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?

Jacob Rees Mogg would say "Categorical testicles".

It isn’t the first thing that comes up for me.

Having Googled I found a time line for Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

There have been 3 deaths from falling from rides. Two were in the 1920s and were attributed to the people standing up on the rides.

The other one was an 11yo boy in around 2000. I can't see in newspaper reports any suggestion of what happened, but it was ruled accidental, from which you can assume the ride was not criminally at fault, and I would think that if it was thrown out due to seatbelt not working, even then, it would have been considered differently.

There are other injuries mentioned for various rides, which obviously isn't comprehensive, but doesn't say the extent of the injuries, but I suspect it would If they were life altering.

I hope that reassures you.

Thats very interesting. Yeah it's surprising there was no lap bar.

Incidents at fairs, leisure parks, swimming pools and theme parks are big news. Quite rightly so. We can see what you’re insinuating with your comments.

I would just like if they improved some safety measures there on the old rides.

Some things definitely need updating.

They do have a lot of new great rides aswell. They've won awards for one of the new rides.

I'm not sure why anyone would argue AGAINST safety being improved?

Same. Funny that.

Funny that alright.

Wiki seems to indicate Steeplechase is just over 4 feet high!

Does that sound about right? I'm not too familiar with it.

Steeplechase (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Wikipedia

I remember going on that horse ride as a child and I was terrified, I can’t believe my parents put me on the thing and I’m shocked to hear it’s still there! I visited Blackpool two years ago, I hadn’t been since I was a child and couldn’t believe how awful the place was, the lights weren’t even on. I watched a 1985 documentary the other day which featured Blackpool and it looked quite run down even then.

Doesn’t come up in Wiki or the first 3 websites listed either 🤷‍♀️

Where does it say 4 feet there?

Only four feet? That's a stepladder to reach the top kitchen shelf!

No that’s the height of the riders

I took my brother on the steeple chase years ago, both on one horse, he was terrified, I knew what it was like because I'd been on before.

Sure. You've said that already. Was there a point in saying it again.

If you'd like me to show me a different source showing the height of the ride, I'll be more than happy to see it.

I just re-read and spotted that the second time!

Poor lad!

It is scary.

I wouldn't go on it again honestly.

On the right hand side of the wiki page...

General statistics
Type
Steel – Racing
Manufacturer
Arrow Dynamics
Inversions
0
Height restriction
50 in (127 cm)
Tracks
3
Trains
Single car trains. Riders are arranged inline in 2 rows for a total of 2 riders per train.

(SO it says height is 50 inches... ie just over 4 feet.)

Don't know if it's right! Maybe some of it is higher, and that is the average height...?

.

Here's a good quality POV

The Big one makes you think you are going to die coming down the biggest drop from the top.

Yep. Funny.

20m is roughly 4 doubledecker buses high. Just from watching that youtube pov you can see the ride is nowhere near that high at any point.

It doesnt say thats the height of the ride though does it.

it says "height restriction".

That's not the height of the ride.

@IlovePond The inventor of the Flying Machine ride was Sir Hiram Maxim who also invented the first machine gun.

@Roundthemoon Where's the personal insult? Being a wimp? That's hardly robust personal insult but I apologise if you are traumatised by that too