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Alton Towers [SEP] Merlin continues to operate the site under a renewable 35-year lease. Alton Towers previously had leases with High Street outlets, which have since been replaced by in-house brands such as Explorers Pizza & Pasta, Just Chicken and Burger Kitchen. The Alton Towers Theme Park is divided into areas: Towers Street, Mutiny Bay, Katanga Canyon, Gloomy Wood, Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest, The Gardens, The Towers, Cloud Cuckoo Land, X-Sector and CBeebies Land.

Alton Towers [SEP] The SkyRide cable car system travels between Towers Street, Forbidden Valley, and Cloud Cuckoo Land and takes in views of the gardens. The park's maximum capacity at any one time is set at 28,000 guests. According to the TEA attendance report, the park was estimated to have attracted 2,000,000 people in 2017, a 1% increase on 2016's figure of 1,980,000. This makes Alton Towers Britain's 2nd most visited theme park after Legoland Windsor and the joint 12th most visited theme park in Europe.

Alton Towers [SEP] The launch of the Thirteen rollercoaster saw the theme park attract 3 million admissions in the 2010 season, a number equalled by the launch of Nemesis in 1994 and Oblivion in 1998. The park's highest attendance to date is 4,195,000, which made it the second most visited Theme Park in Europe in 1999. Annual park attendance figures are generally not released by the park itself outside of planning applications for new attractions, therefore the figures listed below are largely sourced from various estimates from organisations such as the Themed Entertainment Association.

Alton Towers [SEP] Due to conflicting figures from various sources, some of the figures listed here are not sourced from the TEA.   Previous themed area   Current themed area Opened in 1986, Towers Street is the first area that visitors to the park encounter. Themed loosely as a town street, it leads to views of the gardens and the Towers across the lake in the distance. Along the pathway are the park's jumping frog fountains and a lawn where seasonal events take place.

Alton Towers [SEP] The first "SkyRide" station is located nearby, which is a 1048 m long cable car transport that opened in 1987, and was refurbished 2009. The monorail moves guests from the three on-site hotels and the water park to the theme park; it opened 1987 and was refurbished in 2008.

Alton Towers [SEP] In this area during the hour before the park's daily closure, departing guests are entertained by three people wearing police costumes, two of them riding Segway-like vehicles which play party music and the third standing with an old-fashioned megaphone that is unused, and a man riding a miniature ship while dressed as a sea captain. Themed as an African village; created in 1992 and incorporated existing rapids ride. Rides include the roller coaster Runaway Mine Train and Congo River Rapids.

Alton Towers [SEP] Both are well-established rides in the park whose ride tracks share a tunnel. Congo River Rapids is a river rapids ride that opened 1986, as The Grand Canyon Rapids, and was refurbished in 1992. A 735 m long wild river rapids ride down the Congo River that lasts six minutes.

Alton Towers [SEP] Runaway Mine Train is a steel sit down powered coaster that reaches a speed of 22 mph (36 km/h) on a 1000 ft long track (305 m) and height of ; height limit 90 cm. It was designed by John Wardley for Tussauds and manufactured by Mack Rides. Gloomy Wood serves as the area for the dark ride "Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back!", originally "The Haunted House".

Alton Towers [SEP] Opening in 1992, this was originally Europe's largest haunted dark ride, but was significantly altered with interactive laser guns in 2003. Each player's shooting score is recorded on a display in the ride car, as guests shoot targets around the ride. In 2007, a themed footpath through the woods was added to the area, named "Haunted Hollow". The pathway follows the route formerly used by the park's old scenic railway, linking from Mutiny Bay. "

Alton Towers [SEP] Haunted Hollow" includes tombstones, statues and other features, some of which interact with guests using sound effects. In July 2015, Nitrogenie opened and replaced the old Waffles and Ices, a shop producing ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Gloomy Wood was suggested by the 2017 park map to be home to the new "Wicker Man" wooden coaster, opening 2018. However, the park later stated that the ride was in Mutiny Bay.

