Han30

I must admit I have on many an occasion had to switch off the JK show because the rowing chavs give me a headache. I don't watch it as much these days (I used to really fancy JK - embarrasing I know ) As for colds - yeah they can make you feel awful - I swear by Vitamin C. I'm fortunate that I haven't had a cold for nearly a year but on the down side when I do get one it inevitably ends up heading to my chest and resulting in a chest infection.

Yup - money talks! What I find helpful when I'm feeling particularly crud about my teeth is watch a bit of Jeremy Kyle show - it works wonders!

Well the Vampire music is pretty good - probably not great going off when you are in a lesson. I used to have The Smiler tune as my ringtone and last year, not long after the incident happened I went on Saw and when I got off and collected my bags I noticed I had a missed call - my phone volume was on maximum so not sure if anyone heard it. I've since changed the ringtone to the Saw theme and now when it rings it just makes me jump

Agree - I actually quite like Colossus (this is quite controversial but I prefer it over Inferno) BUT in all honesty I can't see them getting new trains or getting a paint job - God knows how much that would cost and if they would even want to invest in it - I'd also like to see the medusa pit looking nice and clean again but its been skanky for years! My most recent ride on Colossus was beyond painful but then I was near the back - usually I find it much better nearer the front. Would be so much better with lap bars - no head banging!

Oh blimey - is there nothing that can be done or is it too late? I absolutely hate my teeth - I have had looooots of fillings (I put it down to eating 2 packs of polo mints every day when I was a teenager) I hate having fillings - would rather have a tooth pulled. So far I've had 5 tooth extractions (that included both bottom wisdom teeth), 6 if you include the one I yanked out myself, plus a root filling thing. 2 different lots of braces when I was a lot younger which I disliked but they did kind of help - I fainted years ago and went face down on concrete slabs which knocked half of my front tooth out - was so petrified of the dentist that I was walking around with just half a tooth for 18 months before getting it seen to - now the capped tooth is stained which I am really self conscious of(I've even tried household bleach on it but it doesn't work). And I',m fairly certain I have zero enamel left on my teeth thanks to being bulimic in my early-mid 20's. Wow I just typed an essay Yeah I've heard morphine is pretty good - wouldn't mind trying it!

Rob - your post made me laugh - I will try and leave the pliers alone (I've also tried tweezer and those scrape things you get in mini dental kits) Ian - jeez how many teeth have you lost?! Might have a bash with a cotton bud, see if that does anything I've never had gas (in the dentist term of things)!! But sounds quite fun

Thanks for the advice Rob - Oooh a Valium injection sounds nice - I'm tempted to back to my old dental practice even though my dentist has retired, the one that took over is very good apparently- only problem is that it is private and Lord knows how much it would cost (last time I went it was about £50 for a consultation). Ian-s - I think I read somewhere before about your teeth and the Equinox- I would love to give you some Valium but they are very precious to me haha - I can however make you a tin foil hat! I think I'm panicking because I've got this sodding root stuck and I have no idea how a dentist would remove it (I'm thinking they may need to slice into my gum - lush). I've even bought pliers but can't get the damn thing out

That is crazy!! That empty train was upside down for a fair while, jeez As for the £5mil fine - I'm quite surprised it wasn't more as it was down to negligence. Alton Towers to their credit did admit full responsibility from day one - but that doesn't take away the fact that something like this happened when it was avoidable- lessons may have been learnt but those individuals involved in that smash have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives - yes they would have got huge compensation but that means nothing when you've lost a limb/incurred serious injuries - and thats just the physical suffering.

I went on it in the snow.....twice while sat at the front - that was beyond painful

Great pics guys - and loving them hi viz jackets! Looks like you all had a fab day - the Stealth tour sounds fantastic and something I would love to do when I can afford it. Lovin' those Stealthies!

