White City

[hboy]

My generation was one of faded, threadbare, dusty, red velvet. A thing that seemed to be everywhere in the dark, empty corridors of morbid, echoing hotels, the musty seats of the empty old cinemas and the old dowager aunt that was the Villa. A generation that'd never seen the island at its height, but saw the last glimpses of what was once there. A generation with inbuilt wistfulness for things that had been. Even now I only have to climb up to the Little Switzerland chairlift to feel a little cheated, a little envious of the people that saw it all when it wasn't broken and faded, and still thronged with happy people loving the place.

 

If the reports in the newspapers this week were true then all you need to do is book a weekend in the Trevelyan to relive that time of musty seats, damp mattresses, and general dust and decay. Maybe it could be saved as a heritage site?

 

Edited - I loved the sentiment that was my generation too. I wonder if our children will look back on the times of big 4 x 4's, £1m houses, and unlimited cash quite so fondly when the shit hits the fan.

[cheesypeas]

I remember Giselle Myres at school, she was a bonny lass !

The big slide was called the 'astroglide' if I remember correctly. Before it was built, there was a good size wooden coaster in that spot.

 

The bad tempered guy who ran the go-carts used to have a remote control that stopped you using the 'go faster pedal'. Years ahead of its time really.

[mæŋksmən]

Yep he did if you tried to get that extra lap he killed the engine to tick over.

SPENT A BLOODY FORTUNE ON THOSE THINGS AT THE WEEKENDS OUT OF MY WAGES THEN.C/SORRY.

Would of been much better spent on drugs and booze, then beating up a couple o geezers for our kicks

[ANDY ANDREWS]

I have just joined the forum and am trying to establish if there ever was a set of gallopers, horses on poles that went up and down as the ride circulated, at the White City?

I understand a set may have been there during the 1950's / 1960's.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Maxmann]

The chap who had a stall at White City and ran the Grandstand at Hillberry

Was a chap called Brian Woodford known by his nickname Woody

Now sadly deceased we were in the Fifth Douglas Scouts together

Happy Times

[ANDY ANDREWS]

Further to my post a year ago some of you may have seen 2 articles last year regarding a galloper horse I have restored which came from the Island from the estate of the late Simon Buttimore.

Thanks to the help of several people on the Island I have established that my horse was one of 6 that were at the White City in the late 60's. Some of them were seen on a small platform roundabout in Mooragh Park Ramsey in the early 1970's. 3 of these horses were eventually broken up, another was sold at the auction where I bought mine, and the third one is still on the island.

From what I have been told these 6 horses were acquired by the White City and used to possibly make up a bespoke ride inside the hall there. 

The big question is that is there anyone who may remember such a small ride with old galloper horses there in the late 1960's. These horses would most certainly have come from a large set of traditional gallopers that travelled on the mainland.

Any  help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks, Andy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[finlo]

22 minutes ago, ANDY ANDREWS said:

Further to my post a year ago some of you may have seen 2 articles last year regarding a galloper horse I have restored which came from the Island from the estate of the late Simon Buttimore.

Thanks to the help of several people on the Island I have established that my horse was one of 6 that were at the White City in the late 60's. Some of them were seen on a small platform roundabout in Mooragh Park Ramsey in the early 1970's. 3 of these horses were eventually broken up, another was sold at the auction where I bought mine, and the third one is still on the island.

From what I have been told these 6 horses were acquired by the White City and used to possibly make up a bespoke ride inside the hall there. 

The big question is that is there anyone who may remember such a small ride with old galloper horses there in the late 1960's. These horses would most certainly have come from a large set of traditional gallopers that travelled on the mainland.

Any  help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks, Andy

 

I remember them in the Mooragh, my grandfather made a replacement leg for one, although it way a little less shapely than the others!

 

 

 

 

[Uhtred]

33 minutes ago, ANDY ANDREWS said:

Further to my post a year ago some of you may have seen 2 articles last year regarding a galloper horse I have restored which came from the Island from the estate of the late Simon Buttimore.

Thanks to the help of several people on the Island I have established that my horse was one of 6 that were at the White City in the late 60's. Some of them were seen on a small platform roundabout in Mooragh Park Ramsey in the early 1970's. 3 of these horses were eventually broken up, another was sold at the auction where I bought mine, and the third one is still on the island.

