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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

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The Rollercoaster at GYPB has received a lot of retracking and replacement of wood over it's time. Scenic Railway had a massive refurbishment after the fires. Has anything like Megafobia or Antelope received any retracking?
 
Matt N said:
Did the park themselves get the listings, and is there any benefit that the park gains from having them listed?
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Im pretty sure it was a suggestion offered by a geek, with the mouse included but rejected.
It might all be a few hundred pages back in this topic.
Could have been just on the old pbe site.
Get hunting Matt.
 
I know Sam made an attempt to get Mouse listed, I think this was after the other rides were listed. The appeal was rejected as it was deemed not old or significant enough (which given that it was one of only a handful of surviving wooden mice and had a unique layout seems unfair).

Hardly matters now as it would just be SBNO rather than bulldozed.
 
rob666 said:
Sorry pluk, my two customers who live in listed properties love the prestige of listing!
Tends to add value to residential properties.
When I had to do a tiny patch of lime pointingat one, I followed all the rules, contacted the local listings officer, and didnt hear a thing back, as all the local tradesmen said would happen.
The top 2* listing for Blackburn is one of my gardens, nice photo on wiki!
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And sorry to nit pick again pluk, but you are forgetting that the Beach is one of the few places that doesnt need planning permission for new rides...they bargained that right when they gave up land for the "new" prom about ninety years ago.
Geek nitpick over.
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Snobs!! Haha, some may like the prestige but as I'm sure you'd know if you want to get things done it is a royal pain, I've got two big conker trees in my front garden with lowly preservation orders in them, even that makes just basic maintenance a hugely burdenous process I could do without, I can only imagine the hoops they have to jump through to work on their listed bits.

Interesting point about the planning permission, while that might be the case for the site as a whole I can't imagine it would extend to things which significantly alter the setting of the listed structures, otherwise what does them being listed achieve? I bet there's some awkward legal points in that set up!
 
John said:
I know Sam made an attempt to get Mouse listed, I think this was after the other rides were listed. The appeal was rejected as it was deemed not old or significant enough (which given that it was one of only a handful of surviving wooden mice and had a unique layout seems unfair).

Hardly matters now as it would just be SBNO rather than bulldozed.
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Have PB even got plans to replace it. Hopefully not with a steel wild mouse as that would deliberately be taking the mick.
 
MakoMania said:
Listing multiple large structures in a park as small as BPB is a horrendous outcome. It will make it that much more difficult for the park to compete and invest.
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Alton towers has around 30 listed structures, way outnumbering BPBs listings.
It obviously has a lot more space, so finding new areas of land to expand into has been simpler.

I would argue that you often get a better outcome when you have to work within constraints. Locations with layers of history are generally nicer, more interesting places to be at. BPBs layer upon layer is one of its best attributes.
 
The problem is a listed building can still be used for a variety of things, BPB could potentially convert the white tower into a hotel if they wanted provided they preserve the heritage of the building.
The big dipper and grand national are roller coasters, that's the only thing they can do. And whilst its great BPB (and other parks) have been able to maintain and preserve their wooden coasters at some point they'll reach a point were its no longer financially sensible to continue throwing money at these coasters. Or for health and safety or insurance purposes they can no longer operate them. Be great visiting the park then surrounded by old favourites that can't be ran but have to be maintained to just stand there and be looked at.

Whilst it's great the park has some historic rides but these were major rides at the time they were built, the dippers up stop wheels were cutting edge, a mobius loop racing coaster, the log flume. The Geoffrey Thompson years Revolution, Steeplechase, Avalanche, Big One, PlayStation (now Ice Blast), and Valhalla. All major groundbreaking additions at the time.

The parks main goal is to bring in customers to spend money, and usually the tried and tested for this is building thrilling new rides. Unfortunately it might come a time that our beloved favourites have to make way, but that's how the park (and all major parks really) has operated for the past 125 years. Otherwise we'd probably just have the flying machine, the river caves, and a bunch of grade 2 listed scenic railways that would be probably be SBNO.
Might still have the Virginia Reel though so it might be a trade off some people would go for.
 
