RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2016

Date: Friday 1 April to Sunday 3 April 2016
Venue: Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Who Went: Me and a large number of other RCCGB members, including Andy and Christine Hine, Alan Chilvers, Alan Hunt, Big Stevie B, Chris Bell, Dan Ould, Death, Gareth Preece, Gary, Liberty and Ellis Williams, Happy Helen, Lorraine Downing, Lorraine White, Matt Walker, Peter, Laura and Aiden O'Brien, Planenut, Richard Conian, Ryan Hackett, Sophia Jones, Steven Worthington, Stuart Pope, Wendy Adams Evans, William Webb.

DISCLAIMER: The above is NOT intended to be an exhaustive list of everyone who attended. It's a small sample of attendees; mainly those who performed billed or Gong Show acts Saturday night, and/or who I spoke to / rode with over the weekend. I sincerely apologise to anyone else who was there and I've not listed. Not all attendees (whether or not listed above) attended the event in its entirety.

Introduction

The Club's annual UK mega-trip to start the new coaster season. Once again the Blackpool Bash was a great success, with two professional entertainers plus Wendy Adams Evans performing Friday evening, a day of riding Saturday daytime (including the morning ERS), a musicals themed fancy dress party with songs, games, the Gong Show and a disco Saturday evening, and another ERS Sunday morning. A great turnout too with around 400 members from all over the UK (my list above is just a handful of them). I was determined as ever to attend the Blackpool Bash, and to take part in the Gong Show Saturday evening.

To make the rest of this report easier to read, I've split it into sections. Click the applicable link below to jump to the section you want to read:

Thursday 31 March
Day One - Friday 1 April
Day Two - Saturday 2 April (daytime)
Day Two - Saturday 2 April (evening)
Day Three - Sunday 3 April
Outro

Enjoy my report at your leisure.

Thursday 31 March

Getting to Blackpool

I travelled to Blackpool by train Thursday 31 March. My journey from Bath Spa to Blackpool North, which required four trains, began on the 12:25 GWR train from Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads. From there my journey continued aboard the 13:21 GWR train to Newport (Gwent), followed by the 14:19 Arriva Trains Wales train to Stockport, and finally the 17:13 Northern train to Blackpool North. Having finally reached Blackpool North at 18:54, I walked to the nearby bus stop opposite Wilko, initially hoping to catch a bus to somewhere near Withnell Road. However after a few minutes I gave up waiting there and instead walked to the seafront, hoping to catch a tram instead. I ended up catching the 19:23 tram from North Pier to South Pier. Having finally reached South Pier at 19:32, I had just a short walk to my pre-booked hotel, where I checked in for three nights. It was the same hotel, close to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which I stayed at 2008 to 2015 inclusive.

Thursday Evening

Having checked into my hotel I went to The Velvet Coaster (Wetherspoon) for an evening meal. This was my first ever time of going there. Since it was Curry Club night, I decided to have a Curry Club meal. For main course I chose large Chicken Jalfrezi curry, which included rice, two puppodums, one naan, one onion bhaji and one vegetable samosa. A drink from the range specified on the Curry Club menu was included, I chose a pint of John Smiths Extra Smooth. For a supplementary fee I was able to add any dessert from the main menu, I chose apple crumble with custard. Having finished my meal I returned to my hotel and relaxed in my room the rest of the evening.

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Day One - Friday 1 April

Daytime

Travelling Thursday afternoon gained me a day in Blackpool. For me Friday began with a delicious breakfast: cereal (I chose cornflakes), a glass of orange juice, a full English breakfast, four triangles of toast and a pot of coffee. I spent the day at Sandcastle Water Park, and was in the pool / slides area from approximately 11:20 until closing time of 18:00. A separate report about my day there is available here. After leaving Sandcastle Water Park I returned to my hotel room to relax for about half an hour, and get changed for the evening.

Early Evening

Just after 19:00 I went to Pablo's Fish and Chips for a Pablo's Special, i.e. fish, chips, mushy peas, bread and butter, plus fizzy drink. Fish and chips are a must-have in Blackpool. When I finished my fish and chips, I had a strawberry Sundae Special for dessert. Having left Pablo's I went straight to the Paradise Room.

Friday Fun

The Blackpool Bash officially began when the Paradise Room doors opened around 19:30. I entered the Paradise Room via the via the spiral stairs at Noah's Ark end of the building around 19:45. Once inside, I found myself a seat and bought myself a half a pint of Heineken. At the time I was wearing my self-designed black "RCCGB Fun Night" T-shirt. Having returned to my seat with my drink I removed my jogging bottoms to reveal my fluorescent pink sports shorts which were underneath.

Andy's Welcome

The fun really began when Andy Hine appeared at 20:13 and said his annual catchphrase "Everybody say Blackpool". He gave his welcome speech, and showed some of the new RCCGB merchandise which was to go on sale Saturday lunchtime. This was followed by three acts.

Act 1: Mark James

The first official act was comedy magician Mark James. He did various card tricks. During his "silent movie" trick, he held up a series of captions whilst piano music was played. He asked someone in the audience to help out by thinking of a card and answering "yes" or "no" to caption questions he showed. Mark's final act was juggling with pairs of mouse traps attached to batons. He said he deliberately saved this for last due to its dangerous nature; one pair of traps went off early on and he had to reset them for the act.

Act 2: Wendy Adams Evans

The second act was RCCGB member Wendy Adams Evans. She sang the following songs, in the following order:

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by Monty Python
"U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D." from Starlight Express
"Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie (here she changed to Alice to Alan)
"Price Tag" by Jessie J
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

For the song "Living Next Door to Alice" (with all instances of "Alice" changed to "Alan") she asked Alan Chilvers and two others on stage; I was one of them. We had to sing "Who the heck is Alan" at the relevant parts of the song.

Interval

After Wendy had finished her final song, the interval began. During this time I bought myself half a pint of Kingston Press Cider. Nev reappeared just before 22:00 to introduce the final act of the night, Paul Burling.

Act 3: Paul Burling

After the interval former Britain's Got Talent finalist (who didn't win) Paul Burling began his act. He did numerous impressions, e.g. Rainbow, Wallace (from Wallace & Gromit), Scooby Doo, Tom and Jerry. Towards the end he did an impression of Only Fools and Horses. Finally he sang his parodised version of "500 Miles". Just before he left the stage, he did an impression "Goodnight from me" as an extra tribute; presumably that was an impression of the late Ronnie Corbett, who passed away the previous day (31 March 2016).

Drinking Up Time

When Paul finished performing around 22:50, Nev announced that Friday Fun was over. There was still time to finish our drinks, but we had to be out by 23:00. I spoke to, and had my picture taken with a few other members before heading back to my hotel for the night.

On the whole, a good selection of entertainment to start the RCCGB Blackpool Bash. Many liked my black "RCCGB Fun Night" T-shirt, with fluorescent pink lettering, and my and fluorescent pink sports shorts. The T-shirt was my own design, which I had printed at John Moore Sports, Bath mid-March. They also noticed my fluorescent pink Hyperzone wristband from my Friday daytime visit to Sandcastle Water Park. That was an unexpected bonus, I didn't know what colour wristband I'd get when I was admitted to Sandcastle Water Park that morning, but when I noticed it was pink, I immediately decided to keep it on my wrist for the evening, to go with my T-shirt and shorts.

