Blithering Lodge: The new topic. (VERY picture heavy)

DiogoJ42 · 12th Jun 2012

I'm going to take this opportunity to create a new Blithering Lodge topic, and condense 31 pages into one easy to read megathread. So without further ado, let us begin!

ALL THE SIGNS AND PROMOTIONAL IMAGES FOR THIS PARK HAVE BEEN MADE BY MY DARLING OTHER HALF, KELPIE. THANKYOU, MY DEAR. I COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.

Videos so far:

Part one:
Blithering Lodge part 1
Part two:
Blithering Lodge Part 2
Part three:
Blithering Lodge Part 3
Part four:
Blithering Lodge Part 4.
Part five:
Blithering Lodge part 5
Part six:
Blithering Lodge Part 6
Part seven:
Blithering Lodge Part 7
Part eight:
Blithering lodge Part 8

Summary of official updates from the old topic:

In 1984, Lord Blithering Ffool paid a visit to Alton Towers, and instantly fell in love with roller coasters. He decided to turn the grounds of his home into his own theme park. With scenery as beautiful as this, how could he fail?

The very first rides were an Enterprise, a Twist, a Rotor, and a Schwartzkopf looping star, in 1985...

The park had a good opening year. After visiting other theme parks, His Lordship decided to build a log flume.
The 1986 season saw the opening of Fearsome Falls, a record breaking log flume ending with a double-drop of 138 feet!

The ride is jungle themed, although most of this is just planting. It has four drops and two tunnels.

For 1987 the park opened a Merry-Go-Round, Teacups, and Lil' Bullet, a custom Tivoli from Zierer .

The park has also invested in landscaping and improving the gardens.

1988 sees the arrival of a Vekoma Boomerang called Uberang.
The park has also installed a Rip-Tide and a Ferris Wheel.

The lift towers are painted blue to reduce their visual impact outside the park. Ferry style boats across the lake have also been added.

The new food court and entertainment area, called The Lawns, also opened in 1988. It has a large grass area, and almost every shop you can think off!

There is also a 3D Cinema in this area. So far it is the only Pay-Per-Ride attraction, with a price of £2.

This is the view for future firework spectaculars!

And finally, nature has started to re-claim the ground around the Looping Star!

1989 brought us our first dark ride, Filbert's Fun factory. The ride lives in a large 'tin shed' painted green to blend in with the trees. The front of the building is themed thus:

The Ferris Wheel was moved from it's spot next to the Boomerang. In it's place is a Huss Ranger.

A close up of the 'factory' frontage:

The boats pop outside at the end of the ride. This lets people see how wet you get!

The events area now has a Tech booth and PARcan rig!

The new ride for 1991 the season is Ectoplasm Express, a Mack powered coaster in a new themed area called Corpse Copse.

This hill will eventually lead to the haunted house / ghost train.

No Mack powered coaster is complete without a helix like this!

Overall view of the park:

The House on the Hill was completed later in the season, with an interesting construction method....

His Lordship was never really happy with the large warehouse of Filbert's Fun Factory. Despite painting it tree green, It can still be seen from the road outside the park.

So after staying up late one night, drinking Port and whipping his butler (at Billiards, of course... what else were you thinking of?)
He came up with a brilliant, if slightly eccentric solution:

The frontage of the ride can be seen here:

But if we look at an ariel view:

We can see there is nothing behind it! Where could the ride be?
Here is the same shot with the scenery turned off...

Hey presto! One haunted House, lurking underground!

Obviously, digging a pit, pilling up the soil round the edges, roofing over the area and then turfing the freakin' roof is not cheap... Even for a life peer! So the ride is of modest size compared to Alton's Haunted House.

The ride is fully themed inside, including the queue and station. But The park is being very strict about letting cameras anywhere near the inside. Parks love to keep secrets, don't they?

Blithering Lodge has, however, released these publicity shots of their newest attraction, opening just in time for Halloween 1991:

Amongst all this excitement, one thing has gone almost un-noticed by the guests.... a small, A3 poster by the entrance information kiosk simply states:
1992:
WE GET SERIOUS
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

It's spring 1992, and huge convoys of trucks have been making deliveries to the park for weeks now. Reports say they are delivering steel supports....

.... Lots of them! They have been confirmed as the two types used by Arrow on their hypercoasters (thick single-post, and lattice-work).

Over the closed season, helium balloons were seen all over the park. So many of them that it was impossible to see the course of the ride from the ground.

The ECC have been begging His Lordship to make a statement for First Drop, but all he will say is
"It's BIG"

Construction began early in '92... but the ride was not opened until late summer 1993!

But the wait is finally over. ladies and gentlemen, I give you:

The Quest

Although made by Arrow, this beast of a ride's layout was designed by none other than Lord Blithering Ffool himself! He makes no attempt to hide his inspiration: LWV's Ultimate

The ride winds it's way round the entire park, using three lifthills and two tunnels. Most of the course is at ground level, using the natural contours of the land. Where the track passes the rear of the house, a cutting has been dug, so as not to spoil His Lordship's view of his garden!

The grand finale is a 98 foot drop down a cliff face next to the waterfalls.... which passes under the old stone bridge.

Break run, station and first lifthill:

Second lifthill:

Cutting at rear of house:

Grand finale:

To make it a bit easier to get your head round the layout, I've knocked up this:

The total track length is 6914.63 feet. Much to His Lordship's disappointment that's 528 feet shorter than Ultimate, but without going higher that's as long as the track could possibly be.

