Report - Pleasure Island Theme Park, Cleethorpes - November 2016

[GRONK]

November 2016​

I may as well get a report of my own up before everyone gets sick of this one, visited with @Coolboyslim and ran into @Esoteric Eric at the park. I'd hared the park was due to close a few months back but given its reputation for ‘'closing down'' I didn't pay it much attention. That is until a photo was posted to Facebook of the park and me being a true tourist I decided I’d pay it a visit before it becomes another Camelot, as if by magic (3 1/2 hour drive later) we were in the park. The park is in really good condition and nothing really seems to have happened since closing last month. The older ride in the park is the 1922 'Swinging Chairs' that are located in the main entrance to the park.

Plans for the site are still unknown with its future looking bleak, however the owners have announced that the attached family pub will reopen in 2017.

History

Pleasure Island Family Theme Park stood on the site of the former Cleethorpes Zoo. Owned and operated by Associated Pleasure Parks, the zoo had such attractions as seals, penguins, raccoons, pelicans, chimpanzees, a whale, African elephant, tiger and an orangutan The zoo subsequently closed in 1977. The site was sold to Pleasureworld, a division of RKF Entertainment, who announced that a new theme park would be built, as a sister park to the Pleasurewood Hills park near Lowestoft and bearing the same name. Construction began on the new theme park in the 1980s.

RKF Entertainment went into receivership during the early 1990s and construction of the park was halted. The site was sold to Robert Gibb, the managing director of Flamingo Land in Malton, North Yorkshire. When the opportunity to purchase the Cleethorpes site became available, Gibb decided to continue with the redevelopment of the site as a theme park, which became today's Pleasure Island. Construction of the park was completed by Gibb in 1992 and Pleasure Island Family Theme Park was opened on 27 May 1993. Robert Gibb's son, Gordon Gibb, later became the chief executive of the company and directly runs Flamingo Land, while his sister Vicky Gibb, and subsequently other sister Melanie Wood (formerly Gibb), took the responsibility for the management of Pleasure Island.

In 2010, Melanie Wood, completed her desire to take ownership of the park, separate from the family company. Pleasure Island was operated by Dewarsavile Enterprises Ltd, directed by Mrs Wood. This marked the end of Pleasure Island and Flamingo Land's association and the two parks are now independent of each other. In 2013, the farm and petting zoo including tractor ride was added replacing the electric monorail.

It was as a result of the most recent ownership transfer that on 14 April 2010, the Grimsby Telegraph website broke news that the park had closed. Staff had turned up for work and were given letters informing them of termination to their employment. Visitors were turned away at the gate. Later stories suggested that the closure was caused by a breakdown in negotiations about the park's ownership. Previously a sister park of Flamingo Land, negotiations were taking place to separate the two parks, with current managing director of Pleasure Island Melanie Wood taking control of the park.

The speculation about the park's future caused a great deal of concern amongst local businesses, staff and visitors, that the attraction was to close permanently. The park closed the gates for the last time on 29th October 2016.

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[15] - A big me on the slide.

[15a] - A little me on the slide (2002).

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Cheers for looking.
Canon 60D / EF-S 10-18mm​

 

[Camera Shy]

And so it begins....

 

[Esoteric Eric]

Cheers for the tag mate, good to meet you guys.

 

[coolboyslim]

You grabbed some great shots there. love the shot from slide. Thought you grabbed more of train. Really nice and bloody fun explore lol. Nice to meet you also estoric eric

 

[ACID- REFLUX]

Nicely covered mate

Going off the many calls it s ounds like you had an entertaining time but I want to see the rest of the selfie pics. I know both you and Rob are partial to a kiddies ride

And in true Cameltoe fashion.....Where is this ????

 

[GRONK]

Cheers for the tag mate, good to meet you guys.

No worries mate, it was good to meet you.

You grabbed some great shots there. love the shot from slide. Thought you grabbed more of train. Really nice and bloody fun explore lol. Nice to meet you also estoric eric

I did mate but they didn't turn out great,

Nicely covered mate
Going off the many calls it s ounds like you had an entertaining time but I want to see the rest of the selfie pics. I know both you and Rob are partial to a kiddies ride
And in true Cameltoe fashion.....Where is this ????

There is still time, however @Coolboyslim may be able to provide a train driver pic.

 

[GK_WAX]

Good one gronk lad!

 

[Vulex]

Sounds like you had a nice little day trip out

 

[Ojay]

Looks like this place is gonna be busier now it's closed

 

[GRONK]

Looks like this place is gonna be busier now it's closed

That sounds very familiar. haha

 

[Ferox]

Nice one Gronk. You have been getting around a bit recently bud.

 

[GK_WAX]

Was it worth the 7 hour round trip? @GRONK

 

[GRONK]

.

 

[GRONK]

Was it worth the 7 hour round trip? @GRONK

100% haha.

It was like a posh Camelot.

 

[GK_WAX]

100% haha.

It was like a posh Camelot.

makes it all worth while, nothing worse than travelling long distance then Having a fail