Back to the top

Day Two - Saturday 2 April (daytime)

First Thing

Having awoke at 6:50 I put on my RCCGB 20th anniversary T-shirt. I asked for an early breakfast at 8:00 so that I could be at the Paradise Room at 9:00 or soon after. I was concerned about having a full English breakfast Saturday morning prior to riding Red Arrows Skyforce during the Saturday morning ERS, and considered having beans on toast instead, but the hotel owner suggested I start with a good breakfast, so I decided to have a full English breakfast after all. Altogether my breakfast consisted of cereal (I chose cornflakes), a glass of orange juice, a full English breakfast, four triangles of toast and a pot of coffee.

Initial Meet-Up

Members were asked to meet in the Paradise Room around 9:00. I entered via the spiral stairs at Noah's Ark end of the building. To save having to return to my hotel early evening, I took everything I needed for the evening (camcorder and tripod, shirt, trousers, cape, etc.) in my large bag, and placed it in a dressing room back stage. Shortly afterwards I queued to be issued with my ride wristband. Surprisingly I wasn't given a Park Pass with my wristband; the official serving me said I didn't need one. Drinks vouchers were also given out at the time. The new RCCGB AIRtime lanyards were also on sale, so members wanting one could buy one now and start wearing it straightaway rather than having to wait until lunchtime when the rest of the Club merchandise went on sale; I bought myself a new lanyard. One badge holder for use with the lanyard was included, and Gareth put my badge inside it, but warned me the holder can only be used once. When the signal was given the Club entered the Pleasure Beach through the gate. It was raining at the time, but everyone was dressed for the rain; I was wearing my all-in-one splashsuit.

Morning ERS

The day began with a one-hour ERS on The Big One, Red Arrows Skyforce and Blue Flyer.

The Big One

This Arrow Dynamics Hyper Coaster has been operating at Blackpool Pleasure Beach since 28 May 1994. From 1994 to 2011 it was called Pepsi Max Big One, but since 2012 it has been known simply as Big One. Nonetheless the giant Pepsi Max can tunnel that the train goes through just after leaving the station is still there. Big One is one of five coasters of this model currently operating worldwide. Back in 1994 Big One was the tallest, fastest, steepest coaster in Europe, but sadly that's no longer the case. Although its maximum height of 213' (64.9 m) means it's still the UK's tallest coaster, it's now only the third tallest coaster operating in Europe. According to the Roller Coaster Database, Big One's top speed of 74 mph means it's now only the second fastest coaster in the UK, and sixth fastest currently operating coaster in Europe. It's certainly not the steepest any more, now there's Stealth, Rage and Mumbo Jumbo. The station announcement has now been amended to say "one of the tallest, fastest, steepest coasters in Europe". I began the day by having three goes on the Big One. Each time the train exited the station, went through the Pepsi Max can tunnel, up the lift hill, down the steep first drop, over the subsequent undulations and back to the station. Altogether a mega fun ride each time on what is one of my favourite steel coasters.

By the time I had completed my third go on the Big One, the ERS was over. Thus I didn't ride Red Arrows Skyforce or Blue Flyer at all during this ERS.

Summary of my rides during the Saturday morning ERS: The Big One 3. Did anyone beat me on that?

Morning Free Time

After the morning ERS ended, members spread themselves around the Pleasure Beach and took over the rides. Immediately after the ERS ended I spoke to Nev near the entrance to Red Arrows Skyforce for a few minutes. I explained to him the significance of the T-shirt I had printed for the Friday Fun Night.

Red Arrows Skyforce

I was in two minds about riding Red Arrows Skyforce, especially after my big breakfast, due to the way it works. Anyway, being as I was right beside it, I decided to give it a go now. This 72ft Gerstlauer Sky Fly is the newest ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach; it first opened a few weeks after the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2015. Riders queue inside a building with Red Arrows theming. The queue happened to be quite short at the time. As the name suggests, this has mini aeroplanes, attached to arms (two or three per arm), which themselves are at the base of a main arm. This layout of planes is similar to the real Red Arrows. When it was my turn to ride, I sat in plane number 11. Once everyone was seated and harnessed in, the main arm lifted, and then spun around in an angled circle. The wings have levers which you hold during the ride. Moving the levers forwards or backwards tilts each wing independently of each other, so it's possible to tilt both wings the same way, or opposite directions. By tilting the wings in a certain way your plane will flip over, however I couldn't get my plane to flip over. Eventually the main arm stopped circling, and lowered the planes to their stationary position. On the whole, riding it wasn't as bad as I'd feared, once at a time was enough for me. In fact, my one go now was my only go on this all day.

Steeplechase

This Arrow Dynamics Special Coaster Systems steel coaster has been operating at Blackpool Pleasure Beach since 1977. There are three separate tracks, completely independent of each other, which is why Steeplechase is sometimes regarded as three separate coasters. Coaster-Count classes it as three coasters, whereas Ride Count classes the three tracks as one coaster. Each track has individual horses as ride cars, and each horse can seat two riders. All three lanes were running, so I was determined to re-ride all three tracks. However it is possible to have just one or two tracks running. The best thing about this coaster is its racing element, hoping to be first home. I had three goes as follows:

First go: I rode horse number 4 on the red track. My horse lost.
Second go: I rode horse number 11 on the green track. My horse won, the horse on the yellow track was second, and the horse on the red track was third.
Third go: I rode horse number 2 on the yellow track. My horse lost.

Avalanche

This Mack Rides Bobsled coaster has been operating at Blackpool Pleasure Beach since 22 June 1988, the same year as the RCCGB started. According to the RCDB, it is one of five coasters of this model currently operating worldwide. Avalanche has a track length of 1490' (454.2 m) and no inversions. Seated in the second-from-back row, I remained quiet and totally relaxed for the entire journey. As far as I'm concerned, it's not scary at all; more a gentle rest ride. For now I only had one go.

Big Dipper

I was determined to ride at least one of the five wooden coasters before lunch, and now seemed the ideal time to ride Big Dipper. This sit down wooden coaster was built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. and has been operating since 1923. I sat in the second row. The train set off around the bend, through the tunnel, around another bend, up the lift hill, around another bend, down the first drop and over all the subsequent undulations out and back to the station. Altogether an exciting ride, with plenty of AIRtime, albeit quite rough. Afterwards I had another go, this time in the back row. It was very rough in the back; this was almost certainly as a result of the track being wet as due to the rain.

River Caves

My final ride before lunch was River Caves. This boat ride was almost walk-on when I got there. I got into a boat, which sailed through a series of chambers, each with a different scene. One chamber featured dinosaurs, another chamber featured stalagmites and stalactites. Towards the end, my boat went uphill, along the outdoor section (which you can see from the path) and down a drop, to create a splash. Never mind, I was already wearing my splashsuit to keep me dry in the rain outside anyway. This was my only go on here all day.