That would at least dry my tears.
Couldnt agree more though, listing of rides must end in pain.
Would love to be let loose on the floor around the National, would make an amazing garden.
The swamp at the bottom of the lift hill has always held a dark fascination.
I think my first relatives came out of there.
 
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John_P said:
The problem is a listed building can still be used for a variety of things, BPB could potentially convert the white tower into a hotel if they wanted provided they preserve the heritage of the building.
The big dipper and grand national are roller coasters, that's the only thing they can do. And whilst its great BPB (and other parks) have been able to maintain and preserve their wooden coasters at some point they'll reach a point were its no longer financially sensible to continue throwing money at these coasters. Or for health and safety or insurance purposes they can no longer operate them. Be great visiting the park then surrounded by old favourites that can't be ran but have to be maintained to just stand there and be looked at.

Whilst it's great the park has some historic rides but these were major rides at the time they were built, the dippers up stop wheels were cutting edge, a mobius loop racing coaster, the log flume. The Geoffrey Thompson years Revolution, Steeplechase, Avalanche, Big One, PlayStation (now Ice Blast), and Valhalla. All major groundbreaking additions at the time.

The parks main goal is to bring in customers to spend money, and usually the tried and tested for this is building thrilling new rides. Unfortunately it might come a time that our beloved favourites have to make way, but that's how the park (and all major parks really) has operated for the past 125 years. Otherwise we'd probably just have the flying machine, the river caves, and a bunch of grade 2 listed scenic railways that would be probably be SBNO.
Might still have the Virginia Reel though so it might be a trade off some people would go for.
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In terms of different era investments, you've got Alderman Bean, Leonard Thompson, Doris and Geoffrey and Amanda and Nick Thompson. I'd like to know all of your guy's favourite investments because even though we're not 124years old though I sure we feel like we are what with everything happening at the moment. Here's Mine:
Alderman- Big Dipper
Leonard- Wild Mouse
Doris and Geoffrey- Big One or Valhalla
Amanda- Icon
 
Amanda & Nick would definitely be Icon, but I’m a little unsure with the others. I’m going to be unpopular and say that Avalanche was probably my favourite of Geoffrey’s investments; I think it’s an immensely fun family coaster that I just really enjoy! The Big One is a close second, as I did find it growing on me a little on my last visit, but it’s still far from my favourite coaster.

I’m a little unsure for Leonard Thompson and Alderman Bean, as I’m not actually sure who built what out of the older things I’ve ridden at BPB.
 
The Big One when it first opened blew my mind. It was fantastic. These days I don't always even ride it when I visit the park. Depends on the queue. It really is a pale shadow of its younger self. It's jolty and rough as hell in a few places.

It does however provide one hell of a view and the first drop is great fun. Such a shame they didn't build a B&M hyper instead. Quality lasts.
 
I would have loved a B&M hyper as the Big One; if Mako is anything to go by, it would probably be my favourite coaster in the country!
 
D4n said:
That's cool, Matt, I didn't realise that you had been on Mako.
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I’m surprised by that; I talk about it a lot! More than I probably should, which I apologise for, but it’s hard for me when it’s my number 1!

Still, that’s something you learned about me today, for those of you that didn’t know!
 
Matt N said:
I appreciate the offer, but I think I’m fine sticking with mine thanks @MakoMania, even though I love Mako almost as much as you! Have you ridden a coaster to top it yet?
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Not yet, covid scuppered us with Iron Gwazi by a week or two though!

I really thought Nitro would beat it, but I was so very dissapointed with that ride. It was cold when I rode it, but it only had as much airtime as PMBO which is poor in any weather. Absolutely crawling over those hills and quite the rattle too.
 
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