When I worked at the Pleasure Beach in the Bean Street back in 91, Geoffrey was showing some visitors around the park. Before he brought them in, he introduced himself to us staff. What a nice man he was, very jolly and a good laugh. Without doubt that period when he was in charge is peak Pleasure Beach, every year there was a buzz what was coming next to the park. So sad when he died. RIP big man.
Geoffrey was the best advert for the Pleasure Beach and was a living Mr Funshine. I used to love the Tokaido Express as a kid, but before it closed they did something with it and it went crazy fast compared to its usual fun ride. When the Big One opened I went on a lecture by the designer along with going on the ride (with him). He was the most miserable bloke you could imagine!
Yeah Black hole was quite tame cause they didn’t spin cause they never had someone to spin or no wave motion. 3D cinema was the beast roller coaster. Great video. Am loving them all. Thanks
Blackpool Pleasure Beach was a magical place in the 1980s, and used to come regularly from nearby Preston. Have fond memories of attractions that no longer exist.Virginia Reel, Gold Mine, Log Flume, Cable Cars. Monorail, Octopus, Wild Mouse, my favourite amusement enjoying the Fun House in grey stockingfeet on a rainy day.. But the Big Dipper, Grand National, Rollercoaster, Flying Machines, Derby Racer, Steeplechase, Dodgems, Revolution are still here. There was no Pepsi Big One, Infusion and Valhalla then and don't bother coming anymore.
These videos are so interesting. I was born in 89 so my main memories of BPPB are late 90s and early 2000s - great memories of night rides there and coming home late at night exhausted. I remember the very last time we ever went at night time it was thundering and lightning so they had to close but my mom wouldn’t get off the ice blast xD Southport Pleasure Land used to be our mainstay park as it was closer - i used to love the cyclone, wild cat and Traumatizer (which is now In Fusion) there. The consensus amongst local people was that Blackpool bought the park to deliberately run it into the ground before selling off all the rides Barr In Fusion to force people to go to BPPB, but I think it backfired. I think that was the start of BPPB’s downward trajectory as it was on about 2007 and was a few years after this ‘golden age’ ended.
When we used to ride The Black Hole, it wasn't totally dark. Lots of strobes and disco lighting, oh, and loud music. We were also very fortunate to attend The Hot Ice show with Mrs Thompson more than once as a family friend was her secretary.
Packed a lot into that one, I'm amazed the amount of rides that have come & go that I remember but had completely forgotten. The Revolution is an all time fave of mine, classic ride.
Excellent video, Chris 👏👍💪👊 this is my period of the park 😊 my mum hated the place, so it was my job to drag my dad around year after year 😂 I've just sat down with the old man, and we have watched it together. He had a smile on his face from start to finish ❤😅😅 remember that, remember that he kept saying 😅 love what you're doing pal and thanks for bringing back father, and son happy memories ❤👍👏😀
I'm so glad you mentioned the Hard Luck Bears! Did you know, if you look at their old showbuilding (outside of the park just to the left of the main entrance) and look up, you can still see the original orange lettering saying the name of the band! Also, the Gulliver's Parks in Matlock Bath and Warrington both have similar shows with the same name, you should really look those up!
The Black Hole used to have disco lights and strobes inside with blaring music. I remember riding it a lot as a kid. It had elevator doors for its entrance and exit, but no staff spinning cars. We were so seasoned at riding it though, we were able to spin ourselves like crazy. About half way through the ride they'd shut all the lights off making it pitch black. Such a great experience, especially when you were a kid.
Thank you so much for this series. Bpb was the first amusement /theme park I went to and the one that made me an enthusiast . Being born the same year as the big one and having family take me as a child i have fond memories of the later Geoffrey years. going on my memories of the Geoffrey era along with your amazing videos on the history of the park I feel Amanadas main issue is that their has being a lot of outgoing rides with no replacements even though some like wild mouse was promised replacements yet so far not arrived , plus rides/areas of the park looking tired like areas of the pleasure beach express and parts of Dora this year along with a heavier focus on hotels and hot ice along with getting confused on ride names (ice blast/playstation the ride tweet) makes it look like Amanda has little care for the amusement park side of the business compared to her predecessors
A lot of people feel the same. I’ve got the Amanda episode coming out on Thursday and there’s more in it that you may expect 🙂 glad you’re enjoying the series!
That video with the kids eating their packed lunches was from a TV series called 'That's Life' hosted by Esther Rantzen I think. I was working at the BPB when Cinema 180 was there and I went on it a few times and it was amazing. You stood in the middle of a large domed room and then they played different scenarios that covered your whole field of vision. The main one was an aeroplane that was flying and then passed over the Grand Canyon and you felt like the floor had dropped from underneath you, making you stagger. There was another of a roller coaster and a third of a runaway tram in San Francisco and when it suddenly broke to a halt, many people fell over because they fell forward as it stopped. Excellent stuff
Ah man what a great series this is, having an absolute blast seeing all these rides again. This was the period I used to go the most, usually October half term. I remember them filming the bbc series with Nick Hancock, I was even in it briefly when they had the ice rink there that drained all the power from the park! Great days. I also had an incident on the spinny boat rides when they were near where Valhalla is now. The thing wouldn’t steer so I jumped off and the engineer had to chase it 😂 Great days and definitely the high point of the park. And again a great series so far. Well done it’s brilliant! 👍
@@coaster_dad no honestly it has, it’s the period I first went, 1994, and been going ever since. My mum and used to go as kids then they started taking us. And now I take my two year old every couple of times a year, crazy. But yes great series and well made, love it. Looking forward to the next part.
A few things you missed from my memories (I was born in Blackpool in 1971). Big Dipper fire led to a change. The onion at the top dates from 1976, before that it was a globe. There used to be a topiary maze between Fun House and Derby Racer. Swamp Buggies also used to be in that north east end of the park. There was an incident on Avalanche before it opened, when a car was sent down while someone was painting the track, crushing his legs. One thing that you rightly point out - and is forgotten in the hazy light of nostalgia - it was a scary place to be as a young teen: drunks, gangs, random scraps here and there, puking. The Astro Liner simulator wasn’t VHS, I think it used a Super 8 projector. In the early 1980s it would simulate The Beast, an experience that would return to the park in 1990. And IIRC, while Geoffrey was the MD, Doris was ultimately the owner until her death. Grand National used to be sublime. So did The Big One. I don’t think it’s my memory that has changed, it’s definitely the coasters. Steeplechase and Revolution are much as I remember them. Rougher but not massively so.
I remember the Cinema 180 ride, used to go to St Anne's then Blackpool 3x a year with my family to stop with my grandparents. They had a version at Alton Towers. I remember there being 2 films that they showed in there, the best one was the one that ended where you were in a speeding fire engine and it stopped suddenly when a woman with a child jn a push chair stepped out onto a crossing. My Dad loved it and said why pay to go on all the different rides when you can go on this one and save money!
