California-in-England, Wokingham
California-in-England was a 1930s pleasure park near Wokingham, which later became a holiday camp and is now a public park
Tourist Attractions
Tourist Attractions
Gwrych Castle – The postwar years
During the 1950s and 1960s Gwrych Castle was one of the top attractions in Wales. Learn about its fascinating history and later decline
Holiday Camps
Kessingland Holiday Camp
Kessingland Holiday Camp was a popular destination for nearly 50 years before it was demolished for housing
Railways
Golden Acre Park Railway, Leeds
This fascinating railway only operated for 7 years but the locomotives went on to lead quite a varied life and still survive today
Railways, Tourist Attractions
Pleasure Beach Express, Blackpool
History of the miniature railway at Blackpool Pleasure Beach which first opened in 1933 and is still running today
Holiday Camps, Railways
Early Butlins Miniature Railways
History of the two Hudswell Clarke locos which started the Butlins miniature railways in the 1930s
Holiday Camps
Derbyshire Miners Holiday Camp, Rhyl
The first and only holiday camp to be built by the National Coal Board it later fell on hard times and was closed in 1984
Tourist Attractions
Rhyl Monorail – A brief history
The trials and tribulations of the Rhyl monorail which ran on the seafront for only one season before being later demolished
Railways, Tourist Attractions
Miners Tramway at Llechwedd Slate Caverns
In 1972 Llechwedd Slate Caverns opened The Miners’s Tramway, Britain’s first public underground mine ride
Holiday Camps
Derbyshire Miners Holiday Camp, Skegness
The Derbyshire Miners Holiday camp in Skegness enjoyed a popular 50-year run until closing in the 1980s
Holiday Camps
Wallis’s Cayton Bay Holiday Park
Dating from the 1930s the Wallis’s Cayton Bay holiday camp became one of the top resorts in the area
Holiday Camps
Pontins Hemsby Holiday Camp
Developed from one of the earliest holiday camps in the country, Pontins Hemsby enjoyed great success until closing in 2008
Holiday Camps
Caister Holiday Camp
Learn about the fascinating history of Caister Holiday Camp, from its unusual beginnings in 1906 to its transformation into a Haven caravan park
Tourist Attractions
White City London: After the exhibitions
The fascinating story of what happened to the White City site in London after the famous exhibitions came to an end
Tourist Attractions
Britannia Park & The American Adventure
Discover the rise and fall of Britannia Park, a short-lived 1980s theme park in Derbyshire that paved the way for The American Adventure.
Tourist Attractions
Park Hall & Camelot Theme Park
The fascinating story of the history of Park Hall and how it was developed into a major attraction including Arena North and the Camelot Theme Park
Tourist Attractions
Alton Towers: 1920s to the 1970s
Alton Towers has been attracting hordes of visitors for over a hundred years, and in this blog we look at the era before it became a major theme park
Railways, Tourist Attractions
Stapleford House & Park
Explore the turbulent history of Stapleford House and its miniature railway
Tourist Attractions
Cornish Riviera Lido & Cornwall Coliseum
Located at Carlyon Bay this leisure complex first opened in the 1930s and had several different names over the years
Holiday Camps
Holimarine Holidays: The rise and fall
Discover the rise and fall of Holimarine Holidays, once a well known name in the UK holiday park business
Holiday Camps
Morecambe Bay Holiday Camp
Discover the history of Morecambe Bay Holiday Camp. From a scandal-hit 1920s singles camp to a thriving post-war family resort.