Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

[Dipper_Dave]

This is how you close a coaster the right way: https://www.moreyspiers.com/flitzerletter

Morey's really have done a great job with this, and shows a park CAN be open about maintenance and why an attraction must close

Fair play to them for dealing with the closure in this way. Sadly this is just not the kind of thing that BPB get involved with, which is a shame given the utter uniqueness of many of the rides there. Just saw a POV of Flitzer, it’s small and quirky in a similar way to the Mouse, albeit looks a lot tamer. If this ride was worthy of a sendoff, then how much more was Wild Mouse worthy of one?

Out of interest, have many BPB ride closures been publicised beforehand? I know for example that Log Flume’s last season was clearly warned of on the park map that year, giving people a good few months to ride it. I am still gutted I didn’t ride that towards the end of its life, back then I had a 9-5 job and had just become a Dad, so visiting theme parks was not a priority at that time!

What’s done is done, and I can’t imagine BPB will ever make a fuss of a ride closing. If they didn’t for Wild Mouse, I don’t see why they’d do it for anything else ever. Unless the tears of a few coaster fans across various internet sites make them feel bad & they begin to change the way they close rides down. I highly doubt that will happen!

@RoyJess I agree. We are forced to ‘move on’ in that the ride no longer exists, nothing will bring it back, but I don’t see why we should never talk about the rides that we loved again. For BPB fans it’s Wild Mouse, Log Flume, Monorail, Space Invader, etc and for Towers fans it’s Corkscrew, Thunder Looper, etc. These rides gave us all pleasure and we should celebrate that. Of course parks must evolve, but let us celebrate the rich history of rides that we no longer have. If we never mentioned Wild Mouse or Corkscrew again it would be pretty sad really.

At least Towers’ Flume had a worthy replacement in Wickerman. Whilst I didnt expect a new ride would spring up overnight in the Mouse space this season, it’s just very sad to not see it there.

The moral of the story is: BPB don’t do fanfare for rides closing. It’s just the way it is. Enjoy your favourite rides whilst you can, because none of us, supposedly even park staff, know when a ride will carry its final punters

 

[Ash84]

BPB operates in a weird way. They have countless classic and nostalgic rides that would be celebrated else where, yet they choose to ignore landmark birthdays (Flying Machines and River Caves have both long since turned 100) BPB could make a late night party atmosphere and keep selected section's of the park open to mark these occasions. They did it once for the Big Dipper, yet did nothing for the Streak or the Nash.

To me, rides closing is a big deal, and I can't fault them for the way they handled the Log Flume, (which was even kept open 3 hours longwr than scheduled it was that busy) Wild Mouse was a complete farce.

They were prepared to close the RollerCoaster in 2008 without any fuss. Plenty of people who knew what was going on were standing outside the ride on the final night of the season, getting pictures of it. I was on the last train out and the op did say this will be the Coasters final ever run. The lights went out and the fireworks started, 20 minutes later it was hard to look at the station all in darkness. Thank God we things worked out differently for that one...!

 

[DiogoJ42]

We will never stop talking about Mouse! It is the new Air tunnel.

Because it's not going to achieve anything, going on about it won't bring it back so why bother?

All it does is make it even worse by being constantly reminded that it's gone.

I'm not trying to be the bad guy here I just it was hard enough just to deal with its removal for me right constantly being reminded about it.

I hope you say the same thing to people who keep moaning that their mum just died.

 

[Coaster]

Because it's not going to achieve anything, going on about it won't bring it back so why bother?

All it does is make it even worse by being constantly reminded that it's gone.

I'm not trying to be the bad guy here I just it was hard enough just to deal with its removal for me right constantly being reminded about it.

If you don't want to read about the Wild Mouse I suggest you speak with the forum moderators regarding muting my posts (not sure if it's possible on this forum?)

It was a wonderful ride and should be talked about, celebrated, memories about it shared and so forth for many years to come.

BPB's handling of the situation is something I will never forget, for all the wrong reasons.

 

[Dipper_Dave]

Because it's not going to achieve anything, going on about it won't bring it back so why bother?.

This reminds me, you’ve been quiet on your favourite topic of LED lighting recently. Perhaps you’ve realised that talking about BPB’s great lighting during evenings past isn’t going to achieve anything so have decided not to bother and move on

 

[Spin-Ride-Lover]

We will never stop talking about Mouse! It is the new Air tunnel.

Oh great

I hope you say the same thing to people who keep moaning that their mum just died.

Seriously?


Well my grandmother Died of a heart attack at the start of the year,

Obviously a horrible thing to have to deal with but all you can do is move on and remember the great times you had with them.

When a ride is scrapped/removed/demolished at least there is a theoretical chance somebody with a Enough money and land and planning permission could rebuild from scratch.

Where once a person is dead that's it they can never be bought back.

 

[Stuie]

When a ride is scrapped/removed/demolished at least there is a theoretical chance somebody with a Enough money and land and planning permission could rebuild from scratch.

