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Original poster

To trust my memory from the 90s

94 replies

Altontowersq · 12/08/2023 21:29

Today we were talking about Alton Towers and my partner googled the Nemesis and found out that it opened in 1994, it's on Alton Towers own website.

I have a really vivid memory of going there in my last year of primary school in 1992 and the Nemesis was newly opened. I know the year that I went is 100% correct as I went with friends from primary who went to a different secondary school. I have never been to Alton Towers since. I won't go into the details of why I remember this as it is outing but it's very detailed and specific and I've always had this memory.

Is there anyone here who went to Alton Towers in 1992 that could confirm this? I'm going crazy.

OP posts:
Catmummyof2 · 13/08/2023 01:48

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

harriettenightingale · 13/08/2023 02:11

I went on Nemesis as a teen when it had just opened (defo in 94) on a coach trip overnight to Alton Towers. We arrived just as the park opened and made a bee line for it. We wanted to go again straight after, but the queue would have taken 3 hours at that point. It was amazing. Afterwards back at home, I was talking to a guy that I had a thing with (not quite progressed to a sexual relationship at that point). He said "Nemesis is better than sex". When I did eventually have sex with him, I would have to agree.

sashh · 13/08/2023 02:44

Did you actually ride the coaster OP?

The building of it began in 1991 so you may have seen the construction and not realised it wasn't actually open.

CherryMaDeara · 13/08/2023 02:52

It’s really disconcerting when you realise something was not as you remembered it.

theGooHasGone · 13/08/2023 02:55

UnctuousUnicorns · 12/08/2023 23:57

I'm 52 and always knew them as Blue Riband bars. 🤷‍♀️

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...because that's what they were called!

QueSyrahSyrah · 13/08/2023 06:28

@BrindleAbyssinianGuinea Well it doesn't suspend anyone by the neck but it is suspended underneath the track.

AnneofRedGables · 13/08/2023 07:19

Newname211 · 12/08/2023 23:51

I believe “don’t look dooooooooown” is oblivion.

it doesn’t twist though, you fall straight into a black hole.

I swear I remember someone dying on Air when we were in the park in the early 2000s, but there is nothing online about it. I vividly remember what happened - someone got onto the track and the roller coaster knocked them over - and I even remember our teachers having us use friends phones to phone home (because this was when not every high schooler had a phone!) to let them know we are okay.

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Not true. I worked on Air during this time and would definitely have known about it! Also, Nemesis was indeed ‘94.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 13/08/2023 07:20

I feel bad but it’s kinda funny that @BrindleAbyssinianGuinea must have heard her classmates tell tall tales “you dangle by your neck!” and has took it as gospel ever since!

UnctuousUnicorns · 13/08/2023 10:41

theGooHasGone · 13/08/2023 02:55

...because that's what they were called!

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I know, that's what I meant, they were never "Blue Ribbon" and I never remembered them as that.

UnctuousUnicorns · 13/08/2023 10:51

CherryMaDeara · 13/08/2023 02:52

It’s really disconcerting when you realise something was not as you remembered it.

Parallel universes, innit. 🤷‍♀️ 😉

DrManhattan · 13/08/2023 11:12

Ah it's the whole 'Sex in the City ' and 'Sex and the City' thing.

Defiantjazz · 13/08/2023 11:49

That’s weird. I went to Alton Towers a few times in the mid 90s and I don’t remember Nemesis being there. I remember going on the Corkscrew, the beast, the black hole and chickening out of the Thunder Looper but no Nemesis 🤷‍♀️

Newname211 · 13/08/2023 13:12

AnneofRedGables · 13/08/2023 07:19

Not true. I worked on Air during this time and would definitely have known about it! Also, Nemesis was indeed ‘94.

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As I said, I have a false memory of this happening, but it’s so vivid with so many specific details. I reckon that what actually happened was we were at Alton towers, air was closed for whatever reason, and somewhere else a rollercoaster accident happened on the same day.

Googling has shown there was a similar incident in Camelot and light water valley around that time, so I bet what actually happened was the media reported one of these incidents, and teachers had us phone home to reassure parents it was a different park etc.

Defiantjazz · 13/08/2023 13:54

Googling has shown there was a similar incident in Camelot and light water valley around that time, so I bet what actually happened was the media reported one of these incidents, and teachers had us phone home to reassure parents it was a different park etc

yeah, I probably don’t remember the Nemesis because I didn’t ride it and nor did anyone I was with
Not that mysterious when you think about it 😆

autienotnaughti · 13/08/2023 14:04

I remember where I was when princess diana died and I remember me and my ex talking about it. Recently the year came up and I realised it must have been a totally different ex. But in my head I clear remember it.

Defiantjazz · 13/08/2023 14:53

I was sure I’d seen Charles and Diana’s wedding at school. I thought I remembered them getting us all in the assembly hall and then watching it on TV. Turns out they got married in 1981, when I was only 3 l, so that can’t be true.
I guess we must of watched some program with footage of the wedding in it or something.

Dropthedonkey · 13/08/2023 14:54

Maybe it was Scott and Charlene's wedding?

Defiantjazz · 13/08/2023 14:58

Lol, no it defiantly involved Princess Diana in some way.

PriOn1 · 13/08/2023 14:58

Can you tell us what you remember about the ride itself (not the circumstances if that is too outing). It was a very memorable ride in terms of atmosphere and colour, as I recall. Could you be remembering a different ride?

booomshackalack · 13/08/2023 15:09

Talista · 12/08/2023 21:52

Oh wait sorry I read too quickly, you meant a specific ride 😂 Alton Towers itself was in fact open in 1989, glad I'm not going mad!

AT opened as a theme park in 1980

booomshackalack · 13/08/2023 15:09

Argh sorry misread that, I thought you said it opened in 1989!!

PriOn1 · 13/08/2023 15:13

This thread has now caused a major trip down memory lane for me. I can’t even go and relive the glory days as my balance is so awful now I wouldn’t enjoy it.

Busubaba · 13/08/2023 15:31

I think sometimes there is distortion in time.

When I was at senior school (left in 1982 when I was 16) the 5th year, last year at school were allowed in a separate building on the school grounds which was essentially a youth club. This was only at lunchtime and after school and you had to be in the 5th year.

When a record came out that was popular it was played over and over in the youth club. I distinctly remember 'Toast' being hugely popular and a boy, Michael would also sing his own version.

Only that song came out in 1978 not 1982!

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