JoshC.

I currently share a kitchen with 16 other people, and it isn't too bad. The general rule we seem to have now is if you don't wash it up soon after you're done with it, just take it to your room so it's out of people's way. The issue more tends to be with putting things away after they've been washed up, but at the end of the day, all of us are in the same scenario - we want a tidy kitchen, so we should tidy up after ourselves (of course, just because it should be done, doesn't mean it always is...) Hopefully a similar rule can happen in the 24 person house. A good thing is there's a specific 'washing up area', which is out of the kitchen, and has two large sinks. So, better than sharing a smallish sink between 17 people...

Colossus (6) Depth Charge (4) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (6) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Slammer (2) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (6) Tidal Wave (5) X:/No Way Out (6) Swarm + Slammer -

Colossus (6) Depth Charge (6) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (6) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Slammer (2) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (4) X:/No Way Out (6) X:\NWO +1 Slammer -1

Colossus (6) Depth Charge (6) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Slammer (3) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (6) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (4) X:/No Way Out (5) Slammer - Storm in a Teacup +

T'is Warwick uni. Most student houses in Leamington Spa are for 3-6 people, but there are some larger houses. The thing is, the 16 of us all get along and would prefer living together. The 24 person house we've found is amazing - it's in the nicer part of Leamington, right near the train station and a couple of minutes from the bus stop to the uni, £90 a week for rent, utilities (including internet) as well as a TV licence. It's only a 10 month let, which means we pretty much only pay whilst we're at uni, not during summer like many places do. The Landlord fixes anything that breaks (as long as it wasn't your own fault), there's a silly amount of bathrooms (10-11 communal, plus about 5 en suite), then there's a games room with a pool table and air hockey table. My first choice room has a double bed, two windows, wash basin and is large (about 4.5mx3m). Fully furnished as well. It just seems perfect. The thing is, the couple have just it so much more difficult, and since they've got together, they're never really apart. It's the sorta relationship where they're fine as individuals, but when they're together, they get a bit annoying. Hopefully some form of decent arrangement can be made quickly, as we have two weeks to decide basically..

Grr, getting annoyed with one of my housemates in my halls at uni now... There's 16 of us looking into buying a house next year (we're looking early because of the large number). We found this amazing 24 person house and some people visited it on Saturday. Most people went to view it today, as we were set on it, but it turns out that 9 people already living there are renewing their contract for another year - so only 15 rooms are available (it's the rooms that are let out, not the house specifically). So, we've spent literally hours discussing how to separate the two groups, where the secondary group would live, etc., but one has decided to be the most awkward d!ck about it. First he said he wanted to live with his girlfriend (who is in the same halls we are in at the moment; they've been going out for about 5 weeks), despite the fact they argue almost every day. Then HE decided that she should 'live with the girls', and that we should break down into even smaller groups and look elsewhere. Then we decided to split into a group of 10 and a group of 6, with 10 living in this 24 bedroom place, and the 6 finding somewhere else. It was worked out he would live with the 10, and his girlfriend in the 6. However, he's now moaning that the room he could *possibly* end up having isn't good enough, and he should get priority over others because he visited the house on Saturday, even though his desired room has been taken by someone who's living there again next year. Basically, he's just making it as awkward as possibly and trying to dictate how everything should be. Buying a student house isn't exactly easy as it is, and he's just making it even more difficult...

Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (4) Nemesis Inferno (7) Quantum (4) Rocky Express (4) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (6) Slammer (5) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (5) X:/No Way Out (5) Storm in a Teacup + Mr Monkey's -

Air (5) Battle Galleons (5) Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (5) Congo River Rapids (5) Dirty Ho! (5) Doodle Doo Derby (3) Driving School (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Enterprise (5) Frog Hopper (5) Galloper's Carousel (5) Haunted Hollow (5) Hex - The Legend Of The Towers (5) Ice Age The 4D Experience (5) Marauders Mayhem (5) Nemesis (6) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (5) Oblivion (7) Old MacDonald's Singing Barn (4) Ripsaw (5) Rita (5) Riverbank Eye Spy (5) Runaway Mine Train (5) Sonic Spinball (5) Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE (5) Skyride (5) Squirrel Nutty Ride (5) The Blade (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) The Towers (5) Th13teen (6) Th13teen + Doodle Doo Derby -

Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (3) Nemesis Inferno (7) Quantum (4) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (9) Slammer (5) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (6) Vortex (2) X:/No Way Out (4) Mr Monkey's - Vortex +

Banned for banning too much. The power of the faux banhammer has gone to your head.