Lunch at Paradise Room

At this point I left the Pleasure Beach to go to the Paradise Room for lunch. As soon as I got there found a seat and removed my splashsuit. Having done that, I exchanged my drinks voucher for a Pepsi at the bar. Next I went to get my meal; I had beefburger in bun with onions, spicy chicken burger, chips and self-service salad. During lunch Nev gave a speech. After he finished, a member of Pleasure Beach staff gave a speech about various items. Club merchandise was available, including the new RCCGB T-shirts (made by Gildan). These were available in three colours: red, purple and black; I bought myself a red one. In addition I bought myself some badge holders for future use with my new RCCGB lanyard.

Afternoon Free Time

At 14:27, I returned to the Pleasure Beach, eager to continue riding. It was still raining, so I had my splashsuit on again. The first thing I noticed was that the rides were now due to close at 18:00, not 20:00 as originally stated at the start of the day. This change of ride closing time was due to inclement weather.

Flying Machines

My first ride after lunch was Flying Machines; its waiting time was quite short. I rode in plane GT10. The planes start going anticlockwise close to the platform, and are gradually angled further outwards. At the maximum extent you are sitting at a fairly steep angle. Eventually the planes head back inwards, until you're back with the platform. My one go now was my only go on Flying Machines all day.

Grand National

Until 2014 the RCCGB has had a one-hour ERS on Grand National late afternoon on the Saturday of the Blackpool Bash weekend, but that didn't happen this year. Nonetheless I was determined to ride it anyway Saturday afternoon. This classic twin track Möbius racing wooden coaster was built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. and has been operating since 1935. According to the RCDB, its maximum height of 62' (18.9 m) makes it the tallest of the five wooden coasters at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, but only the third tallest currently operating wooden coaster in the UK. Due to the way the coaster is designed, on one go you depart from one platform and return to the station on the opposite platform. The platform you depart from at the start of your ride dictates which lift hill (left or right facing upwards) your train ascends. Doing a complete circuit of the track back to where you get on would require two consecutive goes without getting off in between. Consequently you could class this coaster as two coasters. Coaster-Count classes it as two coasters; whereas Ride Count classes the whole thing as one coaster. The greatest fun of this racing coaster is hoping that the train you travel in will be the first past the winning post. I enjoyed two goes as follows.

First go (left lift hill): I sat in the blue train which climbed the left lift hill. Opponent maroon train on the right lift hill.
Second go (right lift hill): I sat in the maroon train which climbed the right lift hill. Opponent blue train on the left lift hill.

Nickelodeon Streak

This classic woodie was built by Charles Paige and was originally called Roller Coaster from 1933 to 2010. Early 2011 it was repainted orange and re-themed Nickelodeon Streak, as part of Nickelodeon Land. With a maximum height of 61' (18.6 m) Nickelodeon Streak is surprisingly taller than Big Dipper (60' or 18.3 m). When I approached this ride the queue was quite short. I sat in the back row. For now I limited myself to just one go on Nickelodeon Streak, and didn't return to it later.

Blue Flyer

From one wooden coaster to another! This (built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc.) originally operated as Zipper Dipper from 1934 to 2010. At the start of 2011 it was repainted blue and re-themed as Blue Flyer, part of Nickelodeon Land. Although the resort's smallest wooden coaster, it was great fun. I enjoyed two goes on Blue Flyer.

SpongeBob's Splash Bash

This was introduced as part of Nickelodeon Land in 2011. It comprises sets of circular boats on small turntables. The small turntables spin on a larger turntable which also spins. The effect is a bit like riding a twister or waltzer ride but not as fast. At the start of the ride the turntables sink so the area is flooded. Each boat has water cannons, so whilst the ride is in motion you can squirt riders on other boats, and on-lookers outside the ride. Be warned though, riders on other boats may squirt you back! There are also water cannons outside the ride, which allow on-lookers to squirt riders. Therefore you will probably get a bit wet on this ride. Now was the perfect time to ride this when I was already wearing my splashsuit to keep me dry in the rain anyway. Altogether a fun ride, but my one go now was my only go on this all day.

Dora's World Voyage

A boat ride introduced as part of Nickelodeon Land in 2011. I got into a boat which sailed around the canal start to finish through different zones: France, Russia, Tanzania and China. A song was played on the boat, repeatedly mentioning "Hello" in the applicable language, e.g. Bonjour in France. Obviously the words changed at the zone transitions. My one go now was my only ride on here all day.

Diego's Rainforest Rescue

Another ride introduced as part of Nickelodeon Land in 2011, a set of balloons around a tower. The balloons began travelling around the tower. Shortly afterwards the set of balloons rose to the tower top where they continued travelling around the tower high up. Eventually the balloon cluster descended to ground level and the ride completely stopped. Altogether this was a tame, but fun ride. My one go on Diego's Rainforest Rescue now was my only go on it all day.

Having left Diego's Rainforest Rescue, I saw the Nickelodeon Land characters Diego and Dora, and had my picture taken with them.

Avatar Airbender

This Zamperla Disko was introduced as part of Nickelodeon Land in 2011. Riders sit at the edge of a giant disk facing outwards. The disk spins whilst travelling a u-shaped track back and forth. In my opinion, the ride experience was no different to any other Zamperla Disko I've ridden elsewhere. A fun ride, but once was enough; just like any other Disko there's no way I could take two goes straight off. This was my last Nickelodeon Land ride of the day.

Revolution

This Arrow Dynamics Launched Loop sit down steel coaster has been operating at Blackpool Pleasure Beach since 1979. According to the RCDB, this is one of three coasters of this type operating worldwide. This one was originally called Revolution from 1979 to sometime in the 1990s. From then until 2011 it was called Irn-Bru Revolution. Early 2012 the orange structure was repainted grey and the ride reverted to its original name Revolution. The train set off, went downhill, around the vertical loop, uphill and along a flat section where it suddenly ground to an abrupt halt. After a brief pause, the train went backwards through the loop until it was back at the station. Wow, a fast and thrilling ride, but I'm not sure whether going forwards or backwards was better. I limited myself to one go on Revolution.

Infusion

This Vekoma SLC (689m Standard) inverted steel coaster originally operated as Traumatizer at Pleasureland Southport from 1999 to 5 Sep 2006. Since 2 May 2007 it has been operating as Infusion at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Its 689 metre (2260' 6") track length explains its model name. When I approached this ride, the waiting time for Infusion was very short. The train climbed the lift hill to a maximum height of 109' 3" (33.3 m), descended the first drop and went around a vertical loop followed by many more thrilling features. Altogether a fun ride. Since closing time was now less than an hour away, and I still wanted to go on in other rides, I limited myself to just one go.

Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic

This first opened soon after the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2013, and therefore I first rode this during the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2014. Being as I spent so much time finding the official (main) Gromit sculptures and mini Gromit sculptures around Bristol and beyond during summer 2013, and the Shaun the Sheep sculptures around Bristol during summer 2015, I was determined to ride this. The ride car went around a circuit through several rooms, featuring elements from the films including the space ship and crackers from "A Grand Day Out" and techno trousers from "The Wrong Trousers". Along the way I saw Shaun the sheep and Feathers the penguin, as well as Wallace & Gromit. This was my only go on this ride all day.

Wild Mouse

My final wooden roller coaster ride of the day was Wild Mouse. According to the Roller Coaster Database, this wooden mouse coaster was built in-house by Frank Wright, and has been operating since 1958. The queuing time was fairly short for this ride. When it was my turn, I got into car number 1 (Trixie). The car climbed the lift hill, and worked its way downwards through several sharp hairpin bends along the way. This made for quite a rough ride. I noticed AIRtime on the dips near the end. I limited myself to just one go on Wild Mouse.

The Big One

I wanted to have at least one more go on The Big One before closing time, even though rode it during the morning ERS. When I got to the station the queue for the Big One was quite short. I got on and enjoyed the ride. Although the journey through the Pepsi can tunnel, up the lift hill, down the steep first drop, over the subsequent undulations and back to the station was just the same as earlier, I wasn't riding the Big One in the rain this time, as the rain had now stopped. I only had time for one go. This ended up being my final ride of the day, but the upshot of that was, I ended the day where I began.

After that I tried to fit in a go on Avalanche just before closing time. I was one of a few riders on the last train; I was in the front seat. As the train was about to be despatched the power went off, the attendant couldn't send the train. The bars had to be manually released. Momentarily I was concerned that the whole of Blackpool had no power, and therefore the RCCGB Coaster Crazy Show in the Paradise Room would have to be cancelled.

Luckily there were still lights on at Grand National / Ice Blast end, e.g. in Playdium. It looked like the problem was confined to the south end of the park, and the Paradise Room might not be affected. I spoke to a member of staff about this, and expressed my concern about the RCCGB's evening entertainment in the Paradise Room being affected. He said the Paradise Room should be alright, the problem was with the south bar, affecting the south end of the park only, and engineers were currently working on the problem.

Anyway with the time now just after 18:00, the rides at the north end of the Pleasure Beach (e.g. Grand National) were all closed. This was as a result of the decision made earlier in the day to close the rides at 18:00, due to inclement weather, instead of the originally billed 20:00 closing time. Ironic because the rain had now stopped and the sun had just poked out! If only the rain had stopped and the sun had appeared by around midday instead.

Summary of my day in order of activity

Morning ERS: The Big One 3

Red Arrows Skyforce 1
Steeplechase red track 1
Steeplechase green track 1
Steeplechase yellow track 1
Avalanche 1
Big Dipper 2
River Caves 1

Lunch at Paradise Room

Flying Machines 1
Grand National left lift hill 1
Grand National right lift hill 1
Nickelodeon Streak 1
Blue Flyer 2
SpongeBob's Splash Bash 1
Dora's World Voyage 1
Diego's Rainforest Rescue 1
Avatar Airbender 1
Revolution 1
Infusion 1
Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic 1
Wild Mouse 1
The Big One 1

Cumulative Summary of My Rides (ERSs and Free Time Combined)

Ride	Total
Avalanche	1
Avatar Airbender	1
Big Dipper	2
Blue Flyer	2
Diego's Rainforest Rescue	1
Dora's World Voyage	1
Flying Machines	1
Grand National left lift hill	1
Grand National right lift hill	1
Infusion	1
Nickelodeon Streak	1
Red Arrows Skyforce	1
Revolution	1
River Caves	1
SpongeBob's Splash Bash	1
Steeplechase green track	1
Steeplechase red track	1
Steeplechase yellow track	1
The Big One	4
Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic	1
Wild Mouse	1
TOTAL	26

Altogether a fun day of riding. It's a pity it rained all morning and most of the afternoon, but the rain didn't deter me from riding as I wore my all-in-one splashsuit most of the day. At least the Pleasure Beach was fairly quiet, and hence most rides were either walk-on or had very short queues as a result.

Back to the top

Day Two - Saturday 2 April (evening)

Having left the Pleasure Beach I walked straight to the ground floor of the Casino Tower. The lights were on there, so evidently the Casino Tower wasn't affected by the power failure. I showed my Back Stage Pass as proof that I was taking part in the Coaster Crazy Show. Knowing that the Paradise Room doors at the top of the spiral stairs would most likely be locked at this stage, a member of staff led me, and some other RCCGB members with back stage passes, through a door marked "Private" and up a back staircase to the Paradise Room. We were all asked to sign in prior to going upstairs via that staircase. The lights and sound system were on in the Paradise Room, so evidently that wasn't affected by the power failure. I chose my seat, set up my camcorder, rehearsed my Gong Show act once through on stage and put on my evening outfit.

Around 19:30 the doors at the top of the spiral stairs opened to members not taking part. This year's theme was musicals, and many dressed in something connected with musicals. I wore a cream shirt, black trousers and my Hallowe'en cape (which I originally bought for the 2014 horror-themed Blackpool Bash) to resemble Phantom from Phantom of the Opera. The only extra I bought this year was a Phantom of the Opera mask, however I only put that on briefly a couple of times to have photos taken of me. Food was on sale, so I bought myself sausage and mash, and also a drink.

Show Opener: Alan Chilvers & Co.

At 20:09 the show began with a brief history of the RCCGB. Afterwards Alan Chilvers and Wendy Adams Evans appeared on stage to sing their rewritten version of "Radio Ga Ga"! Their version had a roller coaster theme, and the main chorus line was "All we hear is Coaster Crazy". Part way through the song several others entered the stage to walk around and clap their hands in time with the music.

Introduction: Andy Hine

When the above act ended, Nev entered the stage to give his opening speech, including some jokes.

Act 1: Lorraine Downing - "No Business Like Show Business"

One of last year's Gong Show winners was Lorraine Downing who, at the time, sang "When I'm Riding Coasters". This year she was back to sing the first numbered billed act of the night, "No Business Like Show Business".

Tossed!

Nev reappeared and announced that he was about to perform a card trick. He asked three people in the audience to participate. I have since seen my camcorder video of this but didn't really see the logic behind this trick.

Act 2: Gary Williams - "Our House"

Gary Williams has performed in the Coaster Crazy Show for several years. He was back this year to sing the Madness song "Our House". For those mystified as to what it has to do with the evening's musicals theme, "Our House" was the lead song from the Madness Musical.

Game 1: Kids' Gopher

It was now time for the first game, this one solely for children aged 13 and under. Ten children entered at the start. When called, they ran into the audience to fetch an item specified by Nev, e.g. hotel key, camera. The time it took all the children to find the required item varied considerably. Each time they returned there was one less chair, forcing the child unable to find a seat out, just like musical chairs.

Here is the complete list of items the children were asked to get:
£10 note
Watch (not participating child's own)
Left sock (not participating child's own)
Hotel key
Anything edible
New RCCGB T-shirt or AIRtime lanyard (it had to be the new one)
Camera (not mobile phone)
Belt
Ladies bra

After the children returned from getting a left sock, one boy who was seated was found to have cheated. He was disqualified and a girl who would have been eliminated for having no seat was allowed to continue instead.

