Something magical about Metroland
LOOKS BACK FONDLY TO THE GLORY DAYS OF METROLAND
FOR many kids in the North East, Metroland was THE place to go growing up. Whether it be to go on the bright red (later purple) rollercoaster, spend all your pocket money on the arcades or end up feeling sick after too many gos on the flying chairs or waltzer.
There was something rather magical about going up the steps to pay your way in, or step aside so your mam and dad could do the honours and then walking in with the only decision to make being what ride you’d go on first. Would it be the hot air balloon Ferris wheel? The pirate ship that you definitely were NOT meant to stand up on? The quicker than they looked flying chairs? Or the rollercoaster which caused quite a stir when it changed its colour in the late 90s?
While we’re on the topic of the rollercoaster, while many people used to slightly take the mickey out of it for being ‘a bit tame,’ there’s no denying that the final drop wasn’t exactly kind on your stomach - especially if you’d been to iconic food haunt Clockwork Court for a bite to eat beforehand! The rollercoaster is probably the ride most people will instinctively think of when it comes to Metroland, which opened in 1988, but there was so much more to this world of wonder.
You lived on the edge if you dared break the ‘no standing’ rule on the pirate ship tucked away in one corner of the park and then there was the miniature railway and the aforementioned flying chairs, which sent your head a bit fuzzy if you were on them for a bit too long.
And can we PLEASE talk about birthday parties at Metroland?! As someone who had one, they gave you serious bragging rights in your class, in an age when you’d either have to write out invites for everyone in your class you wanted to go, or, if you had a birthday that wasn’t in term time, get your mam to ring their mam on the house phone (when they had a twirly cord!) and sort out arrangements.
If you went ALL out for your birthday at Metroland, your friends got to tuck into burger and chips or hot dogs whilst enjoying the comfort of a plastic toadstool seat, before the cake was cut and, if you were very lucky that was followed by a guest appearance from the stars of stage and screen, the Metro Gnomes.
Away from the rides and the excitement of a Metroland party tea, there was another string to Metroland’s bow and that was adventure playground Monty Zumos, which involved you making your way right from the bottom to the top of the park, by way of a series of climbing frames, nets and slides until you ended up in a hall of mirrors.
Even, when you got a bit older, had invested in a Kappa tracksuit, or were head-to-toe Tammy or Miss Selfridge and maybe even donned a sovereign ring/ dolphin chain necklace or two and thought you were ‘too cool’ for Metroland, it would always suck you back in, with the lure of hanging out with your mates in the arcade too much to resist. And doused in CK One or Clinique Happy, you could even watch a gig which, at one time, featured a star turn from a pre-girls Aloud Cheryl Tweedy.
Metroland you were and forever will be a Geordie institution and we miss you so very much. RIP. Gone but never EVER forgotten..