Ocean Beach and Rhyl: Dead or Alive?
There's life in the old girl yet...
According to this email to themagiceye this AM
"Rumour has it but it has not hit our local press yet ( the rhyl journal ) that there is a hitch as a second party is rumoured to have put a bid in.The bid is believed and i must stress it's still rumour from the owners of blackpool pleasure beach and our council would prefer if they can keep as some sort of fair...do you know about the new hovercraft rides we are having? well basically trips will start from the fforyd bridge in Rhyl and goto pontins holiday camp in Prestatyn that is 100% happening and can only be excellent news for the town....also the Ffrith beach project is also on the move with work starting this week, it's going to be, quad bikes, ice skating rink,arcades,18 hole mini crazy golf,motor boats, american diner and there is also a land train that will carry holiday makers from the near by holiday camps....so maybe we will see the return of the Ffrith we loved and lost in the 80's ......."
And here was me certain that OB had had its last season..
Strange days indeed..
Gary
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Interesting.
I'd be surprised at BPB wanting to buy new parks though. This is pure speculation, but is it possible that something got lost in translation regarding Blackpool Pleasure Beach being the interested party? The original phrase (not in your email, I mean before the rumour came onto the internet) might have been "The same owners as the Pleasure Beach", which could actually be Botton's, Skegness or Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.
Just a thought. Any result along these lines would be good!
"The same owners as the
> Pleasure Beach", which could actually be Botton's,
> Skegness or Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.
> Just a thought. Any result along these lines would be good!
And a very good thought at that.
I'm scratching my head at all this..

This is good news, indeed! I hope PBB buy it, that way they can move Traumatiser over to OB, and get a real coaster at Blackpool. ;) All I hate SLCs-when-I-quite-enjoy-them-jokes aside, Gary thank you for posting this. I just hope we can save the water chute. :)
Tim.
I doubt if BPB would be investing in Rhyl as they have done nothing but downsize in the last 10 years. They closed Frontierland Morecambe http://www.conceptnews.org/morecambe , then sold off their USA park and have just finished trashing Pleasureland Southport http://www.conceptnews.org/cyclone after stripping it of everything and demolishing the classic Cyclone rollercoaster.
Fortunately, Southport Pleasureland now has a new lease of life thanks to Dreamstorm International
BPB's recycled coaster, 'Infusion' (formerly the Southport Traumatizer) has cost them £8Million, so it will be a few years before they see any return on that, so I doubt if they will be expanding their business right now.
In recent years BPB have been seen as "asset strippers" in the North West.
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When I used to work on computer mags, rival companies would often buy magazines to close them (or run them into the ground)in order to remove the competition. I sincerely hope that's not the case here.

> I doubt if BPB would be investing in Rhyl as they have done
> nothing but downsize in the last 10 years. They closed
> Frontierland Morecambe
> http://www.conceptnews.org/morecambe , then sold off their
> USA park and have just finished trashing Pleasureland
> Southport http://www.conceptnews.org/cyclone after
> stripping it of everything and demolishing the classic
> Cyclone rollercoaster.
> Fortunately, Southport Pleasureland now has a new lease of
> life thanks to Dreamstorm International
> BPB's recycled coaster, 'Infusion' (formerly the Southport
> Traumatizer) has cost them £8Million, so it will be a few
> years before they see any return on that, so I doubt if
> they will be expanding their business right now.
> In recent years BPB have been seen as "asset
> strippers" in the North West.
What US park was it? This is the first I've heard of this.
Tim.

> In recent years BPB have been seen as "asset
> strippers" in the North West.
And they're the worst kind of strippers - you don't even see any boobies!
> What US park was it? This is the first I've heard of this.
Magic Harbor, Myrtle Beach (or nearby). I don't think they had anything bigger than a Pinfari, really. Odd little place.
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As it happens, there are plans for a new theme park at Myrtle Beach according to this article in USA Today.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2003/07/09-myrtle-park.htm
Here is what Rhyl Ocean Beach looked like just before Easter:
http://www.conceptnews.org/rhyl/
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Is Rhyl still operating at the moment?
Sad News
We visitied Ocean Beach yesterday for my birthday and asked about the parks future. We were told by the ride operator on the Water Chute, the park closes for good on September 7th and an Asda will be constructed on the site. All the rides will be saved and moved elsewhere including the Water Chute which is going to be dismantled and moved to Scarborough, the Jet Stream will be scrapped, so I advise anyone interested in saving the Jet Stream or the park, to start up a petition or campaign now before its too late, just to be sure we Also asked the woman at the Ride Ticket office, its 100% closing on 7th September. I have been a watcher of the forums on here for a while, but felt I had to join and post this after the tragic loss of Pleasureland.

Thanks for the news.
It's a shame seafronts aren't geared to tourism anymore; they're becoming just like town centres by the sea. I understand that people want shopping facilities, but I don't see why it always has to be on the seafront. It's in out-of-town retail parks at most places.
As for the water chute, it's very surprising it's moving to Scarborough. That said, I hear an amusement park has been starting up there over the past couple of years, so hopefully someone's trying to make a go of it.
I'll just end this with a warning to seaside resorts: When you stop reserving the seafront for holiday camps and attractions, you lose the holiday atmosphere. Don't be surprised if no one wants to go there, for a week or even for a day.
And the bad news is, Rhyl Ocean Beach is now officially dead. The park closed on 2nd September.

I'm sure Fraser will give me a proper blasting for asking this, seeing as I'm supposed to be the Anglophile, but what is Asda? I know there's a song by Suede called 'Asda Town.'
Tim.
It's a supermarket chain owned by Walmart.

Hello.
Rhyl Ocean Beach is now being demolished.
The jetstream has been demolished for scrap along with the Water Chute. A plan to save the Water Chute and remove it for storage for Dreamland Margate has been abandoned after financiers withdrew the funding. This picture was taken Saturday 20 October, just after the Jetstream was demolished and demolition began on the Log Chute.
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lol yeh i agree with everyone here bpb would never make a bid to step into save this park look at exactly what they did to the other two morecambe being the first and southport the second as you probably know to attract all the buisness to their main park the thompsons are buisness minded and would not see a return out of bidding for ocean beach =[

Although ... it seems the water chute may well be saved (well rebuilt using the same cars and mechanics) but either way a bit of history is still alive.
http://www.joylandbooks.com/scenicrailway/news.htm#Tuesday,_30_October_2007
Horrible to see a park be torn apart like that!!
..And this..an appeal for funds from Nick Laister on behalf of The Save Dreamland Campaign:
I am sure that most of you will have now read the News about the Save Dreamland Campaign's rescue of the vital parts of the UK's last circular water chute from Rhyl.
Unfortunately, the Campaign had to act quickly to save this ride and did not have time to organise a round of fund raising. Not only does the Campaign now have to pay for the contractor and trailer, we now have to transport the items to Thanet this week and potentially hire lifting equipment to unload it in Thanet.
We need financial help to enable us to complete these tasks and to pay invoices for the tasks already completed. The Dreamland Trust needs up to £2,000 to pay for the contractors, transport and plant.
If you are able to contribute anything, however small, please email Sarah Vickery on sarah@savedreamland.co.uk who will issue instructions. Please also alert coaster clubs and any other organisations that may be sympathetic to our rescue efforts. Everyone who donates will be acknowledged on a plaque on the rebuilt ride.
And can I take this opportunity to thank those of you who have already pledged money.