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Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion
The set of wooden coasters at BPB are like nowhere else in the UK, probably the world. The multiple listings partially reflects the importance of retaining some context of the Pleasure Beach history.
BPB is arguably the best represention the UK has of the Victoria/Edwardian pleasure gardens. These rides are a key part of recognsing our history, and its right that changes to them deserve additional scrutiny.
We are very fortunate that so much has survived in such good condition, and not as museum exhibits but actively used attractions for their original purpose. They can't have been built to last this long, and a seafront location means that has to bedown to dedicated maintenance and renewal.
The only significant changes I would like are comfier cars (which I would argue are consumable items operationally). They just need to look appropriate, rather than be built to the standards of 100 years back. The coasters are still great fun, even if they are not thrilling in the modern theme park sense of steel, loops and catapult launches.
BPB is arguably the best represention the UK has of the Victoria/Edwardian pleasure gardens. These rides are a key part of recognsing our history, and its right that changes to them deserve additional scrutiny.
We are very fortunate that so much has survived in such good condition, and not as museum exhibits but actively used attractions for their original purpose. They can't have been built to last this long, and a seafront location means that has to bedown to dedicated maintenance and renewal.
The only significant changes I would like are comfier cars (which I would argue are consumable items operationally). They just need to look appropriate, rather than be built to the standards of 100 years back. The coasters are still great fun, even if they are not thrilling in the modern theme park sense of steel, loops and catapult launches.
Knowing what the sea air does to cars, I'm impressed BPB manage to keep their rides running at all, let alone keep them running long enough that they've been listed.
I somehow doubt the likes of Nemesis would ever qualify for listed status for some reason, just seems there's something special with all the wood and such.
I somehow doubt the likes of Nemesis would ever qualify for listed status for some reason, just seems there's something special with all the wood and such.
D4n
TS Member
Was on park yesterday and I must say I'm very surprised that the Pleasure Beach bothers opening on weekdays during the school term time. There can't have been much more than a couple of hundred people spread across the entire park, including a handful of school trips. All rides were open 11-5 except The Big One / Flying Machines (wind) and Impossible (which is apparently closed on off-peak days?)
Is there some kind of requirement that they have to open a certain number of days a year? Because they certainly weren't making any kind of profit yesterday.
Is there some kind of requirement that they have to open a certain number of days a year? Because they certainly weren't making any kind of profit yesterday.
FarGone, where you with a small bunch of twentysomething blokes?
I was wandering the park on my own (as usual), enjoying the rides and a couple of beers.
Never found out why, but I think there may be some condition of opening dates tied in with previous loans by the council.
The park many years ago used to close on two consecutive weekdays until spring bank, but have opened every day from Easter for the last few years.
And I can only agree, they must lose money hand over fist when staff outnumber punters.
Don't knock it though, no queues for anything all afternoon!
One other thing, school groups are big money spinners, most schoolkids spend two or three times other punters on tat, photos, sweets etc.
Donkeys day off, by the way, remains Friday.
I was wandering the park on my own (as usual), enjoying the rides and a couple of beers.
Never found out why, but I think there may be some condition of opening dates tied in with previous loans by the council.
The park many years ago used to close on two consecutive weekdays until spring bank, but have opened every day from Easter for the last few years.
And I can only agree, they must lose money hand over fist when staff outnumber punters.
Don't knock it though, no queues for anything all afternoon!
One other thing, school groups are big money spinners, most schoolkids spend two or three times other punters on tat, photos, sweets etc.
Donkeys day off, by the way, remains Friday.
When the ride ops say there are only "X" on the park, that is the pre-booked figure.
That doesn't include season ticket holders and punters that just pay on the gate.
As a very regular visitor...normally weekly, I too am amazed at why they bother, the reason must be out there somewhere, but it has never made sense to me, not that I'm complaining of course.
Nothing beats a dozen coasters and a couple of beers in two hours!
That doesn't include season ticket holders and punters that just pay on the gate.
As a very regular visitor...normally weekly, I too am amazed at why they bother, the reason must be out there somewhere, but it has never made sense to me, not that I'm complaining of course.
Nothing beats a dozen coasters and a couple of beers in two hours!
Being in an urban area, was there any trickle of season ticket holders bringing their kids for an hour after school to boost the overall gate figure? Plus I suppose you don't know what percentage of the few people in the park were staying at their Big Blue Hotel, which would also make a difference to the economics of being open vs being closed.
