Homer Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Blackpool finds Booty under Big Dipper Probably another big "WTF" roller coaster story; WORKMEN draining a lake under a Blackpool roller-coaster have found an ear-ring lost by Marlene Dietrich 73 years ago. The gold and pearl gem — given to the Hollywood legend by an admirer — fell off as she took a ride on the Big Dipper at the resort’s Pleasure Beach in 1934. She was being shown around the fun park as a VIP by its chairman Leonard Thompson. After she realised the ear-ring was missing Marlene — famous for crooning Falling In Love Again — wrote to Mr Thompson asking for a search to be made. It finally surfaced as workmen drained water under the Big Dipper — still in operation — in readiness for a new white-knuckle ride called Infusion. A Pleasure Beach spokesman said: “It appears to have withstood the test of time quite well.” The spokesman added it was “of sentimental value” to Marlene, who died in 1992 aged 90. Also found by the contractors were a glass eye, a toupee, three dolls, a bra, hats, scarves and £85 in small change. What makes me go WTF even more was that a bra and a glass eye were found underneath.
SharkTums Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 I lost the £85 in small change last June, think they'll send it to me?
rollermonkey Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 That's got to be one of the coolest, weirdest coaster related stories that I've heard all year. Or last year.
DenDen Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 73 years, and they've never drained the lake? EWWWWW!
Louise Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 I'm HOPING the bra was thrown in as a joke... The toupée I'm guessing just blew off in the wind (LOL, by the way), but the glass eye?!?! WTF?!?! SURELY they would sift around in there if somebody lost a glass eye... And I can't see somebody losing a glass eye and not reporting it. That's just odd. Guessing that was a joke too huh. Cool story though!
Golfie Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 What's that? Your source is Screamscape? But seriously, that's a neat story! The ride was 10 years old. Here we are, 70 years later putting in a brand (well, kind of) new coaster and find this "loose article". Too bad they were 14 years too late.
gisco Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 I thought the bra was yours Lou or was it Nicole's?
robbalvey Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 What I find ironic about this is how the European parks make a PR news story out of loose items falling off the ride, yet some of our American parks pratically frisk you and call out the national guard if you even THINK about bringing loose articles on rides!!! --Robb "I think some of our US parks need to take a cue from our international friends when it comes to operations!" Alvey
Louise Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 I thought the bra was yours Lou or was it Nicole's? It was Barry's.
kenshinmac Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Whats funny about that is that I know that one of the coaster shows or coaster books I have read talked about someone who lost a glass eye on the Big One and it being recovered during work which necessitated draining the lake. Plus I thought that same book said that they drained the water around the log flume to do cleaning every few years. Isn't it the same water? But I have to agree that the bra is truly strange... That had to be a joke...
viking86 Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Whats funny about that is that I know that one of the coaster shows or coaster books I have read talked about someone who lost a glass eye on the Big One and it being recovered during work which necessitated draining the lake. Plus I thought that same book said that they drained the water around the log flume to do cleaning every few years. Isn't it the same water? But I have to agree that the bra is truly strange... That had to be a joke... I have that book. Its Rollercoaster by David Bennett (1998)
downunder Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 Robb Alvey wrote: American parks pratically frisk you and call out the national guard if you even THINK about bringing loose articles on rides I actually did get frisked at Superman Escape at Movie World, the girl made me stand up in the train and padded my back pockets. On Superman Escape you can't even have a wallet in your back pocket, all pockets have to be completely empty and they are real nazis about it too. Maybe the glass eye guy carried spares with him? Bra's - is topless coaster riding a big thing in UK and Europe, I could see those Scandanavian's being right into it.
christianscoasters Posted January 14, 2007 Posted January 14, 2007 You would think wind or something would have taken the gem somewhere else. Surprising it stayed there that long.
Blazen_AZN Posted January 14, 2007 Posted January 14, 2007 ^ The wind would have swept it out of the lake? This is a pretty cool story... glass eye... uhm... wow.
christianscoasters Posted January 14, 2007 Posted January 14, 2007 ^Sometimes items from a water source can end up on the shore. In wind, it can sometimes blow away. I've seen it before.
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