Leaving Event 9th November Trip Topic:
http://www.towerstimesforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=21949
Corkscrew: The End of an Era.
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Ash
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Jon
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I'm really glad the park are giving it a proper send off, with its own section of the site, footage from the eighties, cool photos and most importantly its own farewell event. Instead of brushing it under the carpet, they are really being quite respectful of those who really love the nostalgia of the ride.
I can't say I was particularly "close" to the ride (as close as any sane person can be to a hunk of metal and concrete :P) ; my first visit to the park was in 2003. I can say though that I did give me a little twinge looking at the photos on the website. It looked so new and fresh back then, it's fantastic to see that footage.
But to the future, this doesn't half make me excited! If we are to assume that it will be removed in the closed season or early in 2009 and that nothing will be done with the site until at least 2010, then we will once again be seeing a large development on the park on the scale of Air, Nemesis and Oblivion. This is the hope, at least. I really hope they do take it down rather than leave it to rot, and I do hope the site is occupied as soon as is planned, rather than what happened to the Black Hole.
In regards to the Black Hole tent, is there hardly any chance of another rollercoaster going in there now? If there is, it probably wouldn't go in until, at the very least 2011 - the year after the possible Ug Land development. That is another three years of an ugly, empty tent. I think it more likely now than ever that a flat or a show is put in its place. Sorry about this last point being slightly unrelated, I was just in the flow!
I can't say I was particularly "close" to the ride (as close as any sane person can be to a hunk of metal and concrete :P) ; my first visit to the park was in 2003. I can say though that I did give me a little twinge looking at the photos on the website. It looked so new and fresh back then, it's fantastic to see that footage.
But to the future, this doesn't half make me excited! If we are to assume that it will be removed in the closed season or early in 2009 and that nothing will be done with the site until at least 2010, then we will once again be seeing a large development on the park on the scale of Air, Nemesis and Oblivion. This is the hope, at least. I really hope they do take it down rather than leave it to rot, and I do hope the site is occupied as soon as is planned, rather than what happened to the Black Hole.
In regards to the Black Hole tent, is there hardly any chance of another rollercoaster going in there now? If there is, it probably wouldn't go in until, at the very least 2011 - the year after the possible Ug Land development. That is another three years of an ugly, empty tent. I think it more likely now than ever that a flat or a show is put in its place. Sorry about this last point being slightly unrelated, I was just in the flow!
Formerly "Dagoo"
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geo
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Whoah!
I thought I would be glad its going, but actually to have it confirmed has made me feel a wee bit sad! Like many other people. it was my 1st ever looping coaster..
It hasnt been good to ride for the past few years, But whether you liked it or not, you should be able to repsect it for the iconic ride that it was.
Exciting times ahead though!
Ta-ra Corkie!
I thought I would be glad its going, but actually to have it confirmed has made me feel a wee bit sad! Like many other people. it was my 1st ever looping coaster..
It hasnt been good to ride for the past few years, But whether you liked it or not, you should be able to repsect it for the iconic ride that it was.
Exciting times ahead though!
Ta-ra Corkie!
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Khanage
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I haven't and wasn't going to visit Alton Towers this year but now Corky is definately going I feel I must ride it one last time before the end.
Great news though as this would pretty much confirm the development of 2010.
Great news though as this would pretty much confirm the development of 2010.
Thanks to Adzy for the sig & av.
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seanyboyuk
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as bbc say it is to make way for something bigger and better....... lets hope its true
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Mankey
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Big mistake I tell you... i just hope it gets replaced with something worthy of it, instead of it doing a black hole and its area sitting untouched for 3 years. 
Is going to be untouched for a year at least... which again is wasted space.
Urgh s3ri0usly! WTF?!
^^ Chris ^^
Is going to be untouched for a year at least... which again is wasted space.Urgh s3ri0usly! WTF?!
^^ Chris ^^
Last edited by Mankey on Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Back from hibernation!
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PeteB
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[quote=""seanyboyuk""]as bbc say it is to make way for something bigger and better....... lets hope its true[/quote]
This is another thing that annoys me about AT, why didnt they concentrate their efforts on the Black Hole - an empty space which has been waiting for something since 2005! With corky due for replacement in 2010 than means the BH tent will have been sitting unused for over 5 years.
It just feels like they have their priorities all mixed up - Ok fine, let corkscrew go BUT is removing corky really more important at this point in time than getting the Black Hole tent sorted?
