitzsche
Sorry, can't help, only shows I've worked on were Shaw & Sons, Atlas Greater and Strates.

Booked out to a few others

Ride the Zipper?
Came across this name today and remember it from AB years ago, never saw the show, but wanted to know any history anyone could provide on it like what rides they carried, what was the route like, and what happened to them.

Thanks in advance.