Twister (Adventure Coast Southport)

Twister

Adventure Coast Southport
Location	Southport, Merseyside, England, UK
Status	Operating since 2013
Rider height	120 cm unaccompanied
Replaced	Twister

Loudoun Castle
Name	Rodeo Rider
Location	Galston, Scotland, UK
Owner	Parkware Ltd (UK)
Operated	2004 to 2010

Grove Land (loan)
Name	Rodeo Rider
Location	St. Clears, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK
Owner	Bembom Rides (UK)
Operated	2001 to 2003

Loudoun Castle (loan)
Name	Rodeo Rider
Location	Galston, Scotland, UK
Owner	Bembom Rides (UK)
Operated	1997 to 1998
Replaced by	Swing Around

Pleasurewood Hills (loan)
Name	Calypso Waltzer
Location	Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, UK
Owner	Bembom Rides (UK)
Operated	1985 to 1994

Bembom Brothers Theme Park
Name	Calypso
Location	Margate, Kent, England, UK
Owner	Bembom Rides (UK)
Operated	1983 to 1984

unknown
Location	Netherlands
Operated	1977 to 1982

Statistics

Manufacturer

Emmo Kreekel

Product

Calypso

Capacity

24 per cycle

Height

5 metres

Twister is a Twist ride currently located at Adventure Coast Southport in Southport, Merseyside, England, UK. It has operated at the park since 2013, following its purchase from the defunct Loudoun Castle.

History

The ride was built by Dutch showman Emmo Kreekel, who produced a number of the machines during the 1970s. Although technically a Twist ride by definition, the aesthetics of the ride more matched Calypso rides which were popular in mainland Europe at the time.

Following a number of years operation in the Netherlands, the ride arrived at Bembom Brothers Theme Park with the Bembom Brothers in 1983, their second season at the park. For the couple of seasons this machine operated here alongside a sister machine from the same manufacturer, as the Bembom Brothers attempted to quickly fill the park with rides.^[1] They also owned the Bembom Rides company, which operated a number of amusement parks across Europe, as well as leasing many of their attractions to other operators.

For the 1985 season the ride moved to Pleasurewood Hills as one of many rides the Bembom Brothers would loan to the park.^[2] It retained the simplistic colour scheme and hoods over the passenger cars that it had at Dreamland Margate. It appeared under various names such as Calypso Twist, Calypso and Calypso Waltzer on advertising material over its decade at the park. The ride left the park at the end of the 1994 season.

The ride’s next known location was at Loudoun Castle in Galston, Scotland. The park had only opened in 1995, and its owner Lands Improvement Holdings rented a number of attractions from Bembom Rides to help fill up the park. It operated at the park from 1997 and was known as Rodeo Rider, and joined the Waveswinger from Pleasurewood Hills, and Thunder Loop Express and Mary Rose from Dreamland Margate.^[3] Rodeo Rider's stay at the park was a short 2 seasons as the park owners sold-up at the end of 1998 to showman Raymond Codona, and all of the machines rented from Bembom Rides were returned to them.

Another relatively short venture known as Grove Land in St. Clears, Wales would be the next stop for the ride. As with Loudoun Castle, the park looked to expand its ride selection by renting a number of machines from Bembom Rides. This time the Rodeo Rider was joined by Sky Rider (a HUSS Enterprise, previously on loan at Pluton Park, Pleasurewood Hills and Ocean Beach Fun Fair) and the Thunderbolt roller coaster, which Bembom Rides had purchased from Flamingo Land and refurbished. The ride left Grove Land at the end of the 2003 season.

In 2004, the ride returned to Loudoun Castle. However, this time the park was owned by the Bembom family, rather than the ride being on loan to another operator. It remained at the park right up until the park’s closure at the end of the 2010 season.^[4] It remained in situ following the closure, awaiting a buyer.

Finally in 2013, it was purchased for use at Southport Pleasureland and was given a re-theme and repaint. It was renamed to I-Bot. Later on, it was later renamed to Twister.