Joyland

livewireguy · Enigmatic Expert

Joyland

livewireguy · Enigmatic Expert

So i guess no-one remembers this spaceship? It used to be where the spook coaster is now!

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I kinda can. In fact, I can remember going up there, is was a walk through attraction, yeah?

livewireguy · Enigmatic Expert

Yeah - it was quite unique cos it moved/tilted and you worked your way to the very top or ****pit of the spaceship. There were lots of tunnels with cabinets with creatures and robots that you could control with levers! As a hild it was the highlight of my holiday - amazing!

Then they knocked it down and replaced it with a second rate kiddie coaster with half the imagination!

quin · Enigmatic Expert

popped into joyland yesterday :) had to go on the tubs legendary things!! place was packed such a good thing everything being 1 token

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

How much are the tokens now? I haven't been there for a few years now.

That ridiculously loud car ride always scared me when I was little!

quin · Enigmatic Expert

haha yea the one in the cave under the rollercoaster sounds so nackard theyve cirtanly had there moneysworth out of them rides over the years hant they! tokens are £1 a pop and everything is 1 token, brill for young kids me thinks

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Its quite surprising that the place is still going really, I mean, how many new rides have they added since the 80's? Maybe 2?!

That kind of investment put Pleasurewood to shame!haha

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

:D the Spaceship... I loved that as a kid. I remember you had to push buttons and all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff happened.
It looked really small from the outside but it was pretty large inside, possible because as I kid I thought you were just in the small spaceship prop.. lol

Do they still have the E.T at joyland?
Those snails are just awesome.

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

The Snails are still there.... whats the E.T?

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

E.T that stupid alien from that rotten movie.
They had one that sat in a booth I think, before you walked up the stairs to the space ship., they certainly had one but im not 100% what it was for it was pretty much opposite the snails.

I still have 7 joyland tokens from about 20 years ago :P

jskinner97 · Jolly Talkative

Yes, They do!

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Sadly PWH is a over sized Joyland.
It used to have a great balance, but it's gone so one way theses days there's not lot of older people to do.
Having said that.. it seems to be making an effort to correct itself and re-claim that perfect balance.

Went from 'couldn't do it all in a day' to 'you'll be hard pressed to fill your day' ;)

-- Edited by Bubbles on Wednesday 10th of April 2013 05:49:02 PM

livewireguy · Enigmatic Expert

Yes E.T was still there. He was still in the booth and the booth was the entrance to the space ship. you walked up spiral steps then over a bridge then in to the rock that the spaceship was in.

This is my memory of it.

A long tunnel with cabinets built into the tunnel walls. One of them was very dark you pulled the lever and a huge frog with big eyes lunged towards the glass. Then at the bottom of the tunnel was a huge room with loads of different robots. each had buttons and levers to make them animate.

you walked all the way around this room then up some steps to the ****pit , which was diagonally facing up and sun used to shine through the coloured glass, you could see the pilot was an alien by looking in the mirror that revealed his face even though he was facing away from you.

The ****pit pocked backwards and forwards slightly.

Then you exited out of the spaceship and back to joyland. With starwars and E.T soundtracks playing you felt as if you had been in those movies and although it was probably quite ropey from an adults perspective. As a child there was nothing better - wasily the highlight of my holiday was going on that ride.

I would love to find out who designed and made that ride. I think its a forgotten treasure and deserves far more credit!

livewireguy · Enigmatic Expert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaKoEizif5U

livewireguy · Enigmatic Expert

Info from http://www.ourgreatyarmouth.org.uk/page_id__118_path__0p3p39p.aspx

Joyland was originally opened in 1949 by the Cole family as a childrens theme park with rides like the 'Snails' and 'Tubs'.

Its 'Ark' became a bit of a landmark when introduced in 1952. In the early eighties it was replaced by a spaceship. The 'mountain' on which the Ark had 'landed' was hollow and was filled with dioramas (miniature scenes), such as a model railway and a mountain scene with skiers permanently skiing down the mountain.

Joyland is still going strong and is located right next to Britannia Pier.

mrbrightside · Exceptionally Expressive

Lol, there is no way whatsoever that Pleasurewood could be classed as an oversized Joyland... At all.

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I think PWH has got more kids rides, certainly got more for kids than Joyland.
Not a complaint, i'm just saying. Although I didn't mean literally.

jskinner97 · Jolly Talkative

But part of the novelty of Joyland is the fact it hasn't changed in 50 or 60 years. The parents love the fact that they can ride on things like the snails.. From their childhood and their children can also ride and enjoy them. The only Tyrolean tubs left are there also.. By the way they are having some work done on them :)

(do bear in mind me and my family are very close to the owners as we run East Coast Pirates car club who meet at Joyland's diner)

-- Edited by jskinner97 on Tuesday 16th of April 2013 04:41:43 PM

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Did I notice a 'Ghost train' behind Joyland on the pier next to some slides?

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Most probably. There has been a small collection of rides at the back of the pier for many years now.

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Oh yeah from the footage I see on youtube it's just as naff as the Haunted Hotel, lol not quite as good as the Terror Castle they once had.

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

the mini log flume there is cool !!

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Joyland was open yesterday

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I wish PHW could have those Snails ;)

quin · Enigmatic Expert

Tubs.... its all about the tubs :D had to go on them on saturday! Wouldnt be right if i didnt, Bit of work going on the track with strengthening etc

Bubbles · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Tubs are pretty cool, love to see something like that at the hills.

quin · Enigmatic Expert

Tubs theming was getting some fresh paint yesterday

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Interesting little article on bees

www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/swarm_of_bees_descend_on_joyland_fun_park_in_great_yarmouth_1_4086385

jskinner97 · Jolly Talkative

The tubs at Joyland have just had a LOT of money spent on new boarding to replace the old fibreglass, and the waterwheel now works!

-- Edited by jskinner97 on Tuesday 11th of August 2015 07:38:31 PM