Off Topic - Pleasureland Southport to close

The Save Dreamland Campaign was launched by Joyland Books in January 2003 and is now supported by several thousand people. This is the place to discuss all aspects of saving Margate's famous amusement park and its iconic , Grade II listed Scenic Railway, Britain's oldest roller coaster.

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Postby uvegotmale2000 » 15 Sep 2006, 10:23

do we really know that this ride is being demolished??

it only looks to me that they are merely cutting little chunks of wood,they might be replacing some of the wood.wouldnt they have brought in heavy equipment to knock it down

has it been confirmed that its being demolished,from what ive read no-one has a clear cut answer to that


also with the log flume at bpb due to be demolished during the winter months,im wondering if the truamatizer would be put in its place


when i went to bpb 2months ago,i had noticed that a few rides where closed or had gone.
the log flume wasnt open and looked like it hadnt been open for several months
also a childrens rollercoaster had been taken away,and also a ride called "the whip" was closed and again looked like it hadnt been operated this season at all
there was 1 other ride which i dont remember the name of at bpb which had also disappeared.it will be interesting to see what happens at bpb over the coming months,to see if these rides at bpb are replaced with 1 or more from southport
makes me wonder if bpb knew what was going to happen at southport months ago and clearly cleared a few rides from bpb to make way for some from southport
Last edited by uvegotmale2000 on 15 Sep 2006, 10:45, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby furie » 15 Sep 2006, 10:39

I don't think by the the looks of the random chainsaw and angle grinding action that they're giving it a "trim".

It's quite clear the Amanda Thompson has plans either for the site, or to ensure that no other operator can take the park over as a viable concern.
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Postby Jim Douglas Jr. » 15 Sep 2006, 17:57

Reports from the other site state that all's quiet there today and that a few local higher-ups are looking into it.
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Postby Jim Douglas Jr. » 16 Sep 2006, 04:34

Since you've all been through this before, is there someting someone here can do to get that coaster temporarily protected?
Anything?
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Postby Sarah » 16 Sep 2006, 09:21

The campaigners up in Southport are talking to the right people about getting the ride spot listed.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Dreamland situation has influenced PBB's methods on this one. How to avoid a well-orchestrated campaign forming and dashing your hopes of making a quick buck? Close the park overnight with no warning and speedily start on demolishing the most treasured ride.

It's good to see that action is being taken up there though. I don't think it's too late for them to throw a spanner in the PBB works.

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Postby Neil » 16 Sep 2006, 09:44

I've already started getting some replies to emails about Pleasureland, and there does seem to be more optimism in the Council than in Thanet's. I've certainly learnt some things (for instance the lease was given in 2003 and is for 125 years), and I've responded to some misconeptions (eg that Camelot closed several years ago).

Anyhow it does seem that emailing the council may do some good. Also after two months of emails I have now got a response in regards to the token machines:
Dear Mr Wilson

Thanks for your email.

Please could you let me know more about who you are and why you require
this information.

Regards

Rupert

Better late than never, although it's interesting to note that they throw into the centre on public knowledge that they have plans, but apparently want to keep it more secretavie when they don't materialise. I'll let you know if I get another email. Maybe it's worth an email to the Isle of Thanet Gazette?
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Postby dave » 16 Sep 2006, 20:05

Hi,
The whole sorry state of it makes me really angry just has when frontierland closed but then mr. thompson was alive and he wasent bothered about that just has his daughter is'nt now, in much the same scenario with the texas tornado a classic coaster lost forever now they decided to save the wild mouse then but for what as now i think will go same way as the cyclone as bonfire fodder. Its a travisty its obvious the traumatizer will go to bpb along with maybe the chaos,pirate ship and not much else so what becomes of the other rides they will try to auction them off well i think the proposed buyers whether it be showmen or other parks should not buy and boycott bpb attempts to sell and leave them on there hands. Going back to the issue of paying for individual ride tickets
at bpb dont you think they overcharge on rides so they make you pay for a wristband. i mean the single ticket being a pound and its 7 tickets for the big one and valhalla and 6 for the coasters and 4 and 5 for most other rides i remember when it was 10p to ride the derby racer and that was for many years when all the other rides were 1 pound and more. now thats 2 or 3 tickets. so i think bpb rip you off there. the pleasure beach is one of my favourite parks in the world but slowly with the new logo and merchandise changes and the ripping down of classic rides and the disgusting closure of pleasureland begining to turn agianst them unfortunatly.
anorther note when the started charging 2 pound to get in pleasureland why not do the same policy at blackpool why! because they didnt want to close it down like they did at southport they knew they would loose visitors but wern't bothered because its too much competiton for blackpool.
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Postby furie » 18 Sep 2006, 09:31

Dave, I have to reply to clear up the whole Morecombe thing.

