Ocean Beach, Rhyl
 The site of Ocean Beach in December 2007, three months after closure. | |
| Location | Rhyl, Wales |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1954 |
| Closed | 2 September 2007 |
| Owner | Rhyl Amusements |
| Operating season | Easter to October |
| Attractions | |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Water rides | 1 |
Ocean Beach was an amusement park in Rhyl, North Wales which operated from 1954 until 2 September 2007.
History
[edit]Rhyl began to take off as holiday resort following the opening of its railway station in 1848. The Ocean Beach funfair opened in the 1890s, growing into an amusement park at Marine Lake which was seeing thousands of visitors annually. It relocated in 1954 to larger premises at the West end of the promenade. The first British tubular steel rollercoaster was built at Ocean Beach.[1]
Demise
[edit]The town and the park declined in popularity since the 1960s and there had been very little investment in new rides or attractions in its final years. It closed for the final time on 2 September 2007.[2] Plans to build a retail, leisure and housing complex on the site of the old Ocean Beach site, known as Ocean Plaza, was due to commence in May 2009 but were delayed and ultimately scrapped.[3] As of 2015, plans for the site (now downsized and to be a retail-only park called Marina Quay) were approved, and stores began to open there in stages from 2017.
Accidents
[edit]An accident on 31 July 2005 with five injuries, none serious, was reported as the "first accident in 40 years", suggesting the park had a very good safety record.[4]
Notable past rides
[edit]| Opened | Closed | Ride Name | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2007 | "Jet Stream" | Pinfari | Z64 Rollercoaster. Previously operated at Battersea, London and Belle Vue, Manchester. Replaced earlier and smaller "Cyclone" Rollercoaster.[5] |
| 1975 | 1979 | "Cyclone" | Pinfari | Z40 Rollercoaster. |
| 1986 | 1988 | "Looping Star" | Anton Schwarzkopf | Silverarrow Rollercoaster. Located on the car/coach park. Relocated to Camelot Theme Park as "Tower of Terror".[6] |
| 1989 | 2007 | "Pepsi-Cola Loop" | Pinfari | ZL42 Rollercoaster.[7] |
| 1960 | 1975 | "Big Dipper" | Former German travelling wooden side-friction rollercoaster. | |
| 1980 | 2006 | "Runaway Train" | Schwarzkopf | Alpenblitz II Powered Rollercoaster.[8] |
| 1961 | 1974 | "Mad Mouse" | Maxwell | Wooden wild mouse rollercoaster. Relocated to Wonderland, Cleethorpes |
| 1990 | 2007 | "Nessi" | Cavazza Diego | Super Nessi Junior Rollercoaster.[9] |
| 1972 | 2007 | "Water Chute" | Leslie Joseph | Formerly operated at Kursaal Gardens, Southend from 1958 to 1971.[10] It was the world's last surviving circular water chute.[1] |
| 1979 | 2007 | "Dodgems" | Reverchon Industries | Replaced an older set of Dodgems. |
| 1975 | 2007 | "Waltzer" | Maxwell | Many other Waltzer rides operated on site previously. Damaged by fire c.1985 and rebuilt by H.P. Jackson. |
| 1980 | 2007 | "Star Wars" | Sobema | Swingaround ride, previously named "Thriller". |
| 1980 | 2007 | "Terminator" | Reverchon | A Matterhorn (ride). |
| c.1960 | 2007 | "Ghost Train" | ||
| 1994 | 2007 | "Sizzler" | P.W.S. | A Twist (ride). Previously operated at Central Pier, Blackpool. |
| 1972 | 2007 | "Giant Slide" | Ivan Bennett | Astroglide. |
| 1980 | 2007 | "Ski Jump" | Pollard | Flying Coaster ride. |
| 1970s | 2007 | "Junior Gallopers" | H.P. Jackson | Junior set of Gallopers. |
| 1959 | c.2002 | "Gallopers" | Savage | Previously operated at Marine Lake Amusement Park across the road. |
| 1980s | 2001 | "Mystical Mine Ride" | A tracked Dark ride. | |
| 2001 | 2004 | "Monster's Revenge" | Maxwell/Tivoli Enterprises | Owned by Tommy Boswell. A polyp ride, previously operated at Seaburn Amusement Park and Spanish City, Whitley Bay. |
| 2000s | 2004 | "Barracuda" | A.R.M. | A Kamikaze (ride), owned by Tommy Boswell. |
| 1994 | 1996 | "Tango Sensation" | Sobema | A Breakdance (ride). Moved to South Pier, Blackpool, where it still operates. |
| 1986 | 1993 | "Octopus" | A.R.M. | A Polyp ride, moved to South Pier, Blackpool. |
| 1986 | 1988 | "Enterprise" | HUSS Park Attractions | An Enterprise (ride). Relocated to Pleasurewood Hills. |