Max speed is 59.81mph,
3mins : 32sec ride time (the lifts are much faster than Ultimate!),
Total of 26 drops, giving 48 seconds of air time.
Excitement: 7.08
Intensity: 5.09
Nausea: 2.54

finally, the now traditional whole-park-wideshot:

In 1994, Looping Star got a repaint. The supports are black, and the track and station are now purple:

There is a simple entrance arch now:

Finally, I've done some weeding and layed new gravel round the base.

It's 1994, the year of Nemesis, Shockwave, and PMBO in the UK. Given that The Quest was only built last year, Blithering lodge took it easy for a season, with minor touch ups and improvements.

But what would be the next big thing for '95?

Construction is under way on the new ride!
His Lordship has been pleading with Vekoma to build a customized layout, but they are unwilling to take any risks with their brand new coaster design.
In the end they agreed to add an additional helix to the end of the standard SLC.

Keen to compete with Nemesis, His Lordship had the ride sunk into the ground and will use water features.

The ride will be the star attraction in a new themed area with the working title Smuggle Rock. The name of the coaster itself has not been made public yet.

It's spring 1995, and out of no-where, TV has been swamped by adverts for the latest monster ride at Blithering Lodge!

In the biggest, most expensive project to date, His Lordship has pulled out all the stops and created a new heavily themed area, re themed three existing rides, and built a Vekoma SLC.

Smuggle Rock is a rather run-down, turn-of-the-century seaside town.

The town was once run by criminal gangs who used it's secluded caves to store their smuggled goods.
Although the smugglers have almost all been hanged, some say their souls still reside in the caves they once frequented.

The town seafront:

Uberang (the Boomerang) has been renamed Fish Hook And repainted in more subdued colours.

The centrepiece of this new area is the Suspended Looping Coaster Mooncusser. The name is an old English word for smuggler.

The ride required extensive earthworks to keep the hight low enough for this end of the park.

Dirt removed from the pit was piled up at the rear edge to provide a larger 'cliff' backdrop.

The station is a rather simple affair, themed as an abandoned boat hut. but little of it is visible from the front of the ride.

The Trabant and Ranger were moved from their old position next to the Boomerang to the far end of this area.

Once again, the park have gone to town on the theming, even on the Ranger:

So far, guest reactions are very positive. Some [clearly retarded] guests have been heard to say
"Mooncusser is well better than Nemesis, coz it goes upside down more, innit?"

Enthusiasts are being a little more restrained, but even so have yet to say anything negative about His Lordship's latest folly.

The usual park wide shot:

1997 is with us... and His Lordship simply couldn't let a year pass without building a ride of some sort!
So The park has built a Toboggan run next to the Manor.

And yes, it is inspired by the one at Oakwood!

In 1998, Blithering Lodge opened it's brand new area, themed as a castle complex, Kingdom of Chaos

The oldest part of the fortress is the Norman keep.
It is home to a fearsome war machine: "Trebuchet". (a Huss Top Spin to you and me.)

Across the courtyard is the great hall and Tower. These imposing Gothic buildings contain a dangerous menace... "The Inquisitor".

This religious nut job judges everybody he meets to be guilty of crimes against god. He will not rest until the world has been 'purified'.

The Queue line winds through the tower, along battlements and cloisters until it reaches the great hall, where the Inquisitor resides. No one has ever met him and lived to tell the tale.

A small food court:

The double drop:

The traditional wide shot:

His Lordship has issued a press release, stating that there will be some big news for the park in the near future.

As the '98 season draws to a close, Lord Blithering Ffool has issued the following statement:

After 15 years of serving up thrills to our guests, we have taken the decision to retire Looping Star at the end of the millennium.
We are aware that this is the ride that made our park what it is today, and has a loyal following. This is why we are announcing this now, so that fans of Looping Star can have a full year to get their final rides in!

Rest assured we are working on something pretty special to replace Looping Star. You will not be disappointed!

A Third statement from the park came a year later:

Everyone here at Blithering Lodge would like to thank all those who have shown their support for us over the years. Especially all the people who turned up this season to say their goodbyes to Looping Star. We have seen gate figures increase year after year, with 1999 being our best season yet.
And the fun doesn't stop there, boys and girls, for as we all know, big things are afoot.
At the recent "goodbye Loopy" event, these posters were seen around the park!
]

At the moment we can say nothing about our next project, but we feel that any true enthusiast should have no trouble working out what we have in mind.

...

DiogoJ42 · 12th Jun 2012

Re: Blithering Lodge: The new topic.

Looping Star has left the building!
The little Schwartzkopf that could... can no longer.

As the new millennium dawns, it brings with it new technology, such as digital cameras and interweb. This means that enthusiasts can take as many pictures of ~~naked ladies~~ rides as they want, then share them with the world!

But what will happen to good ol' loopy? Will it be melted down for scrap? or turned into an art installation?
Word on the street is that is has been sold to a park in South America.

I've been wading through photos all night, and whittled it down to the best ones.

and so it begins...

More track is removed.

Eventually, only the station and loop remain.

The Twist has also been removed. whatever this new ride is, it's going to be bigger than Looping Star.

Finally, we have a blank canvas!

Hmmm...There seems to be a big empty space where a coaster should be...

Coming soon...

Throughout the 2000 season, extensive groundwork began on the former site of Looping Star.

A large 'canyon' was dug next to the footpath, and masses of footers were poured. But little more information was available other than the teaser poster seen since the 'goodbye Loopy' event.

Finally, towards the end of 2000, the poster in my previous post was spotted on park. Although it gave nothing away, the enthusiast community went mad with speculation.

In February 2000, Advertising began in earnest, although it was somewhat cryptic. TV was bombarded by one-word captions:

B
A
O
D
I
E

But it wasn't until one week before the beginning of the season that the nature of this beast was revealed.

I can now confirm that Blithering Lodge has got it's first B&M!

