Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Pleasure Beach Resort, best known by its former name Blackpool Pleasure Beach, is an amusement park situated on Blackpool's South Shore, in the county of Lancashire, North West England. The park was founded in 1896 by A. W. G. Bean and his partner John Outhwaite. The current managing director is Amanda Thompson. The park is host to many records, including the largest collection of wooden roller coasters of any park in the United Kingdom with four: Big Dipper, Blue Flyer, Grand National, and Nickelodeon Streak. Many of the roller coasters in the park are record-breaking attractions. When The Big One opened in 1994, it was the tallest and steepest roller coaster in the world. The ride holds the record as the second-tallest and second-fastest roller coaster in the United Kingdom, and the longest roller coaster in Europe. The park was the first in Europe to introduce an inverting steel coaster, Revolution, and operates the last Steeplechase roller coaster in existence. In addition, Grand National is one of only two wooden Möbius loop coasters still operating, and Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machine is the oldest amusement ride in Europe, having opened in 1904. Valhalla, the park's log flume, was one of the largest and most expensive indoor dark rides in the world. The park also operates Nickelodeon Land, a themed children's section. History Early years (1896–1930) Pleasure Beach was founded in 1896 by Alderman William George Bean after he failed in his attempt to become an advertising man on New York City's Madison Avenue. He returned to the United Kingdom in 1897 and opened two separate amusement parks: one adjacent to Euston Road in Great Yarmouth, and another in Blackpool, opposite the tram terminus. The Great Yarmouth amusement park failed to generate much interest, so Bean moved to Blackpool full-time towards the end of the 1890s. The Switchback roller coaster, which was built in 1891, predated the park. The park was built around it. In 1903, Bean, along with local businessman John Outhwaite, purchased 30 acres of land known as the "Watson Estate", which was used to expand the amusement park. The original Pleasure Beach was built on the sand dunes along the promenade and consisted of a few roundabouts, a bicycle railway, and several Gypsy stalls. Bean and Outhwaite decided to grow the business after visiting Coney Island in the United States. Using a small static fairground in London's Earls Court for inspiration, Bean added more rides and sideshows to the park, which began to garner the attention of holidaymakers. Bean's aim was to establish a fun park of a relative size that would "make adults feel like children again and inspire gaiety of a primarily innocent character". The first notable attraction to open at Pleasure Beach was Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machine in 1904. It is a rotary swing ride designed by the British inventor of the same name. A mill chute water ride followed in 1905, which opened under the name The River Caves of the World. Both of these rides are still operational today. In 1907, the park opened its second wooden roller coaster, which was known as Scenic Railway. It was during this time that the park began to be known as Blackpool Pleasure Beach. In 1909, Bean expanded the business by purchasing a second amusement park up the coast in Morecambe under the name West End Amusement Park, which would later become Frontierland Western Theme Park. The success of the Morecambe park led to a third amusement park opening four years later in Southport, under the name Pleasureland Southport. Meanwhile, Pleasure Beach was developed with frequent large scale investments, including Velvet Coaster, House of Nonsense, Joy Wheel, and The Whip. Outhwaite died in 1911, leaving most of the remaining business to Bean; the Outhwaite family still obtained shares in the park and would occasionally have input into its growth. Following the first World War, investment at the park ceased due to the difficulty in exporting rides from the United States, and the next investments would not be until 1922 when Virginia Reel and Noah's Ark opened. Despite the lack of investment, profits soared, and the company was noted as being one of the most prolific employers in the northwest of England. Further into the 1920s, Bean invested in the Casino Building. Opened in 1913, it was designed by local architect Robert Butcher Mather, and themed to an Indian palace. In 1938, it was demolished and replaced with a more modern Art Deco-style building, designed by architect Joseph Emberton. Today, the Casino Building features a number of function rooms and offices, and the ground floor space is used as the main ticket centre. In 1923, land was reclaimed from the Blackpool seafront, and it was during this period that Pleasure Beach moved to its current 42-acre (17 ha) location along the promenade. The same year, Bean brought in John A. Miller to design and build Big Dipper, an out-and-back wooden coaster. Shortly afterwards, a boating pool was built for boat rides. This was Bean's final investment before he died of pneumonia in 1929, having spent 33 years shaping and developing the park. Following his death, his daughter Lillian-Doris inherited the Pleasure Beach business. Lillian-Doris Bean married Leonard Thompson, a businessman, in 1928. They initially lived in London. However, after Bean's death, the couple returned to Blackpool, where decisions regarding the future running of Pleasure Beach were in discussion. Up until that