Venue: Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Who Went: Me and a large number of other RCCGB members, including Andy and Christine Hine, Adrian and Katelyn Hikin, Barry Frost, Big Stevie B, Carol Hedges, Catherine Bland, Dan Ould, Death, Debra Boggis, Gareth Arkell, Gareth Preece, Gary Williams, Graham Shaw, Heather Hall, Herman Coaster, Jan Bryan, John Musk, Julie and her mother, June Ross, Linda Reynolds, Lorraine Downing, Mark and Margo Lewis, Martin, Linda, Ellis and Kayla Lowery, Matt Walker, Peter, Laura and Aiden O'Brien, Rachel Walker, Ryan Hackett, Wendy Adams Evans.
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 three professional entertainers performing Friday evening, a day of riding Saturday daytime (including the morning ERS), an 80s Icons themed fancy dress party with songs, games, the Gong Show and a disco Saturday evening, and another ERS Sunday morning. This year's Blackpool Bash was extra special because it commemorated the RCCGB's 30th anniversary. There was a great turnout too with over 300 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 5 April 2018
Friday 6 April 2018
Saturday 7 April 2018 (daytime)
Saturday 7 April 2018 (evening)
Sunday 8 April 2018
Monday 9 April 2018
Outro
Thursday 5 April 2018
Getting to Blackpool
I travelled to Blackpool by train Thursday 5 April. My journey from Bath Spa to Blackpool North began on the 12:36 GWR train from Bath Spa to Newport (Gwent). When I arrived there I had ample time to enjoy a standard Americano from Hi Coffee at the station before continuing my journey on the 14:19 Arriva Trains Wales train to Manchester Piccadilly. When I arrived there at 17:17 I had just enough time to buy myself a takeaway Americano from Costa Coffee. My next train (specified when I bought my Advance ticket online early February), the 17:28 Northern train, was supposed to take me all the way to Blackpool North. Unfortunately, due to engineering work, that train had to terminate at Preston, and from there I completed my journey on the 19:00 rail replacement bus to Blackpool North. I finally arrived at Blackpool North at 19:38, which was 47 minutes later than I originally expected. Finally I had a taxi to my pre-booked hotel, where I checked in for four nights. It was the same hotel, close to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which I stayed at 2008 to 2017 inclusive.Thursday Evening
Having checked into my hotel I went to The Velvet Coaster (Wetherspoon) for an evening meal. Unfortunately when I arrived there around 20:10, a lady standing near the front entrance warned me there was a 45 minute wait on food. Initially I considered going to The Auctioneer instead, but she said The Auctioneer is no longer a Wetherspoon pub and is called something else now. In the aftermath of the unexpected rail replacement bus from Preston to Blackpool North (which delayed my arrival in Blackpool, and aftermath progress), I felt this was my second stroke of bad luck Thursday evening. Anyway I decided to order something at The Velvet Coaster, and approached the bar. Since it was Curry Club night, I decided to have a Curry Club meal. For main course I chose large Chicken Vindaloo, 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 Carlsberg. I also wanted a dessert, but I had to pay the full price as they no longer do a special rate for buying a dessert in conjunction with a Curry Club meal. For dessert, I picked British Bramley apple crumble with two scoops of ice cream from the dessert section of the menu. My only oversight as a result of me rushing to the bar when warned of the delay on food was not finding myself a table before ordering. To avoid further delay, I told the lady I wanted to sit at the long, narrow, tall table near the bar.Once I sat down, I noticed my receipt time was 20:21, so I estimated that my meal would arrive around 21:05. All I could do was wait. Surprisingly, at 20:46, my main course arrived, sooner than I expected. The chicken vindaloo itself was quite hot, and the rice, two puppodums, naan bread, onion bhaji and vegetable samosa, which accompanied it, bulked the meal up. Having finished it at 21:04 I was eager to enjoy my dessert. Luckily just a few minutes after that my apple crumble, which included two scoops of ice cream arrived. Yummy! The perfect end to a meal. Having finished my crumble, I consumed the rest of my beer at a leisurely pace. I finally finished my drink at 21:23, and left the pub shortly afterwards. Altogether a delicious and filling two-course meal, definitely worth the wait (which, much to my surprise wasn't as long as I initially thought it would be). Having left, I returned to my hotel room, and relaxed there the rest of the evening.
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Friday 6 April 2018
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 two mugs of coffee. I spent the day at Sandcastle Water Park, and was in the pool / slides area from approximately 11:10 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 have a cup of coffee and get changed for the evening.Early Evening
Around 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 (I chose Sprite). Fish and chips are a must-have in Blackpool. Having finished my Pablo's Special I went straight to the Paradise Room.Friday Fun
The Blackpool Bash officially began when the Paradise Room doors opened around 19:30. At the time I was wearing my self-designed black "RCCGB Fun Night" T-shirt (made by Gildan). Inside the Casino Tower ground floor foyer, I removed my jogging bottoms to reveal my fluorescent pink sports shorts and my fluorescent pink football socks which were underneath. Having done that, I ascended the spiral stairs and entered the Paradise Room around 19:45. Once inside, I found myself a seat and bought myself half a pint of Heineken to drink.Andy's Welcome
The fun really began when Andy Hine appeared around 20:10 and said his annual catchphrase "Everybody say Blackpool". He gave his welcome speech, and mentioned some RCCGB merchandise which was to go on sale Saturday lunchtime. Next he invited Graham Shaw on stage as his assistant for a mobile phone trick. During this trick, Paul Heaney bought on the required props. This was followed by three acts.Act 1: Darren Mac
The first official act was magician Darren Mac. He did various tricks with a standard pack of cards, and a trick with pieces of rope. His final trick featured special cards numbered from 1 to a high number. Amazingly he managed to select a combination of those special cards where all the columns and rows added up to the same number.Act 2: Ashley Webber
The second act was Ashley Webber (who performed at last year's Blackpool Bash, and was back by popular demand). He sang a selection of songs, those being:"Everybody Needs Somebody"
"Ride Sally Ride"
"The Wonder of You" - Elvis Presley
"My Way" - Frank Sinatra
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" - Monty Python
The audience joined in singing and/or swaying for parts of some songs.
