You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Kids are going with school on Monday. Covered in Factor 50 with big hats and loads of water.
However... Will the rides be open? One would assume that anything on rails is going to have a max operating temperature.
Personally I wouldn't want to be on a ride when they discover they got their max operating temp analysis wrong and you end up spending 6 hours stuck atop a roller coaster whilst the fire brigade extract one person every 30 minutes...
Queueing in that heat? Even with factor 50 and a hat, I'd need a tanker of ice cold water to be standing around for an hour+ in that!
The only things worth doing in 40c heat at Thorpe Park is the tidal wave ride, water slides or the beach....personally I wouldn't let my kids go.
I had my kid with me for work ex last week and the Monday was a nightmare at 32c..just climbing the ladder to the house roof height scaffold was hard work
Surely they'll be cancelling the trip?!
I cant believe the school is not going to cancel rather risky taking kids out in that weather and there is a lot of walking at alton towers, long wait for rides that are not all in the shade.
Not a very good idea
Even the travel to get there is a little inadvisable. I'll be surprised of they don't cancel it
School are being irresponsible.
Ask them to justify why they think it's appropriate to go ahead.
Withdraw yours from the planned trip.
surely there will be some talks tomorrow and because its remote and travel is not recommended then it should be closed, surely
We have a number of end of term trips planned for Tuesday including theme park/zoo ones. In all likelihood we are going to postpone/cancel them all. I wouldn't want to work in a school that was pushing ahead with anything like this regardless. Their first priority needs to be welfare of the kids and sending them out into potentially shadeless queues all day (regardless of any other temperature related issues) isn't OK IMO. As adults we might be fine with taking precautions and looking after ourselves in the heat but quite a few kids won't be.
FWIW, I was meant to be taking a group of students MTBing round the local woods Tuesday in 38+ degree heat. I won't be doing that now - how can I expect kids to ride in conditions that I wouldn't if riding for myself?
But on the plus side if everyone else is sacking off Alton Towers then the queues will be negligible. Few rides on the log flume to freshen up. Job jobbed.
Edit: Also the location is fairly rural so not a huge amount of heat soak like you'd get in a city centre.
Also quite a lot of tree cover in the middle of the grounds and a natural low point so should be slightly cooler there.
I was at Thorpe this time last year when it was almost as hot. Plus side they had plenty of sun lotion points around the site and in the queues. Places to get water top ups and plenty of reminders to apply lotion, drink and be in the shade.
A couple of rides were running at 50% capacity due to the effect of heat on the brakes so had longer queues.
Being near the end of term, there were quite a few school groups- I over heard a couple of teachers talking about the weather-their trip was close to being cancelled due to the heat.
ETA
if everyone else is sacking off Alton Towers then the queues will be negligible.
Not sure if it was because my daughters school finished early last year and/or the heat and/or covid, but last year Thorpe was quite empty- we managed 13 rides, even with the longer queues for half full rides.
She broke up last Fri & I have a day off Tuesday, so guess where she wants to go. I’m not so keen!
Not Alton Towers, but a small play area in Greece. I was about to put my baby daughter on a slide when I touched it myself and it was burning hot. It still gives me the shivers to think about what nearly happened.
Is it a religious studies trip to try to illustrate the nature of Hell?
Slight aside but we went AT a few years ago on a weekday and there was a massive power cut when we arrived "could be off for hours", lots of people got refunds and left. We walked round for a bit then the power came on just as we were next to Nemesis.
Had it to ourselves (4of us)! Ride operator wouldn't let us stay on so we had to get off and run round to get back on. Rode it 9 times in succession - all to ourselves!!!!
Ran over to Air and did the same thing for 5 goes then over to Rita but people had started coming in at that point so only did it once then over to Smiler.
I will never return to AT as nothing short of hiring the whole park will compare
Alton Towers in high summer is very much like mountain biking. A hour of drowning in your own sweat as you inch closer to some distant point, then a couple of minutes of fun. With extra wasps.
Few rides on the log flume to freshen up. Job jobbed
…not been for a while then! 😀
Pirate ships would be best freshness/effort combo. Just ride around getting annihilated by the water squirters from the other ships.
Imagine telling 100 schoolkids (and their parents) that the trip is off as the weather will be 'a bit hot'
Start the day on Rubber Dinghy Rapids and the dampness will keep you fresh.
Roller coasters manage to run all day in Florida's heat so Staffordshire should be a doddle.
Suncream, a hat and drink loads and everything will be golden.
boomerlives
Imagine telling 100 schoolkids (and their parents) that the trip is off as the weather will be ‘a bit hot’
Imagine having to make loads of phone calls to parents explaining how you failed to exercise your legal duty of care and their child now has heatstroke and/or sunburn.
Imagine telling 100 schoolkids (and their parents) that the trip is off as the weather will be ‘a bit hot’
The peak is going to be 38°C on Monday.
Given the red warning, I'd be questioning why the school hasn't cancelled already?
As an aside - went to Alton Towers a few weeks ago on a Monday with a group of mates - on a freebie, as the Scarefest in October was a nightmare (no pun intended) with rides breaking down etc
We didn't queue for more than 15 minutes for anything. It was fab
The peak is going to be 38°C on Monday.
