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Ocean Beach, Rhyl

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Ocean Beach
The site of Ocean Beach in December 2007, three months after closure.
LocationRhyl, Wales
Opened1954
Closed2 September 2007
OwnerRhyl Amusements
Operating seasonEaster to October
Attractions
Roller coasters4
Water rides1

Ocean Beach was an amusement park in Rhyl, North Wales which operated from 1954 until 2 September 2007.

History

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Rhyl began to take off as holiday resort following the opening of its railway station in 1848. The Ocean Beach funfair opened in the 1890s, growing into an amusement park at Marine Lake which was seeing thousands of visitors annually. It relocated in 1954 to larger premises at the West end of the promenade. The first British tubular steel rollercoaster was built at Ocean Beach.[1]

Demise

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The town and the park declined in popularity since the 1960s and there had been very little investment in new rides or attractions in its final years. It closed for the final time on 2 September 2007.[2] Plans to build a retail, leisure and housing complex on the site of the old Ocean Beach site, known as Ocean Plaza, was due to commence in May 2009 but were delayed and ultimately scrapped.[3] As of 2015, plans for the site (now downsized and to be a retail-only park called Marina Quay) were approved, and stores began to open there in stages from 2017.

Accidents

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An accident on 31 July 2005 with five injuries, none serious, was reported as the "first accident in 40 years", suggesting the park had a very good safety record.[4]

