Latest news with #funfair
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Edinburgh funfair closes after children injured in waltzer crash
A funfair in Edinburgh has closed early after three children were injured when part of a ride came loose and crashed into a of the Galactic Carnival at Westside Plaza in Wester Hailes said they had taken the decision to shutter the attraction following the incident on the waltzer ride on Saturday children, aged seven, 12 and 13, were taken to hospital for treatment on minor injuries but were subsequently Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are investigating. The children's father said the ride was going at "full pelt" when the car carrying the siblings said the carriage crashed against the one behind, which he was in, before going off the side of the track and colliding with a large said: "Thankfully there was a heavy, large speaker that they collided with or they would have been through the whole thing and then the ending would have been a different story, a thought I can't stop thinking about." Galactic Carnival apologised to the family involved and said the event would be "closed to assist in any investigation".The said all rides underwent "extensive safety testing" and were inspected by the Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme (ADIPS).They said: "We are truly sorry for the distress caused by the incident at our event. Public safety at our events has always been, and continues to be, our top priority."This incident is now being investigated by third party inspection bodies and the HSE."We have decided to close the event to allow for investigation to take place." Tickets for future dates will be refunded automatically.A Police Scotland spokesperson said inquiries were a statement, the HSE added: "HSE is aware of the incident and making inquiries."
Irish Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
My daughter drags us on to rollercoasters but is wary of the monkey bars. People are a mystery
Here are my earliest memories of funfairs: I remember being in a bumper car with my father, and my mother being unhappy because we were doing a little too much bumping. After that, I'm a teenager, during the October fair in Ballinasloe . The ride, which was popular, consisted of a large circular frame, divided up into sections for each person to stand upright. No one was strapped in. The only safety feature was a flimsy chain across each section. It would spin furiously, until the centrifugal force had pinned everyone into position. Then it would rise on one axis, giving the customers a queasily rotating view of the ground and the sky. But on this occasion, one of the customers had (presumably) spent some quality time in the pub beforehand. The combination of a few pints plus the physical sensation of being hurled around proved too much. What was ghoulishly fascinating was the trajectory of the puke. It erupted from the person, but because we were still locked in a thunderous spin, it didn't go anywhere. It hovered in the middle of the ring. Everyone watched it: knowing that as soon as the loop slowed down, the laws of physics would cause someone to be splattered with regurgitated Guinness. READ MORE All I can remember is that it didn't land on me. It may have been this experience, but at some stage I came to the conclusion that I really don't enjoy funfair rides. I avoid them when I can, though for a lot of my life that hasn't been possible. I blame the children. Because of them, I've been hurled around the place and spun through the air. I usually pass the time by trying to calculate where I will land when whatever contraption I'm strapped into snaps off. [ Seán Moncrieff: The word 'old' has become an insult. If you're old, it's all over Opens in new window ] Daughter Number Four is particularly keen on this kind of thing. Because of her, myself and Herself had to board a swinging, rotating monstrosity on St Patrick's Day that jangled our nerves so completely we had to sit on the pavement for a while afterwards. She is a veteran of Emerald Park and has badgered us into taking rides that combine not just physical dislocation, but a thorough soaking. The last time we took The Viking Voyage, the drying machine was out of order. I spent most of the day looking like I had wet myself. No, I hadn't. It's got to the stage where myself and Herself are simply refusing to board some of these rollercoasters, but Daughter Number Four is quite happy to get on alone. And afterwards, she'll be shining with joy, her system pumped with adrenaline and endorphins. The experience triggers her fight-or-flight response, but not, it seems, to an alarming degree: deep down, she doesn't believe anything can go wrong. [ Nothing pushes my BS detector into overdrive more than a hotel spa Opens in new window ] What's curious about all this is if you bring Daughter Number Four to a playground, she can be nervous about climbing monkey bars, even though she's much closer to the ground, she's not spinning and she has far more control over the situation. She is aware of this contradiction – because we keep pointing it out – but can't explain it. We once brought her to Disneyland Paris , where many of the rides were physical rollercoasters, but also had a virtual reality component. And even though the experience was pretty much the same, I found them far less disturbing. I can't explain that either. Similarly, I'm not at all scared of flying, even though planes do crash occasionally. I'm convinced that even if the plane does crash, I'll survive it intact. No reason for that. Understandably, science tries to find mechanistic explanations as to why people are scared of one thing but not scared of another. Past trauma. Anxiety. Lack of control. But such explanations are usually insufficient and often contradictory. Perhaps it's better to accept that people are often a mystery. Especially to themselves.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Child suffers serious injuries after 'carriage on funfair ride malfunctioned and plunged several feet to the ground'
A young girl has been taken to hospital after the carriage of a funfair ride she was in came loose and fell several feet to the ground. The child was seriously injured following the incident at Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza in Llandudno, North Wales. Eyewitnesses said the carriage appeared to detach from the amusement ride on Saturday morning. There are conflicting reports on the type of ride involved, described as either a rollercoaster or a 'ride-on car'. Community journalist Aaran Lennox, who first reported the incident, said a 'ride-on car' had detached mid-operation. The vehicle, he said, fell 'several metres from the air whilst the child remained inside'. She was then taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to local reports. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) then visited the scene and reportedly allowed the operator to continue with the event. The event is operated by Llandudno Community Events, a community interest company (CIC). In a statement reported by North Wales Live, its director Chris Williams said the incident was still under investigation. Mr Williams said: 'At the extravaganza on Saturday morning there was an incident involving a ride on Mostyn Street at approximately 10:15 AM, still being investigated by the operator. 'The Health and Safety Executive visited the extravaganza following the incident and permitted the operator of the ride to continue operating. 'However out of respect for the family involved the ride will not operate for the remainder of the event.' He added: 'The extravaganza team is in communication with the family and we wish them a speedy recovery.' MailOnline has contacted the HSE and the Welsh Ambulance Services for comment. The Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza is a vibrant annual festival held during the May Day Bank Holiday weekend in Llandudno, North Wales. Established in 1986 by local leaders and heritage enthusiasts, the event hopes to boost tourism during a the typically quiet period between Easter and late May. It has since evolved into a celebration of Victorian culture, attracting visitors from across the UK and beyond.
