Big Dipper closed while Pleasure Beach investigates incident where wood between track snapped in two
The Big Dipper remains closed while investigations into Thursday's incident continue - repair work will likely be required.
Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
The rarest of things happened this week - both local and national media wrote a story about Blackpool but it wasn’t local journalists who nailed what had happened. It was actually The S*n.
A closure of a roller coaster is not an altogether rare thing and not every incident is The Smiler in 2015. This is not that.
But what it was not is an everyday incident either. A train on the Big Dipper failed to make it over a hill and the wood beneath the track has snapped in half in the process.
The Big Dipper, one of the most historic rides in the world, unsurprisingly remains closed while investigations into exactly what happened go on.
Blackpool briefing
🎹 Blackpool-born singer-songwriter Rae Morris has spoken about the City of Culture bid ahead of this evening’s (26 July) gig at the Opera House.
She forms part of the line-up for a free gig that also includes the Hallé Orchestra, Jack Savoretti and Little Boots. It is part of Blackpool’s campaign to become City of Culture 2029 and will see each artist perform a cover of a David Bowie song.
Morris told The Blackpool Lead on Friday: “There is a general perception that can be negative about Blackpool - and I notice it so much now I don’t live there but I always push back on it. There’s never any grounding for that response.
“The truth is Blackpool does have challenges and the stats do back that up. But it’s also a joyous place for lots of people. When I get involved in things like this, it’s because I want to see more interest in the town.
“I’m so pleased that they’re going for the City of Culture bid, because it could make a huge difference to so many people - particularly young people. I was a kid there and I can see now, as an adult, that there weren’t always opportunities and it would be nice to see that change.”
🚔 Two men have been arrested after two other men were the victims of serious assaults in Blackpool.
Police were called to a ‘disturbance’ in the area of Queen Street, Abingdon Street and Talbot Road at around 3am on Thursday morning (23 July).
The first incident happened outside Bar 19 on Queen Street and a man in his 30s was stabbed in his hand. He was taken to hospital and has been discharged. A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm.
Slightly later, a man in his 20s suffered serious head injuries on Talbot Road and was taken to hospital. A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm.
The incidents are linked and police are asking for footage as they build evidence.
🏠 The owners of a ‘small house HMO’ have applied to Blackpool Council for permission for it to lawfully retain that usage.
They say that the property has been in that class of usage since before a change in rules was implemented by the council which made it more difficult to change a property into an HMO (House of Multiple Occupation).
An application has been lodged with planners seeking a Certificate of Lawfulness Existing which would allow retention of a 4 person use class C4 small HMO for the property at 15 Glen Street, a street that runs parallel to Whitegate Drive.
Big Dipper closed while Pleasure Beach investigates incident where wood between track snapped in two
By Luke Beardsworth
A roller coaster so iconic it has been granted Grade II listed building status was evacuated this week after the wood appeared to split.
There was a partial derailment on the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach at around 1-2pm on Thursday (23 July) - though it is important to note there were no injuries reported and the train did not actually leave the track.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pleasure Beach Resorts has looked to play down the nature of the incident - stressing only that the ride came to a stop at a low point and that those on the ride were guided to safety.
But The Blackpool Lead understands that riders heard a large crack before the train failed to make it over one of the hills on the ride.
An odd smell was noted as coming from the ride, which was at capacity, and both the ride and the area around the ride were evacuated and closed by management of the park.
Images shared with The Blackpool Lead show that the wood between the track had splintered or snapped and so the two sections had at least partially separated.
A spokesperson for Pleasure Beach Resorts told The Blackpool Lead: “The Big Dipper came to a stop today (Thursday July 23) around 2pm, at a very low point in the ride.
“Following this, a manual de-boarding took place with guests guided safely by trained operators.”
The Big Dipper had recently undergone routine maintenance and was closed on 20, 21 and 22 July.
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