planenut

They are at Alton, but at £12.99, though as I had suspected I would meet the man himself, bought my copy, and luckily got John to sign it too. Interesting read, and with so many references to people and places with which I have an awareness or links.

I don't do football and I hate spending more than a pound on anything, but how much is it to watch a professional match these days, and for how long are you entertained? I suspect the pricing is almost the same, and we all know the length of a day at a theme park.

Hopefully avoiding any misinterpretations of my comment, I will only say....... "There are currently no Planning Applications submitted for Drayton Manor save for a Garden Room extension to the hotel."

The stinky smell, is actually what it smells like; from where so many people have felt the need to share their lunch with others it has impregnated the softer fittings. Rode it last Saturday; nice ride, but I would not queue for anything over twenty-five minutes for it, which to me seems like two rides joined together.

great stuff. North Wales is beautiful up top, and intriguing down below. (I shall refrain from adding further comment)

Great report; particularly like the idea of the caving trek. I presume that mine was not close to Betws'? Planenut

Interesting this; a line I always use for those in fear of roller coasters - "there are more people killed on British motorways daily, than annually, worldwide, on roller coasters!" this seems to bear that out.

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Whilst having a quit chat to a staff member today on the platform in front of the baggage room, a lady who was standing the "exit" side of the staff gate asked me "if I had wimped out also to not ride", I just agreed, a very short conversation. Just had it confirmed by someone who has his finger on the button, that indeed the smoke is not operated by the ride operator but set up to operate by the mechanics. I must have words with the person to whom I spoke earlier.

I ventured onto SWARM today; that's the oddest way to run a queue-line. One for facing backwards billed as being forty-five minutes long, the other for facing forwards twenty. Went into the forward (the right way) and it merged with the backwards in front of the baggage store, with no staff controlling, then I was putting the bag in whilst about twenty people walked past me in to the queue area. Once I had lodged my bag, I excused myself and passed most of those I could recognize, to then queue (indoors) to make my way to the front row, and to the airgate - no member of staff had been anywhere in all of that. Odd.

Now that would have made a great video to go online with.

Oddly enough today there was a much larger crowd than I expected, loads of youngsters on school trips amongst them. Ride ops. reckoned on some special ticket release. I would have thought that Monday would be a good bet.

That's different to what the ops. told me today. What enthusiasts must remember, and this goes for myself too, is that if GP only visit once in a blue moon, they won't know whether effects are not working, so they themselves are the lesser priority.

Whaaaaat?

Well done, loads of people would have been out the door - can you not train the cat to pick up currency in the form of notes?

Shhh! Thorpe Park thank you for a reasonable explanation, but you can trust me, if I say the queue is a couple of hours long, it is, no need to check, just publish, cheers.

I could also tell them that my favourite ride has the longest queue, in the hope that loads of people then keep clear of it.

Why can there not be signs that the staff can deploy when there is a breakdown, so that it can be seen prior to meeting the staff member who has the task of informing everybody individually at the entrance. This would not only reduce the number actually getting to that point but would also reduce that need to verbally inform them. I've seen staff having to act like sheep dogs as would be riders try to move past them from various locations. I am not affiliated to any company, but this is the idea..... http://www.displaysense.co.uk/Wall-Mounted-Barrier-Systems/?action=filter&barrier_type=wall_barrierss&barrier_type=wall_mounted This would reduce the number of people walking to the closed entrance.

I think he must have snuck in and nothing was working!

It was working last Tuesday. A lot of the effects and announcements are at the control board, so just ask the team to put it on; I have always hoped the smoke does not effect the ride ops..

Thanks for the heads-up Luke; indeed a sad day, and what an inspiration from the Bryans to create such a great park, and what a legacy to leave.

If they worry about a coaster structure shaking tell them to watch the wings on the next aircraft they fly in - they are designed to, 'cos otherwise they'd snap, and likewise with tolerances built into rides.

I used to think I had loads of friends, but gradually realized most were "colleagues". I am a little older than most on this forum, and have few true friends, but they are the ones that will always be with you. Don't look for friends, just be there for the exchanges that others need, the friendship will develop. Assess the negative comments and those that annoy you, work out if there's any relevance. Life has a big rubbish bin beside it, where you put the useless negatives, once in, forget it. Don't waste brain cells in regretting or worrying about things that you cannot change and that are past, file them but sift the good bits that you can benefit from, then look in the mirror and see who matters.

I went on Tuesday, only about 2 - 3000 in the park, compared to 13000 a couple of weeks ago. I had a good day.

Han, your sister is quite welcome to call me to help her therapy, sounds like she needs some guidance. You on the other hand have a great opportunity, to measure yourself against someone who it seems proves how well you are doing, 'cos you are able to say "that's not how I would treat someone!" Life is a stage, we go out and perform and when we get back to our base, we can breathe a sigh of relief and consider we got away with it. Enjoy your life, and ease up on the comparisons, corners exist so that we don't know what's coming. Your sister must have a pretty sad life if she spends her time criticising yours. As to work/jobs, think outside the norm, question everything and not getting a job is not a failing, but somebody elses loss, Be You!