Cred Hunting 07/20 – Somerset + Wales
Oh yes, it’s great to open up this series again.
For my first week of working away from home in forever, I was stuck in Somerset with nothing to do of an evening.
Except creds.
Day 1 – Funland Theme Park
Sadly this park has taken the quirk out of their name – no more fun at the Tropicana to be had. They did however pull out their 2 coasters from 2018 and replace them with a fresh pair for me.
What better way is there to get back in the game than by jumping on a shining Wacky Worm.
It felt so good you can have 2 photos of it.
And what better way to remind me how frustrating this can be. The spinning wild mouse that I had seen running just moments before stepping into the park was now broken. They couldn’t give me a time estimate, but from previous experience of them breaking their zyklon, a man was already inside the tracks sorting things out. I gave them a chance and camped out for 15 minutes.
On my return I was told “it ain’t gonna be a quick fix, got some serious issues here”, so I thanked them and left, with the tokens still rattling in my pocket.
Back at the car I made a phone call to some bloke’s personal mobile number who confirmed that ‘yes, he was Barry Island Pleasure Park.’ He confirmed to me that everything was running and they were planning to keep that going for the next 2 hours.
What better way is there to get back in the game than by making another stupid journey for a +1?
If only I had a jet ski.
Barry Island Pleasure Park
It was a rather pleasant drive that ended in absolute carnage. Upon reaching the traffic lights facing the park, 4 police riot vans came screaming around the corner. There were people here, everywhere, in a mass of chaos. I’ve forgotten what that’s like.
With several feral youths literally being bundled into the vans in front of me and officers running in all directions, I casually found a parking space and got out to find myself ankle deep in fish and chip papers.
I haven’t moved this fast in many months either. While wading through the nightmare that surrounded me, the only thought in my mind was how I wanted to be in and out of this place as quick as humanly possible.
After using the self service token machine I walked up to the operator of this beast. He gave a confusing speech about bracing for the final brake run because of how sudden it was.
For a certified mad man it didn’t even register, though as I returned to the station he asked “see what I mean?”
“Umm… yeah, I guess.”
All I actually noticed was at least 1000 people queueing on top of each other for the train station just outside the park boundary. That ain’t going well.
Took a token photo of Beastie from Alton Towers. The poor thing, relegated to such a grim place.
And that was far too much of that. At least I’ve got a news article to remember the experience by – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53507193
Day 2 – Funland Theme Park
Oh no, you’re not spiting me that easily. After failing to make a phone call and confusing a man at the nearby mini golf, I stubbornly proceeded against the odds, in the pouring rain, to have another attempt at the mouse the following evening.
Things couldn’t have looked more different to the previous day as I arrived, but importantly the cred was running.
Something ain’t right about this one, the seat was collapsing as I sat down and then the usual spin trigger from these Reverchons kicked in immediately after the lift hill, locked itself in the straight position again halfway through the turns, then something made an awful crunching sound and it continued to rotate wildly throughout the rest of the layout. I don’t think I’ve ever done the double up with a spin before.
I’d estimate my total time in the park to be under 3 minutes. Still got it.