Accrington Beach!

[accyman]

was in the late 80's yes but cant recall much more.

glad someone else remembers it though lol

[Atarah]

"But do you think it would be a good idea to create an artificial beach in the Accrington area and charge people to use it? If so where would it be?"

When I read this, I thought you must have seen the "daft" postcard you can buy from the Tourist Information which shows a postcard of our Town Hall, with the Broadway side airbrushed out, with a beach and a donkey showing on it, stating "Wish you were here". I have NOT made this up, I bought a few of these postcards and sent them out to friends for a laugh. Its a funny old world!

[Wynonie Harris]

Eddie Quiligotti MBE | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk

[gynn]

Originally Posted by kestrelx

I remember that wasn't it in the 80's and the site was passed Huncoat on the right side on they way to Burnley just passed the quarries. The guy behind it was a local business man, maybe Asian.

Italian, actually. Here is part of something Garinda posted last year, which I hope he doesn't mind me copying:-

Mr Eddie Quiligotti MBE planned to call the centre Zeri after his home village in Tuscany.

The former tile company boss announced the plan to an incredulous population amid a blaze of publicity in 1989.

It was to have featured winter and summer worlds, a huge 15,000-seater stadium and a 300-room hotel spread over the 300-acre site of the former power station.

It would have been Europe’s largest theme park and holiday centre, and it was projected to create 5,000 jobs and attract 4,000 visitors a day.

The idea was embraced by planners as a way of guaranteeing Hyndburn’s fame and fortune for years to come.

The winter wonderland was to have contained an ice palace, ski-ing on six dry slopes, a toboggan run and a lake while a sea world would have provided aquaria, water rides and boat trips.

Also earmarked for Zeri were restaurants, shops, cinemas, villas, a conference centre, gardens and an adventureland with light shows and white knuckle rides.

And the diverse attractions would have been linked by a one-and-a-half-mile-long cable car track similar to the one used in ski resorts.

The idea was taken extremely seriously for a time, with then planning officer John Tilley stating: "This is the biggest thing that will ever happen around here. People will be attracted to the area for holidays and some may never set foot outside the complex."

But the plan never got off the drawing board and four years later it was announced that the bubble had finally burst.

Mr Quiligotti had pledged £1M of his own cash to the scheme but as a recession began to bite he failed to attract the financial backing for the remaining £299M

He said sadly: "It is all over. I have been banging my head against a brick wall."

But critics said they had known what would happen right from the start.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by kestrelx

I remember that wasn't it in the 80's and the site was passed Huncoat on the right side on they way to Burnley just passed the quarries. The guy behind it was a local business man, maybe Asian.

News to me he was called Quiligoti (not sure of the spelling)and he wasn't local

[MargaretR]

His Huncoat dream died with him.
Eddie Quiligotti und Huncoat Has Died - Info zur Person - Personensuche Yasni.com

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by MargaretR

His Huncoat dream died with him.
Eddie Quiligotti und Huncoat Has Died - Info zur Person - Personensuche Yasni.com

Don't think many shared his dream Margaret

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by gynn

Italian, actually. Here is part of something Garinda posted last year, which I hope he doesn't mind me copying:-

Mr Eddie Quiligotti MBE planned to call the centre Zeri after his home village in Tuscany.

The former tile company boss announced the plan to an incredulous population amid a blaze of publicity in 1989.

It was to have featured winter and summer worlds, a huge 15,000-seater stadium and a 300-room hotel spread over the 300-acre site of the former power station.

It would have been Europe’s largest theme park and holiday centre, and it was projected to create 5,000 jobs and attract 4,000 visitors a day.

The idea was embraced by planners as a way of guaranteeing Hyndburn’s fame and fortune for years to come.

The winter wonderland was to have contained an ice palace, ski-ing on six dry slopes, a toboggan run and a lake while a sea world would have provided aquaria, water rides and boat trips.

Also earmarked for Zeri were restaurants, shops, cinemas, villas, a conference centre, gardens and an adventureland with light shows and white knuckle rides.

And the diverse attractions would have been linked by a one-and-a-half-mile-long cable car track similar to the one used in ski resorts.

The idea was taken extremely seriously for a time, with then planning officer John Tilley stating: "This is the biggest thing that will ever happen around here. People will be attracted to the area for holidays and some may never set foot outside the complex."

But the plan never got off the drawing board and four years later it was announced that the bubble had finally burst.

Mr Quiligotti had pledged £1M of his own cash to the scheme but as a recession began to bite he failed to attract the financial backing for the remaining £299M

He said sadly: "It is all over. I have been banging my head against a brick wall."

But critics said they had known what would happen right from the start.

Thanks for posting - it was going to be sited in the area near Hambledon Scouts just after you pass Huncoat on the way to Burnley to the right are some old quarries on some hills with woodland below it - that was the site. Glad he didn't get his way.

Why did he chose Accrington well never know but it was an oddball idea. As he only offered 1 million to the budget of 299 Million probably had a lot to do with it!

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by kestrelx

Thanks for posting - it was going to be sited in the area near Hambledon Scouts just after you pass Huncoat on the way to Burnley to the right are some old quarries on some hills with woodland below it - that was the site. Glad he didn't get his way.

Why did he chose Accrington well never know but it was an oddball idea.

It was the old power station

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by jaysay

It was the old power station

Going right up to the hills as he wanted one of those ski cable car rides, so it would have covered that whole area going up to the hills.

What's at the Power Station now? Houses?

[Eric]

Originally Posted by jaysay

News to me he was called Quiligoti (not sure of the spelling)and he wasn't local

"Not sure of the spelling"When has that ever bothered you before?

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Eric

"Not sure of the spelling"When has that ever bothered you before?

Well I stated that so that a james hunt like you couldn't take the pish

[Odin]

There is only one logical place for the Beach and that's Bash Promenade
Odin

[Odin]

You Mean Zerri, it was going to be built on the old huncoat power station site
by an italian geezer who had made a fortune from Terrazo Tiles. just think we could have put the Beach there and sold rides on the Buckets which used to take the clay from the Quarry to Redac Brick Yard. we could all have been Millionaires

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by Odin

You Mean Zerri, it was going to be built on the old huncoat power station site
by an italian geezer who had made a fortune from Terrazo Tiles. just think we could have put the Beach there and sold rides on the Buckets which used to take the clay from the Quarry to Redac Brick Yard. we could all have been Millionaires

I reckon if it was done properly it would work and make somebody rich lol - perhaps could be partially indoors with swimming pool and ice rink and 20,000 seater arena and - oh hell where are that guy's plans?