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Corkscrew (Alton Towers)
Encyclopedia
Corkscrew was a steel roller coaster
made by Vekoma
of the Netherlands
. The coaster was located in the Ug Land area of Alton Towers
in Staffordshire
, England
. It was the park's oldest ride and as one of the first British steel coasters, as well as one of the first double-looping coasters in Europe (the first in Britain), received much publicity in the 1980s. However during the latter years of its operation, the ride became notorious for jerking riders' heads and necks in the firm headrests - riders often complained of slight neck pains after riding.
In October 2008, Alton Towers confirmed that the ride was to be dismantled at the end of the 2008 season, to make room for the 2010 attraction thi13teen. The park held a special event in honour of its oldest attraction on 9 November 2008, on which day, the Corkscrew completed the final circuit of its 730m track. The official date for the last day in regular service was 2 November 2008 - the last day of the season. The nearby Ug Swinger (chair-o-planes
ride) was also relocated to Cloud Cuckoo Land and renamed Twirling Toadstools, making way for a roller coaster, Thirteen.
One of the coaster's cars was put on eBay
by Alton Towers to raise money for charity and was sold on 15 December 2008 for £7,200. Then, in 2010, the corkscrews were removed from storage and refurbished in time for the park's opening weekend. They were repainted purple and erected as a new artwork feature in the entrance plaza.
The opening title sequence used by The ITV Chart Show
between January 1989 and November 1991 was created by digitally rotoscoping footage of the Corkscrew. A photograph of the Corkscrew was used on the cover of the 1991 single Everybody in the Place
by The Prodigy
Steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
made by Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The coaster was located in the Ug Land area of Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was the park's oldest ride and as one of the first British steel coasters, as well as one of the first double-looping coasters in Europe (the first in Britain), received much publicity in the 1980s. However during the latter years of its operation, the ride became notorious for jerking riders' heads and necks in the firm headrests - riders often complained of slight neck pains after riding.
In October 2008, Alton Towers confirmed that the ride was to be dismantled at the end of the 2008 season, to make room for the 2010 attraction thi13teen. The park held a special event in honour of its oldest attraction on 9 November 2008, on which day, the Corkscrew completed the final circuit of its 730m track. The official date for the last day in regular service was 2 November 2008 - the last day of the season. The nearby Ug Swinger (chair-o-planes
Chair-O-Planes
The Chair-O-Planes is a fairground ride that is a variation on the carousel in which the chairs are suspended on chains from the rotating top of the carousel...
ride) was also relocated to Cloud Cuckoo Land and renamed Twirling Toadstools, making way for a roller coaster, Thirteen.
One of the coaster's cars was put on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
by Alton Towers to raise money for charity and was sold on 15 December 2008 for £7,200. Then, in 2010, the corkscrews were removed from storage and refurbished in time for the park's opening weekend. They were repainted purple and erected as a new artwork feature in the entrance plaza.
The opening title sequence used by The ITV Chart Show
The Chart Show
The Chart Show is a music video programme which ran in the UK on Channel 4 between 1986 and 1988, then on ITV between 1989 and 1998. The production company was Video Visuals, and was credited as "A Yorkshire Television Presentation" from 1993 and 1998...
between January 1989 and November 1991 was created by digitally rotoscoping footage of the Corkscrew. A photograph of the Corkscrew was used on the cover of the 1991 single Everybody in the Place
Everybody in the Place
"Everybody in the Place" is the second official single released by the British electronic dance band The Prodigy from their debut album "Experience"...
by The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...