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This
Page is an Archive of all news items featured on the Joyland Books News
Page between 1 January and 30 June 2003.
For the latest news, click here.
Rare
Books Added to Secondhand Shop [22/6/03]
| A bumper crop of secondhand books
have been added to the Joyland Books Secondhand
Shop today. Heading up the new additions is The
World of Donald McGill, the story of the king of saucy
postcards. Those interested in the seaside will also want to snap
up a copy of the extremely rare Butlin
Holiday Book from 1947, the first of what was to become a
series but ended up being a one-off. Two out-of-print books on
piers have been added: British
Piers is a photographic journey through pier history and Seaside
Piers is a comprehensive tome. We have reduced the price
of the Blackpool Pleasure Beach photograph book: Through
the Camera of Lichfield. And with newly added books on
circus, showmen, fairground organs and traction engines, there is
something for everyone. Click
here for the Secondhand Shop. |
 |
Cause
of Thorpe Park Crash Revealed [22/6/03]
| The Sunday Telegraph reports that Tussauds Theme Parks has pleaded
guilty to failing to discharge its duty of health and safety following
an accident at Thorpe Park, Chertsey, Surrey, in October 2001. The
report states that "two teenagers were in a gondola on the
Zodiac ride when it detached at one end, bumped along the ground
ripping its floor away, and hit a fence close to queueing
visitors." Both teenagers were taken to hospital with
whiplash injuries. The court was told that bolts supplied by
German manufacturer Huss should have been installed but were in
short supply so, rather than close the ride, bolts were acquired
from another source that were of the wrong type. Tussauds admitted
failing to properly maintain the ride, but two park managers, who
were charged with the same offence as Tussauds, have pleaded not
guilty. Sentencing has been adjourned. |
 |
Blackpool
Pleasure Beach Hotel Opens [14/6/03]
The Big Blue Hotel at
Blackpool Pleasure Beach successfully opened for business this weekend.
Work on the £4.5m, 4-storey hotel started in October last year and was
completed ahead of schedule. The 116-room hotel is the first to be built
in Blackpool for over 20 years, and reflects the confidence the resort's
biggest tourist attraction has in the town's future. Many of the rooms
overlook the park, and facilities at the hotel include business and
conference centre, fully equipped gym and treatment room and a
brasserie-style restaurant with bar, adding to the already impressive
array of world-class facilities at the Pleasure Beach. Europe's first
water park hotel has also recently opened at Alton Towers; Splash Landings
has 216 bedrooms, restaurant, bar and Cariba Creek waterpark.
Further major investment - in both rides and complementary attractions -
is planned at Blackpool Pleasure Beach over the next few years, creating
the UK's premier self-contained amusement park resort.
Fairground
Art Now in Stock! [14/6/03]
| Fairground Art, the definitive
fairground book, has been re-released and is now in stock. This
classic book is probably the most famous fairground book of all
time, and since its original release in 1981 has become highly
collectable. It contains in-depth information and profuse
illustrations and photographs of fairground carvings and artwork.
The book has now been re-released in paperback. Books have already
been dispatched to all customers who pre-ordered copies. Click
here for more details. |
 |
OBE
for Blackpool Pleasure Beach Chairman [13/6/03]
| Mrs Lilian Doris Thompson, MBE,
the 100-year-old Chairman of Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Britain's
most visited amusement park), has been awarded an OBE in the
Queen's Birthday Honours list. Her award is for services to the
community in Blackpool. Mrs Thompson, one of the most respected
amusement park industry figures in the world, is pictured to the
right at her recent birthday celebrations. Click
here to discuss Blackpool Pleasure Beach in our Forum. |
 |
Loudoun
Castle is Scotland's Best [7/6/03]
| The Joyland Books award for
Britain's most improved theme park goes to Loudoun Castle in
Scotland. Located just 18 miles south of Glasgow, the theme park
is set around the imposing ruins of this historic building and is
one of Scotland's best kept secrets. Until last year, the theme
park was owned by the Codona fairground family, and resembled more
of a travelling fairground than a theme park. But now, big changes
are happening. |
New: Twist n' Shout looping
coaster |
New: Pony Track ride at Dougal
McDougal's Farm |
Earlier this year, the park was
taken over by Henk Bembom (previously the owner of Margate's
Dreamland, and with interests in a number of UK theme parks), one
of the most respected theme park operators in Europe. Although
some of the better existing attractions have been retained, there
has already been a big investment in new rides and attractions.
One of the biggest new rides is the Schwarzkopf Twist n' Shout
looping roller coaster (pictured above), which joins the park's
two existing coasters. |
| Demonstrating the move away from
fairground to theme park, a new area for the children has been
introduced, called Dougal McDougal's Farm, which includes two
brand new, permanent themed attractions: a tractor ride and a pony
track (pictured above, construction almost complete). The entire park is getting a makeover, and
existing attractions such as the Log Flume (right) are getting new
stations and theming. The changes are impressive given the short
space of time that the park has been under Bembom ownership and
plans are already being drawn up to
partially enclose the park's existing Viper roller coaster, to create a
large dark ride. The park is open now so you can see the changes
for yourself: more details from www.loudouncastle.co.uk. |
New station for an old favourite:
Loggers Leap log flume
Click
here to discuss Loudoun Castle in our Theme Parks Forum |
Alton
Towers Wooden Roller Coaster Withdrawn [7/6/03]
Alton Towers has
withdrawn its planning application for a massive new wooden roller coaster
after local concerns about the ride's impact on the Churnet Valley. The
main issues of concern were the felling of trees, noise and the precedent
that it might set for rides extending into the valley. Bosses at Alton
Towers are now revising the plans to take the concerns into account, and
the plans will be resubmitted this summer. If it receives planning
permission, the ride is expected to open in 2005.
