Looking Back at Pleasureland - Part I

As the close season is upon us, I thought it would be good to take a look back at a park I always seemed to always take a little for granted over the years, given that it has existed for over 100 years, being established in 1913, so has given over a century of enjoyment to patrons from all over the U.K.

Pleasureland Southport has recently undergone a real resurgence at the hands of Norman Wallis and his team, the park has rapidly rebuilt and remodeled each year since taking over during 2007, but at the time I think most observers feared that the park was gone forever.

Here are some images showing the park in the early 2000s when it seemed that the timeless qualities, and historic rides you could find there, would last forever.

The traditional wood track Wild Mouse, transplanted from Morecambe was just one example of a great ride living on at a new home. It never seemed quite as wild at Southport.

The park hadn’t changed it’s permanent ride line up too much since my first visit in the 80s, the Haunted Inn walk through would remain through changes in park ownership until its demise in 2009.

Recent years have seen an introduction of many types of amusement attraction, some of which have never been seen in the resort. Roller coasters have been reintroduced, looping pinfari coasters, spinning mouse and many other variations on the type.

Like many I always enjoyed taking time out from the thrill rides to enjoy the dark rides the park had to offer.

The River Caves, again rethemed and rejuvenated in the 90s, always seemed to take a long time to get onto, and was an incredibly long ride, weaving around behind the midway, sharing park space with the pre-war Ghost Train.

Doesn’t the park look quiet in this midweek view?

I think the inside of the Southport River Caves always seemed a little surreal, but always fun.

Naturally the Ghost Train survived till the end of Pleasureland in 2006, the Journey Into Space ride having succumbed to a retheme which it wasn’t entirely comfortable with, it’s spinning trucks were for me better suited to the space theme.

The older ghost train sort of lived on, as this ride car themed for the Halloween season shows.

My first introduction to this wonderful place was back in the mid 1980s.

But in the early 2000s you could be forgiven for thinking the park as we knew it would last forever.

Take a look inside one of the last remaining single room Fun Houses.

But it was the Cyclone roller coaster which for many is the saddest loss from the park line up.

For me it was always the highlight of a trip to the resort, although never the biggest coaster, it’s classic lines, and graceful moderne station building will always be missed.