The peak is going to be 33 degC at 4-5pm. They can easily stay indoors then, or in the air conditioned coach going home.
Imagine having to make loads of phone calls to parents explaining how you failed to exercise your legal duty of care and their child now has heatstroke and/or sunburn.
And where will these precious flowers manage to spend the day if their parents can't organise suitable clothing and sunblock. In a nice cool classroom?
God forbid they step outside and spontaneously combust. It's July, not the sequel to Finch
The peak is going to be 33 degC at 4-5pm
The BBC has the peak at 38°C with it being 33°C just after midday.
The BBC has the peak at 38°C
Whereas if you look at the MET Office (you'd think they were better qualified than the OTT Beeb) it has Alton Towers at 35 - still a bit warm though
I'd be well annoyed if the school didn't call as not being insane (or an internet troll) I clearly wouldn't be letting my kids go and if the trip wasn't called off they wouldn't get to go at another time.
The MET are the ones issuing the Red warning.
you’d think they were better qualified than the OTT Beeb
The BBC use a private external service for forecasts
Ummm hot tarmac and metal combined with kids eating to much sugar then going on spinny things that poor coach driver.
We walked round for a bit then the power came on just as we were next to Nemesis.
Had it to ourselves (4of us)!
Thats the worst ride!
It makes me feel so bloody sick!
My school had a Thorpe park trip planned tomorrow, that's cancelled. Surprised this is going ahead.
Thats the worst ride!
It makes me feel so bloody sick
It's my favourite ever rollercoaster! The theming is great, the proximity to the rock faces when you're riding - especially for a lanky talk bugger like me is scary/great, nice transitions into the corkscrews and inversions, and it's track is soooo smooth! (Smiler in comparison is too harsh & rattly). Good view from the front seats and also a nice 'whip' from the rearmost seats.
Couldn't believe the power came back on just as we were walking past - to have no queue whatsoever and to be able to run back round and get straight back on and have the whole 'coaster to ourselves was an unbelievable never to be repeated experience!
Air is good but not as visceral as Nemesis, Rita is a one trick pony (the launch) but the theming is crap and after the launch is boring, Oblivion is good but short, Smiler is okay but almost has too much going on and is harsh and uncomfortable. I think runaway mine train punches above its weight and is another favourite!
Not into spinny stuff or heights/drops
Nemesis is over of my favourites too - does make me feel sick though
Did Smiler for the first time the other week, loved it
At Scarfest , we blagged the last ride on Wicker Man. We had a carriage each to ourselves and it felt so fast in the dark. Fantastic
Not into spinny stuff
The one rollercoaster near the entrance that spins you round whole it goes round (can't remember the name, used to be sonic) feels like a near death experience. Made worse when you're stood in the queue watching the whole structure shake around
My daughters school trip has gone ahead thankfully.
"Duty of care" extended to proper advice about clothing, hats, sunscreen and to drink plenty. Job done.
Interested to hear if others have done the opposite, and you get an empty park.
Multi hour queues in the sun in a crowd not pleasant, walking round a themepark, and going on the rides, will be.
The one rollercoaster near the entrance that spins you round whole it goes round (can’t remember the name, used to be sonic) feels like a near death experience. Made worse when you’re stood in the queue watching the whole structure shake around
Pinball whizzer/spinner/The Mouse? Can't remember, but it's great. A bit painful if you're on the tall side though.
Love Alton Towers. Getting to an age now where it's tough to find people to go with. Mates have all become boring and see it as a kids thing. Or maybe it's just me refusing to grow up 🙂
Smiler is amaaazing.
Pinball whizzer/spinner/The Mouse? Can’t remember, but it’s great. A bit painful if you’re on the tall side though.
Yeah, that's one of my favourites too. Went on it with a big tough guy once, who screamed like a little girl all the way round. Brilliant.
Imagine telling 100 schoolkids (and their parents) that the trip is off as the weather will be ‘a bit hot’
There was an Alton Towers trip that went ahead in South Lanarkshire a few years ago, despite being 'a bit cold'.
The school bus slid on unexpected ice into a River and one of the pupils drowned.
Sorry, this is a Red Weather warning
Any school head and teacher going ahead with that trip is outwith industry norms and I bet thier own risk assessment over Red Weather warnings. Personal liability time, should something go wrong.
My 15 year old daughter is currently on Dartmoor doing her silver DofE expedition.
They started walking at 7.00 this morning and were done by 13.00 - out/back early to avoid the warmest part of the day.
I had mixed feelings about her going, but apparently Kent Schools have over 800 kids out on DofE trips this week and have decided to carry on and see how it goes.
She called me earlier and said 'i think even the SAS get the day off when its this hot' which made me laugh.
To be fair, my work colleague in Ivybridge (edge of Dartmoor) said it was raining this morning and its still not superhot
Job done.
Actually not by the sound of it (see the last paragraph of matt's post), but let's not let that get in the way of some righteous ranting.
She called me earlier and said ‘i think even the SAS get the day off when its this hot’ which made me laugh.