| 1975 | 1995 | "L'amour Express" | Modern Products | A modern Caterpillar (ride). Replaced older version. Moved to Rainbow Park, Hunstanton. |
| 1948 | 1974 | "Caterpillar" | Traditional caterpillar ride, owned by Benny Sedgwick. | |
| 1986 | 1994 | "Viking" | Helmut Hauser | A Pirate Ship (ride), relocated to South Pier, Blackpool. |
| 1977 | 1987 | "Orbiter" | Tivoli UK | Moved to Clarence Pier. |
| 1975 | 1991 | "Skydiver" | Ivan Bennett | A Lifting Paratrooper (ride), owned by Ronnie Weston. |
| 1978 | 1983 | "Meteorite" | Cadoxton Engineering | A Round Up (ride) |
| 1955 | 1955 | "Dive Bomber" | Lusse | Previously operated at Marine Lake Amusement Park, Rhyl. |
| 1980 | 1983 | "Tip Top" | Tivoli UK | A Tip Top/Force 10 ride. |
| 1976 | 1987 | "Easy Rider" | Maxwell | An Ark ride, Relocated to Ocean Beach, South Shields. |
| 1960s | 1970s | "Psycho" | Supercar | A multi-level ghost train. |
| 1978 | 1993 | "Cyclone Twist" | Pollard | A twist ride, replaced an older version. Owned by Ronnie Weston. |
| 1964 | 1977 | "Twist" | Ivan Bennett | A twist ride. |
| 1950s | 1979 | "Rotor" | Orton & Spooner | Traditional large Rotor (ride). |
| 1965 | 1965 | "Satellite" | Ivan Bennett | The first of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park. |
| 1968 | 1977 | "Satellite" | Ivan Bennett | The second of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park. |
| 1989 | 1989 | "Satellite" | Ivan Bennett | The third of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park. |
| 1963 | 1974 | "Waltzer" | H.P. Jackson | |
| 1940s | 1978 | "Dodgems" | Lakin | Replaced by a modern Reverchon track. Owned by Webber Brothers. |
| 1980 | 1983 | "Rock-O-Plane" | Eyerley or Eli-Bridge | A Rock-O-Plane ride. |
| 1980 | 1980s | "Cinema 180" | Omnivision | A 180-degree cinema. |
| 1977 | 1977 | "Scat" | Fairplace | A scat ride that operated for one season in 1977, and then another in 2001. |
| 1956 | 1970s | "Austin Car Ride" | Supercar | A tracked children's ride. |
| 1983 | 1980s | "Super Loop" | Larson International | An American Super Loop ride. |
| 1995 | 1997 | "Giant Wheel" | Helmut Hauser | A large ferris wheel, owned by Gore & DeKoning. |
| 1993 | 1993 | "Challenger" | ESL Engineering | A Voyager ride, owned by Ronnie Weston. |
| 1950s | 1962 | "Speedway" | Supercar | A Monte Carlo Rally ride. |
| 1990s | 2007 | "Tropical Dancer" | A small funhouse. | |
| 1960s | 1970s | "American Coaster" | Ben Schiff | A small oval-shaped rollercoaster. |
| 1950s | 1970s | "Lighthouse Slip" | A traditional helter skelter slide. | |
| 1970s | 2007 | "Skyline Slip" | An updated helter skelter slide. | |
| 1959 | 1962 | "Waltzer" | Maxwell | A Waltzer ride owned by E.L. Morley. |
| c.1952 | 1953 | "Moon-Rocket" | Schippers | A German Moonrocket ride owned by Webber Brothers. Previously operated at Barry Island Pleasure Park under Albert Barton and John Collins. |
| 1955 | 1959 | "Stratocruisers" | R.J. Lakin & Maxwell | The park's second Moonrocket ride, owned by Webber Brothers. Later operated at Redcar Amusement Park and Clarence Pier. |
Video footage
[edit]Some video footage from the defunct rides does exist on YouTube
References
[edit]- ^ a b Emma Cooke (8 January 2020). "The fascinating stories behind Britain's forgotten theme parks". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ End of an era for Rhyl's funfair
- ^ Plaza hit by delays Rhyl Visitor newspaper website
- ^ First crash in 40 years BBC
- ^ "Jet Stream – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Looping Star – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Pepsi-Cola Loop – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Runaway Train – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Nessi – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Vikingar's Last Stand Part 1". Joylandbooks.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
External links
[edit]- Rollercoaster database List of attractions
- Demolition footage YouTube
- Pictures of the last days of Ocean Beach
- Article about Ocean Beach in the 1960s & 1970s
- Article about Ocean Beach in the 1970s & 1980s
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