Winner: Oscar

At this point I went back stage to get ready for the Gong Show. Back stage I removed my cape and shirt, and put on my "I am 11 times 4" T-shirt (which I had printed for my 44th birthday last year) as I felt that would be more appropriate attire for my act. However I kept my trousers on.

Act 3: BEAM - Gymnastics

Betty, Ella & Alfie-May have appeared in the Gong Show in recent years. This year they did some gymnastics as a billed act under the name BEAM. Their routine included cartwheels, forward and backward flips, and split leg stretches. I was unable to watch this live on the night as I was getting ready back stage at the time. Anyway, well done to BEAM for performing the series of exercises in such perfect synchronisation, some of what they did must have taken a great deal of practice.

The Gong Show

It was now time for the famous Gong Show, which featured nine acts.

Gong Act 1: Dan Ould - Sandwhich

The first act was Dan Ould, who gave an opening speech about making sandwiches to go to work, and announced that he was about to make a cheese sandwich. A table was provided on stage, along with all he needed to make his sandwich. The audience shouted "Cheese" and "Melted cheese" just before Dan revealed two slices of bread and put on a chef's apron. There was much booing as he started making his sandwich. Eventually the horn went and the table was removed from the stage.

Gong Act 2: Alice & Charlotte - Cheerleaders

Alice & Charlotte, under the stage name The Panthers, entered the stage in cheerleader outfits. Their routine included bridge, cartwheels, handstands and balancing on one leg. Early on there was some cheering and applause from the audience, but eventually the horn went.

Gong Act 3: The Nutty Professors - Alphabet Aerobics

Peter, Laura and Aiden O'Brien first entered the 2015 Gong Show under the stage name The Nutty Professors. They returned this year, still as The Nutty Professors, this time performing "Alphabet Aerobics" by Blackalicious. As they walked on stage, holding up cards, they attracted several "off" calls from the audience. Anyway the music began, and thereafter Laura and Aiden sang the song, whilst Peter displayed and dropped a series of cards, one by one, each one bearing a letter of the alphabet. During the song, the some audience members began clapping in time with the music. Laura and Aiden reached the end of the song, and there was much cheering and applause from the audience. Well done to Laura and Aiden memorising all the words; that must have taken some doing.

Gong Act 4: Ryan Hackett - Cadbury's Flake advert

Ryan Hackett has performed various TV adverts in recent years. This time he was back to do the Cadbury's Flake advert. As the music started and the curtains opened, Ryan was sitting in a chair with his back to the audience. Dressed in a red leotard and holding a giant Flake, he got out of the chair and walked around the stage. After the music ended with the slogan "Cadbury's Flake is the crumbliest, flakiest milk chocolate in the world", Nev blew the air horn. At this point there was much cheering and applause, as well as one occurrence of "Get off", from the audience. Nev asked "Ryan, why are you always dressing up as women?" This attracted some laughter from the audience; Nev added "I wish I'd seen the costume earlier".

Gong Act 5: Lorraine White - "Don't Stop Me Now"

Lorraine White, who appeared for the first time in the Gong Show last year, was back this year. This time she mimed parts of the Queen song "Don't Stop Me Now". Her miming actions included pretending to hold a steering wheel for racing car bit. However, she didn't sing any of the song. Part way through the song Nev blew the horn.

Gong Act 6: Death - "Life is a Roller Coaster"

Nev admitted that, whenever he mentions the name, the audience normally boos, so he told the audience to give this one a chance. Anyway Nev said "it's Death". Death entered the stage and sang "Life is a Roller Coaster". There was much booing and many off calls as soon as he started singing. After the first chorus the horn went.

Gong Act 7: Alfie Jacks - "Gangnam Style"

Alfie Jacks entered the Gong Show for the first time this year. He danced to "Gangnam Style", including arm movements and some jumps towards the end. However he didn't sing the words. Several members of the audience clapped along in time with the music. At the end he attracted much cheering and applause from the audience.

Gong Act 8: Nemesis Nick - "I am the Music Man"

Now for my performance of "I am the Music Man". As Nev introduced this act, he said "Please join in with the actions on this one, it's Nemesis Nick". Shortly after I entered the stage, wearing my "I am 11 times 4" T-shirt, the music started and I said "Join in" before starting to sing. Alan Chilvers was on stage joining in with the actions, e.g. he danced around and waved his arms in the air for bagpipes, he walked around the stage with his arms out (to resemble aircraft wings) for Dam Busters. Many members in the audience also joined in with the actions (piano, trombone, etc); some danced in front of the stage towards the end. During the "Oggy oggy oggy" bit, many in the audience replied "Oi Oi Oi". Anyway I made it to the very end, at which point Nev gave four short blasts on the horn (presumably as a joke). There was much cheering and applause at the end of my act. The biggest question is who got more fun out of this act – me performing or the audience joining in with the actions?

Gong Act 9: Chris Bell - "Dentist!"

The final act was a first-timer, Chris Bell. As he entered some shouted "Get off the stage, get off", before they had chance to see him perform! Chris said "Welcome to my practice" and started singing "Dentist!" (Little Shop of Horrors). When he got to the line "First patient please", Death entered the stage and sat in the chair to be the patient. Soon after that the horn went.

Vote for Best Act

Top two: Alfie Jacks, Nemesis Nick
Winner: Alfie Jacks

Vote for Worst Act

Bottom two: Nemesis Nick, Chris Bell
Ultimate worst: Chris Bell

Well what an odd result again! It seemed that, the later you performed, the better you did, as long as you weren't last to perform! That said it seems unthinkable that my performance of "I am the Music Man" (the penultimate act) could be voted second best and second worst. Interestingly enough, I was voted second best and second worst when I was the penultimate act in the 2012 Gong Show. There should be a rule stating that, if you finish in the top two (or three as has happened some years), you will be excluded from the vote for worst act. Anyway, once the Gong Show was over, I put my shirt and cape back on for the rest of the evening. Having returned to the main part of the Paradise Room, I bought myself half a pint of Kingston Press Cider and returned to my seat.

Act 4: Liberty Williams - "Does Your Mother Know?"

Back to the billed acts next. Liberty Williams, who has appeared in the Coaster Crazy Show a few times in recent years, sang "Does Your Mother Know?" from the musical "Mamma Mia". Once again, another excellent performance from Liberty.

Game 2: Don't Show …

The final game of the night was for adults. Five adults participated for the chance to win a night in the Big Blue Hotel. Nev explained how the game would work, e.g. if he asked the contestants to name the make of a car, they would say Ford, Mercedes, etc. A contestant would be out for a) pausing, b) saying "er", "um, etc, c) making up something unrecognised, d) repeating a previously mentioned answer, e) showing their teeth whilst answering. Nev asked someone to go on stage to be judge; Keith went on stage, and sat in a chair facing the contestants. He had to watch out for showing teeth, saying "er", etc. The first subject was rides at the Pleasure Beach, each contestant had to name a ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. When one contestant was eliminated for repeating an answer, the remaining four contestants had to name rides at Alton Towers. After the next elimination for pausing, the remaining three contestants had to name parks in Europe. When one of those three was out, and thus there were only two contestants remaining, Nev announced "Final". The question for the final was wooden coasters in America. This round was over rather quickly, and Dan was declared the winner. Towards the end of this game I went back stage again as I was required for the finale which was to follow.

