Marvel’s “Dark” Amusement Park
July 16th, 2009 | Published in Personal Projects | 5 Comments
Over the last 10 years or so I have had a fascination with the crumbling ruin’s of my old seaside hometown of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. I have many great childhood memories of the beach, swimming pools and outdoor theme parks, there was the South Bay Pool, Water splash world, Kinder land and Marvel’s Amusement Park all in their hay-day in the late 1980’s , but by the late 1990’s all had eventually become run down , disused, overgrown or abandoned. I don’t know about you but to me there is nothing more creepy or unsettling as an abandoned theme park or swimming pool. A place that should be full of life, laughter and families enjoying a day out reduced to empty hollow shells of their former glory. What makes it more poignant is that they were all my childhood places, and as I revisited them from 1996 to now 2009 I found that my memories have traveled with me. I want to present to you now a series of photographs of my own childhood playgrounds as they disappear forever.
Flyer’s for Marvel’s circa 1996
Marvel’s Amusement Park 1996 – Closed Down
Marvel’s Roller Coaster 1996
Marvel’s 1996
I then returned to the same site in 2008 to see how it had developed
Marvel’s 2008 – This is where the T-Rex stood
The remains of the chair lift
Marvels “Dark” Ride
I walked around the site for about an hour, nobody disturbed me, nobody was there and that’s what freaked me out the most I created the digital piece above based on my emotions from the day
The full set of shots can be seen in my Gallery
Also I have created a digital piece that see’s the return of the Dinosaurs.
I will tell you how I created this image in my Technique section!
July 20th, 2009at 3:13 pm(#)
Hi Rick, I caught a link to this from Wedge’s Facebook. Such childhood memories can be really powerful and your photos are so poignant. My Grandma used to take me to Southend-on-sea when I was a child and I have some great, happy memories, but I’m scared to go back now as things change so much. You’ve got a great site here and I’ll be subscribing to your RSS now :)
July 25th, 2009at 2:39 pm(#)
Great to see the ol’ place. Wonder where T-Rex is now…
September 11th, 2009at 2:54 am(#)
The T-Rex is Back !
February 9th, 2010at 2:09 pm(#)
Its a shame to see it in this state it could have remained open for another 10 years along with kinderland and atlantis.
P.s If you have any more pics could you post them or email them please.
Alistair.
June 29th, 2010at 9:26 pm(#)
the dinosaurs unfortunately got smashed, i might have a photo of a foot somewhere taken on a crappy mobile tho i think, currently the open air theatre to the side of marvels has had a revamp and is billed as the largest in europe, they showed the world cup matches for free which is a pleasant surprise,
i havent been up for a while but the top is now levelled i hear, the project in charge of the whole development have undergone some struggles but now apparantly the water park is to take priority, the fate of marvels is unknown but on my last visit to the post appocaliptic theme park i thought it would make a lovely park or open space.
worth a note, on that last visit they had strange 1984 like siren posts dotted about emitting some kind of anti chav alarm. oh and shouldnt forget to mention the sad erradication of the newts thqt resided in the murky pond up there. personally i hope that whatever happens there has a lot more about it in terms of style and function than the ridiculous benidorm style blot on the landscape that replaced the corner cafe.
http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php?1232-Scarborough-North-Shore-Atlantis-Kinderland-Corner