“We assemble like we would Lego”: at Quinconces in Bordeaux, the funfair is set up

The fairground workers are busy at Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux to ensure that the Pleasure Fair is ready to welcome the public in the best possible conditions from Friday, October 10.

Paul Arsault is nowhere to be found. Neither at the archery range, nor behind the immense area of ​​plush machines. The vice-president of the Bordeaux Pleasure Fair is unanimously designated by his colleagues as the man in charge. And indeed, just three days before the opening, Friday, October 10 , he is in demand from all sides.

His sister, setting up one of the family's stalls, finally points at the tall blond man. The man pauses for a moment between two marquees. The 28-year-old's responsibilities are numerous. "With seven friends, we're in charge of organizing the Pleasure Fair in Bordeaux, at Place des Quinconces." Counting on his fingers, he lists everything he has to think about. At the top of his list: ensuring the rides' technical inspections are up to date. Without them, the town hall won't authorize the event to go ahead.

Big responsibilities, certainly, but they don't scare him. Paul grew up there. He knows everyone. A stone's throw away, his sister. Further away, his brother at the rifle range. Here, his cousins. He took over the family business since his parents retired, in the Libourne area. The young man traded his father's old slot machines for two teddy bear stands. To set them up, he's accompanied by a small team that follows him from fair to fair. "We provide them with caravans, we feed them at lunchtime, and they're paid minimum wage." As for training for this type of installation, "they learn on the job." This doesn't seem to traumatize Momo who, emerging from behind the machines, says he's been working for Paul for two years. With a smile plastered on his face, the man with dreadlocks says he "knew nothing about funfairs." Yet he made it his daily life.

At the corner of each aisle, workers are busy. They give the final blows with their mallets and tighten the last bolts to the rhythm of electronic music. In a few days, these sounds, mixed with the voices of the fairground workers and the shouts of the visitors, will make the Place des Quinconces vibrate. For now, the stationary mechanical arms seem almost reassuring. The atmosphere on the esplanade is pleasant. Laundry dries next to the caravans. Everyone knows they're home. We greet each other when we pass each other. We share a cigarette, a snack, or a soda. The older people, their hair slicked back, watch the changing of the guard, half mocking, half moved. The autumn sun caresses their faces. Everyone hopes it will be there for the three weeks of the fair, until November 2.

Yvan knows: customers will be less keen on his Ferris wheel in the rain. He too has taken over the family business, accompanied by his sister, Charlotte. A few days before the opening, he is finalizing the details of his attraction, tinkering with the bulbs in the gondolas. The rest is already ready. To assemble his 50-meter-high ride, the forty-year-old worked four days. Unlike Paul, the men who assisted Yvan were experienced in this type of assembly. With an LED in his hands, the showman assures us that building a Ferris wheel isn't that complicated: "We assemble it like we would Lego."

“People no longer have purchasing power, so it’s important to try to stay affordable.”

The hardest part isn't the mechanics. It's the costs that add up year after year. The cost of insurance, fuel for trucks, tolls for those crossing France, and, of course, electricity. "A ride on the Ferris wheel costs 8 euros. It's true that it's been a long time since we've increased it; we should think about it," Charlotte says with a burst of laughter. More seriously, she concedes: "People no longer have the purchasing power, so it's important to try to stay affordable."

Samantha cleans the facade of her churros shop. Hose in hand, she admits to suffering from inflation. The sweets seller has had to raise her prices without the margin changing. "Raw materials are getting more and more expensive, especially oil and flour." Over the years, the forty-year-old has seen her job change along with her customers' habits. "Today, young people have many activities on Wednesday afternoons, so we've lost that audience," notes Samantha. She, who has been selling churros since birth, is nonetheless reassured: her children will take over, as tradition dictates.

Bordeaux Pleasure Fair: from Friday, October 10 to Sunday, November 2 at Place des Quinconces. Open every day from 11 a.m. to midnight (2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Attractions available from 2 p.m. Practical information and activities are available on the website foireauxplaisirs.com .