Alton Towers [SEP] Forbidden Valley is set in a 'post-apocalyptic' landscape, with standing stones and rustic structures populating the 'valley'. A "SkyRide" station also serves this area of the park. The area's principal attraction is "Nemesis", opened in 1994. " Nemesis" is a steel inverted coaster that reaches a speed of 50 mph (81 km) with four inversions, set in a rocky quarry over waterfalls.

Alton Towers [SEP] The ride is built down into excavated ground and was designed by Tussauds, primarily John Wardley. The attraction is themed as a malevolent alien creature inhabiting the quarry. "The Blade" is a Huss Pirate Boat modified with a pendulum blade. It opened in 1980, and was relocated to the area in 1997 from Fantasy World. The Blade currently operates as the only flat ride in Forbidden Valley since the removal of "Ripsaw".

Alton Towers [SEP] Galactica is a B&M flying coaster, originally opening as "Air" in 2002. Air was loosely themed as a peaceful landscape, distanced from the 'apocalyptic' look of Nemesis. Air was redesigned as Galactica in 2016, adopting virtual reality headsets and a space travel theme. The VR headsets have since been removed due to feedback from customers. In May 2016, the 'Rollercoaster Restaurant' opened, offering a dining experience where guests have their food delivered by looping rails.

Alton Towers [SEP] The restaurant is open daily from 10am - 9:30pm; available to guests without theme park admission after the park has closed, except during Scarefest and Fireworks events. Adventure Land is a small family area featuring "Spinball Whizzer"; based on a pinball machine in which the car is the ball whizzing around the machine. The ride originally had this name, until 2010 when it was known as "Sonic Spinball" until the name change back in 2016 when a contract ended with SEGA after six years.

Alton Towers [SEP] The ride is a Maurer Söhne spinning roller coaster, in which riders sit in cars that can spin on their base whilst travelling at speed around the track. For the park map, Spinball Whizzer is listed as being in The Towers area. Adventure Land is named after the adventure play ground which previously sat on the site. The former play area was one of the attractions of a larger area called Kiddies Kingdom. In 1996, Kiddies Kingdom was split into Adventure Land and Storybook Land.

Alton Towers [SEP] X-Sector is themed as a secretive industrial complex, suggested to be subjecting park guests to experimental tests. The area currently contains three thrill rides. The steel dive coaster "Oblivion" which opened in 1998 as "the world's first vertical drop rollercoaster", designed by Tussauds and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. The cars are held over the edge of the drop for three seconds, before diving into a deep tunnel. "

Alton Towers [SEP] The Smiler" is a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster which opened in May 2013 and currently holds the world record for most inversions on a roller coaster at 14. " Enterprise" is a standard HUSS Enterprise model which opened in 1984, spinning riders 360 degrees and giving the illusion of defying gravity. The area layout was partly altered in 2013 season to accommodate the opening of The Smiler.

Alton Towers [SEP] Previous rides in X-Sector include The Black Hole, which was a Jet Star 2 coaster enclosed in a tent, where The Smiler is located today. Energizer (later renamed Boneshaker) was a swinging gondola flat ride. It was replaced by Submission in 2001, a "Chance Double Inverter" flat ride, which was itself removed in 2014. Mutiny Bay is a pirate-themed family area, which opened in 2008. the area was a retheme for Merrie England.

Alton Towers [SEP] Attractions in Mutiny Bay include: "Battle Galleons", an interactive "Splash Battle" boat ride, where guests sit in tracked boats while soaking other riders with water cannons. Also in the area is the rocking boat ride, "Heave Ho". The park's original teacups ride was re-themed to become "Marauders Mayhem", with the tea cup cars being redesigned as gunpowder barrels. "

Alton Towers [SEP] The Flume" was a Mack log flume ride that opened in 1981 and was rethemed in 2004 with a sponsorship from Imperial leather alongside the bubbleworks at Chessington world of adventure. Upon opening, it was the longest flume ride in the world at 886 m. Towards the end of the 2015 season, the ride and the neighboring Tavern closed and was removed in 2016, to make way for the Wicker Man - a Great Coasters International wooden roller coaster and the "Welcome Inn" wicker-themed bar.