In ancient Chinese legend there was a fearless band of warriors, known as The Ten Tigers of Guangdong
They were without doubt the best martial artists in the known world.

But these were no Shaolin monks. They were a band of twenty-something lads, who knew they were the best of the best. They drank, they fought... they made foolish bets.
One day, Wong Yan-Lam bet Chow Tai that he could not leap from the highest pagoda ever built, in Chang'an, and live.

Chow Tai took this as an insult, and promptly climbed the tower and leapt. His Kung Fu skills knew no limit, and he flew to the ground and landed in one graceful movement.

Wong Yan-Lam admitted defeat, and bowed deeply to Chow Tai.

Ever since then, the greatest warriors of all China gathered once a year to leap from the pagoda, in a contest known as BAODIE. (literal translation: 'Plunge').

However, no-one has ever survived since Chow Tai's original feat.

The coaster is a double world's first: It is the first Dive Machine to feature inversions, and it is also the first to use floorless, ten-across seating. The cost of this beast nearly caused His Lordship to go bankrupt. Thankfully, he was able to take out a mortgage on the Lodge with Northern Rock. He predicts that he should be able to repay it within ten years, provided enough people visit his park. To be on the safe side, the gate price has gone up to £23.

The ride is the biggest Dive Machine ever built, and features four 'dives'. The first dive begins with the traditional holding break, after which riders plunge 160 feet down, before climbing into a dive loop.

This is followed by an over banked turn, then the first block break. After this, the train falls straight over the edge into the second dive, parallel to the first. This then loops in the opposite direction to the first dive loop, and climbs back out of the trench to curve round the ride entrance.
The second block break follows, then comes the third dive. This may be short, but it twists 90' to the left as it falls, and climbs into an air time hill.

After another turn, the train passes the final block break at ground level, then plunges straight into an Oblivion style hole.

Finally, after climbing back up, the train hits the breaks, comes to a halt, and returns to the station.

The ride is pushing the limits of hight restrictions for the park. Although planning permission was granted, there were many complaints from local residents. Thankfully, these issues were solved when His Lordship bought their houses and turned them into stables for his niece's ponies.

His Lordship plans to add a flat ride and expand the area in the near future.

(Oh, and for those of you who don't speak Mandarin, the name is pronounced 'BOW-dee-EH')

In 2002, Empire of the East, the park's oriental area gained a new attraction: A KMG Afterburner called Claw Of Death.

It sits within the track of BAODIE, next to the final dive.

The area is now complete... In other words it's full! <!-- s

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His Lordship is now in the final stages of planning the new coaster for 2004.

But what delights await us?
You'll just have to wait...

After BAODIE and the Claw of Death, His Lordship wisely decided to let the park's finances recover for a while. There were no new attractions for 2003, and the new ride for 2004 is on a much smaller scale. Besides, it's about time for a new family coaster.

It gives me great pleasure to announce Blithering Lodge's newest ride:

SpinMeister is a Maurer Söhne spinning coaster.

Take you seat and put your hands in the air, as you find out what life is like for a record! Your car will spin round and round, as the DJ mixes the latest tunes! SpinMeister proves you're never too old for a game of 'Big Fish, Little Fish'!

The ride has a very compact footprint. His Lordship insisted that the view of the high bridge and waterfalls must remain clear. This halved the available space.

The ride entrance is adorned with LED tubes that chase.

The station structure is made from trussing, designed to look like a festival stage.

After a quick lift hill, the car enters a series of downhill turns.

Then, after a 180' dive comes the classic horseshoe element, then a climb into the first block break.

After that, the track helixes out over the path, before passing under the breaks.

A second block break follows, then a 360' helix over the queue.

The final block break sends you scuttling along S bends into an underground tunnel. Then, after a quick 180' turn you burst back into daylight, and into the final turn.

Finally, you hit the breaks, still spinning. And in classic Maurer style, the car is returned to the right orientation with a slam!

Some coaster enthusiasts have publicly announced their disappointment with this ride. Internet forums are filled with posts claiming His Lordship is trying too hard to be 'cool', or 'down with the kids'.

One well known coaster enthusiast (who shall remain anonymous) has been quoted as saying:
"It's a bit naff, really, isn't it? Those signs make me cringe, and I can't say I'm a big fan of dance music. But it's a fun ride, and at least it doesn't spoil the view."

2005 has arrived!
But there has been very little change in the park. The Toboggan Run station has been repainted blue and yellow.

The only new additions this year are a drinks stall, and a Frog Hopper:

This area, including The Quest and SpinMeister, is now called "Bridge Street" on the park map.

Clearly, His Lordship must be saving up for something big...

It's early 2006. After a start of season trip to a rival park, His Lordship has had another one of his "One has to get One one of those!" moments

All existing plans have been put on hold. At this stage it is unknown what His Lordship has planned. However, staff have heard a rumour that he said

"I don't give a goat's gizzard how much it costs. We are bloody well going to have one of those by next season, or so help me, I'll put you through my woodchipper and feed you to my cat!"

...well, words to that effect, anyway.

The following was posted on Lodge Loonies Forum (LLF) over at lodgeloonies.co.uk :

BAODIE_BOY said:
OH. MY. GOD!1!
I was driving down Oak Lane with my mum this afternoon, and looked longingly over at Fish Hook's towers, wishing the park was still open.

I couldn't believe what I saw! Construction has gone vertical on this new mystery ride!11!
I grabbed my phone and snapped what I could as we went past. I couldn't see much, but it's pretty clear what kind of ride we can expect now!

Woooo! I got an exclusive! /

Posted: Wed 22nd Nov 2006 19:42

The following was posted on LLF just minutes ago!

