Cleethorpes Late 1800's

[Waffleman]

My brother (bezzzzzer) is a primary school teacher, and we live near Cleethorpes. The council gave him access to a powerpoint about local history, which covered Cleethorpes and their tourist attractions and I just thought a few of these pictures were worth sharing.


This is a "Batho Chute".


Here is a family photo in front of the lighthouse-themed Helter Skelter.


This cred was referred to simply as "Water Chute".


This rather uninspiring woodie was named "The Dip The Dips".

Hope you enjoyed those, I just thought they were worth sharing. If you ever go (or have been) to Pleasure Island, these were all on the beach about 10 minutes walk from PI, there are still some small rides there (I think the Helter Skelter is still there) and a little cred, but nothing quite on the scale of some of these rides.

 

[TP Rich]

Thanks very much for sharing these photographs. I'm guessing most rides were removed due to developing health and safety through the years. I've seen videos of one of those 'Water Chutes' at Blackpool on YouTube, I'm surprised people were even brave enough to ride them tbhwy.

 

[furie]

Brilliant, I love these things It's an area I've read about a fair amount, but never seen images of. It's worth considering sending the Dip the Dips photo to RCDB, they appreciate it

Plus, I never new you were Bezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzer's brother, you learn something new every day... Well, I try tofishyfishyfishy

^Removed due to lack of interest generally in the areas as holiday makers stopped going to British seaside resorts. Though the war often played a large part, it was the 50's/60's package holiday boom that dealt the death blow for most seaside resorts and rides.

I believe that there was still stuff around the area until the 70's though, but that may be more Skegness, my memory isn't what it used to be...

 

[Colossus]

Wow, these are some remarkable pictures, I love looking back at old photos of seaside life, back in its heyday when a visit to the seaside really meant something. Thank you for sharing theses wonderful images.

 

[bazpa]

I remember and rode a wooden coaster in the 70s at Cleethorpes but it wasn't on the beach where the other rides are now, there was a big indoor funfair further down called Wonderland at the end of the promenade and the rollercoaster was just outside. Last time I went the wonderland building was being used as a market but could have been demolished by now.

Just looked on google streetview and Wonderland is still there - the blue building at the end of the promenade, the car park outside was where the coaster was, the beach rides are about half a mile away.

 

[Waffleman]

I remember and rode a wooden coaster in the 70s at Cleethorpes but it wasn't on the beach where the other rides are now, there was a big indoor funfair further down called Wonderland at the end of the promenade and the rollercoaster was just outside. Last time I went the wonderland building was being used as a market but could have been demolished by now.

Yeah, they still use that as a market, very sad, really. I believe they had a looper at some point too?
I'll ask my mum about it.

 

[T0M]

Thank you so much for these. I live 20 minutes or so away myself so these are very special to me.

 

[furie]

I remember and rode a wooden coaster in the 70s at Cleethorpes but it wasn't on the beach where the other rides are now, there was a big indoor funfair further down called Wonderland at the end of the promenade and the rollercoaster was just outside. Last time I went the wonderland building was being used as a market but could have been demolished by now.

Just looked on google streetview and Wonderland is still there - the blue building at the end of the promenade, the car park outside was where the coaster was, the beach rides are about half a mile away.

Wow, my memory was right then, and yes, it was Wonderland I was thinking of

 

[Dave]

I found out with research in my dissertation that cleethorpes had nothing until the railway arrived and funded the town to improve. Shows how quickly it changed the town from those photos

 

[T0M]

Waffleman, I suspect the original photographer is long dead, but I just wanted to let you know I posted the Dip the Dips photograph onto my website's Facebook page earlier, so cheers!

Wonderland is still an indoor Sunday market today. I'm not sure it's actually called that officially anymore, but it is still commonly referred to as such. I've not been for around ten years though. It was never a fair in the lifetime that I can recall, and I used to hate my parents referring to it as Wonderland as it evoked feelings of rides! I don't think I ever remember the wooden coaster at Cleethorpes. I'd love to know when it was removed.