Unfortunately, that's as possible as bringing a passed relative back to life. A new Wild Mouse simply wouldn't meet today's health and safety regulations. This is fine for a ride that has always been, but you can't make a new one!

 

[Rob]

Wild Mouse was a rollercoaster, not a human being. Please let's not compare the loss of a loved one to the loss of some wood and steel, however much you enjoyed it.

 

[Spin-Ride-Lover]

This reminds me, you’ve been quiet on your favourite topic of LED lighting recently. Perhaps you’ve realised that talking about BPB’s great lighting during evenings past isn’t going to achieve anything so have decided not to bother and move on

Now that is a fair point, part of the reason I'm trying not to talk about that as much as I know that can drive some people nuts,

When I do talk about it I try to keep it brief or on my own Vlog videos.

At least with things like the lighs there is at least a chance some of that stuff might come back, but once the ride has been removed they almost never come back.

 

[Spin-Ride-Lover]

Sorry to double post

Unfortunately, that's as possible as bringing a passed relative back to life. A new Wild Mouse simply wouldn't meet today's health and safety regulations. This is fine for a ride that has always been, but you can't make a new one!

Commercially yes but not if you're a theme park enthusiast who has the money skills space and planning permission to do it just for the sake of it.

Remember there are people in America and other parts of the world they have literally built full-size rollercoasters is in there back garden/ Field.

Heck if I had the money and the space I would love to do that.

 

[Dipper_Dave]

Doug, perhaps that’s what the people buying the Mice on eBay have in mind !

 

[speedy]

Wooden wild mice are not coming back. I think I can say with confidence that none will ever be built again. Hopefully I'll get to one of the three that are left before they are gone as well!

I share the sentiments here, Grand National and Big Dipper feel uncared for, like the park is just running them into the ground. On the other hand, they did a good job with Revolution and Steeplechase.

 

[Spin-Ride-Lover]

Wooden wild mice are not coming back. I think I can say with confidence that none will ever be built again. Hopefully I'll get to one of the three that are left before they are gone as well!

Not unless somebody built one in their back garden just for the fun of it.

Here's just a few examples of people who have done it!

I share the sentiments here, Grand National and Big Dipper feel uncared for, like the park is just running them into the ground. On the other hand, they did a good job with Revolution and Steeplechase.

The Woodies uncared-for?
How?

 

[speedy]

Not unless somebody built one in their back garden just for the fun of it.

Here's just a few examples of people who have done it!


The Woodies uncared-for?
How?

Well I have no carpentry skills but I always say if somehow I become super rich I'll commission a roller coaster somewhere. Come to think of it, Knoebels built the Flying Turns (eventually). With enough money I'm sure a modern, safe wooden wild mouse could be built.

Both coasters appeared in a poor state, and were very rough rides which is a shame as they have good layouts.

 

[RoyJess]

Well I have no carpentry skills but I always say if somehow I become super rich I'll commission a roller coaster somewhere. Come to think of it, Knoebels built the Flying Turns (eventually). With enough money I'm sure a modern, safe wooden wild mouse could be built.

Both coasters appeared in a poor state, and were very rough rides which is a shame as they have good layouts.

You can build a simple basic rollercoaster from a ladder, a box and a tree, just stick a three half balls on the front of the box and the box will look like one of the mouse cars

 

[Spin-Ride-Lover]

Well I have no carpentry skills but I always say if somehow I become super rich I'll commission a roller coaster somewhere. Come to think of it, Knoebels built the Flying Turns (eventually). With enough money I'm sure a modern, safe wooden wild mouse could be built.

I have the carpentry skills but I don't have my own garden space.

I'm going to be going into supported accommodation in the not too distant future so I have asked to try and get some garden space

I would also need to get the planning permission and the OK from all the local residents.

The Nash I could understand you finding it too rough especially if you sat above the wheels.

But the dipper really?

Maybe the back row on the I could understand, nothing a little bit of replacing some of the laminate can sort out.

 

[Dipper_Dave]

Both coasters appeared in a poor state, and were very rough rides which is a shame as they have good layouts.

Don’t know how true it is, but supposedly from now on, when wood is replaced on them, it won’t be painted. Apparently paint covers rot, also it’s time consuming and expensive to paint an entire woodie white. So eventually Dipper and Nash will be brown, not white, but will Streak remain orange?!

 

[rob666]

Icon reopened yesterday afternoon.
Very quiet today, managed front and back seats on Icon, and a beer, in less than an hour.
Park and town both dead...if you are under fifty five, get out!
Funniest sight was two benches of old blokes on the Beach having a party.

 

[speedy]

I was feeling a bit sick after riding Revolution and SkyForce! I'll have to try Ultimate again to compare...

As for unpainted wood, that will be an odd look for sure! But I know Lagoon went this route with their roller coaster.

 

[Dipper_Dave]

Good news about Icon reopening