Brean Leisure Park

Brean Leisure Park is an amusement park in the coastal resort of Brean, near Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, England. Brean Lesiure Park as a whole is owned and managed by Unity Farm (which is owned by the House family) whilst the Brean theme park amusement aspect is owned by Phil Booth as of August 2014. The park covers an area of
Open from March to November every year, the leisure park has also been a concert venue for artists such as DJ Casper, Peter Andre, Jason Donovan and The Wurzels. Sky have filmed an episode of Brainiac: Science Abuse entitled "Funfair Physics" at the park. An episode of BBC TV series Casualty was also filmed there in 2007 and again 2013. And an episode of CBBC TV series The Sparticle Mystery was filmed of the titled of the episode The FunFair.
==History==
Holiday Resort Unity is owned and operated by the House family, who are the sole owners of the 200-acre site. In 2012 they celebrated 65 years of trading.
===1946 - 1970s===
In 1946 Albert and Marie House bought Unity Farm, and for the next 30 years operated it primarily as a dairy farm with a herd of 140 cows. They later supplied the local area with milk that was bottled on the farm.
As far back as 1946 camping was a popular past time and Fry's Chocolate Factory from Bristol pitched large tents on three fields on Unity Farm for a two-week period during the summer so therefore their employees could have a holiday by the seaside such as local areas being Brean, Berrow and Burnham-on-sea. The way Holiday Resort Unity is at present age started from this very stage and it wasn't long before many groups of people including the local Boy's Brigade Troops were coming to Brean to venture and have holidays.
In 1948 planning permission was granted to change the use of some of the farm land to caravans and camping and 20 acres was converted prior for this use. However, during the 1950s and 1960s caravan and camping became a bigger part of Unity Farm (presently known as Holiday Resort Unity) and slowly the number of cows, pigs and sheep decreased.
===1970s - 1980s===
During the 1970s and the 1980s the beginnings of Brean Leisure Park were created along with the Mid Somerset Golf Centre which included Target Golf, driving range, pitch and putt and also an 8-hole golf course was opened alongside the other features. Throughout the years additional recreational activities were created which included a swimming pool, donkey derby's and open air markets.
A greyhound racing track was opened on 3 July 1975. The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.
Brean Leisure Park as a whole was now attracting a lot of visitors from South Wales, Bristol and Birmingham and in the late 1970s the House family bought out all of the other directors so that they could concentrate on developing leisure and holiday facilities.
The 8 hole golf course was expanded so that it could host 18 holes and Brean Golf Club was created. The course hosted a number of pro and celebrity amateur tournaments as well as becoming a members club and a facility for holiday guests.
In 1980 the complex known today as the 'Tavern' was opened and was previously known as the 'Farmers Tavern' providing a venue for evening family entertainment, functions and weddings. The complex also included an Amusement arcade and Fast Food outlets.
The greyhound track closed on 12 March 1984 and to improve the look of the park a significant landscaping project was undertaken across both Brean Leisure Park and Unity Farm (presently known as Holiday Resort Unity).
===1990s===
Further facilities were added during the 1990s including a river type ride at the Swimming Pool complex (presently known as Brean Splash) and also the addition of two Ten-Pin Bowling lanes at Unity Farm (Holiday Resort Unity) in 1994.
===2000-2010===
In 2000 one of the biggest projects that the resort took on since it had first opened its doors began, and this was the RJ's Entertainment complex which was a one million investment in the resort. The American-themed venue replaced Bert's bar and Chicks Roost with a venue with a capacity of approximately 700 people.
In 2008 it became the home of Sooty, Sweep and Soo, when Richard Cadell bought the rights from HIT Entertainment.
On Friday 18/7/2014 the park was sold to a family from Barry Island in South Wales.
==Current Main Attractions==
# 	Name 	Opened	Manufacturer 	Brief Description
1 	Crazy Loop 	2004 	Pinfari 	A TL59 looping rollercoaster. Formerly located at Pleasure Island Family Theme Park and Flamingo Land Resort.
2 	Magic Mouse 	2007 	Reverchon Industries 	A standard spinning wild mouse rollercoaster. It was known as "Crazy Mouse" until the start of the 2007 season.
3 	Astro Storm 	2011 	Zierer 	An enclosed Four Man Bob rollercoaster. Opened 25 July 2011. Previously Operated at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as Space Invader II.
4 	Caterpillar Coaster 	2001 	D.P.V. Rides 	An MB28 children's caterpillar rollercoaster.
5 	Wild Water 	2001 	Reverchon Industries 	A two-drop log flume ride.
6 	Wipeout 	2002 	KMG 	An afterburner ride. It was voted scariest ride at the park by Brainiac: Science Abuse.
7 	Xtreme 	2012 	KMG 	The park's second booster ride. The tallest ride in the park. Replacing the almost identical model built in March 2005 which can be found under Perrin Matthews' ownership.