Regularly with new projects in the UK, and even some internationally, are compared to Nemesis; Alton Towers' map-defining roller coaster. It's natural really when you consider that Nemesis is pretty much in every enthusiasts' top 10 coasters / rides, and usually near the top as well, and that it's been ranked even as a top 10 roller coaster in the world at one point/ So, with new projects, there's always talk of 'Will it be better than Nemesis?', 'Will it do a Nemesis?' and so forth. But what exactly is 'doing a Nemesis', and we will ever see 'The Next Nemesis'? Now, for one reason or another, SW7 has avoided the 'Next Nemesis' hype. Maybe because of it being a Gerstlauer, some are being 'snobbish' towards it, in that they feel a Gerstlauer could never be as good as the mighty B&M that is Nemesis. Maybe it's because people have been more focused on the elements, specifically any world first / world beating elements it may or may not contain. Maybe it's because people are more concerned if the ride will open on time before they start thinking what it'll be like. Or whatever. I'll talk about this a bit a later. So, to try and explain a bit better what on earth I'm on about, let's look at Swarm. Big, shiny new B&M hits the UK for the first time in nine years. We get the slightly unoriginal end-of-the-world, alien theme. Already, when we compare Swarm to Nemesis, their stories are of a similar style. Unknown alien, fear for our lives, we must ride it; to but it simplistically. Both are well styled to show this. Nemesis has its pit, and whilst this isn't particularly theming, it is well landscaped and well styled. Couple it along with the theming, and we have a brilliant style and tone created. The same with Swarm - the amount of theming makes you feel like you are in a disaster area, a crash scene, and that you're under attack. During construction, and possibly even after the ride opened, I am pretty certain that members on this forum have said that The Swarm is 'Thorpe's Nemesis'. However, very few have gone as far to say they prefer Swarm to Nemesis (me being one of those few), and next no one, after Swarm opened, has said that it is the 'Next Nemesis'. Now seems like a good time to say what exactly 'doing a Nemesis' is: - The first thing which 'the Nemesis' is is unexpected. With most major rides, they scream themselves at you saying 'LOOK AT ME I'M SCARY!!'. Nemesis does not do this. It hides away in its pit, and it's not until you are right up close that you appreciate what exactly goes on during the ride. Even then, you have to do some exploration, usually in the queue line, just to get the full picture. Something which I think Nemesis does perfectly is be unassuming. So, for a ride to 'do a Nemesis', it must be unassuming in some way. Now, what that way is something up for question. As said, Nemesis is unassuming due to how well it is hidden and the way in which it conceals itself from the public. It's been clear with some other rides that they've tried to be unassuming as well to some way as well. Saw's layout is done in such a way that it's hidden from the plaza, and it's only when you're in the queue line that you realise what the outside section consists of. Then it's got the inside section as well. Th13teen is done in a similar respect, except the outdoor section is MUCH more concealed, and then of course there's the secret indoor section. We again can assume that SW7 has a concealed indoor section, which will in some way be unassuming. So there are indeed many ways in which UK coasters have tried to copy from Nemesis, in that it is unassuming, but they have all failed to one degree or another. Coasters with indoor sections, though unassuming to a degree, more have the thought of trying to shock / surprise you. Th13teen was designed in a way to 'shock' riders; so that anyone expecting a coaster where you leave a station, go round a track and return would be in for a surprise. Saw's indoor section was designed to frighten you, but really, with a coaster that is themed to a horror film, you don't expect any less than to be frightened, so it isn't exactly unassuming when you put it like that, is it? Without knowing the full details of SW7's indoor section (if there is one, we don't have a clue what will happen etc.), there's no way to comment. With Saw's outdoor section, it is a little unassuming, yes, but once you're in the queue, you almost begin to know the gist of what happens so much that it loses in unassuming appeal. Whilst the same could possibly be said about Nemesis, I think Saw is affected by this more. Most other UK coasters are a 'what you see is what you get job' in a way, so even if they have little surprises (Colossus' final inline for example), they're not 'unassuming'. Of course, being unassuming isn't the only thing which makes Nemesis. Another thing that Nemesis has is a brilliant layout which is paced in such a way that it never gives up. Now then, really layout and pacing is a personal taste. What one person may find as a boring layout or a poorly paced ride, another may think as inspiring. Then, of course, some may prefer certain layouts, certain ride pacing and so forth. However, Nemesis is something that everyone seems to be able to 'agree on'. The ride doesn't lose pace at all; if anything, it just picks the pace up. The layout isn't repetitive, is interest and all the elements gel well together. There really is nothing that goes wrong with it. Even if what Nemesis does isn't your view of a 'great coaster', you still enjoy it. This is something which is very difficult to achieve. So difficult, in fact, that I'd argue no other coaster in the UK has done this. Some people find that coasters are poorly paced in such a way that some of their elements are boring, lacklustre or uncomfortable. There is no coaster that springs to mind where, in the case of enthusiasts I must point out, the general consensus is that there's nothing 'wrong' with the layout, or how the layout is experienced. I could carry on with other brilliant features of Nemesis, but I won't. Rather, I'll begin to bring this to a close as to why I think we'll never see the 'Next Nemesis'. Nemesis is something that is truly special. Not many rides have a HUGE pit dug out for them specially and are constructed in the same way that Nemesis was. You can quite easily say that Nemesis in pretty unique. In this way, it pretty much helps it to be unassuming in its appearance. The fact that this is the case, and that it provides an excellent appearance really helps. After all, if you expect excellence and get excellence, you're happy - if you don't know what to expect, and get excellence, you're blown away. A universally accepted 'great layout' is something which is very difficult to achieve as well. I'm rather abruptly bringing this to an end now if I'm being honest. This has been a lot more difficult than I thought - really and truly, I don't think there is a way of describing the excellence of what Nemesis is. It just is, and this is the beauty of it. You cannot explain it, which means it will be near-on impossible to recreate it. This is such a shame when you consider Nemesis Inferno, as the 'Next Nemesis' hype must have been so heavily pressed on it, which in hindsight is unfair pressure. So, I don't think that any other ride in the UK, perhaps even the world, will be able to 'do a Nemesis'. For a ride to even be compared to Nemesis positively, or to be labelled as 'That park's Nemesis' should be seen as an achievement in itself. To be near Nemesis is a prize almost, seeinghow nothing can be the 'Next Nemesis'. So, no other rides can ever be a Nemesis or the Next Nemesis - there is only the Nemesis.

