A Drop in the Ocean
The fairground's interaction with the world of water spans all areas - from water-themed shows, water-themed rides, through to rides splashing down into natural water features. A logical starting point would be the ambitious 'Water Chutes' built for exhibitions at the turn of the 20th century. These rides worked with a boat-style passenger device hoisted up an inclined track and then released and guided down the track with the aid of braking and steering assistant. The passengers were plunged into a large pool of water and the boat left to float before being re-hoisted up the incline. After this novelty took hold at the large exhibitions various models were installed around the UK at parks such as Blackpool, Southport and Southend-on-Sea, with smaller incarnations still working at Hull's East End Park, Wicksteed Park and Scarborough's North Bay.
Southport's early amusements included a Water Chute.
Another classic ride on Weston-Super-Mare's Birnbeck Pier.
Kursaal's ride survived many decades.
The long-surviving ride at Wicksteed Park.
Circular track based Water Chutes were pioneered in the 1930s, with the best examples built under the Leslie Joseph banner from a team of engineers at Rhyl. A track-based Water Chute was in fact a side-friction wooden Roller Coaster which 'splashed' through a shallow pool and moved through a continuous circuit. Examples of these rides existed at Porthcawl (up until the 1990s), Battersea (later at Margate), Belle Vue, Blackpool and Kursaal - the last of these rides relocated to Rhyl and was standing up until 2007.
A classic Leslie Jospeh Water Chute at Porthcawl photographed by Lionel Bathe.
The Water Chute ideal saw a successor in the amusement park and fairground with the advent of the Log Flume. This large ride utilised a similar mechanism but saw an extended track mixed with tunnels, raises and drops, and involved a more thematic approach with gondolas themed as logs seemingly taking a meandering but inevitable course along a channeled flow of water. The development of theme parks in the late 1970s and early 1980s was an ideal opportunity to utilise pre-existing natural landscapes and create a flume line through the terrain. As white-knuckle demands began to dictate the structure and topology of these rides, there was a move towards more enclosed track layouts utilising steeper drops and innovations such as turntables. The lack of a 'geographical excursion' was supplanted with themes along the lines of rural sawmills.
The extensive and meandering water-based theme park ride was re-invoked with the development of Rapids Rides. These saw a raging channel of water carrying a swirling circular raft of passengers through a series of twists, turns and minor inclines. Meanwhile the advancements in portability, characterising the travelling fairground of the late 1990s (often referred to as a travelling theme park) saw both portable Log Flumes AND Rapids Rides.
Birds' Log Flume overlooking the Dublin Motorway.
Dusk on the west coast of Ireland.
Rapids Ride at the recently dismantled American Adventure theme park.
Portability perfected - Mellors' Rapids Ride.
Whilst the Log Flumes and Chutes were rides built with water foundations, an earlier thematic strand existed with a strong root in nautical navigation. As was the trend, fairground aesthetics mimicked both cultural themes of popular intrigue alongside simulating technological advances in transportation. The Scenic rides of the early 20th century featured striking Neptune figures with carved tridents, and ornate whale and dolphin cars. The Sea-on-Land, a complex and bold 1880s innovation, provided a chance to experience a rough and rolling trans-Atlantic crossing, whilst the hugely popular Steam Yachts put its passengers through the worst nightmare of a ferocious maritime journey.
Photographer Philip Bradley serenely captured in an enormous carved whale.
George Twigdon's Rolling Ships - sailing 'daily to New York'.
The Steam Yachts takes its riders to a vertical limit.
For budding young sailors we have Abbott's juvenile Sea-on-Land.
A ride no longer seen on the fairground is the Water Dodgems, a curious innovation based on the Dodgem track but using boats instead of cars and a pool of water as the 'earth'. Ride builders Orton and Spooner manufactured versions of this attraction, though it was inevitably destined for seaside amusement parks. Latter day models existed in both Margate and Colwyn Bay, but the ride was quickly out-dated by electrical 'bumper boats' which came with their own self-enclosed motive device.
Early water Dodgem track.
This Orton and Spooner works photograph is labelled as Bexhill-on-Sea.
Margate's Water Dodgems in 1957.
Water themed shows have also travelled the fairgrounds in earlier years. Prominent showman Tom Norman travelled his Palladium Show up until the 1950s and in 1953 featured Lt. Commander Ian Fraser in the only Frogman Show in the country. For the show, Fraser and his companion re-enacted a wartime operation which had seen them awarded the Victoria Cross for 'Special and hazardous duties' partaken in midget submarines as part of an attack on the Japanese heavy cruiser Takao in Singapore, 1945. Sadly, Ian Fraser passed away on 11 September 2008.
Charlie Birch's Water Circus mesmerised audiences in the 1930s with a voyeuristic show of women partaking in everyday acts (drinking tea, eating bananas) in a huge tank of water whilst holding their breaths. The water theme was an extension of escapological endeavours pioneered by the likes of Harry Houdini.
Jim Norman with the frogmen and extended cast of the Palladium Show.
The frogmen take centre stage.
Souvenir postcard showing the placement of mines under a battleship.
Birch's Water Circus taking tea and bananas.
Relaxing in the tank.
Fronting the show at Hull in the 1930s.
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