Short Story: Funland (Allegedly)
There’s never been any coal seams near Hayling Island, so I wasn’t really expecting to come across a coal mine. But I did manage to dig up a historical connection of sorts. Turns out there was a previous coaster with this theme, a classic piece of Italian kit from a company called Pinfari. Those 'Super Dragon' rides used to be a staple at travelling fairs and were churned out by the bucket load.
But the theme is the thing that gets me. The idea that someone out there thought the perfect distraction for a family on their holidays was a nod to heavy industry. There’s no local history to back it up, so my guess it was just picked straight out of the sales brochure. It's funny how we do that, though. We take some of the hardest jobs imaginable, slap a coat of paint on them, and turn them into a two-minute ride. A strange way to remember the past, but it seems to have worked.
→ Fujifilm X100F