Interval
After Ashley Webber had finished singing, the interval began. During this time I bought myself half a pint of Fosters to drink. At the end of the interval Nev reappeared to introduce the final act of the night, Phil Lowen.Act 3: Phil Lowen
After the interval the final act of the evening was Phil Lowen. He also sang a selection of songs, starting with "Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond). Later songs included the Titanic theme (along with a mock-up of a ship) and two Tom Jones songs ("Delilah" and "What's New Pussycat"). He too asked the audience to join in with parts of songs. Between songs he told a selection of jokes. Finally, he dressed as Luciano Pavarotti for his closing song "Nessun Dorma".Drinking Up Time
When Phil finished performing around 22:40, Nev announced that Friday Fun was over. There was still time to finish our drinks. I spoke to, and had my picture taken with a few other members during this time. Officially we had to be out by 23:00, but many members including me were still in the Paradise Room after that time; I finally left at 23:17 and returned to my hotel a few minutes later.Friday Fun Summary
On the whole, an excellent selection of entertainment to start the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018. Thanks a million to Andy Hine for organising the entertainment, and to the three professional entertainers Darren Mac, Ashley Webber and Phil Lowen for performing. Many members liked my black "RCCGB Fun Night" T-shirt (with fluorescent pink lettering), my fluorescent pink sports shorts and my fluorescent pink football socks. The T-shirt was my own design, which I had printed at John Moore Sports, Bath mid-March 2016, ready for the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2016 Friday Fun Night.Back to the top
Saturday 7 April 2018 (daytime)
First Thing
Having awoke at 06:40 I put on my self-designed "I'm a Kidult!" T-shirt (made by Gildan). I asked for an early breakfast at 08:00 so that I could be at the Paradise Room well before 09:00. Just like Friday morning, I had cereal (I chose cornflakes), a glass of orange juice, a full English breakfast and four triangles of toast, but this time I only had time for one mug of coffee. Once I had finished my breakfast, I put my blue Team Bath hoody (made by Surridge) on over my T-shirt.Initial Meet-Up
Members were asked to meet in the Paradise Room from 08:30. 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, evening outfit, red football, 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 and Park Pass. Drinks vouchers were also given out at the time. Someone from the Pleasure Beach gave a short speech at the start, including an apology for the rain, but that would mean we would get lots of rides as the Park was likely to be quiet. He also stated that, as well as being the Club's 30th anniversary, it was also the 30th anniversary of the opening of Avalanche. Whilst in the Paradise Room, I saw Linda Lowery and spoke to her briefly; she liked my "I'm a Kidult!" T-shirt (made by Gildan). I also spoke to a few other members whilst waiting to enter the Pleasure Beach. When the signal was given the Club entered the Pleasure Beach through the gate. It was raining at the time.Morning ERS
The day began with a one-hour ERS on the Big One, Red Arrows Skyforce and Blue Flyer.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. The Big One is one of three coasters of this model currently operating worldwide. Back in 1994 the 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 fourth 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 seventh fastest currently operating coaster in Europe. It's certainly not the steepest any more, now there's Stealth, Rage and Mumbo Jumbo. I began the day by queuing for the Big One. Whilst I was in the queue, one train set off but a hold-up occurred for some mysterious reason. Momentarily I wondered if I'd get to ride the Big One at all, but I continued waiting in the queue. Eventually, once the problem was sorted, that train returned to the station. The attendant stated that the Club would get an extra 15 minutes of exclusive ride time due to that delay. I ended up having two goes. Both times 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 on what is one of my favourite steel coasters. The only drawback was feeling the rain hammering against my face whilst travelling against the wind.Red Arrows Skyforce
The ERS was rapidly drawing to a close, but there was still time for me to have a go on Red Arrows Skyforce during what remained of the ERS. This 72ft Gerstlauer Sky Fly opened a few weeks after the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2015, and consequently I first rode it during the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2016. Riders queue inside a building with Red Arrows theming. However there were very few people in front of me when I entered the queue line and thus I got on the very next run. 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 4. 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 is not as scary as one might think, but once was enough for me. In fact, my one go now was my only go on this all day.Summary of my rides during the Saturday morning ERS: Big One 2, Red Arrows Skyforce 1. 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.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. It is possible to have just one or two tracks running. On this occasion, only the green and yellow tracks were open; the red lane was closed. The best thing about this coaster is its racing element, hoping to be first home. I had three goes as follows:First go:Steeplechase green track horse 10. The yellow horse had a head start. About halfway around my horse caught up and overtook. My horse won.
Second go:Steeplechase green track horse 3. The yellow horse had a head start. About halfway around my horse caught up, but the yellow horse got ahead again and won. My horse lost.
Third go: Steeplechase yellow track horse 2. My horse had a head start, but the green horse caught up about halfway around. My horse stayed slightly ahead and won.
On each go I sang "Giddy up giddy up brave prince" and shouted "giddy up, people have got their money bet on you", in the hope my horse would win. Unfortunately that didn't help much on my second go, worse luck. Interestingly I noticed the yellow horse had a head start on each of my three goes, so I concluded it wasn't really a fair race. Anyway on the way around the tracks I noticed part of the track for the new coaster Icon which opens in a few weeks' time. Just before my first go, I noticed Steeplechase was due to close at 18:00. The operator said the whole Pleasure Beach was closing at 18:00; it was originally going to close at 19:00, but closing time had been brought forward to 18:00 due to the rain. He said that if the rain continues, closing time could be brought forward further still to 17:00.
Having left Steeplechase I went into Nickelodeon Land to have a few rides there. I was hoping to start with the orange wooden coaster Nickelodeon Streak, but as I approached it staff in the station signalled me away from the ride. It looked as though there was a problem with it at the time. I didn't bother returning to it later in the day to see if it was running, and thus I ended up not riding it at all Saturday.
Blue Flyer
Although the ERS had now ended, I wanted to ride Blue Flyer anyway. This wooden coaster (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. When I approached it I managed to get on the next run as very few people were in front of me. One go consists of one lap. Although the resort's smallest wooden coaster, it was great fun. When the ride ended, there was no queue and everyone wanted another go, so the attendant let the train around for another lap without anyone getting on or off. At the end of the second lap everyone left the train. I checked with the attendant; this officially counted as two goes. It was possible to do two goes straight off like that because everyone on board had wristbands like me.Diego's Rainforest Rescue
One of the rides introduced as part of Nickelodeon Land in 2011, a set of balloons around a tower. I got into one of the baskets. 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. My one go on Diego's Rainforest Rescue now was my only go on it all day.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, in fact, my final Nickelodeon Land ride for Saturday.At this point I left Nickelodeon Land to have some rides elsewhere. I headed for Revolution next.
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 queue for this was very short; I walked all the way to the top of the up staircase and the back of the queue was on the landing. Nonetheless I had to wait a few runs to get on, because only four rows were in use at a time, due to the wet track. When I finally got on, 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. For now I limited myself to just one go on Revolution, and didn't return to it later in the day.Once I had left Revolution, it was almost time for me to go to the Paradise Room for lunch, so I headed straight across the Pleasure Beach to the exit.
Lunch at Paradise Room
Around 12:30 I left the Pleasure Beach to go to the Paradise Room for lunch. As soon as I got there, I found a seat. Having done that, I exchanged my drinks voucher for a Pepsi at the bar. Next I went to get my meal. The queue was long, but before I knew it I reached the food serving point. Members could choose two of the following: beefburger, hot dog sausage, chicken burger; I chose beefburger and chicken burger. A portion of chips was also included. Buns were available to put the chosen items in and side salad was also available; I put my beefburger in a bun. During lunch Nev gave a speech. After he finished, Andy Hygate - Deputy Director of Operations gave a speech which included the demolition of Wild Mouse, and the forthcoming new coaster Icon which is due open next year. Club merchandise was available, including the red, purple and black RCCGB T-shirts (made by Gildan) which first appeared at the Blackpool Bash 2016. Since I bought myself a red one in 2016 and a purple one in 2017, I didn't buy any other Club merchandise this time. I was surprised there were no special RCCGB 30th anniversary T-shirts on sale, because 25th anniversary T-shirts were available during Saturday lunchtime at the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2013. That said, in 2008, it took until a few weeks after the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2008 for the official 20th anniversary T-shirts to become available by post. For the first time ever, Nev asked children who wanted to take part in the evening Gopher Game to put their names on a list; this was an attempt to make the game fairer (in the past children seated nearest the stage have always had an advantage over those further away when Nev has simply asked ten children to approach the stage at the start of the Gopher Game).Afternoon Free Time
At 14:00 I returned to the Pleasure Beach eager to enjoy some more rides. Thankfully the rain had now just about stopped. The first thing I noticed was that the rides were still due to close at 18:00.Flying Machines
I began with Flying Machines, largely because it is located close to the Pleasure Beach entrance. Furthermore I was able to get on its next run. I rode in the back row of plane GT3. 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. During the ride I could really feel the cold breeze when the planes were at their maximum extent, but not so much when they were close to the platform at the start and end of the ride. My one go on Flying Machines now was my only go on them all day.Ice Blast
Being as Ice Blast is located close to Flying Machines, I approached Ice Blast next. Furthermore, there were so few people waiting for it, I managed to get on its next run. 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! Nonetheless I limited myself to just one go.Grand National
Until 2014 the RCCGB 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 four 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. The maroon train won, and the blue train which I was on lost, worse luck.