Alton Towers [SEP] In 2009, a Sea Life Centre named "Sharkbait Reef" opened in the location previously home to the 3-D Cinema. This includes "touch pools" for interacting with underwater species and a 10-metre underwater tunnel. Cloud Cuckoo Land is aimed at younger children, featuring bright colours and fantasy decor. Attractions include "Frog Hopper" and "Galloper's Carousel". "

Alton Towers [SEP] Cuckoo Cars Driving School" allows children to drive miniature electric cars around a themed road layout, featuring visual jokes along the way. A SkyRide station is located nearby Fountain Square, giving access to other areas of the park. Other attractions in the area are currently closed, including an indoor bouncy castle play area called "Wobble World" and Twirling Toadstool.

Alton Towers [SEP] Previous attractions include "", which closed at the end of 2015, and "Ice Age: 4D Experience", which closed at the end of 2016, however the film is now on show at nearby Drayton Manor Theme Park. The area was previously known as "Cred Street" and "The Land of Make Believe", with a cartoon-inspired look, mainly featuring "Toyland Tours".

Alton Towers [SEP] Prior to this, it was first built as "Talbot Street" in 1981, becoming the park's first themed area, home to the "Around The World In 80 Days" and "Doom & Sons" dark rides. On 21 July 2009, A fire broke out in the Sky Ride station for this area, caused by a faulty vending machine. The station was completely destroyed and didn't reopen until the 2010 season.

Alton Towers [SEP] The Dark Forest is themed as a supernatural woodland area; to coincide with the opening of "TH13TEEN", a steel family coaster themed as a haunted crypt, that opened in 2010. Th13teen, features the "world's first freefall drop on a roller coaster" - an indoor, vertically dropping track element. The ride replaced the "Corkscrew"; the park's first roller coaster, which opened in 1980. "

Alton Towers [SEP] Rita" is a hydraulically launched steel sit-down coaster that reaches a top speed of 62 mph (100 km) that is now themed around an abandoned drag racer that is used to escape the Dark Forest. The area was previously a cartoon prehistoric area named Ug Land, which opened in 1999, but was half-demolished to make way for Rita's construction in 2005. Rita used to be themed around drag racing but was changed with the opening of Th13teen and the Dark Forest.

Alton Towers [SEP] With the opening of "Th13teen", the area was renamed as Dark Forest and further altered with a new colour scheme and entrance feature. " Rita" was also given a repainted control cabin and trains, shortening its name from "Rita - Queen of Speed". CBeebies Land is based on the BBC children's TV channel: CBeebies. It is the newest area of the Theme Park and opened on 24 May 2014.

Alton Towers [SEP] The area includes rides, shows and interactive experiences based on programmes from CBeebies, including In the Night Garden and Postman Pat.

Alton Towers [SEP] Attractions in the area are: "In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride", "Postman Pat's Parcel Post", "Get Set Go Treetop Adventure", "Something Special Sensory Garden", "Nina's Science Lab", "Numtums Number Go-Around", "Charlie & Lola's Moonsquirters and Greendrops", "Justin's House: Pie-O-Matic Factory", "Mr Bloom's Allotment" and "Tree Fu Tom Training Camp".

Alton Towers [SEP] Shows at the Big Fun Show Time stage include: Mike the Knight, The ZingZillas and Nina and the Neurons. In 2015, "Octonauts Roller Coaster Adventure" opened, it is an underwater themed children's roller coaster; built on the vacant site The Beastie roller coaster.

Alton Towers [SEP] CBeebies Land was further expanded in 2017 with the opening of the "Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride" and "The Furchester Hotel Live", and again in 2019 with the addition of "Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop" and "Teletubbies Big Band Live Show". The Towers are the ruins of Alton Towers stately home and are the source of the park's name.

Alton Towers [SEP] They belonged to the Talbot family as a stately home until 1924 and largely designed by Augustus Pugin, also noted for his work on the Palace of Westminster. The Towers are now in a state of disrepair following decades of neglect. The ruins are open to the public during most of the open season. However, some areas are closed off as part of a £1.1 million project in place to restore the oldest parts of the Towers.