Yeah I remember the fire engine scene now you have said it! Would never have remembered that tbh. I also remember the film was a pov of the front seat of a massive American coaster. I can remember the feeling of disorientation stood up looking upwards at the screen. Great video really enjoyed that
Thanks Chris, another great video yet again!!! 👏🏻 RIP Geoffrey and Doris, absolute LEGENDS…. Not been to pleasure beach for 20 years but hoping to go next year, TBH I’m dubious about what Amanda has planned for the park and what damage the ride will do to my spine and skull!
Another fantastic video mate, I love learning about the history of parks especially the pleasure beach as it holds so many fond memories for me 😁. This has been my favourite one so far, I’m looking forward to the next part tho as cos of my age/era that is the era I remember/when I’ve been going 😂👍
Love this series! Really informative and great delivery. Idea for a possible future nostalgia episode maybe - Botton's Pleasure Beach in Skegness. Not a big theme park, but holds lots of memories for a fair few of us 70s/80s kids I'm sure. 😊
This is a good synopsis of the park! Probably the better one for its generation. One thing I noticed missing was as a kid I remember the skyride. From near valhalla to iron bru. Which was removed due to one of the worst accidents in the park. Sadly did involve a death. Likewise fantastic video!
Superb video, thanks so much. I hope you get the subscribers, you have earnt it! Just throwing it out there: a book on BPB, it seems to be missing one!
My first memory of the pleasure beach was around 83/84 and i can clearly remember there being two ferris wheels next to each other at the front of the park visible from the promenade. Also in the late 80s there was kids Honda 50cc motocross bikes that you rode around a little track somewhere near where Icon station is now.
I was 10 when I first went on big one and remember as we going up the hill my dad was like are we ever going to get to the top lol making me more nervous now turn 40 tomorrow and went on with my son now. Blackpool holds special place in my heart because of my late gran and let's not forget that laughing clown 😂
@@coaster_dadme and my son went on big one he loved it but wants to go on hyperia which is understandable so we are going in September, love your channel enjoy your videos too
Used to go in the maze as a kid as it was free, there used to be a little café in the middle of it and we'd stop and grab a drink. Took my daughter watching the Hot ice show at the weekend, we'd never been before and it was very good tbh.
Yeah not sure if they still do this but they did have a free show around lunctime (only half of it and was kinda like a rehearsal) which I saw a couple of years back and it was pretty good.
Phenomenal work. I may have missed it, but did you mention The Cyclone rollercoaster (there are a few photos in the video). It was a Pinfari Zyklon which under where Avalanche’s lift hill would go. It appeared in the early 80s. When they built Avalanche they moved it to Frontierland Morecambe and called it Stampede.
@@coaster_dadcrikey was it as early as 1974! I remember being a Cub Scout and releasing a helium balloon when they opened the Space Tower in 1974 but my memory has cheated me about the Cyclone! 😮
Great video , really enjoyed watching and brought back a lot of great memories 😂 I remember Cinema 180 at the Pleasure beach , it was ok I was about 14 years old at the time , basically you stand in the middle at look at the dome , I would describe it like a early Virtual reality, flying over mountains was the only thing i remembered. When Geoffrey Thompson was in charge the Park was amazing it had a super atmosphere and vibe , loved how it stayed open until 10 pm , the park was amazing at night , I wish I had a time machine 😂 Oh do you have a season pass for M&Ds ,? 🤔🤣
Fantastic work on this film mate. I remember cinema 180 with vivid memories. Basically been shoved in front of a massive screen with about 6 clips in 2 minute segments, roller coasters, car and plane pov`s,. It did make you rock forwards and backwards a bit. Not the greatest but does hold fond memories. The boy scouts were part of the BBC tv program Jim`ll Fix It..........Enough said about that.
Great series. Absolutely loving it. I think the 1997 Chinese puzzle maze was a retheme as I definitely remember there being a maze there in the very early 90s possibly earlier.
So wished they'd kept that Spin Doctor dual ride, was great. Appreciate it was in the way of future developments obviously, but relocation I'm sure could have been achieved!
Funny enough during the 1980s when Colin baker ( the actor you showed in this video on one of the rides who played the 6th incarnation of the character ) there was an episode of Doctor who wrote and planned to be filmed in black pool pleasure beach for its twenty fourth season - it never ended up happening but I always found it interesting that the show wanted to take the Tardis and the Doctor to the pleasure beach for a day out.
Brilliant stuff, some great memories. One thing though was Blackpool's Ben Hur skid ride wasn't operated with a pedal....it was strangely a rope! The operator would call on a microphone for you to pull the rope.....and I was too little so my Dad got the burned hands instead 😂😂
I noticed in that first advert for the Pleasure Beach back in the early 80's they used their laughing man as the mascot for the park which is interesting! :)
It’s a current contender. I suspect I’ll do a lot of these. They obviously just take time to produce. Other options are Flamingoland, Drayton, Camelot, American adventure… the list goes on 🙂 glad you’re enjoying. Final part out Thursday!
@@coaster_dad it was a great nostalgic video looking forward to more. American adventure and Camelot would be great as well plenty of memories from them
Another great video. I've got so many great memories from this era. I remember as a kid going on the ghost train on my own for the first time and getting stuck inside when the park had a power cut. (A few months ago I paid £30 to walk through the Ghost Train, that day I did it for free). Also do you know if they used to do donkey rides at the back of Steeplechase before the Go-Karts were installed? The reason I ask is that I've just been watching some of my old home videos from the park and I have a shot of the Steeplechase station with a donkey wandering around in the background by the Big Dipper track. Bizarre !
I did the ghosts and gardens too. Was great to see it up close and at a slower pace 😀 and as for the donkeys. I didn’t see anything about that so can’t say for sure.
OK, yeah…the Ben Hur ride, which was made by Huss. That was a weird one. It looked like a modern version of a traditional Skid ride at first glance. However, the cars didn’t rest on the ground, like Skid cars do, nor did they have a foot pedal (which wouldn’t have worked anyway, because nothing was in contact with the ground…). Instead, there were ropes that, in theory, you could pull to make the car swing. From what I can recall, getting any kind of worthwhile swing was pretty much impossible. What DID happen though, is that it would run very fast for a short while, then suddenly stop and reverse direction, slamming the cars to one side really hard. It might also do several quick reversals in a row, slamming the cars back and forth, before then picking up speed again. It was one of the most violent rides I ever did, but sort-of fun, I suppose. Some years later, there was one (I assume the same one?) in Margate…but that just went round normally without the slamming (and was pretty much a waste of time). A Huss experiment that didn’t really work out, I guess.
He definitely brought the park into the modern era. I think if he was alive today he would still be making big steps to get the park to be the number 1 in the uk at least.