Second go (right lift hill) I sat in the blue train which climbed the right lift hill. Opponent maroon train on the left lift hill. The blue train, which I was on, won.
Thus my train lost on my first go and won on my second go. A fair result I suppose. Grand National seemed quite rough Saturday afternoon.
Derby Racer
I decided to ride Derby Racer next. Basically this is a giant version of galloping horses. Although not a particularly thrilling ride, it was nonetheless great fun. My one go on this now ended up being my only go on it all day.Coffee Break
The time was now 15:20, and I felt like a cup of coffee, so I went to T Café to enjoy a cup of coffee. At 15:40 I left T Café eager to have some more rides.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. I had to wait over half an hour to get on this, and furthermore I noticed light drizzle falling whilst going through the outdoor zig-zag part of the queue. Nonetheless the ride was well worth the wait. Once the train was despatched, 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. My one go on Avalanche now was my only go on this all day.Infusion
This Vekoma SLC (689m Standard) inverted steel coaster originally operated as Traumatizer at Pleasureland Southport from 1999 to 5 September 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 Infusion, its waiting time was very short. I sat in the second row. The train climbed the lift hill to a maximum height of 109' 3.6" (33.3 m), descended the first drop and went around a vertical loop followed by many more thrilling features. Altogether a fun ride. Afterwards I had a second go, this time in the second-from-back row.Big Dipper
So far I hadn't ridden Big Dipper, so I was determined to ride it next. Thankfully its queuing time was quite short. This sit down wooden coaster was built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. and has been operating since 1923. I sat in the fifth 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. For now I limited myself to just one go on Big Dipper (which turned out to be my only go on it all day) as there were other rides I still wanted to go on.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. When I approached the queue line, the waiting time was quite short. 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.Grand Prix
I was going to ride River Caves next, but being as the entrance to Grand Prix is almost directly opposite Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic, I decided to Grand Prix first as it was now walk-on. It's a car ride, whereby the cars run on what resembles a giant Scalextric track. Having got into one of the cars, I was taken down the spiral (like in a multi-storey car park), towards Big One and back, then up the spiral back to the station. Depending on your take of things, you could perhaps class it as a coaster, considering it has ride cars which run on a track, that spirals down and uphill. What do you think? Coaster or not coaster? Although quite a tame ride, it was worth riding once just to say I'd been on it.River Caves
My next ride was River Caves. This boat ride was walk-on when I got there. I got straight into boat 10, 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. This was my only go on here all day.Ghost Train
Having disembarked from River Caves, it was almost closing time, but I looked for a nearby ride on the off-chance I could still get on it. Around the corner I approached Ghost Train. This too was walk-on; I managed to get straight into car 13. Despite attending every RCCGB Blackpool Bash since 2008, this is one of my least used rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. This ghost train has up and down hill sections, so can this be classed as a coaster? I sat in car 2. My one go on this now was my final ride for Saturday.Having left Ghost Train, the Pleasure Beach was officially closed, so I headed straight for the exit.
Summary of my day in order of activity
Morning ERS: Big One 2, Red Arrows Skyforce 1
Steeplechase green track 2
Steeplechase yellow track 1
Blue Flyer 2
Diego's Rainforest Rescue 1
Avatar Airbender 1
Revolution 1
Lunch at Paradise Room
Flying Machines 1
Ice Blast 1
Grand National left lift hill 1
Grand National right lift hill 1
Derby Racer 1
Coffee at T Café
Avalanche 1
Infusion 2
Big Dipper 1
Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic 1
Grand Prix 1
River Caves 1
Ghost Train 1
Cumulative Summary of My Rides (ERS and Free Time Combined)
| Ride | Total |
| Avalanche | 1 |
| Avatar Airbender | 1 |
| Big Dipper | 1 |
| Big One | 2 |
| Blue Flyer | 2 |
| Derby Racer | 1 |
| Diego's Rainforest Rescue | 1 |
| Flying Machines | 1 |
| Ghost Train | 1 |
| Grand National left lift hill | 1 |
| Grand National right lift hill | 1 |
| Grand Prix | 1 |
| Ice Blast | 1 |
| Infusion | 2 |
| Red Arrows Skyforce | 1 |
| Revolution | 1 |
| River Caves | 1 |
| Steeplechase green track | 2 |
| Steeplechase yellow track | 1 |
| Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic | 1 |
| TOTAL | 24 |
Altogether a fun day of riding. The morning ERS went well, it's a pity I missed Blue Flyer in that time, but at least I rode it twice later in the morning. During the rest of the morning and after lunch I enjoyed plenty more rides including Revolution, Ice Blast, Grand National (both lift hills), Infusion and Big Dipper. The only let-down was the weather; it rained all morning. Although the rain had just about stopped when I re-entered the Pleasure Beach around 14:00, there was another outbreak of drizzle later in the afternoon.
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Saturday 7 April 2018 (evening)
Without further ado I wanted to go into the Paradise Room for a rehearsal. The Casino Tower doors were locked shut at the time, but a member of staff was inside on the ground floor. I knocked on one of the doors, and when that member of staff opened the door, I showed my Back Stage Pass and stated that I needed to go up to the Paradise Room for a rehearsal. That member of staff allowed me in, and led me through a door marked "Private". I had to sign in before going up the back staircase alone. Part way up I was confused which way to go next, but thankfully another RCCGB member who was participating in the Coaster Crazy Show arrived and led me the rest of the way to the Paradise Room. Once there, I chose my seat, set up my camcorder and put on my evening outfit. Since there were several acts wanting rehearsals, I had to wait for a suitable opportunity to have a rehearsal. Wendy Adams Evans and the others involved were practising the actions for the opening act without music. Suddenly they needed time to discuss the act further before properly rehearsing it to music, so Nev and Wendy allowed me to use their discussion time to rehearse my act once through.Around 19:30 the doors at the top of the spiral stairs opened to members not taking part. This year's theme was 80s Icons, and many wore something 1980s related, e.g. "Choose Life" T-shirts, Dusty Bin, Maplins Yellowcoats, Pac-Man machine, Rubik's Cube. I wore a reproduction 1982 England shirt and pair of sports shorts to be Kevin Keegan. Admittedly my reproduction 1982 England shirt (which I bought November 2017) didn't have a name or number on the back, but as far as I'm concerned that didn't matter. For completeness I had my red football with me. Food was on sale, so I bought myself macaroni cheese (served with peas), and also half a Heineken to drink.
Coaster Crazy Show
Show Opener: Wendy & Co.- 80's Song & Dance Medley
The Coaster Crazy Show began around 20:15 with Wendy Adams Evans, Herman, Heather Hall, June Ross, Gareth Preece, Lorraine Downing and the James girls Charlotte and Alicia performing snippets of selected 1980s songs. Wendy entered the stage, holding two red balloons and started singing "99 Red Balloons" (Nena). As Wendy sang the line "The war machine springs to life", the others ran onto the stage holding red balloons, and they all batted their balloons into the audience on the line "as 99 red balloons go by". During the song "Don't You Want Me" (The Human League), Lorraine Downing was the waitress. Suddenly she disappeared behind a sheet, and was replaced by Heather Hall, who was wearing a Miss Piggy mask and wig. Herman did the actions to represent the waitress (Lorraine) being transformed into a success story (Heather as Miss Piggy). When Wendy began singing "The Model" (Kraftwerk), the others pretended to be photographers as Heather walked down the catwalk. Here is the complete list of the eight songs which featured in this opening act:
"99 Red Balloons" - Nena
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
"Don't You Want Me" - The Human League
"The Model" - Kraftwerk
"Radio Ga Ga" - Queen
"Prince Charming" - Adam and The Ants
"Thriller" - Michael Jackson
"Tom Hark" (Does anybody know how long to World War Three?) - The Piranhas
The first four songs were sung by Wendy to a backing track, whereas the remaining four were just dances, re-creating the official dance routines associated with the original song videos.
