Ian-S

Yeah we get these types in my other job, people make **** up on twitter to get attention. It could be true, but then it's up to the authorities to announce, not some random person on twitter who probably isn't even at the park.

Yeah take with a pinch of salt any 'reports' on twitter unless they come from merlin or the police.

Yeah somebody please ring sky and tell them sending empty cars round is nothing unusual and normal procedure, they seem to be under the impression it means something else.

I think it's safe to assume the worst injured are sitting in the front, I don't think it's being insensitive to talk about things. The guy on Sky News isn't doing them any favours though, reading of wiki and making stuff up (80 people stuck on a ride doesn't sound plausible tbh). They're now interviewing a guy on Sky who is at the park, he's saying something to the effect that he got stuck on the smiler earlier and the ride team sent another car round while they were stuck, this was about 3 hours before the actual accident.

Was due to go in a couple weeks, dam. Hope everybody is OK.

Breaking news just on the BBC, two Smiller trains/carriages have crashed into each other on The Smiler today, no other confirmed details other than the site/area is being evacuated and an Air Ambulance is on site. Will post links when available. Edit: Alton Towers statement one carriage was empty and the other had 16 passengers on, collision was on a low section of track at slow speed, read into that what you will.

Michael Bay called, he wants his green screen back.

Yes I read that wrong, was that area previously called 'Beanoland'? (Benin beat me to it) There's one there dated 14/7/09 but it just says redevolpment of beanoland and is linked to another planning app from 2004. The council seemed to either grant them unconditionally, or on 5 year condition, and the park has to re-apply again later on, the big sign at the north entrance has this type of permission, they'll need to apply for an extension otherwise it'll have to come down in November. Who was it was saying about needing bigger food outlets? Application pu in last week: "Erection of a single storey extension to the existing 'Fish & Chips' building." Guess that's a start...

Inconsiderate arseholes are not just limited to VIP pass holders, I've seen some shocking behaviour from Standard & Premium pass holders too. I think I mentioned up thread about the woman on annual pass day demanding to be given priority in the queue oitside because she was a 'premium' passholder, only to be told by the Thorpe person, that most of the queue was premium pass holders and she would have to wait just like the rest of us.

I'm didn't say they hadn't installed new rides, I said they hadn't applied for any planning permission for any since 2005 (contrary to what your imagination may think, they're two different things ), but they could have put them in under different names, I found several listings for planning applications for the park made under different Merlin subsidaries, I only checked the biggest which had 380+ planning applications. The area Kobra is in was part of a bulk application made before 2005 iirc, just because they put in an application doesn't mean they'll build the item immediately.

You know, their planning application history does make interesting reading. The latest 'ride' application was for something called "Flying Island" way back in 2005 that was given the go-ahead, I can't tell from the plans but did this end up being Dragon's Fury? Before that was 2003, a load in the early 2000 etc. etc. But you are right, nothing since 2005 for rides, it's all either the hotel or infrastructure (new turn styles, sea life building, penguin enclosure etc.). So maybe we are being a bit harsh on the local council if the stuff on their website is anything to go by, they've turned down very little in the way of planning apps in the last 20 years. I still think the monkeys at Chessington would do a better job of running Surrey County Council though lol.

The eye thing is probably a 'Subconjunctival Hemorrhage', I've had that a couple of times (not from roller coasters) and it clears up in a week or so, eye drops will help if it itches. To show some comparison that not all parks are filled with insensitive ****ers, when my wife fell over getting off vampire, her legs had gone because it was the first coaster she'd ever been on, the ride ops were there within a few seconds to check if she was OK. It does sound like they need a panic button that slow or stops the capsule spinning that the ride can hit if the spinning gets out of control.

Local Council is Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, county is Surrey. Surrey County Council is run by a bunch of idiots who wouldn't know a winning lottery ticket if it was presented to them on a gold plate, I had the misfortune of working for them many years ago. Tbh, Merlin should play hardball with them, tell them the park must have some major modernisation or it will have to close, the area not only has the park but also one of Merlin's regional offices, if they threatened to do an HSBC I'm sure someone would sit up and take notice. I can't see that a couple more coasters would hurt if put in in the right place, certainly nobody lives close enough to be majorily disturbed by another ride, and as I pointed out previously, traffic congestion around the site has nothing to do with Chessington itself as it's the same in the dead of winter when the park is closed.

My wife's just read your post and decreed I'm never going to be allowed near Skyforce.

If they carry on at this rate the fasttrack queue is going to end up being longer than the main queue.

Oh I could live in a theme park so long as I didn't have to endure the great unwashed chavs all day every day, would be lovely to have a place down on the old farm at Thorpe.

Oh interesting (well, not interesting, but you know what I mean).

Pete, I thought it was £80 unlimited queue jumping at Thorpe?

Love is blind as they say

£600 to ride Jessica Biel for a year? I'll have some of that. oh, not that Stealth?

Conservative MP in the making there. Did I really say that out loud? Ohhh

You're dedicated, that's for sure. I can barley do two days without having to go into rehab lol.

Steel rusts, just it takes a very long time to. I assume Colossus is made from galvanised steel?

Don't forget your island beats ticket then (*when applicable), otherwise you'll have to suffer the coasters.

Self induced fright nights lol.