Colossus (5) Depth Charge (3) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (9) Slammer (3) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (6) Vortex (4) X:/No Way Out (4) Swarm + Slammer -

This is one thing which sticks out to me. The current situation, as you describe it, is that the roof is rotting and collapsing; quite possibly beyond a state of repair. In other words, the roof / tunnel needs to go. So, they have two choices: remove it and replace it or just remove it. On a log flume such as Loggers (ie one where there is little theming and it is just styled), the ride will be defined and remembered for by the drop / drops. Arguably, with Dragon Falls and Flume, they have a bit more than the drops to characterise them (Falls not so much, but that's a little beside the point in what I'm trying to say...). So, Loggers has two defining moments - the indoor drop, and the big, double drop. The drop will come as a surprise to many, as when the boats enter the tunnel, unless you pay loads of attention, you don't really realise it starts going up, and you don't know it goes down. Having no tunnel means that the surprise is gone. So, by not replacing the tunnel, guest experience will suffer. Guests who have been on the ride before will likely notice it, or at least think 'Well, this is different..' and may have negative effects from it, and first time guests will lose that 'shock factor'. So really, when Thorpe come to the decision to remove the roof, their immediate reaction - in my eyes - should be "Hey, we should replace the roof, let's do it to keep all our guests happy". Not only that, but it's the prime opportunity to make the tunnel better, easier to access and so forth. To be honest, the removal of the tunnel wouldn't be as bad an issue for me if it wasn't a large part of the overall experience, however, it is. I just hope that if they do not replace it in any way, they at least do something to create a new experience on ride to compensate for one experience being lost.

