Farewell Black Hole

Saturday 5th March 2005, the last day the Black Hole will ever run. In an extraordinary about turn on the parks front, they not only have published a last ever date, but organised a bash for enthusiasts to give the ride a send off. I have always enjoyed the Black Hole and I was lucky enough, and had enough financial might, to be there.

First things first then, I was very surprised when I heard of this event. Alton Towers has come under heavy (though deserved) criticism from enthusiasts recently, and much of it has been quite public. I too lament the state of the park in recent seasons, and last June decided that the park wasn’t worth a trip even for my annual September visit. The hassle and baggage attached to riding just a couple of great rides was too much to bear.

When I did visit though, the Black Hole was always a must-ride. Whilst it is true that the ride never lived up to what it could have been, and many other dark coasters kick it into oblivion, it has always entertained – and with a name like the Black Hole it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that there is very little inside. From the wonderfully ancient trains and loading style (where the art is trying not to give everyone else a good kicking), to the wonderfully abrupt stop as you hurtle past a “Hold Tight – Brake” sign – The Black Hole remains in people’s memories.

So, the day started with a surprisingly easy journey up the M1, and the usual stop at Derby services and many attempts from men with beards to buy a “REAL Rolex for a tenner”. As I rolled into Alton village, I seemed to be the head of a long queue of traffic. I needed to post a letter, and so turned into a side road in the village to park up – whereby half of the queue followed me in thinking it was the way to the Towers, before chaos ensued as they all had to about turn and go back.

Having left Alton village in grid lock, I posted my letter and continued on my merry way, navigating my way into the Towers via the security gate whereby so much as a look at the guard results in the lifting of the barrier – I’ll remember that next time I want to rob Towers Street – and into the coach park. At admissions, a lady waits with an airline style board “Black Hole Event”. We join a surprisingly large amount of visitors for rides on Oblivion and the Enterprise.

I decided to try out Enterprise first – it has been a while since I last rode it having been more used to Thorpe’s Zodiac. Compared to Zodiac, the operation and loading at Alton is lightning fast with minimal hassle. I put this down to a better design of queue entry and exit points, and the lack of “backup clips” to hold the doors shut. Many blast the ride’s short ride time, but again, compared to Thorpe this ride is extreme giving at least four loops at vertical. Only disappointment is a lack of Music or PA, but I am obviously spoilt by Thorpe!!

Oblivion next. The queue is in a nice state with *most* TV’s in a state of action, some lights working, and a general cleanup. To be honest, I have never enjoyed any theming in X Sector, no matter how well it is kept (and it isn’t.) It’s too dark and clinical for me to enjoy, which flies in the face of theme parks being about escapism. Still, at least between the snow flurries it was sunny today – and Oblivion was great as usual. I still can’t help wondering about the amount of money spent on this ride compared with Fabbri Tower Detonator which is just as good in my opinion.

I had a little hunt through the area, rummaging around if you like – and almost got knocked for six when I noticed a man cleaning. Actually, the area did have a decidedly clean look – a trait which could not have been blessed on any area of the park a couple of seasons ago. Queues were about 15 minutes for oblivion, 10 for enterprise, whilst Black Hole stretched across X Sector. Still, I would have more then enough rides on that a little later on.

The event was about to start proper, and the hospitality tent beckoned, where we were supplied with wine or orange juice to last the meal. We also got given a new leaflet for Alton Towers, an “invitation” to the resort. Very unlike any material I have seen produced for the towers before, and it does a great job of making the resort sound un-missable. In the middle of the leaflet, is a collage of happy faces making a larger happy face, which was created by Alton Towers of course – many at the event took this as proof positive that the park is now much better then last year.

The meal started to be served – and very nice it was too. The opening started of seafood I enjoyed, particularly a conversation with Chris Simon on how to go about opening the King Prawn. Having successfully managed to rip off the head, sending various pieces flying over the table, neither of us managed to get any more out of it. I make no bones about it – I am not used to handling old, lifeless, limp bodies… The fact I have never worked in Eastbourne probably being the reason for this. Actually, it was about this time I overheard a conversation about a ride called “Bodycount” at Eastbourne fair. I suggested that perhaps they had the wrong venue, and had accidentally wondered into the mortuary instead – it’s a grand building down there I hear.

The main course was a splendid roast, and the chocolate cake afterwards was divine – served with cream and strawberries.

And now, the presentation by Terry Dunn, head of Towers Engineering started. It was very interesting, and seemed to confirm a number of details such as it originally being a Jet Star 1, to be replaced with it’s current layout in 1988, then a number of reprofilings had to be made because the G’s at the bottom of the first drop were staggering.

