PPM revisits Manchester's Belle Vue amusement park - Picture ...

BELLE VUE - BIG
AND BOLD
continued. from page 25
known single-deckers) also
passed near the grounds.
Belle Vue was served by
three railway
The Figure 8 Toboggan
was introduced in 1908 by James Jennison,
a son of founder John Jennison, after he had seen
one displayed at the White
City, Stretford, Manchester.
The postcard was issued
shortly after.
firework factory, all of
which required a permit to
view. Several refreshment
rooms are listed, although
much of the food was the
cold type, such as ham or
beef sandwiches at 2d per
square, Eccles cakes at 2d
each and veal pies at 4d
each. There was a surcharge
to enter some of the
posher refreshment places.
For the really affluent,
Sandeman’s 1870 vintage
Port was 10/- per bottle.
The guide gives details
of how to get there by tramcar,
omnibus, train or cab.
Two different tram routes
ran from Market
Street in the centre of
Manchester. Frequency on
each route was every 3-4
minutes, with extra trams if
needed. Circular route tramcars
(Manchester’s well-
26 Picture Postcard Monthly July 2010
The elephant appears to be enjoying his bathe, c.1910,
watched by a small audience. Apart from children’s rides,
the elephants were assigned to duties such as pulling
loaded carts, assisting with demolition, and taking part in
Whitsuntide processions.
(left) It seems to be
feeding time at the
large monkey enclosure
in the Monkey
House, c.1910. The
primates were given
various appliances to
relieve their boredom,
including a
rocking horse, an elevator
and a water
pump.
The
Fireworks Viewing Stand,
which seated 4000, was probably erected in the
1850s, when the fireworks displays were given a new lease
of life, each display becoming a scenario of a major historical
event. Note the bandstand incorporated into the
seating area. Lizzie wrote on the back of the card that she
was enjoying her holiday, but she doesn’t mention Belle
Vue. The card was posted in
an envelope, c.1910.
stations – Longsight
(LNWR), Belle Vue
(GCR/MR) and Ashburys
(GCR). From
the centre of Manchester
to Belle Vue,
the cheapest fares
were by tram, being
one penny each
way; the bus fares
were slightly dearer,
with the train
fares a bit more
expensive still.
The cab fares from
Manchester Victoria
were 2/6d total for one or
two passengers and 3/4d
total for three or more passengers.
The railway companies
ran excursions to the Zoological
Gardens from various
towns and cities, even
into the British Railways
era. I have a handbill for
Easter Monday, 23 April
1962, for a train from Bradford
Exchange to Belle Vue,
leaving Bradford at 11.40
and arriving back there at
9.09. The fare was 10/- for
adults and 5/- for children.
The handbill trumpets the
huge funfair, boating,
miniature railway, speedway,
stock car racing,
wrestling and dancing.
The war and its aftermath
brought difficulties.
Many of the animal keepers
joined the services and
were replaced at the zoo by
women. New and replacement
animals were difficult
to obtain, whilst animal
feed was in short supply.
The government used parts
of the grounds for military
purposes. Some normality
returned after the war, and
various exhibitions were
held, including dog, pigeon
and fruit shows. In 1925,
control of Belle Vue passed
from John Jennison & Co
Ltd (created in 1919) to a
new company, Belle Vue
(Manchester) Ltd, with John
Henry Iles as managing
director. In 1956, this was
taken over by Sir Leslie
Joseph and Charles Forte
(later Trust House Forte).
Dating
from c.1932, this panorama
shows just a few of Belle Vue’s entertainments,
looking across to the Hyde Road main entrance. Included
are Over the Falls (left) and the Bobs Coaster and the Flying
Boats (right). This coaster, introduced in 1930, was a
worthy alternative to the Figure 8 Toboggan. It was usually
known simply as Bobs, because of its shilling charge.