Photo TR: TPR UK Trip

[cfcI've gone pantless!]

I second the goodness of Cornetto's--very tasty ice cream (or whatever it actually is). We ate well at Blackpool in '06, too. Big Blue treated us to some "Hot Pot" concoction that was great, and Coasters actually makes a pretty durn good bacon cheeseburger (tough to find in the UK). I want to return to Blackpool some day and check out those extra haunted attractions.

[printersdevil78Nuthin' better than a naked donkey!]

^^Nothing I or anyone else will post online could ever come even a tiny bit close to portraying the epic-ness that was "Beyond Belief." I honestly think Robb and Elissa just slipped us some LSD and it was a mass hallucination!

[printersdevil78Nuthin' better than a naked donkey!]

It was a little torturous waking up practically inside Blackpool Pleasure Beach and not being able to go inside... but we had other things to do. Day 6 was sort of like Christmas Eve--the big day was coming, but there was plenty to keep us occupied in the meantime. This was meant as a "credit whore" day, sort of doing due diligence to make sure we covered all the "other" coasters in the area--but it turned out to be one of the best days of the trip! Our adventure began in Camelot....

[printersdevil78Nuthin' better than a naked donkey!]

When I joined Club TPR early in the year, I received a download of my choice from the TPR library, and in preparation for the UK Trip, I chose... yeah, you guessed it, the UK Coaster Expedition DVD. One of the neatest-looking places on that edition was Southport Pleasureland, what with its human roulette wheel. I've always wanted to try one of those!

Sadly, Pleasureland closed down before I got the chance to go there... but that didn't stop New Pleasureland from cropping up in its place! Instead of a permanent amusement park, New Pleasureland is more or less a resting ground for carnival rides when they aren't out on the circuit. Because different rides at the "park" are owned by different companies (and ever-changing, at that), not all of them were open, and we weren't able to get all the credits there. That said, the one company that did have representatives on the premesis treated us like kings (and queens)!

[mwm1444A donkey is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family.]

Apart from the fact that the picture of me looks like the long-forgotten ghost of a pi$$ed-off Southport carnie is punching me in the stomach for daring to bounce on the kiddie trampoline, great TR! It wasn't the first time I'd been to Camelot - I vaguely remembered some of it from when I was 6 or 7 - but New Pleasureland was a first, and just like you, I was disappointed that I didn't get there sooner (and I have much less of an excuse than you, actually living in the same country as I do). Not so much for the funhouse, although that would've been neat - though I probably would have gone flying something ridiculous if I had a go on that lazy susan of death - more for being able to see another classic example of old-time British amusements, that isn't Blackpool (who were partly responsible for the stripping of Southport, as I believe).

But we had a good time; the Wildcat was good, despite the interesting difficulties, and the bumper car takeover was brilliant, especially with Robb assigning targets each round.

[beatle11I prefer to mate with donkeys over humans!]

The UK is definitely near the top of my list to visit. Gonna have to get in on the next TPR trip there when that happens. Thanks for sharing.

[larrygatorObsessive Overlord of the TPR Park Index]

It's a shame you were a couple of years late in missing the funhouse at Southport. The Wheel was one of my favorite memories from the 2006 UK Trip.

[printersdevil78Nuthin' better than a naked donkey!]

Our last stop of Day 6 was Gulliver's World in Warrington. Some people were a little skeptical about spending so much time at a kiddie park--especially one that doesn't usually allow adults without children. However, Robb and Elissa convinced them to make a special exception for us, and I think that for many (maybe all) of us, it was the surprise hit of the trip! There was so much to do, it would have been fun to have spent a few more hours here. What's the last U.S. kiddie park you visited that you could make that statement about?

Anyway, enjoy the photos!

[printersdevil78Nuthin' better than a naked donkey!]

OK, so here's the deal: Blackpool Pleasure Beach played an enormous role in my wanting to do the UK Tour in the first place. Did it live up to my expectations? Can we say, "Knoebels of the UK"? Our day at Blackpool was one of the most amazing of my life, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything! Brace yourselves for a massive four-part TR, starting... now!

[tiger01Jar-Jar Binks smells like Donkey]

Great TR of Blackpool. The Big Dipper was my first woodie and is by far my favourite. But the Grand National is the best!