Blackpool Pleasure Beach 1950s

[QStarProductions]

The grand national is faster than that now. And big dipper in 2010 upwards is really faster

[ViaMediaUK]

OMG! There was actually a time when the Grand National track wasn't just used for storing old crap!!!

[scarredxangel]

Goodness, this place is like almost 90 years old. I hope it's British History books, if not then it should be. Isn't like the oldest Theme Park in the world or one of?

[sandgrownen]

We lived directly behind the Pleasure Beach when I was young and summer days in the garden were always punctuated by the thunder of the wheels of the Big Dipper and the Grand National and the high pitched screams of the passengers.

Happy memories.

Thankyou for that.

[aceattack52]

Very good quality for such an old commercial!

[andrewbarrett42]

Grand national is rated of the best wooden rollercoasters in the world.

[leekybee]

Great memories - used to wave to my Gran at the overhead bridge near the end, then go for a hot chocolate (winter) or a limeade (summer) from the vending machine under the Flying Machine. Had to be really brave to sit at back when no restraints as you felt like you were going to fly out - never did, 'cos I perfected wedging myself into the seat and then holding the handle with one hand then pushing on the back of the seat in front with the other. Quite an art form!!!

[jeromecyr]

that video quality is better than 90% of youtube videos, impressive!

[KopiteLiam123]

rollercoaster parks we around then?! omg.

[PierreProcter]

@KopiteLiam123 Yep the Pleasure Beach has been around since the late 1800s, and the racing coaster you see here is the Grand National, built in 1935. You also get a brief glimpse of the Big Dipper, which opened in 1923 - both are still operational and bloody good fun!

[corriej76]

i remember when i went on the big dipper for the 1st time as a kid, was about 25 years ago. it had a metal lap bar, but it used to move a good 2-3 inches up and down. you had to wedge your feet in the bottom and hold on for your life. So much better then. these days your buckled in so tight it you dont get the feel of what it was all about

[aiw8t1]

beautiful, thanks for posting.

[ByronV2]

Sound of this alone brings back childhood summer hol memories of going on this with my dad in the 70s and 80s, had to hold on in 70s, no restraints! Still most fun 'coaster I ever rode, more character than faster steel rollercoasters. Nostalgia rush

[AmazingAxiomcrew]

big dipper, it crashed what a waste :S

[PierreProcter]

It did last year, but it's been fixed, made safe and is running again just fine - and this August it'll be 87 years old! Brilliant old coaster. No waste at all. Good old Blackers!

[powerwilson]

No safety lap bars years ago. You gripped on for life. It was fantastic as you came up out of your seat.

[gnrrules123454321]

The narratoe sounds like Michael Palin lol.

[philchisholm]

least the weather looks ok

[SMAAAARTY]

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is now a "rip roaring rip off" .

[lukkreung]

"The natives show them the way out" LOL now it would be "The Polish who work for brass buttons show them the way out"

[ShoeiBoy]

"a rip-roaring riot of relaxing revelry" :o)

[thewotsit]

Nothing ever changes, right down to the screaming girls. Apart from the bahemoth rollercoasters that surround the classics.

[soulcaz]

been on this loads of times and it never ceases to be a thrilling ride, bloody brilliant its still going after all these years

[teejaymk1]

I went on this ride LAST WEEK and SHAT myself. LOL! I thought it was just a kiddies ride. I was sick after, busted my sunglasses and had to go and sit on the beach for an hour to recover before cracking on! Wicked!

[LippyProductions]

LOL @ them all shitting theirselves on a crappy little dipper. imagine if they were to go on kingda ka or top thrill dragster LOL

[sniffero]

lol, I remember the roller coaster from the early 60's, health and safety didn't exist, the vibrations on the thing damned near killed you.

[nalalayla]

0.41-lets go !!! love it!! Im going tomorrow for the 1st time in 2 years and i cant wait!

[GreenSwordsman45]

"30 mph, guarenteed the thrill of thrills!"

And with Pepsi Max Big One constructed that's like child speed. :3

[mattymDADYM]

if i remember correctly the rollercoaster only got restrains in 2006! it was so fun without them you could just lie in the cars

[RabidRaccoonUK]

I wasn't aware they had finally put restraints on the Roller Coaster. I'm going next week for it's last weekend open of the year and haven't been since 2004. It just won't seem the same! :-(

[sirenbleu]

Roller Coasters new trains go a LOT faster.- yes they have lapbars - Lots of airtime now.

Fantastic ride.

[theginyuforce]

went on this. grandnational

had my arms up in the air when going down. it was so fun

[testolad]

old skool....this is quality

[tiki2188]

Hmm, guess the POV goes back to the 50's!

[PierreProcter]

Simple - the bar you hold onto - they held on, tight! Infact, in those days it was a rope, not a bar.

Occasionally a drunk would stand up and lose his head on an overhead beam - and one guy even jumped between trains while racing side by side on a low section, beneath the 'Valentines' hill. He landed sideways in the car with his head sticking out the side - which was promptly removed by a brick wall right beside the track. Alcohol and rollercoasters = restraining bars and belts, today! lol

[stephenwardlaw1]

@PierreProcter omg really ? thats groose !

[joshieboy999]

the woodies are fun roller coasters

[kemdo123]

amusement devices? roflcopter!

[siggy1970]

it looks scary to ride the Grand National without any safety restraints. I think it would double the thrill factor of the ride...

[gypbrc]

The old cars still had lap bars. There's no way you'd actually stay in some of the seats otherwise.

