Pleasure Island Closed.

[Darren]

In breaking theme park news this afternoon, it appears that Pleasure Island in Cleethorpes is now closed. The article is below:

CLEETHORPES' Pleasure Island theme park has closed.

Staff turned up for work this morning and were given letters terminating their employment and assuring them that they would be paid up until today.

Visitors - some of whom had travelled from out of the area - were turned away at the gate.

No reason has yet been given for the closure.

Keep checking here for breaking news on this story, and see tomorrow's Grimsby Telegraph for full details.

http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/Ple ... ticle.html

 

[furie]

This will be to do with the ownership change, but it's pretty shocking none the less!

Hopefully somebody will be able to take it on as a going concern? Maybe the people who run Flamingoland?

 

[Mackem Lad]

Woah, I only visited for the first time last Friday.

Looks like I made it just in time!

 

[ECG]

Looks like the CF-Live in July will need to be changed.
I hate when things like this happen. I hope this is just a one off, but I got a feeling there will be more to come here in the States unless the economy rebounds pretty quickly.

 

[Anonymous]

I have good memories in this park...

But i remember there was only few visitors in the park 2 years ago.

 

[Nic]

I would imagine its due to the change of ownership.... especially as its apparently less than amicable.

To help explain what I'm trying to say, I'll tell the story of what happened at my Dad's work recently. For reasons that no ones entirely sure of (although you can bet your life it was probably to try and weasle out of some kind of legal action), they put the company that ran it into administration. This involved making all staff redundant, including pay outs etc etc. However, on the same day, another company (owned and run by the same people) took it over, re-employed all the staff, and business went on as usual. From an operational point of view, there was no difference to staff at all, apart from them all getting a nice lump sum of cash, and having new (but identical) contracts with a recent start date.

I'm wondering if something similar is going on here...

To officially end their ownership (especially to cause as much disruption as possible for the new owner) the previous owner could have closed down the entire company that ran the park. This means that they would lay off all staff and get rid of all their assetts.

If it is to go to a new owner, as we were told the other week, they would have to start a new company entirely to start it back up again. Therefore, if what we've been led to believe is true, then I doubt this is actually the end of the park, more an extended pause.

Did that make any sense? Not sure I explained it too well.

 

[marc]

Oh thats a shame wish I had gone the other year.

I remember John saying they had put the prices up by to much and this is why we did not go.

 

[Jake]

Meh. I know it's bad to lose a park etc, but I don't feel like Pleasure Island offered much in the way of experience. Boring town, plain (and lack of) landscaping, average rides and from my experience, terrible staff. Credz are all it had going for it (and a couple of rare but putrid flat rides). Hopefully the Go-Gator will go to a park that let adults ride it!

 

[nadroJ]

What Jake said, it was just another cred run to me sadly. The thing I found sad with Pleasure Island is that (about to get a bit geeky here people, I apoligise) you know you can get those scenarios on RCT where you have to revamp a park that's sort of falling apart, it felt like that. The whole place felt like it had a ton of potential but they didn't have nearly enough money to start making it better.

 

[Tomatron]

It had a couple of unique rides including that horrible flying Enterprise, but it certainly won't be missed.

If that is the end of the park, the best thing to come out of it is now there are gonna be some cut-price attractions for other UK parks to consider buying (Boomerang, Booster, Roller Skater etc etc).

 

[Martyn B]

I know it wasn't the best park, well far from it, but it changed hands for this year, and they ahd added 3 new attractions, one of them probably being the biggest investment for years.

I am sad, even though I only visits about once every 3 years. I always seemed to get hold of BOGOF's for the place, which did tempt me!

I just hope the good rides will find a new home! (Hydro Maxx, Hyper Blaster, Boomerang...)

I am gutted, but no doubt bezzzzer will be hurting most

 

[sean]

It had a couple of unique rides including that horrible flying Enterprise, but it certainly won't be missed.

If that is the end of the park, the best thing to come out of it is now there are gonna be some cut-price attractions for other UK parks to consider buying (Boomerang, Booster, Roller Skater etc etc).

Thats a really bad attitude to have for a park. You are clearly not a true enthusiast if you feel it won't be missed. It's true that the park wasn't the best but it was a part of the UK amusement industry....ANY park whatsoever that closes it's doors to the public SHOULD be missed, after all what makes you think other UK parks are going to snap up the rides? I seriously hope they do, but at the moment I am SERIOUSLY hoping that Vadge is right and that the park will reopen.

 

[DjTommyB]

I loved Pleasure Island I hope it re-opens cause it has some really good flats i.e Hydro-Max, Alakazam, Hyper Blaster, Pendulus etc. and I would miss it for sure if it is closed for good because me and my cousin go there every year and loved re-riding everything due to nothing ever having a queue.

 

[Ben]

No, it really won't be missed.

 

[Martyn B]

One thing I always thought was odd, is that when the park first opens around March, it then stayed open every day of the week, until October....

