The man bucking the trend of seaside amusement park decline
More than 100 years on one seaside amusement park is thriving, profitable, a big contributor to the region’s leisure economy and the town’s biggest employer.
Regeneration over the last decade and a firm focus on family values has seen the rebirth and reinvention of a traditional attraction that, 11 years ago was derelict, burned-out and abandoned. A year after he took over, the park re-opened and has gone from strength to strength.
Southport Pleasureland rose from the ashes. Today it attracts more than half a million visitors a year, the park has expanded and the tourism entrepreneur behind it is in the late stages of planning for the ‘something big’ that will swell visitor numbers exponentially, create more jobs and further boost the local economy.
Businessman Norman Wallis has regenerated the park with fresh investment annually, ploughing profits back into infrastructure, acquisition and rides, and touring the world to identify the latest trends to bring home to Merseyside.
His park is a rare thing – a heritage site that is also an example of a carefully-applied strategy working in the 21st Century when around it so many amusement parks have ‘gone dark’.
How is it this entrepreneur’s thinking has struck the right note with the region’s families and made his park both relevant and profitable and a world those who originally conceived it wouldn’t recognise?
To mark ten years of the park’s return – and its place as one of the North West’s anchor attractions – Mr Wallis took time out to reflect on the battle to save a Victorian seaside park.
“I think that we have succeeded because we’ve stuck to family values. We know what we’re not (and don’t want to be) as well as what we are. Entry to the park is free, and always will be. That means that the whole family can come along, even those who don’t want to use the rides, and they’re made very welcome. They’re not charged for the privilege of holding everyone else’s coats and bags. Some grandparents may not want to ride – a lot do – but those who don’t still want to be involved and enjoy the day.
“We welcome the family dog, we’re happy for people to bring their own picnics. It means families can budget effectively and there’s no barrier to coming along for as long or as little as you choose.
“And we make sure we actively encourage families – they’re our core audience. We aren’t about stag and hen parties – our mix of rides reflects that. Plenty of variety for the little ones as well as bigger and faster rides for older kids and adults means we are bringing families to the town, and they will go on to do a little shopping or perhaps get a bite to eat, supporting other businesses.
We always seek to include the best our heritage has to offer. We recently bought the Lakeside Miniature Railway, oldest constantly running 15 inch gauge railway in the world – which has great historical value to the area. We’ve already begun to replace tracks and we’re looking to build a new station at one end and create a museum at the other.
A lot of people tell the drivers that they’ve been coming back for 60 and 70 years, and they love it – one woman was in her 90s, and she said it might be the last time for her.
“We are proud of what we’ve achieved with Pleasureland. As we’ve developed we’ve bought many brand new rides. Our rides come from all over the world including France, Germany, Italy, Holland, China and the UK.
“We are a diverse employer and as we look to the future we’re planning to create hundreds more jobs which will be of great economic benefit to Southport, Merseyside and as part of the City Region.
“The park is beautiful and people continue to visit, it’s a safe and colourful space for families to relax in and enjoy.
“There’s more to do. Every year we make improvements and we invest – and the best is yet to come. It’s a far cry from the blackened and burned out husk we took on.”
https://www.ft.com/stream/76578d86-25df-3b1b-a702-7013486dfa41
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