Camelot
Theme Park to Close [28/5/03]
| The owners of Camelot Theme Park
in Lancashire have announced that the park is facing a crisis over
its long-term future. Over recent years, the park has suffered a
big drop in visitor numbers, losing £6m since Prime Resorts Ltd
acquired the park from Granada. The owners claim that this is
despite investment in new rides and attractions. The owners have
stated that the park will close within five years unless action
can be taken to save it. The park is now looking at long-term
plans for the redevelopment of the site, which is likely to
include housing and year-round employment, and proposals have
already been presented to Lancashire County Council. |
Click
here to discuss this news in our Forum |
Online
Exhibition of Kursaal History Opens [19/5/03]
| A brand new online exhibition of
vintage amusement park photographs has opened today in the Joyland
Books Exhibition Hall. The exhibition takes visitors on a tour of
the famous Kursaal Amusement Park at Southend-on-Sea, from its
early years in the late 19th Century, to its gradual closure in
the 1970s, through to the reopening of the Kursaal buildings in
the 1990s. The Exhibition is based on the new book, Kursaal
Memories: A History of Southend's Amusement Park by top
local author Ken Crowe,
and features a selection of the many photographs that can be found
in the publication. The exhibition runs until 31st July 2003. Click
here to go straight to the Exhibition Hall.
If
you enjoy the Exhibition then why not buy Kursaal
Memories here at Joyland Books and discover many more pictures plus the
fascinating story of one of the world's first theme parks. |
Kursaal Amusement Park,
Southend-on-Sea |
New
UK Coaster to Open in June [17/5/03]
A new £300,000 roller
coaster is to open at Isle of Wight theme park Blackgang Chine on 20 June.
The ride, described by the park's owner as "a pink-knuckle
ride", will be launched at a special VIP party for 160 invited
guests. The ride will open to the public on 21 June, with characters from
Blackgang's past.
Chessington
Expansion Announced [16/5/03]
The Tussaud's Group has
announced plans to expand Chessington World of Adventures, in what is
described as a move away from being a 'ride park' to a 'family resort
destination'. The plans are designed to turn around the fortunes of the
park, which has seen visitor numbers fall from 1.7 million to 1.2 million
in recent years. The proposals include the creation of a safari trail,
with larger animal enclosures than at present; a 150-bed safari-themed
hotel; a 4D cinema; a flying island which will give panoramic views; a
1,200-seat covered show area; a spinning roller coaster; a beach area; and
a water complex. The plans, which will take seven years to complete, will
see the park focus on family visitors instead of its traditional teenage
market.
Dreamland
Scenic Railway to open 24 May [16/5/03]
| The 83-year-old
Scenic Railway roller coaster at Margate’s Dreamland Pleasure
Park will open to the public on Saturday 24 May 2003 for what
could be its last ever summer season.
Built in 1920, the Scenic Railway is the oldest operating roller
coaster in the United Kingdom and is the first and only amusement
ride to be awarded listed building status. Its future is now under
threat as the owner of Dreamland has announced that the park is to
close and be redeveloped as a supermarket, shops and a casino. For
the 2003 season, the ride will be operated by
the Scenic Railway Trust Ltd, an organisation set up with the
intention of preserving the ride's long-term future. Meanwhile the
Save Dreamland Campaign - set up to fight for the survival of the
park and its famous wooden roller coaster - is gearing up for its
big Convention day on 1 June. The event, open to members and
non-members, is being held at Margate's Theatre Royal and will be
a celebration of Dreamland's glorious past, including the showing
of several rare films of the park through the years and talks from
various leading speakers. Click
here for more details and information on how to buy
tickets. |
Above: The Scenic Railway in
action (2002)
Click
here for the Save Dreamland Forum |
Kursaal
Book Launch Becomes Kursaal Reunion [26/4/03]
| The press launch of the
long-awaited history of Southend's Kursaal amusement park became a
reunion of Kursaal names past and present. The event was held on
17th April 2003 at the Kursaal itself, now the town's leading
leisure complex. Underneath the famous dome, author Ken Crowe
presented a slideshow of Kursaal photographs, before signing
copies of his new book. The evening, which was introduced by
Southend Mayor Alan Crystall, was attended by many famous faces
from Kursaal's past, including band leaders, ride operators and
members of 60s rock groups which performed at the legendary venue.
There was also an exhibition of Kursaal photographs. Click
here for a photo gallery of the launch party. |
Above: Ken Crowe interviewed by
the BBC at the press launch.
Click
here for details of the new book. |
Alton
Coaster Plans Receive Officer Objections [21/4/03]
Staffordshire Moorlands
District Council's Trees and Woodlands Officer, Steve Massey, has objected
to plans for a massive wooden roller coaster at Alton Towers. Mr Massey states in his report to the
planning officer that the proposed development would have a
"significant" adverse impact on the ancient woodland, wildlife
species and habitat as well as an unacceptable visual impact on the wider
landscape. The proposed ride would be the first to be located in the
valley, part of a Grade I site of biological importance, and would require
the removal of 146 trees, although theme park bosses claim that most of
the trees would need to be removed anyway as part of the estate's woodland
management plan. The plans have also been opposed by local residents, although
roller coaster enthusiasts have mounted a letter-writing campaign in
support of the proposals. The report of planning officer Neil Watson is
still awaited, and it is not known yet whether he will recommend approval
or refusal. The final decision will be made by councillors
later this month.
Major
Thrill Ride Arrives at Hayling Island [15/4/03]
| Marshall and John Hill who operate
Funland Amusement Park at Hayling Island have now taken delivery
of their new KMG Freak Out ride, a compact version of the Dutch
builder's popular Afterburner ride. It is the first in the UK,
with several more due for travelling showmen soon. Planning
permission was refused for a giant drop tower ride at the park
earlier this year. Click on the photograph for a larger image of
the new ride. (Courtesy: Martin Cooper)
Discuss
this new ride in our Forum. |
 |
Step
Back in Time With Joyland Books [13/4/03]
| Find out about America's glorious
amusement park and carnival (travelling fair) history in two new
books available now from Joyland Books. Carousel
Animals looks at the artistry of the master carvers who
created the famous merry-go-round horses of the American carousel.
