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Alton Towers/Merlin Typos & Grammatical Errors

Oh @Zeock, are you ready to twitch and squirm as much as I did?

166_2024-10-111728638744.7698536920583.jpg
166_2024-10-111728638744.935850858324.jpg

The grammatical mistakes are rife with this one. The phrasing is a bit off in places too. Definitely not generated by AI, but can we please send the department on a written English course? Heck, they could have even chucked the document into Gemini, or ChatGPT, and asked it to tidy it up.

Anyway, I've got a fixed version below, incase anyone wants to read it and not have their head implode.
  • Hex: The Legend of the Towers opened at Alton Towers Resort in 2000.
  • Hex is a multi-media dark ride where guests explore an historical tale of ancient evil.
  • Hex closed whilst decisions were made about the future of the attraction at Alton Towers Resort.
  • Investment was required to make improvements to the ride's efficiency, operations and the overall experience for guests.
  • The Resort opted to make a significant investment into the restoration of Hex, as opposed to closing the attraction, securing the attraction for future generations to come.
  • As the restoration project started further additions and changes were made, resulting in a delay to the initial project completion date. These alterations focussed on improving the reliability of the attraction for guests.
  • The restoration project is a collaboration with the ride manufacturer Vekoma, Merlin Magic Making, and our in-house technical and ride colleagues from across the Resort.
  • Significant investment had to be made to the operation and technical capability of the ride, to prolong its lifespan as an ongoing attraction.
  • The ride will re-open to guests from midday on Friday, October 11th
  • {Please note: Hex will open to guests daily from 11am).

  • The existing lighting system and fixtures have been removed and replaced throughout the attraction.
  • An additional 200 LED lights have been added to the attraction, which can be individually programmed.
  • The Audio-Visual system has been completely refurbished, enabling improved audio capabilities.
  • A new Show Control System has been installed, with integrated modem technology, to provide greater control of the showā€™s SFX synchronisation.
  • The new Show Control System provides the operator with enhanced supervision of the attraction.
  • Smoke and haze machines have been upgraded throughout the attraction, with additional machines added.
  • 'The Octagon' has benefited from the installation of a new generator spark effect and curtain.
  • Merlin Magic Making have upgraded and refreshed scenic items throughout; including drapes, materials and covers.
  • A small number of new themed items have also been installed.
  • The original Hex soundtrack has been fully remastered (and will be released on streaming services, including Spotify, for fans as part of the attraction's re-opening).

  • Several replacement components for the ride have been custom made, in partnership with Vekoma. These include the two end point slew rings, which are required to rotate the gondola. This aims to improve the rideā€™s reliability and consistency. Additional re-design work has also been completed as part of the project.
  • Many of the mechanical components for Hex, which needed attention, were located beneath theming items. This resulted in project teams needing to work efficiently and sensitively throughout the restoration, painstakingly removing and replacing items.
  • Throughout the restoration project, Hex has completed over 3,000 test cycles ahead of welcoming guests back.
 
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GooseOnTheLoose said:
Oh @Zeock, are you ready to twitch and squirm as much as I did?

166_2024-10-111728638744.7698536920583.jpg
166_2024-10-111728638744.935850858324.jpg

The grammatical mistakes are rife with this one. The phrasing is a bit off in places too. Definitely not generated by AI, but can we please send the department on a written English course? Heck, they could have even chucked the document into Gemini, or ChatGPT, and asked it to tidy it up.

Anyway, I've got a fixed version below, incase anyone wants to read it and not have their head implode.
  • Hex: The Legend of the Towers opened at Alton Towers Resort in 2000.
  • Hex is a multi-media dark ride where guests explore an historical tale of ancient evil.
  • Hex closed whilst decisions were made about the future of the attraction at Alton Towers Resort.
  • Investment was required to make improvements to the ride's efficiency, operations and the overall experience for guests.
  • The Resort opted to make a significant investment into the restoration of Hex, as opposed to closing the attraction, securing the attraction for future generations to come.
  • As the restoration project started further additions and changes were made, resulting in a delay to the initial project completion date. These alterations focussed on improving the reliability of the attraction for guests.
  • The restoration project is a collaboration with the ride manufacturer Vekoma, Merlin Magic Making, and our in-house technical and ride colleagues from across the Resort.
  • Significant investment had to be made to the operation and technical capability of the ride, to prolong its lifespan as an ongoing attraction.
  • The ride will re-open to guests from midday on Friday, October 11th
  • {Please note: Hex will open to guests daily from 11am).

