Theme park to reopen and ex-staff offered new jobs
HUNDREDS of former Pleasure Island employees will be offered their old jobs back before the popular theme park re-opens this weekend.
As reported, all members of staff were told their employment had been terminated on the same day of the shock closure of the popular resort attraction on April 14.
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delighted: Mrs Wood celebrates the grand reopening on Saturday.
Picture: Jon Corken
The Kings Road park remained shut as present managing director, Melanie Wood, held discussions to take over the business, breaking away from Flamingo Land – the major North Yorkshire theme park owned by her brother Gordon Gibb.
Yesterday, as reported on www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk, it was announced a deal had been struck, and ownership had been handed over to DewarSavile Enterprises Limited.
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Mrs Wood remains in place as managing director, meaning that although the business has severed ties with Flamingo Land, a member of the Gibb family, still remains at the helm.
As reported the park was established in 1993 by the late Trevor Pullin and the late Robert Gibb, Mrs Wood's father.
The first challenge for Mrs Wood, who will continue to run the site, will be convincing up to 200 ex-workers to resume their posts for the grand re-opening on Saturday.
She said: "All of the staff who were let go will be contacted in the coming days and offered new jobs. We are hoping to bring back about 150 people and a further 50 or so when the season picks up."
She assured season ticket holders their passes would be valid for the rest of the year.
And, as a thank you for your support, Grimsby Telegraph readers will also be able to take advantage of a special £10 ticket offer, valid on Saturday, Sunday and next Monday, with tokens printed in the paper throughout the week and on bank holiday Monday.
To find out more about her plans for the park – and local reaction to the news – see today's Grimsby Telegraph.
Comments
by andrew james, healing
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 8:19PM
“good to see the park has been "saved". As an active member of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain any park saved is a bonus. Now its time to invest and get some proper rollercoasters installed. IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME. Look at Flamingo Land with Kumali and Mumbo Jumbo, all the publicity you need can be generated by building a new coaster (especially a woodie). Its great the world has a place for old second hand spin and spew rides but even one big steel coaster dominating the cleethorpes skyline would do wonders for the towns tourism. Look at skeggie you can see their cosaters for miles around its a magnet for holidaymakers.
So come on invest, this place has potential to be another Blackpool Pleasure Beach.”
by P.I. Legend..., GY.
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 6:34PM
“I hope Melanie has read peoples' feelings about the park on here recently...
...only that way will she get her house in order!
Gordon Gibb wanted the Park closing for good or selling in the winter - he knows it's true worth.
Melanie will now need to source a new supplier for 2nd hand rides!”
by darren, cleethorpes
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 6:31PM
“Everyone should not go to pleasure island for the next week.
Lets see how the park owner like it paying for staff and getting no money back.
YES THEY WOULD LOOSE MONEY LIKE THE VISITORS DID.”
by darren, cleethorpes
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 6:01PM
“Yes i agree the staff should be informed before the public.
But who pays the staffs wages THE PUBLIC.
Something should of been put on the website to inform all visitors the park was closed.”
by Lucy, Cleethorpes
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 5:04PM
“Daz said:
1) why didnt you put something on your website you was closed.you had time to print out over 100 letters to staff,telling them the park would be closing.
My question to you Daz..
If you were employed by Pleasure Island, and found out you had lost your job on a website, how would you feel?
Obviously pleasure island had the time to print letters, but that is because the staff needed to know BEFORE the general public. It all happened within a short time frame, and the staff deserved to know before everyone else so stop moaning!!”
by daz, cleethorpes
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 3:29PM
“I will never step foot in this place again.Everytime we had family down we took them to pleasure island.Over the years we must of gone to the park with over 200 people.Not them all different people but some of the same same people several times.After 8 messages left on the answer phone a got a call this morning.The person was nasty,she did not even say sorry.On the wednesday i took a party of 10 people to the park.At 6oclock i left grimsby to go to derby to pick up 6 family members.And we was all going on that day.
questions.
1) why didnt you put something on your website you was closed.you had time to print out over 100 letters to staff,telling them the park would be closing.
2) why didnt you get back to me from the 8 messages i left on the answer phone.
3) a small note on the gate is no way to tell people the park would not open.Why didnt someone come outside to tell everyone.
4) will the people who have season tickets get them extended when they run our because of the time they lost.
5) why didnt you just inform everyone the day before.this would of saved alot of time and money for people travelling.And the expense of the staff coming to work to be told no go home again.
6) will people be given the money back what you was taking of customers with online booking till hours before you closed.
7) why was the lady who taked to me on the phone at 9am this morning so nasty and put the phone down on me.
IF THIS IS HOW PLEASURE ISLAND THINKS OF ITS STAFF AND CUSTOMERS ITS A DISGRACE.
I will never step foot in the park again until i am given my money back what i paid for travelling.
FANTASY ISLAND AT SKEGNESS FOR ME FROM NOW ON.”
by Irish Stu, Grimsby
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 1:03PM
“I think the temptation for staff to tell Mrs Wood to "stick it" would be quite high but if they have any sense, they will turn up on Saturday and be thankful they still have a job. As for the £10 ticket offer, it's a good idea but have you seen the forecast for this weekend ? Oh dear !! I can imagine a lot of saturated and depressed locals on Saturday evening, most of them with black and white shirts on.”
by pleasure to b back, sunny clee
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 11:13AM
“Lets hope that the staff don't have to re-buy there uniforms”
by Brian Roberts, Cleethorpes
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 11:05AM
“Given the nature of the closure if I was an ex-staff member I would agree to show up on Saturday, not turn up and then tell the selfish owner to stick the job where the sun doesn't shine.”
by Don Kiddick, Fitties
Tuesday, April 27 2010, 11:00AM
“So she is assuming that enough people will return to work thus allowing them to open on Saturday?
Wouldnt it be nice if they all told her to go forth and multiply.
She has treated her workforce very badly and she should at least be offering them compensation for wages lost over the closed period.”