Finale: Alan Chilvers - "All You Need is Wood"

It was now time for the closing song of the show. Following a London musical about The Beatles called "Let It Be", Alan Chilvers sang "All You Need is Wood" (a reworded version of The Beatles song "All You Need Is Love"). During this song members who had taken part during the show appeared on stage to wave their arms in the air in time to the music.

Andy Hine: Thank Yous

When the song finished, Nev appeared on stage and said "Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of the Coaster Crazy Show 2016". He gave his closing message, and said thank you to the individual billed performers, all those who participated in the Gong Show (collectively), and the staff.

After Show Party

During Nev's closing speech the stage went down to form the dance floor for the after-show disco, which lasted just over an hour. Many including me danced along. The mix of song snippets included "Happy Days", "YMCA" (Village People), "My Old Silver Lining", "Glad All Over", "Can-Can", "The Locomotion", etc. Towards the end the following four songs were played in full:

Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Ryan and co appeared on stage just in front of the curtains doing the actions)
Amarillo
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
New York

Finally the Warner Brothers cartoon "That's all folks" marked the end of the disco.

When the disco ended, all those who had dressed up assembled in front of the curtains for the group photo. After that members were asked to pack up and leave as quickly as possible. I collected my belongings from my dressing room, along with my other items at the table where I sat much of the show. Around 23:10 I finally left the Paradise Room via the spiral stairs. Back on the ground floor I had to go through the door marked "Private" (which I went through earlier) in order to sign out before leaving the building. A few minutes later I was back at my hotel room.

Summary of Evening

Show Opener: Alan Chilvers & Co.
Introduction: Andy Hine
Act 1: Lorraine Downing - "No Business Like Show Business"
Andy Hine - Tossed!
Act 2: Gary Williams - "Our House"
Game 1: Kids' Gopher
Act 3: BEAM - Gymnastics

The Gong Show
1: Dan Ould - Sandwhich
2: Alice & Charlotte - Cheerleaders
3: The Nutty Professors - Alphabet Aerobics
4: Ryan Hackett - Cadbury's Flake advert
5: Lorraine White - "Don't Stop Me Now"
6: Death - "Life is a Roller Coaster"
7: Alfie Jacks - "Gangnam Style"
8: Nemesis Nick - "I am the Music Man"
9: Chris Bell - "Dentist!"

Top two: Alfie Jacks, Nemesis Nick; Winner: Alfie Jacks
Bottom two: Nemesis Nick, Chris Bell; Ultimate worst: Chris Bell

Act 4: Liberty Williams - "Does Your Mother Know?"
Game 2: Don't Show …
Finale: Alan Chilvers - "All You Need is Wood"
Andy Hine: Thank Yous

After Show Party (Disco)

Group photo

Altogether an excellent evening of entertainment. For me it was great to perform "I am the Music Man" in the Gong Show. The after show disco provided a lively end to the evening.

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Day Three - Sunday 3 April

First Thing

After an action packed Saturday I awoke at 6:45, put on my new red RCCGB T-shirt (which I bought Saturday lunchtime), packed and felt thirsty for more. Just like Saturday I had an early breakfast at 8:00. It consisted of cereal (I chose cornflakes), a glass of orange juice, a full English breakfast, four triangles of toast and a pot of coffee.

Initial Meet-Up

At 9:06 I left my hotel and walked to the Pleasure Beach as quickly as possible. Thankfully, unlike Saturday morning, it was dry outside, and the sun was shining. A few minutes later I got to the Casino Tower. Everyone was waiting inside the tower on the ground floor. I went to the main desk to exchange my Sunday Wristband Voucher for my wristband and gate pass.

WOW ERS

When Nev was given the signal by the staff, the Club waited outside for the gates to open. Just before entering, I found out from a Pleasure Beach official that the partial power cut Saturday evening affected the southern half of the Pleasure Beach and surrounding houses. He said the Pleasure Beach is served by two electricity substations, which means that the power can fail at one end and not the other. When the gates opened, the Club entered through the gates for the WOW ERS on Grand National, Big Dipper and Wild Mouse.

Grand National

Although the RCCGB did not have a Grand National ERS Saturday late afternoon for the second year running, Grand National was one of the three coasters included in the Sunday morning ERS. I had two goes on Grand National.

First go (left lift hill): I was on the red train, which climbed the left lift hill. Opponent green train on the right lift hill. The green train won.
Second go (right lift hill): I was in the back row of the green train, which climbed the right lift hill. Opponent red train on the left lift hill. This time there was a neck-and-neck finish, the winner was uncertain.

During both goes I sang "Giddy up, giddy up brave prince" and shouted "Come on, giddy up". Furthermore, on both goes, I noticed Grand National was less rough than when I rode it Saturday afternoon; presumably the wood had dried out overnight.

Big Dipper

My next stop was Big Dipper, and I ended up spending the rest of the ERS on it. I enjoyed three goes on Big Dipper: front row, second row, fourth row. Each time the queue was quite short. The ride was considerably less rough than when I rode it just before lunch on Saturday, presumably because the wooden structure had dried out overnight, but there was still plenty of AIRtime on the dips each time.

Summary of my rides during the Sunday morning ERS: Grand National 2 (left lift hill 1, right lift hill 1), Big Dipper 3. Did anyone beat me on that?

After ERS

The Blackpool Bash 2016 was to all intents and purposes over when the ERS finished at 10:30. No further events (e.g. lunch, later ERS) were scheduled for Sunday. Members with Sunday wristbands stayed and continued riding. Those without Sunday wristbands left and went straight home (perhaps stopping at another park en route) or visited other Blackpool attractions. Since I had a Sunday wristband for the third year running, I continued riding until just after 16:00. During the rest of the day I enjoyed plenty more rides, however I didn't re-ride Grand National or Big Dipper the rest of the day.

Wild Mouse

My third wooden coaster ride for Sunday morning. When I approached this, I thought the Club's ERS was still in progress, and I'd thus get a go during the last few minutes of the ERS. When it was my turn to ride, I found out that the ERS had just ended and therefore this was, in fact, my first ride of normal opening time. As is usually the case, this gave quite a rough ride, with plenty of AIRtime on the dips. My one go on Wild Mouse now was my only go on it all day.

At this point I spoke to Nev, Alan Chilvers and various other RCCGB members near the fountains for a few minutes. It wasn't long before Nev advised me to get some more rides in as soon as possible, before the park got really busy. This was my last time of seeing Nev and Alan Chilvers on Sunday.

