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Bell Vue Zoo and Fair in Manchester. Does anyone remember it?

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Talking of Flea Circus, I saw Michael Bentine with his flea circus at the Cavendish Club on Bank Street, Sheffield ( A few years ago mind) We were sitting to the side of the stage and could see him twiddling the control levers. Mind you it takes years to train a flea! It makes me itch when I walk round a flea market!

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Hello- I work at Manchester Museum where we have a number of animals that came from Belle Vue Zoo. Oliver East, a Manchester-based comic artist, is just about to start a recreation of the walk of Maharajah the Elephant from Edinburgh to Manchester. He sets off on the 8th April, follow #ElephantWalk on twitter.

 

Also, I would be very, very interested to hear from anyone who remembers the Tigons at Belle Vue, especially those in the late 30s and 40s.

 

All the best,

Henry

Head of Collections & Curator of Zoology, Manchester Museum

 

:)

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Hello- I work at Manchester Museum where we have a number of animals that came from Belle Vue Zoo. Oliver East, a Manchester-based comic artist, is just about to start a recreation of the walk of Maharajah the Elephant from Edinburgh to Manchester. He sets off on the 8th April, follow #ElephantWalk on twitter.

 

Also, I would be very, very interested to hear from anyone who remembers the Tigons at Belle Vue, especially those in the late 30s and 40s.

 

All the best,

Henry

Head of Collections & Curator of Zoology, Manchester Museum

 

:)

I can remember seeing the Tigon walking around in an open cage and the children having elephant rides around the place.I also remember getting wet through when we stood in the wrong place when the water shute went past.

This has got to have been in the late 40s when we visited our aunt who lived in Ecclesall(or something like that).

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I think the one & only Birley school trip (1960's) used to be to Belle Vue Zoo, cant remember if it was infants or juniors though. I wasnt able to go as I used to get too travel sick!

 

that brings back memories, i went to belle view with birley school on a booth and fisher coach in the 60s think it was juniors

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At the Fair I remember a little booth where you could "cut a record" My sister & I made vinyl single of singing nursery rhymes in around 1965. Its probably in a box in the loft somewhere.

 

Wasn't there a speedway "wall of Death" or was that at Blackpool?

 

Yes, I remember a speedway 'Wall of death' there as well, in fact me and my sister were only talking about that the other day ! It seemed to be THE place to visit if you grew up in the sixties.Omg, I had forgotten about the booth where you could make your own record, I dearly wanted to do that, but wasn't allowed. I pestered for HOURS !!!

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I was raised in Hyde so Belle Vue was only a bus ride away. Distant memories of day trips there with my parents about 35 years ago.

The rollercoaster was called "The Bobs". Back in the 60's it used to be in the Guiness Book of Records as the fastest switchback in the world. The water chute was great fun and I remember the "Shoot the Rapids" ride. There's nothing left of it now except the speedway and greyhound track.

 

I was in the RAF national service 1950-52, we were stationed at RAF Weeton near Blackpool and had several trips to Belle View just to ride The Bobs, and often we stayed on the ride for two or three rides usually after having a few beers for dutch courage. You hadn't ridden a 'scenic railway' as some used to call them until you had experienced The Bobs. I recall that they ran twin cars coupled together and they had a brakeman who stood between the two and at the top of most inclines and controlled the speed so you did not descend the next slope too quickly, at least that's what I think he did, how he managed to stay on I shall never know it was quite a violet ride. westmoors.

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My parents took me to Bellvue in the 60s. They had a Tiger Lion cross at the time I think they called it a tigron it peed through the bars of it's cage all over a man we knew when we met him later the smell was atrocious so the staff gave him a pair of overalls to come home in he left his own clothes there.

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I remember going to Bellevue on family outings it was great. I can remember " The Bob's " I went on there when I was about 7 or 8 squashed in between my dad and uncle probably for the best because I was scared to death, didn't put me off roller coasters though lol. I'm sure there was a ride there called the scenic railway it was in some kind of a mock mountain I can recall my mum and dad going on it and the water chute. Great day out happy memories.

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I have one memory of Belle Vue and it caused a good laugh for my then girlfriend in the early 60s and a near heart attack for me!.We went with her parents and on arrival we went off on our own finding licensed premises and proceeded to try to drink them dry,after a while I was quite inebriated going to excess as per usual!.Anyway somehow we ended up at "Bobs",she suggested going on for a ride so on we went,I swear to God I was absolutely frightened to death it was night time and dark,on reaching the top it felt like you were in the middle of the main road at the side!.I went on drunk as a skunk and came off ghastly pale and sober as a judge,I felt worse because she wouldn,t stop laughing at me,not one of my proudest moments!.

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I have one memory of Belle Vue and it caused a good laugh for my then girlfriend in the early 60s and a near heart attack for me!.We went with her parents and on arrival we went off on our own finding licensed premises and proceeded to try to drink them dry,after a while I was quite inebriated going to excess as per usual!.Anyway somehow we ended up at "Bobs",she suggested going on for a ride so on we went,I swear to God I was absolutely frightened to death it was night time and dark,on reaching the top it felt like you were in the middle of the main road at the side!.I went on drunk as a skunk and came off ghastly pale and sober as a judge,I felt worse because she wouldn,t stop laughing at me,not one of my proudest moments!.

 

A bit like going down Hill 60 on a bike and trying to do a somersault?

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A bit like going down Hill 60 on a bike and trying to do a somersault?

Oh arh that was a good un it was a pity I got knocked art,I don,t know who was the daftist Whitey or me,on second thoughts it was definitely Whitey what a plonker!:loopy::roll::huh:

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