This hardback, glossy book takes you on a journey through carousel
history and meets the people who created these works of art. Inside
the Live Reptile Tent is a collection of stunning colour
photographs of American carnivals and amusement parks. Enter a
fascinating and atmospheric world of wooden roller coasters,
dodgem cars and faded signs. |
 |
New
Fairground Videos Available Now [13/4/03]
| Three new fairground
videos have been added to Joyland Books. Banbury
Fair 2002 is the latest video of this ancient street fair.
Hull Fair 2002 is a
video of what is claimed to be Europe's largest travelling fair. Fun
Fairs on the Move 2002 Vol. 3 shows the pull-on for
Nottingham's huge Goose Fair. For more fairground videos, click
here.
Click
here to discuss travelling fairs in our new forum. |
 |
Kursaal
Memories Out Now! [9/4/03]
| Available from today is probably
the most eagerly-awaited amusement park book of the decade. Kursaal
Memories: A History of Southend's Amusement Park is the
first ever book written about this legendary fun spot, which was
the south of England's largest amusement park. Written by leading
local author Ken Crowe, this book features no less than 160
photographs of the Kursaal's famous attractions, including the
Cyclone roller coaster, Water Chute and famous ballroom. This book
is in stock and ready to be dispatched immediately.
Click
here for more details. |
 |
New
Drop Tower for Woodlands Park [2/4/03]
Woodlands Leisure Park
near Totnes in Devon is opening a major new ride for the 2003 season, a
50-foot high drop tower called Trauma Tower. This ride joins the other
attractions at the park, including the Cyclone Watercoasters and the 500m
long Tornado toboggan ride. Summer 2003 also sees the opening of the
second park from the Bendall family, Twinlakes Park at Melton Mowbray.
Fairground
Festival 2003 Announced for Swindon [2/4/03]
| A major fairground conference has
been announced for Summer 2003, to be held at Swindon (UK). A
varied agenda will see speakers talking about subjects such as
ride design and transport, artwork, sideshows and fairground
history. Click
here for details. |
 |
Save
Dreamland Convention Moved [23/3/03]
| The Save
Dreamland Convention, planned for Saturday 19th April
2003, has been moved to the new date of 1st June 2003. The
Convention is to be held at Margate's historic Theatre Royal and
will celebrate 83 years of Dreamland and its historic, Grade II
listed, Scenic Railway roller coaster. The Save Dreamland Campaign
now speaks on behalf of 13,000 people and organisations who want
to see the park and its main attraction retained. Click
here for the Campaign website and for information on how
to buy tickets to the event. |
 |
Blackpool
and Pleasure Beach to be reborn [23/3/03]
Blackpool Borough
Council has announced a £1bn scheme which will change the face of
Blackpool forever. The plan has been created by a team which includes
Peter Moore, who was responsible for the repositioning of Alton Towers as
a major theme park. The proposal covers 200 hectares of the resort and
will take 15-20 years to complete. The resort will be divided into four
"lands", similar to a theme park: Pleasure Beach, The Village,
Central Beach and Town Centre. The 42-acre Blackpool Pleasure Beach is to
be retained as the central focus of the 'Pleasure Beach' zone, but it
would be complemented by a whole host of new attractions, including a
18,200 sqm glass aquarium next to the South Pier, a new 800-bedroom resort
casino hotel, an open air event park for live entertainment, landscaped
gardens, extra parking, and all weather links to other parts of the
resort. A huge new entertainment complex will be built in the Central
Beach zone which will complement Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Almost as big
as the Pleasure Beach itself, this will be a 27-acre, glass-covered
complex with sub-tropical world, adventure exploratorium, casino resort
hotel, spa and roof garden. This whole scheme has been made possible by
Government Economic Development Zone funding, and funding from the two
principal private sector partners, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Leisure
Parcs (owners of the Tower, three piers and Winter Gardens).
Wooden
Coaster for Alton Towers? [14/3/03]
Alton Towers has
submitted a planning application to the local planning authority,
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, asking for permission to build a
wooden roller coaster. The ride is described as "Wooden roller
coaster with ancillary station, maintenance and retail buildings and
landscaping." Should planning permission be granted for the ride, and
the park proceed with its construction, this would be the first wooden
roller coaster to be constructed at the theme park. More news here as it
breaks.
Britain's
Oldest Amusement Park Ride Under Threat [12/3/03]
| The famous Shipley Glen Tramway is
threatened with closure and this may result in the closure and
redevelopment of the Shipley Glen Pleasure Grounds, home of what
is believed to be the country's oldest amusement park ride. The
owners of the funfair and its famous Aerial Glide ride (built in
1900 and pictured right) have announced that the pleasure grounds
cannot operate without the tramway, which brings visitors up the
hillside to the popular tourist spot. Late last year a petition of
2,200 signatures was presented to the council in an attempt to
stop planning permission being granted for residential
development. |
Above: The Aerial Glide, Shipley
Glen Pleasure Grounds |
| Paul Teale, who has
operated the fairground since 1966, claims that the residential
planning application is a "contingency plan" in the
event of the tramway closing. Local campaigners claim the closure
of the fairground would have a "devastating" effect on
the whole of Shipley, and campaigners believe the loss of the
vintage Aerial Glide ride would also be a major loss. Despite a
last-minute rescue package of £20,000 from Bradford Council, the
future of both the tramway and the fairground still hang in the
balance. |
New
Attractions for Camelot Theme Park [12/3/03]
| Lancashire's Camelot Theme Park
has announced its new attractions for the 2003 season. Heading up
the list is a UK first-of-its kind ride: a £1.5m Maurer Söhne
spinning coaster. At 1,141 feet long, this 7-car roller coaster
will reach speeds of up to 38mph. Also new for 2003 is Enchanted
Glade, a "mystical land" featuring a new ride for
younger visitors and Merlin's School of Wizardry, where potential
magicians learn the tricks of the trade. |
|
Laugh
Your Troubles Away at Joyland [4/3/03]
New to Joyland is this book
telling the full story of Chicago's largest and best known
amusement park. Laugh
Your Troubles Away - The Complete History of Riverview Park
traces the changes and development of the park, which closed in
1967, through antique maps, postcards, vintage ads and rare,
historic photographs taken by the park. The book is incredibly well-researched
(one of the co-writers is a founding member of the National
Amusement Park Historical Association) and the text is accompanied
by 263 photos. Most photos were taken by the park's own
photographers and were only recently discovered in private
collections. These photos are exclusive to this book. Click
here for more details.
