C O N T E X T 1 3 0 : J U LY 2 0 1 3 19 side heritage seaside ritage Our seaside her Our seaside heritag seaside heritage Our itage Our seaside her seaside heritage Our seaside he 1930s a number of iconic roller coasters towered over coastal resorts: the Scenic Railway at Dreamland, Margate (1920); the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (1923); the Roller Coaster/Scenic Railway at GreatYarmouth (1932); and the Cyclone at Southport Pleasureland (1937).The growth of the ‘woody’ (wooden roller coaster) again mirrored developments in the USA, where Coney Island had opened its iconic Cyclone coaster in 1927.These funfairs were symbols of modernity and cutting-edge technology in addition to providing fun and excitement. Nowhere was this more evident than at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, where Joseph Emberton remodelled the park in an international/modernist style. Iconic rides and structures from this period include the Funhouse building (1934); the Grand National dual-track Möbius loop coaster (1935); and the Pleasure Beach Casino (1940), which is now Grade II listed. It is estimated that by the eve of the second world war there were more than 60 funfairs and amusement parks at the British coast.They consisted of a variety of rides based on four main themes: roller coasters; water rides (such as water chutes); spin rides (which included helterskelters, dodgems, Ferris wheels and carousels); and dark rides (such as ghost trains).Although the outbreak of war meant that many of the fairgrounds were requisitioned by the military (for example Southport’s Pleasureland was used in the manufacturing of aeroplane parts), by the late 1950s most were as popular as they had been in the 1930s. This was not to last, and the funfairs began to struggle as the popularity of the seaside resorts in which they were located waned from the 1970s onwards. Additionally, the seaside funfairs faced stiff competition from the new inland theme parks such as AltonTowers, which developed its thrill rides during the late 1970s. Today approximately 32 funfairs and amusement parks remain open at the British coast. Some are relatively small, such as those at Barry Island, Bridlington or Clacton. Some are marketed as theme parks, such as Paultons Family Theme Park in the New Forest, or Oakwood near Tenby in Wales. The well-established pleasure beaches at Blackpool and Great Yarmouth remain perennially popular with visitors. Nevertheless, the number of seaside funfairs and their iconic rides has significantly declined in recent years, with over 15 parks closing since 1998. Established fairgrounds such as Frontierland inMorecambe; Spanish City inWhitley Bay; Ocean Beach in Rhyl; and Rotunda Amusement Park in Folkestone closed their gates for the final time during this period. The reasons for the closure and subsequent demolition of these funfairs are manifold. Families are their main customers, but this market declined in the UK during the early 2000s due to demographic changes. Second, the resorts in which the funfairs are located have suffered from declining popularity as holiday destinations. The majority of funfairs closed before the recent resurgence of the seaside resort and the rise of the staycation. It also goes without saying that the seaside funfairs are seasonal and weather-dependent, which can severely limit return on investment and profit margins for their owners. In addition there has been significant investment in inland theme parks such as AltonTowers, Drayton Manor and ChessingtonWorld of Adventures.With the globalisation of the Disney theme parks, and increasing experience Far left:The remains of Southport’s 1937 Cyclone coaster in 2006 Top: Southport Pleasureland’s Cyclone coaster being demolished in 2006 Bottom: Southport Fun House’s JoyWheel ride dismantled and ready to ship to Margate’s Dreamland Heritage Amusement Park
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