Hish Fook said:
UPDATE: flight over the park, 2/12/06 (picture heavy)

As some of you know, LoopingStan and I were talking about trying to get some ariel shots of this mysterious new coaster.
Well, after calling in a lot of favours, I managed to convince a pilot friend to take us for a quick jaunt in his Cessna. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

We were at the airfield by 10am, but the weather was seriously wet. Low cloud meant there was no point in taking off. We sat around playing cards for hours... Long enough to start wondering what it must have been like for the lads stationed here in the war, waiting to scramble...
Anyway, at about 3pm it started to clear up, so we went for it, while the light was still good.

Most of the shots I took didn't come out too well... Either out of focus, or motion blurred. Those light aircraft don't half rattle! :sick:

So these are the best pics: ]

All it cost us was the fuel price, and a pub lunch! :lol: :lol:

Obviously, there is still much to be done on this new coaster. It looks like the station is getting there, but I'm a tad concerned about that ugly concrete trench. Only time will tell, but I'm sure His Lordship will work his usual magic.

Around Christmas 2006, the following promotional image appeared online:

After His Lordship's insistence that they open a Eurofighter for 2007, His staff endured what can only be described as "a kick-b0llocks-scramble". They were acutely aware that this type of coaster could look tacky unless they got it right.

His Lordship spent many long nights in video conference with the boffins at Gerstlauer, until a design was agreed on. There was only one place in the park with a height restriction that would permit a 100 foot tall lift tower... next to the 100 foot tall lift towers of Fish Hook, the park's Boomerang.

A Theme was the next problem. Space did not allow for an extensive dark ride section like Mystery Mine (also opened in 2007). His Lordship’s caddy was the one to suggest a lighter theme, arguing that there were enough 'sinister' rides in the park already.
It was at this point that a squirrel ran from the bushes and made off with His Lordship's golf ball! The caddy, being of colonial descent, proclaimed between laughs, "That critter ain't right in the head!"

And that's where the idea was born.

The new area is known as The Wacky Woods. It's star attraction is Skitzo Squirrel, inspired by that pesky little critter on the golf course...(and Gloomy Dude)

The queue line winds through the woods, eventually entering the building, where it splits into front and back row lines.

Once dispatched, the train makes its way to the lift, turning 180'. The lift is partially enclosed, to help hide the towers of Fish Hook, which over-hang this part of the ride.

After the rapid climb, there is no time to prepare yourself, as you are thrown over the top into a 95', 100 foot drop!

This is followed by a fast airtime hill. Be warned, this will send the contents of your pockets into orbit!

Straight after this, riders are thrown upside down into a climby, twisty, divey, double-loopy thing!

This includes a twist over and around The Quest.

Next the car climbs up to the first block break, before diving in to a high speed, high G, 720' helix.

The track twists sharply in the other direction, and climbs in to a barrel roll, with plenty of hang time!

There is the briefest moment to catch your breath as you pass the second block break, then the car dives onwards, and climbs into a twist-and-dive, over the path.

The track sends riders hurtling 'underground', and into the burrow of some kind of woodland critter. Finally, the car slows to a halt and returns to the station.

Also new for 2007, is Treehouse, A more relaxed ride aimed at those who'd rather give the Squirrel a miss.

And Mad Elm Disease, a Topscan...

An overall view of the area:

The entrance to Wacky Woods (sign pending):

The area is rather secluded, almost invisible from within the park, because of The Quest.

So far, enthusiast reactions have been nothing but praise. Most seem amazed that this land even existed, never mind that His Lordship was able to squeeze a coaster and two flats in to the area!

...

DiogoJ42 · 12th Jun 2012

Re: Blithering Lodge: The new topic.

Over the 2007/8 closed season, the guys over at Themegeek.org somehow managed to get an exclusive interview with none other than Lord Blithering Ffool himself!
See attached:

Theme Geek interview with Lord Blithering Ffool

The Theme Geek forums are proud to present an exclusive interview with the reclusive owner of Blithering Lodge, Lord Blithering Ffool himself!
His Lordship rarely talks to the press himself, so we were shocked to receive an invite in the TG inbox. How could we pass up such an opportunity? We drew straws to see which one of us would get to meet His Lordship, and I was the lucky winner!

And so it was that on a cold and rainy November day, I found myself making the familiar journey to Blithering Lodge. Upon arrival at the gates, I was met by a member of security, who escorted me through the empty theme park (Is there anything on earth more eerie?) to the Lodge itself. The large classical, grade II listed building is usually off limits to the public, and no one I know has ever been inside.
After being shown to a grand drawing room, His Lordship’s staff provided me with a warming cup of tea while I awaited the arrival of the elusive patron of thrills.

I did not have to wait long. A butler opened a huge door and announced,
“His grace, Lord Blithering Ffool”
And in swept the man himself. I’m not sure what I expected, but he is surprisingly tall. Dressed in jeans, a shirt, and jumper, he certainly doesn’t look like a seventy five year old lord of the realm. He looked like he could be anybody’s grandfather. A cheery kind of bloke who would be at home in a pub with a pint of bitter… maybe even a dog at his feet.
I felt slightly overdressed, having worn my best suit.

The formalities of greeting over, we settled down and began.

TG: Firstly, On behalf of enthusiasts across the country, thank you for granting us this interview, Your Grace.

LBF: Don’t mention it my boy. One felt it was time to give something back to One’s loyal fans.

TG: Let’s start at the beginning; What made you want to build your own theme park? How did it all start?

LBF: Well, I don’t think I have ever hidden my inspiration. It was, indeed, is Alton Towers. I can remember visiting that wonderful house as a boy, before the war. My father took me to admire the gardens, and so forth. Even after it fell into disrepair, One would still make frequent trips to the place.
When they began installing those dreadful fairground attractions, I curtailed my visits. It’s not that One didn’t enjoy such things. Rather, One felt they ruined what was once such a majestic place.