8 	Terror Castle 	2000 	Supercar 	A ghost train, Ride system relocated from Frontierland, Morecambe.
9 	Ultimate (was Hellraiser)	2006 	Sobema 	A Matterhorn (ride). Operated at Billing Aquadrome from 1986 to 2005.
10	X-Factory 	2006 	KMG 	A miami ride, also includes water blasters.
12	Sizzler 	2000 	P.W.S. 	A modern Twist (ride).
13	Waveswinger 	2008 	Fabbri Group 	A waveswinger ride.
14	Disco Fever 	2005 	P.W.S. 	A Jump and Smile ride.
15	Jetspin 	2015 	Zamperla 	A Disk'O ride.
17	Dodgems 	2003 	SBF (track) / C and S (cars)	
8 	Air Maxx 	2018 	Technical Park 	A Loop Fighter ride built end 2015. Guest ride for the 2018 season on loan from the ride's owner Charles James.
==Notable Past Rides==
Opened	Closed	Name 	Manufacturer 	Description
2004 	2004 	"Sky Scraper" 	Technical Park 	A large Ferris Wheel.
2003 	2005 	"Superbowl" 	Keith Emmett 	A flipper/Super Bowl ride. Previously operated at Walton Pier.
1990 	2002 	"Ski Jump" 	Maxwell 	A flying coaster ride.
1986 	1999 	"Kansas City" 	Hayes Fabrication 	A traditional ghost train Dark ride.
2001 	2002 	"Crazy Frog" 	Safeco 	A Jump and Smile ride.
1995 	2002 	"Pod Racer" 	Reverchon Industries 	A Matterhorn (ride). Moved to Ocean Beach, South Shields.
1996 	2002 	"Pure Adrenalin" 	Fairmatt 	The park's first miami ride.
2003 	2004 	"Over Rider" 	Nottingham UK 	The park's second miami ride.
1984 	1990 	"Paratrooper" 	Modern Products 	The park's first Paratrooper (ride). An upright version.
1991 	1994 	"Paratrooper" 	Harry Steer 	The park's second Paratrooper (ride). A lifting version.
1980s 	1990s 	"Rainbow" 	HUSS Park Attractions 	A Rainbow (ride).
1998 	2001 	"Figure Of Eight"	Pinfari 	A ST40 powered rollercoaster. Previously operated at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as "Tokaydo Express" from 1980 to 1997.
2002 	2006 	"Crazy Mouse" 	Reverchon Industries 	A standard spinning wild mouse rollercoaster.
1986 	1997 	"Wild Mouse" 	Butlin 	A steel tracked wild mouse rollercoaster, built with parts from identical rollercoasters at Harbour Park Littlehampton and Funland Hayling Island.
1990s 	1998 	"Skid" 	Hayes Fabrication 	A traditional swirl ride. Operated previously at Spanish City, Whitley Bay. Sold to Rainbow Park, Hunstanton.
2013 	2014 	"Speed Wave" 	Mondial (amusement ride manufacturer)	A Top Scan ride that previously operated at Flamingo Park, Hastings between 2008 and 2012.
1980s 	1999 	"Twist" 	Ivan Bennett 	The park's original Twist (ride). Replaced by "Sizzler".
1984 	1984 	"Waltzer" 	Lakin 	The park's first Waltzer ride.
1985 	2002 	"Waltzer" 	 	The park's second Waltzer ride.
2006 	2006 	"Waltzer" 	Maxwell 	The park's third Waltzer ride. Previously operated at Codonas Amusement Park.
2007 	2014 	"Waltzer" 	A.R.M. 	The park's fourth Waltzer ride. Previously operated at Flamingo Land Resort between 1991 and 2006.
1984 	1985 	"Gallopers" 	Allchin 	The park's first set of gallopers. Previously operated at Allday's Amusements, Barmouth.
1993 	1998 	"Gallopers" 	Savage 	The park's second set of gallopers. Previously operated at Woburn Abbey.
 	2005 	"Gallopers" 	Mardi Gras 	The park's third set of gallopers.
2005 	2011 	"Xtreme" 	KMG 	The park's first Booster ride. Was sold after the 2011 season. Previous owners after Brean include Frederick Leraitra, France (October 2011), Bertie Holland (November 2013). The ride is owned by Perrin Matthews as of December 2016.
2015 	2015 	"Star Flyer" 	AK Rides 	A vertical swing ride. This was a guest ride for the 2015 season on loan from showman Daniel Coles.
2005 	2015 	"Frisbee" 	Ivan Bennett 	A trabant/satellite ride. The ride was sold to Irish showman Duane McFadden after the 2015 season.
==Brean Splash==
Brean Splash is a waterpark owned and managed by Holiday Resort Unity under the Brean Lesiure Park branding which is owned by the House family. In 2014 Brean Splash made a £2 Million (GBP) investment on a brand new indoor splash aspect of the waterpark which has opened as of summer 2014.
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