|
 |
More
Secondhand Books Added [4/3/03]
| We have good copies of a
number of secondhand books now in stock. Fairfield
Folk is the story of the Matthews fairground family and
now generally regarded as a fairground classic. This first edition
is much in demand. Hello
Campers is the bright and colourful history of the
Butlin's holiday camps, which goes through each of the ten camps,
one-by-one, before looking at the various entertainments on offer.
We also have a very rare 1938 edition of Seventy
Years a Showman, the story of travelling showman 'Lord'
George Sanger, amongst other things the founder of the pleasure
garden/zoo that would eventually become Margate's Dreamland.
Click
here for even more secondhand books. |
 |
New
to Joyland...New to Joyland...New to Joyland [2/3/03]
| Several new books have been added
to the Joyland Books online bookstore. Vintage
Funfairs is a new release from author Brian Steptoe. It
covers English steam fairs, rallies and antique carousels across
Europe, the United States and Australia. Fairground organs,
museums and collections are also featured and traditional scenic
fairground art and signage is illustrated throughout. The
Roller Coaster Lover's Companion is the ultimate guide to
the world's wickedest rides, with chapters on: the
history of roller coasters; types of roller coaster; the world's
best wood and steel coasters; the parks with the best selection of
coasters and a guide to roller coasters worldwide (with ratings
for each coaster. Amusement
Parks of Pennsylvania is a guide to the unique parks of
this US state by leading amusement park historian Jim Futrell. Click
here for the Bookshop. |
 |
Folkestone
Magic Mouse to go [2/3/03]
| The Magic Mouse roller coaster at
Rotunda Amusement Park has been sold and engineers are currently
dismantling the ride. The Magic Mouse, a spinning coaster, was
installed at Rotunda in 1998, and is the latest ride to be
stripped from the park, which closes at the end of the 2003
season. The ride has been advertised for sale in trade paper The
World's Fair for the past two weeks. More rides are expected to be
removed over the coming weeks and months.
Right: The ride pictured last
week shortly before its removal. |
Discuss
this news in our Forum |
Frontierland
Redevelopment Put on Hold [27/2/03]
Frontierland Western
Theme Park stands empty as Morrisons announce that redevelopment plans for
the site have been put on hold, according to the Morecambe Visitor
newspaper. The supermarket giant planned to build a factory outlet centre
on the site of Morecambe's former amusement park, which was bulldozed two
years ago, but the company has now admitted that it is "having a
major selling job" in convincing retailers to come to the resort. The
retail complex was granted planning permission a year ago following a
public inquiry, and the Frontierland site has been cleared, leaving only
the Polo Tower and Log Flume. A spokesperson for Morrisons stated that the
company has not completely backed out of plans, and will be looking at
future opportunities for the site.
Secondhand
Fairground and Seaside Books Added [23/2/03]
Tussauds
Group For Sale [23/2/03]
The Tussauds Group -
owners of Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures -
is reportedly going up for sale with a price tag of £500m. Charterhouse
bought the waxworks-to-theme parks company from Pearson in 1998 for
£352m, but the company is expected to release strong trading results in
the next few weeks showing a 40% rise in profits for 2002. The Group has
invested heavily over the past two years, with two major new roller
coasters at Thorpe Park and a big new ride at Alton Towers. Alton Towers
will also open a new hotel and water park this year. The Telegraph
newspaper reports that the US theme park operator Six Flags, which has
expanded into Europe but has no properties in the UK, is a potential
buyer.
Save
Dreamland Convention Announced [19/2/03]
| A major event has been announced
for all supporters of the Save Dreamland Campaign. The 'Save
Dreamland Convention' is to be held on Easter Saturday 19th April
2003 at Margate’s historic Theatre Royal, and is being organised
in association with the European Coaster Club. Hundreds of roller
coaster enthusiasts from around the world are expected to attend,
as well as local people, some whose livelihoods depend upon
tourism trade and many who care for Margate’s heritage and its
future. Starting at 1pm, the convention will include a history of
Dreamland by Mick Tomlinson, Chairman of the Margate Events Group;
a talk about the importance of the Scenic Railway by Richard
Foster, Chairman of the European Coaster Club; and Nick Laister,
leader of the Save Dreamland Campaign, will tell supporters how
they can make a difference. Also part of the packed programme will
be a special screening of the landmark 1953 short film, ‘O
Dreamland’.
Click
here for more information about the Convention, or click
here for the Save Dreamland Campaign website. |
Save Dreamland Convention:
Saturday 19th April, at the Theatre Royal, Margate
Click
here to discuss this news in our new Forum! |
Dreamland
Leisure Ltd Fined [19/2/03]
|
Dreamland Leisure, the
company which owns both Margate's Dreamland and Folkestone's Rotunda Amusement Park, has
been fined over safety. Meridian News reports: "Kent based Dreamland
Leisure has been found guilty of failing to take steps to reduce the risk of danger to
customers who used the Mini Dragon ride at the Rotunda Amusement Park in
Folkestone. Eight year old Erin Griffin, who was from Adisham near Dover, was
thrown off her seat and struck her head on a metal bar. She died the next day.