Notable past rides

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Opened Closed Ride Name Manufacturer Notes
1980 2007 "Jet Stream" Pinfari Z64 Rollercoaster. Previously operated at Battersea, London and Belle Vue, Manchester. Replaced earlier and smaller "Cyclone" Rollercoaster.[5]
1975 1979 "Cyclone" Pinfari Z40 Rollercoaster.
1986 1988 "Looping Star" Anton Schwarzkopf Silverarrow Rollercoaster. Located on the car/coach park. Relocated to Camelot Theme Park as "Tower of Terror".[6]
1989 2007 "Pepsi-Cola Loop" Pinfari ZL42 Rollercoaster.[7]
1960 1975 "Big Dipper" Former German travelling wooden side-friction rollercoaster.
1980 2006 "Runaway Train" Schwarzkopf Alpenblitz II Powered Rollercoaster.[8]
1961 1974 "Mad Mouse" Maxwell Wooden wild mouse rollercoaster. Relocated to Wonderland, Cleethorpes
1990 2007 "Nessi" Cavazza Diego Super Nessi Junior Rollercoaster.[9]
1972 2007 "Water Chute" Leslie Joseph Formerly operated at Kursaal Gardens, Southend from 1958 to 1971.[10] It was the world's last surviving circular water chute.[1]
1979 2007 "Dodgems" Reverchon Industries Replaced an older set of Dodgems.
1975 2007 "Waltzer" Maxwell Many other Waltzer rides operated on site previously. Damaged by fire c.1985 and rebuilt by H.P. Jackson.
1980 2007 "Star Wars" Sobema Swingaround ride, previously named "Thriller".
1980 2007 "Terminator" Reverchon A Matterhorn (ride).
c.1960 2007 "Ghost Train"
1994 2007 "Sizzler" P.W.S. A Twist (ride). Previously operated at Central Pier, Blackpool.
1972 2007 "Giant Slide" Ivan Bennett Astroglide.
1980 2007 "Ski Jump" Pollard Flying Coaster ride.
1970s 2007 "Junior Gallopers" H.P. Jackson Junior set of Gallopers.
1959 c.2002 "Gallopers" Savage Previously operated at Marine Lake Amusement Park across the road.
1980s 2001 "Mystical Mine Ride" A tracked Dark ride.
2001 2004 "Monster's Revenge" Maxwell/Tivoli Enterprises Owned by Tommy Boswell. A polyp ride, previously operated at Seaburn Amusement Park and Spanish City, Whitley Bay.
2000s 2004 "Barracuda" A.R.M. A Kamikaze (ride), owned by Tommy Boswell.
1994 1996 "Tango Sensation" Sobema A Breakdance (ride). Moved to South Pier, Blackpool, where it still operates.
1986 1993 "Octopus" A.R.M. A Polyp ride, moved to South Pier, Blackpool.
1986 1988 "Enterprise" HUSS Park Attractions An Enterprise (ride). Relocated to Pleasurewood Hills.
1975 1995 "L'amour Express" Modern Products A modern Caterpillar (ride). Replaced older version. Moved to Rainbow Park, Hunstanton.
1948 1974 "Caterpillar" Traditional caterpillar ride, owned by Benny Sedgwick.
1986 1994 "Viking" Helmut Hauser A Pirate Ship (ride), relocated to South Pier, Blackpool.
1977 1987 "Orbiter" Tivoli UK Moved to Clarence Pier.
1975 1991 "Skydiver" Ivan Bennett A Lifting Paratrooper (ride), owned by Ronnie Weston.
1978 1983 "Meteorite" Cadoxton Engineering A Round Up (ride)
1955 1955 "Dive Bomber" Lusse Previously operated at Marine Lake Amusement Park, Rhyl.
1980 1983 "Tip Top" Tivoli UK A Tip Top/Force 10 ride.
1976 1987 "Easy Rider" Maxwell An Ark ride, Relocated to Ocean Beach, South Shields.
1960s 1970s "Psycho" Supercar A multi-level ghost train.
1978 1993 "Cyclone Twist" Pollard A twist ride, replaced an older version. Owned by Ronnie Weston.
1964 1977 "Twist" Ivan Bennett A twist ride.
1950s 1979 "Rotor" Orton & Spooner Traditional large Rotor (ride).
1965 1965 "Satellite" Ivan Bennett The first of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park.
1968 1977 "Satellite" Ivan Bennett The second of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park.
1989 1989 "Satellite" Ivan Bennett The third of 3 Trabant rides to operate at the park.
1963 1974 "Waltzer" H.P. Jackson
1940s 1978 "Dodgems" Lakin Replaced by a modern Reverchon track. Owned by Webber Brothers.
1980 1983 "Rock-O-Plane" Eyerley or Eli-Bridge A Rock-O-Plane ride.
1980 1980s "Cinema 180" Omnivision A 180-degree cinema.
1977 1977 "Scat" Fairplace A scat ride that operated for one season in 1977, and then another in 2001.
1956 1970s "Austin Car Ride" Supercar A tracked children's ride.
1983 1980s "Super Loop" Larson International An American Super Loop ride.
1995 1997 "Giant Wheel" Helmut Hauser A large ferris wheel, owned by Gore & DeKoning.
1993 1993 "Challenger" ESL Engineering A Voyager ride, owned by Ronnie Weston.
1950s 1962 "Speedway" Supercar A Monte Carlo Rally ride.
1990s 2007 "Tropical Dancer" A small funhouse.
1960s 1970s "American Coaster" Ben Schiff A small oval-shaped rollercoaster.
1950s 1970s "Lighthouse Slip" A traditional helter skelter slide.
1970s 2007 "Skyline Slip" An updated helter skelter slide.
1959 1962 "Waltzer" Maxwell A Waltzer ride owned by E.L. Morley.
c.1952 1953 "Moon-Rocket" Schippers A German Moonrocket ride owned by Webber Brothers. Previously operated at Barry Island Pleasure Park under Albert Barton and John Collins.
1955 1959 "Stratocruisers" R.J. Lakin & Maxwell The park's second Moonrocket ride, owned by Webber Brothers. Later operated at Redcar Amusement Park and Clarence Pier.

Video footage

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Some video footage from the defunct rides does exist on YouTube

References

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  1. ^ a b Emma Cooke (8 January 2020). "The fascinating stories behind Britain's forgotten theme parks". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  2. ^ End of an era for Rhyl's funfair
  3. ^ Plaza hit by delays Rhyl Visitor newspaper website
  4. ^ First crash in 40 years BBC
  5. ^ "Jet Stream – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Looping Star – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Pepsi-Cola Loop – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Runaway Train – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Nessi – Ocean Beach Amusement Park (Rhyl, Denbighshire, Wales, UK)". Rcdb.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Vikingar's Last Stand Part 1". Joylandbooks.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
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