@@coaster_dad I remember on a family trip there, must have been 5/6, my mum took my sister on there, asked if I wanted to go on, I saw the Tunnel Of Love sign and went “eww, no” 😂
Great video, and I'm not even half way through yet so apologies if you touch on this, but GT's first few years necessitated lot of concessions in the south end of the park. Hence, the travelling style rides. This didn't last too long as he then invested in his signature rides that have stood the test of time. Maybe Amanda should do something similar as the park loses rides and entertainments at a colossal rate?
To be honest I’m planning a video to assess exactly that. Should BP do something like the retro squad at Towers to help with capacity for a while.
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My son broke his leg at the park in 2003 and none of the staff or security seemed too bothered to help us. Just told us to follow signs to first aid point, which disappeared when we got near. When we finally found it the staff were brilliant and they took us to the hospital themselves as they said an ambulance would have trouble reaching the centre of the park. Admittedly we didn't know he had broken it til we got to hospital. Also accident was nothing to do with the park itself
Growing up during the 90s down the coast in St Annes, BPB was in cycling distance for our group of friends. I do have very fond memories of pooling money to buy a book of tickets to ride a couple of coasters. I can remember the funhouse burning down, and 'Project 94' - was always something exciting happening, change, progression. I've not been back for years now, and wasn't sure if that was due to getting older, moving away or because it just doesn't seem to evolve much anymore. I'm not really sure. One thing that does sound odd, having been a frequent visitor when the shot tower ride opened - it IS called PlayStation, not Ice Blast :D
'Curly Watts' and 'Kevin Webster' walked past us in the middle of the grounds, yet at the time we had no idea Coronation St was filming there. We just thought they were out on a jolly 😁
I remember someone also being killed on Tykado express... Strange how I don't remember some of the 80s flat rides... Yet I can remember my first ride on Vagina reel.. Excellent work sir.
Cinema usa was a movie of a roller coaster played on a curved screen, that made you feel like you were on the track despite standing upright on a concrete floor I remember it making me feel sick to my stomach 😢
that ride called the ranger, I remember when i was a kid i went to camelot and they had a ride called Excalibur, it was exactly that, they then replaced it with Excalibur 2 which was similar but spun
So I watched the video last night with great interest and I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to watching the rest tonight. I also wanted to see if you would mention my story from 1990...but I think it's little known..it was like that for me for that long I almost thought I'd made it up in my head...until about 2 years ago when I finally found the video online. So in 1990 I passed my driving test and to celebrate getting my first car I drove myself and a couple of mates to the pleasure beach for the evening. Gone are the days when you could ride late into the night. So we arrived at PB and make our way to the Grand National for the first ride of the night. We joined the line of people waiting in the station when a suddenly a camera crew showed up just as we were about to board the train. They then mounted a camera on both the trains facing the passengers. When we asked what was going on they told us we were going to be extras in the new video by UK rock group Led Zeppelin. Not my style of music but I knew who they were. Next thing some dude with long hair gets in the front of our train and starts singing his song about a girl who's on the front of the other train. It was all a bit surreal tbh. And from 1990 until about two years ago I had never seen the video. I looked for it at the time but never saw it on TV and I've asked a few people over the years about it but I always got a blank look. It was only by chance someone told me to look for solo tracks from Robert Plant who was the ex lead singer of Led Zeppelin. It was then I found it. I'm in the right hand train (as it is on screen) just over the girls shoulder on the video at 6 seconds. The video is here on YT. Robert Plant Hurting Kind Official Video 😁 edited due to terrible spelling...sorry.
Amazing video thank you Chris I remember the tv mini series and seen but can’t recommend funny bones 😞 I didn’t know about the no pack lunch policy I wonder who thought of that one , it doesn’t effect me but another reason for people not to visit
37:23 I watched the documentary a few years ago and the issue was accessibility was because it was peak time and they had three trains running but they were told once the big one was running on two trains they could ride… Usually an advocate for accessibility but with this I think the park was right and customers were wrong!
not sure if you mentioned it but Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin filmed a promo from his solo single hurting kind on the big dipper think it was around 92 ,i remember the production trailers being parked by the sandcastle
There was an urban legend that someone lost their legs on greatest show on earth. No idea where that came from. Remember there was also a simulator ride opposite Tokydo Express.
I went on the black hole and it spun really well and made people really dizzy. But I still don't know to this day how it worked maybee spun electronically as when ride stopped they never moved I wish it was still there
2 things about the Revolution: 1: The boy scout clip was very famous for a long time. Less so now, because of where it came from - it was an item from Jim'll Fix It. 2: The park claims it was Europe's first steel looping coaster. Absolutely not true. A Schwarzkopf Looping Star opened on the German fair scene the previous year. As a travelling ride, it doesn't show on rcdb, and the park conveniently ignores it. Oh and you're right, the Black Hole had no floor walkers, which made it very very tame compared to a travelling Waltzer
The caterpillar ride didn't have a storage cover on it, that was part of the ride. Below is the refurbished one at Margate. The cover comes up and over 1/3rd way into the ride. I remember the one at Southport fair early 1970's - green canvas cover that whipped up covered in mold spores that enveloped us 😂 This was the ride under the canopy at Southport, exactly how I remember it. A big gust of wind from under the seats 2-3 times in a revolution blew your hair back and kept the canopy puffed up 😁 th-cam.com/video/9O5ZN8PAWGQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rZq_AmUsmd0HEbcJ This clip is the restored Margate ride. It may have come from either Blackpool or Southport: th-cam.com/video/3NPmFqh6xW8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HgLH_5LSUO3iIeTK
The cinema showed a roller coaster - think same video as Alton towers in their version near where oblivion is now. Also the black hole was a free spin waltzer in the dark, think it had some disco lights but not many, wasn’t great
You said Black hole is now closed. The dome that had Millenium Bug is for storage and Bowl a Drome is, well, lets say empty too. Impossible doesn't have the Haunted Swing. Is there much left?
Loved this video, very nostalgic but howcomes you didn't put in in 1982-The Virginia Reel rollercoaster is removed after 60 years; it was the last full-size example in the world. The Thompsons acquire full control of Pleasureland Southport. You forgot in 1988-Mystique magic show! + others like 👇🏻 In 1989-The park is accepting credit card transactions, then a relative novelty in the UK. Live Big Band music plays at the Palladium Theatre on Sundays. in 1990-The Ocean Boulevard shopping promenade is completed. The Greatest Show on Earth confidently tops the entertainment bill, despite actually being a ride. in 1991-with Mr Ripley's being there made no sense to me as a kid as they had one in Blackpool anyway that had been there since THE 1940's......Also The Superdrome is built on the site of the Rainbow ride in 1991. 1993-You also forgot to mention the significant accident on the Alice Wonderland! 1995-The Imperial Russian State Circus performs at the Superdrome! 1997-The park has a record day for revenue, with over £500,000 being taken at closing one night. 1999-The park claims to receive about 7.5 million visitors per year at this point. Look forward to your next video Chris 😀
I can’t say I’m surprised I missed stuff. There is a ridiculous amount of history in that park so thank you for sharing. As for the reel I didn’t really cover removals in this. More the additions, but I do wish I’d got on it since it was unique in the end. 😔
@@coaster_dad No probs for sharing, but I did send you that link and you said you got the info from there as well as other stuff like memory/other articles remember lol Maybe in your future videos you could mention removals as well as additions as well 😀 Will your next history video be of say something like Windsor Safari Park/Legoland Windsor??