Nickelodeon Streak

My fourth wooden coaster for Sunday morning was Nickelodeon Streak. I enjoyed two goes on this, my second of which was in the second-from-back row. The waiting time was very short on both goes.

Blue Flyer

Having ridden four out of the five wooden coasters Sunday morning, my next port of call was the smallest wooden coaster, Blue Flyer. This was walk-on, and I enjoyed two goes.

Now that I had ridden all five wooden coasters (including both lift hills of Grand National) one after another, I turned to various other rides around the Pleasure Beach. Funnily enough I didn't ride any of the wooden coasters again later. At this point I saw the costume character Diego in Nickelodeon Land, so I had my picture taken wearing my new red RCCGB T-shirt beside him. Afterwards I left Nickelodeon Land to have some rides elsewhere.

Revolution

Next I headed for Revolution. When I got to the top of the stairs there were only a few people in front of me by the turnstile. Shortly afterwards I was on the train with other riders. Once despatched, the ride through the loop to the dead end and back through the loop was great fun. My one go on Revolution now was my only go on it all day.

Steeplechase

Next I approached Steeplechase. The queue was longer than I'd have liked, but I was prepared to wait. When it was my turn I rode horse number 4 on the red track. Once I had completed this go, the queue for Steeplechase was longer still, so rather than wait to ride other lanes I decided to go on something else instead.

The Big One

Next I went on The Big One; its waiting time was longer than I'd hoped for, but still not too long. Whilst waiting I put on my self-designed "Coaster Crazy Kid on Tour!" pink hi-vis waistcoat. Just like when I rode this during the Saturday morning ERS, the train exited the station, went through the Pepsi can tunnel, up the lift hill, down the steep first drop, over the subsequent undulations and back to the station. However riding it this time in the sunshine was more pleasurable than riding it in the rain Saturday morning. My one go on this now was my only go all day.

Having left The Big One I had a couple pictures taken of me wearing my pink hi-vis waistcoat near the entrance to Red Arrows Skyforce; however I didn't ride Red Arrows Skyforce at all on Sunday. I kept my pink hi-vis waistcoat on for my next few rides.

Avalanche

Following my unsuccessful ride just before closing time on Saturday evening, I was determined to ride this Bobsled coaster at least once on Sunday. The queue was longer than it was just before closing time on Saturday, but thankfully not too long for my liking. When it was my turn, I sat in the back row. Once despatched, I remained quiet and totally relaxed for the entire journey. I see this as a rest ride. My one go on this now was my only go on this all day.

Crazy Daisy

Having left Avalanche, Crazy Daisy was walk-on, so I decided to ride Crazy Daisy next. Formerly the Tetley Tea Cup Ride, this was repainted predominantly green and renamed Crazy Daisy some time during the 2014 season. This differs from a normal tea cup ride in that there are two turntables. Each cup has a centre table, but unlike a normal tea cup ride, you can't turn it to spin the cup faster, the cups just spin. The turntables have notches; half of them currently contain the cups at a given time and the rest used to be completely empty. The cups used to swap from one turntable to the other when the empty notches met in the middle. However that no longer happens as the formerly empty notches have had stoppers fitted; a pity really as that means the ride isn't so much fun as it used to be. This modification was made because the ride used to break down too often. My one go on this now was my only go on it all day.

Diego's Rainforest Rescue

Back in Nickelodeon Land, I queued for Diego's Rainforest Rescue. I had to wait a few runs to get on it, but once it was my turn to ride, I got into basket number 5. The balloons travelled in the same manner as when I rode this on Saturday, but of course it was more enjoyable in the sunshine now than in the rain on Saturday. My one go on this now was my only go on it all day.

Backyardigans Pirate Treasure

This was introduced as part of Nickelodeon Land in 2011. Being as I missed this on Saturday, I was determined to ride it now. It consists of boats on spokes, which travel around a clockwise circle. Along the way there are undulations, presumably to simulate waves at sea. I had to wait a few runs to get on this, but when it was my turn to ride, I sat in boat number 13. Another mild ride, but worth one go to increase my cumulative count to-date on it. This was my only go on here all day.

Having left Backyardigans Pirate Treasure, I saw the costume character SpongeBob, so I had my picture taken beside him, this time wearing my pink hi-vis waistcoat over my orange cagoule. After that, I considered going on Dora's World Voyage, but due to its queuing time, I gave it a miss as there were several other higher priority rides which I wanted to go on during my remaining time at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. After leaving Nickelodeon Land for the final time, I headed in the direction of Flying Machines and met a group of other RCCGB members near Alice Ride. We spoke briefly and had our picture taken together. With the time now around 13:50, my next priority was to get something to eat and drink. At this point I removed my hi-vis waistcoat and put it in my rucksack.

Afternoon Snack

A few minutes later I went to T Café, where I had a hot dog and drink meal deal; the drink I chose was a coffee. That's all I wanted for now, having had a big breakfast, and because I was intending to get myself fish and chips somewhere between North Pier and Blackpool North station before starting my train journey home. Unusually for me I wanted to get back to riding as soon as I'd finished.

Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic

My first ride after my mid-afternoon snack was Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic. I had to wait a fair few minutes to get on this, but the time soon went. Once I got on the ride I enjoyed travelling through several rooms, seeing Shaun the sheep, Feathers the penguin, and Wallace & Gromit, as well as elements from the films. As far as I'm concerned, this is the sort of ride you can go on immediately after eating. I only had one go on this.

River Caves

Next I decided to ride River Caves, and thankfully the waiting time was quite short. The journey through the chambers was just the same as when I rode this on Saturday afternoon. My one go on here now was my only go on this all day.

Ice Blast

One major ride I missed on Saturday, so I was determined to ride it Sunday, and I was lucky enough to be able to get straight on the next run when I approached it. This S&S Worldwide Space Shot ride is one of the best thrill rides in the Pleasure Beach. Its seat unit wraps around its 210 feet (64 metres) tall tower. Once seated and harnessed in, a blast of air sent the seat unit to the top of the tower. After a short delay, the seat unit dropped to the ground again, its descent somehow slowed as it neared the ground. Wow, an amazing ride experience! My one go on this now was my only go on it all day.

Flying Machines

Having left Ice Blast, my next ride was its neighbour Flying Machines, and thankfully it didn't take me long to get on. The motion was the same as when I rode it just after lunch Saturday afternoon, but obviously riding it in the sunshine on Sunday was better than riding it in the rain Saturday. I only had one go on this.

With less than an hour remaining to when I had to leave the Pleasure Beach around 16:00, I now had to prioritise what I still wanted to go on. I walked past the Ghost Train, but that had quite a lengthy queue, and I wasn't particularly keen to go on that. I most wanted to go on Infusion, but had to bear in mind its queue could be quite long, and it might therefore have to be my last ride of the day. If time still allowed, I would perhaps go on Alice Ride and/or Derby Racer but as far as I was concerned, they would be bonus rides to have afterwards only if time allowed. Without further ado I headed for Infusion.