As the others left the stage, Wendy introduced Nev. Well done to Wendy and the others considering this act was put together in less than a week and they only had one rehearsal.
Introduction: Andy Hine
When the above act ended, Nev entered the stage to give his opening speech. He asked who got wet, who went on Valhalla, and joked that all rides were Valhalla on Saturday. He announced some trivia in the history of the Club. He then invited John Musk, who was one of the first ever RCCGB members, and has remained a member for the entire 30 years of the Club, on to the stage. John was given honorary membership for the rest of his coaster riding days.Act 1: Gary Williams - "Never Gonna Give You Up"
Gary Williams, who has performed billed acts previously, was back this year. This time he performed "Never Gonna Give You Up" (Rick Astley).Game 1: Kids' Gopher
It was now time for the first game of the night, this one solely for children under 10. In a change from previous years, Nev called out the names of the ten children who, having submitted their names lunchtime, were successful in getting a place in the game. This change was an attempt to make the game fairer than previous years. When called, they ran into the audience to fetch an item specified by Nev, e.g. hotel key, head band. 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:
Round of 10: Blackpool Bash programme
Round of 9: Membership card for something
Round of 8: Left sock (not participating child's own)
Round of 7: Hotel key
Round of 6: New style £10 note
Round of 5: Diary
Round of 4: Leg warmer (not participating child's own)
Round of 3: Head band
Round of 2: First timer on your lap
Well done to the winner Toby. At least there was a clear-cut winner this year. More to the point, at least there were no unexpected mishaps this year. As soon as the Kids' Gopher game ended I went back stage for the Gong Show.
Act 2: June Ross - Onekulele
Last year June Ross & David Sung performed, each with a ukulele, under the name Twokulele. For some reason only June was present this year, so this time she performed under the name Onekulele. This year June sang a ukulele parody of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" whilst playing the ukulele.The Gong Show
It was now time for the famous Gong Show, which featured a record-breaking 10 acts this year.Gong Act 1: Blackpool Donkeys HORN WENT
The first act was a group of nine members, one of whom was a child, performing under the stage name Blackpool Donkeys. Before the act began, a mattress was placed stage; Nev was mystified what that was intended for. The group entered the stage to perform their routine to "On The Floor ft. Pitbull" (Jennifer Lopez). One member, who was wearing a Wonder Woman outfit, danced around the stage waving a yellow ribbon. Another member held a hoop above the mattress, whilst the child and some of the adults went through it. Part way through, the person who was holding the hoop lay on the mattress, and the child briefly stood on that person's raised lower legs. Once that stunt was over, that same member resumed holding the hoop above the mattress for others to jump through. Meanwhile the one who was dressed as Wonder Woman, danced around the stage and did a cartwheel, whilst someone else waved the yellow ribbon. Altogether this was a bit of a mixed bag really. It's unclear what this was meant to be; to me it looked like a circus act. Eventually the horn went.Gong Act 2: Ryan Hackett - Reservoir Dogs scene HORN WENT
At the start of the act, Ryan's assistant (Dan Ould) entered the stage with his mouth taped over and wearing two giant imitation ear lobes, ready to sit in a chair. As the song "Stuck in the Middle with You" (Stealers Wheel) began, Ryan entered the stage with a blade. He pretended to cut Dan's ears off with the blade. In actual fact he removed the imitation ear lobes whilst passing the blade near them; standing in front of the chair disguised this a bit. Once Ryan had completed the trick on both ears, the horn went. At the end Nev pointed out that the Club is not encouraging chopping ears off, but the act was a scene from the film Reservoir Dogs.Gong Act 3: Jan Bryan & Lorraine Downing - "Day-O" HORN WENT
The third Gong Act featured Jan Bryan & Lorraine Downing. Lorraine sat down playing the bongo drums whilst singing "Day-O" (The Banana Boat Song) - Harry Belafonte, and Jan stood up trying to play the guitar. This attracted much booing which completely drowned out the song. After about one minute of performing, the horn went.Gong Act 4: Death - Stand-up comedy HORN WENT
Death has appeared in the Gong Show a number of times in the past. This year he was back to perform some stand-up comedy. He told a series of jokes, but eventually he ran out of material, and the horn went. Nev admitted that Death had run out of material immediately after the horn went.Gong Act 5: Linda Reynolds - Story HORN WENT
First-timer Linda Reynolds entered the stage wearing an outfit which was intended to be Carmen Miranda, but to me it looked like some sort of gipsy outfit. Linda announced that she was going to tell a story, but ended up waving her skirt and removing / replacing various garments more than speaking. Anyway she attracted much booing and many "off" calls, and after a very short time the horn went. It's hardly surprising this ended up being voted the ultimate worst act at the end of the Gong Show.Gong Act 6: Dan Ould - "Endless Love"
Dan had already appeared as an assistant to Ryan Hackett's act earlier, but now it was time for Dan to perform his own act. He appeared wearing yellow gloves with eyes on. The song "Endless Love" (Diana Ross & Lionel Richie) began, and Dan moved his thumb on one hand at a time to give the illusion that the gloves were singing, whilst remaining silent himself. He made it all the way to the end of the song without the horn going.Gong Act 7: Dr Cat - "Chandelier" HORN WENT
First timer Catherine Bland, performing under the stage name Dr Cat, entered the stage wearing a white dress and red hat, and holding a bottle of drink. She was accompanied by Ryan Hackett and someone else, both of whom held drinks. At the start of the act Ryan said "Drinking on tour" Catherine sang "Chandelier" by Sia, with some altered lyrics at the start of the song. One particularly interesting line early in the song "On the first of June, first of June" is not in the official lyrics of "Chandelier", and therefore must have been Catherine's own replacement for a corresponding actual line. I'm particularly mystified as to the significance of the first of June; presumably the whole act was somehow connected with the upcoming RCCGB USA 2018 - Let's Go Round Again trip which starts on Friday 1 June 2018. Anyway the horn went before the end of the first chorus.Gong Act 8: DJ Bubbles HORN WENT
Another first-timer, a member who performed under the stage name DJ Bubbles to perform what Nev described as a novelty act. DJ Bubbles appeared with a flower mask on his face, and holding an inflatable electric guitar, to resemble a 1980s style Rock'n Flower. Unfortunately a problem occurred when the sound technicians tried playing the required music for this act. After a couple of failed attempts Nev asked the audience if they knew the song "Popcorn", and he sang a bit himself. He then asked everyone in the audience to sing "Popcorn" whilst DJ Bubbles stepped on some sheets of giant bubble wrap (which had been placed on stage at the start of the act). Anyway it wasn't long before the horn went.Gong Act 9: Thunder - Dancing
Two girls performing a dancing and gymnastics routine to the song "Thunder" (Imagine Dragons). Their routine included synchronised arm and leg movements and balancing. One girl even did a handstand. When the song ended the end the girls headed back stage in opposite directions. Thus they reached the end without the horn going. Altogether a very well-choreographed routine; these two girls could become a competitor to CJ in future years. What was the significance of the fluorescent pink "KS" initials on their black tops though?Gong Act 10: Nemesis Nick - "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" HORN WENT
The tenth and final Gong Act was my performance of the English version of "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" (Herreys). The Swedish version of this song was Sweden's entry in, and winner of, the Eurovision Song Contest 1984. This time I decided to hand hold the microphone instead of placing it in a stand like I did previous years. Although I didn't intend to exactly replicate how Herreys moved around whilst they performed in the Eurovision Song Contest 1984, I nonetheless moved around the stage whilst singing. Between the first chorus and second verse I danced around the stage a bit. Part way through the middle eight line "I know my dream was a fantasy illusion" the horn went, but surprisingly there was much cheering and applause.Vote for Best Act
Top three: Dan Ould, Thunder, Nemesis NickThe audience had to cheer for one of these three. Nev eliminated me as I had least cheering on this round.