@@emmahurst8986 mmmm that's worrying. Do these work? th-cam.com/video/6MkhOADq37U/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/GCQI6fPtXXI/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/XMR2PhOEezs/w-d-xo.html They are definitely there and they don't show as being restricted in anyway 🤔
Can I make a suggestion? There are very few if any UK based theme park podcasts, and I think you are missing a trick not uploading your verbal content like this there. Think it would certainly help your push for subscribers giving you a niche and more outreach. Keep up the good work sir.🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
@@coaster_dadby all accounts it's much easier to monitise things on the likes of acast than TH-cam, and if you already have made the content, it's technically not costing you more...👌
i chatted to him about 10 years ago, he was a regular customer of ours, he still lived round the corner from the park, as to weather he is still alive I'm unsure ,his views on the park are his own and i will not repeat them due to privacy ,i will just say not favourable, although his roots are more in travelling fairgrounds he remained a critic of park ops etc
When I worked at the Pleasure Beach in the Bean Street back in 91, Geoffrey was showing some visitors around the park. Before he brought them in, he introduced himself to us staff. What a nice man he was, very jolly and a good laugh. Without doubt that period when he was in charge is peak Pleasure Beach, every year there was a buzz what was coming next to the park. So sad when he died. RIP big man.
Yeah I think that shows when you look across all the years on the park. A big loss for sure 😔
Geoffrey was the best advert for the Pleasure Beach and was a living Mr Funshine.
I used to love the Tokaido Express as a kid, but before it closed they did something with it and it went crazy fast compared to its usual fun ride.
When the Big One opened I went on a lecture by the designer along with going on the ride (with him). He was the most miserable bloke you could imagine!
😂 oops
This is an absolutely superb watch of our home park history one of my favourite videos of the year I didn’t want it to end!
Thank you so much 🙏
Yeah Black hole was quite tame cause they didn’t spin cause they never had someone to spin or no wave motion. 3D cinema was the beast roller coaster. Great video. Am loving them all. Thanks
You’re very welcome. Glad you’re enjoying. One more to come on Thursday 😀
Blackpool Pleasure Beach was a magical place in the 1980s, and used to come regularly from nearby Preston. Have fond memories of attractions that no longer exist.Virginia Reel, Gold Mine, Log Flume, Cable Cars. Monorail, Octopus, Wild Mouse, my favourite amusement enjoying the Fun House in grey stockingfeet on a rainy day.. But the Big Dipper, Grand National, Rollercoaster, Flying Machines, Derby Racer, Steeplechase, Dodgems, Revolution are still here. There was no Pepsi Big One, Infusion and Valhalla then and don't bother coming anymore.
The 80s were definitely a great time.
These videos are so interesting. I was born in 89 so my main memories of BPPB are late 90s and early 2000s - great memories of night rides there and coming home late at night exhausted. I remember the very last time we ever went at night time it was thundering and lightning so they had to close but my mom wouldn’t get off the ice blast xD
Southport Pleasure Land used to be our mainstay park as it was closer - i used to love the cyclone, wild cat and Traumatizer (which is now In Fusion) there. The consensus amongst local people was that Blackpool bought the park to deliberately run it into the ground before selling off all the rides Barr In Fusion to force people to go to BPPB, but I think it backfired. I think that was the start of BPPB’s downward trajectory as it was on about 2007 and was a few years after this ‘golden age’ ended.
Yeah many people think that was their strategy 😔
Brilliant video, lots of great memories.
Fun times 😀
When we used to ride The Black Hole, it wasn't totally dark.
Lots of strobes and disco lighting, oh, and loud music.
We were also very fortunate to attend The Hot Ice show with Mrs Thompson more than once as a family friend was her secretary.
Packed a lot into that one, I'm amazed the amount of rides that have come & go that I remember but had completely forgotten. The Revolution is an all time fave of mine, classic ride.
Indeed 😀
Excellent video, Chris 👏👍💪👊 this is my period of the park 😊 my mum hated the place, so it was my job to drag my dad around year after year 😂 I've just sat down with the old man, and we have watched it together. He had a smile on his face from start to finish ❤😅😅 remember that, remember that he kept saying 😅 love what you're doing pal and thanks for bringing back father, and son happy memories ❤👍👏😀
Aw mate that’s so nice to hear. Glad you enjoyed! 🥹
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
You’re very welcome. So much to cover in this period huh!
@@coaster_dadIt’s a biggie for sure.
awesome. my era with nothing but fond memories,
Thank you 🙏
I'm so glad you mentioned the Hard Luck Bears! Did you know, if you look at their old showbuilding (outside of the park just to the left of the main entrance) and look up, you can still see the original orange lettering saying the name of the band! Also, the Gulliver's Parks in Matlock Bath and Warrington both have similar shows with the same name, you should really look those up!
I heard about Gulliver’s but didn’t know about the old building on the park. That tune is pretty catchy 😂
@@coaster_dad It really is catchy! The full showtape is also on TH-cam if you're willing to listen to all 15 minutes 🤣
The Black Hole used to have disco lights and strobes inside with blaring music. I remember riding it a lot as a kid. It had elevator doors for its entrance and exit, but no staff spinning cars. We were so seasoned at riding it though, we were able to spin ourselves like crazy. About half way through the ride they'd shut all the lights off making it pitch black. Such a great experience, especially when you were a kid.
Sounds great
Thank you so much for this series. Bpb was the first amusement /theme park I went to and the one that made me an enthusiast . Being born the same year as the big one and having family take me as a child i have fond memories of the later Geoffrey years. going on my memories of the Geoffrey era along with your amazing videos on the history of the park I feel Amanadas main issue is that their has being a lot of outgoing rides with no replacements even though some like wild mouse was promised replacements yet so far not arrived , plus rides/areas of the park looking tired like areas of the pleasure beach express and parts of Dora this year along with a heavier focus on hotels and hot ice along with getting confused on ride names (ice blast/playstation the ride tweet) makes it look like Amanda has little care for the amusement park side of the business compared to her predecessors
A lot of people feel the same. I’ve got the Amanda episode coming out on Thursday and there’s more in it that you may expect 🙂 glad you’re enjoying the series!