Geoffery Thompson tried everything to keep Frontierland alive. He put forward several million pounds and a full long term plan for the site. The local council wanted it shut down though, and they refuse licenses for new food and drinks courts, they wouldn't allow betting licenses and planning permision.

Every proposal Geoffery put forward, the council would knock back. They were determined that the site was going to be a Morrisons, and they got their own way. It was closed after years of fighting to keep it open. This is the opposite to Southport, where everything was done to help it make a profit, and it was about to pay dividends. Then they pulled investment and help at Southport to force the closure. Very different.

The Texas Tornado now resides in another park. It was shipped to Mexico I believe and lives on (oddly RCDB has it down as demolished, but it was definitely sold and shipped overseas). So it's not quite as much a travesty as Southport's cyclone.

Hopefully the local people can pull together and get the Cyclone saved now.

I know a certain JG is involved in BALLPA isn't he? Amanda Thompson certainly is... Do you think that maybe after meetings they sit down and have little chats about things? And ways to avoid being "done" by a bunch on local busy-bodies?

Let's hope that JG doesn't show AT his fine collection of zippos and oily rags... We've already seen some of PBB conveniently burned down and space made for some new stalls... Unfortunately it almost cost the park the Grand National... Of course, that was a proven accident...
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Postby David Ellis » 18 Sep 2006, 12:18

furie wrote:The Texas Tornado now resides in another park. It was shipped to Mexico I believe and lives on (oddly RCDB has it down as demolished, but it was definitely sold and shipped overseas). So it's not quite as much a travesty as Southport's cyclone.


I am not sure that is correct...I remember actually seeing photographs of the coaster building bulldozed and totally wrecked. It wouldn't have been possible to salvage (IMO) and also the design / layout of the ride would have been unsuitable for most parks due to its odd shape.

Perhaps you can provide some evidence to support your comment...I have seen the bulldozed photos, which I am sure were included in an edition of First Drop, the European Coaster Club's magazine, and were taken by a local club member.

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Postby furie » 18 Sep 2006, 13:07

Nope, you're right... Shows how long it is since I last looked at anything to do with Frontierland. I must have caught something about the sale, then it didn't go through.

Apologees for the misinformation.
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Postby Neil » 18 Sep 2006, 15:27

I've had some more emails about Pleasureland, and people might be interested by the following:
1)Although the site doesn't all have to be an amusement park it does have to be used for'leisure', although exactly what is meant by leisure I am not sure
2)The council are working with English Heristage as far as listing is concerned
3)The Pleasurebeach Company (ie Amanda Thompson) have requested that their lease terms are lifted as they do not believe it's in the town's interest for the site to stay and apparently have other plans that is likely to include flats
4)The Council have already refused to make changes to the lease placing the issue back in her court.
5)Contary to a rumour spread on a couple of forums (not sure who the person is exactly) there are NOT plans to move the Cyclone.

I'll keep people up to date with what seems to be happening, but if you want things straight form the horses mouth it's worth emailing/writting to MP's/Councillors yourself.
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Postby troy » 18 Sep 2006, 15:36

Neil

Thanks for the info.

On your last point I think that evidence of the Cyclone being given a short back and sides with a chainsaw and angle grinder is pretty irrefutable. They can say that there are no plans to move it as there probably aren't, however, demolision is another thing. I would therefore ere on the side of caution about BPBs' motives until it can be confirmed either way what "work" was actually going on.

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Postby Neil » 18 Sep 2006, 15:41

Oh, definately. If I'm generous someone has been saying on some forums that it's being moved to seek attention, but then again maybe it is meant to hold people back from objecting. Or maybe I'm just too cynical and due to a genuine misunderstanding some people have actually thought it is being moved.

Now we know that Amanda has sought attention for a change of use I think it makes her motives a bit clearer. I would say 'doing a Jimmy Godden', but do not feel JM is important enough to have a phrase named after him.
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Postby troy » 18 Sep 2006, 16:12

I see we have a rooftop protestor situation.

Full story and pics.

http://www.southportforums.com/forums/s ... d=50365166

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Postby furie » 18 Sep 2006, 16:28

Pleasurebeach Ltd have claimed that they're "securing the Cyclone for the winter". I'm not quite sure how removing large chunks of it is securing it (and if protesters can get onto it, it's really not THAT secure ;) )?

Rumours abound that Tussauds Group have made an offer for the site. I don't know how true this will pan out to be, but there were rumours this time last year that Tussauds had been sniffing around, looking for a "Northern Chessington". I guess this a "watch this space". No idea if it is true, or how likely it is to happen, but I doubt Amanda would want Tussauds to get their hands on the place, so it'll be in the Councils hands if they decide to take back BPB Ltd's lease and hand it over to Tussauds (if they are really interested)?

Leisure for the site could just mean a large pub and bowling alley with car parking "convenient for the town". Pretty poor really...
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