Top two: Dan Ould, Thunder
There was no further audience vote, but Nev questioned the sound guys which of these two had the most cheering
Winner: Dan Ould
Vote for Worst Act
Bottom two: Jan & Lorraine, Linda ReynoldsUltimate worst: Linda Reynolds
So somehow I made it into the top three this year, but not the top two. More importantly I wasn't in the bottom two either.
This time Ryan Hackett appeared as an extra performer in Dr Cat's act, and Dan Ould appeared as an assistant in Ryan Hackett's act. Personally I think there should be a rule stating that, if participants require on-stage assistants (e.g. as background singers / dancers) they must be people who aren't performing other Gong Show acts or billed acts.
Act 3: CJ (Ella & Mollie) - Dancing
Back to the billed acts next. Two girls Ella & Mollie, performing under the stage name CJ, were back this year to perform their latest dance routine. The routine began with Ella & Mollie both doing forward cartwheels. Subsequent elements included synchronised arm movements, spins and jumps. Part way through the dance one girl did a handstand. Altogether an excellent, well-choreographed sequence of movements accompanied by the Billy Joel song "Uptown Girl". Interestingly Ella & Mollie left the stage in opposite directions at the end of their performance, just like Thunder in the Gong Show.Game 2: Wood v Steel - The Race
The final game of the evening was "Wood v Steel - The Race". Nev appeared on stage wearing a white "Andy Says Relax" T-shirt. He asked for four adult volunteers to take part in the game. Two coaster cars (presumably made from boxes) were placed at the front of the stage. One bore the Icon logo (a new-for 2018 steel coaster) and Wicker Man (a new-for-2018 wooden coaster). Two contestants at a time had to turn a pole to wind the string connected to the relevant coaster car, and this pull it forward. The contestant whose coaster car got the line below their chair won the round.Heat 1: James (steel) v Miles (wood). Winner Miles - Wicker Man (wood)
Heat 2: Steve (steel) v Doug (wood). Winner Steve - Icon (steel)
Grand Final: Steve (steel) v Miles (wood). Winner Miles - Wicker Man (wood)
At the end Nev admitted that, no matter what the coaster is made of (wood or steel), the Club will still have fun on it.
Finale: Ryan and Co - "Dancing Lasha Tumbai"
It was now time for the closing song of the show. Originally performed as the finale to the Blackpool Bash 2008 Coaster Crazy Show, and again as the finale of the Blackpool Bash 2013 Coaster Crazy Show, Ryan Hackett, Matt Walker, Rachel Walker, Gareth Arkell, Carol Hedges & Heather Hall performed the Eurovision Song Contest entry "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" (Verka Serduchka - Ukraine 2007). All were dressed in their replica Verka Serduchka outfits they had made for their original performance in 2008. Members were encouraged to join in with the actions.Andy Hine: Thank Yous
When the song finished, Nev appeared on stage. 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. A problem then occurred with the when the staff tried lowering the stage; it got stuck just before it was level with the floor, so it had to be fully raised again. A member of staff removed some front panels and part of the front edge rail. Meanwhile Nev filled time by announcing next year's Blackpool Bash theme (kids' TV and cartoons) and Loopathon 2018 (including a hoped for, but not yet definite, late ERS on Wicker Man). A few minutes later the staff successfully lowered the stage so it was level with the floor, but someone had to put some gaffer tape down at the front edge to prevent people catching their toes there.After Show Party
At last the stage was ready to form the dance floor for the after-show disco, which lasted about an hour. Many including me danced along. The mix of song snippets had been changed a bit compared to recent years. There were several hits from the 1980s and other decades which I don't recall being included in previous years' mixes; these included "Pump Up the Jam" (Technotronic), Theme from S-Express (S-Express), "Ride on Time" (Black Box), Dr. Beat (Miami Sound Machine), "I.O.U." (Freeez), "The Model" (Kraftwerk), "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell), Making Your Mind Up" (Bucks Fizz), "Jailhouse Rock" (Elvis Presley) and Sandstorm (Darude). On the other hand, I noticed clips of some songs such as "My Old Silver Lining" and "Glad All Over" that had featured in the past were absent this time. Once again the mix included the usual "YMCA" (Village People), "The Locomotion" (Kylie Minogue), "Can-Can" (Bad Manners), "Nellie The Elephant" (Toy Dolls), "Tom Hark" (The Piranhas), The Monkees Theme (The Monkees) and "Happy Days".Towards the end the following four songs were played in full:
"Dancing Lasha Tumbai" - Verka Serduchka (Ryan and co appeared on stage just in front of the curtains doing the actions)
"(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" - Tony Christie
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" - Monty Python
"Theme from New York, New York" - Frank Sinatra
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 23:25 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 (recorded time 23:28). A few minutes later I was back in my hotel room.
Summary of Evening
Show Opener: Wendy & Co.- 80's Song & Dance Medley
Introduction: Andy Hine
Act 1: Gary Williams - "Never Gonna Give You Up"
Game 1: Kids' Gopher
Act 2: June Ross - Onekulele
The Gong Show
1: Blackpool Donkeys HORN WENT
2: Ryan Hackett - Reservoir Dogs scene HORN WENT
3: Jan Bryan & Lorraine Downing - "Day-O" HORN WENT
4: Death - Stand-up comedy HORN WENT
5: Linda Reynolds - Story HORN WENT
6: Dan Ould - "Endless Love"
7: Dr Cat - "Chandelier" HORN WENT
8: DJ Bubbles HORN WENT
9: Thunder - Dancing
10: Nemesis Nick - "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" HORN WENT
Top three: Dan Ould, Thunder, Nemesis Nick
After re-vote: top two: Dan Ould, Thunder; Winner: Dan Ould
Bottom two: Jan & Lorraine, Linda Reynolds; Ultimate worst: Linda Reynolds
Act 3: CJ (Ella & Mollie) - Dancing
Game 2: Wood v Steel - The Race
Finale: Ryan and Co - "Dancing Lasha Tumbai"
Andy Hine: Thank Yous
After Show Party (Disco)
Group photo
Altogether an excellent evening of entertainment. For me it was great to perform the English version of "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" in the Gong Show. The after show disco provided a lively end to the evening. It's a pity the problem with lowering the stage to form the dance floor delayed the start of the disco by a few minutes, but thankfully the staff managed to do a quick bodge to successfully lower the stage, and the disco still went ahead with the full hour of music as planned.
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Sunday 8 April 2018
First Thing
After an action packed Saturday I awoke at 06:50 and felt thirsty for more. I put on my red RCCGB T-shirt (made by Gildan) and, for the first time ever, my grey Nutella sweatshirt which I bought late January. I had an early breakfast at 08:20, consisting of cereal (I chose cornflakes), a glass of orange juice, a full English breakfast, four triangles of toast and a mug of coffee.Initial Meet-Up
After breakfast I left my hotel and walked to the Pleasure Beach as quickly as possible. The sky was overcast, but unlike Saturday morning, it was dry outside. A few minutes later I got to the Casino Tower. Everyone was waiting inside the tower on the ground floor. Unfortunately I suddenly realised I'd forgotten my lanyard, which held my trip badge. When I asked Nev if there was sufficient time for me to run back to my hotel room and get it, he gave me a replacement badge for me to write my name on. At least that saved me the time and inconvenience of a quick trip back to my room, but it did mean I had to keep the replacement badge in my wallet, rather than wearing it through the day. Next I went to the main desk to exchange my Sunday Wristband Voucher for my wristband. Once fitted with my wristband, I spoke to Linda Lowery. She liked my grey Nutella sweatshirt, in fact she liked it more than my blue Team Bath hoody (made by Surridge), which I wore on Saturday.WOW ERS
When Nev was given the signal by the staff, the Club waited outside for the gates to open. As soon as the gates opened, the Club entered through the gates for the WOW ERS on Big Dipper, Ghost Train and Grand National.Grand National
Although the RCCGB did not have a Grand National ERS Saturday late afternoon for the fourth year running, Grand National was one of the three rides included in the Sunday morning ERS. I began the ERS on Grand National. Whilst queuing for my first go, I saw Mark and Margo Lewis, and spoke to them until I got on the ride. I ended up having four goes on Grand National, as follows:First go (left lift hill): I sat in the maroon train which climbed the left lift hill. Opponent blue train on the right lift hill. The blue train won and the train I was on lost.
