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HOME ARTICLES GALLERIES ABOUT US FORUM LINKS CONTACT JOYLAND BOOKS |
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 Gary Radice |
Tidal Wave
This 45 seater Huss Pirate Ship debuted at the
park in 1980 and eventually turned up at Southport Pleasureland in 1997, where it operated up until Pleasureland's
closure on September 5th 2006.
themagiceye initially rode it (cost: one 'B' Ticket) when it
was situated next to The Water Chute in the Pleasure Beach's North Park, but the ride also occupied a position
in the South Park next to the old Cine 2000 attraction during its life at Blackpool.
Following the closure of Southport Pleasureland on 5th September 2006 this
ride can now be found at M&D's in Strathclyde Country Park Scotland.
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 National Fairground Archive |
The Calypso The Calypso once stood where the (large circular spinning) Tagada element of Trauma Towers now stands. It was in the early sixties that themagiceye remembers first seeing this ride and was captivated.According to the excellent National Fairground Archive (NFA) website there were only six (possibly seven) of these machines operational in UK: "..the chain of ownership of the 2 Botton Brothers machines is not at all clear. The machines between them passed to Blackpool Pleasure Beach and New Brighton around 1965, though it appears that both machines had been 'hybridised' with the other. Worlds Fair notes a Lang Wheels machine for sale by Wilkie (New Brighton) in 1968.."Look at the photo and you will notice skiers around the circumference of the ride. By all accounts The Calypso took the place of the Ski Jump ride that occupied the space before it. |
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 Phil Gould |
Monster Who can ever forget The Monster? 'B' Ticket for a ride and 'C' Ticket for a re-ride when themagiceye first experienced this attraction. The Monster stole the show at the Canadian Expo in 1968 and proved popular at Blackpool until 1995 when it was removed. It was positioned in the Pleasure Beach where Ice Blast now stands and was last reportedly seen in pieces at Pleasureland Southport some years back! A season or so prior to Ice Blast being built, the Egg Scrambler (Twister) occupied this spot (it was once situated in the South Park) before itself being moved to Southport Pleasureland where it operated under the name Tagada (next to The Cyclone). |
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 Phil Gould |
The Ferris
Wheel
In 1936 Leonard Thompson unveiled the first Eli Wheel to be erected in
Great Britain. The wheel was 70 feet tall and had sixteen cradles - each of
which held two riders. Two years later Leonard Thompson added the second wheel next to it. themagiceye remembers the ride being called The Ferris Wheel (why not wheels?) on the few occasions it rode it (mainly 1970s) and thinks it cost 15 pence to ride. One wheel went clockwise, the other went anticlockwise - so when both wheels were running it looked very effective.Note the monorail in Phil Gould's photograph above. The Ferris Wheel was eventually sold in 1984. |
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 Phil Gould |
Sidewinder Anyone recognize this ride from this Phil Gould photograph? The Sidewinder was one of a number of portable rides that flooded the South Park in the eighties.It was a modern version of the Dive Bomber but unlike the Dive Bomber it also lifted to revolve on a horizontal plane as well. |
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