Southend Kursaal

Description: The Kursaal was the largest amusement park in the south of England during most of the 20th Century.

Newest Review: ... My mum and sister would take me right up to the Water Chute, and we'd stand and watch as my dad would, from the top way up high in the air, pack a wooden boat full of people and give it a hefty shove onto the downward-slanting rail - he would then quickly jump on the back of the boat, and it would hurtle down the chute, picking up speed, and when it hit the water at the bottom, all the ... more

... onlookers would get soaked. A few adults weren't keen on that, but for a very small child it was great fun. We'd wait for my dad to finish his shift, then the whole family would stroll around the Kursaal - stopping off at one of the cafes for a fry-up ...more

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Southend Kursaal: Southend-on-Sea Kursaal - how it used to be (3398 words)
by - written on 03/09/08 (Very useful, 988 readings)
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SOUTHEND-ON-SEA : MY KURSAAL MEMORIES BRIEF HISTORY In this article as a whole, though I will give a brief outline of The Kursaal's early history, I am mainly concerned with my own experiences and memories of what, to me (and quite a lot of other people of my own age and older), was the heart and soul of Southend-on-Sea back in the 1950s and 1960s. 24th July 1901 was a very special day in Southend-on-Sea. It was the day of the grand opening of the Kursaal Funfair. 27 acres of wasteland were bought and turned into what is believed to be the world's first theme park, even pre-dating New York's Coney Island. The funfair ... Read the complete review

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