tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38701040175141841362008-05-03T09:56:27.323ZMSnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-73080933244934649342007-05-07T11:27:00.000Z2007-05-13T09:16:13.240Z

I just can't believe the Top Scan has been with us for an entire decade. It only seems like yesterday since we first heard rumblings of a new fairground ride from Mondial that, even then, seemed destined to take over the world. Here in the UK, we did our familiar impressions of Oliver Twist, looking at all the fun the European fairgoers were having, never thinking that we could possibly have one

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-45589082216048332662007-03-24T11:21:00.000Z2007-03-24T11:23:06.336Z

When Drayton Manor installed an Enterprise on the site of their old Cine 180 a few years back, it would be tempting to say that few people were whooping with delight. Ironically though, quite a lot of people were whooping with delight - and it was this cacophony of screams and shouts combined with the trademark Enterprise growl that spelt the end of Cyclone's brief period at the park, being

LCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-51335693782531136782007-03-20T21:58:00.000Z2007-03-24T19:19:41.397Z

This is an archived review and is no longer representative of the ride that it covers. For a list of up to date reviews, please click here As an intelligent and discerning reader, I assume you're perfectly familiar with chaos theory, but for the benefit of those who didn't pay attention at school, chaos theory simply states that, if the universe is infinite, and time is eternal, then there must

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-80877948962425882942007-02-25T12:40:00.000Z2007-03-18T11:38:54.118Z

Sometimes you can add two and two and make three. Sometimes you can take the most mouth-watering ingredients and somehow end up with something that tastes like cardboard. The good folk of Austria's Funtime Group obviously saw the universal popularity of the Zierer Wave Swinger, and then the enormous success of the myriad of tower rides littering the world's parks and fairs. They then whipped out

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-61558555565211970602007-02-24T17:17:00.000Z2007-03-02T19:01:05.680Z

There's a lot to be said for going round and round. As certain as day and night, you can guarantee that the world is spinning on its axis, the moon is circling around the earth, and our fair planet itself is in orbit around the sun. And of course, we all know about the wheels on the bus. They go round and round, round and round all day long. Indeed, it seems almost since the invention of the

MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-16353104372617621522007-02-24T17:12:00.001Z2007-03-02T18:18:10.536Z

Like a true Japanese warrior, for eight years at Chessington Samurai always commanded the utmost respect, and when its work was done, was sacrificed so that the park could pursue another way of the warrior; freedom of fear, with the park choosing to focus more on becoming a more family-orientated day out. Bushido would be proud. Conveniently, Thorpe Park was in need of - for want of a better

MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-84347640839201700742007-02-24T17:04:00.000Z2007-03-02T18:12:44.777Z

As a mature and discerning reader, I'm sure you find it easy to look back at your childhood with great fondness, yet appreciate the importance of adulthood however monotonous. Maybe we miss the carefree days of going to the playground more than others, hence our unbridled obsession with theme parks. And while there are people like us willing to queue for rides, manufacturers are keen to

MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-20525644642860865432007-02-24T16:13:00.001Z2007-03-01T21:04:01.704Z

Stan Checketts, chairman of S&S who manufactured Riddler's Revenge, has come a long way since the rickshaw thrill rides he built as a child. Where-as most peoples' childhood passions have been banished to a photo album caked in dust in some forgotten corner, Checketts' passion has grown into a lucrative business, and can now answer the beck and call of most parks' thrill ride requirements.

MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-9397958840667278542007-02-24T16:08:00.000Z2007-03-18T11:59:55.730Z

Going to a German fair and want somewhere to stay? Before you scour the worldwide web in vain for an appropriate abode, may I be the first to recommend Ewald Schneider's Grand Hotel, an illustrious 13-story tower that can be found in the cities of all great German fairs such as Dusseldorf, Hanover and Stuttgart. This hotel is as prestigious as it is distinguished, and is the place to be seen

MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-42174148688160095022007-02-23T22:12:00.001Z2007-02-25T19:49:14.760Z

Whatever you might think about KMG, you have to admit that they know how to make the most of an idea. Rather than offering a single version of their rides, they have developed a habit of providing budget, standard, and king size versions for different markets, and rides don't come more king size than the huge 32-seat version of Move It. Only one "Move It 32" (as it's often known) exists, and

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-43625821838870179302007-02-23T21:58:00.000Z2007-02-26T21:07:51.194Z

It's often said that there have only been seven stories ever written, and that writers spend their lives coming up with endless variations and combinations of the same basic themes. The same is true of the ride industry, and particularly the spin ride market. Each year, the manufacturers unveil elaborate new contraptions, and while they always claim to be the next big thing, almost all of them

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-64373404160257334352007-02-23T20:46:00.000Z2007-03-02T17:39:23.216Z

You don't need to be a master architect to work out towers are great attention grabbers. Think Paris, and you think of the Eiffel Tower; think Blackpool ,and you think of Blackpool Tower - despite the best efforts of the Pleasure Beach. Ride manufacturers, ever eager to provide parks with their own landmarks, latched into the tower idea decades ago and built rides to take advantage. Invariably,

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-82417226557497317662007-02-23T20:23:00.001Z2007-02-25T19:41:49.126Z

Ah, what a wonderful image the word "Equinox" conjures up. The dictionary defines it as "Either of two points on the celestial sphere at which the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator", but I'm sure we all knew that already. The important thing is that it's the kind of word that rolls off the tongue beautifully. Besides, since when did ride names have to make sense? In a sense, Dutch firm

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-4134267088480535502007-02-23T20:15:00.001Z2007-03-02T18:02:02.166Z

When the infamous Italian ride manufacturer Fabbri announced that they were to attempt a freefall tower, few people starting whooping with delight or doing cartwheels in anticipation. The reason is that the freefall machine is a genre that many manufacturers have attempted, but few have mastered. Intamin, S&S, and Huss have all been relatively successful, while Maurer and Zamperla's efforts have

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-57913255215461857762007-02-23T20:03:00.000Z2007-03-20T22:07:56.263Z

Eee, when I was a lad, everything was brilliant. The sun would always shine, kids respected their elders, and chicken really tasted like chicken. We had some grand rides in those days too. I remember there was a ride called Chaos. An Afterburner, it was, and one of the best. In fact, I remember loving that ride so much I even wrote a review for a website called Coaster Kingdom (or something) and

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-42212387436404516232007-02-23T19:34:00.000Z2007-04-01T12:08:23.994Z

Pleasure Beach Blackpool has always prided itself on providing something for everyone. If you're looking for wooden coasters, no park does more to keep you happy. If steel coasters are your desire, the Pleasure Beach provides a wide variety of types. Likewise, fans of dark rides are comprehensively catered for. However, there was always one group that was left out in the cold, namely the group

JPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870104017514184136.post-52153912573625382382007-02-23T19:21:00.000Z2007-03-18T11:57:08.625Z

Apparently I've got eight pints of blood in my body. Fine by me. For most of my life, it has spread itself fairly evenly. A pint or so in each limb, couple in my torso, and the rest in my head. That was alright. Lately, though, I think all eight pints has taken up permanent residence in my bonce, sloshing around my brain, making me top-heavy and clumsy. I'm writing this review sitting on the

JPnoreply@blogger.com