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John Wardley New Book

Slugjc said:
Not read it yet, what period of time for the presenter
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Can't remember off the top of my head, but we're not talking too long ago. It was for educational visits, and was hosted in the hotel (so wasn't pre '96). But I seem to think it was much more recent than that.
 
Any other good theme park related books people can recommend? I’ve read both of Wardley plus the Haunted house one.
 
lozzyhickers said:
I’m convinced it’s Schofield now…
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Philip Schofield opened The Haunted House and bought Going Live (I think that’s what it was called?) to Alton in the 80s, so he had fair existing links with the park. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if Schofield is the presenter Wardley was referring to.
Bowser said:
Any other good theme park related books people can recommend? I’ve read both of Wardley plus the Haunted house one.
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If you’re a fan of Alton Towers books, I’d thoroughly recommend Tales from the Towers by Nick Sim. It only goes up to around 2013, as Sim passed away in 2016, but it’s an absolutely brilliant read and goes into huge depth!

If you’re willing to extend your reading list beyond Alton Towers, there are many others I could recommend. There’s a great one about Thorpe Park called Making Thorpe Park, written in 2020, and I recently read a really interesting one about Blackpool Pleasure Beach by a professor from the University of Lancaster! I can’t remember the title of that one off the top of my head, though…
 
Matt N said:
If you’re a fan of Alton Towers books, I’d thoroughly recommend Tales from the Towers by Nick Sim. It only goes up to around 2013, as Sim passed away in 2016, but it’s an absolutely brilliant read and goes into huge depth!
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Wow, did not know he had passed away. I was wondering why he never followed the towers and Orlando books.
 
Matt N said:
Philip Schofield opened The Haunted House and bought Going Live (I think that’s what it was called?) to Alton in the 80s, so he had fair existing links with the park. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if Schofield is the presenter Wardley was referring to.

If you’re a fan of Alton Towers books, I’d thoroughly recommend Tales from the Towers by Nick Sim. It only goes up to around 2013, as Sim passed away in 2016, but it’s an absolutely brilliant read and goes into huge depth!

If you’re willing to extend your reading list beyond Alton Towers, there are many others I could recommend. There’s a great one about Thorpe Park called Making Thorpe Park, written in 2020, and I recently read a really interesting one about Blackpool Pleasure Beach by a professor from the University of Lancaster! I can’t remember the title of that one off the top of my head, though…
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Thank you will investigate! Yes more than happy to extend beyond AT.
 
Slugjc said:
Wow, did not know he had passed away. I was wondering why he never followed the towers and Orlando books.
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Yes, Nick Sim sadly passed around 8 years ago. He was unfortunately diagnosed with a terminal illness a few years before he died, which I believe may even have been a motivation behind writing the two books. He spoke about his illness at the beginning of at least one of the two books, if I’m remembering rightly.
 
Matt N said:
Yes, Nick Sim sadly passed around 8 years ago. He was unfortunately diagnosed with a terminal illness a few years before he died, which I believe may even have been a motivation behind writing the two books. He spoke about his illness at the beginning of at least one of the two books, if I’m remembering rightly.
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I heard him speak about his illness on a podcast. I didn't know it was terminal. Must have heard that podcast about 7 years ago now.
 
Bowser said:
Any other good theme park related books people can recommend? I’ve read both of Wardley plus the Haunted house one.
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Tales from the Towers is a great book, especially as it also goes into detail about the history of the Towers ruins themselves.
 
Not many academic thoosie books out there that are actually readable...
You been hanging round Waterstones behind the Tower again Matt!
 
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rob666 said:
Not many academic thoosie books out there that are actua;;y readable...
You been hanging round Waterstones behind the Towers again Matt!
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It was actually ordered off Amazon along with a selection of other books, including another Pleasure Beach book that appears to be a bit more picture-based (I haven’t read it yet… it’s on my reading list!). I’m currently reading a rather interesting book about the now defunct Jaws ride at Universal Studios Florida!
 
Matt N said:
I recently read a really interesting one about Blackpool Pleasure Beach by a professor from the University of Lancaster! I can’t remember the title of that one off the top of my head, though…
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Riding on Rainbows (John Walton, 2007) - professor at University of Central Lancashire?

Other BPB books include:

Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Professor Vanessa Toulmin, 2011) - director of the National Fairground Archive at University of Sheffield Library
This was commissioned by Blackpool Council and covers from the start up to Infusion and Nick Land, loads of photos.

A Century of Fun (Peter Bennett, 1996). (there is also a cut down, shorter version of this, "100 years of fun")
Commissioned by the park for their centenary, covers up to the Big One.
 
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