Old Photos Thorpe/Chessie/Windsor (photo heavy)
- Thread starter Mysterious Sue
- Start date
It's Southend, no question about it. I'd be interested in seeing TPRich's argument for it 'definitely' being Margate.
Mark - the canvas roof you can see on the left of the photo is the Peter Pan's Play Pod, not the Dodgems, and the astronaut was on the Telecombat Jets at the time!
The photo seems to be late 80s or very early 90s, there was a bit of a reshuffle of the rides in the early 90s and the position of the ride here is clearly different to the photo below...
Here's me on the same ride in approximately 1996:
Mark - the canvas roof you can see on the left of the photo is the Peter Pan's Play Pod, not the Dodgems, and the astronaut was on the Telecombat Jets at the time!
The photo seems to be late 80s or very early 90s, there was a bit of a reshuffle of the rides in the early 90s and the position of the ride here is clearly different to the photo below...
Here's me on the same ride in approximately 1996:
Sorry! 
It was the mast that made me think it was Margate, I thought it was the olld inverted pirate ship (which happens to now operate in Lightwater Valley).
Does anyone remember 'A Drive in the Country'?
Strangelely, old maps suggest that this ride was part of Canada Creek, despite the obvious English theme. :?
It was the mast that made me think it was Margate, I thought it was the olld inverted pirate ship (which happens to now operate in Lightwater Valley).
Does anyone remember 'A Drive in the Country'?
Strangelely, old maps suggest that this ride was part of Canada Creek, despite the obvious English theme. :?
Mark
Strata Poster
Well, I'm not sure of the exact specifics, it was part of the British Empire but isn't anymore, but Canada is like Australia in the sense that our Elizabeth II is their queen too, so there is very strong links to Britain and British culture
Many countries that had similar links with Britain also have the traditionally British telephone box/booth.
Many countries that had similar links with Britain also have the traditionally British telephone box/booth.
Idlewild
Mega Poster
TP Rich said:Does anyone remember 'A Drive in the Country'?
Strangelely, old maps suggest that this ride was part of Canada Creek, despite the obvious English theme. :?
I remember this was one of the better car rides out there. Much better than toadies. It ran quite fast through sharp corners and had much better theming than as MHFS.
SaiyanHajime
CF Legend
I've been wondering if I imagined that too. My memory was that there was a stage, fences off isles of seats with booths and it being dark. I had no idea what it was called, assumed it was a McDonalds but just that it had a stage back then. But yeah, after searching google I came to this topic. How funny that I've barely looked at this topic on CF and that we both thought we were going mad. And so strange that, out of everything, my memory of that is so strong. That's the only photo I've found of the interior, too. My memory is probably from 1994, my first visit to Chessington. I have no idea how many times If at all I went between then and 1998, which is my next memory of Rattlesnake opening. But I'm SURE I must have gone at least once a year between, because Chessington was a familiar place by 1998 and Rattlesnake no threat, despite not riding Vampire out of fear in 1994.Nic said:
I was trying to work out when they rethemed the front of that building. Was it with the arrival of McDonalds in 1998, or with Vampire's retheme in 2001? Other elements in the Transylvania plaza area have also changed... Check out this old photo, supposedly taken in 2000 but I do not believe that.
Notice the difference of the McD/BK/Black Forest thingy building, the lack of bubbleworks exterior queue and...
What's that little building at the end?? That's not there now, now there's a hot dog stall there. When was that put in?
It looks like you can get round the left of it, too, so where did that lead?
That blue part on the left is now covered by the grab machines. I'm guessing that's the exit to Vampire behind that blue fence, as I think that's where the photos now reside? So were the photos originally in another part of the shop and Vampire's exit exposed prior to entering the shop?
When did this all change?
Comparison with a newer photo...
Mark
Strata Poster
Joey said:
Notice the difference of the McD/BK/Black Forest thingy building, the lack of bubbleworks exterior queue and...
I can't remember if the building was a McDonalds as far back as 1994 (My first visit) but I don't think it was. I am 100% sure that building had become the Big Mac in 1999 though. I was working for McDonalds at the time (aged only just over 15 yr & 6 months - wouldnt get away with it now!) and we were treated to a staff day out on the Easter Sunday as it was the only day the store was closed (oh my how times have changed). I distinctly remember going in there and loving the theme of it. At the time it was the largest themed McDonalds in the world.
The reason for the staff day out may even have been because of the McDonalds opening that year? There was also a special offer on at the time where McDs tray liners had 2for1 vouchers on them with lots of Samurai advertising which was also new that year.
Joey said:
I believe that was just a facade.
Joey said:
I don't think so. I always remember it being pretty closed off, not all too dissimilar from how it is now. I possibly recall some steps there though that led from...
Joey said:
Hmmm, my earliest visit was in 1994 and the ORP point was in that corner way back then. I think this was just a walkway along the outside of the shop with no real purpose other than 'theming'
SaiyanHajime
CF Legend
Thanks Mark! How funny our first visits were the same year... '94. Wow.