Either way it sounds like they wouldn't have made any money. Realistically I don't think a park the size of Blackpool Pleasure Beach could very easily just open weekends and school holidays. They probably wouldn't get enough staff to fill all the positions, particularly considering it's limited what under 18s can do and that they can only work a maximum of 40 hours a week. Plus a lot of younger staff wouldn't want many hours at the moment now that we're coming into exam season. Even in an area with high unemployment you'd struggle to get that the number of staff you need, plus you'd have very high turnover which creates additional costs with training, recruitment etc. With the churn you get in a theme park you'd effectively end up with a less experienced work force.
I'm not sure how major parks in America would do it, except that with a different social security system it might be that there's more of an 'any job is better than nothing' mentality.
I do agree that they could get away with closing a couple of days a week.
Either way it sounds like they wouldn't have made any money. Realistically I don't think a park the size of Blackpool Pleasure Beach could very easily just open weekends and school holidays. They probably wouldn't get enough staff to fill all the positions, particularly considering it's limited what under 18s can do and that they can only work a maximum of 40 hours a week. Plus a lot of younger staff wouldn't want many hours at the moment now that we're coming into exam season. Even in an area with high unemployment you'd struggle to get that the number of staff you need, plus you'd have very high turnover which creates additional costs with training, recruitment etc. With the churn you get in a theme park you'd effectively end up with a less experienced work force.
I'm not sure how major parks in America would do it, except that with a different social security system it might be that there's more of an 'any job is better than nothing' mentality.
I do agree that they could get away with closing a couple of days a week.
Rollercoasters4Life
TS Member
I went with the missus on Tuesday and the place was dead also. We got on Revolution, Grand National, Avalanche and Blue Flyer on our own with no one else in the train. We had to wait for other people on Ice Blast, Nickelodeon Streak, Big Dipper, Infusion and Wallace & Gromit. Everything else was a walk on as well. Unfortunately The Big One & SkyForce were both shut. We were the first riders of the day on Revolution and Steeplechase though as we came in from Big Blue Hotel entrance at the back of the park.
Never seen it so quiet if I'm honest.
Never seen it so quiet if I'm honest.
BPB is always dead on weekdays at this time of year, always has been.
Trade picks up in early May, when many of the guest houses have special offers for disabled groups and care homes, then they get the student social groups late May and early June, then schoolkid hell mid June to mid July, holidaymakers follow through the summer, then loomination visitors through the autumn.
April weekdays are for the coaster freaks and fanboys.
Takes one to know one!
Trade picks up in early May, when many of the guest houses have special offers for disabled groups and care homes, then they get the student social groups late May and early June, then schoolkid hell mid June to mid July, holidaymakers follow through the summer, then loomination visitors through the autumn.
April weekdays are for the coaster freaks and fanboys.
Takes one to know one!
D4n
TS Member
There are no 2 for 1s.
Book online over 10 days in advance for the lowest available price. Unfortunately there's no way of avoiding the queue to collect wristbands at the box office in the morning, unless you'd prefer to avoid the queue by arriving late (after 12pm). This is mainly because everyone is required to go to the same place for their wristbands, regardless of whether they booked online or are paying on the day.
djtruefitt
TS Team
It is busy to pick the wristbands up, but the queue moves so quick, as they always have so many tills open, I've queues the whole queue line and it's never been more than about 10 minutes
Arena (Ice Skating) entrance on Watson Rd (the road under the middle of the park) is now open daily.
If the ticket booth is closed, then the tills at the Arena will issue wristbands.
It is meant to be for season pass holders only, but the rule isn't enforced.
Entry at the main gates can take an hour at peak times, but it is usually much less.
The rides don't fully open until around 11 anyway.
Going to skive to the Beach this afternoon as it is too wet for work...twice in four days, shocking skive.
If the ticket booth is closed, then the tills at the Arena will issue wristbands.
It is meant to be for season pass holders only, but the rule isn't enforced.
Entry at the main gates can take an hour at peak times, but it is usually much less.
The rides don't fully open until around 11 anyway.
Going to skive to the Beach this afternoon as it is too wet for work...twice in four days, shocking skive.
Sam
TS Member
I've submitted my appeal to the Department for Culture, Media & Sport about the decision against listing the Wild Mouse. Partly because I want to see it protected, and partly because I am an enthusiast for tedious bureaucratic machinations like you'd get in provincial regions of the Soviet Union in the early eighties.
The grounds were basically:
1. The bit in the report about the ride recently having been modified and extended is factually incorrect.
2. One of the primary reasons to reject the application was because the ride was extensively modified in the sixties by the Volare brothers, but so was the Big Dipper so the rides have been inconsistently assessed as a group.
The grounds were basically:
1. The bit in the report about the ride recently having been modified and extended is factually incorrect.
2. One of the primary reasons to reject the application was because the ride was extensively modified in the sixties by the Volare brothers, but so was the Big Dipper so the rides have been inconsistently assessed as a group.