Blackpool pleasure beach

[Roundthemoon]

I just visited Blackpool and I Had a nice time going around the beach and activities.

But honestly- Blackpool pleasure beach - what are they thinking! Some of the rides are so old and dangerous, I don't know how they are allowed at all.

It was the first time that I went .

I went on one ride, and it went extremely high. It was like an old fashioned rollrr coaster, but you were sitting on a horse. It's called steeple chase.

. There was the tiniest old fashioned seat belt on the horse, like a car seat belt. Except it was just a horizontal belt. The material of the belt looked old, worn and thin. And it didn't hold you on properly.

You had to grip with your hands onto the handle bars. This ride went extremely high and it was extremely fast and jerky, and i was nearly jerked out of the seat several times. If the ride jerked and you fell out of the seat , you would slip through the seat belt and you would fall a very long way down. I was holding on for dear life. I very nearly came off and fell once.

People were getting off the ride at the end and were crying and looking extremely stressed.

The guy running the ride laughed and said to us "you won't do that ride again in a hurry will you haha". Because he knew it was bad

I saw other rides in the park, where the metal holding the ride up looked completely rusted through.

I don't know how the park is allowed from a health and safety standpoint?

I loved steeplechase over 30 years back, but remember how unsafe it was.

I really liked Valhalla at Blackpool pleasure beach. It's really well designed. And safe!

Its won a lot of awards.

Same about Alton Towers. Haunted!

Same here!

I was literally holding on for dear life.

The steeplechase is legendary! I remember going on it as a child and being terrified as I’m pretty sure there wasn’t even the flimsy seatbelt in those days.

After remembering the terror, I obviously took my big thrill ride loving children on it and they were equally terrified. Job done as the baton has been passed onto the next generation!

I remember people saying similar about 40 years ago.

I don't think anyone has been injured on it though. However there was a girl a couple of years above me at primary school who broke her leg on the Alice in Wonderland ride there.

Not sure what that says.

What, all 3 of them?

Compared to all the people who go on it every day?

If you don't like it... don't ride it. Easy. Stick to the kiddy rides while the rest of us have fun.

Please go somewhere else for your next holiday, or stop making accusations about lack of health and safety checks when you know fine well that it would not be allowed to operate if it does not have up-to-date certification
Do you really think it is in their best interests to run rides that may kill or injure people giiven the number of vistors they have per annum?

My DP was pissing himself laughing, I suspect he knew what it was like 🤣

I don't know why you're making up things.

Did you just pluck that 5 metre figure out of your head.

I looked it up online

It says that the ride is 65 feet (19.8 metres) at its highest point

Not 5 metres high.

Lol
Do you have shares in Blackpool pleasure beach or something? You've made a lot of posts saying the same thing

She broke her leg on the Alice in wonderland ride?

Ouch.

That ride is still there too

Omg I'm trying to imagine it without even the flimsy seatbelt! You were brave!

It’s advertised on the website as a white knuckle ride. What were you expecting?

From looking at YouTube, the track undulates to give the feeling of jumping over fences, a bit like going over a humpbacked bridge. Which means it will feel different from an ordinary roller coaster.

Disclaimer; I have only been on a very tame rollercoaster suitable for kids, which confirmed my decision never to go on any of them.

The seat belt issue does sound like it needs addressing though.

It is not classed as a rollercoaster
For context, I have lived just down the road from Blackpool for 6 decades. I visit the pleasue Beach at least once a year. I have seen rides come and go (the mouse/wild mouse being an example)
As I said begfore, do you really think something that big can operate without a health and safety certificate?

Can you link to your source for the ride height please?

It is classed as a rollercoaster!

Look up "steeplechase blackpool pleasure beach" online

The first thing that comes up online is

"The steeplechase is a three tracked rollercoaster"

You don't seem to know much about it!

Good. About time! 😆

Do a quick search on it like I did, using the Internet, and you'll find it

Link to report please

I went on the Steeplechase as a small child when it first opened. I am terrified of heights and still remember that I didn’t feel terribly secure with that lap belt! Me and my brother screamed all the way round. (From the ground we hadn’t realised how high it went - relatively speaking.)

The Flying Machines have been there since 1904 and it’s the oldest amusement ride in working order in Europe apparently. I went on that when my kids were young - they weren’t scared, but I was, (heights again!) I do think it’s odd that they’ve not installed seatbelts!

The Wild Mouse ride opened in 1958 and closed in 2017. I went on it as a child, but wasn’t scared because it was enclosed. There were quite a few accidents as I recall, which is why most of these rides have been retired worldwide.

The most famous wooden rollercoaster in Blackpool is the Big Dipper, 1923, which is listed. My kids loved it, (I haven’t been on it), and people come from all over the world to ride it as it’s one of the world’s greatest/most famous wooden rollercoasters.

The other wooden coaster is the Grand National, 1935 - there’s only one other of its kind left in the world- again, coaster fans love it.

TBH, I don’t really like any fast/high rides myself and how ‘safe’ any of them anywhere are really, is up for debate, (look at the awful accidents that have happened at places like Thorpe Park, for example).

Having said that, Blackpool Pleasure Beach has always been a source of pride for people from Blackpool - it wouldn’t win any prizes for its landscaping- Disney it isn’t- but it has to meet the safety standards.

I have a soft spot for the Derby Racer - one of the few rides I wasn’t scared of as a child and am still annoyed that the owners destroyed the Noah’s Ark attraction,1922, and cannibalised it to use as the entrance/gift shop.

I used to have a picture of my Nana at the Pleasure Beach on one of the rides in the 1920s, whooping it up after she’d run off to the bright lights of Blackpool from Yorkshire. It will always have a place in my heart, but I do accept it’s not for everyone!

Yep. Steeplechase is defo a Rollercoaster!

@IlovePond Thank you for that. Nice post.

Because you are spouting bollocks.
No, I do not work for them. Just rational