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. The maroon train, which I was on, won.
Third go (left lift hill): I sat in the blue train which climbed the left lift hill. Opponent maroon train on the right lift hill. The maroon train won, and the train I was on lost.
Fourth go (right lift hill): I sat in the maroon train which climbed the right lift hill. Opponent blue train on the left lift hill. The maroon train, which I was on, won.
Well you win some, you lose some. This time I had two wins and two losses, a fair balance I suppose. Grand National didn't seem as rough Sunday morning as it did Saturday afternoon.
Big Dipper
The ERS was already rapidly drawing to a close, so I headed for Big Dipper. When I got there I had time for one go on it (in the second row) during what remained of the ERS. By the time I had left the train, the ERS was officially over.Summary of my rides during the Sunday morning ERS: Grand National 4 (left lift hill 2, right lift hill 2), Big Dipper 1. Did anyone beat me on that?
Having exited Big Dipper, I saw Linda Lowery standing near Champagne Coffee Lounge, so we spoke to each other briefly and had a few pictures taken together.
After ERS
The RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018 was to all intents and purposes over when the ERS finished around 10:45. No further Club activities (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 pre-booked a Sunday wristband for the fifth year running, and was staying in Blackpool Sunday night for the second year running, I was able to continue riding until closing time of 18:00. During the rest of the day I enjoyed plenty more rides, however I didn't re-ride Big Dipper or Grand National the rest of the day.Coffee Break
At this point I felt like a coffee, so I went into Champagne Coffee Lounge for a tall Americano. Krispy Kreme doughnuts are also sold there, but I resisted the temptation to have one as I didn't feel like eating anything at the time. Nonetheless, the person serving me liked my grey Nutella sweatshirt. I sat a comfortable seat to enjoy my coffee. This was a much-needed, relaxing break from riding between the ERS and my first ride during normal opening time.Having left Champagne Coffee Lounge, I walked across the Pleasure Beach to Nickelodeon Land. At the bottom of the ramp (near the log flume) I saw Adey (who was about to leave the Pleasure Beach). I briefly spoke to Adey and had a few pictures of me and him together before I proceeded further into Nickelodeon Land.
Nickelodeon Streak
I didn't ride Nickelodeon Streak at all on Saturday, so I was determined to ride it Sunday. 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). I enjoyed two goes on Nickelodeon Streak, however the queue for my second go was longer than for my first go. Blue Flyer
So far I had ridden three of the four wooden coasters currently operating at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, so it was logical for me to ride Blue Flyer next. Although the smallest wooden coaster there, this was still great fun. I enjoyed two goes on Blue FlyerNow that I had ridden all four 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.
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.At this point I left Nickelodeon Land to ride some of the coasters at the southern end of the Pleasure Beach.
Revolution
My first steel coaster ride for Sunday was Revolution. By now the sun was out, and that meant the Pleasure Beach was busier than Saturday. Consequently the queue for Revolution was considerably longer (a couple of flights down the up staircase) than when I approached it late morning on Saturday. Thankfully, because the track had dried out, the whole train was in use Sunday. Understandably the dry, sunny weather meant the ride experience forwards through the loop, to the dead end and backwards through the loop was much more pleasant than in Saturday's rainfall. Due to the longish queuing time, I limited myself to one go for now. Since I didn't return to Revolution later, this was my only go on it all day.Steeplechase
Next I approached Steeplechase. All three Steeplechase lanes were running, I began by queuing for the red track (as I wasn't able to ride that track Saturday morning). When it was my turn, I rode horse 4 on the red track. Whilst riding I sang "Giddy up giddy up brave prince" and shouted "giddy up, people have got their money bet on you". Nonetheless the yellow horse won, the green horse finished second, and my horse was last, worse luck. Having completed this go, I resisted my temptation to ride the other two lanes due to the queues, and I wanted to go on other rides. As it happened, I didn't return to Steeplechase later in the day.I approached Big One next, but there appeared to be a problem with it (several people in the queue were walking back down the entrance path), so I backed off and headed for Avalanche instead.
Avalanche
Now for a go on the bobsleigh coaster Avalanche. Surprisingly its queue wasn't as long as when I approached it Saturday afternoon. Whereas Saturday afternoon the queue stretched back through much of the open air zig-zag, this time the back of the queue was just before the point where riders enter the archway to go up the stairs. As I neared the front of the queue (after the entry turnstile), I saw Julie from the RCCGB (the time was 13:49). I got into the back row of the back car of the train, and she decided to sit in front of me in that same car. Once the train was despatched, Julie's mother waved to us from the ground. Just like when I rode Avalanche alone Saturday afternoon, I remained quiet and totally relaxed for the entire journey. Once the ride ended, I accompanied Julie until she was back with her mother who was waiting near the entrance. I briefly spoke to Julie's mother before going anywhere else. My one go on Avalanche now was my only go on it all day. Furthermore, this was my only time of riding with another RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018 attendee during free time all weekend.Mid-Afternoon Snack at T Café
At this point I felt like a light snack, so I went to T Café. When I got there at 14:08 I decided to have a cheese and ham toastie meal deal. This included a hot drink (I chose white coffee), and a packet of crisps. Out of choice I wouldn't have bought crisps, but since there was no discount for not having them, I had them as part of the meal deal anyway; I chose ready salted. When I sat down, I anticipated putting my unopened packet of crisps in my rucksack for future consumption upon leaving, but after I had eaten my cheese and ham toastie (which was delicious), I decided to eat the crisps on the premises anyway. Once I had finished my crisps and coffee I left the café to resume riding. This was my last time of consuming refreshments within the Pleasure Beach as I didn't purchase any further food or drink during the rest of the afternoon.Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic
My first ride after my mid-afternoon snack was Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic. Unsurprisingly the queue was longer than when I approached it Saturday afternoon. When I joined the queue I saw Linda Lowery again, but being as she was almost at the front of the queue, I couldn't share a car with her. Soon enough, it was my turn to ride and 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. My one go on this now was my only go on this all day.River Caves
Next I decided to ride River Caves, and thankfully the waiting time was quite short. I sat in boat 14 with four other riders (who, to the best of my knowledge, were not RCCGB Blackpool Bash attendees). 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
My next stop was the tall drop tower Ice Blast. Although the waiting time was longer than when I rode it Saturday afternoon, I nonetheless managed to get on it fairly quickly. The ride experience to the top and back down was just the same as when I rode it Saturday afternoon, but obviously riding it during Sunday afternoon's dry, sunny weather was more pleasant. Although a fun ride, I limited myself to just one go on Ice Blast.Flying Machines
Next I approached Flying Machines, and thankfully the waiting time was very short. Knowing that one can really feel the cold when the planes are at their maximum extent, I put my body warmer on and my cagoule on top, before getting into one of the planes. I sat in the back row of plane GT1. Once seated, I had to wait a few minutes for more riders to get on before the ride set off. During the ride I spotted two other RCCGB members standing nearby. My one go on Flying Machines now was my only go on them all day.Having left Flying Machines, I spoke to the two RCCGB members I had just seen from the ride. I removed my outer layers to show them my grey Nutella sweatshirt. They were surprised I had so many layers on as, at ground level, it wasn't all that cold. Shortly afterwards, Peter O'Brien appeared. I spoke to him briefly, and we had our picture taken together.