point, Leonard had not had any active involvement with the park, but in a mutual agreement with his wife, it was agreed that Thompson would take over the park and have full responsibility for all its affairs. His first move was to appoint Oscar Haworth as the general manager and George Palmer as chairman of the company. Over the next two years, Thompson worked with the Outhwaites to expand the business further, starting with the construction of Ghost Train, which opened in 1930. Golden years (1931–2004) In 1931, the Outhwaite family sold their share of the park to the Thompsons, giving them complete control and ownership of the business. The following year, Watson Road was built alongside the park, which resulted in the closure of Velvet Coaster. Velvet Coaster's structure was reused in the construction of Roller Coaster, which opened in 1933 and was designed by Charles Paige. Thompson's next major investment was the construction of Fun House in 1934, and Grand National in 1935, a wooden coaster designed by Charles Paige. The success of Paige's wooden coasters resulted in an extension of Big Dipper in 1936, which was lengthened towards the south-westerly side of the park. During this time, Thompson hired Joseph Emberton for the park. He worked on the Casino Building, Noah's Ark and the Ice Drome, a 2,000-seat ice rink. Emberton continued to design for Pleasure Beach up until his death in 1956. Jack Ratcliffe, who had been involved in the Festival of Britain, was brought in to continue the work Emberton did. Investments steadily decreased during the second World War; however, the park remained open throughout the war. The park returned to prominence in 1958 with the debut of Wild Mouse, the first new ride since World War II. In the following years, Derby Racer and Alice in Wonderland opened. The scale of investments increased into the 1960s, with a log flume opening in 1967 and The Gold Mine opening four years later. After many successful years as the managing director of Pleasure Beach, Leonard Thompson died in 1976, having run the business for 47 years. Following Thompson's death, Doris Thompson was appointed chairman of the business. Their only son, Geoffrey Thompson, inherited his father's role, and became the new managing director. Geoffrey Thompson returned to the family business as head of catering at the Casino Building. He married his wife Barbara in 1962 and had three children: Amanda, Nicholas and Fiona. He hired Keith Ingham to make extensive alterations to the Casino Building, which was reimagined as the Wonderful World Building (though it has since reverted to its original name of the Casino Building). Thompson's years of management saw the opening of Steeplechase, Avalanche, Revolution and Launch Pad. His most notable investments include The Big One, which opened in 1994 as the tallest roller coaster in the world, and Valhalla, which opened in 2000. In 1986, Blackpool Pleasure Beach Limited became one of the first companies in the United Kingdom to register with the Government Profit Related Pay Unit. Under this scheme, the company agreed that, where profits exceeded £1 million, 10 per cent would be distributed among the permanent staff according to their length of service. In 2000, a recreation of Pleasure Beach appeared in the theme park management video game RollerCoaster Tycoon as part of the "Loopy Landscapes" expansion. Thompson often found himself in dispute with the Blackpool Council over their decision to allow private traders to operate on land opposite the park. Further investments followed at Pleasure Beach, including Spin Doctor in 2002, Big Blue Hotel in 2003, and Bling in 2004. Geoffrey Thompson died of a heart attack at the park on 12 June 2004 while attending a party to celebrate his daughter's wedding. Doris Thompson died nine days later, on 23 June, the date of her son's funeral. Later years (2004–present) Amanda Thompson, Geoffrey's eldest daughter and director of the park for over 15 years, took over the Pleasure Beach business in 2004 following her father's death. Her brother, Nicholas Thompson, became the deputy managing director, and her sister, Fiona Giljé, became the senior company director. During Amanda's years of ownership, the park has seen vast redevelopment, including the removal of numerous rides such as The Whip, Space Invader 2, Turtle Chase, Spin Doctor, Trauma Towers, Noah's Ark, Black Hole, Bling, Wild Mouse and Super Bowl. In 2006, the family closed Pleasureland Southport, had not turned a profit for several years. This move coincided with the closure of Pleasure Beach's log flume Drench Falls and the introduction of Infusion, the park's first new roller coaster in 13 years. Infusion was relocated from Adventure Coast Southport, where it had previously operated under the name of Traumatizer since 1999, and was built on the site of Drench Falls. In 2011, the Thompson family signed a contract with Viacom, owners of Nickelodeon, to open Nickelodeon Land, a 4-acre children's area situated within the main park. Nickelodeon Land was a £10 million redevelopment of the park's previous children's area, Beaver Creek, which closed in 2010. Many rides were relocated within the park or rethemed in order to accommodate the new area. In 2013, the park worked alongside Aardman Animations, owners of the Wallace & Gromit franchise, to introduce Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic, a dark ride which was a refurbishment of The Gold Mine. In 2015, the park partnered with the Royal Air Force to open Red Arrows Sky Force, a Gerstlauer Sky Fly ride themed