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Wardley's autobiography published

Got it for my Birthday this morning. Only a few chapters in and completely engrossed even though I didn't think I'd be that interested in the illusions and theatre side of the book. Its a brilliant read.
 
James said:
I'll never quite look at the lift in Sweet Transvestite in The Rocky Horror Picture show the same again! I think I may just laugh every time I watch it now, knowing just how it was done. The magic of film!
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Me neither.....I'm in shock! I love that film....Wow
 
I have just finished chapter 7. I am really enjoying it, it very funny at times. the forklift and generator paragraph on 68 made me chuckle.

James said:
I'll never quite look at the lift in Sweet Transvestite in The Rocky Horror Picture show the same again!
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Or the laser gun in the man with the golden gun.
 
Finished this the other night. I was really impressed with it! I knew that Wardley had worked on a few films, but I had no idea that he was involved with The Railway Children and Rocky Horror (the latter of which I still haven't seen, but I now really want to! :p). As odd as it sounds, probably the funniest bit of the book was him getting locked out on a balcony in Blackpool, having to streak through a nightclub and ending up in a glass lift. :p

In all seriousness, it was a great read, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone. :)
 
Joel Stanford from TowersStreet fan group told the Sunday Mercury: “John Wardley is nothing short of a legend, despite his own modesty. John's vision of a theme park truly revolutionized the landscape by bringing alive his passion to entertain and thrill people.
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Love it!

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Ssshhhhhhh, you're not supposed to notice these things ;)

The book however - an amazing read that I ended up doing in one sitting all night, I couldn't put it down once I was hooked into his story. I mean, I'm far from a proper "rollercoaster geek" anyway, more still just an adrenaline junkie but it left me just wanting to know more about John's work and how he came to actually create these amazing contraptions from his ideas and the process behind it all.

I wonder if John ever kept a diary whilst developing the likes of Nemesis etc, would be fantastic to see a developers diary almost of the whole process, but I expect a lot of maybe still confidential I guess.
 
Well I have just broken a personal best with this book 156 pages read in 48 hours, not bad for a dyslexic that does not like reading.

It a brilliant book, It is a shame John did not put a bit about what he sees himself doing in retirement. but the last page made stop and reread it, what a line to drop on someone in front of a camera.

My Mum is not a coaster fan and does not know who John is, but she loves a good read so i have lent it to her.
 
GaryH said:
Hate to say it but the best thing they can do now is just pull the whole lot down and rebuild the area with apartments (which I believe is the plan). I believe John still lives in the Barry area however....
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I'm currently making a short documentary about the Pleasure Park, I was speaking to pat Collins today (the former owner) and he refused to go to the park with me for filming, He now runs the Crazy Golf and the rides on the Prom. It's really upsetting to see the state of the place especially as it's home to such iconic rides.
This book couldn't have come at a better time to be honest, it's probably one of only a handfull of books I have read from beginning to end.

:) :)
 
Mum as read it in one sitting as she just wanted to read the next bit.

She thought is was a great read and thinks John is a really talented guy, with a really skill for telling a story and anecdotes.
 
I genuinely didn't realise he was such a jack of all trades. It's incredible to think how much experience in design, construction and general creativity that he brings to the table when he works on a coaster.
 
I read the whole thing in one sitting...

* Very interesting.
* The ending felt rushed and unfinished.
* The mental image caused by page 114 will haunt me forever.
 
Croftybaby said:
GaryH said:
Hate to say it but the best thing they can do now is just pull the whole lot down and rebuild the area with apartments (which I believe is the plan). I believe John still lives in the Barry area however....
Click to expand...

I'm currently making a short documentary about the Pleasure Park, I was speaking to pat Collins today (the former owner) and he refused to go to the park with me for filming, He now runs the Crazy Golf and the rides on the Prom. It's really upsetting to see the state of the place especially as it's home to such iconic rides.
This book couldn't have come at a better time to be honest, it's probably one of only a handfull of books I have read from beginning to end.

:) :)
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Would be really interested in seeing that once you have done it.....
 
I thought this book was really interesting. It reminded me a lot of Derren Brown's autobiography in the way that they both described memories of early childhood involving trying to figure out how everything works and making little mock-ups of things at home.

It did seem to be too short but I think that's just because I couldn't put it down. I received it the morning of an exam and I was very nearly late for it because I wanted to carry on reading.

Anyway, wonderful book and definitely something that every coaster enthusiast would be proud to own.
 
I thought it was realy short. I would have liked more about certain projects and it ended too abrupt for me. But nice way to end it though

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
I'm currently enjoying reading it, but due to my procrastination degree, I keep stopping reading it... I think I'm on chapter 6-7 last I checked... It seems to bring a load of answers to his life and gives him closure though, which is excellent :)
 
In the book he talks about filming a Discovery Channel program last year on the Swarm at Thorpe Park. Apparently its going to be shown on Quest UK (Freeview channel 38) on either 17th, 19th, 21st or 22nd July in the "World's Strangest Jobs" series. But the schedule might change!
 
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