Bank Holiday Weekend of Culture & Dubious Creds

[Ian]

This Bank Holiday Weekend, nadroJ, Belfast Conor, Jordanovichy and I messed about in southern England ticking a few boxes.

We met on Saturday in a town called Alresford, near Winchester in Hampshire. There's a recreation ground there with this thing.

It's not a loop and it's not on any of the coaster counting websites but if that Telephonique (sp?) at Parc Saint Paul in France is a "coaster", then so is this thing.

We all had several goes each. It's a friction burden so it never makes it to the end of it's J-shaped track.

IS IT A CRED?

After riding the cred-that's-not-a-cred-but-could-possibly-be-a-cred, we headed to the top of St Catherine's Hill for a picnic. This photo wasn't taken on the day, I took this for work purposes a few months ago.

After lunch, we took a walk around Winchester. We checked out the market, NHS Jordan was attached by a sign, went inside one of the smallest churches in the country and we refused to pay £8 to enter Winchester Cathedral. We spent most our time in the oldest part of the city.

We saw the house where Jane Austin died.

We looked at the Camelot Round Table which in the 800 year old Great Hall.

The Westgate was next. This place was used to collect taxes as people visited the City. During the 1600's, it was used as a prison. Here's some 500 year old graffiti.

We dressed up. Conor makes a great Henry VIII.

We climbed to the top for a 'stunning' view of Winchester's High Street.

The next day, we went to Weymouth. On the way we stopped off at Adventure Wonderland near Bournemouth Airport so the Jordan's could get the cred. An actual bona fide cred!

I already have it and Conor couldn't be arsed. Wonderbland is one of those parks where they don't let adults without kids in. Despite trying to establish contact a few days in advance, we still had to summon a manager and ask. Thankfully I knew the person who met us and with a little bit of blagging, the Jordans were escorted in and out in 5mins.

An hour later and we're in Weymouth. We abused our Merlin Annual Passes by going to the Fish Life Centre. It's one of my favourite Fish Life Centres. It's an outdoors type of park with a separate buildings housing the exhibits. There is also a fab little log flume and kiddy play ride area. I'm not going to bother you with photos of fish in tanks.

We drove the seafront where we walked around the harbour to the Merlin Observation Tower. We got on the next flight and soon we were 170 ft above ground having two full panoramic rotations of Weymouth.

Two rotations is plenty. There's not much to look at - a WWII fort, a chalk horse on the hill and the beach. It was free for MAP holder, £7ish for paying public. Too much IMO.

We wandered along the beach...

...and found the Weymouth Snails 'coaster'.

This one is on Coaster-Count. It's not on RCDB. It is powered but it does coast - similar to an old fashioned Ghost Train - at one point.

IS IT A CRED?

I've counted it because it's on Coaster-Count, which is what I use to keep my tally. What do yo think? Click the poll options and make your choice!

We had some fish and chips/battered sausage on the seafront before heading home, passing by a giant chalk dong in Cerne Abbas.

 

[ThomVD]

If I were on this trip, I'd get +1. No way that those other two are creds :wink:

 

[TilenB]

^ Agreed, is riding down a slope in a shopping cart a coaster? IMO, those Summer Toboggans that can be found in some skiing resorts (and a few theme parks as well) are more of a 'cred' than these two things. But all of three are still pretty far off...
C'mon people, you can't possibly be THAT pathetic...

 

[ThomVD]

I think my rule is, when it feels like a coaster, I count it. Let's take Europa Park for example. Alpen express, Atlantica and Poseidon can all be argued, but I count them because I feel like I'm riding a coaster while on those rides. I don't feel like I'm on a coaster when I'm on the powered bobsled thing in Toverland. I think I'd feel the same on that third 'cred'. That first one is not even arguble. If that is a cred, so is the slide in the playground two minutes away from my place .

Glad you guys had fun though!

 

[ECG]

It's not a loop and it's not on any of the coaster counting websites but if that Telephonique (sp?) at Parc Saint Paul in France is a "coaster", then so is this thing.

Les Téléphériques isn't a cred and neither is that. Nor the snails ffs. :roll:

Another great report Mr. Bell. Love that you added a poll. =D>

 

[Ben]

I kinda think Snails could be one, but because Ghost Train at Blackpool "isn't" (it so is), then these can't be either.

With that thing in the play park, no.

 

[Pink Cadillac]

Good grief you guys call anything a coaster :confused2: I'm suprised you didn't include the donkeys too.

 

[Jordanovichy]

That thing at Alresford really isn't a cred. After riding it, it doesn't actually coast, just goes down, I won't count it.

The snails are on Coaster Count, they coast, they are a cred. +1. Enjoyable too.

Had a great weekend with Ian, nadroJ and Belfast_Conor though, fab fab fab.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

The Snails at Great Yarmouth are more of a cred than that!

Don't count them though, fortunately that's an option on CC...

 

[Jordanovichy]

^To be fair, I am quite tempted to not count them...they are obviously 'undefined', as are the ridge riders which aren't creds but I really don't want the ridge riders on my coaster hyphen count map, if I say I don't count undefined creds, they'll turn black and that's much more enjoyable.

 

[Gavin]

Get. To. F**k.

 

[Mysterious Sue]

Re: Bank Holiday Weekend of Culture & Dubious Creds

I tick everything on CC for that very reason but don't include them on my proper count.

Nice report though Ian. As many have said, I always thought the park would be a **** but it actually looks lovely.

 

[Jake]

 

[Ian]

Bump.

I've made a POV/Offride video and it's now live on the CF YT channel.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKBzplSgQjI[/youtube]

I've worked in your comments and the result of the poll.