to the air acrobatic team. The ride was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. The latest record is taken by Icon, a multi-launch coaster manufactured by Mack Rides in Germany. In 2018 the park installed Icon, a £16.25 million multi-launch coaster built by Mack Rides, and the first roller coaster to be built at the park in over a decade. In 2019, a second hotel called Boulevard Hotel was built on the site of the former Star Pub. In February 2024, the park rebranded from Blackpool Pleasure Beach to Pleasure Beach Resort. On 6 March 2024, The Big One lost its title as the United Kingdom's tallest roller coaster after 30 years, with the completion of Hyperia at Thorpe Park. In 2025, the park confirmed a number of rides would not reopen for the season, including Red Arrows Sky Force, Gallopers, Thompson Carousel, and Alpine Rallye. That same year, Ice Blast, which temporarily closed in 2023, was rethemed and reopened as Launch Pad. The park also entered a partnership with Coca-Cola to become its new soft drink partner, ending a previous partnership with PepsiCo and Britvic that had been in place since 1994. A 42 metre (138 ft) Gyro Swing was announced to be added to the park for the 2026 season. Managing directors Operating rides – Ride located in Nickelodeon Land Roller coasters Thrill rides Water rides Family rides Other attractions Notable past attractions Entertainment Evolution of Magic A Las Vegas-themed magic and illusion show performed by magicians Craig Christian and Elizabeth Best. Performed seasonally in The Horseshoe. Hot Ice Show A seasonal ice show performed at The Arena (previously the Ice Drome). The show has been running since 1936, and is produced by Amanda Thompson, with choreography by Oula Jääskeläinen. Ken Webster: Mentalist Hypnotist A seasonal comedy hypnotism show performed by hypnotist Ken Webster. Mystique A former illusion show headlined by Richard De Vere. Spectacular Dancing Water Show A £500,000 half-an-hour musical water show designed by Aquatique Show International. It features thirty individual jets synchronized to move to different styles of music, and a water cannon capable of shooting water up to 100 feet into the air. Other attractions Adventure Golf A 12-hole golf course situated on the former Flagstaff Gardens site on the promenade. Opened in 2008. Ripley's Believe It Or Not! A museum of oddities built across two floors and inspired by Ripley's Believe It Or Not!. Situated along Ocean Boulevard. Pasaje Del Terror Interactive horror maze, situated towards the north end of Ocean Boulevard and adjacent to the entrance to Pleasure Beach. Opened in June 1998. The Arena A large ice rink situated towards the east of the park. Home to Hot Ice Show and open year-round. Accommodation Big Blue Hotel A family hotel called Big Blue Hotel sits on the property adjacent to Blackpool Pleasure Beach railway station, towards the south end of Ocean Boulevard. It opened in spring 2003. Boulevard Hotel In 2019, a second hotel, the Boulevard Hotel, was built on the site of the former Star Pub. The hotel features 120 rooms and 10 suites. Awards 2014: Second-Best Seaside Park – Golden Ticket Awards 2014, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023: Valhalla - Best Water Ride in the World – Golden Ticket Awards 2023: 4th Best Theme Park in Europe - Traveler's Choice Awards Incidents On 21 July 2000, 11-year-old Christopher Sharrat died after falling from a ride vehicle on the Space Invader roller coaster. He was reported to have possibly panicked on the ride and unfastened his seatbelt. Following an investigation, authorities ruled the death as accidental. The ride closed in 2008 and has since relocated to Brean Leisure Park, opened there in 2011 as Astro Storm. On 31 August 2000, 23 people were injured when two trains collided on The Big One due to a failure with the ride's braking system. Twenty-one were taken to hospital. On 11 August 2009, two trains on Big Dipper carrying a total of 32 guests collided, resulting in 21 people requiring treatment for injuries ranging from whiplash and broken noses to cut and bruises. On 14 June 2011, a train on The Big One stopped abruptly, causing a few minor injuries to the occupants. One person was reportedly taken to hospital suffering from whiplash. On 24 October 2014, 58-year-old Robert Sycamore accompanied his 13-year-old nephew on Grand National. When the ride returned to the station, Sycamore was found unresponsive with a broken neck. It was later revealed he had an underlying back condition. In popular culture In 1997, Pleasure Beach was the subject of a six-part BBC documentary which focused on the daily operation of the park. Each episode featured interviews with park management, and dealt with the everyday triumphs and hurdles of running an amusement park. Popular ITV soap opera Coronation Street has featured several scenes shot at Pleasure Beach. The music video for Simply Red's 1995 song "Fairground" was filmed at Pleasure Beach. In 2002, Most Haunted conducted a paranormal investigation at Pleasure Beach. The music video for The Killers' 2012 song "Here with Me" featured scenes filmed at the park. The music video for 5 Seconds of Summer's song "Try Hard" featured sections recorded at the park. Gallery See also Adventure Coast Southport Frontierland Western Theme Park References Further reading Walton, John K. (2007). Riding on Rainbows: Blackpool Pleasure Beach and its Place in British Popular Culture. St. Albans: Skelter Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9544573-6-5. External links Official website