Graeme
Mega Poster
This thread is intended to collect my TRs from Clacton-on-Sea, which I tend to visit a lot over the winter months. Most of the TRs will probably be from the off-season, but there’s usually plenty to see and do. For now, I would like to kick off with…
It had been a while since I visited Clacton. To my knowledge, I hadn’t been here since September last year. Oktoberfest was on, and as I left the Pier I found myself surrounded by a crowd. I had inadvertently gone there on the same day as an annual Hindu ceremony, and I watched as music played and statues of Ganesh were carried to the sea. Well, I think the excitement must have been too much for me, as I hadn’t returned since! Nonetheless, it’s around this time of year I get a hankering for Clacton, and so I set out to reacquaint myself with the place.
Parking near The Grand, I walked down the slopes and past the beachside diners. The weather was certainly cold enough for a hat and gloves. It is a lovely walk from here, alongside the fishtail groynes and with views of the wind turbines. Before long, I found myself at the Pier, with the large Mondial Wheel in front of me. I must admit, I’ve never had the best head for heights, so I continued straight on.
Once onto the Pier, I found myself in the place that has formed some of my earliest memories. I used to like the Rifle Range, where I’d sit on the counter and fire at skeletons, cats in bins and the like. I’d love to know who made it, actually, as I don’t think it was the typical “Hillbilly Moonshine”. There also used to be several roundabouts - if I recall correctly, I used to like riding on a fire engine or a big Dalmatian.
Nowadays, the Pier has a different business model, as most of the undercover forecourt is all games and grabbers. There is a large arcade on the right, which always provides a welcome retreat in the winter. I found a Hulk toy on the penny falls, and spent a very enjoyable half hour or so trying to win it. I’m a child of the ‘80s, but I think arcades nowadays have got it just right. You get the fun of playing the game, the prizes from the game itself and also tickets to exchange for other prizes at the desk.
Nonetheless, I needed some fresh air, so I opened the doors and headed out onto the planks. Clacton has some great rides nowadays. There’s a Twister and Waltzer, as well as a double-level Go-Karts. I must admit I’ve never ridden the rides here as much as I should. Once they got a new Jump & Smile, which I thought looked really cool, so I had a go. Well, let’s just say it jumped a lot but I didn’t smile!
On the left is a water-themed area, which was once home to a swimming pool. Before that, hard as it is to believe, they used to have dolphins and orcas. Clacton Pier has reclaimed this area brilliantly, with some bumper boats and the Log Flume from Codona’s. Quite a cool thing to have on a pier.
On the right, there has always been a substantial roller coaster. From the legendary Steel Stella to the Vekoma Whirlwind of my youth. More recently there was Stella’s Revenge, an Interpark Zyklon, which has been replaced with another ride from Codona’s - the Looping Star, a Pinfari ZL42. Personally, I have never ridden this, as I really hurt my neck on the one at Hayling Island. From watching Clacton’s go round, I thought they might have trimmed the worst bit, but unfortunately, enough people have told me that it’s still rough.
Past the Helter Skelter, I walked towards the end of the Pier, a favourite haunt of fishermen. I stood by the Jolly Roger building and looked out to sea. There is something magical about being on a pier. I think it has something to do with getting away from it all. That and the possibilities. You look at the horizon and wonder where you could go… Not that I actually go anywhere, mind!
Once off the Pier, I stood at the bottom of the cliff. I heard some people shouting, and soon a group of rowdy gentlemen came hurtling down the steps. Were they drunk, I wondered? Soon, the smell of cannabis filled the air and all became clear. Something similar has happened every time I’ve been to Clacton recently. Whilst I try not to judge others, the drug users on the seafront are rather a nuisance.
Regardless, it was time for some lunch. I headed down Pier Avenue, which has always had a place in my heart. Four big arcades stood here - Harrison’s, Magic City, the Gaiety and (what was) Billy’s Casino. Surprisingly, Harrison’s - a rabbit warren of an arcade - is the only one that didn’t survive the changing times. As a boy, I used to play Double Dragon and Final Fight in these. Once I got so excited playing Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja, I lost all sense of time. Later, as a young man, these were the places to find all the new Sega releases, such as Le Mans 24, Daytona 2 etc. One day I pumped a fortune into House of the Dead.