I found particularly interesting, the exhibiting of the Oblivion B&M Computer Code Manual – a huge fat folder with hundreds of pages full of code. This was then compared with the Black Hole manual, ten pages all in German. Apparently all the engineers had become quite used to translating it back into English. A draw took place to select the 12 lucky last riders, and we head over for some riding.

The Jules Verne station accompanied many recollections of various aspects of the ride by the assembled gathering, and a lot of talk about the Space Invader 2 interestingly, which for the uninformed is another dark coaster (similar to BH) also opened in 1984, and was given a refit last year with replaced track and new trains to increase it’s life expectancy at the park. On hand were staff members and engineers happy to talk and answer questions about the ride. Lots of interesting facts were learnt, though if I were feeling particularly cynical I would hint that they all seemed to have been briefed that the only reason the ride was going was because it was “at the end of it’s life” and no reason as to why it was at the end of it’s life was given, apart from “It’s now 16 years old”.

As I rode the ride in the dark though, I actually found myself agreeing. It is at the end of it’s life at Alton Towers. The park, whether they do it well or otherwise, are enjoying brining new concepts to the UK – and it is what the public hold them famous for. This ride just doesn’t fit in with that mentality now. Many Schwarzkopf rides of the same era are still operating with great success, but perhaps Alton Towers just isn’t the place for it now.

The ride is going to be kept in an operational state interestingly enough, and the park were quick to say they have absolutely no intentions of doing anything with it for the time being. I presume that this is to please prospective buyers of the ride, though Terry Dunn said he would be surprised if it operated in the UK again. I do find it quite strange that the ride will literally just sit as it is, being kept so that it could run again, but with many assurances that at no point will Alton Towers ever run it.

I can’t quite understand this, if I am honest – and it seems like a nice way of saying that they are getting Rita, and they are not going to spend money on running both of the coasters, which is exactly the attitude that led them to remove so many support rides that are now lacking today.

The ride with the lights on was educational. I always enjoy ride with the lights on, as darkness conceals so many atrocities! Bits of old train and broken disco balls on the floor, and even meteorites hanging around that I have never noticed before – mainly because they have never been lit to my knowledge. As we rode again and again, soaking up the last of this beast, it all eventually ground to halt for the final riders to be sent on their merry way, which PA announcements and applause from spectators. It was fitting, I think, that the last ride was to be taken in the dark with “effects” on.

And so the event ended. Or, not quite actually, as some of the group managed to persuade some staff for a little look at Ug Land. Rita is actually bigger then I envisaged, and much closer to Corkscrew. It is a trifle disconcerting to see Ugland with a race control box inside it, but with more dinosaur skins decorating the ride to suggest that this mish mash will stay. It may work, I hope it does. It may not – but either way I have a feeling that the ride itself is going to be very good, and I am looking forward to it.

We wondered around Cred Street next, to see the relocated Adventure Land Carousel and the relocated Ug Bugs. Cred Street is completely reopened and looks really nice, at least in terms of it’s target audience. The staff were happy to hang around for as long as we wanted to look and ask questions, and to be honest, James and Rachel did a mighty fine job at answering politely some of the barbed remarks that seemed to be flowing. They even let us play around with the new, fixed and improved Storybook Land Bookworm.

Many have seen this event as proof positive that the park is now going to get better. To be honest, I didn’t see this myself. As I walked past the speed boats, putting challenge, football competition, the crockery smash (all operating for the hotel punters) I mused that what I had seen was at least, a change in a few attitudes. Depending on how wide this air of change spreads, will depend on whether the park really does start to turn around. The damage was done over several seasons, and any fix will no doubt take as long to implement.

I still think the park have missed a chance they had to create a park that completely revolved around the natural magic and charm their location provided them with – a setting most parks would kill for. But at least change appears to be coming in operational decisions, which will play a big park in the improvement of a park. Many of the criticisms levelled at the park could be thrown at any of the Tussauds parks – but because Alton Towers used to be better, the change is for the worse. Thorpe for example, is better then it has ever been in the past and is easier to forgive.

But as well as a day for the Towers to prove themselves, it was mainly a day to say goodbye to the Black Hole. I will remember it for what it was, an exceedingly fun coaster that whilst not living up to it’s potential as a dark ride, never failed to entertain. The day was enjoyable (profits go to charity) and I am glad I went – to look to the future though remember the past.

So Long… And Thanks for all the Fish.