Way back in the mists of time,
Manchester Belle Vue had this awesome thing called "Shoot the Rapids".
Basically, you climbed a huge flight of stairs where they locked you in a small steel box that, oddly it seemed, had rollers both on the seat and the floor.
All became clear when the seat suddenly dropped flush with the floor and the box tipped, sending you out of the side and onto a great wobbly conveyor belt that took you roughly back down to ground level.
First time on that, my legs were shaking with pure terror for about ten minutes (well, I was only a nipper).
Oh, then I had a whole bag of home made "quavers" from a vendor and barfed up on the Octopus.
Good days. I miss Belle Vue.
(greatoldone Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl f'tagn, Thu 9 Jun 2011, 12:38, 1 reply)

I am still gutted
that I was only born in 1986 and never got to experience the wonders of the original Belle Vue complex. Fairground and zoo in the day and then speedway or stock cars on the quarter mile in the evening - it would have been the perfect day out for me.
(FirstBendBunching All four back please..., Fri 10 Jun 2011, 1:44, closed)