Talbot Street Tuesday

[WillPS]

I didn't realise until quite recently - Britannia Building Society was headquartered in nearby Leek until it was taken over by The Co-operative Bank in the late-00s, and they continue to support their legacy accounts from Leek.

I've always found it notable that the sponsorship stuff kicked off under John Broome's ownership - it's notable how little of it there is now after it seemed like every attraction in the 00s had a sponsor.

 

[Squiggs]

New for 2022, Spinjam is part of The Retro Squad, themed to a 1980s thrill ride. But just metres away is the site where a true 80s classic once operated.

Turbo Star opened in 1984 on a site that is now deep below Oblivion's queue line. It was one of the park's original thrill rides and operated for six seasons during the 80s.

Did you ever get the opportunity to dance over Fantasy World in Turbo Star? How do you think this classic 80s ride would compare to its spiritual successor that will open this year just next door?

 

[Squiggs]

Andy has arrived in the park this year with his Dinosaur Dig, taking over Mr Bloom's former allotment.

But today, for Talbot Street Tuesday, let's hop back 8 years to when the attraction was first under development and take a look at the detail that went into the original elevations.

Which did your tiddlers prefer? The original Mr Bloom's Allotment, or the dig site of Andy's Adventures?

 

[Squiggs]

Ripsaw would have been 25 years old this year! But for this week's Talbot Street Tuesday, let's remember when we nearly ended up with The Screw, as seen in the ride's original concepts.

Here at TowersStreet we're partial to a bit of Funk'n'Flying... but what flat ride would you like to see as a permanent replacement for Ripsaw to carry on the ride's thrill legacy?

 

[Jb85]

Ripsaw would have been 25 years old this year! But for this week's Talbot Street Tuesday, let's remember when we nearly ended up with The Screw, as seen in the ride's original concepts.

Here at TowersStreet we're partial to a bit of Funk'n'Flying... but what flat ride would you like to see as a permanent replacement for Ripsaw to carry on the ride's thrill legacy?

Just buy another Ripsaw
Simple

 

[Skyscraper]

Ripsaw would have been 25 years old this year! But for this week's Talbot Street Tuesday, let's remember when we nearly ended up with The Screw, as seen in the ride's original concepts.

Here at TowersStreet we're partial to a bit of Funk'n'Flying... but what flat ride would you like to see as a permanent replacement for Ripsaw to carry on the ride's thrill legacy?

It's R.I.Psaw now.

 

[BigShadowtinytree]

I agree they could just buy another Ripsaw and it would probably go down really well in the park. Wouldn’t be the most inspired choice but Ripsaw was always a popular ride when it was around, I bet many guests would be happy to see it return.

 

[Skyscraper]

I agree they could just buy another Ripsaw and it would probably go down really well in the park. Wouldn’t be the most inspired choice but Ripsaw was always a popular ride when it was around, I bet many guests would be happy to see it return.

Could even go one better and get a Talocan-size one with a themed backwall. We can dream though

 

[s_g_k]

Could even go one better and get a Talocan-size one with a themed backwall. We can dream though

Steady on mate, from the pictures I’ve seen of the Thirteen girl and the wraiths roaming Dark Forest for Festival of Thrills, they could only afford to get their costumes from Home Bargains’ discounted Halloween section. Felt a bit sorry for the entertainers to be honest having to wear such tragic costumes.

 

[Skyscraper]

Steady on mate, from the pictures I’ve seen of the Thirteen girl and the wraiths roaming Dark Forest for Festival of Thrills, they could only afford to get their costumes from Home Bargains’ discounted Halloween section. Felt a bit sorry for the entertainers to be honest having to wear such tragic costumes.

Err... I'm pretty sure those are the original costumes that were used both back when Thirteen first opened and for the scare zone.
They just haven't been used for a few years, but I personally think they look great and it's nice to see them again.

 

[s_g_k]

Err... I'm pretty sure those are the original costumes that were used both back when Thirteen first opened and for the scare zone.
They just haven't been used for a few years, but I personally think they look great and it's nice to see them again.

