Southport's Pleasureland closed!!

WillowTheWhisp · 06-09-2006, 12:04

I thought it could only happen in Morecambe when Frontierland went but now the pleasure beach in Southport has closed too? What has happened to the English seaside? Will we only have Blackpool left in a bit?

Mind you, I still love Morecambe for its view across the bay but I can't help getting nostalgic for the days when there were theatres and piers and shows and fairgrounds and candy floss and doughnuts instead of supermarkets on the prom and little else.

SPUGGIE J · 06-09-2006, 12:08

Blame those who go abroad. I must fess up that I didnt know Southport had attractions like that.

Blackpool will only survive if it adapts and evolves in order to keep the punters happy. In most cases its still cheaper to venture abroad than have a seaside holiday in dear old blighty.

entwisi · 06-09-2006, 12:33

I blame those in charge of pleasureland for stupid schemes like charging to just get on the place, I used to love walking round and would invariably stick a few quid here and there. For the last few years they charge to get on so I don't bother.

garinda · 06-09-2006, 12:59

I spent many happy afternoons in Southport whilst I was at college in Liverpool, some spent on the rides at the funfair.

I think because Blackpool has always had the market cornered in the thrills and spills, its neighbouring resorts have always been in a no win situation because of it.

As for Morecambe, since my grandparents lived near there, I have horrific memories etched in my brain of horrid weekends, walking on wind lashed promenades.

WillowTheWhisp · 06-09-2006, 15:21

Isn't it interesting that the owners of Southport Pleasureland are the same people who own Blackpool pleasurebeach? Last time we went to the latter you didn't have to pay to go in.

Now there's a funny thing. I used to go to Morecambe a lot when I was a child and I remember it being hot and sunny and going for pony rides on the beach (nowt so common as donkeys!)

West Ender · 06-09-2006, 15:52

When the children were younger we had a caravan which we used to put on a site at Ainsdale for a couple of months every Summer. We would go for weekends, relations used it, we had the odd week there etc. In the evenings we often drove along the beach to Southport and went to Pleasureland. It was quite good and a lot cheaper than Blackpool Pleasure Beach but even then, 20 years ago, it was beginning to look a bit seedy. It didn't matter, though, it was all part of the fun.

Now, the caravan site (which was a very good one next to the dunes and with electric hook-ups, an on-site pub, etc.) has gone (derelict) and so has the good weather we mostly had. The climate seems to have got a lot wetter and it doesn't encourage people to spend time at the English sea-side. They messed up Southport beach, too, when they dug out and sold tons and tons of sand and left mud-flats. Southport spoiled it's own best amenity.

Never liked Morecambe - I think it's a dreary place, sorry Willow - and all my in-laws from Bradford.

garinda · 06-09-2006, 16:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Now there's a funny thing. I used to go to Morecambe a lot when I was a child and I remember it being hot and sunny and going for pony rides on the beach (nowt so common as donkeys!)

Having grandparents living there meant we had to go and visit all year round. The only memory I have of it being sunny was when a seagull crapped on my head in Happy Mount Park.

norwich stanley · 06-09-2006, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

I blame those in charge of pleasureland for stupid schemes like charging to just get on the place, I used to love walking round and would invariably stick a few quid here and there. For the last few years they charge to get on so I don't bother.

Very true entwisi,at Gt Yarmouth you buy a wristband for about £12 which is fair enough,but quite often if we are round that way we spend 5 or 6 pounds on a few rides, which we wouldnt do if we had to pay to get in.

garinda · 06-09-2006, 16:23

When was Southport actually a port?

I've never actually even seen the sea there.

morgan_brotherz · 07-09-2006, 15:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

I blame those in charge of pleasureland for stupid schemes like charging to just get on the place, I used to love walking round and would invariably stick a few quid here and there. For the last few years they charge to get on so I don't bother.

That would be the Pleasure Beach of Blackpool Mr Entwisi. Same owners.

Neil · 07-09-2006, 16:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

(nowt so common as donkeys!)

Have you not met our Chav1 Willow?

WillowTheWhisp · 07-09-2006, 20:02

On more than one occasion Neil

Madhatter · 07-09-2006, 21:07

http://www.pleasureland.uk.com/
There are many problems with southport, access to it is a main bugbare you have to go to liverpool and up on an A road to get to it, blackpool has a direct motorway to it. Blackpool is on the sea, southport for some obsene reason decided to 'reclaim' land and make lakes between the prom and the sea, which then fell in to disrepair and had no use. Now we have supermarkets and shopping centres on the sea front.
Southport is half nice half disgusting and dirty feeling, with very few visitor attractions other than a pier that rarely reaches the sea and pleasure land.
I blame the local council tourism, commerce and pleasureland, they make nothing of the place and the only thing they have done is build supermarkets which take it further away from the seaside theme.

Pleasure land brag about investment, they call it a theme park, but in reality it's only themed where they want it to be themed and its filthy and dirty.
They could have themed the whole park and even covered it over with a dome like fantasy island at ingoldmells(which is slowly losing it's themeing and is a dirty filthy place to) the themeing when fantasy island was opened was amazing, every thing was themed, even the doors, the floors, the pubs and shops. An inside area for the kids rides would give them somewhere to go when its raining.
Cleanliness is everything and something for all ages is too, and all this, makes it inviting for people like me and entwisi to walk around and waste a few quid.
Conclusion bad managment all round. Blackpool is no better, nice themed front, filthy dump inside.

Dunno how they got the money to build a new pier monstrosity that it is.

All this remind me of the death of new brighton.
New brighton once had a tower taller than blackpools, An olympic sized outdoor swimming pool and a pier, all of which have now gone.