Then, one day back in ‘84, I overheard some of the staff talking about this contraption called The Corkscrew. I enquired as to the root of their enthusiasm, and was astonished by what they described. One simply had to see this for One’s self.

I dare say the rest is history. The thrill of roller coasters was instantly a part of One’s soul. Upon returning to my household, I realised that the grounds of my estate would be an ideal setting for such an attraction.

TG: So you built this park simply because you wanted to ride roller coasters?

LBF: Exactly. A train spotter will build himself a model railway. A film buff will buy himself a large television with surround sound. A roller coaster fan will build himself roller coasters. Well, those who have the means to do so.

TG: I’m sure most of us would if we could.

LBF: Well, obviously One is the exception, rather than the rule.

TG: Some people would build rides only for themselves and their friends. What made you decide to open the park to the public?

LBF: Well, One’s grounds have always been open to visitors. What’s the point of wealth if you can’t show it off occasionally? Ha ha ha!
But seriously, It would be foolish, no, selfish not to. If something brings you such great joy, is it not just that you should share it with others?

TG: That’s very noble of you.

LBF: Besides, those rides aren’t free you know. One has to finance them somehow.

TG: Very true. Moving on, what influenced your decisions in the early years? Why did you choose to construct the rides you did?

LBF: It’s a rather complicated business, setting up a theme park from scratch. To begin with, you need rides, and you need them fast. That’s why the early coasters were ‘off the peg’ models. One could simply place an order with a company, and get a ride installed sharp. You knew what you were getting, and you knew the public would pay to ride them.
Mostly though, One purchased rides One liked the look of.

TG: Your first custom designed ride was Fearsome Falls. What’s the story behind that?

LBF: No self-respecting park is complete without a flume ride. They were, and still are, very popular. At the time there wasn’t much choice, if you wanted a flume, it had to be custom. It seemed only right to do this properly. Start as One means to go on, and so forth. I really wanted to make a big impact with the ride, So I asked the designers to built as tall as they possibly could, making use of the hillside. One likes to think they didn’t disappoint.

TG: It’s twenty-two years old, and still going strong. I’d say it was a success. After that, your park seemed to explode. The period between 1987-89 saw a massive ride building spree.

LBF: Well, the eighties was a boom time for most businesses. But One did have some help in the form of an inheritance. My Uncle passed away in ‘86, leaving me a rather substantial sum… even by my own standards. He was fascinated by my little project, so it seemed only fitting to invest his gift in more rides.

TG: I’m sure he would be proud of what you’ve done with the place.

LBF: One likes to think so.

TG: Skipping forward a few years, The ride that really put you on the map was The Quest, in ’93. How did that come about?

LBF: Ah yes. [A large grin spreads across His Lordship’s face] I was fascinated by the concept of a “terrain coaster”. The feeling of speed is greatly increased when One is low to the ground. The concept had been in One’s mind for some time. I’ve always tried to work with the landscape. We are rather lucky here, in that One’s ancestors bequeathed a stunning, undulating landscape to me. It would be rather foolish not to make use of it.
This was the first ride that I took a personal interest in the design of. Working closely with the engineers from Arrow, we came up with a route that would encompass the whole parkland. With an eye towards future expansion, we realised that this ride would journey through many different themed lands, most of which we had not yet dreamed of. So the decision was taken early on not to give it a specific theme. The concept of an epic quest through many exotic lands soon proved itself to be a theme in it’s own right.

TG: Is it true that you sketched the route yourself, on the back of an envelope?

LBF: Well, the initial concept, yes. But One can hardly take all the credit One’s self. All our attractions are the result of toil by a very talented team.

TG: What about the rivalry between The Quest and The Ultimate?

LBF: It is true that we wanted to build the world’s longest roller coaster. But When Lightwater Valley opened their coaster first, we knew we were beaten. There was talk of extending the design, but what would be the point? Someone would only build a bigger one in a few years’ time. We didn’t want to sacrifice the ride’s speed for the sake of a fleeting record. After three years in the pipeline, we knew it would be a winner with our guests, if not with the men from Guinness. I think the gate figures for ‘93 speak for themselves.

TG: Speaking of “pipelines”, is there any truth to the rumours that you wanted an Arrow Pipeline coaster?

LBF: Who didn’t want one after seeing the prototype? But when we heard Alton were getting one, we decided to shelve the idea. I’m glad we did, too. Otherwise, we would never have had The Quest.

TG: And in the end, no one got one.

LBF: It’s a shame, but One has no regrets.

TG: Two years later, you opened what many consider to be the best themed area outside of Disney: Smuggle Rock.

LBF: Why thank you. One had long considered a seaside theme for the area by the lake. But we held back on developing it for several years, until we found the right kind of ride to headline. Vekoma provided that in the form of their SLC. One would dearly have like a more unique layout, but it was a new design, and Vekoma insisted that we keep it simple. I managed to wrangle an extra helix out of them, though! Besides, at the time it was unique to the UK…. Nemesis excepted, naturally.

The height limitations forced us to dig a hole for the ride, which created a wonderful “cliff face” backdrop. This, in turn, lent itself to the idea of smugglers using caves to hide their ill-gotten goods. The rest is history.

TG: The next big addition came in ’98, with….

LBF: A woody!

TG: Exactly.

LBF: Well, how could one not? It’s all very well having the latest steel thrill machine, but sometimes you just need to go back to basics.

TG: Some people have said that the layout was ahead of its time.

LBF: My dear fellow, you make it sound like this is a bad thing.