This is another thing that annoys me about AT, why didnt they concentrate their efforts on the Black Hole - an empty space which has been waiting for something since 2005! With corky due for replacement in 2010 than means the BH tent will have been sitting unused for over 5 years.
It just feels like they have their priorities all mixed up - Ok fine, let corkscrew go BUT is removing corky really more important at this point in time than getting the Black Hole tent sorted?
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AstroDan
[quote=""kryn""]Horrray!!! At last its going , Thank god!
I will be pleased to see the back of it, I personally hate the thing and only ride it as there never seems to be a queue for it.
Should have been scrapped years ago.[/quote]
To be honest, that's the kind of post that makes you question one's enthusiasm for AT. Sure it isn't a great ride, but this ride is of massive importance in terms of the development of the park, and it is a ride that should be celebrated as anything else.
Don't forget what Corky has done, rather than just brushing it off as a scrapheap.
I will be pleased to see the back of it, I personally hate the thing and only ride it as there never seems to be a queue for it.
Should have been scrapped years ago.[/quote]
To be honest, that's the kind of post that makes you question one's enthusiasm for AT. Sure it isn't a great ride, but this ride is of massive importance in terms of the development of the park, and it is a ride that should be celebrated as anything else.
Don't forget what Corky has done, rather than just brushing it off as a scrapheap.
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Anonymous
[quote=""AstroDan""][quote=""kryn""]Horrray!!! At last its going , Thank god!
I will be pleased to see the back of it, I personally hate the thing and only ride it as there never seems to be a queue for it.
Should have been scrapped years ago.[/quote]
To be honest, that's the kind of post that makes you question one's enthusiasm for AT. Sure it isn't a great ride, but this ride is of massive importance in terms of the development of the park, and it is a ride that should be celebrated as anything else.
Don't forget what Corky has done, rather than just brushing it off as a scrapheap.[/quote]
Errrm, without getting into a argument here with you Dan as you are a good mate, I wasnt the only one to post I was pleased for it to be going??
Yeah its "done" things for the park, but its 28 years old for goodness sake - Like you said to me the other night "Times change"
I will be pleased to see the back of it, I personally hate the thing and only ride it as there never seems to be a queue for it.
Should have been scrapped years ago.[/quote]
To be honest, that's the kind of post that makes you question one's enthusiasm for AT. Sure it isn't a great ride, but this ride is of massive importance in terms of the development of the park, and it is a ride that should be celebrated as anything else.
Don't forget what Corky has done, rather than just brushing it off as a scrapheap.[/quote]
Errrm, without getting into a argument here with you Dan as you are a good mate, I wasnt the only one to post I was pleased for it to be going??
Yeah its "done" things for the park, but its 28 years old for goodness sake - Like you said to me the other night "Times change"
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CoasterCrazyChris
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These are sad times people :ashamed: ......not that I am ''attached'' to the Corkscrew in anyway; but it just means that the park will be one ride down for 2009, plus for the people too scared of the ''big 4'' they will only have Spinball to ride.
My only regret is that I only ever rode the ride once, and I will not be able to come to AT before it closes once and for all!
My only regret is that I only ever rode the ride once, and I will not be able to come to AT before it closes once and for all!
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AstroDan
I am pleased it's going, it's a very poor ride experience - but what I am saying is that rather than just brushing your hands, saying it's crap and chucking it into a tip, it's worth considering what it's done as it's been of much importance over the past three decades.
As fans of Alton Towers, surely these kinds of things matter to you and are worth considering - as without Corkscrew, many things may not have been the same.
As fans of Alton Towers, surely these kinds of things matter to you and are worth considering - as without Corkscrew, many things may not have been the same.
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ReallyRollercoasterRules
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Corkscrew- RIP
Why get did of it- Idiotic owners
Why get did of it- Idiotic owners
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Kaycee
Well, it would be sentimentalism for what is essentially a dull, rough ride - and a lot of people here don't have the memories of Corkscrew when it opened and transformed the park and was the most feared thing in the whole of the UK etc etc... I honestly don't believe that applauding the Corkscrew's departure is in anyway a negative indication of one's enthusiasm for the park (as for me, I'm not even a 'real enthusiast', don't forget. 
:lol:).
For me, there's so much more to the park, and as someone who's six years younger than Corkscrew, I don't have these feelings of how much of an icon it was... to me, it was merely the oldest and crappest coaster in the park and I read/people told me about how it was the first coaster and how much of an icon it is/was.
I'm sad that this 'icon' is now leaving and I will be sad when it's the last rides on it, but will it affect me majorly? No, it means my 6 or 7 less-than-mediocre rides on it per season will no longer happen and it also means that the area will transform and that is far more exciting.