I am in pain - had a filling fall out a couple of months ago which was fine (well, not totally as there wasn't much tooth left) - a couple of weeks ago the tooth was annoying me so I decided to remove it myself - big mistake - the tooth came out fine - but now the root is still there and there is no way I can dig it out (I have tried several times) I have a massive fear of the dentist even though I quite enjoy tooth extraction - it's bloody filling that I hate. And my old dentist has retired so I need to find one that is understanding.....or just take a load of Valium

Yup I've given up hope of it returning. Bloody love that ride - it was perfect for the whole family and got you just the right amount of moist(!). Rumba you come off dry, and Tidal Wave you may as well take bloomin' shower gel with you. Not even going to mention Storm Turd. Loggers was a Thorpe Park classic and I think a lot of people will miss it - lets face it - it's not like it was unpopular (though saying that Storm Turd gets a ridiculous queue). I hate seeing rides SBNO - like when Rodeo at CWOA was SBNO for a year it just looked awful and I don't think it's great from the GPs perspective. Well I guess at least they have hidden Loggers pretty well - until you get on Samurai!

Ahhh 1996 - the year I left school I remember winning 4 free tickets to the park that year and no bugger wanted to go with me! I never got to ride X:\NWO until a few years later and only went on the damn thing once - how I didn't vomit was a miracle My sister was sat in front of me so it would have gone all over her

I wasn't impressed with Tomb Blaster when I visited a few weeks ago - I actually preferred the old guns even though they were a pain for me to shoot any blinking spot as I have a terrible aim. I used to really love it when it was Forbidden Tomb/Terror Tomb, then they added lasers....then they did away with Abdab. Agree about Duel though - a much better ride - I never rode it when it was just the haunted house thang but Duel is far more interactive then Tomb Blaster has ever been

I think something like what happened on the Smiler could potentially cause PTSD in some people. Yes I do agree about images and videos being helpful to investigations - but to take pictures once the event has happened and when the people on the ride were in distress is plain wrong in my eyes - I couldn't stand there filming etc when there are people screaming out in pain

Not going to be able to make this now dammit - got toothache and on codeine which is knocking me out a tad. Have fun guys & gals

Does Samurai just go on strike during FN?! I hope it reopens - Samurai in the dark is pretty good

My old GP used to prescribe me Valium like they were sweets - at the time I was grateful but now, 7 years later, I am still trying to wean myself off the buggers (though thankfully my GP I have now is fab and has helped me to reduce my valium from 84 a month to 24). I first started taking them for a dental visit years ago and then when my panic attacks returned in 2009 she happily gave me more - when my mum was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 she doubled the dose without me even asking. Friend definitely help - and as Pluk has said, he did indeed somehow get me on Detonator - I honestly never thought I would ever go on it - and oddly that first time I was the most relaxed - with me it gradually got worse - first time I felt fine, second time ok, third time nervous and the last time I cried. What helped me what Pluk explaining the noises that thing makes as it helped my nerves. I used the same sort of technique with my niece - explaining to her what to expect on the rides she went on. Last month I was sat next to a girl on Saw who was bricking it so I did the same and explained what to expect - she asked if she could hold my hand which I obliged - was a tad concerned that she may blow chunks but thankfully she didn't and survived to tell the tale. With certain rides for me it definitely helps having someone with you who knows the rides and can sort of talk you through it - I almost crushed a friends hand the first time I rode Samurai! Oh Pluk - telling your wife about accidents and deaths etc made me chuckle a bit - I have a nervous friend who, once when we were on Swarm I casually said to her on the lift hill "Hmmm I think you are sat in the seat which once fell off on the way round" - bit cruel but her face was a pic - I had to buy the ORP

Apologies for the not so great photos - I was using my phone plus I'm generally bad at taking pics!

