"...A valiant attempt was made to extend the choice of rides (at Happiland) by constructing a Dinosaur Ride on the sand hills opposite, adjoining the pier."
 
Stephen Copnall, Pleasureland Memories
 
Ah, yes, the Dinosaur Ride...

The photo to the right was taken on one of those days when the sea decided to take a 'stroll along the prom'. Funny really because themagiceye can only ever remember it being sunny on its days in Southport. Time playing tricks again.

The Dinosaur Ride was situated opposite Happiland and just a short walk from the Lakeside Miniature Railway station. It was circa 1974 and it was definitely a sunny day when I had my one and only experience of the ride. It was the loud 'dinosaur-like' roar that attracted me to the ride in the first place. It was coming from a loudspeaker somewhere...probably behind the dinosaur in the picture.
 
My dad and I walked through the entrance and found ourselves in a very dark covered area. It was the station for the train that was to take us on this exciting journey back in time. The dinosaur roar was even louder in this area - it was quite unsettling.
 
Then the (two carriage?) train came in, some people got off and we clambered aboard. If I remember correctly (and when did I last do that?) it cost each of us 15p to ride - expensive in those days...
 
The train started up and went outside into the sunlight and began to circumnavigate...er...what looked to me like someone's back garden. An untidy one at that - littered with some plastic cups thrown down no doubt by people walking on the pier.
 
The pier ran parallel to the ride - albeit at a higher level.
 
This garden had a large, motionless paper mache-like dinosaur at its centre and a small twisting track. People were literally looking down on us from the pier and smiling (or were they smirking?). I couldn't believe this was all there was to this ride!
 
There were a couple of other smaller dinosaurs that the train twisted around but that was it. It was back inside to the darkness of the loading area. In fact, no, I tell a lie: You went around twice for your money giving people on the pier a second chance to laugh with you/at you.
 
This was one of those rides whereby going around once was more than enough. The Dinosaur Ride was truly a 'dinosaur' of a ride!

Nick Ousey: I spent a few days on the Dino Ride when the bloke who ran it was ill. It was run slightly different from the rest of the rides because you took CASH instead of ride tickets!