TG: No, not at all! But there were very few wooden coasters at the time with such a twisted out-and-back design.

LBF: It was a case of “what can we fit into this space?” We knew we wanted to use the hillside, but this meant that the first half of the ride would be at the highest point of the park. So rather than a simple “up and down” design, we tried to have elements of a terrain coaster. But we also wanted a different experience to The Quest. What we ended up with was the insane mid course twisty bit you know today.

TG: And once again, the theming surpassed all expectations.

LBF: If you are going to build a castle, you have to do it properly. You must remember, a man in my position is well acquainted with the fortified residences that litter our kingdom. I wanted Something with the “wow factor”. The inspiration came from the old folly my great grandfather built on top of the hill. It would be foolish not to use it. From the offset, One was keen to achieve that “mishmash” of styles so often found in castles. Even Disney can’t get that right, you know. Castles aren’t built all in one go. They evolve, over hundreds of years. I dare say ours is not finished yet either.

TG: Another turning point came in ’99, when you announced the removal of Looping Star. Were you surprised by the reaction of the fans?

LBF: To be honest, yes. Although it was our first coaster, we never intended it to last as long as it did. Fun it may have been, but the park had evolved so much in those nineteen years. Ride technology had moved on. It stood out like the proverbial sore appendage, and its day had been and gone.

TG: At least you gave it a good send off.

LBF: It still amazes me how many people turned up to that event. Not that I’m complaining, of course.

TG: So how did the idea for BAODIE come about?

LBF: Well, One has always had a soft spot for B&Ms.

TG: Who doesn’t?

LBF: Lest ye not forget, I am an enthusiast too, you know! We all know how successful the prototype Dive Machine was for Alton. But I knew it was capable of so much more. It took a long time to convince B&M to see things my way. It took rather a lot of money, too. Damn near broke the bank! But One likes to think it was worth it.

TG: Believe me, Your Grace, it was. BAODIE is my number one favourite ride.

LBF: Really? Well, that makes two of us! It’s just so graceful. How those boffins managed to pull it off, I’ll never know. It surpassed my wildest expectations. I always ride it first thing, every morning. There’s no better way to toughen the constitution.

TG: And has the bank balance recovered? If that’s not too personal a question?

LBF: Gate figures for the financial year 2001-02 were through the roof. I can assure you that our financial situation is marvellous.

TG: That’s always good to hear. Moving on again, Spinning coasters were all the rage in 2004. Did you know SpinMeister was going to have competition?

LBF: Maurer told us at an early stage they were building two other spinners in the country that year. To be perfectly frank, I revel in the competition. All three coasters offer something different. One likes to think we were original with our theme.

TG: Your latest project, Skitzo Squirrel has quite a tail behind it.

LBF: Oh dear, my boy. Is that the best pun you can come up with?

TG: Ha ha. No, that was unintentional actually.

LBF: Well, I assume you refer to the golf story?

TG: That’s the one.

LBF: Every word if it is true.

TG: Really?

LBF: Indeed. One cannot make stuff like that up, you know. I give full credit to my caddy for the name and theme of our latest thrill machine. Well, and the rodent, naturally.

TG: Did you have any involvement in the design?

LBF: Not really. It was such a short notice ride that I left it to my highly skilled staff to sort out the details. My only proviso was that I wanted that airtime hill. For the rest of the layout, One told them
“Just make it good”.
They didn’t disappoint, either.

TG: Once again, the theming is first class. To make such an intense ride seem so welcoming and friendly is quite an achievement. How do you do it?

LBF: One hires the best people in the industry, then pays them large sums of money.

TG: I can see how that would work.

LBF: It does.

TG: So let’s get down to the real question, Your Grace. The one everyone wants answered: What is next for Blithering Lodge?

LBF: Ah, One knew this would come sooner or later. It goes without saying that One cannot divulge confidential information.

TG: Of course, but is there anything you can tell us?

LBF: Well… We have a few bits and bobs planned. The next major project is scheduled for 2010, and will be a continuation of our castle area.

TG: Go on….

LBF: I’m not sure I should tell you any more to be frank.

TG: What about the rumours that you have been in talks with Intamin?

LBF: They are not rumours, they are fact…. Oh my. I’m afraid I really should say no more on the subject.

TG: So we can expect an Intamin coaster in 2010?

LBF: I never said such a thing!

TG: No, no, of course you didn’t, Your Grace.

LBF: Yes, well. So long as we agree.
Anyway, It’s been a pleasure meeting you, but One must be off. One has a large sum of money riding on a round of golf this afternoon.

TG: The pleasure is all mine, Your Grace. Thank you for your time.

LBF: Don’t mention it, my boy. Oh, on your way out, have a word with Gibson, my butler. He can sort you out with an annual pass. It’s the least I can do.

TG: Why thank you, Your Grace!

LBF: Not a problem. I’ll be looking out for you on opening day next year. Toodle pip!

Lodge Loonies News said:
The LL team have heard on the grapevine that a planning application has been submitted for the area "next to The Inquisitor."
No further details are available at present, however, given that this area is at the highest point of the grounds, it is safe to assume that it must relate to the hight of the new ride.
As always, we will keep you posted with any news as it comes in.

Meanwhile, feel free to go crazy with wild, hopelessly wrong speculation in THIS TOPIC.

Lodge Loonies News said:
Once again, LL is proud to bring you an exclusive! Planning documents for the next coaster are now online!
It seems that once again, His Lordship is being sneaky, by only submitting one plan that shows any accurate coaster track at all.

This image shows the proposed high points that will be visible from outside the park, but very little else.

Meanwhile, two other images have come into our possession We seem to have somehow acquired some pieces of concept art. How much, if any of this will make it into the final ride is unclear, but they can be found HERE and HERE.

