Stamps And Letters: Kursaal Mailart

Kursaal Mailart

Kursaal mailart from:

Gary Radice, founder of themagiceye website that celebrates the past, present and future of amusement parks and their rides

The first amusement ride I ever went on was a kids' roundabout in Lytham St Annes Lancashire..and I've spent the best part of my adulthood trying to find an old image of it. It wasn't any old roundabout though, it was one that had seats and was petrol driven and situated not on concrete but in water!!! You reached it via a small platform and it was near the motorboat hire. I'm certain I didn't dream it.

I set up my website themagiceye ten years ago to celebrate amusement parks and rides: "The glorious past. The magnificent present. The uncertain future." I love the old wooden coasters and the old slam door ghost trains. I also love Helter Skelters that are fast disappearing from these shores.

It became evident pretty quickly that I wasn't alone in my passion. I was soon hearing from people willing to share their own memories, knowledge and expertise about parks and rides. I'm a community registered mental health nurse specialising in brain injuries, that's my day job - but very soon themagiceye grew so much that it outgrew the time and space I had available.

I was about to pull the plug on it when Nick Laister of Joyland Books stepped in. Nick is a planning consultant working within the theme park and tourist attraction industry. He rescued themagiceye and it became the respected cult site that it is today.

In keeping with the spirit of themagiceye, my mailart is a little offbeat and touches on the Kursaal's history. I never went unfortunately but I believe one of the most famous of all the attractions in the Kursaal was the Water Chute. It was introduced in 1921, having been brought directly from Earls Court. Kursaal was affectionately known as One Bright Spot hence my image. I've also written a short poem called 'Swingboat Terrace' to go with my piece which refers to a legacy left over from the Kursaal's amusement park days.