One of the best perks of working for Ride Entertainment Group is all of the International Travel that our team gets to experience while working on various projects. In early April, our Skycoaster® team visited the two Skycoaster® Sites in the United Kingdom- South Pier in Blackpool, England; and Oakwood in Narberth, Wales. After landing at London Heathrow, we made the 4 hour drive north and west to Blackpool.
The City of Blackpool can best be described as the Coney Island of the UK. With a mile long promenade, three piers, an endless assortment of arcades and attractions (including the iconic Blackpool Tower), and of course Blackpool Pleasure Beach with its 42 acres of intertwined rides, shows, and attractions, there is quite a bit to do and see in this resort town on the Irish Sea. The Skycoaster® on South Pier has one of the all-time great locations, perched on the southern edge of the pier over 30 feet above the crashing surf. Flyers are winched up over the bustling Fun Fair below and then soar over the many onlookers and out over the edge of the pier simulating the flight of a seagull! The amazing tidal force in Blackpool adds to the mystique of the location as the beach goes from a width of ½ mile to crashing surf in less than 45 minutes. Pleasure Beach’s eclectic mix of modern and classic rides and attractions is unmatched. Here guests can enjoy rare/unique attractions like the Grand National (mobius-loop racing woodie), Steeplechase, Valhalla, The Big One, Ghost Train, and River Caves among many other crowd favorites. It has probably the closest feel to what Coney Island, NY was like in the 1950s in terms of attraction density/variety.
Meanwhile, near the small town of Narberth, Wales (which some say registers a greater population of Sheep than Humans), lies Oakwood- the largest theme park in the Southwestern United Kingdom. Among its impressive roster of attractions are Megafobia (the largest wooden coaster in the UK), Speed: No Limits (an impressive Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter), and Treetops (a Zierer Family Tivoli Coaster hidden deep in a grove of tall pine trees). Vertigo is the park’s 140’ Skycoaster® and was given a prominent location right in the center of the property. Guests can view flyers thrilling it up on Europe’s tallest Skycoaster® from many unique vantage points.
From Oakwood it was a quick trip south to the seaside town of Tenby for some amazing pub fare and wandering the streets before making the 4 hour drive back to London Heathrow.
-MR