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Thorpe
Blast 2007
Here's
a subjective review of the event and below, photos of Thorpe's
Bonfire Night Extravaganza:
TTP
Review:
This
is the only time where TTP will publish a subjective review.
This is what I experienced on my trip, and does not necessarily
reflect on the event as a whole.
"2007
saw the first Fireworks event at Thorpe Park for 4 years, and
it proved to be a fantastic end to the Season! Not a lot had
changed around the Park; in fact, if you didn't venture near
the Vortex area, you probably wouldn't have even known that there
was anything special about the day, but when it came to 7pm,
the fireworks didn't disappoint.
The
Fireworks
What
I liked about Thorpe Blast was that for the first time, Thorpe
Park were actively using their new "Project Link" sound system.
Thorpe Park had spent the best part of a year getting this project
up and running, and after much cable laying, Thorpe are now able
to control all Park audio from one central base, as well as put
out Park-wide announcements. So at Thorpe Blast, come half past
6, guests were treated to a cheery reminder telling them
that the Fireworks would begin in half an hour. Nicely done.
The
viewing area was where the Thorpe Belle used to sit; the boat
had been moved nearer to the entrance bridge for the event. The
Fireworks were situated out on the lake itself, and so if you
got there early enough and stood on the lake edge, you got a
great view of all the action. Sensibly, numbers were limited
on the actual viewing area itself; otherwise there would have
been a bit of a bundle - but for those not fortunate enough to
bag a place in the viewing area, the Fireworks could be seen
from most points around the Park.
After
Colossus was shut down (it was the only ride that needed to close
for the Fireworks, 6:55pm - 7:20pm), Project Link was used to
broadcast a countdown for the Fireworks to begin. And they were
pretty spectacular! They were well timed to the music (Apollo
440: Stop The Rock, Chemical Brothers: Galvanise, Scissor Sisters:
I Don't Feel Like Dancin', Robyn: With Every Heartbeat, Jakatta:
American Dream, Basement Jaxx: Where's Your Head At, Mika: Grace
Kelly and Faithless: Insomnia) and very varied. The only grumbles
were that the music was quite loud, so the
Fireworks didn't seem as loud as they should have been, and the
actual display only lasted about 15 minutes or so. This did mean
that guests had another 45 minutes of riding time before the
Park shut, however.
In
any case,
aside from the minor negatives, you have to commend Thorpe for
trying something new - the event was certainly a success (although
I'm not sure the gate figure did it justice), and I personally
hope that Thorpe Park keep it in the calendar for the 2008 Season!"
Photos:
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