Camelot Theme Park Goes Into Receivership

[Tomatron]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 868241.stm

A troubled Lancashire theme park and hotel has been put into receivership.

Camelot, which is in Charnock Richard, near Chorley, has struggled to compete with attractions such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach in recent years.

Receivers say they are optimistic about finding a buyer for the hotel, but the park looks unlikely to reopen in April following its winter break.

Owner Prime Resorts made 18 hotel staff redundant last month. A further 29 jobs are being axed in the receivership.

Managers have made no secret of the theme park's problems and have been pursuing plans to close it and build new village on the site.

In 2006, Chief Executive Roy Page predicted the park "would not exist much past the next seven to 10 years".

The theme park, which employed 21 permanent staff during the winter months, was due to open on 4 April. The hotel employs 80 staff.

Discussions are ongoing as to the future of the site, receivers Grant Thornton said, including the new village proposals.

Les Ross, a partner in Grant Thornton, said: "Camelot Theme Park has struggled for a number of years to compete with larger attractions such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Alton Towers.

"Visitor numbers had been in decline at the park, which only operated for 20 weeks out of the year.

"The hotel had an extremely busy Christmas and New Year and also has very healthy bookings for functions and short leisure breaks.

"However, it has suffered a significant reduction in corporate bookings due to the economic downturn.

"We are optimistic about finding a buyer for the hotel, which will remain open for business as normal."

 

[tks]

Lol woops.

Can't really say i'd miss it whatever happens to it.

 

[Ian]

It doesn't surprise me really. Having a family park with no original rides and attractions is not going to pull in the family market from localish parks such as Alton Towers or Drayton Manor.

I'm pretty sure that the economic downturn did have a hand in hamering in a few nails, but it was poor investment that put the coffin lid on in the first place.

If other family parks such as Paultons, Flamingoland, Oakwood and even the Milky Way can continue to run in the current climate, then it proves my point entirely.

 

[Ollie]

Darn. Still yet to go there.

 

[Ollie]

Darn. Still yet to go there.

 

[luke8]

This has really upset me, and I'm gutted.

This has been my home/local park since I was 5, and now 15 years on it has finally happened.

I knew it would close soon, but deep down I always hoped it would be saved.

I have been visiting about 5 times a year for the past 10 years now, and I can see how poor the park has been run.

Last season, the park had a rat infestation, a large holding bolt missing from the Rack on ALL my visits and I was told by a manager they could only afford to run 1 train at a time on Knightmare, even in the summer!

Speaking of Knightmare, you can call me crazy but I believe it is one of the best coasters in the UK. It's definitely in my top 10 in the world, too.

It's intense, it's fast and it's a unique Schwarzkopf that can't be found anywhere else in the world.

The Jousting Shows are famous, and there's plenty more rides I love, and will miss deeply.

This may not bother 99% of enthusiasts but I have loved this park since my Toddler days and this is a great shame.

Surely there must be a way some sort of company can buy it and keep it as a theme park?

What will happen to my beloved Knightmare?

 

[Anonymous]

Too bad for Camelot, it was a quirky little park that had some good quality's. Well mainly Knightmare.

It's intense, it's fast and it's a unique Schwarzkopf that can't be found anywhere else in the world.

Fail!

Jetline at Gröna Lund was a clone until they changed the first drop a bit, and I have to say that it's better then Knightmare was when I last rode them.
Also there were (until early 2008 ?) a near clone at Nasu Highland, it had a completely remodeled first part compare to the other, but they had scrapped it sometime before I visited the place a few months ago.

But then again there is always Lisebergbanan...

We can only hope that someone else buys Knightmare so it can live on.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been waiting for it to go for some time now. I havnt seen any news of it in town but still not sad to see it go. I havnt been there since the 07 live event.


Who would buy Knightmare though.

 

[Tomatron]

^Right now, I can't think of anyone who would.

I'm not surprised about this at all. It was only a matter of time before this happened, despite the best efforts of the people who tried their hardest to keep it open.

 

[marc]

I wanted to go there for their one good coaster

 

[Lain]

Discounting Knightmare, this park was really pretty bad, and after my one visit, I couldn't see me ever visiting again.

Still, it's always sad to lose an attraction like this.

Ho hum.

 

[spicy]

Damn, never been here but I wanted to when they installed Knightmare.

I also thought that this park could be going places once they installed Knightmare so its a shame that they are now closing.

-1 park for the UK then..

 

[Ian]

Damn, never been here but I wanted to when they installed Knightmare.

I think that's the problem. There are many people that wanted to go, southend_marc said above as well, because of Knightmare but never bothered.

Whereas I'm pretty sure most people will rush to Thorpe to ride a EuroFighter.

I wonder if all the people that never bothered going may have saved the park from going under if they went.

This is our hobby and we should really support the parks as and when we can.

 

[Mushroom]

I am with Marc, never been there. Not had the chance, and was planning to do it on the way up to Blackpool live. Its a shame, but lets hope for the better and it opens in April!

 

[Mike]

This doesn't surprise me at all.
Even when we visited just after Knightmare opened (for the CF-Live), I thought everything was all extremely tacky and poor, and in all honesty, I didn't even think it would last this long.

 

[Ben]

Wow, this is SO shocking...

>.<

Knightmare will be missed, but I'd have never gone there again. It was awful. I only went for a second visit because someone wanted the credits and we were passing.

It's weird, just after I visited Southport, it shut. Just after I visited Coney Island, it shut. And now just after I visited Camelot, it shut. I'll make a mental note to visit Thorpe more and hope.

 

[Anonymous]

The Lightwater valley management said that they were intrested in knightmare awhile back, so hopefully lightwater will get thier hands on it.

 

[Anonymous]

If they do hopefully they can look after it and keep it in good order.

 

[Dave]

Im sad to hear its going to close, as the park itself wasn't brilliant but it had so much potential!
It was a theme park thats stuck in the past and needed a re-think.

Not going to miss it that much, just a shame really...Blackpool dominating again...

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Poor park, in... pretty much every aspect.

The only sad thing a about this is that it possibly removed competition from other local parks and thus their need to try harder.

Also, it would be sad to see Knightmare scrapped, but Indeed - WHO'D buy it? It wasn't very good, it's a clumbersome layout...