Cleethorpes Pleasure Island has just made its final farewell, closing on Saturday 29th October, with its annual end of season firework finale. The park recently announced the intention to close at the end of 2016, bringing to an end the run of twenty four years of continual service to the resort.
It will also signal another end to roller coaster operation here, Pleasure Island effectively having reintroduced a coaster to the modern era. Previous coasters have operated in the town , including wooden rides in the past.
This also leaves the resort without an amusement park.
It’s particularly sad for me to see its demise. The town of Cleethorpes was in need of a senior amusement park when it opened in 1993. I’d visited the Zoo site where it was built prior to the takeover and transformation. The Zoo comprised a quite low key facility but fun and a useful attraction for the area, with no amusement attraction as such here since the closure of Wonderland park, in the mid 1980s.
From its earliest incarnation as a sister park to Flamingo Land, there were similarities in the marketing and over the years rides have appeared at both sites, including several roller coasters.
One ride that has been the signature attraction since day one is the Boomerang coaster and as a senior coaster I found it both rideable and exciting.
Happily it was in action until the end of park operations.
Not forgetting the other coaster which operated throughout the park from its inception. Another fine Vekoma family coaster, again very enjoyable and fun.
Although it never had a large coaster collection, there was always a number of flat rides, about half of which I would consider family attractions.
These include a ride rare to the U.K – a Tilt a Whirl. Already this ride has been sold and will run again in 2017.
As well as another uncommon one on these shores, the Gravitron.
Their Booster ride was introduced before such rides became so commonplace and is reasonably unusual in a theme park.
A strange sight in latter years has been the non operational Para Tower, formerly operating at Drayton Manor Park.
Our visit was a few weeks before the scheduled closure for Pleasure Island and I had thought that more people would have ventured out on the mild October day. But this quietness is typical of recent times.
The mix of attractions was always family friendly and although not cutting edge, provided a great day out for the relatively low cost of a day ticket. Dodgems were quirky but still fun.
Last visit, we need to get a ride on the parks nicely looked after train ride.
Some thrill rides were modern too, this Huss Fly-Away, Alakazam a later addition..
Also among the other rides here the Terror Rack Top Spin.
And a great drop tower , Hyper Blaster.
Another lost park in addition to those removed in the last few years is quite hard to take when you consider the parks we can no longer visit.
Pleasure Island was always a fun place to go to, with friendly staff and management, good facilities and limited waiting in queues. Having first visited when the paint was still fresh on the walls of the rides and buildings, I feel lucky to at least have been able to say goodbye and be there one last time.
Thanks to all associated with Pleasure Island for the memories , you will be missed.
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