Wild Mouse (Blackpool)
- Thread starter Dan1989
- Start date
The "wheel seats" are considerably worse, yes.
I think for a lot of people, Wild Mouse just does something no other coaster does. It's almost unique (the other two are in storage or Australia) AND it IS thrilling. It's just whether that thrill speaks to you or not I guess.
For me (and possibly a lot of UKers), I think it's familiarity. It's just a ride that's always been there and you've always ridden and it's kind of lost its "shock" over time. I also don't get off on the corners and find the drops are too "drop tower" for me, a feeling I dislike (I love airtime, but not vertical drop time).
As I say, I can completely understand why people love it. It's different and does things no other coaster manages - it makes sense
I think for a lot of people, Wild Mouse just does something no other coaster does. It's almost unique (the other two are in storage or Australia) AND it IS thrilling. It's just whether that thrill speaks to you or not I guess.
For me (and possibly a lot of UKers), I think it's familiarity. It's just a ride that's always been there and you've always ridden and it's kind of lost its "shock" over time. I also don't get off on the corners and find the drops are too "drop tower" for me, a feeling I dislike (I love airtime, but not vertical drop time).
As I say, I can completely understand why people love it. It's different and does things no other coaster manages - it makes sense
sparky2u
Mega Poster
I am a huge fan of the Wild Mouse, just love it for being so extreme as it says to riders "I may look tame but I kick your butt with the drops and sudden corners". cool) cool)
I hope it can stay at BPB for another 50 years, should be a "listed structure" along with all BPB rides so they can't be torn down. Looking forward to Dreamland opening theirs.
I hope it can stay at BPB for another 50 years, should be a "listed structure" along with all BPB rides so they can't be torn down. Looking forward to Dreamland opening theirs.
sparky2u said:
Unlikely to happen. The listing process was started after Pleasureland closed and The Cyclone was torn down. The problem was, trying to get accurate (and by accurate, I mean 100% provable) information on history and explaining why it's a unique exemplar and why it should be saved is incredibly hard.
It was hindered by the fact that the people who had the information were aggressively negative about the attempt to list and actually put off the agent working for English Heritage to do the listing. She couldn't get anywhere and was constantly given abuse for trying. I think in the end, it was a case of "if the fans don't care about these rides, then why should I?"
I still have a lot of paper work and "rough draft" on the Blackpool stuff and I did ridiculous amounts of research myself. The biggest issue is that while most of the rides are the same rides and in the same place, they've gone through a lot of changes over the years.
For instance:
- Big Dipper layout heavily altered from the 1923 original (by Charlie Paige and Joseph Emberton in 1936)
- Big Dipper station as designed by renowned architect Joseph Emberton burnt down. The current station is a replica.
- Repeat for Grand National
- Rollercoaster (Or Nick whatever it is now) only has the original lift hill from pre-1930s. No special architecture and Big Dipper is arguably more important as an exemplar.
- Noah's Ark. Very interesting this one. The original mechanism is still the 1920's machinery, but the rest of the ride has essentially been replaced and redesigned so much over the years, it's pretty much nothing like the original. There was a major refit in the 80's and again later (early 00's?) which ripped out pretty much everything original and import.
- The Ark had a refit in 1936 by a famous sculptor, Percy Metcalfe. Now, while that mean the original 1922 stuff was thrown out the window, because Metcalfe became famous, his work would have sealed a listing on the Ark 100%. Unfortunately, the last of his work was removed in the 80's refit (I'm sure that the rest was taken out in the 60's).
- The River Caves moved from their original location and had a complete facade change. The change was again done by Percy Metcalfe, and AGAIN has been completely removed in subsequent refits.
- The Mouse is 1950's and notoriously difficult to get anything that "late" listed unless there's a special connection to a famous designer, architect, etc.
- Flying Machines. Again, the mechanism is original, but the cars and building aren't. So it's trying to list gear shafts and cranks (the original engine has gone and it's converted to electricity)
So, you can see the initial problems anything needs to overcome to even be considered for listing. Get the listing application wrong, and you can't apply again. The only way to list anything at Blackpool is to emphasise the cultural importance of the rides and to do them as part of a collection. So The Nash isn't an important bit of architecture today (despite being one of only two mobius loop wooden coasters in the world), but as part of a collection of rides including Noah's Ark, Big Dipper, Mouse, etc, etc it forms part of a "place" which has had massive cultural impacts on the people of Britain which would be irrevocably damaged and irreplaceable if one items was to be removed.
It's trying to get across a very emotive reason, rather than something "academically interesting". One day, maybe, Paige and Miller will be recognised as important designers and architects in their own right. At that point, the rides at Blackpool will become invaluable and almost certainly immediately "list-able". Until coaster designers are recognised as great architects or artists though, it just won't happen.
English Heritage require solid reasons for listing and on paper, Blackpool doesn't qualify. So, it needs the support of the people who love Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and they almost unanimously said "we don't want them listing, it would stop the development of the park in the future".
So the upshot is, it's very unlikely we'll ever see any of them listed.
TilenB
Strata Poster
furie said:
There is also one in Indonesia and one more in Australia. So, there are actually 5 left in the world, which, all in all, doesn't make this one that unique. It would still be a shame if they would let it go, since it is (in my opinion) the best coaster there... :/
I didn't know about the other two. One is quite recent, the other more recent that the "There are only three operating" plaque on the Mouse at Blackpool :lol:
It's still hardly something most people living in mainland Europe or the USA is likely to come across - which was the point, they're very unusual, except to Brits and Aussies (and we have a lot of Brits on here)
It's still hardly something most people living in mainland Europe or the USA is likely to come across - which was the point, they're very unusual, except to Brits and Aussies (and we have a lot of Brits on here)
FaceYourNemesis
Hyper Poster
Class coaster; I love it! That headchopper as you're going up the lifthill (I think) is genuinely terrifying. I don't think I've come away from any other coaster with bruises before, either.
