April Douches Trip Report

[furie]

Well, I know it's early, but we needed to make sure the topic was made.

As always when I make these report topics, sitting at home, I get a massive pang of jealousy.

Hope you're all having a great time, wish I was there

 

[Nic]

As I am the only person who went on this trip that is not currently sat in a car somewhere, I better post something.

Les Highlights d'jour:

Le Raft
La Madame du Sac
Le charge du depth
VOUDRAIS!/NE PAS VOUDRAIS!
Le Boyzone d'eau
Les voitures des bumper
Les grande Chats du shat
L'om nom nom
Le sandwiche American
Le temps du Chico
FROMAGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Will do a video as soon as everyone sends me their pictures/video clips that I can steal, uh, I mean "utilise"

 

[Slayed]

^"Chico Time" is worrying. "Boyzone Water" is even worse! :lol:

 

[Nic]

Believe it or not, Boyzone Water is not a typo/bad translation. That's actually as intended. Hopefully someone'll explain later. I can't be arsed.

Essentially, though, the whole trip was Épiques Gagner!

 

[Ian]

A laugh-a-minute Live!

The park may be medicore but we made the best of it.

Highlights include the Boyzone "water coaster", the dodgems, La Raft (Rapids) which everybody really enjoyed, nobody said they were poo! Our attempts at French were laughable but entertaining.

I'll do a full trip report later (with a few photos) tonight.

 

[gavin]

Before this kicks off, a polite, yet bitchy request...

When people start posting reports could they please not be made up entirely of "you-had-to-be-there" in jokes and references that us plebs who couldn't go won't understand. It always seems quite pointless to me to write reports aimed at, and responded to by, people who were on the trip anyway, and thus in less need of the actual report than the rest of us.

 

[Ian]

I'll do a full trip report later (with a few photos) tonight.

And here it is!

Despite the usual drunken Travelodge evening, we woke and made it to the ferry on time. Bye bye, England.

The drive to the park was pretty easy - follow the A16 towards "Bo-long-gee" and take exit 25, and follow the signs. Traffic was a bit gash, but we arrive about 11:30ish.

We almost had a bit of a problem getting in as they needed to see ID alongside the tickets. Only I had mine on me (in the form of a driving license), the two Nicola's left theirs in the car. The kind man let them in anyway.

We met up the the others, gave Neal his card and present - some bunting and silly string.

First ride was the spinning coaster. I already had the credit from 2006, so I sat out and bag ladied.

After some unnecessary spinning from a coaster that created no reaction whatsoever - worst coaster type ever IMO - we moved to the rapids. The awesome, mega rapids.

The boats fit nine people, which was our exact group size

We LOVED it. So much so, we went on it about five times in total. I think we all had a turn in getting soaked. It's one of those rare moments at a CF-Live where everybody is on the same wavelength and laughing along. Brilliant!

During our multiple rerides on the rapids - or encores as they were know -a few people sat out. These people became bag ladies - or Madame du Sac. The French people chuckled at our attempt to speak French. Speaking crap French became the order of the day - except Brad who refused to even try.

We did The Big Prize (The Grand Prix) next. It's a petrol powered car ride where you drive around a track. Thing is, the cars are controlled around the track by a bar so it's pretty boring. It's also very long and had a slow throughput.

For some reason, this sign made me laugh.

We then trundled away from that area through what we described as a country park.

And we found the water slide thing.

peep and I were Madame du Sacs and we looked at one another in disbelief when the first dinghy came sliding down - the riders got soaked! It created a mini-tidal wave!

Here's a wet Vadge.

We walked on, remarking on the deckchair pedalos and ignoring the Pile o' Ship. The Pile o' Ship does look good across the lake though.

We ended up in the kiddie circus land, walking past the space where the old Schwarzkopf once sat. I got the credit in 2006. Spite etc.

Porn Ponies next - at one point the ride was taken over by all of us. Easy to do in a single-figure group!

The Kiddie Log Flume was next. Only 5 of us rode it, the rest dried out their clothes! Only two adults per boat. Not wanting a loner ride, I didn't bother riding despite queuing for it.

Here's the Green Boat.

It moves REALLY slowly back to the station.

After the Green Boat comes the Complaining Boat.

It's at this point that I stopped taking loads of photos - I couldn't be arsed. I wanted to enjoy the day. Sure it's nice to share it with those that didn't go, but I want the memories and joining in with the day, not being stuck behind a camera. I'll pad it out with some pics I took in 2006.

