Why can't Margate be like Brighton?

[Neil]

And I am afraid there is nothing exciting to see there, just a very successful family business ploughing its profits back into the business.

I think in terms of profits it is sucessful, but when you consider that they've gone from three parks to one in a few years, and the survisor is fast downsizing things don't look very sustainable. They do say that businesses can go in a cycle from rags to riches and back again. The previous generations have had talent, but Amanda Thompson is where she is through inheritance and not talent and astute businessmanship. Whether she can hold the business up remains to be seen, but if it carries on downsizing at the rate in recent years then no.

[Susan]

We really shouldn't let ourself get worked up about Bob but we do because he writes such ill-informed rubbish at times. Maybe the Blackpool figures are declining but I can still, and do, find more people about there on a wet Tuesday than many places delight in on a sunny Saturday. We are now well into October when many seaside attractions have almost closed for the winter, just hanging on to get half term in, yet Cliff was able to find many people about there even if some were of mature years mid working week and in term time. In the North West Blackpool remains a popular destination for many from Easter through to the end of the illuminations plus having a large Christmas / New Year influx.
BPB are still extremely profitable and anyone with an ounce of common sense realises that the closure of Pleasureland had little if anything to do with an inability to be profitable. EAS has quoted the reasons for the dramatic drop in visitor numbers well. Being in the region I can tell you the admission charge was such a disaster it could only have been intended.

[EAS]

Well, let's be honest, Bob is simply an internet troll, but his posts are very much a spur to discussing things and sharing information.

[taffy]

I think Bob is great as he focuses our minds and makes our case for us half the time.

As I have said elsewhere, I am going to Blackpool on Sunday only just getting tickets at the theatre and having to try five hotels before getting a room.

If BPB is suffering then every other type of attraction in the UK is really doomed as BPB is by far the most successful.

Has Bob answered Nick's reasonable question yet? Maybe we should just repeat it every time he spouts something. It seems to me he wants someone to put their money where their mouth is - i thought they already had.... Or has the price gone up again.

Taffy

Taffy

[cliffc]

I really don't think the Supercasino will sort out Blackpool's problems. At the end of the day people aren't going to gamble a million pounds and then stay in a dirt cheap bed and breakfast and sit eating fish and chips on the promenade. The Super Casino seems to be relying on making a significant portion of its profit on relatively small numbers of people spending vast ammounts of money, whereas Blackpool's economy seems to have worked on vast numbers of people spening not that much money. Personally I want to see them concentrate on the basics. To be fair some of Blackpool's businessmen are putting in the effort, and wonderful things seem to be going on over at the Sandcastle water park, however some powerful people such as the Pleasurebeach Company aren't doing their bit. Personally I think Blackpool's future depends more on whether or not it becomes a World Heritage site rather than whether it gets a super casino.

I've always thought that closing Pleasureland is partly to scaremonker and make the point 'this will happen to Blackpool if you don't give us a super casino'. Whether I'm right or not I doubt we'll ever know, but judging from what's being said by a lot of people this is how Pleasureland's closure is being interpreted.

Hi

I Agree with Neil i also I dont think there is a hope in hell of the Super Casino coming to Blackpool because its going to London, I know the Pleasure Beach company has a Big Hand in the casino, but thay should be putting more effort into the biggest assett the Pleasure Beach, I think its no big secret that the new ride next year is going to be Tramatizer (or what ever thay decide to call it), where as what thay need is Investment in a big new blockbuster ride not some 2nd hand stuff from Pleasureland, if thay dont do this then the PB will die, (if thay want to kill it off thay could just bring in an admission charge), I dont know what thay are going to do when thay dont get the Super Casino, only time will tell.

Cliff C