The Wall of Death in the Tower Grounds, New Brighton, were closed down in 1959. It seems that the attraction was dismantled and re-assembled at a fun fair on the south coast.
I've not used the word 'ride' here, because it was something that you climbed up to watch - you didn't go for a ride in or on it. Two or three motorcycles would work their way up the walls of a barrel like structure, lined with wooden planks, until gravity caused them to be riding horizontally.
Aparrently, there are still two 'Wall of Death' shows operating and touring in the UK. One of them is the one filmed for the BBC station i.d seen between some programmes. (They will be displaying their riding skills at Stafford Classic Bike Show this coming weekend.)
Now, when I was young, I was taken to see the Wall of Death at New Brighton. I remember all the steps that surrounded the 'barrel' where the bikes rode - and I also remember how the whole structure swayed in a circular motion as the bikes ran around inside.
I have this mental picture that, in the news the following day, it was reported that the wall of death had collasped!
Am I right or am I wrong? Was this the end of the Wall of Death or is there another ending?
Don't remember it collapsing but could have done. Had large cables holding it all together. Think it was there later than 1959 though or at least it came back.
Think it was taken to South Africa not the south coast but that might have just been during the winter?
People used to throw money in appreciation and lots of it got lodged between the planking. We used to go there early mornings and look for the cash.
Possibly gravity is the wrong word you are using because that would mean they fell down. What's the word I am looking for?
I thought it was centripetal force ?
I remember (many) years ago doing the math for this, it became incredibly complicated and about all I can remember now is that the Indian Scouts were the best bikes for doing it with (some of the others fell off the wall)
Going to dig out old math books now.
I remember it too, especially the movement of the whole structure when the bikes were in motion. Neither to I remember it collapsing. As far as I know the whole thing was sold.
Ive seen the wall of death at stafford many times (see pic)and probably again this weekend, But i also remember the guy who built Pollards pub in Willaston restored an old wall of death around 30 odd years ago now and opened it up behind the pub one sunday afternoon for a free display/ test after the pub closed... i guess it could have been the old one from new brighton.
They had a glamorous lady rider called Astrid Johansen. If she is still alive she would be about 77. She was in school with my mother.
The noise was deafening and a bit frightening for younger kids.
Theres a guy up in Capenhurst with a wall of death! Sill there in his garden up to few years ago, and he uses it
Not the New Brighton one but I remember going to Blackpool Tower circus as a child and they had a "spherical cage of death" - I bet it had a better name than that though!
It was a huge metal mesh ball which hung from the ceiling of the circus and the motoribikes (I remeber up to 3 at the same time in there) used to do a similar thing and zoom round the circumferance of it faster and faster so they were horizontal. They also used to go round the opposite way so they were like looping the loop going upside down and sometimes the bikes would do "crossing" like the Red Arrows.
As someone else said the noise was terrifiying (it was indoors) and as a 7 or 8 year old I was convinced there was going to be an appalling crash!
Peter Catchpole was a rider on the wall of death, he lived in Rake Lane. If you Google his name you will get more information.
the guy that owned it in new brighton used to own the row of victorian houses just past the car sales leading up from the prom, my nephew had a flat there only about 15 years ago and used to live there rent free, the reason being, the wall of death is still operating, or was then, in europe mostly , my nephew Andy used to ride for them, and when he came back , used to give me a hand fitting carpets, dont know if the owner is still alive i`ll have to ask .
Peter Catchpole is well dead. Cockney bloke. His clubs and properties had a habit of burning down. Owned Grandma's in New Brighton amongst others.
Now that gravity has overcome the forces of my gyroscope, I can tell you that the blond-haired girl riding for Ken Fox's 'Wall of Death' is called Kerri Cameron. She also rides a go-cart within the wall on occasions.
You can read more about that show at
http://www.wall-of-death.co.uk/index01.html
Peter Catchpole was a rider on the wall of death, he lived in Rake Lane. If you Google his name you will get more information.
A friend of mine says Peter Catchpole was the owner of it and also had a small touring circus.
One of the riders was called ???Roach and he let my friend have some goes on the wall of death when he was dating Roach's daughter.
I am now able to answer my own question, following a trip to Stafford last weekend when I watched the 'Wall of Death' in action and spoke to the owner, Ken Fox, who is a man who should know.
Ken operates one of the two remaining companies that still tour with a 'Wall' in the UK, and is the owner of the one seen in use on the BBC One station ID. For a while, Ken was a buisness partner of Peter Catchpoole.
One of the things they did during their partnership was to construct a completely new Wall in one of the sheds at Lairds. This Wall is 28 foot in diameter. It was made that size to allow easy transportation while touring. It is the one that was at Stafford last weekend, and is the one seen on the BBC One station ID. This Wall has also been to New Brighton several times for the Wirral Show. (Ken was rather surprised to learn that the show was no more.)
The Wall used in the Tower Grounds until 1959 was 32 feet in diameter and was owned by Peter Catchpoole (and possibly others before him.) It did tour occasionally. I was able to confirm that part of the staging, where people stand, did collapse in 1959. The Wall was taken out of service, repaired and extensively modified, but didn't return to New Brighton. It was taken to Africa, where it toured, ending up in North Africa.
Peter Catchpoole, a former rider himself, went out there with it, where he set up some more enterprises, particularly of the fair ground variety. Peter ended up in Nigeria before returning home. He ran his buisness from his home in Rowson St, New Brighton, and died in 2002.
There is a variety of information on the internet about the Wall when it was at the Tower Grounds, and about the other buisnesses of Peter Catchpoole. A number of riders names come up, some of which were real names, and some of which were stage names. It seems likely that another Wall did appear occasionally at the Tower Grounds during the 60's, but it was not the same one that partially collapsed in 1959.
I don't think they did anything like this at New Brighton.
Sorry not sure how to load it directly into post like a youtbe vid
clicky
Thanks for the link, as I had only seen some stills.
Here are some other things that I have found out (from the internet)-
There was a female rider called Ursula Brown (nee Cole) born in 1933 and died in 2011, as in one of the earlier links.
Another female rode as Ingrid Johansson, but her real name has been given as Ada Roberts.
Freddy Heywood and his wife owned the dodgem cars and may have also owned and ridden the Wall at some time.
Another owner has been given as William 'Ron' Miller. One of his riders was Nobby Dare (Clarke) and he rode with a monkey.
Later, Peter Catchpoole and Ronny Swift were riders, along with Johnny Bates.
One or two of those names appear on Ken Fox's Wall as riders who have passed on.