Infusion

Around 15:20 I approached Infusion, only to discover a really long queue. Determined to ride Infusion before leaving, I joined the back of the queue anyway. However I had to accept that this could well be my last ride of the day. It took me until just before 16:00 to get on Infusion, but it was worth the wait. I enjoyed the journey up the lift hill, the first drop, vertical loop and onward features. Sadly this ended up being my final ride of the day, but it was exciting ride to finish with.

Having left Infusion the time was a few minutes past 16:00, and I knew full well I had to leave soon in order to collect my luggage and get to Blackpool North station to begin my train journey home at 17:44. I walked past Ghost Train and considered having one last-minute ride on either Alice Ride or Derby Racer before leaving. There was a queue for Alice Rice which, albeit nothing like as long as I'd been through for Infusion, was nonetheless too long for me to wait now. Derby Racer was currently in motion, and I didn't fancy waiting for it to become stationary. Instead I had a few pictures taken of me near the entrance to Valhalla. By the time the pictures had been taken, Derby Racer was just stopping. There were only a few waiting, so if I'd approached it at this stage I'd have, almost certainly, got on the very next run. Reluctantly I resisted the temptation to have a go, because allowing for the possibility of waiting for further riders to turn up, ride duration and time taken to exit the ride would have probably delayed me leaving the Pleasure Beach by another ten to fifteen minutes. That in turn could have had a knock-on effect on what happened after I left. Without further ado, I headed for the Pleasure Beach exit.

Summary of my day in order of activity

WOW ERS: Grand National left lift hill 1, Grand National right lift hill 1, Big Dipper 3

Wild Mouse 1
Nickelodeon Streak 2
Blue Flyer 2
Revolution 1
Steeplechase red track 1
The Big One 1
Avalanche 1
Crazy Daisy 1
Diego's Rainforest Rescue 1
Backyardigans Pirate Treasure 1

Hot dog and coffee at T Café

Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic 1
River Caves 1
Ice Blast 1
Flying Machines 1
Infusion 1

Cumulative Summary of My Rides (ERS and Free Time Combined)

Ride	Total
Avalanche	1
Backyardigans Pirate Treasure	1
Big Dipper	3
Blue Flyer	2
Crazy Daisy	1
Diego's Rainforest Rescue	1
Flying Machines	1
Grand National left lift hill	1
Grand National right lift hill	1
Ice Blast	1
Infusion	1
Nickelodeon Streak	2
Revolution	1
River Caves	1
Steeplechase red track	1
The Big One	1
Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic	1
Wild Mouse	1
TOTAL	22

Altogether a coaster crazy final day of the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2016. Best of all it was dry all day, and mostly sunny up until around 16:00; a vast improvement on Saturday's weather. The only snag was, after midday, queues for several rides were longer than on Saturday. Nonetheless I still achieved a good ride count considering I faced about 40 minutes' wait for Infusion and I had to leave around 16:00.

Sunday Late Afternoon

I finally left the Pleasure Beach around 16:10. Without further ado I returned to my hotel briefly to collect my luggage. Having left the hotel for the last time I walked to South Pier tram stop, whereupon I had just a few minutes' wait for a tram to North Pier. After leaving the tram at North Pier I walked to nearby Frying Squad to get myself fish, chips and mushy peas. Although I had to wait about ten minutes between placing my order and them being ready, I still had plenty of time to eat them at one of the tables inside.

Journey Home

After finishing my meal around 17:00 I walked to Blackpool North station. As soon as I got there I bought myself a small takeaway Americano from Pumpkin café. Immediately afterwards I went through the ticket barrier and sat in the ticket holders' part of the concourse. The time was 17:10 when I sat there and, since there was over half an hour to when the train on which I was booked was due to depart, I was able to enjoy my coffee at a leisurely pace. Just after 17:30 passengers for the 17:44 Manchester Airport train (which I was due to travel to Preston on) were allowed to board the train, so without further ado I got on. The rest of the journey to Bristol went like clockwork; having reached Preston I caught the 18:17 Virgin Pendolino to Crewe, followed by the 19:13 Arriva Trains Wales train to Newport, and then the 22:29 GWR train to Bristol Temple Meads. Having got there at 23:09, the final leg of my journey was the 23:25 rail replacement bus to Bath. I eventually reached Bath Bus Station at 23:57, and home about 15 minutes later.

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Outro

Highlights

Meeting members I've met on previous Club trips again (including Andy and Christine Hine, Alan Chilvers, Death, Happy Helen, Sophia Jones, Matt Walker, Peter O'Brien, Planenut, Ryan Hackett).
Wearing my self-designed RCCGB Fun Night T-shirt and fluorescent pink sports shorts to the Friday Fun Night.
Saturday morning ERS on on The Big One, Red Arrows Skyforce and Blue Flyer.
Sunday morning WOW ERS on Grand National, Big Dipper and Wild Mouse.
Good overall ride count both Saturday and Sunday (during morning ERS and normal time).
Adding Red Arrows Skyforce to my ride count Saturday morning (just after the ERS ended).
Riding all the coasters and many other rides again.
Riding all five wooden coasters (including both lift hills of Grand National) in succession Sunday morning.
Two nights of entertainment, plus dancing in the disco Saturday evening.
Performing "I am the Music Man" in the Gong Show Saturday evening
Dry, sunny weather Sunday.

Lowlights

Rain most of Saturday (but thankfully it wasn't too windy to run Big One).
Long queues for several rides Sunday (particularly after midday).

Summing Up

Another mega excellent weekend away at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Granadaland, my ninth Blackpool Bash to-date. It was great adding Red Arrows Skyforce to my ride count, riding the Big One, Grand National, Big Dipper and other rides again, and catching up with other members. At the Blackpool Bash, the ERSs and other riding are only part of the fun. The other major chunk of the fun includes the Friday evening entertainment, Saturday lunch and Saturday evening Coaster Crazy Show and disco. It was great to be in the Gong Show for the seventh time to-date, but I'm still surprised how I could be voted second best and second worst act! No wonder Nev says in the Blackpool Bash invite "If you can only make one Club trip this year, make it this one". Many thanks to Andy Hine for all the effort involved in organising a trip of this nature, including Friday evening entertainment, all of Saturday's events in the Paradise Room, and the ERSs Saturday and Sunday morning. Thanks also to the ride staff required for operating the applicable rides for the Saturday and Sunday morning ERSs, the caterers for providing food Friday evening, Saturday lunchtime and Saturday evening, the sound technicians Friday and Saturday evening, and all members who performed billed or Gong Show acts Saturday evening. The only let-down was the rain on Saturday which caused ride closing time to be moved from 20:00 to 18:00, but the silver lining was that the queues for most rides were short most of the day. Although Sunday's weather was a vast improvement; dry all day and mostly sunny, from around midday the ride queues for several rides were considerably longer than on Saturday. From this there is a clear correlation between the weather and how busy the park gets (in terms of queuing times).

RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2016 can be likened to a three-course meal as follows:
Starter: Friday Fun (Friday evening entertainment)
Main course: Saturday daytime and evening activities
Dessert: Sunday morning ERS and free time thereafter

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