Leicester Fair

This addition wasn't planned. I'd met some other enthusiasts at Northampton and they were headed here. The fair has three coasters all of which I'd been on before, but the others hadn't so I wasn't looking to ride them but tagged along for the photo opportunities.

 
First coaster was the caterpillar ride that I first rode at this fair last year. It's run by Glen Smith

Second coaster was a new visitor to this fair. Danter's Wild Mouse is one of the most travelled mouse coasters in the UK and has had a great looking paint job for this year.

The final coaster was a Runaway Train ride of which there are many. This one is operated by George DeVey

 

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Northampton Fair

Located in the shadow of Sixfields leisure centre and overlooking the football stadium was his small fair with an interesting collection of rides, including some new hits for me.

The first coaster was a go-gator that I had ridden before. It's operated by Leonard Derry.

The second was a very odd looking caterpillar variant. This is operated by AJ Simons and a ride type I'd never seen before. It definitely met the criteria for a coaster despite looking like at train ride.

The final coaster was also a new one for me. The Mine Train is operated by John Woodword and is another mini coaster variant that I've seen scattered around the UK.

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Ocean Beach Pleasure Park

Located in South Shields, east of Newcastle is Ocean Beach, a great little seaside park that seems to be surviving where other sea side parks aren't.

Visible from the High Street that leads from the Metro station to the park is this weird booster variant. Instead of doing full circles it's picked up by a crane, dropped and then it swings like a pendulum back to the station. Throughput would be terrible yet it had no end of kids wanting to ride it.

The first coaster was the Zyklon ride, which I think is now called Cat and Mouse. With only one car queue lines were painful but not excessive. The crowds whilst busy don't present too much justification for a second car. 

This is a wave rider but with astro turf instead of water offering a drier if more brutal fall. Carpet burns anyone?

 

Behind the park is a really nice sandy beach offering views of some Roman ruins to the north. Whilst I was sat here enjoying some fish and chips (the law when visiting the seaside) friends back in London were moaning of snowfall. Strange...

The other coaster is a quick caterpillar ride. Tick, next!

This is a really nice park and the Easter holiday had brought a sizeable yet well behaved crowd. The security patrol were looking suitably bored. To get to this park it's a Metro ride from Newcastle Central Metro station.