Mark9

It just shows the selfishness nature of people. I'm not going to any Olympic events but that doesn't mean I am not going to enjoy one of the most prestigious events a country can host or see the benefits the games will have for London. If you look at what the Commonwealth Games did for Manchester in 2002, I think you'd agree that the 2012 games will last far beyond the end of September. We're creating a legacy, not just a one off event.

I'm very much a fan of the Olympics. Sure we could have built 1000's of defibrillators, but to show the greatest show on earth in our country is an honour. I think it was a class act for the lighting of the torch to not be a famous celebrity but to be the next generation of British sporting talent.

For some reason, I read your post and got very defensive over Air, very "hang on a minute". Whilst its near to the bottom of my B&M list, it's still better then 90% of the rides out there. Comparing to Nemesis and Oblivion doesn't work for me, two very different rides with completely different aspirations and goals. You can see that on park as ten years later, Air still holds the longest queues in the park while Nemesis just doesn't.

Just to clarify my position. I think it's a good ride and definitely not boring. It's very different to the other flyers so deserves credit for being the truest form of flying rollercoaster (even if I do really really like Manta). But Air's problem comes from looking too scary for its target audience, its height restriction is too high for the people it's trying to attract to it and lets be honest, the ride does lack a certain something that makes it a really fantastic roller coaster. I don't think its the theme and the layout is fun for its length. But there's definitly not as much love showered on it compared to its older B&M brothers.

I certainly can think of the fastback package opportunities when adding this kind of ride.

I was thinking that. Intamin probably cried itself to sleep when Maurer, Gerstlauer and Mack came up with far superior launches that didn't try to kill and maim,

It could have been you?!

Todays Mark rant = Words & shopping Words People who over use certain words really annoy me. For instance. People who say obviously at the end of every sentence, for example "That door is the fire exit, obviously". People who say literally when it's unnecessary to say it, for example "I was literally five minutes away by tube". Are you literally or actually five minutes away? People who say "at the end of the day" all the time. Football players are especially guilty of this heinous phrase, as are the mugs that appear on Jeremy Kyle. People who say "you know what I mean". What if I don't know what you mean. People who have to have the last word, people who have to say something smart or mean in a conversation to appease their own superiority complex. Shoppers Customers who see a sign saying opening tomorrow and yet still insist on knocking on the windows. Customers who pick up a frozen or chilled item, carry it halfway through the store then decide to leave it next to the flour or mixed in with the herbs and spices. Customers who get upset that a store doesn't sell a particular item despite the fact the item asked for is something really obscure like Organic Fennel from the Shetland islands. They then throw a tirade of asbuse at staff despite the fact the store is called Little Waitrose and will not deliver the full lines that a larger store will do. Customers who insist on a FRESHLY HOT FROM THE OVEN BAGUETTE despite the fact that it will sweat in its bag and will most probably break half way through the shopping trip. Thats if the person servicing them doesn't get first degree burns from trying to pick up a boiling hot piece of bread from a metal frame. People who, upon seeing items are at full price, ask when the item will be reduced and then hover around the store for five hours, waiting for a reducer to turn up. Rant complete

Saw the flame in Hackney on Saturday afternoon. Really joyous and brings everyone together on the street to celebrate the event.

Comparing the best park in the world against Thorpe Park doesn't sound right to me. It's like comparing your Sainsburys basic carrots against your top of the range restaurant presseco. I also added some Alton Towers nightmare queues for balance.

I believe I read from one of our posters on TPM (Or it could be TTF) that because of the recent flooding at Nemesis, they've banned the use of the red dye in the water.. could someone do the right thing and put us right here

I like it. The Swarm really hates the emergency services.

Two of your favourite rides are shorter in ride duration then Swarm so it would seem odd to criticise Swarm for being short.

To make the mazes more then just an actor running at you, screaming and running away. That would be nice.

When they start doing that to rides like Oblivion and Vampire, without painting queue lines garish colours or awful sponsorship deals then yes Merlin will have turned some kind of corner.

Nah mate. Putting aside the fact that Silver Star was the tallest ride in Europe for ten years or that Blue Fire single handedly blew away every other launch rollercoaster in Europe, Europa Park is about the whole park experience, not just what the big rides do. I get (and I know other people will hold testament to this) just as much thrill flying through Alpenexpress's tunnel to seeing Europa Maus being unveiled out of a champagne bottle and ice skating around an arena. It should continue doing what it does best. Being the best park in the world.

I'm going for the fire engine from near Depth Charge.

Thats probably deliberate, to leave you with a good impression instead of a dismal one. Think Colossus's final inline or Nemesis's final corkscrew but in flat ride form

:lol: AND NO ONE SAW THAT COMING.

And now I just feel sorry for Air.

1. Nemesis. One of the best rides in the world. 2. The Swarm. Fantastic ride and so much fun 3. Oblivion. Amazing ride. Deserves far more credit then it gets 4. Nemesis Inferno. A sequel rarely beats the original. Great ride in its own right though. 5, Air. Good ride but fundamentally flawed.

I do love Oakwood and I'd hate for them to get something like a B&M. That kind of ride just doesn't seem right for a park like Oakwood. I personally think a small Intamin mini-mega coaster would work, especially darting through the trees at speed like Treetops Coaster.

I definitly think that out of the five rollecoasters at Thorpe, Inferno and Colossus are the most workmanlike, substantial rides at the park and now that they have settled are both incredibly reliable and important rides at the park. To be frank it's a hard one for me. Inferno is one of the worst B&M's I've ridden whilst Colossus is one of the best Intamins I've ridden. I think at a push, it has to be Inferno because it is the more consistent and reliable rides there. I always know I am going to get a good ride (if not outstanding) whilst Colossus can be hit and miss.

A TOP SPIN A HUSS JUMP 2 ANOTHER TOP SPIN

I have to admit that doing the Colossus ERT, really changed my perception of the ride and what its done as a whole. When I wrote the feature on TPM, I was doing it from quite a factual basis but riding it last week did bring up a slightly emotional response. It was quite clear from our talk that the park is proud of Colossus, regardless of it's frequently described roughness and the ride looking like it has had better days. Standing in the station with no guests around or at the top of the lift hill really highlights the impact Colossus has had on the Uk industry. It begun a sea change of investment; never before had so many rollercoasters been built in such a small amount of time (Inferno, Fury, Spinball, Jungle Coaster, Rita, Speed. Velocity, G-Force, Cobra, Stealth, Kumali to name a few in a three year period) Always loved Colossus's nose