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17
Jan
Interview: The man aiming to bring back the magic to Lightwater Valley
In 70 days, Lightwater Valley will open for its most eagerly awaited season in years.
For years, the theme park near Ripon was known for its thrilling rides, especially The Ultimate, which was the world’s longest rollercoaster.
But previous owners Brighton Pier Group got rid of The Ultimate as part of a switch towards focusing on under 12-year-olds.
The theme park appeared to drift in recent years, but it was announced this month that the site has new owners, with a strong track record in leisure and a commitment to injecting investment and vitality into the 176-acre site.
James Mellors Junior, director of the family-owned Mellors Group, was brimming with ideas when the Stray Ferret met him at the theme park this week.
A new £4 million rollercoaster is among the changes planned for the new season. Mr Mellors says:
There will be a change of branding, a change of signage. I want to give the park its own identity, I don’t feel it has a pure identity at the moment. I feel it’s been a little bit lost. We have to try to create that bit of magic. There’s lots of land here to utilise and space for expansion. There is planning permission for lodges.
James Mellors next to the pirate ship.
The Ultimate
The Mellors Group dates back to 1890 when Henry Mellors Senior manufactured a coconut shy and swing boat ride.
The company’s brands include Fantasy Island in Skegness, which it acquired in 2016, Skegness Pier and a host of other leisure ventures ranging from Christmas markets to competitive socialising.
Nottingham-based Mr Mellors was steeped in leisure growing up and used to visit Lightwater Valley with his aunt. He recalls: “It was almost like a busman’s holiday because we were working on the fairgrounds in the day and on a day off, we went to a theme park.”
He recalls The Ultimate fondly. “It was a crying shame when that ride came down. If it were still there, I would have made it work.”
In 2016 his family considered buying Lightwater Valley but opted for Fantasy Island instead. He says: “We just saw a lot of potential at Fantasy Island at the time although my wife did prefer Lightwater Valley because it was so clean,” he says.
He says the company has created a slice of “SkegVegas” that he’s immensely proud of at Fantasy Island by “flirting with tacky” but adds:
Lightwater Valley is a completely different package. It’s a theme park. People come here for an experience. It’s a destination. At the moment people come for the day. We understand the leisure industry and what we do get is even from town-to-town people are different.
Expect new signs and branding.
Older children — and adults
He talks about introducing fresh attractions and entertainment and appealing to older children and adults:
We want to change that – not to lose the 12 and under bracket but to enable their siblings and parents who still want to do rides themselves to want to come here. I see it as a family park, predominantly about rides and free attractions and entertainment.
Being owned by a family firm in some ways takes Lightwater Valley back to its roots in 1969 when it was founded by Robert Staveley as a fruit farm attraction. It remained in the Staveley family until 1997 and has since had a variety of owners.
Mr Mellors says:
When the Staveley family owned the park, they were building it for a passion. Some people run it just as a business. I want to keep a bit of heritage of what the Staveley family created with the brick buildings and the feel of the British village countryside.
Lightwater Valley attracts 220,000 to 240,000 visitors a year now and employs up to 300 staff during peak season, so it is a major contributor to Ripon and North Yorkshire’s economy. If lodges are introduced for overnight stays, it could be even more valuable.
What targets has the company set for Lightwater Valley? Mr Mellors says:
We’ve never had targets, which is the strangest thing. The only times we have been disappointed is when we haven’t moved forward. Being a family business gives us flexibility. But I would love to put 20% on the visitor figure this year. If we could do 50% it would be amazing.
What can visitors expect this year?
They can definitely expect to see changes. This year we would like to introduce a couple more rides, and see what that can do to the gate number and the visitor experience and see where we go from there. It’s difficult economic times so Is it the right time to buy a theme park? I have no idea. But it’s not every day a theme park is available on Rightmove.
We are not the biggest company, but we come with our heart on our shoulder. We are very passionate about what we do. We understand the park runs through people’s veins and we mean the best for it so they can expect a secure future. It is my family’s legacy now as much as anything.
The gates will open on a new era at Lightwater Valley on March 28.
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