To be fair I haven’t seen them in real life so maybe they were poor photos , but they didn’t look great on social media.
Back on topic, I never rode Ripsaw because it looked so violent! It was obviously a popular and fairly major ride but even today I still don’t think I’d ride it. What was the ride experience actually like? I’ve never been a fan of violent spinny flats!

 

[Squiggs]

Those definitely don't look like the original costumes. The wraith ones certainly look a lot more basic than the ones they were using back in 2010.

 

[Squiggs]

We have a very exciting Talbot Street Tuesday for you today. Rachel, one of the original Scenic Painters on The Haunted House, recently shared with us some amazing pictures from around Gloomy Wood, shortly before the ride opened.

Hop over to the site to check out the house exterior, graveyard and rest of the area as you may never have seen them, before the foliage grew in and the woods truly became gloomy!

Paging @Trooper Looper - I think you might enjoy this one!

 

[Squiggs]

Did you know? When Enterprise first opened, it operated on the site that is now home to Roller Disco!

For today's Talbot Street Tuesday, we're taking a look at this classic ride and remembering its time in Festival Park. It was one of several trailer-based rides added for the 1984 season to help absorb the crowds generated by the park's big coasters at the time.

Before moving to its current home in X-Sector, it also operated on the site which is now home to the Dark Forest Lockers.

 

[WillPS]

Good shot showing how the Wave Swinger's control cabin used to be in the base too, I believe it was moved to a separate hut to increase visibility.

 

[Matt.GC]

Did you know? When Enterprise first opened, it operated on the site that is now home to Roller Disco!

For today's Talbot Street Tuesday, we're taking a look at this classic ride and remembering its time in Festival Park. It was one of several trailer-based rides added for the 1984 season to help absorb the crowds generated by the park's big coasters at the time.

Before moving to its current home in X-Sector, it also operated on the site which is now home to the Dark Forest Lockers.

That picture is exactly how I remembered Festival park as a lad! Thanks for sharing. What an atmosphere it had. Before 1994, it really was THE area to be in which the whole park seemed to centre around. I spent many a summer buggering off from my parents doing whatever I please around Festival Park and Talbot Street (to this day, I still don't know what my parents were actually doing at the time or why they let a 7/8/9 year old lad do as he pleased on his own but I'm not complaining now).

 

[Squiggs]

Hold up everyone! You don't want to miss this week's Talbot Street Tuesday! It's an absolute classic

Who remembers that one time when you could walk through a giant hollowed-out loaf, whilst facts about bread would pop out of toasters all around you?

Farm-a-Rama opened in Britannia Farm for the 1990 season and quite literally put agriculture under the microscope. Once upon a time the building, which is now home to Jojo and Gran Gran at Home, was instead home to oversized baked produce as well as a display of fleeces from different types of sheep.

The park was a very different place during the John Broome era...

 

[NuttySquirrel]

Hold up everyone! You don't want to miss this week's Talbot Street Tuesday! It's an absolute classic

Who remembers that one time when you could walk through a giant hollowed-out loaf, whilst facts about bread would pop out of toasters all around you?

Farm-a-Rama opened in Britannia Farm for the 1990 season and quite literally put agriculture under the microscope. Once upon a time the building, which is now home to Jojo and Gran Gran at Home, was instead home to oversized baked produce as well as a display of fleeces from different types of sheep.

The park was a very different place during the John Broome era...

Man I am sorry I missed that! Genius!

Probably Hovis actually (coeliac joke!)

 

[WillPS]

Love it. Eat your heart out Epcot Rainbow Corridor!

 

[Squiggs]

The park seem to be having some trouble unsealing the Earl's vault this year. But for this week's Talbot Street Tuesday we're taking a look at a slightly different legend of the Towers.

The Towers Gift Centre opened in 1963 in what is now the entrance to Hex. It was the park's main gift shop for over thirty years, operating out of the Armoury, which had once been the mansion's principal entrance.

In those days, the space looked rather different, complete with whitewashed walls and Formica floors... and more ghost stories than you could shake a fallen branch at!