I first visited Paultons Park in the mid 80's (ish) although the only thing I really remember is feeling hugely travel sick from the coach journey there. Fast forward to 2010 when I took my next visit to the park - this was the year before Peppa Pig world opened and the park was heavily advertising it (understandably) - we actually queued for about 90 minutes to get a photo taken with Peppa Pig (or her annoying brother - not sure which) - I might add, this was because I was with my then 6 year old niece - I'm personally not a huge fan of Peppa Pig and find the programme highly irritating although it is massively popular with kids. I had a fab day but left feeling light the place could do with a bit more on the side of theming. I next visited in 2013, Peppa Pig world was open and very popular and the previous year the park had installed Magma, a drop ride (which also spins) - I hate drop rides with a passion (thanks to Detonator) but can cope with ones such as Magma which are fun and give you a floating feeling rather than one where your butt flies out of the seat and you hold on for dear life (if you're anything like me) The theming on Magma is pretty good - you enter a volcano which has rumbling sounds and smoke/mist that goes off as the ride starts - I really enjoyed it and thought it was a great addition to the park A couple of weeks ago I took a trip to Paultons Park for the first time in 3 years to check out the new area, Lost Kingdom which opened in May of this year. I wasn't disappointed. Paultons Park is a lovely place and you can see that they have invested a lot back into the park (take note CWOA). The first thing that struck me was how clean the place was - I mean - REALLY clean - no rubbish laying around, no overflowing bins and it was so refreshing. You can tell that Paultons really do care about their guests - there is no shortage of toilets which is always handy and they have loads of benches (I love that they say Paultons Park on them aswell - so much so, I took a picture of one - yes I'm odd) There are also LOTS of play areas for kids - including a splash area with fountains which I'm sure gets busy during hot days Unlike Merlin parks where it can sometimes feel that they are trying to squeeze every last penny out of you, you don't get that feeling at this park - yes, they have those games where you throw a ball in a bucket to win a prize but the people manning these stalls aren't very pushy which is nice. Food at drink are fairly reasonably priced as well. Oh and you don't get stung for parking your car either. Not only do Paultons have a variety of rides, the gardens are lovely and you can tell that the people who work on them take great care and pride in what they do. They also have a variety of animals - including meerkats - and who doesn't love a meerkat?! Just look at that face OK - so if you are a hardcore adrenaline junkie who is looking for non stop thrills, this probably isn't the place for you - however I would recommend Paultons to anyone who is up for a chilled day with some decent rides - in my opinion a theme park doesn't have to be packed with inversion after inversion to be good. There are no rides at Paultons which have inversions but it is still worth a visit - they even have a nifty little train (Rio Grande) that takes you on a small journey around part of the park - perfect if you want a sit down and chill I really enjoyed the Lost Kingdom area of the park - the theming is fantastic and I was really impressed with what they had done. The 2 main coasters, Velociraptor and Flight Of The Pterosaur are really enjoyable - more so than I thought they would be. Oh and there are lots and lots of animatronic dinosaurs - Prior to riding Velociraptor, I had never ridden a Junior Boomerang coaster before - and embarrasing as this is, I did actually scream - mainly on the backwards part as I don't cope brilliantly with going backwards (I only ever rode x:/nwo once because I came extremely close to chundering my guts up) Flight Of The Pterosaur was a nice surprise for me - I didn't expect much if I'm honest but I thoroughly enjoyed it - it's full of twists and turns and again, the theming is fab - the thing I absolutely love are the restraints on the trains - because it is just a lap bar that you pull down over you it allows for a lot more freedom - it would be awesome if Vampire got these sort of restraints. We rode on the back row, front row and in the middle - all give a great ride but I probably prefer front as I like to see where I am going FOTP trains FOTP station We also rode the dinosaur safari ride which was surprisingly good even if it did start to rain a bit mid-way through. We didn't go on Boulder Dash so I can't comment on that but the whole are is just really nice and fresh. Because we visited on a really quiet day, everything was walk on and we were able to go on pretty much everything multiple times which was fab. As well as The Lost Kingdom, Critter Creek is another themed area which is really bright and happy (is that the right word?!) I really do love Paultons Park and although my niece has moved onto scarier rides, she also loved it when she was younger. It is a true family park and I love that it is starting to get the recognition that it deserves. This place has well and truly over taken CWOA in terms of theming and overall presentation/care etc. Yes it would be nice if they were to add a couple of more thrilling rides but the way the park is going I think they are just going to get better and better. Although I have a MAP, I for one reaaaaally hope that Merlin never buy this place out - would hate to see it run into the ground. To be honest, if I lived nearer I would consider getting a season pass but as I live over and hour away it isn't viable. Another thing to mention is that the staff who I encountered during my visit were all extremely friendly and enthusiastic - which is nice to see. The only criticism of the place that I would have is that it took us a while to get into the park as not all the turnstiles were in use and the ones that were seemed to take a while to get people through. My personal favourite rides at Paultons would be - Flight Of The Pterosaur, Velociraptor, Cobra and Magma - I also quite like Wave Runner - it's pretty much Depth Charge (although for some reason I prefer Wave Runner and have no idea why). Another thing to add is that Paultons Park have 2 similar rides to CWOA - The Edge (a disco-coaster - similar to Kobra) and Kontiki (similar to Griffins Galleon) but for some reason, Paultons have these rides on a much better setting. I haven't actually ventured onto The Edge since my visit back in 2010 where my sister and her partner were taking bets on whether I was going to throw up (thankfully I didn't). I put off going on Kobra at CWOA for a long time, thinking that it would be as intense and was really surprised when I first rode it as it felt a LOT tamer. Kontiki is definitely a lot more intense than Griffins Galleon at Chessie - that also made me feel a bit queasy when I rode it a couple of years back (though I have to add that I have since discovered the wonders of anti-sickness meds) Wave Runner Critter Creek theming Cobra car (Gerslauer bob sled) Cobra Great theming in Peppa Pig World Double Decker Victorian carousel Chair swing ride The Edge Raging River log flume - there is zero theming on this but for its size it offers a decent splash And finally - I saved the best for last..... Mr Fish disembarking the crocodile ride thingy in Peppa Pig World

