Here is a few photos. Thought people might appreciate these. These first photos basically look very similar to this day. It is of the top entrance by the Tower Ball room. Pretty much all the buildings in the photos still exist in one form or another to this day. The building on the left is the Tower ball room today and the building to the right, with the red awning above the door is now the Grill inn. Notable exceptions include no Apocolypse, which now is to the left of the photo next to the chairlift which does not exist today. Not sure of a date but I am guessing the 1960s. Or there abouts.
Another slight different angle. Pretty much everything in this photo still exists today. The undercover walkway between the buildings still exists and you will walk through this when entering the park from this entrance.
This next one is from the same angle as this last photo. But taken from ground level. You can see the same cable car tower in all three photos. This is how it looks today but without the chairlift.
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The chairlift again, taken from over the lake. About the same time as first two photos. The photo is looking towards Storm Force 10 and Shockwave.
How that same view looks today.
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Next one I believe is a post card from the Jungle cruise. Again, the date is a guess, but I believe the late 1970's or early 1980's would be a good bet.
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Now this third one is the most interesting. It shows Drayton Manor when it was just a funfair in the 1960s back when Drayton was in its infancy. Now the fairground was partially run by the Shipley family at this time, while being owned by the Bryan's. The Shipleys have a long history at the park. In later years they just ran the amusements in the park known as Shipleys amusements. I believe they still run that to this day. They also to this day still have a large house on the Drayton Manor estate, not far from Wild West Shootout in terms of location actually, near the park stores. But totally inacessible to the public. They also still to this day operate an amusements in Tamworth town centre. It has been there years. The town center one, unlike the park amusements is adults 18+ only.
You can see the houses of the Deer Park Road estate in the top left background. You can also see the train station on the bottom left of the photo, which still stands in the same location today as the Polperro Express. The photo would be taken from the cable cars nearing the station in the park. This photo is looking directly at where the massive show building for what was Pirate Adventure now sits. Looking towards the old Pirate Adventure entrance and The Burger Kitchen entrance. Thomas Land is in the top left of the photo roughly to the left of the green grass, the green grass mostly been taken up by the back of Pirate Adventure, the battle scene area of the ride. While the immediate front bit of the green grass area is where the Crypt used to be located but is now the indoor play area. With the Jungle Cruise lake behind the trees in the top right. That should hopefully give you an idea of where the picture is taken and just how much the park has changed.
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This next picture is of the same area but from a different angle taken from over the lake. Notice the bumper cars. Still in the same spot today. They look alot different with no Pirate Adventure building, which would take up the bulk of this photo. Even though the bumper cars are not part of the Pirate Adventue building, they are next to it and have an ajoining facade to make them appear to be the same building. Also the merry go round is in the same location. The small waterway that connects the main lake to the Excalibur lake can be seen. Then lastly, the right angle in the lake edge, towards the bottom left, is where the giant shark photo point is today.
Then a picture from the same view point, many years later
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This picture is of Drayton Manor house before it was demolished in the 1920's I believe. The clock tower can be seen on the right of the photo. The clock tower still stands to this day, next to the Grill Inn, just as you enter the park by car actually. The very first picture shown in this post, the clock tower is just out of frame to the right of that photo, to give you an idea of location.
Just for reference, here is a photo of the clock tower how it appears today. Note the location of the clock in both photos to give you a frame of reference for where the photos are taken from. The driveway is roughly where the driveway sits today. With the parts of the house on the left of the photo being where the coach park and hotel sits today. Notice the chair lift cables. The first three photos in this set were taken around this area.
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A very empty park in this one. Looking up towards the top of of the park from the main car park entrance. Notice the bumper cars on the left. Again, in the same place they sit today. Also you can see the Polperro Express near the bottom of the picture. Exact same location as today. Then finally, notice the cable car station near the bottom middle of the photo. Anyone who knows the recent park knows how built up and developed that part of the park is today.
Then one taken from the same rough location today. Notice the triangle layout of paths above the lake. Visible in both photos. That should give you a good frame of reference.
The eagle eyed among you will notice this final picture was taken before phase 2 of Thomas land was constructed.
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Fascinating pictures that I am sure you guys will appreciate.
