Good enough for Princess Diana and kiddies Wills and Harry, Alton Towers is the rollercoaster rip-up by royal appointment.
A big kiddie at heart, and let’s remember she was barely out of her nappies herself when she had them, Diana’s memorable visit to Alton Towers put it on the global map.
Probably best though to forget the jolly japes of the It’s a Royal Knockout jolly japes Olde England tournament.
Only to say that this corner of the unfashionable Potteries area of the English Midlands has the royal seal of approval.
Thrills and spills
It is too just a hop, skip and a jump over the water for theme park fans from Ireland.
And this is where our friends at Irish Ferries come in with a two-day family getaway.
You and your 2.2 family (under-11s) will stay at the Best Western in Stoke-on-Trent just 15 miles out from the park.
And you’ll get a one-day pass to the park.
Irish Ferries will get you there and back and the ferry crossings have certainly changed since I were a kid.
Irish Ferries
As I know from being hosted in their lounges, bars and entertainment hubs on their ferries, albeit docked in port,
So let Alton Towers be your theme park fun break this year.
Disney World and Disneyland and Universal Orlando will always be there.
And we’ll always come back, but do try Alton Towers.
And at times too where Alton Towers has led the world has followed.
Vertical hold
So when you ride Falcon’s Fury (my fave) in Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, remember this is a variation on an Alton Towers original.
Oblivion, a 180ft drop opened in 1998, reaches a top speed of 68mph, boasts a G Force of +4.5G and lasts 1.15secs.
You’ll be in good company on your Alton Towers rollercoaster by royal appointment.
And don’t be surprised if you see a tall, balding, upper-class type, his brunette wife and three kids on the log flume in front of you.
MEET YOU ON THE RIDE