Dreamland Leisure, which has assets of more than £28 million, was fined
£25,000 for breaching health and safety laws. They were also ordered to pay
£140,000 in costs and a compensation order of £15,000."
|
Rotunda Amusement
Park, Folkestone: Owner fined.
Discuss
this news in Joyland Books' new Forum |
Roller
Coasters, Piers and Fairgrounds Arrive at Joyland [17/2/03]
| There is something for everyone in
the latest selection of books added to our Secondhand Shop. For
those who like to be beside the seaside, we have added two pier
books: British
Piers and Seaside
Piers. The former is a glossy colour book of pier
photographs from the 1980s, the latter is a detailed study of the
rise and fall of the seaside pier. For fairground enthusiasts, we
have added Showmen's
Engines, a book about those fantastic steam machines that
pull the local fair into town. English
Circus and Fair Grounds is a book about the dawn of the
travelling circus and fair, and Seventy
Years a Showman is the story of the man who started
Margate's Dreamland, 'Lord' George Sanger. Also for the fairground
enthusiasts is Historic
Fairground Scenes and for the roller coaster enthusiast,
we have added a secondhand copy of Roller
Coaster, the definitive guide to the king of the amusement
park. For more secondhand books, click
here. |
Above: British Piers: fantastic
colour photography. |
Trocadero
Pepsi Drop Not Going to Funland [16/2/03]
| Plans to move the Pepsi Drop tower
ride from London's Trocadero to Funland Amusement Park, Hayling
Island, might now have to be scrapped after planning permission
was refused by Havant Borough Council. Park owner, Marshall Hill,
had planned to open the 35-foot high Giant Drop ride in time for
Easter. The tower ride formed part of a £1 million investment in
the park, which would have seen two other major thrill rides
(Tornado and Break Dance) open at the park. The tower ride, which
would have been twice as tall as Funland's tent structure
(pictured right), hoists riders slowly to the top before sending
them plummeting to towards the ground. No decision has yet been
made on whether to appeal the decision. |
A
good decision or another kick in the teeth for the amusement
industry? Discuss this news in our new Forum. |
New
Palace Indoor Amusement Park Demolished [15/2/03]
| The New Palace indoor amusement
park, which has been a feature of the sea front at New Brighton
for several generations, has been demolished. All that remains is
the facade building (pictured to the right). The huge structures
behind - and the adjacent amusement arcade - have been demolished.
Until the late 1990s, New Palace featured a large range of rides
and attractions, including Waltzer and Twist, but in recent years
the number of rides had been reduced to include a large Go-Kart
track, Dodgems and a number of small juvenile attractions. The
owner of New Palace, David Wilkie, plans to create an outdoor
amusement park on the site. |
Above: Only the facade now
remains of the New Palace indoor amusement park. |
Loudoun
Castle Theme Park Sold [11/2/03]
| Scottish theme park Loudoun Castle
has been sold to Bembom Brothers, the Dutch theme park operator.
Bembom Brothers previously owned Margate's Dreamland Fun Park,
which they acquired from Associated Leisure in 1981. The park was
sold to Jimmy Godden in 1995, but Bembom Brothers are still based
at Dreamland. The company operates a rides hire and sale business
from the park and from another site in Margate. The company is
currently moving all its rides from Dreamland to Loudoun Castle,
which it is hoped will open for the 2003 season. |
Above: Loudoun Castle entrance
pictured in 2002. |
Kursaal
Memories: Pre-Order Now [9/2/03]
| Exclusive to Joyland Books - your
chance to receive copies of Kursaal Memories a few days before its
official release date of 11 April 2003! Kursaal
Memories: A History of Southend's Amusement Park tells the
full story of the south of England's biggest amusement park. Home
to no less than three wooden roller coasters, a water chute and
numerous other rides and attractions, the Kursaal was the major
destination for visitors to Southend-on-Sea from the late 19th
Century to its eventual closure in the 1970s. Click
here for more information on the book, and a chance to
pre-order your copy now.
Pre-Order
your copy now |
 |
New
Palace Amusements to be Redeveloped [8/2/03]
| David Wilkie, owner of the Palace
indoor amusement park complex at New Brighton, has announced plans
to redevelop the site. The plans centre around the demolition of
the Bright Spot amusement arcade, which sits at the edge of the
site, and two other large buildings. This will be replaced by an
outdoor amusement park, which will operate in high season only. In
the winter months the site will hold markets or a circus. Outside
of those times, it will be used as a free car park. According to
the Wirral Globe newspaper, Wilkie has turned down several offers
from property developers to close the amusement park. The Wilkie
family has been operating at the site for over 100 years. |
Above: The Bright Spot Amusement
Arcade, part of the huge Palace complex at New Brighton.
Click
here to discuss this news in the new Forum. |
Brighton
Pier Ghost Train Destroyed [5/2/03]
| The Brighton Pier Ghost Train has
been completely destroyed in the fire which swept across the Pier
yesterday evening. The Ghost Train, which is one of the few in the
country to extend to two storeys, was of a design based on the
Ghost Train at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and featured a roller
coaster-style drop behind the station, and balconies on the upper
levels. Also damaged in the fire was the Helter Skelter, the Turbo
Coaster (a Pinfari roller coaster with single loop) and the
children's boat ride which was located immediately in front of the
Ghost Train. The fire has now been brought under control, although
part of the Pier decking supporting the Ghost Train collapsed.
There were no casualties. |
Above: The Brighton Pier Ghost
Train, which was destroyed in last night's blaze.
