Southport Pleasureland

[snappel]

I had a late-night creep around to see what was still there. Dismantling of the park is well underway, with the Traumatizer long gone. The Cyclone is still standing (what are the plans for it?) and the Ghost Train made for some interesting exploring, not least of all when I turned a corner and pointed my torch at a mirror and scared the crap out of myself!

A shame it's closed down, but I suppose it just wasn't making enough money. Never did get round to visiting it when open - anyone know what the plans for the site are now? A sad end to what always appeared to be a popular (and historic) seaside attraction - lets just hope this isn't repeated in Blackpool and Brighton...

More here

[scouserdave]

I had a late-night creep around to see what was still there. Dismantling of the park is well underway, with the Traumatizer long gone. The Cyclone is still standing (what are the plans for it?) and the Ghost Train made for some interesting exploring, not least of all when I turned a corner and pointed my torch at a mirror and scared the crap out of myself!

A shame it's closed down, but I suppose it just wasn't making enough money. Never did get round to visiting it when open - anyone know what the plans for the site are now? A sad end to what always appeared to be a popular (and historic) seaside attraction - lets just hope this isn't repeated in Blackpool and Brighton...

More here

Snappel mate,
these pics are Boss La! Many thanks

[snappel]

Thanks - I do my best! It was good fun, just a shame the Traumatizer wasn't still there...

[Kev]

Snappel, many thanks. I missed this thread I don't know why, but there u go . The pics are fantastic especially the one sitting on top of the Cyclone. You have probably achieved everythin I wanted to do as a curious spooked kid. There's nowt more eiry (spelling?) than walking through a disused theme park at night, scary stuff and well done

[snappel]

Thanks Kev, it was fun I have to say! But the ghost train was just hilarious!!

[Kev]

Thanks Kev, it was fun I have to say! But the ghost train was just hilarious!!

I am shaking my head in complete amazement , the ghost train . Are there any stories about the attractions being genuinely haunted?

[snappel]

Are there any stories about the attractions being genuinely haunted?

Not as far as I know, although there is a fair bit of history to the park. This is what I have on my site (mainly stolen from the SPL official site and Wikipedia though!!)...

The first amusement park in Southport was built in 1912 in King's Gardens, and included classic rides such as a figure-eight rollercoaster and helter skelter. Expansion necessitated a larger site, and in the 1920s the park moved to it's current location on the waterfront, and in the 1930s acquired the name 'Pleasureland'.

Various new attractions were brought to the park including various rollercoasters, most notable the Cyclone wooden rollercoaster which remains to this day. Wartime meant a break in operations, the site being used by the Air Ministry for storage, but after the war things picked up again and further regular improvements were made to the park.

Many new features such as a boating lake, bowl slide, 'Sky Ride' cableway and mirror maze were added over the decades, and in 1999 the Tizer sponsored Traumatizer rollercoaster was built. Costing £5m, the Traumatizer was the UK's faster and tallest 'suspended looping' coaster, and became Pleasureland's star attraction.

However, on September 5th 2006 Pleasureland closed for good as a result of 'adverse trading conditions'. It was clearly no longer economical to run the park, and so closure was the only option. Staff were given their notice and the gates closed. Since then dismantling work has begun, most notably of all with the removal of the Traumatizer, probably in a bid to regain as much lost capital as possible.

[MissInformed]

snappel!
you are the hero of this forum! i salute you!
I was always scared to go kn the ghost train when it was open, so i hand it to you for venturing there alone at night!!