Exciting times lie ahead, fellow geeks. Roll on Project Bolt!

Why not have your say in our forums?

Interesting times indeed. :-k Let's have another look at those images...

Well now... what do we have here?

Great news folks! It seems that "Project Bolt" has been granted permission! \

/

DirtyDave from Lodge Loonies said:
I've just head that Project Bolt has been green-lit! Seems the councillor reviewing the application went to Eton with His Lordship!

Word on the grapevine is that local resident Irene Bourk, who has been a vocal critic of the new project, accosted the planning committee outside the town hall. She asked about the ride being visible above the trees, and Councillor Bagshot replied
"Well, trees grow, you know. Give it a couple of years, have a cup of tea, and let nature do what it does best. Now pop along, there's a good dear."

Well, the park has opened for the 2009 season. One or two changes have been made over the winter.

* Skitzo Squirrel has had new theming added, in the form of a large "hollow tree" that encases the vertical lift. Supposedly this was planned from the start but time and budget constraints meant it had to wait a couple of years.

* The Quest has been had a computer overhaul, with the ageing Arrow software replaced with a new system by S&S. (Since they hold all Arrow patents). This allows it to run four trains of five cars, rather than two trains of six, as before, solving it's throughput bottleneck.
The station has been repainted, and the metal walls clad with bamboo, with a loose "exploring" theme. The final three sets of air gates have been removed to match the shorter trains.
The supports have been repainted, but interestingly, the third lift hill is now brown, not blue. Why this one has been changed, and not the second lift, (where it would blend in with The Wacky Woods) remains unclear.

* Welcome Street has had a few minor facelifts such as new railings round the fountains, and new festoons of light bulbs.

* A new office block has been built behind Welcome Street, and a hospitality and entertainments building.

* This years park map has a huge area covered by a big pink splodge saying "Our most thrilling ride yet: Coming 2010".

Airtime fans are lamenting the loss of The Quest's infamous "back row". However, early reports say that the new trains are running faster than the old ones. :shock:

For those geeks who just love to cover their walls with park maps, the 2009 Blithering Lodge map is now available!

As you can see, unlike some parks, His Lordship believes that a map should be functional and accurate.

*******************************************

Long live the community.

RyanY · 12th Jun 2012

Thank you for posting this over here.

I have seen all of the video's more than once, and I looked through this topic over at TTF loads of times before.

Your work really is amazing and the level of detail is mind-blowing, you should consider showing this at shyguys world or RCTlounge as I'm sure they'd love it.

Can't wait for more.

Fredward · 12th Jun 2012

Amazing Diogo, Glad you managed to salvage everything, it really is a great park!

Ted · 13th Jun 2012

This is the first time I've seen your park, Diogo. And I've gotta say, it is brilliant! You truly are amazing at RCT3!

Ellie · 20th Jun 2012

Aw'Diogo! I absolutely LOVE Blithering Lodge! I have NO idea where you get the patience to make everything so perfect and what not.
I wish it were a real theme park

But i've had great fun reading it back! This is definatly my favourite RCT3 creation

Will · 20th Jun 2012

Looks wonderful Diogo absolutely beautiful park thank you for reposting it.

PG Ricey · 20th Jun 2012

What an amazing creation, such a long perfected story it's brilliant! Shame there's not a way you could turn it into a mini book

.

Great work diogo!

DiogoJ42 · 1st Jul 2012

OK peeps, There is a very large update on the way later tonight, but for now, just a quick one to cover the changes for the 2009 season I mentioned earlier.

The new tree theming on Skitzo Squirrel:

The Quest's repainted station:

Welcome Street, with the new corporate offices and hospitality suite behind:

A closer shot of the new buildings:

Stay tuned to find out all about Project Bolt! (I have a lot of images to sort through and upload)

DiogoJ42 · 1st Jul 2012

Well, here we are guys. A coaster that has been incubating in my mind for two years. I never thought it would ever see the light of day, but Wardley smiled upon me. I'm sure you can imagine how great it is to have finally built it!

I think most of you have managed to work out the type of coaster by now, there have been enough clues

So without further ado, I give you...

GAOL BREAK

For 2010, Blithering Lodge brings us the long rumoured Intamin Blitz coaster.

This tangled, sprawling beast of a ride is the parks largest and most intense. It features three crazy inversions, and no less than three launches!
While it is an extension of the Kingdom Of Chaos, His Lordship felt that the castle was large enough already. So this new area is themed as a medieval walled city.

The ride can be broken down into several “acts”, each with their own distinct character. Your journey begins in the city itself, where the queue winds it's way through the narrow streets, and along sections of the city wall.

Eventually, you reach the station, or gaol house, where you board one of three 12 seat trains. Being a coaster fan himself, His Lordship point blank refused to allow standard Intamin OTSRs in his park. So these trains are fitted with good old fashioned lap bars and seatbelts. Yes, you read that correctly, an inverting Intamin with lap bars! Additional locking mechanisms have been fitted to make them safe, and unfortunately riders are “stapled in” somewhat. But surely this is a small price to pay for freedom and comfort?

Once dispatched, your train passes through the gaol, which is located inside a large rounded stone building, on top of which sits the town's inn. (A fine establishment in which to stop for an ale).

Windows at street level allow passers by to see trains inside.

Suddenly, a chance for escape presents itself. You squeeze through a hole in the wall, and make a run for it, as the train engages an inclined LSM launch to 30mph.

You make it to a clearing in the woods, where you find a mill pond.

The track helixs round as you try to work out your next move.

Upon entering the mill, you find an unattended horse... the perfect getaway ride! Without giving you time to think, your train hits a rolling launch that boosts it to 60mph, out the back door of the mill, and over an airtime hill.