Love this video and finally someone who agrees with me that the park was rough as hell when it was free entry. Brilliant video!!
Thank you. Yeah looks a bit mental 🙈
That video with the kids eating their packed lunches was from a TV series called 'That's Life' hosted by Esther Rantzen I think. I was working at the BPB when Cinema 180 was there and I went on it a few times and it was amazing. You stood in the middle of a large domed room and then they played different scenarios that covered your whole field of vision. The main one was an aeroplane that was flying and then passed over the Grand Canyon and you felt like the floor had dropped from underneath you, making you stagger. There was another of a roller coaster and a third of a runaway tram in San Francisco and when it suddenly broke to a halt, many people fell over because they fell forward as it stopped. Excellent stuff
Ah nice. I remember that’s life! Thanks for sharing the details 😀
It was for ‘Jim’ll fix it’
@@schlepcyclingshhhhhhh, let's pretend it was that's life😂, seriously though it was on THAT show
In 2007 they came back and did it again!
@@chewfat7644 😂😂
There was another stunt with children in the Revolution (not Scouts) on Game For a Laugh.
Ah man what a great series this is, having an absolute blast seeing all these rides again.
This was the period I used to go the most, usually October half term.
I remember them filming the bbc series with Nick Hancock, I was even in it briefly when they had the ice rink there that drained all the power from the park! Great days. I also had an incident on the spinny boat rides when they were near where Valhalla is now. The thing wouldn’t steer so I jumped off and the engineer had to chase it 😂
Great days and definitely the high point of the park.
And again a great series so far. Well done it’s brilliant! 👍
Thank you so much. Glad it’s bringing back many memories 😀
@@coaster_dad no honestly it has, it’s the period I first went, 1994, and been going ever since. My mum and used to go as kids then they started taking us. And now I take my two year old every couple of times a year, crazy. But yes great series and well made, love it. Looking forward to the next part.
A few things you missed from my memories (I was born in Blackpool in 1971).
Big Dipper fire led to a change. The onion at the top dates from 1976, before that it was a globe.
There used to be a topiary maze between Fun House and Derby Racer.
Swamp Buggies also used to be in that north east end of the park.
There was an incident on Avalanche before it opened, when a car was sent down while someone was painting the track, crushing his legs.
One thing that you rightly point out - and is forgotten in the hazy light of nostalgia - it was a scary place to be as a young teen: drunks, gangs, random scraps here and there, puking.
The Astro Liner simulator wasn’t VHS, I think it used a Super 8 projector. In the early 1980s it would simulate The Beast, an experience that would return to the park in 1990.
And IIRC, while Geoffrey was the MD, Doris was ultimately the owner until her death.
Grand National used to be sublime. So did The Big One. I don’t think it’s my memory that has changed, it’s definitely the coasters. Steeplechase and Revolution are much as I remember them. Rougher but not massively so.
Thank you for sharing 😀 I do wish the Grand National and Big One would return to their former glory 🤞
Great video. Spin Doctor was my favourite ❤
I’d have loved to do that. I went as a kid then had a couple of decades before I went as an adult so I missed it.
I remember the Cinema 180 ride, used to go to St Anne's then Blackpool 3x a year with my family to stop with my grandparents. They had a version at Alton Towers. I remember there being 2 films that they showed in there, the best one was the one that ended where you were in a speeding fire engine and it stopped suddenly when a woman with a child jn a push chair stepped out onto a crossing.
My Dad loved it and said why pay to go on all the different rides when you can go on this one and save money!
Alton Towers also had a Cine 360, which, as the name suggests, was the full dome as a screen. Never seen it anywhere else.
Yeah I remember the fire engine scene now you have said it! Would never have remembered that tbh. I also remember the film was a pov of the front seat of a massive American coaster. I can remember the feeling of disorientation stood up looking upwards at the screen. Great video really enjoyed that
Thanks Chris, another great video yet again!!! 👏🏻 RIP Geoffrey and Doris, absolute LEGENDS…. Not been to pleasure beach for 20 years but hoping to go next year, TBH I’m dubious about what Amanda has planned for the park and what damage the ride will do to my spine and skull!
🙈
The black hole was class. Especially coz their were uv lights so your wristband stamp would glow up
Nice 😀
Another fantastic video mate, I love learning about the history of parks especially the pleasure beach as it holds so many fond memories for me 😁. This has been my favourite one so far, I’m looking forward to the next part tho as cos of my age/era that is the era I remember/when I’ve been going 😂👍
Thank you. Planning to have it ready for Thursday. 😀
Another fab episode. It just brings back so many memories x
Glad you enjoyed. One more to go… 😀
Great video - love how in depth this series is - really enjoying - thank you 🙂
You’re welcome. Glad you’re enjoying. One more part to come on Thursday 😀
Love this series! Really informative and great delivery.
Idea for a possible future nostalgia episode maybe - Botton's Pleasure Beach in Skegness. Not a big theme park, but holds lots of memories for a fair few of us 70s/80s kids I'm sure. 😊
Thank you so much. Glad you like it. One more episode on Thursday and then I need to find another park to do 😉
Stunning stuff fella, fair play to you.
Thankyou.
Thank you. Final part out tomorrow. 😀
Great video, really interesting and lots of things I didn’t know about 👏
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed. Final part out Thursday 🙂
This is a good synopsis of the park! Probably the better one for its generation. One thing I noticed missing was as a kid I remember the skyride. From near valhalla to iron bru. Which was removed due to one of the worst accidents in the park. Sadly did involve a death.
Likewise fantastic video!
Oh I wasn’t aware of an accident on that 😔
Superb video, thanks so much. I hope you get the subscribers, you have earnt it! Just throwing it out there: a book on BPB, it seems to be missing one!
Thank you so much. The only books I can make (and have) are puzzle books 😂
Encyclopedic knowledge - very interesting, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed 😀
My first memory of the pleasure beach was around 83/84 and i can clearly remember there being two ferris wheels next to each other at the front of the park visible from the promenade. Also in the late 80s there was kids Honda 50cc motocross bikes that you rode around a little track somewhere near where Icon station is now.
Interesting, I missed the bikes. 😀
I was 10 when I first went on big one and remember as we going up the hill my dad was like are we ever going to get to the top lol making me more nervous now turn 40 tomorrow and went on with my son now.
Blackpool holds special place in my heart because of my late gran and let's not forget that laughing clown 😂
Did you do the same to your son?
@@coaster_dadme and my son went on big one he loved it but wants to go on hyperia which is understandable so we are going in September, love your channel enjoy your videos too
Used to go in the maze as a kid as it was free, there used to be a little café in the middle of it and we'd stop and grab a drink. Took my daughter watching the Hot ice show at the weekend, we'd never been before and it was very good tbh.
Yeah not sure if they still do this but they did have a free show around lunctime (only half of it and was kinda like a rehearsal) which I saw a couple of years back and it was pretty good.