From what I have been told these 6 horses were acquired by the White City and used to possibly make up a bespoke ride inside the hall there. 

The big question is that is there anyone who may remember such a small ride with old galloper horses there in the late 1960's. These horses would most certainly have come from a large set of traditional gallopers that travelled on the mainland.

Any  help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks, Andy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m pretty sure I remember the gallopers from White City in the 60s. The ride was indoors as you say. Indeed, the horses were “oversized” for the roundabout and the indoor location so I’m confident that you are correct to suggest that they came from another - almost certainly larger - “traditional” fairground roundabout. I also doubt that such a roundabout was IOM located. I’d say that the White City people imported them. 

[dilligaf]

1 hour ago, Uhtred said:

I’m pretty sure I remember the gallopers from White City in the 60s. The ride was indoors as you say. Indeed, the horses were “oversized” for the roundabout and the indoor location so I’m confident that you are correct to suggest that they came from another - almost certainly larger - “traditional” fairground roundabout. I also doubt that such a roundabout was IOM located. I’d say that the White City people imported them. 

To the mainland.  From England.

[thesultanofsheight]

3 hours ago, ANDY ANDREWS said:

Further to my post a year ago some of you may have seen 2 articles last year regarding a galloper horse I have restored which came from the Island from the estate of the late Simon Buttimore.

Thanks to the help of several people on the Island I have established that my horse was one of 6 that were at the White City in the late 60's. Some of them were seen on a small platform roundabout in Mooragh Park Ramsey in the early 1970's. 3 of these horses were eventually broken up, another was sold at the auction where I bought mine, and the third one is still on the island.

From what I have been told these 6 horses were acquired by the White City and used to possibly make up a bespoke ride inside the hall there. 

The big question is that is there anyone who may remember such a small ride with old galloper horses there in the late 1960's. These horses would most certainly have come from a large set of traditional gallopers that travelled on the mainland.

Any  help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks, Andy

 

Google the Manx Nostalgia FB site.

Lots of White City pictures on there.  

[Albert Tatlock]

I'll try asking a few old timers I know.

[ANDY ANDREWS]

Many thanks to the comments in the last 24 hours. Particularly the confirmation that there was indeed a bespoke small roundabout inside at the White City that had 'oversize' horses.

I had heard that it was a possibility and that  the ride would have looked somewhat odd with these large horses. I do believe that the Myers family who ran it at the time probably bought these 6 horses from somewhere in the UK  on the cheap and made something of them on a small ride inside the White City hall. Eventually some of them appeared a few years later in the Mooragh.

At that time these old wooden horses were well worn and were replaced by fibreglass ones or, in many cases, whole rides were being broken up.

These 6 horses carried some unusual details in their design which should have made it easy for those of us collectors to identify. Unfortunately nobody can trace them so where the Myers acquired them is a great mystery.

Once  again, any help, particularly a photo of this small ride at The White City would be so greatly appreciated.

Just a reminder of what the horse looked like in the auction house before I acquired it with the broken front leg on the saddle.

 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

My first guess is that you have not had sex in a while.

[dilligaf]

7 minutes ago, ANDY ANDREWS said:

Many thanks to the comments in the last 24 hours. Particularly the confirmation that there was indeed a bespoke small roundabout inside at the White City that had 'oversize' horses.

I had heard that it was a possibility and that  the ride would have looked somewhat odd with these large horses. I do believe that the Myers family who ran it at the time probably bought these 6 horses from somewhere in the UK  on the cheap and made something of them on a small ride inside the White City hall. Eventually some of them appeared a few years later in the Mooragh.

At that time these old wooden horses were well worn and were replaced by fibreglass ones or, in many cases, whole rides were being broken up.

These 6 horses carried some unusual details in their design which should have made it easy for those of us collectors to identify. Unfortunately nobody can trace them so where the Myers acquired them is a great mystery.

Once  again, any help, particularly a photo of this small ride at The White City would be so greatly appreciated.

Just a reminder of what the horse looked like in the auction house before I acquired it with the broken front leg on the saddle.

 

 

Have you asked Rolf Harris ?

Two little boys etc.

[dilligaf]

'