Pleasure Beach Blackpool has announced that its long-running Hot Ice Show will not be staged in 2009. Rumours are also rife that several rides will not open next year, including the Roller Coaster, Space Invader and Noah's Ark. At this time of change for the park, Joyland Books has dusted down Gary Radice's wonderfully quirky time capsule of the park, BITSoftheBEACH, and opened it for all to see on the amusement park nostalgia website, themagiceye.

A popular book on the history of the famous Belle Vue Zoo and Amusement Park in Manchester has been reprinted in time for Christmas. Belle Vue by Jill Cronin has been out of stock on Joyland for several years, but is now available again, reprinted and with a brand new cover.

This book tells the fascinating story of Belle Vue in pictures, including numerous photographs of the zoo, entertainment buildings, gardens, and amusement park. The book also features several superb photographs of the legendary Belle Vue Bobs roller coaster. If you went to Belle Vue in its heyday this book will evoke happy memories and if you didn't, you'll find this book a revelation. More...

New out is a perfect Christmas present. Discovering Dorset Volume 1 is a coastal tour from Lyme Regis to Swanage.

Your tour will take you along the southernmost part of the county, beginning at Lyme Regis, the town at Dorset's western boundary, following the famous Jurassic shoreline but making detours off-route to explore some of the lesser-known places along the way. You'll discover old industries and visit towns which were small coastal ports until they reinvented themselves as seaside resorts in the 18th and 19th centuries, including Weymouth, the quintessential seaside town. Click here for more...

Some more seaside DVD Christmas present ideas...

Joyland Books has now moved into its new premises at Southcombe Farm, Chipping Norton, and we are taking orders for Christmas. Our service is now back to normal - we would like to thank all of our customers for their patience during the move.

Great Yarmouth's Development Control Committee has decided to delay a decision on a planning application for a major new indoor leisure complex at the town's Pleasure Beach Amusement Park. The development will be located next to the 1930s Scenic Railway and will include a large casino, multiplex cinema, bowling, hotel and restaurants. It is hoped that the development will result in an extended opening season for the park and new investment. Read more at Eastern Daily Press and Great Yarmouth Mercury.

Plans for a major resort development at North Yorkshire's Lightwater Valley Theme Park are now on hold after planning permission was refused by a Planning Inspector following a public inquiry in September. Proposals included the provision of 136 new lodges and 204 caravans. Director and general manager of the park, Mark Bainbridge, said: "We worked tirelessly at putting these plans together, taking everyone's concerns and comments into consideration. We needed this decision to go in our favour."

Joyland Books is moving to new premises, with a modern, air-conditioned storage facility. We even plan to open a shop that you can actually visit in 2009! However, during the move - which starts on 16 October - our response time for orders will be slower than usual. We estimate that most orders will be dispatched in 10 days, rather than the usual 3 to 5 days. We apologise for the inconvenience. We will let you know when our service gets back to normal.

It's back...and it's about time. The classic 2002 publication Piers and other Seaside Architecture by Lynn F Pearson has been rereleased by Shire Publications in a glossy new format, complete with striking new cover.

Architecture at the seaside is colourful, inventive and fun. Early piers were landing stages for trippers arriving by boat but later became attractions in themselves. The author outlines the fascinating history of pier and pavilion construction, using many delightful colour illustrations. Entertainment buildings boomed in the resorts of late Victorian Britain: pleasure domes such as the Queen Palace at Rhyl catered for huge crowds seeking inspiration and enjoyment beside the sea. More...

A spectacular DVD has been released on the history of what is billed 'The World's Greatest Show', The Ken Fox Wall of Death. The story of the Ken Fox Troupe begins in Skegness back in 1975 where Ken started his long career with the Wall of Death. In this programme Ken gives his own account of his life so far, we show how the wall is set up and moved from show to show, the riders and those death defying stunts performed in the worlds greatest show. More...

Fans of the Wall of Death should also check out the book, Riding the Wall of Death by Allan Ford & Nick Corble, also available from Joyland Books.

More on the Wall of Death show at Joyland Books...

Thomas Walker was one of three principal roundabout builders in Britain. In addition to gallopers, this company manufactured chairoplanes, fairground switchbacks and scenic railways, helter skelters and even a wooden roller coaster (pictured in this book)! Thomas Walker: Builder of Steam Roundabouts by Graham Downie & Dr John Middlemiss is the first comprehensive history of Thomas Walker and his firm to have been written. Despite the almost total absence of any company records, the two authors have been able to assemble a vivid and detailed account of this remarkable engineer and the business he created. This book is published by the Fairground Association of Great Britain to mark the 30th anniversary of its foundation. More...

The long awaited history of the famous West Country fairground family is now available. Anderton & Rowland's: Illusion & Reality by Kevin Scrivens & Stephen Smith tells the story of 150 years of entertainment. When Albert Haslam's daughter married George Devey the mould was set. From humble beginnings their families built up the most successful firm of travelling showmen in the West Country today. This book sets out to uncover the true history of the family, the amusements and the equipment owned by them over the years. More...

More books by authors Kevin Scrivens & Stephen Smith.

The Save Dreamland Campaign has today announced that it has rescued Pleasure Beach Blackpool's Whip ride from being scrapped. The ride has been standing but not operating at the park since 2005, and was to have been removed to make way for a new ride this month. The rescue bid came after several months of negotiation between Save Dreamland Campaign leader Nick Laister and the Pleasure Beach. The ride was carefully dismantled last week and has now been transported to Margate where it is in storage. The move was funded by Dreamland owners, the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company. Click here for more details...

West Midland Safari Park is planning to build a 330-foot high observation tower for the fire-damaged Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare. This is part of the expansion of the Company's portfolio, which already includes their 200-acre safari and amusement park in Bewdley and two SeaQuariums in Rhyl and Weston. There is a twist to the proposed Weston tower, however, as it will also feature a freefall drop ride from the top of the tower to its base, the largest of its kind in the UK.

The public inquiry into plans for a 340-unit holiday village at Lightwater Valley adjourned yesterday evening, following an intensive week of evidence from the park and council. Lightwater Valley was represented by London-based barrister Stephen Whale and planning consultant Nick Laister, who explained that the holiday resort development was essential to secure the long-term future of the theme park. Increased investment in new rides and attractions would follow a positive decision, Laister said.

Albert Corrigan, the man who set up Bridlington's seafront amusement park, has died aged 69. Born in Leeds and from a travelling fairground family, he grew up in nearby Scarborough. He moved to Bridlington in 1963 and redeveloped the Trocadero Restaurant in Esplanade as an amusement arcade and prize bingo. He later opened the seafront amusement park Kiddies Corner, still operating to this day as Bayside Fun Park. His seafront amusement arcade is pictured to the right in 1999. Click here for details of a book about Bridlington's amusement arcade history.

themagiceye is proud to present an interview with Nick Laister dating back to 2002, before he set up the Save Dreamland Campaign, and an interview with Sarah Vickery, the Save Dreamland Campaign coordinator dating from March 2003. Together these two short interviews provide a snapshot of the early days of the campaign to save Margate's famous amusement park and its Grade II listed Scenic Railway roller coaster. Read on...

A ride that travels "hundreds of miles per hour" could soon be seen at the Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare, according to its owners. A 'dragster' could be installed above the shelters that run down the centre of the Pier if structural engineers give the proposals the go-ahead. Designers hope the ride would be the fastest theme park attraction in the world, travelling up to 200mph. It would consist of two carriages, holding one person each, and would run along a 600ft-long electric track and back again. The owners hope the ride's station can eventually be incorporated into the rebuilt Pavilion, which was destroyed by fire last month.