Regarding the storyline - yeah it is a bit confusing - well it gets confusing at the second VR point - also, I don't know if it is my eyesight but the other day, the second VR bit was really blurry?? One thing I realised (I am a bit slow) is that during the pre-show, at the end when Derren picks up the train and says "I'll see you on the other side" - you don't see him so where is he? Is he a demon I personally enjoy the ride - I've ridden it 3 times now but I wouldn't queue ages to go on it. There is one lad that works on it, I've seen him before as a ride host in previous years and he really gets into his role and is actually a pretty good actor. I do agree that they could have really played on the Victorian theme - but I have to say - those dolls they used in the marketing scared the living poop out of me so I'm kinda glad that they didn't feature

I would love to conquer my fear but I am so petrified of flying - I don't even know why as I've never flown before. It's the thought of all that space between the plane and Earth that would play on my mind (yeah I'm odd)! I went on the London Eye - once - convinced myself the pod was going to drop off and had a huge panic attack. Luckily flying isn't an essential part of life so it doesn't affect me too much although I've lost count of the amount of disturbing dreams I've had regarding planes and air travel

Yes, the ride music after the smash was odd. The sound of that crash though - just awful. Was horrible to watch, knowing that those poor buggers were about to crash into the stalled train then hearing it. Cannot even imagine what they must have thought as they headed towards to stalled train and realising what was about to happen. Also, as we know, the front 4 passengers were the most seriously injured but I often wonder if it has affected anyone that actually witnessed it - might sound like an odd thing to say but I don't think I would cope well if I saw that - especially being unable to help the poor sods. I know one thing though - I wouldn't have hung around to take photos after the smash - I just think that is so wrong

Oh yes - with Stealth it was the sheer height of the thing that terrified me before riding - but it was the freaking launch that actually made me almost soil myself (I didn't actually notice the height all that much once I was on it I also suffer with panic attacks so totally understand, hence why I prefer to go to parks when it is quiet but its not always possible especially if I am with my niece. I'm sure you will get round to doing all the big coasters in Europe at some point - I would love to go to Europa Park, Port Aventura and Phantasialand - and back to DLP - the main thing stopping me (other than lack of funds) is flying - I've never flown and even the thought of it terrifies me.

I'm with you regarding Oblivion - that was the only ride I was terrified about when I first visited AT 3 years ago - went on all the other rides fine, got to Oblivion and I cried in the lift hill - though thankfully I loved it, but that anticipation for me was intense. Ive also watched a few POVs which have left me feeling sick - namely those ones on the top of that huge building in Las Vegas - I was watching one and it gave me a panic attack. Its kind of reassuring the know I'm not the only one that struggles looking up at high structures - was watching my niece on Detonator once and had to sit down as I freaked myself out a bit. I also have a bit of an issue with the sky(!!!) which is hard to get away from on lift hills in general, Saw being the worse - sometimes just looking directly up at the sky will spark off an anxiety attack. Do you think you will ever try Stealth again? That ride terrified the life out of me when I first went on it - I bought the ride pic as I never thought I would ride it again - I came off of it shaking and with tears in my eyes. It took a little while but I'm fine on it now, will ride it by myself and always put my arms up as bizarrely I find it easier to not hold on.