Just the other day I was reminiscing about swamp buggies! They were pretty cool!
They look very odd. Kinda like dodgems on the water 😂
@@coaster_dad Yes that's what it was like!! I never went on them after they changed them to an up-charge. Then they put Spin Doctor there.
Phenomenal work. I may have missed it, but did you mention The Cyclone rollercoaster (there are a few photos in the video). It was a Pinfari Zyklon which under where Avalanche’s lift hill would go. It appeared in the early 80s. When they built Avalanche they moved it to Frontierland Morecambe and called it Stampede.
I did yeah. Found a tiny bit of footage. Although I have it down as 74 so was in the previous episode
@@coaster_dadcrikey was it as early as 1974! I remember being a Cub Scout and releasing a helium balloon when they opened the Space Tower in 1974 but my memory has cheated me about the Cyclone! 😮
Great video , really enjoyed watching and brought back a lot of great memories 😂
I remember Cinema 180 at the Pleasure beach , it was ok I was about 14 years old at the time , basically you stand in the middle at look at the dome , I would describe it like a early Virtual reality, flying over mountains was the only thing i remembered.
When Geoffrey Thompson was in charge the Park was amazing it had a super atmosphere and vibe , loved how it stayed open until 10 pm , the park was amazing at night , I wish I had a time machine 😂
Oh do you have a season pass for M&Ds ,? 🤔🤣
Of course I do, I visit M&Ds every week 😂 Glad you enjoyed
Fantastic work on this film mate. I remember cinema 180 with vivid memories. Basically been shoved in front of a massive screen with about 6 clips in 2 minute segments, roller coasters, car and plane pov`s,. It did make you rock forwards and backwards a bit. Not the greatest but does hold fond memories. The boy scouts were part of the BBC tv program Jim`ll Fix It..........Enough said about that.
Yeah 🙄
@@coaster_dad do you remember when Tim Burton took over the pleasure beach to film the video for The Killers song Here With Me ?
@stevedinsdale773 oh I missed that one! I do have him in the next episode when he visited the park. But not to film anything 🤔
@@coaster_dad th-cam.com/video/7SxTyvOixJA/w-d-xo.html
Great series. Absolutely loving it. I think the 1997 Chinese puzzle maze was a retheme as I definitely remember there being a maze there in the very early 90s possibly earlier.
Thank you so much. And interesting about the maze 🙂
So wished they'd kept that Spin Doctor dual ride, was great. Appreciate it was in the way of future developments obviously, but relocation I'm sure could have been achieved!
Good to hear m & ds mentioned would love to see you do a video there, might be a short one but🤣😬
Ha ha. I’m through in Paisley tomorrow and I was gonna pop in. But a 5 min vlog didn’t seem worth the effort 😜
the wonderful world of entertainment oh my childhood loved that ride
It does sound interesting 😀
I have alot of my early coasters from this park. Just watched it again. Credits I forgot I had ha ha.
Oops. Commented from my channel name. I'm sorry. It's me clare
He and his mother were blackpool pleasure beach.They would hate to see what is happening now
It’s definitely changed for sure 😔
Funny enough during the 1980s when Colin baker ( the actor you showed in this video on one of the rides who played the 6th incarnation of the character ) there was an episode of Doctor who wrote and planned to be filmed in black pool pleasure beach for its twenty fourth season - it never ended up happening but I always found it interesting that the show wanted to take the Tardis and the Doctor to the pleasure beach for a day out.
That would have been really cool!
Brilliant stuff, some great memories. One thing though was Blackpool's Ben Hur skid ride wasn't operated with a pedal....it was strangely a rope! The operator would call on a microphone for you to pull the rope.....and I was too little so my Dad got the burned hands instead 😂😂
Oh. What a weird mechanism 😂
52 minutes WOW!
Tell me about it. He was a busy guy! 😳
I noticed in that first advert for the Pleasure Beach back in the early 80's they used their laughing man as the mascot for the park which is interesting! :)
Indeed!
Would love a video like this for frontierland at Morecambe pal. It was a stable of 90s northern holidays along with Blackpool.
It’s a current contender. I suspect I’ll do a lot of these. They obviously just take time to produce. Other options are Flamingoland, Drayton, Camelot, American adventure… the list goes on 🙂 glad you’re enjoying. Final part out Thursday!
@@coaster_dad it was a great nostalgic video looking forward to more. American adventure and Camelot would be great as well plenty of memories from them
Yes black hole. Waltzer in the dark. I went on 86 .seats had luminous cats eyes and no spinners . I didn't have long queues. ❤❤
I remember a ride looking exactly the same as Satellite being at Butlins in Ayr, Scotland in the 90's
I’m sure there were many on the travelling circuit 😀
I was on the ship at M&Ds on a school trip donkeys years ago but I had no idea that it was the same ride as the Tidal Wave!!
Ditto!
Great video. You didn't mention the 1990-1 series "Coasting" which was sort of based around the park. Featured Peter Howitt..Joey from Bread.
Oooo missed that one. Not surprised to be honest. So much history I was bound to miss something 🙂
@coaster_dad Well yeah, and it wasn't very good! 😆
I miss the Fun house as a teenager I spent every weekend in there, Me and my 2 friends would sneak in crawling under the turnstile Happy days.
😂
Another great video. I've got so many great memories from this era. I remember as a kid going on the ghost train on my own for the first time and getting stuck inside when the park had a power cut. (A few months ago I paid £30 to walk through the Ghost Train, that day I did it for free). Also do you know if they used to do donkey rides at the back of Steeplechase before the Go-Karts were installed? The reason I ask is that I've just been watching some of my old home videos from the park and I have a shot of the Steeplechase station with a donkey wandering around in the background by the Big Dipper track. Bizarre !
I did the ghosts and gardens too. Was great to see it up close and at a slower pace 😀 and as for the donkeys. I didn’t see anything about that so can’t say for sure.
They had horseriding as my friends cousin worked on that, and also lama rides I think they were in a separate area to the horse riding
@@christinacramsie5646 thanks for the info.
That video of the 2 kids on the dodgems with 1 nearly faceplanting never gets old 😂
😂
OK, yeah…the Ben Hur ride, which was made by Huss. That was a weird one. It looked like a modern version of a traditional Skid ride at first glance. However, the cars didn’t rest on the ground, like Skid cars do, nor did they have a foot pedal (which wouldn’t have worked anyway, because nothing was in contact with the ground…). Instead, there were ropes that, in theory, you could pull to make the car swing. From what I can recall, getting any kind of worthwhile swing was pretty much impossible. What DID happen though, is that it would run very fast for a short while, then suddenly stop and reverse direction, slamming the cars to one side really hard. It might also do several quick reversals in a row, slamming the cars back and forth, before then picking up speed again. It was one of the most violent rides I ever did, but sort-of fun, I suppose. Some years later, there was one (I assume the same one?) in Margate…but that just went round normally without the slamming (and was pretty much a waste of time). A Huss experiment that didn’t really work out, I guess.
