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Shipley Glen in West Yorkshire was once the location of a thriving amusement
park known locally as the Shipley Glen Pleasure Grounds. The park included an
1889 'switchback railway' rollercoaster as well as the 1895 Shipley Glen Cable
Tramway and the 1900 'Aerial Glide', a ride that transported passengers through
the air. Each of these rides is visible in this vivid portrait, which records
the pleasure grounds bustling with pleasure-seekers.
Incredibly, the 1895 Tramway is still active and is now the oldest of its
kind (as old as cinema itself). Sadly, though, the once Grade II-listed 'Aerial
Glide', one of the oldest rides in the world, was demolished in July 2005,
despite a passionate campaign by locals who understood its historical
importance. Since the pleasure grounds as a whole were shut down that September,
this film has become an increasingly valuable document of a now-lost fairground
culture.
Christian Hayes
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Complete film (4:28)
