Tiger

 I know very little about this unusual two-seater "carousel tiger" ride.  I first ran across him at Claremont Pier, Lowestoft in 1998 and he looked relatively new then so I'd estimate he dates from the early-mid 1990s.  (Having said that, he hadn't aged too badly when I went back and filmed him 14 years later so who knows how old he could actually be?!)


Claremont Pier, Lowestoft, September 2012

There was also a matching lion ride on the pier at the time, and another identical lion at Joyland in Great Yarmouth.  These were the only examples of these rides that I ever saw.

As they were all on the Suffolk and Norfolk coast, I'm inclined to think they may have been made by JM Kiddie Rides or Glass Fibre Products.  Having said that, I don't recall ever having seen a manufacturer's name on them and those companies usually did mark all of their rides.

Another interesting fixture is the carousel pole at the front of the saddle.  I have seen some of these on juvenile toy sets so maybe that was their original intended purpose?

The ones I've seen have Stamar timers installed and play nursery rhymes when in motion, although of course I don't know if these are original.