Today, we can get all that elsewhere, so I bought some chips and headed to the Gardens. Over the years, these have been a place of great escapism, particularly the Sunken Rose Garden. We all have our problems, but this place never fails to raise my spirit. A lovely Yorkshire Terrier approached me and, with the owner’s permission, I gave him some food. A group of seagulls weren’t very impressed with that and challenged the dog for the food, so he chased them off. To be honest, my loyalties were split, as I do like herring gulls as well.
After my lunch I walked onto the bridge and crossed Pier Gap. Once I had the excitement of seeing UKIP candidate Roger Lord on this bridge, who was being interviewed for local TV and wasn’t too pleased he had been replaced with Douglas Carswell! Unfortunately, there was no one there today, so I had to settle for a fine view of the Pier.
Across the bridge is the Pavilion Fun Park, which has an interesting history. The Pavilion itself is below. In the past, a solid arcade faced the sea, with a curved wall behind it, and an open recess in between. There were various attractions built into the curved wall, such as a Bucking Bronco. In recent years there has been an entertainment complex built on this ground level, with the Fun Park atop.
And it’s not a bad little park at all. Many of the rides are from SBF Visa, such as the Pirate Ship and the now-missing Gold Mine coaster. In 2021, Clacton became somewhat famous for having two big wheels - one here and one on the Pier. The Pavilion’s has since moved to Felixstowe, I believe, and has been replaced at Clacton with the Shark Coaster, which means the Pier and the Pavilion both have a Wacky Worm!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the cred today, so it was time to go home. Thus, I headed down Marine Parade, past the Upside-Down House and back to the car. I had enjoyed a perfect little outing to Clacton, which, for me, always blows away the cobwebs. There was a time, about twenty years ago, when this resort was really quite faded and sad, but it has bounced back amazingly. Through good times and bad, the British seaside will always be a big part of my soul.
22 November 2024 - The House & the Hulk
It had been a while since I visited Clacton. To my knowledge, I hadn’t been here since September last year. Oktoberfest was on, and as I left the Pier I found myself surrounded by a crowd. I had inadvertently gone there on the same day as an annual Hindu ceremony, and I watched as music played and statues of Ganesh were carried to the sea. Well, I think the excitement must have been too much for me, as I hadn’t returned since! Nonetheless, it’s around this time of year I get a hankering for Clacton, and so I set out to reacquaint myself with the place.
Parking near The Grand, I walked down the slopes and past the beachside diners. The weather was certainly cold enough for a hat and gloves. It is a lovely walk from here, alongside the fishtail groynes and with views of the wind turbines. Before long, I found myself at the Pier, with the large Mondial Wheel in front of me. I must admit, I’ve never had the best head for heights, so I continued straight on.
Once onto the Pier, I found myself in the place that has formed some of my earliest memories. I used to like the Rifle Range, where I’d sit on the counter and fire at skeletons, cats in bins and the like. I’d love to know who made it, actually, as I don’t think it was the typical “Hillbilly Moonshine”. There also used to be several roundabouts - if I recall correctly, I used to like riding on a fire engine or a big Dalmatian.
Nowadays, the Pier has a different business model, as most of the undercover forecourt is all games and grabbers. There is a large arcade on the right, which always provides a welcome retreat in the winter. I found a Hulk toy on the penny falls, and spent a very enjoyable half hour or so trying to win it. I’m a child of the ‘80s, but I think arcades nowadays have got it just right. You get the fun of playing the game, the prizes from the game itself and also tickets to exchange for other prizes at the desk.
Nonetheless, I needed some fresh air, so I opened the doors and headed out onto the planks. Clacton has some great rides nowadays. There’s a Twister and Waltzer, as well as a double-level Go-Karts. I must admit I’ve never ridden the rides here as much as I should. Once they got a new Jump & Smile, which I thought looked really cool, so I had a go. Well, let’s just say it jumped a lot but I didn’t smile!