Hopefully, since all this happened: https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/25/soldier-die-training-hot-day-sas-tragedy-joshua-hoole
My 15 year old daughter is currently on Dartmoor doing her silver DofE expedition.
TBF, they're in 'Amber' area. This means staff will have taken mitigating measures - the early start and finish being just one.
I've run DofE in a similar heat a few times. As well as supply of extra water and snacks, we do things like insist on suncream application in front of adult to make sure they really do, plus the dreaded bag of lost property hats...
some righteous ranting
That's what you think a rant is? Delicate, aren't we?
And since you (and Matt) don't know where they are going I can't understand how you can say with such confidence it's outside 'industry norms'
@boomerlives - I've gone back and re-read. I thought you were the OP and they were off to Alton Towers. You are not, they are not. My apologies.
I'll still stand by my 'industry norms' and Risk Assessments for any school trip today though, if it's in the Red Weather warning area, for everyone else...
They've just got back. Had a great day.
That’s what you think a rant is? Delicate, aren’t we?
To be fair, I really wanted to type something more like 'pseudo gammony anti-wokeness' but don't really think ad-hominem attacks help anything...
TBH, think and say what you like. Makes no odds to me. I'll continue to put my energy into making sure the students in my pastoral care are safe and well.
My 15 year old daughter is currently on Dartmoor doing her silver DofE expedition.
They started walking at 7.00 this morning and were done by 13.00 – out/back early to avoid the warmest part of the day.
24 degrees when I drove past princetown at 7am this morning, 28 at 6 this evening.
Personal opinion: DoE on Dartmoor under these conditions is really poor decision making by whoever is running it. Physical exertion and limited supplies under direct sunlight is unnecessary risk.
Alton Towers? Be fine. Parks in the USA run regularly in 40C or more. Stick mainly to water rides. Travel on air-conditioned coach. Lots of sunscreen and water. Nice day out.
Personal opinion: DoE on Dartmoor under these conditions is really poor decision making by whoever is running it. Physical exertion and limited supplies under direct sunlight is unnecessary risk.
But Dartmoor wasn't in the red zone, and DofE put contingency in for severe weather iirc.
But Dartmoor wasn’t in the red zone, and DofE put contingency in for severe weather iirc.
Yeah, I suppose. But how far can you go with contingency planning before it just becomes a guided walk?
Heads up for the Nemesis lovers.
Get your rides in before the end of the year, as nemmy will be closed next year while it is retracted. (and additional sound deadening will mean much of the nemesis roar will be gone)
Heads up for the Nemesis lovers.
Get your rides in before the end of the year, as nemmy will be closed next year while it is retracted. (and additional sound deadening will mean much of the nemesis roar will be gone)
I'd forgotten about that - I was interested (from an engineering point of view) about the Smiler accident and the published report and remember reading about the proposed Nemesis overhaul.
Love Alton Towers. Getting to an age now where it’s tough to find people to go with. Mates have all become boring and see it as a kids thing. Or maybe it’s just me refusing to grow up 🙂
Fortunately (at 50), I have a load of 20 something mates I go with
Stick mainly to water rides
I think there's only one at AT now
They’ve just got back. Had a great day.
EXCELLENT!!!! I'm glad
At Alton Towers today. Had arranged it as birthday treat for my eldest and a few of his mates. All their parents happy for them to go. Pretty hot but lots free water available. Oblivion not running and a few other closed but longest queue I’ve seen is 30 minutes. Doesn’t feel that busy and everyone seems to be being sensible.
Great day out but I am looking forward to the air conditioned car ride home almost as much as Nemesis.
I went on Infusion at Blackpool a few months ago, which IIRC is very similar to Nemesis. Compared to Icon it felt rough and old fashioned. Is Infusion just a bad version of Nemesis, or do I just not like that kind of roller-coaster?
Dunno if it's just me but Nemesis has felt a bit rickety for years. A bit clanky if you get me drift. When it first opened it was so smoooooth.
Also, Runaway Mine Train: did that used to be a lot faster or have I just gotten used to it? Entirely possible, went on Corkscrew as a kid - best thing ever. Went on just before they got rid - felt like I could've read a newspaper going round.
Oblivious
Ooops
Meh 🤷♂️ these are ultimately big old machines - something wasn't happy control system wise so it shut down. The real problem is when humans get involved as per the Smiler accident.
I went to AT a few weeks ago on the same day as about 8 billion School leavers (mine had an inset). Queues aside I’d say Nemesis is a a far rougher rider than Smiler. Still great but showing its age compared to the new kid although we didn’t get on the front of Nemesis and which is ooh so good.
I was a bit meh with the kids about Oblivion until we approached the drop. One trick pony but a bloody good trick!!
It was 2013 when we went and had the power cut / 9 goes in a row on Nemesis, I'm guessing it's deteriorated since then? Smiler was fairly new at the time pre accident so has possibly been tweaked since but I didn't enjoy it due to how rough and jarring it was.
I'd still love either of them in my back garden!
I expect Nemesis has always been rough, its just that modern ones are much smoother for the speed