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Rare Pleasure Beach Footage

STC

STC

Mega Poster
The old couple who went down everyday to watch the construction are so wonderfully quaint! Yes, it is a bloody awful ride, but to hear the genuine enthusiasm and pride and theirs and Geoffrey Thompson's voice almost makes it worth it. :p

The height thing is a bit cheeky of Blackpool, if we're playing that game then I'm sure the Big One wasn't the highest of the big three to open in 1994 - Nemmy was. I wonder how the enthusiast managed to do that without getting thrown out by security...

Is it me or does the ride look like it had slightly more speed in 1994? It really does now craaaaaaaaawl over the second "airtime" hill.
 
M

marc

CF Legend
The drop was changed so now it is slower no matter what people say. I remember the drop as it was and bloody hell it was fast and scary.
 
E

Emmett

Giga Poster
Yes the orginal first drop looks so much better and I would have loved to have tried PMBO before it was replaced. The supports of the newer drop just dont look right.

Great video and that couple in their car are brilliant.
 
furie

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
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When it first opened, there was a lot of speculation over which was better PMBO or Nemesis. I knew a few people other than myself who rode them both (original PMBO and Nemesis) those first two seasons.

To be honest, it was very split as to which was the better out of the two. However, after the changes were made, the choice was very clear for everyone.

I was certainly only just in the Nemesis camp in 1995, but after riding PMBO again after the modifications, it was clear which was the winner :)

As Marc said, before the reprofile, PMBO was scary and fast, until Bizarro, I don't think I experienced a drop that made me go quite so "WHOOOOOOA".
 
R

RumbleBee

Roller Poster
furie said:
When it first opened, there was a lot of speculation over which was better PMBO or Nemesis. I knew a few people other than myself who rode them both (original PMBO and Nemesis) those first two seasons.
Click to expand...

I remember this featured on some morning TV show. I think both rides opened at similar times.
 
furie

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
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Yeah, both went head to head. It was essentially the last pitched battle between the two parks for the crown of "best in Britain". Shockwave and The Ultimate also opened that year - vying for the British public at Drayton and Lightwater.

Both put everything into producing (at that time) world class rides. Both succeeded to one degree or another :)
 
STC

STC

Mega Poster
furie said:
Yeah, both went head to head. It was essentially the last pitched battle between the two parks for the crown of "best in Britain". Shockwave and The Ultimate also opened that year - vying for the British public at Drayton and Lightwater.
Click to expand...

The Ultimate opened three years earlier, in 1991 according to the RCDB! :lol:

I think it was this lack of competition that actually harmed Lightwater in the long term while PPB and Alton have continued to flourish. The media know some sort of "battle" makes a better story and they got that with PMBO and Nemmy, not with The Ultimate.
 
furie

furie

SBOPD
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STC said:
The Ultimate opened three years earlier, in 1991 according to the RCDB! :lol:
Click to expand...

Ah, Roller Coaster enthusiast "facts" don't you love them. I've just never questioned it :lol:

STC said:
I think it was this lack of competition that actually harmed Lightwater in the long term while PPB and Alton have continued to flourish. The media know some sort of "battle" makes a better story and they got that with PMBO and Nemmy, not with The Ultimate.
Click to expand...

I think you're probably right, they needed to jump on the Ultimate and make the park into something else.

The problem is, if the ride didn't bring in the desired footfall ,they'll have not wanted to invest heavily again. Blackpool and Alton knew they had to to keep on top of their game.

For Drayton, it was quite a savvy move...
 
B

Blaze

Hyper Poster
Those old people...such a terribly Brithish thing to do.

Interesting, and it certainly does look odd withthe new drop, with the supprts sticking out, much better back in the day.

That person who climbed it to measure it, that a bit sad and very reckless, such a daft thing to do to get the real hight of a ride.
 
coastermac

coastermac

Roller Poster
I thought PMBO was pretty thrilling last year, would have loved to ride it before the mods!

Just to be sure, when did The Ultimate actually open?
 
Scott88

Scott88

Hyper Poster
I am pretty sure PMBO runs quicker now than it used to do. The turnaround used to slow the trains down too much, which is why it was changed to how it is now, it flies around there now, instead of crawling round slowly.
 
B

Ben

CF Legend
Hahahaha.

Hahahaha.

Haha.

Ha.

PMBO has the slowest turnaround in the history of everything. It's a **** coaster, let it go.
 
furie

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
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The drop seemed much faster. However, time plays tricks. It was the first really massive coaster I'd been on, and certainly the fastest. I do remember the drop being terrifying though first time, but after the re-profile it was just "pretty good". That was not too long after my first go on it in 1994, so I think the change must have made a big impact as I'd not been on any other new ride in between times.

I seem to remember the whole ride just being really fast and exiting that first run, but every time since then, I hated the slow crawl around the turnaround that makes you feel like you're going to be tipped out. I don't remember that on the first run. So the memory of the memory says it was better before - but I wouldn't put my life on the line over it.
 
M

marc

CF Legend
I have to agree with Furie, it does seem slower these days than when it opened.

But then again I have now been on much better coasters so maybe the speed to the same as it always was but other coasters are simply just better.
 
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