Dunes Amusement Park, Main Promenade, Mablethorpe

A few miles further up the coast is the resort of Mablethorpe. This is a much smaller place than Skegness but in the 70s it still managed to sustain a seafront amusement park, which is still there and an indoor funfair, which is now an amusement arcade. The town's promenade is at a higher level than the town's High Street so you could always see the two aerial rides at the park from quite a distance away.   

The Big Wheel and the Lighthouse Slip were built up next to each other at the town end of the park. The Wheel was a standard 12 car ride. The Slip was painted with Alpine scenes and after spending the season at Mablethorpe would always come out of the park to attend fairs on the back end run. It was a regular feature at Nottingham Goose Fair for many years.

The Gallopers were also at the front of the park and dated back to the 1883. This ride was built by well known firm Savage's of King Lynn as a dobby set. It was converted to a Gallopers in the early 20th century. It spent time at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach and Spanish City, Whitley Bay before coming to Mablethorpe.

HP Jacksons of Congleton built the park's Waltzer for T Jervis in 1962 and although it toured the Notts area to begin with it wasn't long before the family settled down in the Lincolnshire resort. It originally had a top tilt. The ride has had a succession of owners and still operates at the park today. There was also a standard set of Dodgems at the park. Although the last two large rides were a common sight at fairgrounds and parks of the time they were unusual because of the way they had been manufactured and operated. The Twist had also been built by H P Jackson, one of only two such rides produced by the firm. It arrived at the park in 1963 and originally had a roof and used rollers running on the floor to create the twisting motion rather than the conventional method employed by other Twists. 

The Jets at the park were even more rare. In fact, they were a one off and had been designed and built by showman Henry Thurston. The rockets looked very chunky compared to those on other manufacturer's jets and the operator had a control which meant that all the rockets lifted at the same time rather than being controlled individually by the riders. Needless to say this idea was not a success. It is perhaps worth mentioning that Dunes also had a couple of nice juvenile rides - an open topped Muffin The Mule and a traditional toyset.        

Funderland, High Street, Mablethorpe

I recall very little about this small indoor park. At the front was an arcade with all the latest slot machines but in the back part of the building was a set of Gallopers, which I think ended up at the ill-fated Fleggburgh Village near Great Yarmouth, and a set of Dodgems.

I only literally popped in to look at these machines when we were about to leave as we didn't realise that there was another fair in town!