manxman1980 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 The "new" Summerland was alright but not fantastic. I used to go to the Rollerdrome every weekend and go to the cinema occasionally. I never really used the swimming pool. My memory is that the place was massively under utilised with a lot of space which always seemed unused. It also seemed to be rather run down and in need of some renovation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jefferson Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) Summerland held indoor BMX races in the winter months, it also had a cinema and a good night club. I would hardly call that sh1t I remember going to watch Stargate at Summerland back in 1994. You say that you are "in your twenties" , you remember going to Summerland to watch Stargate in 1994, yet you reckon Summerland was, in your words "shit". How old were you when you formed such a strong opinion ? Huh? I went to watch Stargate with my daddy. Okay, it wasn't "shit" exactly, but it also wasn't as great as people make it sound. It had a bit of entertainment but not enough to keep people entertained every day of the week. It was the kind of place you'd go maybe once a week or fortnight at most. And let's not forget the fact that the place was F ing haunted. Edited July 13, 2013 by Thomas Jefferson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Burgandy Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I miss The Cave. I wish somebody would recreate it somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaipyr Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 That site will ALWAYS be haunted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouse1 Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Summerland offered a variety of events etc for locals and visitors, I recall the following being available throughout the year:- Summer Show held from end of July until end of August Roller skating every weekend during term time and open daily during school holidays, always busy Summer club for children between the ages of 5 and 12 Cinema, showing the latest films, Children's Play Area, "Manxland" a very popular area, always busy with birthday parties Sports Hall, 5 a side every weekday evening, fully booked I recall. Squash Courts, 3, and a climbing wall Cave nightclub, open on a Friday evening for under 18's Disco, again very popular When the Villa was being refurbished it catered for the ballroom dancing throughout the dance season, New years Eve Family nights, super evening, attended a few of these Hosted the IOM Darts festival, best venue ever for them And the list goes on, you really don't know what you have until its gone, I do agree that the outside of the building was a disgrace and in todays health and safety world could you have an entrance where you had to walk over tram lines with the trams running every hour or so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConcernedAnon Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 I think an entertainment complex would be used and bring enjoyment to most of the island. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody2 Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANANNAN Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Why doesn't Government rejuvenate Port Soderick and build leisure facilities there? You could have a Blackpool style 'Pleasure Beach' thing. I'm sure it would attract the Tourists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilligaf Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Why doesn't Government rejuvenate Port Soderick and build leisure facilities there? You could have a Blackpool style 'Pleasure Beach' thing. I'm sure it would attract the Tourists. Have you REALLY been asleep for 40 years? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANANNAN Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Why doesn't Government rejuvenate Port Soderick and build leisure facilities there? You could have a Blackpool style 'Pleasure Beach' thing. I'm sure it would attract the Tourists. Have you REALLY been asleep for 40 years? Why what's your wonderful idea - oh that's right you don't have one. Lots of space, easy to get to, bus and rail connections to the capital. Port Soderick is ideal for such a development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Why doesn't Government rejuvenate Port Soderick and build leisure facilities there? You could have a Blackpool style 'Pleasure Beach' thing. I'm sure it would attract the Tourists. Have you REALLY been asleep for 40 years? Why what's your wonderful idea - oh that's right you don't have one. Lots of space, easy to get to, bus and rail connections to the capital. Port Soderick is ideal for such a development. <sarcasm> Surprising that no-one's tried it then </sarcasm> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jefferson Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 (edited) Why doesn't Government rejuvenate Port Soderick and build leisure facilities there? You could have a Blackpool style 'Pleasure Beach' thing. I'm sure it would attract the Tourists. The Tourist industry in the Isle of Man is not going to be resurrected during our lifetimes. They can come out with all the reports and statistics they want about increased visitor numbers and visitor spend, but things will never return to how they used to be. If we had a bottomless pool of money, I'd be all for improving facilities to attract tourists, but the reality is that most of the people who come here on holiday do so because of the railways, the heritage sites and racing events. People are not going to travel here to visit a pleasure beach. Tourists stopped coming here even when we did have such facilities, which is why those facilities were dismantled or left to crumble in the first place. If we are going to spend on tourist facilities, we should invest in the things which definitely do bring in the tourists --- especially the railways. If we could expand on them and restore them so that we had an islandwide Victorian railway system going all around the coast and through the lovely countryside and did something revolutionary and really pushed the envelope with it instead of just preserving what's still left then I think we could put the island on the map again. We need to focus on the things which set us apart from the rest. Generic pleasure beaches are a dime a dozen. The bottom line is that everything comes down to money and we don't have any. Edited July 14, 2013 by Thomas Jefferson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 I find myself agreeing with a TJ post [must be the heat!] Mass tourism to the island is a thing of the past and niche tourism is all that we can realistically hope for. At the risk of repeating what I've said in the past; leisure facilities should only be created and developed if they can be supported by the local population plus the level of tourists we currently have. If they're developed sufficiently well they may eventually prove attractive to some potential holidaymakers who are uncertain about the Isle of Man being a suitable destination. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConcernedAnon Posted July 14, 2013 Share Posted July 14, 2013 Who is saying its got tourists! People live here with children you know! And people also have a lot of money here no-one is saying the government should do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torry loon Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 (edited) Mass tourism to the island is a thing of the past and niche tourism is all that we can realistically hope for. Really? Where can you go in the world these days with your family for a pleasant away from it all holiday. Ibifa? (an example place that took the mass tourism from the Island) I seriously believe the time will come when there will be a good market to look after families as a unit for their holidays. When they can spend time together and just slow down... s l o w d o w n . . . . . and relax. Have breakfast together with no timetables, go down the beach and do daft silly things that suburbia simply can't offer. Have you ever made a sand castle with your family for a couple of hours, and then watched as the tide slowly swept away your creation. Have you ever been on an Island where although the network is good the physical transport routes are remote and your office will simply leave you alone to your family. Have you ever strolled through a resort at midnight withour the risk of intimidation (pushing that one, I know, but Dezzie and the lads are getting there) Blah, blah, blah. As far as bringing up a family in pleasant surroundings, cities are a shite hole these days (I give Isle of Man Tourism the right to use that phrase) and so are most of the more popular family resorts, around the world...shite (do.) The Isle of Man has something to offer. That trip across the Irish Sea could indeed one day offer a little bit of paradise for our UK cousins. As it did for over 100 years. (Although then it was the paradise of all day boozing and entertainment, which the UK mainland wouldn't provide at the time.) Mass tourism and 'get away from it all' could be ours again, given a bit of time and the mess that the motherland is making for itself. Edited purely to add: Sorry to go off topic a bit. This is a serious thread regarding Summerland but I am sure Ruth will understand my diversion. Edited July 15, 2013 by Torry loon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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