Pusher Palace

Mister Brunselaar visits the city of Delft since he was a boy, together with his parents who were also working at the Fun fair. He considers Delft a little bit as ‘his’ city, and, if possible, he likes to subscribe there every year.

'When I was young I knew a very old couple who were the owners of a bar here on the Marketplace. We could always use their toilet. Now the enterpreneurs of the Marketplace also help us, I know most of them but I can imagine that they don’t like us to be here, certainly not with this beautiful waether. They miss the revenues because we tahek the space of their terraces'.

Mister Brunselaar and his familiy live in Apeldoorn, where many people working on fun fairs live. There has always been a lot of space, which is very useful for keeping the big ‘attraction trucks’ on their own terrains.  His father and grandfather used to own fun fair attractions, his grandfather far before the second worldwar; a carrousell and a wooden wave on which you had to stand and try not to fall of.

During the summers he and his wife travel with an attraction with push-arms called ‘Pusher Palace’ and a car where they sell Churros.  Their daughter sells pizza, also on fun fairs. They also own a Balco Rotor and a Lucky Duck stand. In the winter they sell ‘oliebollen’ in front of the entrance of the Intratuin in Els. That does not generate a lot of income,  but it does not cost much, because the oliebollen car only comes out two months a year.  It can be used for years to come.

The last few years the income of the fun fairs deminished obviously: the youth is not willing to spend a lot on the fun fairs. Mr Brunselaar  blames it on the iPhone; they spend their money on that.  Before, children made appointments in school to meet again at the fun fair. Now they app each other first eight times before they actually meet. It also became illegal to offer fake articles, so the cuddly toys and other awards became more expensive.

‘My cash register is full of awards. From the outside it is hard to see me, but you should know how much I see through all the holes and windows. Unfortunately also bad things like people steeling…..'

A special condition for us to register here in Delft applies: we must be leaving within 24 hours in case a member of the royal familiy dies and will be buried in the New Church at this Market Square. We will manage, because we, the people of the fun fairs, are very flexible. We are used to pack our bags and leave….