Derby Racer
Next I went on Derby Racer. Although not a particularly thrilling ride, this giant version of galloping horses was worth one go. My one go on Derby Racer now was my only go on it all day.Alice Ride
Being as Alice Ride is located near Derby Racer, I decided to Alice Ride next. This fantasy ride is one of my least ridden rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach since I first attended the RCCGB Blackpool Bash in 2008. I sat in car 5. Riders travel through an Alice in Wonderland / Through the Looking Glass themed building, featuring characters from the story. Interestingly the ride cars run on a track, which has mild undulations, so can one class this as a coaster? I only had one go on this, which turned out to be my only go on it all day.Having left Alice Ride, I headed into Nickelodeon Land. Whilst there I saw SpongeBob on the stage, and had my picture taken with him.
Avatar Airbender
Being as I was passing through Nickelodeon Land, it made sense for me to ride Avatar Airbender next. When I approached it, there was no queue, and I managed to sit in the one remaining seat on it. Once again, sitting at the edge of a giant spinning disc, whilst travelling the u-shaped track back and forth was great fun, but one go was enough for me. This ended up being my final Nickelodeon Land ride for Sunday, and thus the whole weekend.Big One
So far I still hadn't ridden Big One on Sunday, so I approached it next. Unfortunately its queue was still quite long, despite it now being late afternoon. Determined to ride it before closing time, I joined the queue and waited my turn. Whilst I was queuing, I spotted two other RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018 attendees way back in the queue, and I briefly spoke to them as I passed them in the indoor zig-zag queue. This was my last sighting of any other RCCGB members on the trip Sunday afternoon. Just before I got on the train, I put my body warmer on and my cagoule on top, as I expected to feel the wind chill during the ride. Once despatched, the ride from start to finish was just the same as during the Saturday morning ERS. As expected, I noticed the wind at the top of the lift hill and going over subsequent hills, but thankfully I didn't have rain hammering against my face whilst travelling against the wind. Altogether riding this in Sunday afternoon's sunshine was much more pleasant than during Saturday morning's rain. Due to the long queue I limited myself to just one go on this.Red Arrows Skyforce
Next I approached Red Arrows Skyforce, and since there was no-one in the queue, I decided to ride it. I sat in plane number 3. Just like when I rode Red Arrows Skyforce during the Saturday morning ERS, I tried moving the wings forwards and backwards, but could not get my plane to flip over. One go was enough for me. Infusion
Finally I headed across the Pleasure Beach to the inverted coaster Infusion, and thankfully its waiting time was very short. Hence I managed to enjoy two goes on it (second-from-back row, back row) before it and all the other rides closed at 18:00.Having left Infusion all rides were closed as time was now a few minutes after 18:00. Without further ado I headed towards the main exit. Just before I left, I had a few pictures taken of me by the raised lawn near Ice Blast. I finally left the Pleasure Beach at 18:15. I don't recall seeing any RCCGB members whilst passing through the exit building, or just outside. A member of Pleasure Beach staff who I spoke to immediately after passing through the exit building reckoned I was the last RCCGB member on the trip to leave. Was I really the only RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018 attendee to have stayed in the Pleasure Beach until closing time of 18:00?
Summary of my day in order of activity
WOW ERS
Grand National left lift hill, right lift hill, left lift hill, right lift hill
Big Dipper 1
Tall Americano at Champagne Coffee Lounge
Nickelodeon Streak 2
Blue Flyer 2
Dora's World Voyage 1
Revolution 1
Steeplechase red track 1
Avalanche 1
Mid-afternoon snack at T Café
Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic 1
River Caves 1
Ice Blast 1
Flying Machines 1
Derby Racer 1
Alice Ride 1
Avatar Airbender 1
Big One 1
Red Arrows Skyforce 1
Infusion 2
Cumulative Summary of My Rides (ERS and Free Time Combined)
| Ride | Total |
| Alice Ride | 1 |
| Avalanche | 1 |
| Avatar Airbender | 1 |
| Big Dipper | 1 |
| Big One | 1 |
| Blue Flyer | 2 |
| Derby Racer | 1 |
| Dora's World Voyage | 1 |
| Flying Machines | 1 |
| Grand National left lift hill | 2 |
| Grand National right lift hill | 2 |
| Ice Blast | 1 |
| Infusion | 2 |
| Nickelodeon Streak | 2 |
| Red Arrows Skyforce | 1 |
| Revolution | 1 |
| River Caves | 1 |
| Steeplechase red track | 1 |
| Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic | 1 |
| TOTAL | 24 |
Altogether a coaster crazy final day of the RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018, during which I enjoyed 5 rides during the WOW ERS, and 19 more rides the rest of the day. It has to be said, from my experience of the last few years, Sunday always feels a bit odd after the ERS ends, knowing there are no further organised group activities (e.g. lunch in a central location), and many members leave after the ERS ends. After midday I often felt I was the only member left in the Pleasure Beach, until I spotted the odd one or two other Blackpool Bash attendees from time to time. At least Sunday was dry all day, and sunny from around noon; a vast improvement on Saturday which was wet much of the day. I'm pleased that Linda Lowery, various other RCCGB members and some Pleasure Beach staff liked my grey Nutella sweatshirt, which I bought late January and wore with pride for the first time Sunday.
Sunday Evening
For the second year running, I stayed Sunday night in Blackpool. Having left Blackpool Pleasure Beach around 18:15, I returned to my hotel room and relaxed for just over an hour. Just like last year, it felt strange being in my room for what was to be my final night, as from 2008 to 2016 inclusive I just had a flying visit to collect my luggage upon leaving the Pleasure Beach.Around 19:30 I went to The Velvet Coaster (Wetherspoon) for my evening meal. When I arrived there I sat at a vacant table and took a while looking at the menu. Eventually I decided to have BBQ chicken melt (grilled chicken, cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, served with chips, half a tomato, peas and a large mushroom) for main course. This included a drink from a specified selection; I chose one pint of John Smith's. As if that wasn't enough I decided to have a dessert as well: warm cookie dough sandwich with ice cream. Yummy! Altogether a delicious meal on my last night in Blackpool. Best of all the turnaround time on food was much faster than when I went there Thursday evening; this time I returned to my table after ordering at the bar and my main course arrived very soon after that. I finally left the pub at 20:56. A few minutes later I was back in my hotel room, and relaxed there the rest of the evening.
