The animals came in two by two!

This amazing walk-through 'ride' still sits at the entrance to the park.

It IS in fact the entrance to the park, although strictly speaking, it is no longer a ride, being SBNO

Standing But Not Operating.

Constructed by noted rollercoaster designer William Homer Strickler in 1922, it is the oldest surviving example of this ride in the world, with only one other in existence, at Kennywood, Pennsylvania, USA.

This inset, taken from the first postcard shows the 'poem' which adorned the way in, and which produced another postcard (below) which, from the number I have seen at various postcard fairs over the years, was very popular back in the day!!

The poem is reproduced here in its entirety, with apologies for the insensitive and politically incorrect sentiments which it quite clearly displays.

NOAH'S Ark

ANCIENT And MODERN

Time-The Deluge Time-1922

Place-Somewhere in the East Place-Pleasure Beach, Blackpool

'Tis writ Noah built himself an Ark,

Of Gopher wood and hickory bark;

The animals walked in two by two

The elephant and the Kangaroo,

Followed by Noah and his family crew.

For forty days without a doubt,

There was only water both inside and out,

So with no other drink on this excursion,

Noah sought a means of some diversion

To help pass the days of the earth's immersion.

And finally to his intense delight,

He discovered a brew that would make him tight;

So when at last the flood subsided,

He fell for the booze as you and I did,

And when Ham found the patriach pickled,

He told his brothers, he was so tickled;

And then Noah seeing him thus behave,

Solemnly cursed him and made him a slave

And thus a face which at first was white,

Was turned to black in a single night.

And this is the story as told by our mothers,

Of why there are servants and why there are others

And also the story as told by the preachers,

Of how in the Ark Noah saved two of all creatures.

And now in the year of nineteen twenty-two,

This duplicate Ark finds amusement for you.

In every essential a perfect facsimile

Of the craft that found safety for Noah and his family,

And if any should question this true reproduction

Compare it with Noah's own original construction.

Postcard of a painting by George Bernasconi, resident artist at Pleasure Beach in the 30’s, in the same style as the one of the Virginia Reel. Colourful and crowded!!