Click
here to discuss this news in the new Forum. |
Fire
at Brighton Pier [4/2/03]
| News has just reached Joyland
Books that Brighton Pier is on fire. The fire appears to
have started at the end of the Pier in the fairground area, and
flames can be seen rising above the rides. The Pier has been
evacuated, but there are no reports of casualties. The main A259
in the vicinity of the Pier has been closed to allow fire fighters
to attend the blaze. At the present time, the cause of the fire is
unknown, as is the extent of damage to the Pier, its rides and
attractions. The Pier will be closed for the next 24 hours after
which it will be handed back to its owners, the Noble
Organisation. |
Above: Brighton Pier |
Blackpool
Pleasure Beach Chairman Receives Top Award [4/2/03]
| Blackpool Pleasure Beach Chairman
Doris Thompson, who celebrated her 100th birthday last month, was
presented with a lifetime achievement award at the fifth annual
Blackpool Tourism Awards. The glittering ceremony, held at the
Winter Gardens, showcased the best of the resort’s premier
industry. Accolades went to the industry’s finest which ranged
from the smallest to the largest hotels and other attractions. The
presentation to Mrs Thompson was a surprise category at the end of
the ceremony.
|
Jane
Seddon presents the award to Mrs Thompson, with her son
Geoffrey (left) and grandson Nick (right). Click to enlarge. |
Head of Tourism Jane
Seddon, who presented the Award, said: "Without doubt the person
who will receive tonight’s special award has certainly devoted more
years than many of us would hope to aspire to. She has done it with such
grace, charm and sparkling sense of humour that anyone who has met her has
been impressed by her indomitable spirit and passion for Blackpool."
Other awards won by the Pleasure Beach included Cafe of the Year (T Cafe)
and Entrepreneur of the Year (Amanda Thompson).
Brighton
Pier Applies for Twin Booster Rides [1/2/03]
| Planning officers have recommended
refusal of a planning application for two 40m high booster rides
for the end of Brighton's Palace Pier. The Noble Organisation,
which owns the Pier, proposes to replace two existing rides - the
Ranger and Ventura. Planning officer David Vickers has recommended
refusal because he considers that the two white knuckle rides -
similar to Blackpool Pleasure Beach's 2002 Spin Doctor ride -
would dominate the end of the Pier to an unacceptable degree,
especially if the Megadrop ride (which already has permission) is
also installed. The decision will be made this coming Wednesday. Update:
planning permission refused 5/2/03. |
Above: Brighton Pier
Discuss this news in our new Forum.
|
New
Roller Coaster Video Released [26/1/03]
| An exciting new video
has been released which will whisk you away on an armchair tour of
some of Europe's best roller coasters. European
Coaster Thrills takes you into the powerful world of gravity
and speed on 12 top European roller coasters. Whether they are
wooden, looping or water coasters, this video takes you close to
the action. It features roller coasters from Germany, The
Netherlands, Belgium, France and Italy. Coasters include Wild Wild
West at Warner Bros Movie World (Germany), Tonnerre de Zeus at
Parc Asterix (France) and Expedition Ge Force at Holiday Park
(Germany). This is a video you will want to watch again and again.
Click here for
more details. |
 |
Release
Date of Southend Kursaal History Book Announced [26/1/03]
| First announced on
Joyland Books over a year ago, the release date of a brand new
book about the south of England's biggest amusement park has been
announced. Kursaal
Memories: A History of Southend's Amusement Park will be
available from 11 April 2003. Written by established Southend
author, Ken Crowe, the book traces the full story of the park from
its origins at the end of the 19th century, to its closure in the
1980s. Packed full of photographs, most never before seen in
print, this book is set to become one of the most important
amusement park publications. Click
here for more details, including a sneak preview and
information about the author.
If you would like to be contacted
when the book is released, click
here. |
Above: The Southend Cyclone
roller coaster at the Kursaal. |
Joyland
Books Launches New Discussion Forum [25/1/03]
Joyland Books has
launched a new place on the Web for discussing your favourite subject:
amusement parks, theme parks and fairgrounds. We also have separate discussion
areas for the Save Dreamland Campaign
and British seaside resorts and there is also a place to discuss your
favourite/least favourite fairground books and videos. "Joyland
Books has been successfully operating a small message board for two years,
but it became clear that this board fell far short of the requirements of
our visitors and customers", said Joyland Books Proprietor, Nicola
Laister. "We do hope that you will enjoy our new Forum, and that
you find the categories useful. Our aim is to make the Joyland Books Forum
the preferred place on the Internet to discuss anything and everything
about amusement parks, fairgrounds and the seaside. Have fun!" Click
here to enter the new Joyland Books Forum.
Theme
Park Founder Honoured [20/1/03]
Angela Wright, founder
and Managing Director of Devon's Crealy Adventure Park, has been awarded
an MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List for services to tourism.
Wright founded Crealy in 1989 on the site of her family's farm, and it has
since grown to become one of the UK's major family theme parks. Wright
also serves on the management committee of the British Association of
Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA). The park has expanded over
the years, and now includes attractions such as El Pastil Loco runaway
mine train and the Swinging Queen Bess pirate ship. Also honoured was
Southend Adventure Island owner Philip Miller, who also received an MBE.
Planning
Application Submitted for Marvels Redevelopment [20/1/03]
Benchmark Properties
has submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of
Scarborough's Marvels Amusement Park site. The scheme will include a
dome-covered water park, hotel, health and fitness club, restaurants,
retail and self-catering holiday accommodation. The closure of Marvels was
announced in 1999, and the park's roller coaster was moved to Knowsley
Safari Park. The park was also home to one of the UK's most spectacular
dark rides, opened in 1994 following a major investment. Benchmark
anticipates receiving planning consent before the end of the year.
Available
Now: The History of Big Wheels [18/1/03]
| A book about one of
the most popular amusement park and travelling fairground rides in
the world, A
Century of Big Eli Wheels is the history of the Eli Bridge
Company, famous for its big wheels. It includes the story of big
wheel inventor George Ferris and the man behind the Eli Bridge
wheels, William E. Sullivan, and is packed with photographs of big
wheels taken over a period of 100 years. This is an updated
version of the first edition published in 1993 to celebrate the
100th anniversary of the Columbian Exposition. One for the big
wheel enthusiast!