I remember it was mentioned on here a while back that someone visited on a weekday in April and there were only 8 other guests in the park that day...


I think it should be missed on the basis that its another small park thats gone, along with Pleasureland, American Adventure...

For us geeks it was pretty lame, but as family day out, it was a good little park.

 

[bezzzzzer]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I knew it was bad news when Flamingo Land left!

You're right Martyn, I'm gutted. I was only there the other day, and it is shocking that despite a new ride people just don't want to go. Even with £10 entry vouchers everywhere, people just don't want to go. It needs more serious investment, and it never got it. To be honest I pretty much thought it was inevitable, I just highly doubted it would be this soon. Especially after opening a new ride? A new ride is quite rare for here!

However, some quotes from the paper site from 'PI Staff member':

Official statement:

Pleasure Island was taken over by Dewarsaville Enterprises Limited in late November 2009. Melanie Wood (formerly Gibb), sister of Gordon Gibb, owner of Flamingo Land is a director of DEL, whose registered address is Pleasure Island. There has been a legal glitch in the transfer of the business from Flamingo Land Limited to DEL, the result of which has been the closure of Pleasure Island.

This mornings events came as a total shock to Staff, Supervisors and Managers alike, who are now looking to Ms Gibb for an explanation. Staff were assured that they would be contacted within the next few days and that it is anticipated that the park would be reopening shortly.

Don't worry guys - PI has closed while the red tape is dealt with in the takeover of the park by a new company (this has been on the cards since January)
Staff have been sacked due to the amount of time it'll take until reopening is completely unknown at this point, (PI gets through a ream of employment contracts every month even on business as usual) but rest assured, PI WILL reopen.

So hopefully things will be good soon. Me and my family were talking about this possibility on Sunday actually, and Pleasure Island has been the longest thing ever to be on that site. I really hope it doesn't go, but since 2003 and regular investment halted, it's just spiraled downhill. If it is going to be fixed, it won't happen overnight and it is going to be hard. I don't wana be pessimistic, but I'll be suprised if it can get itself back on its feet again.

 

[furie]

I went, three years ago was it Bezzzzzer? Met up with Bezzzzzer, AeRo, Jack and a couple of others.

We had a really good day there. As usual, it's the company that helps, just having a chilled out day playing on the rides. Weather was good though and we really enjoyed the day.

I have no great desire to return and experience the mostly nauseating rides, but they were "different". It was just one of those almost "brown" parks. Complete indistinguishable and bland - but it didn't stand out in either a real positive or negative way - it was just one of those places that you visit for a few hours of fun with mates.

Here's my trip report from 2006:

Well, I had a great day. I love quirky little parks like this though. It's a shame all the rides seem to be designed to make you feel as nauseous as is humanly possible.

It was great to get on a Babboonerangatang again though. Lovely on the back, painful everywhere else. Minor_Furie has also classed it as his favourite coaster ever! Welcome to the Shuttle-coaster lovers club my son!

How good is the shot tower too? Willy-lift and then some, excellent.

Generally great day though, with good company, great weather and stupid (fun) rides.

Can't wait to get back and ride the monorail again!

Erm, few piccies then I guees?

Evil ride of disorientation:

Erm... Well I'm not sure what you may be expectin g from "adult" dodgems, but let's put it this way, we were pretty disappointed:

Quick piccy of Bezzzzzzzzzzzzzer looking worried this ride may collapes mid flight:

Let's go on this ride:

Actually, let's not:

And this years new addition to park entertainment is "MrClam and the Clammettes" - Performing here for us from their specially designed Clamshell:

Unfortunately it gave MrClam a bottom scraping:

And here is the proof (damage to the ride, we'll not be invited back again):

Anyway, good news that it's likely to re-open, here's hoping for some good investment and a turnaround in fortunes.

 

[Martyn B]

Funds and guests figures surely couldn't have been a problem? Its in quite a good location really, popular sea side town etc.

And they advertise heavily in Skeggy, which must help things.

I hope something gets sorted soon.

It needs more serious investment

I personally think the park is lacking some basic rides, like a Wild Mouse coaster, or a small Log Flume? They need more rides to keep you there longer.

 

[Manderr]

While we all know it's not one of the best parks ride-wise and I do agree with most of the stuff mentioned above, I am actually pretty disappointed from a sentimental point of view.

We've always gone as a family without fail, every Summer since I was a little girl and had some great times there especially when I was younger.

Fingers crossed for a worthwhile takeover.

 

[Mike]

I've never really understood Pleasure Island.
Looking at the park, they've got a few major rides, but the place never seems to get talked about. I rarely see trip reports from there, I rarely see any marketing for the park anywhere, I've never heard of it being a major UK park, and I never hear any news about the park. If I wasn't a coaster/theme park enthusiast, I doubt I would've ever heard of the park.

Actually, I think for the past couple of years I've checked RCDB about PI, because I'm never sure if the park's still open or not, because I never hear anything about the place!

So, yeah, PI closing doesn't really shock me, or make me at all sad. Meh really. :?