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Monday 9 April 2018
Monday First Thing
For the second year running, I woke up in Blackpool on the Monday morning after the Blackpool Bash. Naturally I was determined to make the most of my extra day in Blackpool. I put on my self-designed 46th birthday T-shirt (made by Gildan) and began packing. Unlike Saturday and Sunday, I was able to have breakfast within the normal serving time of 08:30 to 09:30; I actually went to the dining room just after 09:00. In fact, when I got there, the person serving me said "Good afternoon" as a joke because I was having breakfast later than Saturday and Sunday morning. Just like the previous three mornings, my breakfast consisted of cereal (I chose cornflakes), a glass of orange juice, a full English breakfast, four triangles of toast and a mug of coffee. However I enjoyed it at a more relaxed pace, as I didn't feel in such a rush as the previous two mornings. Having finished my breakfast I returned to my room, finished packing and vacated my room around 10:00.Madame Tussauds
To fill up my final day, I decided to visit Madame Tussauds Blackpool. After leaving the hotel I caught a tram from South Pier to Central Pier. I entered Madame Tussauds around 10:30.Ground Floor
Once admitted I began with the Big Night In exhibition on the ground floor. Figures here include Simon Cowell on the sofa, Paddy McGuinness on the Take Me Out set, Keith Lemon beside the Celebrity Juice desk, Chris Tarrant on the "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" set, darts player Phil Taylor and ice skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. Further on, the Lifestyle TV area includes Jeremy Kyle, Peter Andre, Gok Wan and Alan Titchmarsh. The Crime Drama exhibition includes John Thaw and David Jason.First Floor
By ascending the up escalator I landed on the first floor. There I walked across the rope bridge above the escalator hole. Figures here include David Attenborough in the Docu-Drama area, and Ant and Dec in the "I'm A Celebrity" exhibition. Further on, the football themed Locker Room includes footballers Joe Hart, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. There is also a goal scoring simulator; I tried scoring penalties using the simulator, without much success.Second Floor
Next I walked up a staircase to the second floor. The first part of the second floor has changed considerably since I visited this time last year. The sport section is now called Sporting Hero Academy. It focuses on the six sporting hero key indicators: agility, speed, poise, dedication, focus, stealth. There are a number of games in this area to test those, but I only had time to try one game. I would have liked to have had a go on the climbing wall, but there were several people in front of me and I didn't want to wait because I still had a lot to see further on. Figures here include Lewis Hamilton, Mo Farah and boxer Conor McGregor. Further on, the Marvel exhibition is also new for 2018. This includes Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Nick Fury and Spiderman. About mid-way around I got to the recreation of the Rovers Return Inn. There I saw figures of Hilda Ogden, Jack and Vera Duckworth, Ken and Deirdre Barlow and Bet Lynch. Visitors can purchase drinks at the bar there, so I took time to enjoy a pint of Boddingtons there. The next exhibition is Music, featuring Tom Jones, Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga.First Floor (continued)
Back down on the first floor, I saw Benny Hill, walked through the mirror maze and sat in the giant deckchair. The first half of the Best of British exhibition includes Hugh Bonneville, HM The Queen, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Festival Fields area is heavily themed around British music festivals. Exhibits here include a pair of giant Wellington boots, a minibus and a telephone box (I had a go at dialling various years to get songs from those years). Figures in the Festival Fields area include Ed Sheeran, Olly Murs and Ariana Grande. The second half of the Best of British exhibition includes Darcy Bussell, Joanna Lumley, The Beatles, and the comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. I stood on the Abbey Road zebra crossing between the statues of The Beatles.Ground Floor (continued)
Having descended the stairs to the ground floor, I saw Shrek. The final exhibition is Comedy, which includes Alan Carr, Tommy Cooper, Dame Edna Everage and Ken Dodd, plus The Two Ronnies at their desk. Finally beside the exit door I saw a figure of Bruce Forsyth. Altogether this was another worthwhile visit to Madame Tussauds Blackpool. Just like when I went there last year, I photographed many of the figures and had my picture taken beside several of them. My only regret was taking so long over the early exhibitions (up to and including the Locker Room); I ought to have proceeded through them more quickly in order to have had more time to fully enjoy the new second floor exhibitions Sporting Hero Academy (and thus tried all the games and climbing wall) and Marvel. I finally left Madame Tussauds at 14:51.
South Pier
Shortly afterwards I caught the 14:55 tram from Central Pier to South Pier. When I arrived at South Pier tram stop six minutes later, I went on South Pier. Crazy Coaster was running, so I decided to ride it.Crazy Coaster
This Reverchon Spinning Coaster is new to South Pier for 2018. Previously it operated as Crazy Coaster at Plopsaland De Panne (Adinkerke-De Panne, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium) from 19 December 2009 to 3 January 2010 (evidently then as a Christmas holiday ride) and as Crazy Coaster at Arcadia City, Odessa, Ukraine from 2014 to 2017. I had to wait a few minutes to buy tokens at the kiosk. Having bought tokens, there were no riders in front of me, but nonetheless I had to wait for a suitable ride car to enter the station (not all the cars were in use for some reason Monday afternoon). Once despatched, the ride experience felt largely the same as any other steel mouse coaster I'd ridden. The only subtle difference was, because the coaster is at the far end of the pier, from the top I could see the pier surface a long way down, and the sea even further down which made the ride slightly scarier than if the coaster had been sited on the promenade. Due to the cost per go, and my limited time available, I only had one go, but once was enough for me to say I'd ridden Crazy Coaster this trip, and thus add it to my coaster count.Monday Late Afternoon
Having completed my ride I immediately left South Pier and returned to the hotel where I had stayed to collect my luggage. Once I had collected my luggage, I returned to South Pier tram stop and caught the 15:27 tram from South Pier to North Pier. When I got to North Pier, I wanted to get myself something to eat nearby before going to Blackpool North station. At 15:40 I saw The Frying Squad Fish and Chips in Market Street; it was open so I went in and they were able to serve me fish and chips. I ordered a regular fish & chips meal deal; this included mushy peas and can of drink (I chose 7-Up). I had to wait about 10 minutes for my order to arrive, but it was worth the wait. I sat inside to eat my order at one of their tables.Journey Home
Having left Frying Squad I walked straight to Blackpool North station. When I got there the 16:30 rail replacement bus to Preston was just leaving. I went through the queuing system and ticket checkpoint, and passengers were already being allowed on to the next rail replacement bus which was due to depart at 16:45. When the bus arrived at Preston station at 17:39, I went straight into the station and had an Americano at Upper Crust there. From Preston I caught the 18:17 Virgin Trains Pendolino train to Birmingham New Street, whereupon I had time to have a slice of millionaire's shortbread and an Americano from Costa Coffee in the Red Lounge. After that, I continued my journey on the 20:42 CrossCountry Super Voyager train to Bristol Temple Meads. Unfortunately, when that train reached Cheltenham Spa, a long delay occurred due to a points failure at the junction with the line to Gloucester. The train finally reached Bristol Temple Meads at 23:09, which was 55 minutes later than scheduled. Fortunately I was still able to complete my journey on the 23:20 rail replacement bus to Bath Spa, which finally arrived Bath Spa at 00:01. About 15 minutes later I was home at long last, later than expected or wanted. Back to the top
Outro
Highlights
Wearing my self-designed RCCGB Fun Night T-shirt, fluorescent pink sports shorts and fluorescent pink football socks to the Friday Fun Night.Saturday morning ERS on Big One, Red Arrows Skyforce and Blue Flyer.
Sunday morning WOW ERS on Big Dipper, Ghost Train and Grand National.
Good overall ride count both Saturday and Sunday (during morning ERS and normal time).
Riding all the coasters and many other rides again.
Riding all four 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 "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley" (Herreys) in the Gong Show Saturday evening
Dry (and sunny from midday) weather Sunday.
Lowlights
Rain Saturday morning and drizzle parts of Saturday afternoon.Problem with the Big One early on in the Saturday morning ERS (but at least it was soon rectified, and the Club got 15 minutes' extra exclusive ride time as a result).
Summing Up
Another mega excellent weekend away at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Granadaland, my eleventh Blackpool Bash to-date. It was great riding the Big One, Grand National, Big Dipper and other rides again. 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 ninth time to-date. Although I wasn't in the top two this time, at least I wasn't in the bottom two either. 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 three professional entertainers Darren Mac, Ashley Webber and Phil Lowen Friday evening, to the ride staff required for operating the applicable rides during the Saturday and Sunday morning ERSs, to the caterers for providing food Friday evening, Saturday lunchtime and Saturday evening, to the sound technicians Friday and Saturday evening, and to all members who performed billed or Gong Show acts Saturday evening. The only let-down was the wet weather on Saturday. At least Sunday was dry all day, and sunny from midday onwards. RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2018 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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