Northallerton man appeals for 1940s vintage roundabout umbrella "crown"

Sven Christoff, from Northallerton, is looking for a finial – a peg – for the top of the tilt canopy of his vintage roundabout.

The 29-year-old hopes to restore the rare ride to its former, functional, beauty and is already taking event bookings, but still needs its final piece.

Mr Christoff, who works in sales, said only 15 of the 1940s roundabout were manufactured by F.W Coulson in Ripon, North Yorkshire, while just five still operate. His, which took two years to track down, he said, is "the most original from the day it was made”.

“It was quite magical to see it for the first time,” he said.

“I searched for a Coulson Minor Mobile because they were so special and unique.

“They were revolutionary in how they operated and were ahead of their time. Many ride manufacturers since have copied the initial design.

“It was the first trailer mounted juvenile to exist and fold up and is only ten foot in diameter, so can open up almost anywhere.”

The aptly named Little Roundabout also runs without electrics and is complete with vintage racing cars, side cars and a tractor.

But to complete the piece, it needs a peg for the top of the umbrella – the crown of the roundabout, which sits on the top of the centre canopy.

“Now, we could just go and buy a staircase bannister top, or we could make one... But we would much rather have something with a story behind it, or possibly some history. Maybe even a little patina!” Mr Christoff wrote in his appeal on social media.

The dad-of-two’s roundabout was owned by a charity in Reading, which used it sparsely and only for charity work.

He was eventually able to buy it and “bring it home” to North Yorkshire, where he has spent more a year restoring it.

The journey back north is thought to be the roundabout’s longest time on the road after it was new and first delivered down south. Based on just one photograph of the ride prior to his ownership, Mr Christoff believes it was at Westgate on Sea in Margate during the 1950s, but little is known between then and now.

He said: “I had researched these little toy sets thoroughly but had never seen one in person. It was bigger than I expected. I had my work cut out, but I finally had something I had dreamed of and wanted to do for years. My journey of becoming an independent showman could begin.”

The hopeful showman’s interest began as a child, where he watched, over the school wall, a local village fair erect rides on the village green.

“I now help those very gentlemen who inspired me,” he added.

Both the mechanics aspect and artwork captivated Mr Christoff, who has helped fairground scene over the years. His fascination grew into a business opportunity: North Yorkshire Vintage Amusements, starting with The Little Roundabout.

The roundabout has never been evaluated due to its rarity but has cost around a “priceless” £4,000 to restore.

This is not Mr Christoff’s first venture. In 1999, he tried to replicate a flea circus he saw in a book, but responsibility was soon passed to his father Eric.

“Once my father had saw my crude efforts, he built a flea circus himself and it went from there,” he said.

“He is now the only full-time manufacturer of flea circus props in the world, and the quality behind it is renowned in the entertainment industry.

“My father has been a huge help and contributed a lot of hours work and skill to restoring the roundabout. He is an engineer by trade, and I studied engineering, so we had good knowledge to getting it up and running. The more he has helped the more he has become interested too.”

The goal is to expand past the the roundabout and the ''strength striker'', which the North Yorkshire Vintage Amusements also has, and operate a fully functioning vintage fairground with more attractions to "share and promote an important and nostalgic piece of British history".