The best year?

Martyn · Passionate about Pleasurewood

The best year?

Josh · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Yeah makes it look empty last year! I think the business and fun of the 95 park map adds to that also. I hope the park map is improved this season.

Hpeek · Enigmatic Expert

Can't say that 1995 was my best year as wasn't even born! For me it has to be the mighty 2012!

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Late 80's and early to mid 90's were its peakest times, they use to have traffic going all the way down Corton Road and Corton Long Lane just to get in... ( this all via the old entrance of course )

Matt · pleasurewoodplace.com

I think the early 1990's were very much my favourite period for the park. I was still very young at the time, but probably visited the park at least twice every year from around 1990 to 1996. I really remember when the log flume arrived at the park in 1992 and it felt like a huge addition to the park, to me.

While I agree that the additon of the Cannonball Express was a major one, I remember the discussion around my school being centered around the fact that they added another coaster only slightly more thrilling than what they already had (The Rattlesnake). We all wanted loops, and I think if the budget at the time could have stretched to a "Wipeout" style attraction, the momentum at the park would have been stepped up much sooner.

1995 was, to my mind, the last of the golden years of the park. 1996 - 2000 was abysmal. Me and my friends were in our early teens during this period and were very much into rides and theme parks. However the park was offering fairground style tat as new attractions each year and visits became very rare. We instead opted to visit Gt Yarmouth Pleasure Beach and just ride one or two things of interest.

The addition of Magic Mouse did tempt a 15 year old me back to the park with my mates and while we enjoyed that ride, there was still a lot to be desired in the rest of the park. I remember going round the place with a certain tongue-in-cheek irony... you can have a laugh with friends on the Veteran Cars and the rattlesnake, but we didn't feel like we were really being catered for.

The next few years offered some good new additions, but it was obvious that the funds didn't allow for thrill rides and decorative improvements and the place looked increasingly tatty. Thrill rides came and went but it wasn't enough to keep me visiting year on year. I think I went twice between 2000 and 2004.

My next visit would be in 2005, new owners and a much tidier park on offer. However, we took a little family member along with us (he was about 7 at the time) and we really struggled to fill the day.

A couple of years later we had Wipeout, which definitely tempted me back... then it all went quiet. No new rides.

2012 has to be a big year for the park. There are new attractions, but the advertising has to be really stepped up a gear to tempt people back!

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

^ Totally brilliantly summed up. Agree with it all.

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Hpeek wrote:
Can't say that 1995 was my best year as wasn't even born! For me it has to be the mighty 2012!

i was alive from april 10th that year so yeah was good year for me...

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I have been thinking a lot on the past this weekend what with all the old maps we now have and a complete 1990-2000- stretch that I filled the gaps in for it has made me realise that what is in the park has shrunk in terms of smaller attractions/things to look at etc. I have complied a list of things that are from my own memories, these things were not even replaced with anything else to my knowledge anyway..

* Beam your Voice
* Space Net
* Local hand built model fairground
* Fort Fun
* Death slide
* Grandma grady's bakery/waffle house
* Large indoor kids play area
* Hillabilly Moonshine ( small shoot game on the left as you use to enter fort fun )
* Cine 180
* The stationery train restaurant which once was sgt peppers owned - still there yet only used for birthday parties
* Land that time forgot +the dinosaur that use to move in the woods at you as you went past on the train !
* Hungry Bear's
* Fountain by alladins cave
* Big fountain in main square, this was awesome when they had it on !
* Free to use bbq's
* Pottery area and extended main street shop out the back to the pottery area etc which also housed a pizza house at one point
* Their own "kfc" style chicken that was round the back of the palladium near the toilets - the unit had great themeing
* The once used area's of the castle that are now not in use
* The various things that have been on the lake over the years
* Mini Golf
* More arcade machines - this use to be much better
* The fish + chip shop that use to be on the end of main street opp railway line - still there yet bordered over
* The exit kiosk as you left the park where you could buy sweets and bits etc
* the candy floss unit down by the dodgems - still there yet unused
* 4th additional show on site in the palladium - this unit does not get much corporate use even since the rebrand

Now some of you may think that my list is not much good or I am being petty yet I was thinking aloud to myself just how much we have lost really, a lot of the above may be down to technology and lack of people in the gates yet all of the above added to the once 50 rides, shows and attractions tag and made more of your day and filled the park up

-- Edited by coolskin on Sunday 13th of May 2012 04:44:06 PM

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

The hilbillys shooting game i believe is the one near to the go karts, if your talking about the little store then it is still in use on busy days, and i agree about the paladium.

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Hillbilly moonshine IS still there ? Is it ?

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I think so, its that game next to the go karts, maybe someone else can clear it up, but either way theres a change machine there.

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

I must b honest hobo if it is it has always had the shutters on it when i have gone.... Hope it still is, yes i know the change machine is there.

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Yes i believe it is, its not very popular as i think everyone would prefer to go on the go karts there.

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

where have all the maps gone that you scanned in Matt ?

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

death slide was removed to make way for that water balloon ride which then went itself...

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

Death was popular, many still ask me about that today "oh have they still got that"

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

they should have kept it imo.

andyb · Exceptionally Expressive

That whole area was magic PWH. Death slide, the Shooting game, the wonderful smell of the bakery as you entered the Fort area with its play ground, the pottery thing. Never to return charm, quality, magic. Brilliant.

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

well it could, the playground can't return but the bakery could, on the food corner off main street

coolskin · Passionate about Pleasurewood

The bakery building is still there !! racetrack in the way at the mo !!

MattyH · Passionate about Pleasurewood

will have a look next time i go up there.