Click
here for more details. |
 |
Visit
the American Circus at Joyland Books! [18/1/03]
| New out is this
fantastic book of photographs of the American Circus. Experience the antics of the antipodists, the derring-do of
the equestrians, and the skill of the wire-walkers. This collection of vintage photographs
provides a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the American Circus during
its heyday. This is the first of what we hope will be several circus books
at Joyland Books over the coming months.
Click
here for more details. |
 |
Mrs
L D Thompson Celebrates 100th Birthday [12/1/03]
All of us here at
Joyland Books would like to wish Mrs Doris Thompson MBE, Chairman of
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, all the best for her 100th Birthday. Born on 12
January 1903, and the daughter of Pleasure Beach founder William George
Bean, Mrs Thompson became a director of the Company in 1929. She still
plays an active role in the development of Britain's most popular tourist
attraction, and continues to test out all the latest thrill rides,
including Playstation The Ride (now Ice Blast) and last year's Spin
Doctor. Over the years, Mrs Thompson has become one of the most respected
international ambassadors of the British amusement park industry.
Several
Blackpool Pleasure Beach Rides Put on Market [11/1/03]
| Several rides at Blackpool
Pleasure Beach and its sister park, Southport's Pleasureland, have
been put up for sale. The Millennium Bug, installed in 1969 in
"Britain's first triodetic space structure glazed with
thermoplastics", is advertised in trade paper The World's
Fair, as is the Cableway, casting doubt over whether this ride
will ever operate again. Also in the advert are several rides from
Pleasureland, including the Hurricane Jets and Himalaya Ride.
Those interested in purchasing any of the rides should telephone
Jim Rowland or Nick Thompson on 01253 341033. |
Above: The Millennium Bug in
Blackpool's own Millennium Dome |
Joyland
Books Launches Campaign to Save Dreamland [7/1/03]
| Editor of the Joyland Books
website, Nick Laister, has announced that he intends to launch a
campaign to save Dreamland and its much-loved Scenic Railway
roller coaster. Laister, a chartered town planner and the person
who lead last year's campaign which resulted in the Scenic Railway
achieving listed building status, will provide details of the
campaign over the coming weeks on the Scenic Railway
website. |
 |
| Speaking this
afternoon, Laister said: "As a planning consultant, I am
involved in this type of work every day. There are a number of
avenues open to us to save the ride and to save some or all of
this popular park. I propose to use my experience of the planning
system to fight these proposals.
"I believe that the loss
of Dreamland is completely unnecessary, and is only being brought
about as the result of the present owner, Jimmy Godden, retiring.
The loss of the park would be a huge blow for Margate's tourism
industry. The Scenic Railway is the single most important ride in
Britain in terms of its historical significance. The fact that it
is now listed means that the owners have to cross several hurdles
before they can demolish it. The events in Folkestone over the
weekend make me certain that, were it not for the ride being
listed last year, the Scenic Railway would by now have been
removed."
"I am now looking for
people to join me in my campaign to save the ride. To email
Nick Laister and join him in his campaign, click
here.
For more information on the
campaign, and the latest news about the plans to close Dreamland,
visit the new Scenic Railway
website. |
Rotunda
Amusement Park Demolished [8/1/03]
| Bulldozers have already moved in
to the Rotunda Amusement Park, Folkestone. The park is owned by
Jimmy Godden, who also owns Margate's Dreamland (Godden has also
announced the closure of Dreamland - see other news reports).
Demolition of the concrete Rotunda dome at the centre of the
amusement park, built in 1938, commenced on Saturday. The
redevelopment plans, by Trent Developments, are to replace the
park with a 7-screen multiplex cinema, a ten-pin bowling centre, a
new bingo hall, restaurants, wine bars, cafes, health club, 600
new homes, supermarket and 2,000 car parking spaces. |
|
| This news follows the
closure in recent years of Frontierland at Morecambe, Spanish City
at Whitley Bay, Marvel's at Scarborough and Merlin's Magic Land at
St Ives, amongst others. Several other parks are known to be under
threat from redevelopment. Rotunda is also home to the oldest
travelling roller coaster in the world, built in 1922, and erected
at the park in 1998. Its future is unknown at the present time.
Godden has stated that his retirement is the reason for the park's
closure. More news here as it breaks. |
The
End For Margate's Dreamland [6/1/03]
| Margate's Dreamland Fun Park is to
close. The park's owner, Jimmy Godden, has announced that the park
is to be replaced by "leisure boxes", retail development
and a supermarket. The Dreamland Cinema is to be retained. It is
believed that Godden also plans to demolish the Scenic
Railway. This became a Grade II listed
building last year, following a campaign lead by Nick Laister,
editor of the Joyland Books website. Godden also owns the Rotunda
Amusement Park in Folkestone, which is currently being partially
redeveloped as shops, flats and indoor leisure facilities. |
 |
| Speaking today, Nick
Laister said: "The Scenic Railway is the oldest roller
coaster in Britain, at 83 years old, and is one of only two
surviving scenic railway coasters. I am concerned that members of
Thanet Council already seem to have accepted that closure is
inevitable. I find it astonishing that the closure of Dreamland
could be seen as a benefit to Margate. Dreamland is the only major
seaside fun park in this part of the country. If it closes, what
will bring the people to Margate? Retail boxes and a supermarket?
You can see these in any town in Britain, you don't have to go to
Margate." No planning application has yet been submitted.
Click here to visit
the Joyland Books Scenic
Railway Website, and join our campaign to save the park
and its famous ride. |
New
to Joyland Books: People's Palaces [4/1/03]
| Britain's seaside pleasure
buildings are rarely appreciated by visitors to our coastal
resorts. This book is the highly acclaimed celebration of the best
of our seaside heritage by architectural historian Lynn F.