IN O / I \ /\

Air (6) Battle Galleons (5) Berry Bish Bash (1) Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (5) Congo River Rapids (5) Dirty Ho! (5) Doodle Doo Derby (5) Driving School (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Enterprise (5) Frog Hopper (5) Galloper's Carousel (5) Haunted Hollow (5) Hex - The Legend Of The Towers (6) Ice Age The 4D Experience (5) Marauders Mayhem (5) Nemesis (5) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (5) Oblivion (5) Old MacDonald's Singing Barn (5) Ripsaw (6) Rita (5) Riverbank Eye Spy (5) Runaway Mine Train (5) Sonic Spinball (5) Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE (5) Skyride (5) Squirrel Nutty Ride (5) The Blade (5) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) The Towers (5) Th13teen (6) Hex + Berry Bish Bash -

Banned for banning someone immediately after they banned you, and hence creating a banception.

Colossus (4) Depth Charge (4) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (6) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (8) Slammer (3) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (5) Vortex (4) X:/No Way Out (5) Vortex + Slammer -

Colossus (4) Depth Charge (5) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (6) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (7) Slammer (3) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (5) Vortex (4) X:/No Way Out (5) Colossus + Slammer -

Colossus (4) Depth Charge (4) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Ride (6) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (5) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (6) Slammer (4) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (5) Vortex (5) X:/No Way Out (5) Mr Monkey's + Slammer -

"Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible." - Albert Einstein

I believe Thorpe opens two days before hand actually.. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it. Sure, it's probably a bit behind schedule, but there you go. Rides will have work done right up until the last moment, regardless of the schedule they're on. If Alton have put a time on for the ride to open, and they care about their guests' satisfaction, they'd move the Earth to get this thing fully complete on March 16th. As I say, it's something to not worry about.

Chief Rangers Carousel (4) Colossus (5) Depth Charge (5) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (6) Loggers Leap (5) Mr Monkeys Banana Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (5) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (6) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Slammer (5) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (5) Vortex (4) X://No Way Out (5) CRC - Storm in a Teacup +

Air (5) Battle Galleons (5) Berry Bish Bash (5) Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (4) Congo River Rapids (5) Driving School (5) Doodle Doo Derby (5) Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back (5) Enterprise (5) Frog Hopper (5) Galloper's Carousel (4) Haunted Hollow (5) Heave Ho! (5) Hex - The Legend Of The Towers (6) Ice Age The 4D Experience (5) Marauders Mayhem (5) Nemesis (6) Nemesis: Sub-Terra (6) Oblivion (9) Old Macdnalds Singing Barn (4) Ripsaw (8) Rita (5) Riverbank Eye Spy (5) Runaway Mine Train (5) Twirling Toadstool (1) The Blade (3) The Flume (5) The Gardens (5) The Towers (5) Th13teen (5) Sonic Spinball (4) Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE (5) Skyride (4) Squirrel Nutty Ride (6) Sub Terra + Twirling Toadstools -

Chief Rangers Carousel (3) Colossus (6) Depth Charge (4) Detonator (6) Flying Fish (5) Loggers Leap (5) Mr Monkeys Banana Ride (6) Nemesis Inferno (7) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (4) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (8) Samurai (5) Saw: The Ride (2) Slammer (4) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (4) Tidal Wave (6) Vortex (5) X://No Way Out (5) Zodiac (5) Saw + CRC -

Chief Rangers Carousel (4) Colossus (6) Depth Charge (4) Detonator (5) Flying Fish (5) Logger's Leap (5) Mr Monkey's Banana Boat Ride (5) Nemesis Inferno (6) Quantum (5) Rocky Express (4) Rumba Rapids (5) Rush (5) Samurai (5) Saw: The Ride (4) Slammer (5) Stealth (5) Storm In A Teacup (5) The Swarm (5) Tidal Wave (6) Vortex (5) X:/No Way Out (5) Zodiac (5) Rumba Rapids + (May not be brilliant, but I love it) CRC - (Nice and all, but I don't use it these days)