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“When I started in 95/6 every single SEA LIFECentre was in decline,” he says. But we stopped the decline, and turned it around.” In the latter part of 90s Vardon plc started putting all their money into health and fitness. “It was a bit like a cuckoo in a nest, elbowing out the others,” says Varney. “We weren’t getting any capex, so it was a good thing to go up for sale.” He could be describing the plight of our parks in the current Merlin Midway empire! We need someone to stop the decline and turn it around, I don't believe Varney will be that someone.

Just remove the ride and what are you left with? A fountain show spectacular! That, or extra premium parking. The world's first parking spaces inside a theme park. Or, and this is just crazy talk obviously, a new Top Spin! Is there any Top Spin variant which would be marketable UK/Europe first? It's the only way it could happen.

"It's better than nothing" ©️Merlin Entertainments

What on earth?! From the lack of other damage I guess the ride has parked itself upsidedown in a controlled way, rather than having crashed down? If it fell from the hight it runs at I'm sure it'd be in peices. In probably unrelated news, a swing ride in India has broken apart killing a girl of 8 and critically injuring others. Reports of spectators being trapped under the ride and others injured in a stampede trying to leave. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/342093-young-girl-dies-eight-injured-after-ride-collapses-in-karachi-park I'm guessing some sort of KMG knock off and not a real one? Can anyone confirm? Edit - better pictures suggest it is a knock-off Fabri Evolution.

That looks great! Shame Paris got the world's worst round ride for their Slinky incarnation.

Because it is jarring that they can open theirs fully, presented smarty and running properly after such a massive event because the owners care, where as we have a dirty, effect free version running at a hugely reduced capacity as a matter of course because the owners think that is an acceptable way to go about their business.

That just looks like a motor burning out, nothing is actually on fire.

Sadly I think the Divebomber has actually been retired, it was up for sale earlier this year I think. ? Octopus is just being worked on though, it had got a little tired, desperately needed new cushioning on the seating.

Carters Steam Fair is the most wonderful travelling vintage fair. It's set up in Maldon today, if you find yourself nearby I thoroughly recommend you go. The rides might be ancient and powered by steam, but don't let that fool you! The Steam Boats are probably the most genuinely dangerous (and therefore properly thrilling) ride operating in the UK, they are incredible. Unfortunately the Divebomber and Giant Octopus aren't touring this year, I'm really going to miss them. Little facebook video from today in Maldon gives a good idea of the set up. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcarterssteamfair%2Fvideos%2F1663665057087173%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>

Exactly this. AT are wrong to have tried to publicly chastise someone who has in reality followed their own rules. As Barron says, to put it down as 'all rides and attractions' would include monorail and skyride. But that is clearly a nonsense, so clear unambiguous signage at each ride entrance is how it should be managed. There's nothing wrong or inherently dangerous with filming on the rapids.

No interest in this guy, or vlogs in general. Find them an embarrassment. I've never known any issue with pics and filming on rapids. Has always been generally accepted, and if no mention on the ride board then Towers are making themselves look a bit silly. If your bum remains on the seat, there's no problem.

Pleasure Beach : right on top of the most visited seafront in the UK surrounded by housing and businesses. I expect to have to pay for parking as space is a premium, the park need it to be for their guests, and public transport is a viable option if you don't want to pay it. Alton Towers : in the arse end of nowhere, no one would be parking there if not visiting the park. No need to have paid parking as no pressure on space, no issues of others using it and public transport is not a viable option. I know which one offends me more. It's a necessity at Blackpool, £15 for premium reserved doesn't seem excessive to me at all.

All hinting to next years X re-retheme. AH AH AH AH AHH

What really costs the money is not the parks, but the travelling. Your gate cost will be pretty insignificant compared to travel, with accomodation being somewhere in the middle but highly tailorable depending on the level of squalor you are willing to endure. So it kind of depends what way you want to look at it. If you are after a single park quick trip you are probably best off looking at flights to airports near parks and going to wherever Ryanair are willing to fly you for £15 each way. If you want to get the best value for money you are best off looking for a cluster of parks, flying there as reasonably as you can, and travelling about a bit. I'd always hire a car for convenience, but public transport can be better value (if the parks are on bus routes that is,you don't want to end up paying for taxis!). Germany is very good for this option. Because you are only flying once your cost per park will be much lower than repeated trips, but it will obviously be a higher one off overall spend than a quick single park trip. I'd always advise saving a bit longer and making your trip more worthwhile by visiting multiple parks. - Driving to Astrix can work out pretty cheap with a night ferry crossing. Loads of rural villages with cheap overnight accommodation on the route back. - Could be combined with a further drive to Disney, but that is one place the ticket price is significant. Some really good on site hotel deals including park entry crop up off season though. - I did Holiday Park, Tripsdrill, Mountains and Europa in one 8 day fly drive. I didn't slum it, packed stuff in, and that cost me about £500 before food and drink, which I don't thinks ablot but it could be done much cheaper. - There's a similar cluster centered around Phantasia/Move Park to the north, which are probably closer together and cheaper overall.

FFS Merlin. Please give up, just go, leave our parks, sell them, close them frankly if this is what constitutes for improvements in you book. That didn't just happen, obviously. Money has been spent to turn the fantastic dragons head into that. Actual money. By the people who supposedly can't afford basic upkeep or remotely appropriate opening hours. So so sad.

I think it's pretty clear they are having a dreadful year attendance wise so far this season, and that is almost certainly due to people holding out for Icon. It is bloody obvious that would be the case, but it seems mid season opening was the plan all along for some reason. Ride closures are not ideal, and just gives people more reason not to visit so I question the overall wisdom of it, but it is certainly preferable to randomly closing hours early without warning. A shame they can't half day split twice the amount of rides, which would give a similar saving but alow guests the opportunity to ride everything on any given day. As has been said, an independent family run park has to be far more careful with their spend. I bet from the moment Icon is open the park will be heaving and they finally start running the place properly again. They need to start the hype though, down south there has been nothing I've seen to promote Icon.

France - man thrown to his death from spinning ride, others injured. Sounds like the ride may have partially collapsed. Can't work out what the ride actually was, looks like it might be called 'twirl'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43608220

Looks like a scale model, running under some unnatural forces. I forsee issues.

Could Knightmare be considered vintage?! Loads of vintage (and quite a bit if it thrill) stuff they don't have. Skid / Whip, Rotor, Steam Boats, Octopus, Dive Bomber, the swinging varients of round rides with a million different names. They don't have a traditional ghost train or funhouse, which feel missing. I'd love to see an old wooden boat water chute like the used to have on the site years ago. Doubt there are any originals of those knocking about tonrrferb though.

So Dreamland have opened the Zamperla catalogue and just gone for one of each. Hmmm. They do need more attractions, but I love the idea of them being primarily a heritage park, and this doesn't fit with that at all. I guess it's damned expensive sourcing, refurbishing and maintaining vintage rides though.

Well, good job I was sitting down when I read that! Shock.

You also get me following you around with a look of disappointment and disdain. Enjoy your day!

I think Roast and Relish was the best theme park fast food I've ever had. It was the location not the food that was the problem, shame they couldn't make it work.

Great post about the Duel improvements, sounds like it's heading in (mostly) the right direction. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1689856084415667&id=754391131295505