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2024: General Discussion

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NuttySquirrel said:
Was going to say just this but @Alix beat me to it - it's a project delivery management role rather than a technical one. It would require only a high-level understanding of the technical details. The Thorpe role is a bit more technical, but still project management rather than engineering-focused.

I guess this one has the added benefits of a 40% discount on Lego, which could be of value to some (!). More practically, some might find working in the leisure industry more appealing than for government.
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I think you both need to re-read the advert

Fascinating they have “budget conscious” and “safety” in the same advert though…

They’ll never learn

If im wrong and it isn’t as technical knowledge heavy as the responsibilities suggest, then I’d recommend former military staff would probably be perfect for the role. Or make it wholly clear it’s non technical/no responsibility and just get a planner.

If I am right, then I’d suggest they’re fishing in a extremely small pond

What’s more worrying is why this hasn’t existed for 40 years…

(Not saying that’s a bad thing in itself, far from it)
 
Ash said:
Fascinating they have “budget conscious” and “safety” in the same advert though…

They’ll never learn
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Ash said:
What’s more worrying is why this hasn’t existed for 40 years…
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Are you insinuating that you can't be both safe and budget conscious? Coming in at, or under, budget is one of the standard prime responsibilities for any project manager (which this is a position for). Safety is paramount. The two aren't mutually exclusive. You can be safe and come in under budget, and this does not suggest that you need to come under budget at the expense of safety.
Ash said:
I think you both need to re-read the advert
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Aside from this being quite flippant toward two well respected members, I would suggest that you perhaps haven't paid close attention to the Experience and Qualifications section.

Qualifications & Experience​

  • Prince 2 or APM as a desired
  • Proven experience in maintenance management, preferably within the leisure industry.
  • Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to control costs and manage budgets effectively.
  • Knowledge of safety regulations and certification processes related to ride maintenance.
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
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Nowhere in the qualification section does it express that you have to have an engineering or technical background. You're managing a team of technical engineers, and getting their projects delivered, but you're not up a cherry picker yourself.
Ash said:
Or make it wholly clear it’s non technical/no responsibility and just get a planner.
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They have made it very clear it's a planning and delivery position, they've even put it in the job title "Annual Maintenance Planning & Delivery Manager". Although I'm sure it would be a benefit and get you on the short list, it's not required.
Ash said:
I'd recommend former military staff would probably be perfect for the role.
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You won't appreciate the irony in this statement, but some others here will.
Ash said:
If im wrong and it isn’t as technical knowledge heavy as the responsibilities suggest
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The responsibilities do not suggest any technical knowledge, let alone heavy technical knowledge. Instead they suggest that you're able to communicate and understand what your team needs. Where it says that you need to ensure that attractions are fully certified and safe for guests to use, they're not asking you personally to certify their safety, they're asking you to book in a certification audit / team.
Planning & Delivery:

  • Develop and execute a holistic plan for the annual maintenance of all rides.
  • Ensure all prerequisite tasks are completed within deadlines and budgets.
  • Lead the Annual Maintenance and Internal Inspection Teams.
  • Manage the Engineering team to address any maintenance issues during the season and prepare for future maintenance periods.
Project Management:

  • Create meticulous, budget-conscious, and timely project plans.
  • Delegate tasks and allocate labour efficiently.
  • Communicate plans and updates to relevant stakeholders.
Continuous Improvement:

  • Regularly review and supervise all maintenance processes.
  • Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance maintenance efficiency and effectiveness.
Safety & Compliance:

  • Ensure all rides are fully certified and safe for guest use.
  • Adhere to all relevant safety regulations and standards.
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You will work with the team, you will listen to the team, you will plan what the team will do and make sure that they have everything they need to get their job done. You will then make sure that the work the team have done is verifiably and certifiably safe. You will ensure that everything sticks to budget and you look at cost effective, safe ways, to continue. Not being budget conscious would to scrap an entire attraction and get a new one, rather than attempt to repair / fix it (in an extreme example).
 
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I initially looked at the role and assumed it was quite a low wage until I looked at the qualifications list and it seems like a fair wage (maybe around £5k short). @Alix has said there's similar roles in the civil service for similar wages, and we have almost identical roles where I work too. Similar wage and work level, very similar responsibilities. I could apply for one of those tomorrow and get it as I've done similar in the past (there's reasons why I don't though), yet I have no technical knowledge of asbestos removal, I'm not a qualified refrigeration engineer, electrician or plumber. And I haven't ever been in the army.

Probably something I'd personally be interested in actually if I wasn't otherwise preoccupied at the moment.