Pearson. It looks at piers and pavilions, theatres, ballrooms,
winter gardens, aquariums, sideshows, glass domes, observation
towers and many more seaside attractions. It is a record of the
seaside towns, the buildings and the people behind them and covers
resorts such as Blackpool, Brighton, Great Yarmouth, Morecambe and
Southport. Click here
for more information. |
 |
Several
Rare Books Added to Secondhand Shop [4/1/03]
| Several highly collectable books
have been added to our Secondhand Shop. Heading up the list is the
first ever book written on the subject of fairs: Memoirs of
Bartholomew Fair. This is a copy of the 1892 reprint of the 1857
original. Seventy Years a Showman is the story of the life of
'Lord' George Sanger, travelling showman. English Fairs and
Markets is about the part that fairs and markets have played in
English life. Anyone interested in the early development of
Britain's pleasure parks will want to read the biography of
Charles Wicksteed, the man behind Northamptonshire's Wicksteed
Park.
For a full list of our secondhand
books, click here. |
 |
Which?
Web Trader Scheme to Close [4/1/03]
The Which? Web Trader Scheme
is to close on 6 January 2003. The Scheme was set up by the Consumers'
Association three and a half years ago to recognise online traders operating to the very highest
standards. From over 8,000 applications received by the Consumers'
Association during that period, only 2,700 traders were accepted to the
Scheme. Joyland Books was accepted in July 2002. A press release about the
closure can be found here.
The scheme has been closed due to the high costs associated with its
running. Customers of Joyland Books can rest assured that our commitment
to the principles of the Scheme remains, and you can be assured that it
will continue to be our normal online trading practice.
Closed
Amusement Park Reopens [3/1/03]
| News has just reached Joyland
Books that the Seaburn Fun Park (Seaburn, near Sunderland), which
closed down at the end of the 2000 season [see 2000
News Archive], reopened towards the end of the 2002 season
under completely new management. The park had been run by James
Crow and Sons since they took over the lease in 1985, but
dwindling visitor numbers had resulted in the operators leaving
the park before their lease ran out. The Council had looked into
other uses for the site, but no alternative use was found. The new
operator of the park is Billy Joe Butlin, and rides featured for
the last few weeks of the 2002 season were a vintage 1949
Meteorite, Sizzler Twist, ARM Quasar, Pinfari Wacky Worm Coaster,
chairoplanes and the jets, which had previously operated at the
park under its previous operators. The park will reopen in Easter
2003 with two new rides: a full-size Pinfari Roller Coaster (which
previously operated at New Jersey, USA) and a Waltzer. |
Above: Seaburn Fun Park entrance
pictured in 2000, just days before it closed for what was thought
to be the last time. |
More
Secondhand Books Added [3/1/03]
Secondhand
Fairground Books Added [1/1/03]
Butlins
Book Bonanza! [1/1/03]
Blackpool
Pleasure Beach Announces Major Investment for 2003 [1/1/03]
Blackpool Pleasure
Beach is to invest £6m on a string of major new attractions for the 2003
season, Joyland Books can reveal. Spring 2003 will see the opening of the
118-bedroom Big Blue Hotel, the first new hotel to be built on Blackpool's
sea front for almost a quarter of a century. Rooms will come equipped with
DVD games consoles and special children's areas. The hotel will also
feature luxury lounges, a business centre, conference facilities,
gymnasium and children's check-in desk. There is also massive investment
in new and refurbished rides at the park. A major new white-knuckle ride
for children will be constructed in Beaver Creek, but the exact details
are being kept secret. Also in Beaver Creek, the 1932 Magic Mountain ride
(formerly called The Grotto), is to get two brand new trains, following
its recent makeover. The trains are to be called Doris 100 and Heidi 001,
to celebrate Pleasure Beach Chairman Doris Thompson's 100th birthday and
her great granddaughter's 1st birthday respectively. The Grand Prix ride
is to get a fleet of new 1950s-themed Mercedes cars, a newly themed
station and a state-of-the-art sound system. General park improvements are
to include a new theme for the Playdium amusement arcade. Blackpool
Pleasure Beach reopens in March, and the new attractions will have
staggered openings throughout the year.
True
Tales of a Travelling Showman: New to Joyland [1/1/03]
| They
Seek Him Here, They Seek Him There is now available from
Joyland Books.
After sustaining a back injury,
travelling showman Keith Nichols decided to pick up his pen and
write about his experiences on the open road, from a very small
boy in the 1950s to a family man in the 1990s. As the book shows,
life on the road was - and still is - very hard. Nichols met the
good, the bad, the funny and the sad, and all are in this book,
which is described by TheGalloper.com's Andrew McKinley as
"fantastic reading". Click
here for more information. |
 |
Happy
New Year! [1/1/03]
Happy New Year from all
at Joyland Books! Many thanks to all our customers for your continued
support. Visitor numbers to the main joylandbooks.com website for November
2002 (the last full month for which data is available) were a staggering
90% up on the same month in 2001. We were the first specialist online
amusement park and fairground bookstore, and we are still the biggest and
best!
Over the past year, we
have added numerous new fairground and amusement park books to the site,
but the big hit of the year has been the ever-expanding Secondhand
Shop. Over the past twelve months, this has grown to be the
biggest secondhand fairground and amusement park bookstore on the Net. In
March, Joyland Books made the national newspapers, radio and television
when we - with the help of thegalloper.com - secured Britain's first ever
listed amusement park ride: the Scenic
Railway roller coaster at Dreamland, Margate. In April, Joyland
Books launched the
World's first photographic library dedicated exclusively to
amusement parks, theme parks and the rides that operate within
them. In June, Joyland opened two completely new departments; one
selling seaside books and videos;
the other selling rare amusement park/roller coaster postcards.
In July, Joyland Books was awarded membership of the Which? Web Trader
scheme organised by the Consumers' Association to recognise online traders operating to the very highest
standards. And there is much more to come in 2003, with some exciting new
releases, re-releases, and with a big expansion of our amusement parks,
roller coaster and seaside departments. Stay tuned!
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