[Brighton] Abandoned areas of the King Alfred

[Chicken Run]

I think you're the only other person I've ever heard mention that place! No-one at school ever believed me as a kid that I used to go bike riding there, but I used to go regularly when we were camping down at Graffham...this pic of me and my mate Daz must be from about '83-'84 I reckon?

View attachment 173086

Wow that brings back memories, then of course if we were really lucky we’d head to LA for a trip to Billy Smarts Amusement Park

 

[herecomesaregular]

Only one of the photos shows tagging. "Bezzo" who tags a lot on London Rd, Preston Rd, Patcham. So they have also got entry (coincindentally) or they are, or are connected to, "Chloe" the person who got in and took the photos....

 

[nwgull]

The FLUMES were obviously the best feature of the King Alfred Centre.

Two things I remember most about the flumes and various birthday parties (where a not-insignificant suppplement got you a 30 min session on them):

- The level of chlorine in the air was insane, to the extent that towards the end of your 30 min session you were literally wheezing as if you'd been tear-gassed whilst scrambling up the stairs for one last slide before your wrist-band colour was flashing on the lights at the bottom.

- For a primary-school-aged kid, going down the black hole made you double hard. For life.

 

[tronnogull]

Does anyone remember the Golf o Tron ? It was a precursor to today's indoor golf simulators and it was located at the far end of the bowling alley. Some time around the mid to late 60s.

 

[BadFish]

Me and my mate could finish Double Dragon in there, 20p.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Two things I remember most about the flumes and various birthday parties (where a not-insignificant suppplement got you a 30 min session on them):

- The level of chlorine in the air was insane, to the extent that towards the end of your 30 min session you were literally wheezing as if you'd been tear-gassed whilst scrambling up the stairs for one last slide before your wrist-band colour was flashing on the lights at the bottom.

- For a primary-school-aged kid, going down the black hole made you double hard. For life.

All so true!

 

[zeemeeuw]

Great memory invoking pictures but "Urban Explorer?", is that what we have to call trespassers these days?

 

[Chicken Run]

Two things I remember most about the flumes and various birthday parties (where a not-insignificant suppplement got you a 30 min session on them):

- The level of chlorine in the air was insane, to the extent that towards the end of your 30 min session you were literally wheezing as if you'd been tear-gassed whilst scrambling up the stairs for one last slide before your wrist-band colour was flashing on the lights at the bottom.

- For a primary-school-aged kid, going down the black hole made you double hard. For life.

Did I imagine it or did they shut the flumes for a time due to folk cutting themselves on the rough seams on the flumes?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Did I imagine it or did they shut the flumes for a time due to folk cutting themselves on the rough seams on the flumes?

I vaguely remember them closing for a bit, I thought because someone banged their head sitting up in the black hole but could be wrong.

Spent most of my teens there on one site or another, first on the waterslides and later bowling, playing pool or laser guns with a sneaky pack of 10 B&H between us. I was terrible at bowling (still am) but ok at pool. As for the black hole, that was conquered early doors thanks to the simple mechanism of daring each other.

I was walking the dog past the site on the seafront side last weekend and it really looks awful, just dreadful looking waste ground. Would love to see it restored and full but I suspect kids today will be too busy on phones and X Boxes to make it worth while.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I was walking the dog past the site on the seafront side last weekend and it really looks awful, just dreadful looking waste ground. Would love to see it restored and full but I suspect kids today will be too busy on phones and X Boxes to make it worth while.

I wonder what happened to the plans to build a new Ice Arena there?
Probably a bit too banged up & old to do it now, but I miss my skating & hockey days.

 

[Chicken Run]

I wonder what happened to the plans to build a new Ice Arena there?
Probably a bit too banged up & old to do it now, but I miss my skating & hockey days.

Iirc that was at Black Rock not there?

That’s jus reminded me of the funny little ice rink at Queens Square , u remember that?

 

[Bodian]

I just remember the KA bowling alley being very old school. Even down to players having to write down their own scores with a PENCIL

then the Marina opened and it was all automatic and felt so modern that it simply BLEW everyone's MINDS

Yes - but that ruined 10-pin bowling. Working out the scores was a key part of the event!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Whatever happened to Joshua Arghiros and his grandiose plans for the site?

The man who kidnapped Gehry

Brighton developer Josh Arghiros is the kind of man who knows what he wants and sets out to get it. And if what he wants happens to be the world's most famous architect, well ... He tells George Hay what happened next.

www.building.co.uk

Real shame this never happened, it would have been iconic. Shame on the Tory party for pulling the plug on this with the subsequent costs to the taxpayer.

I was reasonably active in the campaign and remember the day permission was granted well.....and the subsequent private party in Tin Drum which started around 4pm....and went on quite late. I remember Josh being helped out the bar .

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Iirc that was at Black Rock not there?

That’s jus reminded me of the funny little ice rink at Queens Square , u remember that?

There were plans for KA to have an ice rink not so long ago....

Campaigners call for ice rink to be built on the King Alfred site

There are renewed calls for an ice rink to be built on the site of a seafront leisure centre - and for the city's ice hockey team to be resurrected.

www.theargus.co.uk

Certainly do remember Queens Sq - used to skate there every Friday night with my nephew about 20yrs ago, but also trained there with Brighton Wolves Ice Hockey team for a bit. Could just about squeeze a few players on there to run drills etc.

 

[nwgull]

Did I imagine it or did they shut the flumes for a time due to folk cutting themselves on the rough seams on the flumes?

I don't recall that. Although I do remember that when it opened, everyone had a colour-coded foam mat that was about 500x1000mm so there was certainly skin exposed to the joints in the flumes, the accumulating pain of which was just added to the feeling of being tear gassed after a dozen or so descents. The mats were changed to something more protective, akin to a foam beach towel, after about year (if my memory is correct), and we then had to wear colour-coded wrist bands to indicate our time slot.

 

[Shuggie]

Well yes I’d only been bowling 18 months to two years. Bowled with an England international at Worthing who brought me through. Great days. God knows why I stopped, I was getting good.

Phil Scammel?

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Great thread. Like many, I learnt to swim in the late 60s at the KA minor pool by my cousin who lived in Hangleton. Also did life saving, rubber brick, pyjamas in the 70s.

I have a strong dislike of indoor swimming pools, the smell of chlorine makes me wretch. I blame the KA for this lifelong affliction.

Played 10 pin bowling there a few times too in the 70s. Part of teenage education having to use a pencil to keep score.

 

[Questions]

Phil Scammel?

Brilliant bowler. He was 16/17 when I was bowling. Top international.

 

[zefarelly]

Great memory invoking pictures but "Urban Explorer?", is that what we have to call trespassers these days?

Pathetic isn't it . . .we used to regularly explore the Cement works, just for fun, climb the ladder up the chimney etc etc.

now it warrants photo's and a website seeking some kind of medal or something.

 

[PeterT]

Pathetic isn't it . . .we used to regularly explore the Cement works, just for fun, climb the ladder up the chimney etc etc.

now it warrants photo's and a website seeking some kind of medal or something.

Is it really true that cement works?