Yeah I heard about the ropes after I filmed this 🙈 it does sound bloody mental and probably something that wouldn’t work these days.
He definitely brought the park into the modern era. I think if he was alive today he would still be making big steps to get the park to be the number 1 in the uk at least.
I’m sure it would be very different. 🙂
So THAT’S the story behind the Tunnel Of Love sign, I always thought River Caves was called that back in the day!
At least that’s the story I found 🤷♂️
@@coaster_dad I remember on a family trip there, must have been 5/6, my mum took my sister on there, asked if I wanted to go on, I saw the Tunnel Of Love sign and went “eww, no” 😂
@robdavies8702 😂
Great video, and I'm not even half way through yet so apologies if you touch on this, but GT's first few years necessitated lot of concessions in the south end of the park. Hence, the travelling style rides. This didn't last too long as he then invested in his signature rides that have stood the test of time. Maybe Amanda should do something similar as the park loses rides and entertainments at a colossal rate?
To be honest I’m planning a video to assess exactly that. Should BP do something like the retro squad at Towers to help with capacity for a while.
My son broke his leg at the park in 2003 and none of the staff or security seemed too bothered to help us. Just told us to follow signs to first aid point, which disappeared when we got near. When we finally found it the staff were brilliant and they took us to the hospital themselves as they said an ambulance would have trouble reaching the centre of the park. Admittedly we didn't know he had broken it til we got to hospital. Also accident was nothing to do with the park itself
Eek. That must have been pretty damn stressful 😳
Growing up during the 90s down the coast in St Annes, BPB was in cycling distance for our group of friends. I do have very fond memories of pooling money to buy a book of tickets to ride a couple of coasters. I can remember the funhouse burning down, and 'Project 94' - was always something exciting happening, change, progression. I've not been back for years now, and wasn't sure if that was due to getting older, moving away or because it just doesn't seem to evolve much anymore. I'm not really sure.
One thing that does sound odd, having been a frequent visitor when the shot tower ride opened - it IS called PlayStation, not Ice Blast :D
😂 it’s called standing but not operating at the mo
'Curly Watts' and 'Kevin Webster' walked past us in the middle of the grounds, yet at the time we had no idea Coronation St was filming there. We just thought they were out on a jolly 😁
😂 love it.
I remember someone also being killed on Tykado express...
Strange how I don't remember some of the 80s flat rides...
Yet I can remember my first ride on Vagina reel..
Excellent work sir.
Why thank you. Glad you enjoyed.
Anyone else get an actual ad for BPB at the point he mentions he found the 1st ad for the park?
Aye, others have talked about it so it’s there 🙂
13:12 Here's a little known fun fact. The Superbob ride that Pleasure Beach had back in 1982 (Bob Slay) is now New York New York
Nice. Great to see rides still operating 😀
Cinema usa was a movie of a roller coaster played on a curved screen, that made you feel like you were on the track despite standing upright on a concrete floor
I remember it making me feel sick to my stomach 😢
Interesting. And kinda impressive if it did that whilst standing!
that ride called the ranger, I remember when i was a kid i went to camelot and they had a ride called Excalibur, it was exactly that, they then replaced it with Excalibur 2 which was similar but spun
Ah nice. I think I might be doing a similar series about Camelot in the near future. I heard about that one 😀
So I watched the video last night with great interest and I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to watching the rest tonight. I also wanted to see if you would mention my story from 1990...but I think it's little known..it was like that for me for that long I almost thought I'd made it up in my head...until about 2 years ago when I finally found the video online. So in 1990 I passed my driving test and to celebrate getting my first car I drove myself and a couple of mates to the pleasure beach for the evening. Gone are the days when you could ride late into the night. So we arrived at PB and make our way to the Grand National for the first ride of the night. We joined the line of people waiting in the station when a suddenly a camera crew showed up just as we were about to board the train. They then mounted a camera on both the trains facing the passengers. When we asked what was going on they told us we were going to be extras in the new video by UK rock group Led Zeppelin. Not my style of music but I knew who they were. Next thing some dude with long hair gets in the front of our train and starts singing his song about a girl who's on the front of the other train. It was all a bit surreal tbh. And from 1990 until about two years ago I had never seen the video. I looked for it at the time but never saw it on TV and I've asked a few people over the years about it but I always got a blank look. It was only by chance someone told me to look for solo tracks from Robert Plant who was the ex lead singer of Led Zeppelin. It was then I found it. I'm in the right hand train (as it is on screen) just over the girls shoulder on the video at 6 seconds. The video is here on YT. Robert Plant Hurting Kind Official Video 😁 edited due to terrible spelling...sorry.
Wow. I didn’t find that one during my research 🙈 sounds awesome!
@@coaster_dad 2 seconds of fame lol but yeah the video is here on YT 😁 can't wait to watch the rest of the vids. Subbed.
The boy scouts on Revolution clip was on an episode of Jim'll Fix It
Yeah so I heard 🙈
The Boy Scouts lunch on a rollercoaster was an episode of Jim will fix it
Yeah so I’ve heard 🙈 oops
I went on the Black Hole as a kid, if I remember correctly it had neon lights/paint in it
Was the "naked wall" part of the houndshill shopping centre?
It was part of a shopping centre for sure can’t remember the name so probably yeah.
I had no idea that Orbiter was from the 70s. I thought it was a new ride in the 90s.
Older than you think 😀
The kids eating the packed lunches was from..SHUSH,Jim'll fix it.....Not good..Great video btw
Yeah I’ve heard that, although some thought it was that’s life 🤷♂️. Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed
Amazing video thank you Chris I remember the tv mini series and seen but can’t recommend funny bones 😞 I didn’t know about the no pack lunch policy I wonder who thought of that one , it doesn’t effect me but another reason for people not to visit
Thank you. Aye the no food one is odd but not uncommon in parks nowadays sadly. Some do allow. /some don’t 🤷♂️
Hey just wanted to tell you, just in case you didnt know a TV series called 'Waterloo Road' filmed in Pleasure Beach sometime in the 2000's
Ah nice one. I knew I’d miss something with so much history. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
The original Grand Prix was a Schwarzkopf Bayern Kurve. It was great…really fast and fun. It’s a shame there are very few of them left now.
Nice. There’s not many Schwarzkopf anything these days 😔
37:23 I watched the documentary a few years ago and the issue was accessibility was because it was peak time and they had three trains running but they were told once the big one was running on two trains they could ride… Usually an advocate for accessibility but with this I think the park was right and customers were wrong!