I don't remember what Vampire was like at all, but this picture makes me so sad. I've had a lot of time to examine Vampire's station of recent and been wondering how it was before the floor was lowered. No ramp, huge open space, the batching gates look awesome and LOOK AT ALL THOSE DRAPES! Fire hazard, I suspect? Did those last up until the new trains, or were they taken out long before?
Anyway, such a fantastic picture... Anyone have any more like it?
I don't remember what Vampire was like at all, but this picture makes me so sad. I've had a lot of time to examine Vampire's station of recent and been wondering how it was before the floor was lowered. No ramp, huge open space, the batching gates look awesome and LOOK AT ALL THOSE DRAPES! Fire hazard, I suspect? Did those last up until the new trains, or were they taken out long before?
Anyway, such a fantastic picture... Anyone have any more like it?
SaiyanHajime
CF Legend
Yeah, they had to to fit the new trains. There was a gap in the station floor before, where the old trains would hang below the ground level, making it easier to get into the high-sided cars. So as you can imagine the new trains in that old set up would hang down into that gap, but they are designed to be walked up to. If that makes any sense? You can see an edge all around the station where it was done. It's a about 1ft, maybe a bit more.
It was massively OTT... The whole thing was. And it was long, long before it was necessary to get new trains, surely? So why did they? I can only guess it was because they couldn't build anything, and they slowly realised then that they need to repackage something old as new. But why did the whole process take an entire season? I'd love to know more about what actually happened there.
EDIT: Just found this awful video, but it shows how Vampire's station was before. Shows how the train ran through a trench, and the theming that was stripped away and never put back.
http://youtu.be/KZ3SXcr0LIs
Wow, I wonder when this was taken... Not even recognisable as Chessington.
It was massively OTT... The whole thing was. And it was long, long before it was necessary to get new trains, surely? So why did they? I can only guess it was because they couldn't build anything, and they slowly realised then that they need to repackage something old as new. But why did the whole process take an entire season? I'd love to know more about what actually happened there.
EDIT: Just found this awful video, but it shows how Vampire's station was before. Shows how the train ran through a trench, and the theming that was stripped away and never put back.
http://youtu.be/KZ3SXcr0LIs
Wow, I wonder when this was taken... Not even recognisable as Chessington.
Mark
Strata Poster
Joey said:
Tehe, my first trip was in primary school...
Indeed, I remember the station being like that right up until the new tracks. It was ridiculous how long it was closed for and how much was lost because of it. They say that the tunnel was shortened because of clearance issues but surely they could have just made the tunnel wider on the entrance and exit to compensate? Back then the tunnel was actually dark because it was longer enough to cut the light out... Now however.
And yeah, I remember the old platform too. It was like standing at a proper train station looking into the pit that the lovely old vampire cars would then pull into. I miss those trains!
I agree that the main reason for the new trains was to update the ride and make it more 'exciting' but at the same time to give the attraction a whole new angle. Also it may be worth noting that up until that point the ride was still marketed as a proper adrenaline filled thrill attraction. It featured teens/adults in the marketing photos/orp sleeves etc. However, when it relaunched all of the marketing photos of the ride featured children in them. That was when the font work all changed. If I remember correctly there was a timen when the name was actually 'The Vampire Ride' in all the logos. When it reopened it was known as just 'Vampire'. Unfortunately I can't find a comparative of the logos for you but I did find these.
Original:
I think this was the photo on the ORP sleeve too. I have one... somewhere...
And a more general image
Upon relaunch:
Might aswell add that the 93/94/95 map was and still is my favourite 'style' of Park Map...
spicy
Giga Poster
Pretty sure the new trains lowered the heigh restriction from 1.4 meters to 1.1 to make it child friendly which is another reason they changed the trains.
Lots of support work had to be done with the new trains as well, maybe this is why it took a whole season?
I did ride it with the old trains but I can't remember it very well at all. I'm pretty sure the new trains provide a better experience just a shame it was at a cost of all that station theming, that picture makes it look like the best themed station in the country.
Lots of support work had to be done with the new trains as well, maybe this is why it took a whole season?
I did ride it with the old trains but I can't remember it very well at all. I'm pretty sure the new trains provide a better experience just a shame it was at a cost of all that station theming, that picture makes it look like the best themed station in the country.
Nic
Strata Poster
Ages ago, I finally remembered to dig through my old photos at my parents house to see if I could find any park related ones. I didn't find many, but the ones I did got brought back here for scanning. They then promptly got lost in the black hole that is my flat... until today!
Legoland opening year (1996)
The "dark ride in the light" fairytale bollocks
My Mum being pushed round Boating School because her boat broke down
Chessington. Pretty sure these were taken in 1998.
Obligatory Vampire shot
Oh God. What is that THING sat on Buccaneer?!
Oh look, now it's being a goon whilst the French exchange student it's sat next to looks terrified
Now the goon and the terrified French girl are on Rodeo
Legoland opening year (1996)
The "dark ride in the light" fairytale bollocks
My Mum being pushed round Boating School because her boat broke down
Chessington. Pretty sure these were taken in 1998.
Obligatory Vampire shot
Oh God. What is that THING sat on Buccaneer?!
Oh look, now it's being a goon whilst the French exchange student it's sat next to looks terrified
Now the goon and the terrified French girl are on Rodeo
