Andy's coaster crazy!
As the Rollercoaster Club of Great Britain approaches its 20th anniversary, its Chairman, Andy Hine M.B.E, talks to Kerry Bailey about how founding the Club has led to two decades of organising group travel, his own marriage and even an audience with the Queen!
When Andy Hine M.B.E climbed onboard his very first rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach at the tender age of six, he had no idea how those few moments of sheer thrill would shape the rest of his life.
“From the moment the ride started, I knew I was going to be hooked,” he explains. “I’d never experienced an adrenaline rush like it!”
Years later, in 1988, Andy was given permission to put posters up around various UK theme parks with the aim of arranging a group trip for other like-minded ‘coaster’ enthusiasts. “Ten people responded and we all had such a blast and got on so well that forming the Rollercoaster Club of Great Britain (RCCGB) was a natural progression.”
Today, as it approaches its 20th anniversary, the Middlesex-based Club is still going strong with over 1,500 members – from five to 80 year olds – in 17 different countries. “We have an excellent relationship with dozens of theme parks around the world and so people get to hear about us in lots of different ways. For example, we are often invited to test rides before they open to the public so we receive quite a bit of media coverage.”
It was also Andy’s good relationship with theme parks around the UK that earned him a little more than media coverage in March 2005. “I have worked with theme park bosses for many years in order to see rollercoasters and parks preserved and improved,” explains Andy. “When, on New Year’s Eve 2004, I discovered that many of my colleagues had nominated me for an M.B.E for services to the tourism industry, I was stunned. He continues, “I went to Buckingham Palace the following March to receive it and meeting the Queen was a very scary experience! She asked whether we, the members and I, are all crazy!”
The nuts and bolts
Andy admits that the Club is run with good-natured dictatorship. “I am the Chairman and do all of the organising myself. I don’t have a committee as I wouldn’t feel comfortable entrusting so much responsibility to other people. I do, however, have lots of members that volunteer their time for Club business.”
Members pay £25 per year, which entitles them to the Club’s yearbook and bi-monthly glossy magazine ‘Airtime’, both written by Andy and several volunteers featuring member and theme park news, in addition to an RCCGB t-shirt and exclusive invitations to ride openings. The £25 membership fee also extends to everyone living in the same house and family members are able to attend Club outings.
“I’m always in touch with members,” he smiles. “We’re like a family and are forever speaking via phone or on our website’s forum; it’s a real social club. We’ve even had seven Club weddings including my own!”
What is really surprising is that Andy does all of this voluntarily on top of his full-time paid role as manager of the local bingo hall. “I spend 20 to 30 hours a week on Club business,” he says. “It’s my passion, a huge part of my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Days rolling by
Andy organises lots of day trips to inland theme parks every year but finds that, because his UK-based members are scattered all over the country, they are reluctant to travel by coach.
He explains, “This is where the forum on our website has come in handy; members post messages to find others that live nearby who are willing to car share. I’ve known a dustman and a lawyer to become the best of friends as a result of travelling to trips together.”
A favourite memory of Andy’s is when 88 members were invited to ride the new ‘Jungle Coaster’ at Legoland Windsor in May 2004, before it opened to the public. “‘Jungle Coaster’ was great and it was fantastic to be the first ones to ride it,” enthuses Andy. “We all really love going to Legoland because it has something for all ages.”
Another opportunity to be the first to ride a rollercoaster arose when Funland at Hayling Island in Hampshire offered 79 members the chance to christen its newly acquired ‘Trocadero’ roller coaster in July 2005. “Funland may be a smaller, family run park but it is one of our favourites,” remarks Andy. Just a few days later 109 members were back at Funland enjoying an exclusive riding session on the park’s first looping roller coaster ‘Klondike Goldmine’. “We had such a blast,” says Andy.
In March 2006, meanwhile, 76 members were invited to enjoy an exclusive riding session on ‘Stealth’, a 205-foot rollercoaster at Thorpe Park in Surrey. “It was still great to be offered a whole hour of exclusive Club riding in the afternoon; just us and 400 metres of track! Thorpe Park is a great venue as it has a really excellent variety of rides.”
The following July, Andy arranged a first-time trip to Paultons Park in Hampshire for 125 members. He says, “I was really impressed with how much Paultons had to offer for all ages. We were also offered an exclusive riding session on ‘The Cobra’, Paulton’s biggest and longest roller coaster, which everyone loved.”
