Joyland Books

by **uvegotmale2000** » 15 Dec 2006, 12:51

i know that pleasureland cyclone was demolished
but what about the other rides,what happened to them?
what about kings solomons mine? the fun house etc
does anyone actually know what happned to them or have they also been demolished??

by **porf** » 18 Dec 2006, 09:01

Best bet for info is likely to be the site at

http://www.southportcyclone.com/

Note : Currently the site seems to be having issues, but I've let them know. Try it in a day or two.

by **uvegotmale2000** » 18 Dec 2006, 10:45

thanks very much

some very sad pictures of the cyclone all in bits on that site you directed me too

another wevsite shows pics of pleasureland as of yesterday and king solomons mine is still standing

by **furie** » 19 Dec 2006, 14:21

I don't think it will be too long now before everything else starts to go now on the site. Everything left is essentially impossible to move, or unsaleable. As for what the site will become? Well, that's entirely up to BPB Ltd and what they wish to do with their lease.

The thing is, this is so close to what could have happened at Dreamland, and is still (remotely) possible for Dreamland too!

by **pbeesley** » 10 Jan 2007, 08:06

Hi,
I was up at Southport last weekend, heres some pictures. The whole site is a complete mess.

http://ridemad.com/southport-pleasurela ... 07#more-28

Cheers
Paul

by **Gary** » 10 Jan 2007, 18:09

pbeesley wrote:Hi,
I was up at Southport last weekend, heres some pictures. The whole site is a complete mess.

http://ridemad.com/southport-pleasurela ... 07#more-28

Cheers
Paul

For anyone not in the know, Paul's photos are essential viewing..

I LOVED Pleasureland and Paul, of all your shots that one of the dinosaur amid the rubble somehow hits a nerve with me..

The powers that be invested in the River Caves almost as a last throw of the cards...Sadly they failed.

Southport in the Summer..Pleasureland..Ann, Isabel and I ..a hot dog, candyfloss and some popcorn.. and The Cyclone..

Memories are made of this..

Gary

by **pbeesley** » 10 Jan 2007, 19:05

Hi Gary,
Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, I see your point about the dinosaur, it looks kind of deserted which as we all know it is. I only wish i would have took some more photographs the weekend before closure when we visited with club pleasure beach - but the weather was that bad you couldnt do anything, apart from sit in the pub - I know poor me.

One image which isnt on the main site is in the gallery, a park wristband.

http://www.ridemad.com/photo/main.php?g ... ewsIndex=1

just blowing around in the wind and just over the fence from the cyclone.

Ive said this before numerous times, but what are our kids going to do with their own children in years to come ?, skip a day at the seaside for the latest playstation 6 game, i dread to think.

Cheers
Paul

by **Neil** » 11 Jan 2007, 10:38

Thanks, those photos are great. It just goes to show what can happen when a park changes ownership.

I don't really see the River Caves revamp as being the "last throw of the cards", as at the time the park had bought the zoo and was apparently planning for a "major expansion". I think the sad truth is that the park's closure became inevitable the day that Geoffrey Thompson died. Whatever they say, it is hard to see the change of management as a coincidence. I realise that sometimes parks can't make money, and this may have to an extent been true with American Adventure, but with Pleasureland things don't add up. Even is you believe the official visitor calculations it's still about the same as what Oakwood are claiming, and Oakwood charge less.

I wonder how long it'll be before the Pleasurebeach goes the same way. It certainly looks very run down. Maybe Infusion will help, but it wouldn't stop people noticing the spaces where ride like Vikingar were. I know that when I'm down that way I shall be visiting Camelot instead. Atleast you get the impression that they value their visitors.

by **pbeesley** » 11 Jan 2007, 18:23

Hi Neil,
I wouldnt say the pleasure beach is looking run down, granted the area around the infusion construction site is a mess, but the park in general over the last 12 months does look alot better than it has in recent years.

I certainly think the changes around the north area of the park have done it some good. I read somewhere recently they are working on the path from around the nash up to river caves at the moment - a job i certainly wouldnt envy in the current climate. imagine those winds :lol:

Stay up here an extra day and do both parks

Cheers
Paul

by **Coaster Manta** » 14 Jan 2007, 16:20

The pleasure beach certainly wasn't looking run down last time I visited last year and I don't think it's going to suffer the same fate as Pleasureland. However I don't believe the current management see any value in classic rides and would rather be without them - running a smaller park with just modern rides and steel coasters.

It doesn't take a degree in business to work out how to make money out of a theme park. In order for people to continue to visit your park you have to continually invest in new rides and attractions. It also helps if you have a core of good rides which people will want to ride again and a decent team of staff. The American Adventure was owned by one of the richest men in the country and if he had spent £10 million pounds every 3 years on a new attraction he'd have had a park that rivealed Alton Towers in terms of customers and profits (and the added bonus of it being much easier to get there). However he refused to spend any money at all on it and dwindling customers led eventually to their rides braking down and they didn't have enough money to fix them. Hence park closed.

Taking Oakwood as an example in sensible investment none of their large rides have cost over £5million but all have been at least as much fun as the big new projects that Alton have built in the same period which have cost about £12million each. The main reason why a lot of traditional amusement parks have closed recently is that they are run by business men rather than by enthusiasts. It's clear to see that if you are both then a lot of money can be made but all too often it's the quick profit for a select number of people rather than some investment and hard work that wins the day.

by **Matty** » 28 Jan 2007, 21:32

Well;

TraumaTizer is going to Blackpool to become Infusion
http://235club.org.uk/clubpb/wb/pages/p ... -20074.php

Space Shot is going to Loudoun Castle to become Barnstormer
http://www.loudouncastlevaults.co.uk/news2.html

Chaos (+ several smaller rides) are going to Lightwater Valley
http://www.ukrides.info/lwvchaos.htm

Apart from that, everything's been a bit quiet I think.
Maybe someone else knows what's happened to the others?

by **Gary** » 29 Jan 2007, 23:24

The Galleon is now at M&D's in Scotland.

by **furie** » 28 Mar 2007, 22:29

I've spent some time this week working on the www.southportcyclone.com site.

I'm trying to buid a decent memorial site for Pleasureland and the Cyclone. I've added in a few things already, with more ready to roll in the next couple of weeks.

If anyone has any photos of Pleasureland and/or the Cyclone they'd like to donate, it would be really, really appreciated. Full credit will of course be given.

If you look around the site (front page has a list of what's been added so far, and will be updated as sections go on), and have any comments, corrections, suggestions or additions, please let me know and I'll get it sorted.

by **Gary** » 30 Mar 2007, 18:07

As it's the funhouse's Last night on the Prom Saturday 31st March I'll take some shots from the inside and send them your way.

by **EAS** » 30 Mar 2007, 19:18

http://www.fun-fairs.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23807

????

Joyland Books

pleasureland?

pleasureland?

Who is online