This striking ride was built by Orton & Spooner of Burton on Trent in 1934 for showman William Thurston Jnr. It was sold in 1938 to Kent-based showman Teddy Andrews, who resisted the temptation to modernise it or convert it into a waltzer, and kept it as original as he could. Teddy also owned the set of Gallopers now travelled by Carters Steam Fair; he had bought the Ark to replace them when fashions changed and the old-style Gallopers were being laid up in favour of more modern thrill rides. When it was built the Ark featured a series of highly stylised Art Deco wooden animals, four abreast, which sped around the central paybox, rising up on “hills”. Soon the animals on their own weren’t exciting enough – so 6 motorcycles, 3 chariots and 6 rodeo horses were added soon after the ride was built to pander to more modern audiences.
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