:lol:).For me, there's so much more to the park, and as someone who's six years younger than Corkscrew, I don't have these feelings of how much of an icon it was... to me, it was merely the oldest and crappest coaster in the park and I read/people told me about how it was the first coaster and how much of an icon it is/was.
I'm sad that this 'icon' is now leaving and I will be sad when it's the last rides on it, but will it affect me majorly? No, it means my 6 or 7 less-than-mediocre rides on it per season will no longer happen and it also means that the area will transform and that is far more exciting.
Last edited by Kaycee on Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sam
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Corkscrew is like U2: been around a long time, sounds pretty nasty, iconic and boring.
I will miss just looking at it though. Watching the dinky little trains bumbling around the track. It made a great impression as you walked into Ugland, it is just so much more imposing than Rita and is such a lovely ride... until you get into one of the cars.
I hope she gets some sort of permanent recognition in the park though - if not the ultimate souvenir of the two Corkscrews straddling a path then maybe it's own little twisted track sculpture or even one of the trains kept on display.
Well you can't really melt them down for scrap plastic, so what better things have they got to do with them? :P Speaking of which, anyone know if they still have the original trains in storage?
I will miss just looking at it though. Watching the dinky little trains bumbling around the track. It made a great impression as you walked into Ugland, it is just so much more imposing than Rita and is such a lovely ride... until you get into one of the cars.
I hope she gets some sort of permanent recognition in the park though - if not the ultimate souvenir of the two Corkscrews straddling a path then maybe it's own little twisted track sculpture or even one of the trains kept on display.
Well you can't really melt them down for scrap plastic, so what better things have they got to do with them? :P Speaking of which, anyone know if they still have the original trains in storage?
Last edited by Sam on Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AstroDan
[quote=""Kaycee""]
For me, there's so much more to the park, and as someone who's six years younger than Corkscrew, I don't have these feelings of how much of an icon it was... to me, it was merely the oldest and crappest coaster in the park and I read/people told me about how it was the first coaster and how much of an icon it is/was.
[/quote]
I don't know - it's the only coaster for me that's ALWAYS been there (aside from Beastie) ever since my first visit in 1989. In addition, when I worked at AT last season, even though most adults came off with general frowns - the kids, well - their faces. For many, Corkscrew has been the first looping coaster!
It's a given that Corkscrew is there, there's never really been anything else.
It will be incredibly strange going to AT and just not having it, even though it is a poor ride.
For me, there's so much more to the park, and as someone who's six years younger than Corkscrew, I don't have these feelings of how much of an icon it was... to me, it was merely the oldest and crappest coaster in the park and I read/people told me about how it was the first coaster and how much of an icon it is/was.
[/quote]
I don't know - it's the only coaster for me that's ALWAYS been there (aside from Beastie) ever since my first visit in 1989. In addition, when I worked at AT last season, even though most adults came off with general frowns - the kids, well - their faces. For many, Corkscrew has been the first looping coaster!
It's a given that Corkscrew is there, there's never really been anything else.
It will be incredibly strange going to AT and just not having it, even though it is a poor ride.
Last edited by AstroDan on Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Corkscrewed
[quote=""ReallyRollercoasterRules""]Corkscrew- RIP
Why get did of it- Idiotic owners[/quote]
good business sense, and listening to guests thoughts - not Idiotic in my opinion rather have something new and innovative, not to mention rideable there
[quote=""ShootTheCore""]Corkscrew is like U2: been around a long time, sounds pretty nasty, iconic and boring. [/quote]
I know a few people who'll disagree with the whole "sounds nasty Bit
I do hope they do something with that area as we've been speculating, it'll be a shame if one coaster isn't replaced with another (*cough*Blackhole*cough*)
Why get did of it- Idiotic owners
[/quote]good business sense, and listening to guests thoughts - not Idiotic in my opinion
rather have something new and innovative, not to mention rideable there [quote=""ShootTheCore""]Corkscrew is like U2: been around a long time, sounds pretty nasty, iconic and boring. [/quote]
I know a few people who'll disagree with the whole "sounds nasty Bit
I do hope they do something with that area as we've been speculating, it'll be a shame if one coaster isn't replaced with another (*cough*Blackhole*cough*)
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Sir John Talbot
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YAY! Byeee! Hunk of junk .
I would cry and say R.I.P and stuff but, essentially, it's some steel...
.I would cry and say R.I.P and stuff but, essentially, it's some steel...