We did the second credit next, the spiral coaster. Here's a 2006 photo, Big John didn't go!

The ride was worse than I remember and they've cut down all the bushes that are in the photo above. It's a slidey coaster. If you're sat on your own in a car then you'll slide left and right. Three laps, actually, I think it was four. Pretty meh but +1 and all that.

We wondered back towards the entrance for a food and toilet break. There are a lack of loos at Bagatelle.

We all managed to order our food in French, apart from Brad. *tut, rolls eyes*

Food was ok but FAR too many chips imo and expensive prices imo.

After lunch, to let our food digest, we watched the lion and tigers show. Here's an illegal photo that I managed to take!

The show was pretty crap tbh. I'm not a poncy animal rights person, but I don't really enjoy seeing beautiful creatures like lions and tigers being forced to to do tricks. Some of them looked really tired and depressed. The most entertaining part was clapping only when everybody else did - after all it was in French and we couldn't really understand!

We did the dodgems next and this was my personal highlight.

As always, we choose our target and then constantly bump into them. We originally picked a goofy child with crutches and Le NHS glasses but he bottled out of the queue line. So we picked on a female young-adult instead!

Needless to saw we BOMBARDED her constantly. Everytime I saw a CFer, it was when we were ramming her. We were laughing so hard our faces were bright red and smiling from ear to ear!

We liked it so much we did it three or four times - and so did she! Terrific!

Then it was time for our final credit - Le Bouzouk - or "Boyzone" as Neal read the sign as.

A pretty mediocre ride except for the sunken track in the water!

(Image from 2006 trip)

I skimmed my hands along the water as the train passed through, causing everybody behind me to get wet

Needless to say, we all ended up doing it during the second lap...and on our second go. It was hysterical, even the French found it funny! Who said they don't have a sense a humour!

Stone Cold, Neal and my cousin Nathan went on the Flog Lume whilst the rest of us sat in the sunshine.

There's a small rock pool nearby with a pointless "No Swimming" sign.

A Frenchman kindly took our group photo - he asked us to say "cheese" to which we all replied back "Fromage!" and with that done, our day had come to an end.

Bagatelle is a mediocre park with a couple of ok rides. It's certainly a park to visit with people willing to mess around and lose all inhibitions. On the two occasions that I've visited, I've been with some brilliant people so I've really enjoyed the park. I very much doubt that I'd enjoy the park if I went on my own or with serious enthusiasts but for a pissabout - it's perfect.

Great day out, great weather, no queues, great company and a great Live. Cheers!

 

[Nic]

Excuse me!!!! I had my ID thank-you-very-much... I'd just managed to print out the wrong bit of ticket!

 

[Ian]

Oh sorry, Vadge. I was too busy entering the park with my proper ticket and ID to pay full attention to you.

 

[Ben]

Then it was time for our final credit - Le Bouzouk - or "Boyzone" as Neal read the sign as.

"I'm too original to be in the Boyzone!"

<3

 

[nealbie]

<3

 

[Nicky]

I don't know how I got away with it. Probably they were distracted by Vadge's odd ticket.

 

[peep]

There are a lack of loos at Bagatelle.

Well that's an over-statement. There are 3, yes, THREE loos in the entire park. How I survived holding during all those water rides and that I'll never know. But more on this story when I actually write my epically long non-abridged trip report avec photos.

 

[Nic]

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

(still being processed. Quality should improve a bit soon)

 

[EnigmaHyena]

Whoa, it really was a small group! :shock:

Loving the photos, and the video was ace - clearly you all had a great time. Although it does make me even more angry that I couldn't go!

 

[Nic]

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

(still being processed. Quality should improve a bit soon)

bumped to 2nd page

 

[Nicky]

The music works really well. Puts across how relaxed it was.

 

[Ian]

That's a top video from a top vadge!

I assuming that all of the other photos are peeps and they're only on Facebook at the moment...

 

[Nic]

yup.

 

[peep]

Awesome PTR Ian, some cool pics in there. Ace vid Vadge, good times were defo had.

That's a top video from a top vadge!

I assuming that all of the other photos are peeps and they're only on Facebook at the moment...

You shall be graced with my pics when I write the trip report which could be tomorrow night, maybe the night after.