After more than half a century providing family entertainment at its most exciting, George and Vera Bryan, founders of Drayton Manor Theme Park have produced a fascinating account of their years in the business.

Memories of a Family Fun Park is a lavishly produced 88-page book written by Fred Bromwich who captures the flavour of the life of a theme park dynasty.

George’s father William was famous for his penny arcade slot machines, and Vera helped her father run his amusement park in Wokingham called California in England.

When the couple took over Drayton Manor in Tamworth, it was a crumbling ruin which had formerly been the site of the ancestral home of the famous Peel dynasty, notably prime minister Sir Robert Peel, and had been visited by Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington, Gladstone and actress Beatrice Lillie, who was married to the fifth Sir Robert Peel.

George Bryan borrowed money to buy the derelict site that had been used by the army during the war, and began the task of reconstructing the 17 army huts, installing a few simple rides and digging a kiddies’ boating pool, to open for the first time in 1950.

Now Drayton Manor is home to some of the best rides in the world, including Shockwave, Europe’s only stand-up roller coaster; the G-Force coaster with its special hip restraint; StormForce 10, the UK’s fastest wet-knuckle ride; and Apocalypse, the world’s first stand-up tower drop.

Drayton Manor is run by George and Vera’s son Colin Bryan and the next generation, continuing the family tradition.