It's a business and project delivery management role. The two most paramount responsibilities are always going to be the ability to deliver safety and manage budgets. This practice will be present in every business and public service in the entire country. Putting safety and budget control in the same advert isn't something to be worried about, it's what they do. They plan, manage, and deliver projects.

I'd be very concerned if this was a brand new role and I think it's highly likely that it isn't. Possibly these tasks were assigned to a different role in the past. Maybe the same person did both for a higher wage at both parks and has now left their post. But someone would always have been managing these projects.
 
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Bowser said:
Presume the IT outage is going to cause chaos across the parks today?
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That would depend on whether or not Alton Towers' IT systems are impacted by the current issues. They don't appear to have said anything so I assume not.
 
I know this is a publicity stunt but it is funny
BBC News - Grandmother, 72, to test new rollercoaster rides
www.bbc.com

Grandmother, 72, to test new rollercoasters at Alton Towers

The former paratrooper has been given the role of testing rollercoaster rides at Alton Towers Resort.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
I've never heard of this biannual Thrill seeker summit the article talks about, is this something to do with the RCCGB?
 
Thameslink Rail said:
I know this is a publicity stunt but it is funny
BBC News - Grandmother, 72, to test new rollercoaster rides
www.bbc.com

Grandmother, 72, to test new rollercoasters at Alton Towers

The former paratrooper has been given the role of testing rollercoaster rides at Alton Towers Resort.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
I've never heard of this biannual Thrill seeker summit the article talks about, is this something to do with the RCCGB?
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Fair play she does not look 72! I hope when I get to that age, I look that young and am still riding coasters!
 
jon81uk said:
Rides are not likely connected to the network, so if anything it would just be ticketing or till type systems having issues.
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I do think there could be problems generated by this though,
for context you have a plc which for a very simplistic explination is like an arduino where inputs (buttons, sensors etc) are taken in and they control other stuff (motors, brakes etc) connected to the plc you have a computer (this is the windows xp machine that people have said is running oblivion) to my knowledge this is mostly for talking to the plc for things like error checking, I would assume this computer is left off of a network, to prevent possible problems.

but this is not the only computer involved with the running of the ride, for instance I am not sure how alton towers handles its cctv for the rides, but if they are a network connected it could cause problems like wise the AV equipment may be network connected (there are some images from Disneyland Paris of screens going down presumably because of the it issue) if one of these additional computers is affected and required (e.g cctv) then they may not be allowed to operate
 
Does anyone know if there's an update on the outdoor area at the Water Park? It says "closed today" (on the hottest day of the year naturally) but "open tomorrow" (when it's forecast to rain most of the day)...
 
Anyone know how many monorail trains they are running lately? Surprised to see it’s only posted as a 10 min wait at 11am on a summer Saturday when queues across the park appear to show it being moderately busy.

Wondered if they had upped capacity for the summer?
 
AT86 said:
Wondered if they had upped capacity for the summer?
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not too sure they can, even with quite a small amount of trains (like 3/4) they normally stack on the platform mainly in use (car pack at the start of the day, entrance at the end) because the staff have to wait for the monorail to stop before opening the gate at the top of the ramp, and then assigning rows to guests this increases the dispatch time by a large amount so even with like 8 trains they would all probably just stack down the line.
 
I'm pretty sure it was on 3 trains this morning from what I saw. The park just wasn't that busy today, queues early on were inflated by multiple rides opening late.
 
The old 241 deals might be drying up. However it seems deals with brands are still part of the Merlin strategy.

A new offer with Kelloggs has gone live for all Merlin UK attractions from 1st July 2024 - 30th June 2025. Instead of the old 241 deal based on the vastly inflated gate price, this new deal is 25% off for two tickets per voucher off the online price.

This means depending on your date tickets can be as low as £21.50pp versus the previous fixed price of £34pp under the 241 model.

You can see the prices before needing to enter the code printed on the cereal boxes, as an example this is the current price for bank holiday Monday in August. Obviously the prices are always subject to change now that Merlin use demand based pricing.

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Full info here: https://merlinmagic.biz/kelloggs/

Buried in the T&C's is the allocation of how many tickets are available each day under this offer, the dates are split into 4 categories based on popularity, with less tickets available for busy dates.

Previous 241 offers blocked out key Scarefest and Firework dates entirely. However this deal does allow you to use the offer even on these dates, but there aren't as many tickets available. But you could bag a bargain if you plan ahead.

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For example you can currently book Fireworks Friday for £28pp.

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