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Cleethorpes rifle range

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Anyone remember the indoor amusement area at the end of Cleethorpes sea front , i remember the rifle range where for sixpence your rifle was loaded with three real bullets , incredible as it seems this did happen in the 1960s , i used to spend the half crown i had been given on the coach with the annual Southey wmc trip at this stall , then when i was skint i would go on the beach and help the Donkey ride man for sixpence ,and head back to the stall to shoot more bullets . I revisited Cleethorpes after many years to find the amusements had been replaced by a market :(:(

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Never saw the one at Cleethorpes, but I'm sure I remember a rifle range on Brighton Pier sometime in the middle seventies. Just like the one at Cleethorpes it was real .22 ammunition. I seem to recall the rifles were chained in such a way that you couldn't turn them around.

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Anyone remember the indoor amusement area at the end of Cleethorpes sea front , i remember the rifle range where for sixpence your rifle was loaded with three real bullets , incredible as it seems this did happen in the 1960s , i used to spend the half crown i had been given on the coach with the annual Southey wmc trip at this stall , then when i was skint i would go on the beach and help the Donkey ride man for sixpence ,and head back to the stall to shoot more bullets . I revisited Cleethorpes after many years to find the amusements had been replaced by a market :(:(

 

if i remember correctly the gun had a chain fitted to the barrel to ensure the gun only fired down the range,the shells ,low charge ,were made for fairground use.

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Weren't they the rifles with slightly bent barrels? lol

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The place was called WONDERLAND.

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The place was called WONDERLAND.

 

Was a indoor market last time I was there though I remember it when it was Wonderland.

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Weren't they the rifles with slightly bent barrels? lol

 

 

 

The barrels were as straight as a dye it was the 10 year old that couldn't shoot straight, i can still remember the cartridge smell , made me feel like a real cowboy.

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They had these at many of the travelling Fairs, I can remember using them at Granville Road and the Fair at Darnall. Great fun and it's not true that all of them were chained at the barrel. My favourite had bottles, clay pipes and moving targets to shoot at. Many of the stalls used pump action Winchester's, but I've seen Browning automatics. All used .22, short, special Ely Showman's low power cartridge.

 

As I said great fun, can't see it being allowed now, but it was a time when the authorities treated people as responsible adults, not potential criminals.

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Remember going here on train with 3 friends when i was 15 in 1962,we spent all our money on rifle range then missed last train home and slept in a shelter on seafront,

friendly policeman got us all a cup of tea to warm us up

He would probably lock us up theese days.

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Anyone remember the indoor amusement area at the end of Cleethorpes sea front , i remember the rifle range where for sixpence your rifle was loaded with three real bullets , incredible as it seems this did happen in the 1960s , i used to spend the half crown i had been given on the coach with the annual Southey wmc trip at this stall , then when i was skint i would go on the beach and help the Donkey ride man for sixpence ,and head back to the stall to shoot more bullets . I revisited Cleethorpes after many years to find the amusements had been replaced by a market :(:(

 

Yes I too remember the rifle range. Quite incredible when you come to think about it. The rifles did not have a chain on them to stop accidents by accidental shooting.

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