On the left is a water-themed area, which was once home to a swimming pool. Before that, hard as it is to believe, they used to have dolphins and orcas. Clacton Pier has reclaimed this area brilliantly, with some bumper boats and the Log Flume from Codona’s. Quite a cool thing to have on a pier.
On the right, there has always been a substantial roller coaster. From the legendary Steel Stella to the Vekoma Whirlwind of my youth. More recently there was Stella’s Revenge, an Interpark Zyklon, which has been replaced with another ride from Codona’s - the Looping Star, a Pinfari ZL42. Personally, I have never ridden this, as I really hurt my neck on the one at Hayling Island. From watching Clacton’s go round, I thought they might have trimmed the worst bit, but unfortunately, enough people have told me that it’s still rough.
Past the Helter Skelter, I walked towards the end of the Pier, a favourite haunt of fishermen. I stood by the Jolly Roger building and looked out to sea. There is something magical about being on a pier. I think it has something to do with getting away from it all. That and the possibilities. You look at the horizon and wonder where you could go… Not that I actually go anywhere, mind!
Once off the Pier, I stood at the bottom of the cliff. I heard some people shouting, and soon a group of rowdy gentlemen came hurtling down the steps. Were they drunk, I wondered? Soon, the smell of cannabis filled the air and all became clear. Something similar has happened every time I’ve been to Clacton recently. Whilst I try not to judge others, the drug users on the seafront are rather a nuisance.
Regardless, it was time for some lunch. I headed down Pier Avenue, which has always had a place in my heart. Four big arcades stood here - Harrison’s, Magic City, the Gaiety and (what was) Billy’s Casino. Surprisingly, Harrison’s - a rabbit warren of an arcade - is the only one that didn’t survive the changing times. As a boy, I used to play Double Dragon and Final Fight in these. Once I got so excited playing Bad Dudes vs Dragonninja, I lost all sense of time. Later, as a young man, these were the places to find all the new Sega releases, such as Le Mans 24, Daytona 2 etc. One day I pumped a fortune into House of the Dead.
Today, we can get all that elsewhere, so I bought some chips and headed to the Gardens. Over the years, these have been a place of great escapism, particularly the Sunken Rose Garden. We all have our problems, but this place never fails to raise my spirit. A lovely Yorkshire Terrier approached me and, with the owner’s permission, I gave him some food. A group of seagulls weren’t very impressed with that and challenged the dog for the food, so he chased them off. To be honest, my loyalties were split, as I do like herring gulls as well.
After my lunch I walked onto the bridge and crossed Pier Gap. Once I had the excitement of seeing UKIP candidate Roger Lord on this bridge, who was being interviewed for local TV and wasn’t too pleased he had been replaced with Douglas Carswell! Unfortunately, there was no one there today, so I had to settle for a fine view of the Pier.
Across the bridge is the Pavilion Fun Park, which has an interesting history. The Pavilion itself is below. In the past, a solid arcade faced the sea, with a curved wall behind it, and an open recess in between. There were various attractions built into the curved wall, such as a Bucking Bronco. In recent years there has been an entertainment complex built on this ground level, with the Fun Park atop.
And it’s not a bad little park at all. Many of the rides are from SBF Visa, such as the Pirate Ship and the now-missing Gold Mine coaster. In 2021, Clacton became somewhat famous for having two big wheels - one here and one on the Pier. The Pavilion’s has since moved to Felixstowe, I believe, and has been replaced at Clacton with the Shark Coaster, which means the Pier and the Pavilion both have a Wacky Worm!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the cred today, so it was time to go home. Thus, I headed down Marine Parade, past the Upside-Down House and back to the car. I had enjoyed a perfect little outing to Clacton, which, for me, always blows away the cobwebs. There was a time, about twenty years ago, when this resort was really quite faded and sad, but it has bounced back amazingly. Through good times and bad, the British seaside will always be a big part of my soul.