A couple of weeks later, in August, Andy organised a day trip to Oakwood Theme Park, the theme park based in Pembrokeshire in Wales, for 240 people. “This was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its ‘Megafobia’ rollercoaster,” he explains. “We were the first to ride it when it opened in 1996 and I wanted all of us to celebrate its birthday. The day kicked off with an exclusive hour of ‘Megafobia’ riding for Club members and, when the Park closed to the public, we headed back to ‘Megafobia’ for yet another exclusive session, which went on until midnight!”
Overnight antics
Andy also includes a sprinkling of longer UK breaks in his programme of trips, many of which feature annually.
“The annual three-day ‘Blackpool Bash’ usually takes place in April and is the most popular event of the whole year,” says Andy. “I have between three and four hundred members attend and we book out the entire Corona Hotel in Blackpool and the neighbouring St. Clement’s Hotel for our sole use. Both are fantastic establishments.” In the evenings, Andy hires the Wonderful World Building at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and provides entertainment in the form of comedians and variety shows. “During the day, we swamp Blackpool Pleasure Beach, our favourite theme park in the world!”
Another annual two-day event is ‘Loopathon’, which takes place in October every year. “In 2005, I was joined by 358 members for this event. Everyone made their own way to our first park and, because of varying requests, I inspected several hotels beforehand and recommended hotels for members to book themselves.” On the first day, the group met at Alton Towers, the theme park based in Staffordshire. “The highlight of the day was our first exclusive hour-long ride session on ‘Rita – Queen of Speed’, a great steel rollercoaster. Afterwards, the engineers even took us behind the scenes into the hydraulics room to see how it works.” The second day saw members meet at Drayton Manor, another theme park in Staffordshire. “Here, we were joined by the owner Colin Bryan, who gave a presentation on Drayton’s future developments.”
Another two-day event especially enjoyed by the Club took place in June 2002, when 119 members visited Bean Sand in Somerset to open the ‘Wild Mouse’ rollercoaster. “It may only be a small ride, but thrilling nonetheless!”
Overseas thrills
Always on the look out for bigger and better thrills, the Club often travels around Europe and the USA in search of new experiences.
In November 2005, Andy arranged a short three-day ‘Disney Dash’ break to Disneyland Resort Paris for 44 members to coincide with the park’s annual ‘Bonfire Spectacular’. “For this trip, I used Bowens Travel Group, the coach operator based in Staffordshire,” recalls Andy. “The company was very efficient and also booked our P&O Ferries crossing to Calais for us. We stayed at the lovely Sequoia Lodge resort hotel at Disneyland and everyone had a blast.”
An earlier five-day trip to Europe in May 2002 called ‘Euro Crazy’, for 83 members, saw the Club ride 25 different rollercoasters across various parks in two different countries. “I used Bowens Travel Group once again for this trip, which booked the Harwich to the Hook of Holland ferry crossing with Stena Line for us. The whole trips was a blur of theme parks including Six Flags Holland theme park in Dronten. It was brilliant!”
For trips to the USA, Andy relies heavily on two particular suppliers. “I always use British Airways for flights as you really get what you pay for.” Once on the ground, meanwhile, he uses Commuter Express, the coach operator based in Detroit, Michigan. “It’s very reliable and I can definitely recommend it to other groups,” he enthuses. “I also always book hotels myself rather than using tour operators and tend to use big chains such as Comfort Inns, as you can guarantee a consistant standard of service.”
One of the Club’s more recent trips to the USA saw 177 members fly from London to Atlanta, Georgia for a nine-day holiday in November last year. “We spent the whole break travelling to different theme parks around Georgia and Florida and, although parks such as Universal Studios in Florida were enjoyed by all, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park – also in the state – was a particular favourite.”
Just a few months before, in May, 102 members enjoyed a very busy seven-day trip, during which they travelled to theme parks in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Ohio. “This was a great holiday,” Andy grins. On the sixth day, the Club enjoyed exclusive use of the Indiana Beach theme park in Indiana. “It was wonderful!” he enthuses.
Future fun
The Rollercoaster Club has just returned from its annual ‘Blackpool Bash’ and so now, Andy is busy making plans for trips later on in the year.
“The best one will take place at the beginning of June, I’ve arranged 15 days of ‘coaster madness in the USA,” he laughs. “We going to be visiting some fabulous parks including Dollywood in Texas, where we will be enjoying an exclusive ride session on its new rollercoaster ‘Mystery Mine’.”
And Andy’s hopes for the future of the Club? “I’m just happy to be able to provide this service to members,” he says. “Going on holiday has always been a fun thing to do and, especially for those who have never been overseas or to America, it’s amazing to be a part of that for so many people.”