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Southport Pleasureland

They've definitely got a long term lease on the land now, hence why the last few years they've tried to add themed areas instead of plonked down fair ground rides.

It's the nearest park for me, but I've just got no interest in visiting currently having gone in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Looked at the website a few weeks ago and it barely mentions any rides they have now. Plus with the awful Looping coaster gone they're really missing any sort of thrill coaster.
 
The place looked closed, just the golf open...though I may be mistaken...didn't get out of the car until Lord St!.
Very quiet on the seafront, though it was windy...but dry.
Average age of visitor to Southport today...around sixty, and that is the average.
Few teenagers about, shops busy.
And the tide was in!!!
Only see that about once a decade...right up to the seashore road.
Amusing point, I used to like watching the unicyclists and skateboarders on the bandstand on Lord St.
Good entertainment and memories of a bygone age.
Big banned signs now, so nobody uses it at all, apart from a single grey haired old man with dark glasses and a limp, feeding the pigeons with his sad poundbakery chicken pasty.
21 completely empty benches, and me.
Very Southport in the current climes, only busy on sunny school holidays, and then you can't park.
The park needs decent attractions instead of an abundance of average flats.
A single decent coaster would be a start if they insist on pay one price.
 
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Southport.like alot of seaside resorts is struggling. Last time I visited last Easter the place was dead, even the main shopping street was quiet. Southport is getting major investment in the coming years but it definitely benefit from better transport links
 
Relife said:
Southport.like alot of seaside resorts is struggling. Last time I visited last Easter the place was dead, even the main shopping street was quiet. Southport is getting major investment in the coming years but it definitely benefit from better transport links
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Will be visiting Southport soon on a pinball stalk...usually fail in the town.
Might get to hit dippy with a putter.
It has been announced in the last few days that the pier will not be reopening this year...following storm damage about eighteen months ago.
Damn shame, lovely cafe and penny arcade at the end.
 

This video really shows of some of the new pirate cove area for this year and lets the theming is a really well done. Majority of the rides now are very much permanent looking and have removed a lot of the tacky rides with really well themed additions and it shows how much Southport is coming on as a park as the theming these two rides is ultimately some of the best in the park at the moment and shows how there progress pays off
 
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For what it is now is better than it was and if they keep adding new additions with better and better theming its only a matter of time before a new rollercoaster comes along to put them on the map. There trying hard and are still investing most people would have given up by now
 
Potentially because they were investing in other things like the big wheel,the golf,the viking theming, discovery/steampunk bay and pirate cove and loads of smaller things like repainting the Walhalla building and Wallis workshop/viking and buying the lakeside railway now pleasureland railway.Not to forget that prices have gone up
 
Dipper_Dave said:
And not a decent roller coaster in sight. I can be there in 5 mins and am not remotely interested in going.

Actually, to be fair the Big One is in sight from the prom :p
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I think they’re better going down the family park route. A big rollercoaster wouldn’t be financially viable for them and wouldn’t fit with their current target audience. Rollercoasters are expensive to build but more importantly very expensive to maintain
 
MAC said:
I think they’re better going down the family park route. A big rollercoaster wouldn’t be financially viable for them and wouldn’t fit with their current target audience. Rollercoasters are expensive to build but more importantly very expensive to maintain
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This is true but they do have some solid family rides so potentially a new coaster in the future.Something like storm chaser potentially a clone of it would work at Southport.Southport family market is a bit like paultons in a sense so if I were investing in the park I would build a smaller rollercoaster where the caterpillar currently is to test out the waters of adding a permanent coaster again
 
Paultons own their own park.
Southport Pleasureland rent a funfair site from the council...but the council would actually prefer the fair not be there...it does not fit their quiet family/retirement resort image.
 
rob666 said:
Paultons own their own park.
Southport Pleasureland rent a funfair site from the council...but the council would actually prefer the fair not be there...it does not fit their quiet family/retirement resort image.
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I thought they signed a log term lease on the land so that is the reason there installing more permanent rides
 
The council own the land, the lease is not long term, not as far as I'm aware.
The Thompson's owned the long term continuing lease...they gave it up when trashing the park on exit.
It is a commercial let for a funfair, which is what it is.
Big rides have been repeatedly promised by the "showman" owner.
The adult rollercoasters that have been on the park have rarely opened, in my personal experience, travelling an hour to attempt ride them.
The park is nothing more than a polished turd, with a good sprinkling of glitter.
It needs a couple of rides of substance, that have been long promised, since the days of the Knightmare...
 
rob666 said:
The council own the land, the lease is not long term, not as far as I'm aware.
The Thompson's owned the long term continuing lease...they gave it up when trashing the park on exit.
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I remembered Norman securing something a few years back and have found this in 2020/21;

“Sefton Council has now granted a long-term lease so owners can invest in new facilities for the family amusement park.”

Looks like he has a 50 year lease, with the option to extend for a further 50 years.
 
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