***** THE BOBS ***** Belle Vue's World Famous Wooden Roller Coaster

[sjtom57]

Nice vid but hardly a "white knuckle ride". Actually looks very tame.

[Wnoronz]

@sjtom57 Yes; Bobs loks tame here simply because the film is shown in the wrong aspect ratio! Instead of mormal 4-3 as it was filmed it is stretched to almost 4 times the width it should be. Little wonder that Bobs' unique wild deep and twisting track looks like the gentlest of slopes. The people shown here look equally ridiculous. I had the pleasure to ride Bobs over very many years. There was nothing to compare with it then - and there's certainly been nothing since! George.

[ricardo2266]

@Wnoronz This is the video I edited and posted on YouTube in April 2008 in its correct aspect ratio 4:3 (16mm film). All my videos were lost to YouTube in May 2010 when my original channel, ricardo266, was closed. So this Bobs video has been reposted, but unfortunately in the wrong aspect ratio, which as George points out makes it look rather stretched and lame. I still have more footage from this 1970 film showing Bobs from different positions which I may edit into a new video in the future.

[Wnoronz]

@ricardo2266 Hello Ricardo! ...and thanks for explaining about the aspect ratio error.. My riding of Bobs began when I was just about tall enough, and continued until the very last weekend of the summer season of 1970, the last year of Bobs. After Bobs' end was announced my letter and phone calls requesting a special opening day or weekend when paying fans could take their last rides went ignored. They were prepared though to open for just one rider as seen in the video. Pathetic! George.

[ricardo2266]

@Wnoronz Hi George. To quote from my original video description: "This 16mm footage is of a special run in December 1970 to enable BOBS world record holder Vance Tutton (seen here drinking tea on BOBS) to ride BOBS for the last time."

I also have footage of him attempting to read a newspaper on Bobs. In retrospect it does seem a rather pointless publicity run by BV management, given they were about to destroy something that was loved by so many. And no final run for the public!

[Wnoronz]

@ricardo2266 Thanks Ricardo! I haven't seen the footage of Mr. Tutton reading the newspaper. I suppose it's just as pointless as the one of him "drinking tea". Knowing Bobs as I do most of his tea would have been spilled, probably during the times his cup was hidden from view.. There's no way he could have drunk much once the ride left the top of the lift hill. I never understood why BV allowed him to do his earlier "record" ride of 12 hours. It didn't receive much publicity at the time.

[MrFrancisH]

I rode on the Bobs in the early 60's. It was very fast for the time and the track was slightly misaligned in places so it was quite rough.

One feature was that the carriages were individually coupled and could flex rotationally and , if I remember correctly, the rear carriage could be 90 degrees tilted in relation to the front.

[HilaryHughes]

Just think, if we still had them, Manchester would be even more famous. I could have sworn they'd been sold to the U.S. Shame we can't bring them back ;-)

[Wnoronz]

@HilaryHughes When Belle Vue advertised Bobs for sale it was rather wishful thinking. There was no way the wooden structure could have been dismantled and reassembled like a giant Meccano model. It wasn't built that way! The only way Bobs could have reappeared elsewhere would have been by a complete rebuild from the original Fred Church design. Maybe the trains could have been rebuilt and restored, but nothing much else.

[HilaryHughes]

Weren't The Bobs sold to a place in the U.S.?

[REDRICKY2010]

@HilaryHughes Unfortunately the demolition of Bobs Coaster commenced on Monday January 25th 1971,Due to no Buyers...Shame!

[Wnoronz]

@HilaryHughes No. A half-hearted attempt was made to sell Bobs, but not surprisingly it met with no success, not least because dismantling and re-erecting the structure would have been an impossible task. No sale meant a rush into demolition. Nothng of any significance replaced Bobs. The complete end for Belle Vue was not far away.

[TheDneaves]

that must of been the tallest biggest fastest coaster in uk at the time

[Wnoronz]

@TheDneaves Yes it was, variously described as being either 80ft or 90ft high Bobs was noticably taller than both Blackpools Big Dipper -around 70ft and Grand National - 62ft. Bobs was definitely much faster than all the Blackpool wooden coasters. Height? Well; our experience tells us height doesn't always mean much. At 217 ft above ground at its highest point Blackpool's Big One tells us that...

[piano345]

Wonderful memories tinged with sadness. I remember riding the Bobs in the late 1950s with some friends. A very jerky bumpy ride. On bank holidays it was so busy they had two cars running. Thanks for posting this.

[baldeaglethefirst]

Remember riding the Bobs and yes the best in those days, you cant beat a woody soory its all gone

[nightmaresonwax1]

a mad vid :)

[teufelszunge]

A fantastic track!

Thumbs up!

Yessi

[highercalling88]

Just plain nutsss.

[MyCANARIA]

Yeahhhhhhhhhh, very nice

[MrBlondinul]

awesome 

[TranceDivine]

Always entertaining Rick..:)

[DocDarley]

I remember riding this as a kid!

[salvatoredjsaba]

Ciao redricky nice music hir ; ))) check my new mix & comment DIRTY ELECTRO HOUSE 16.11.2010 ciao Dj Saba from italy ...!

[djparnate]

i live 1 and a half miles away from bel vue yaaaaaaaaaaa

[ultanbeare]

i think i will have a cup of barrys tea

[Malboocock]

The "BOBS" was unique in this country and I think there were less than an handfull worldwide. The "BOBS" uniqueness was not just to it being constructed of wood, but it was also a switchback, a figure of 8. I'm sure there were only 3 in the World. The story I was told as a lad was that it brought from the States in 1930 after appearing in that Year's World Fair in New York.

[tenterden16]

He didn't spill a drop. This coaster reminds me of some of the American woodies of the 30s, it was very unusual to have such a Beast of a ride with record speeds in this country. What a pity it was not sold and re-installed elsewhere in the UK. I'm sure if it had been today, the ride would have recieved a Grade 11 listing. The Bobs was a work of art, now it's gone forever but relives in this wonderful video. Thanks REDRICKY2010.

[avantis66]

nice track.....

[drnorris56]

that was cool