Different times huh. Doubt they’d get away with that now 🙂
This is a great thing, one thing I can fault is the avalanche crash, which happened in 97 (guessing because ive been told thats when its filmed)
So I was curious about that. I heard 94 but the BBC doc was 97. So I wasn’t sure if they’d been filming for a while before it was released. 🤷♂️
@@coaster_dad Who knows, an amazing episode of BPB history though!
@chrxonae thank you 🙏
Was cinema 180 at the pleasure beach sure it used to be on one of the piers
It may have also been. But there’s photos of it under the revolution so def in the pleasure beach 🙂
Was on both the pleasure beach and south pier
not sure if you mentioned it but Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin filmed a promo from his solo single hurting kind on the big dipper think it was around 92 ,i remember the production trailers being parked by the sandcastle
Ooo I missed that one! So much history in the park I was bound to miss some stuff 🙂
There was an urban legend that someone lost their legs on greatest show on earth. No idea where that came from. Remember there was also a simulator ride opposite Tokydo Express.
Ooft didn’t see that one on my travels so assume as you say urban legend or urban leg-end 😜
Hi i was just wandering why you didnt mention the loss of The Log Flume for the new water ride
The log flume was removed in 2006 for infusion in 2007. So next video 🙂
I went on the black hole and it spun really well and made people really dizzy. But I still don't know to this day how it worked maybee spun electronically as when ride stopped they never moved I wish it was still there
I wonder if the fact it was dark heightened the other sense and made it feel more intense?
I’m sure I remember as a kid the black hole had a pedal in the car so it could have been Benhur relocated
Interesting.
2 things about the Revolution:
1: The boy scout clip was very famous for a long time. Less so now, because of where it came from - it was an item from Jim'll Fix It.
2: The park claims it was Europe's first steel looping coaster. Absolutely not true. A Schwarzkopf Looping Star opened on the German fair scene the previous year. As a travelling ride, it doesn't show on rcdb, and the park conveniently ignores it.
Oh and you're right, the Black Hole had no floor walkers, which made it very very tame compared to a travelling Waltzer
Thanks for sharing. Maybe they claimed rev was the first permanent looping coast and not a travelling one?
I have smacked my shin so many times on the Chinese puzzle mazes steps 😭 massive bruise every time 😂😂😂😂
🙈
The caterpillar ride didn't have a storage cover on it, that was part of the ride.
Below is the refurbished one at Margate. The cover comes up and over 1/3rd way into the ride.
I remember the one at Southport fair early 1970's - green canvas cover that whipped up covered in mold spores that enveloped us 😂
This was the ride under the canopy at Southport, exactly how I remember it. A big gust of wind from under the seats 2-3 times in a revolution blew your hair back and kept the canopy puffed up 😁
th-cam.com/video/9O5ZN8PAWGQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rZq_AmUsmd0HEbcJ
This clip is the restored Margate ride. It may have come from either Blackpool or Southport:
th-cam.com/video/3NPmFqh6xW8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HgLH_5LSUO3iIeTK
How bizarre 🙂
Yes the Black hole was excellent in its day.
Does look interesting.
Bad Boys Inc opened the Big One.
Interesting. I missed that
The cinema showed a roller coaster - think same video as Alton towers in their version near where oblivion is now. Also the black hole was a free spin waltzer in the dark, think it had some disco lights but not many, wasn’t great
Ah thanks for the info.
Can anyone tell me what happened to 'JR' and his assistant Kieth? Can never find where they are or what happened to them. Also the Medic to... :)
Funny I wondered that too.
You said Black hole is now closed. The dome that had Millenium Bug is for storage and Bowl a Drome is, well, lets say empty too. Impossible doesn't have the Haunted Swing. Is there much left?
🙈 I know but I’m hoping a lot of that area is slowly being cleared for something new 🤞 (being optimistic)
Loved this video, very nostalgic but howcomes you didn't put in in 1982-The Virginia Reel rollercoaster is removed after 60 years; it was the last full-size example in the world. The Thompsons acquire full control of Pleasureland Southport.
You forgot in 1988-Mystique magic show!
+ others like 👇🏻
In 1989-The park is accepting credit card transactions, then a relative novelty in the UK. Live Big Band music plays at the Palladium Theatre on Sundays.
in 1990-The Ocean Boulevard shopping promenade is completed. The Greatest Show on Earth confidently tops the entertainment bill, despite actually being a ride.
in 1991-with Mr Ripley's being there made no sense to me as a kid as they had one in Blackpool anyway that had been there since THE 1940's......Also The Superdrome is built on the site of the Rainbow ride in 1991.
1993-You also forgot to mention the significant accident on the Alice Wonderland!
1995-The Imperial Russian State Circus performs at the Superdrome!
1997-The park has a record day for revenue, with over £500,000 being taken at closing one night.
1999-The park claims to receive about 7.5 million visitors per year at this point.
Look forward to your next video Chris 😀
I can’t say I’m surprised I missed stuff. There is a ridiculous amount of history in that park so thank you for sharing. As for the reel I didn’t really cover removals in this. More the additions, but I do wish I’d got on it since it was unique in the end. 😔
@@coaster_dad No probs for sharing, but I did send you that link and you said you got the info from there as well as other stuff like memory/other articles remember lol
Maybe in your future videos you could mention removals as well as additions as well 😀
Will your next history video be of say something like Windsor Safari Park/Legoland Windsor??
@mikekaraoke I’ve not picked a park yet. Got a number of them in mind. 🙂
Those were the days.
However. The Avalanche collision was 1997, not 94
🤔 I was bound to get something wrong 🙈
why are first 3 videos mot availble
Huh?
@coaster_dad trying to watch first 3 videos as was looking to start this but says unavailable .and only starts from 3rd ep x
@@emmahurst8986 mmmm that's worrying. Do these work?
th-cam.com/video/6MkhOADq37U/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/GCQI6fPtXXI/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/XMR2PhOEezs/w-d-xo.html
They are definitely there and they don't show as being restricted in anyway 🤔
@coaster_dad it's not letting me see on phone or laptop just says they are 3 unavailable videos
@coaster_dad but these links work thankyou
Can I make a suggestion? There are very few if any UK based theme park podcasts, and I think you are missing a trick not uploading your verbal content like this there. Think it would certainly help your push for subscribers giving you a niche and more outreach. Keep up the good work sir.🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Interesting idea, really appreciate the feedback 😁
@@coaster_dadby all accounts it's much easier to monitise things on the likes of acast than TH-cam, and if you already have made the content, it's technically not costing you more...👌
is jr still alive from the documentary?
Good question 🤔
@@coaster_dad be interesting if he is and what his thoughts on the park now
@stuartwemyss4335 indeed!
i chatted to him about 10 years ago, he was a regular customer of ours, he still lived round the corner from the park, as to weather he is still alive I'm unsure ,his views on the park are his own and i will not repeat them due to privacy ,i will just say not favourable, although his roots are more in travelling fairgrounds he remained a critic of park ops etc