As you crest the hill, you look down to see the track diving into the black void of a tunnel.

Upon exiting the other side, your train enters what no launched coaster should be without... A high speed trench run!

This includes many head choppers, as well as an airtime filled bunny hop, and the classic Intamin “twisting hill” element.

A final trench turn delivers you to the first block brake, and a chance to catch a breath. But not for long, as you are currently at the highest point of land in the whole park. It's all downhill from now on!

Your downhill run rapidly brings back the pace as you speed through the forest, with a hill thrown in for good measure.

Of course, like all criminals, you just could not resist the urge to return to the scene of your crime, and before you know it, you find yourself back in the city. You leap over the wall, and with a huge burst of airtime dive down and under a timber frame building.

Pulling sharply upwards, you enter the first inversion: a stretched loop that rises high over the town, only to send you diving right back to earth, where you pass under a raised section of path...

...Then fly at high speed over the streets...

the track runs a tight path between the third lift of The Quest, and Mangonel, an S&S Skyswat, also new for 2010.

The track runs parallel to The Quest for a short section, and if you are lucky, you might just end up racing the veteran Arrow coaster... not that there is much in the way of competition.

As your train climbs back up to rooftop hight, your speed drops, and you make a 180 turn into the second block brake at street level.

Again, you get a much needed moment to pause, before the final act.

A turn leads you into the third and final launch. Mimicking the first, this is a 30mph uphill climb...

… Into a flying snake dive, high on the hillside, towering over park sending you plummeting towards the Toboggan Run!

Now travelling at immense speed, you fly over another airtime filled bunny hop, the necessary trim break hardly making a difference.

A high-G turn follows, and is the place most likely to make riders grey out.

Climbing upwards, the track snaps to the right in a barrel roll over The Quest's third lift. Oh yes, Maverick may have had to remove it's roll, but without the neck bashing of an OTSR, this ride gets away with it!

Exiting this final, crazy manoeuvre, the track follows the city wall and climbs one last hill...

… and finally hits the inclined brake run.

All that is left is to pass the transfer track and return to the station.

Riders generally exit the station on all fours. Truly, this is a breathtaking ride in every sense of the word.

As mentioned, the supporting ride for the area is Mangonel, an S&S Skyswat.

So there you have it. Blithering Lodge's final coaster.

A couple more images that didn't seem to fit anywhere in that description:

Views from above the formal gardens behind the house:

Random shot of the bridge area:

A plan view of the whole ride area:

Soooo... next thing to do is start filming POVs, I guess.

Danny · 1st Jul 2012

It's been worth every second of the wait. As per usual, my jaw is on the floor and requires scraping up.

A truly amazing looking coaster and beautiful surrounding area to back it up. Merlin, take notice

I could be here forever writing out complements and other words of praise, but this has taken any form of words from my mouth and makes me want to get straight back onto RCT only to fall flat on my ass again after trying to follow in your footsteps. Long live Lord Blithering Ffool!

Martin · 1st Jul 2012

I am once again in awe.

How does Candy Holland sleep at night knowing she's got your job?

RyanY · 2nd Jul 2012

Absolutely amazing.

That is probably the best Roller Coaster I have seen in RCT3, the interaction with the scenery is awesome and so is the layout. Certainly been worth the wait! ;D

Are we going to see the videos now it's all complete?

Fredward · 2nd Jul 2012

Looking fantatastic Diogo as always! I can see all that free time you've been having is good for something!

Can't wait to see more!

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Rowe · 2nd Jul 2012

WELL. You know what, Diogo? I'm incredibly impressed and I won't be surprised if you jump in with more amazing fulfilled ideas in the future. I don't play or have a great interest in RCT/No Limits (*kicks laptop*) but geez do you make me want to have a try at this!

Oh and this alongside Gruntpuddle are the only RCT parks I follow.

You're just lucky!

Scott · 2nd Jul 2012

Just... Wow! Once again amazing Diogo!

Harv · 2nd Jul 2012

Awful, just awful. Knock it down before it lays eggs and they hatch into other disgusting Intamin babies.

In seriousness, it's beautiful, and a fantastic way for Blithering Lodge to bow out. What a fabulous finale for a stunning park; the layout looked thrilling, smooth and detailed. The support work was fantastic. All in all that's one of the single best coasters I've ever seen. It's such a shame that we can't expect any more coasters from the Lodge, as each one was bursting with originallity and oozing character and style. Often people misjudge just how difficult it is to landscape, build and support a coaster in RCT, but you have each of those down to a tee. I for one will definetely miss your updates from Blithering, along with the satrical humour subtly interwoven into each report. Can only make me wonder what's coming next?

Job well done, Diogo.

Rupert · 2nd Jul 2012

RIDICULOUS. What a layout. My favourite bit has to be the first inversion over the bridge, inspired. Really looking forward to the POV, it looks like a much better/more thrilling/better themed Cheetah Hunt-esque launcher.

In a rather similar way to how Nightfall works, I love how you retain the whimsical, almost cartoonish nature of the original game yet somehow seamlessly blend in custom content and realism. It's something I find impossible to do.

Also - surely there's no need for this to be the final coaster? Just as we saw the replacement of Looping Star for the epic Baodie (still have no idea how you fitted it on the site), other land can be reused?

DiogoJ42 · 2nd Jul 2012

Well the park is full now. All the rides that are left are ones I don't really want to get rid of. The only thing I can think of would be to remove Fearsome falls, which would free up a huge area.

The story arc was always intended to end in 2010, as that would have been the "present day" at the time. Besides, I doubt even His Lordship could build another coaster only two years after something as large as Gaol Break

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