Blackpool Pleasure Beach's Big Dipper roller coaster turns 100

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is celebrating the centenary of its Big Dipper ride.

One of the oldest woody roller coasters successful the world, it opened connected 23 August 1923.

Andy Hygate, Head of Operations astatine Blackpool Pleasure Beach, described the Grade II listed structure arsenic "very special".

"Amusement parks alteration and accommodate but you clasp connected to those things that are magical and special," helium said. "It's the past that's attached to it."

Mr Hygate explained: "A woody roller coaster is precise antithetic thrust to a alloy coaster. You'll get a antithetic thrust depending connected what the upwind is like."

Managing manager Amanda Thompson added: "You perceive the concatenation pulling you up, you perceive everything cranking and the wood somewhat talking to you."

Paul Heany, of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain, agreed the Big Dipper was "full of quality - it's got a beingness of its own".

The Big Dipper is the 2nd oldest roller coaster inactive successful usage successful Great Britain.

"When it [The Big Dipper] was archetypal built determination was thing similar it," Mr Heany said. "Margate's Scenic Railway was the first, but that was much sedate".

Blackpool archetypal established itself arsenic an amusement destination aft Londoner William George Bean acceptable up Hotchkiss Bicycle Railroad connected the soil dunes astatine South Shore successful 1896.

Inspired by his clip successful New York's Coney Island, Mr Bean started to physique his tourism empire.

By 1923, Blackpool Pleasure Beach was an established amusement park.

After the Big Dipper was expanded successful 1934, Hollywood movie prima Marlene Dietrich went for a ride.

Unfortunately she mislaid a pearl and golden earring successful the process.

The German-born histrion and vocalist aboriginal wrote to the amusement parkland to inquire unit to hunt for it.

The earring was thought mislaid everlastingly until 70 years aboriginal erstwhile it was recovered by workmen dredging a water arsenic portion of operation enactment for a caller ride.

"We person compared it to pictures taken astatine the clip of her sojourn and it surely looks similar 1 of hers," said a Pleasure Beach spokeswoman.

Twenty years ago, 32 thrill-seekers - with an mean property of 75 - rode connected the Big Dipper to interruption the satellite grounds for the oldest roller coaster riders.

Marking National Grandparents Day, the pensioners - astir of whom lived successful Blackpool - had a combined property of 2,408.

The classical woody rollercoaster was constructed successful 1923 and expanded successful 1934

Up to 65ft (20m) astatine its tallest, the thrust was manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc

The way magnitude is 3,295ft (1,004m)

It scope a maximum velocity of 35mph (56km/h) connected rides which past 3 minutes

Up to 672 riders tin beryllium carried each hour