[PierreProcter]

I can assure you there were no bars! You really did just have to hold on. I've ridden it with no bar, back seat with arms up. That was fun...!

[mrsgoodgirl]

Really :O

[joshieboy999]

yeah they never had lap bars because someone told me how fun it was without them because it was so adrenaline rushing, sounded fun

[lukyloo6]

i went last year and my fave is valhalla

i went on every 1 of all the adult rides it was soo cool :D

[larney1234]

MINE 2 VALHALA IS WICKED U GET SOAKED

[milosit]

My mum tells me that she took me on the Grand National when I was 6 months old.

I can't believe

A. that a mother would do that, and

B. that they'd let a mother do that.

I bloody hate rollercoasters!

[Nickel186]

That's probably why! LOL

[AnnabelsStudy]

well that looks old, my grandad went there and said you were very brave to go on the big dipper back then, now yu haveto be brave to go on the pepsi max big one ! XD

[Mamabear7406]

I was on the Grand National years ago, the scariest attraction at the pleasure beach has to be the Pasage Del Terror! Come on, how scary is that!!!

[jonzop2]

nice footage

[BAYCITYROLLERBOY]

Why do women scream on these things?What's the bloody point?It doesn't make the ride any safer!

[PierreProcter]

lol - the ride is very safe, it operates to this day and is very enjoyable. Have you ridden it yourself? It's still one of the world's wildest, and at only 60 odd feet tall. I bet you'd scream too! :p

One of my favourite all time rides. Currently runs the fastest it ever has due to the newer PTC cars it has, too. Infact, the wheels scream even if you don't! lol

[KuribohFan10]

When I went on it for the 1st time I was laughing my ass off all the way through :D, Its pretty fast for its size

[ZER0Spirit]

whoa! pleasure beach without trampy chavs? thought i would never see it

[KatanaS2]

the big dipper!

[blackpoolacer]

great vid and not a drunken chav in site. Boy how its changed!

[piano345]

great film with nostalgic memories. I went on the Grand National in the 1950s and there were other exciting rides such as Sky Rider, Dive Bomber, Octopus, Bug, Reel and The Big Dipper. Not been back since that time! I must ride The Big One!!

[fanofheadroom]

great footage

[thecraft14]

omg the girls r screamin on the big dipper lol. I guess it used to feel scary lol.

[ShokaLion]

They're on the Grand National

[piano345]

great to see this. I rode the Grand National in the late 1950s as well as the Big Dipper. I remember The Bug, Sky Rider and the two Ferris wheels. happy memories

[j4wn]

That is the first time i've seen a road going through the pleasure beach. I can only remember back as far as the late 70's. There's a ramp either side leading up to the big dipper now.

[smiti07]

That's Watson Road you're on about. The tunnel was built in 1966, the year The Log Flume opened

[catdee15]

This is a gd video!!

I luv blackpool!!

and the grand national is one of my faves!!

I luv da old ones the best!!

[flabbadingdong]

lol @ 00:52

[bonniefranklin]

Yabbadabbadabbadabbadoo!

[JDdoughnut]

hehe this place looks so happy and nice back then, now that mtv was born, teens take over places like this haha, i would hate to live like that

[859803]

it was abrolutely pouring with rain when i went how anoying

[AdzParton]

Wow brilliant footage :D

[ray764]

Great to see the good old grand national - just can't imagine anyone speaking like that these days

[ashes1one]

It's mad how they built the rides back in the old days. Grand National is still quality - I wonder how long it will last!?!

[penfloyd]

Yes.....The Grand National.....I rode it a few times about 1960......Lots of Memories from Oztralia.

[fayew42]

wow!! this vid is amazing!!!

it's scary to think how old most of the rides are at blackpool!! but i think the old ones are the best!! and this vid is ssoooo funny!!!! love it!!

[RocketRodder]

w00t, go "basic american design" ! =3

[DavidLancaster1974]

Every time I ride the Grand National, I still think it's one of the best rides ever. This is a lovely piece of history, especially the closing commentary: "the notice shows the way out!"

[liamkinsey]

lmao the way them to girls luk at each other wen they go down the droplol

[vertiis]

JjOoNnNnYyBb - That wasn't the Big Dipper, it was the Grand National, hence the "racing coaster" description

[bonovox06]

i say old bean it hasnt changed a bit apart from there now being loads of ill manered teens running around in drunken revelry. bit of a dump last time i was there.

[mesmoland]

"Basic American design" lol he wouldn't do well selling today would he?

[ps2kidjamie]

i'd have loved to c the fun house cos i've never seen it before. when i was old enough 2 remember anything at blackpool pb it had already been burnt down. will someone please upload a video of the blackpool funhouse

[PierreProcter]

Well, it had already burnt down - it wouldn't be wise to alude that it was an intentional act.

as for footage of it, I *may* have some amateur private stuff to upload in future, perhaps sometime this year. Not my own personal footage but that of a friend's family from the 70s. If I get round to searching through miles of film reel and if I get permission, it may find itself online at some point. Pigs also might fly... lol...

[JjOoNnNnYyBb]

big dipper also the same lol ''thrill of thrills lets go lmao ''

[fleety1]

I feel sorry for 'billy no mates' on the big wheel, sat all on his own.

[gerbilroo]

That's the first time I've heard someone call it a "rip roaring riot of relaxing revelry!!

[Bicko101]

Awesome stuff. Loving the Grand National footage, it hasnt changed a bit lol.