  • The existing lighting system and fixtures have been removed and replaced throughout the attraction.
  • An additional 200 LED lights have been added to the attraction, which can be individually programmed.
  • The Audio-Visual system has been completely refurbished, enabling improved audio capabilities.
  • A new Show Control System has been installed, with integrated modem technology, to provide greater control of the showā€™s SFX synchronisation.
  • The new Show Control System provides the operator with enhanced supervision of the attraction.
  • Smoke and haze machines have been upgraded throughout the attraction, with additional machines added.
  • 'The Octagon' has benefited from the installation of a new generator spark effect and curtain.
  • Merlin Magic Making have upgraded and refreshed scenic items throughout; including drapes, materials and covers.
  • A small number of new themed items have also been installed.
  • The original Hex soundtrack has been fully remastered (and will be released on streaming services, including Spotify, for fans as part of the attraction's re-opening).

  • Several replacement components for the ride have been custom made, in partnership with Vekoma. These include the two end point slew rings, which are required to rotate the gondola. This aims to improve the rideā€™s reliability and consistency. Additional re-design work has also been completed as part of the project.
  • Many of the mechanical components for Hex, which needed attention, were located beneath theming items. This resulted in project teams needing to work efficiently and sensitively throughout the restoration, painstakingly removing and replacing items.
  • Throughout the restoration project, Hex has completed over 3,000 test cycles ahead of welcoming guests back.
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That was horrendous. Thank you for the fixed version.
 
Matt N said:
I hate to burst your bubble @GooseOnTheLoose, but if Iā€™m being really pedantic, isnā€™t ā€œan historical taleā€ in the second bullet point a mistake?
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Well, this conversation is about to become very much more complicated very quickly.

Angela Lansbury Popcorn GIF
 
Alix said:
An historical or an historic is correct as far as I know. Same as an hotel is right. English eh
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Really? That surprises meā€¦ by every grammar rule Iā€™ve known, that doesnā€™t make sense to me, unless itā€™s pronounced in a Cockney accent and missing out the ā€œhā€ (e.g. ā€œan ā€˜otelā€ or ā€œan ā€˜istoricalā€)ā€¦
 
Matt N said:
Really? That doesnā€™t make sense to me, unless itā€™s pronounced in a Cockney accent and missing out the ā€œhā€ (e.g. ā€œan ā€˜otelā€ or ā€œan ā€˜istoricalā€)ā€¦
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Think French not cockney. Both hotel and historic have French origins

Edit to addā€¦ Iā€™ve just noticed (and checked) a university is correct, even though u is a vowel so youā€™d expect it to be an. As I said, English eh, itā€™s a funny old game.
 
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I see no gangā€¦ just a cat and a goose having a bit of a debateā€¦ all good clean fun šŸ˜
Anywaysā€¦ @Matt N thinking of your cockney example, that would more likely have been ā€œa istoricalā€ as that dialect is fond of the glottal stop.
 
Alsty said:
I'd say "an historical" is only correct if you don't pronounce the h sound, but my opinion only.
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That was always my viewā€¦ I would always say ā€œa historicalā€, personally.

Even though the roots are French, I would always have associated ā€œan historicalā€ as a pronunciation with London and the South East, where they donā€™t typically pronounce the ā€œhā€ sound.

I once heard my grandad from Kent, for example, utter the phrase ā€œan horseā€, pronounced ā€œan ā€˜orseā€ because he didnā€™t say the ā€œhā€ sound in horse, and he also often pronounces hill as ā€œā€˜illā€. Heā€™s the sort of person I can imagine saying ā€œan historicalā€ or ā€œan hotelā€.
 
Matt N said:
That was always my viewā€¦ I would always say ā€œa historicalā€, personally.

Even though the roots are French, I would always have associated ā€œan historicalā€ as a pronunciation with London and the South East, where they donā€™t typically pronounce the ā€œhā€ sound.

I once heard my grandad from Kent, for example, utter the phrase ā€œan horseā€, pronounced ā€œan ā€˜orseā€ because he didnā€™t say the ā€œhā€ sound in horse, and he also often pronounces hill as ā€œā€˜illā€. Heā€™s the sort of person I can imagine saying ā€œan historicalā€ or ā€œan hotelā€.
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Not sure if this is still a thing but you would often hear BBC presenters using "an historic" - pronouncing the h - because it is "technically" correct.

In practice language evolves and almost no one would say this anymore.
 
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