Alton Towers [SEP] Key areas of The Towers include the banqueting hall, the chapel, conservatories, and Her Ladyship's Gardens. "Hex – The Legend of the Towers", a walk-through dark ride based within the ruins themselves, opened in 2000. The finale to the ride is a Vekoma Madhouse located away from the real Towers but themed as a secret vault. The storyline is based on a local legend about the chained oak tree, located in a nearby forest, and makes use of the history of the Towers.

Alton Towers [SEP] It draws its theme from the legend of the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury who was said to be cursed by a beggar woman to suffer death every time a branch falls from an old oak tree. During the park's Halloween 'Scarefest' event multiple scare mazes operate within the Towers themselves. For 2018's Scarefest event these were; Sub Species: the End Games, and Altonville Mine Tours.

Alton Towers [SEP] Near the garden entrance is a cenotaph to the 15th Earl, a marble bust with an inscription reading "He made the desert smile". Landmarks include a Chinese Pagoda Fountain, The Swiss Cottage, Miniature 'Stonehenge', a Greek Choragic Monument, and orangeries. The Alton Towers Waterpark, formerly known as Cariba Creek, opened alongside the Splash Landings Hotel in 2003.

Alton Towers [SEP] It is a large (with 7 pools and 10 water slides), part-indoor and part outdoor waterpark themed as a tropical Caribbean lagoon. The waterpark features several fast slides, a lazy river, a giant tipping bucket and many other water features. Also located there are two food and drink venues: Adventures Cave and Ice Cream Shack. Unlike Chessington Zoo at the also Merlin operated Chessington World of Adventures Resort, a separate ticket is needed for waterpark access as it is not included with the theme park entrance price.

Alton Towers [SEP] Attractions include "Lagoona Bay", which is the main tropical pool, with water cannons, geysers and waterfalls. " The Little Leak" is a paddling pool for young children with two small slides and interactive pipes to play with, while "Wacky Waterworks Treehouse" is a wooden 'treehouse' with water cannons, and other interactive features to squirt passing people with.

Alton Towers [SEP] The largest ride in the Waterpark is the water coaster "The Master Blaster", with uphill sections similar to the "Master Blaster" at Sandcastle Waterpark, "Blackpool" and "Nucleus" at Water World, Stoke-on-Trent. " The Master Blaster" is a high speed water flume that contains sharp turns, drops and dark sections, and has views of the entire indoor area of the waterpark. Other rides include "Rush & Rampage", twin racing slides where riders experience wide turns.

Alton Towers [SEP] This attraction requires rubber rings. " Lazy River (Calypso Creek)" is a slow-moving water circuit, taking riders underneath spraying water jets and tipping buckets of water. Rubber rings are available. " The Tipping Bucket" is a container filled with 1000 litres of water which regularly tips its contents over people standing below. " Flash Floods" are tiered outdoor pools with two slides leading to the middle pool and three leading to the bottom.

Alton Towers [SEP] Other swimming pools include "Volcanic Springs", and indoor heated hot pool, and "Bubbly Wubbly Pool", an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool. The indoor section of the water park operates 12 months a year including Christmas Day, although it closes for winter maintenance for around 2 weeks each January. The Alton Towers Hotel opened on 10 April 1996 and is themed to the eccentric fictional character Sir Algenon Alton and his travels.

Alton Towers [SEP] The rooms are decorated in a quirky English style with pictures of Sir Algenon's inventions. The hotel is four star and has 180 rooms. The hotel was the first phase in a plan to turn the theme park into a multi-day resort. The Alton Towers Hotel is currently undergoing a long term phased refurbishment to theme each floor to a different setting. So far, the plan has produced the Moon Voyage Bedrooms and Arctic Explorer Bedrooms. The Splash Landings Hotel opened in 2003.

Alton Towers [SEP] The hotel has a relaxed Caribbean theme and is attached to the Alton Towers Waterpark. It is also four star and it has 216 rooms with a choice of six room types, Family of 4 'Beachcomber' room, Family of 6 'Beachcomber' room, The Ice Age Suites, The Pirate Suites, Interconnected Family of 4 'Beachcomber' room and, Interconnected Family of 3 'Beachcomber' Room. The interconnected rooms are all on the ground floor and the family of 3 rooms are also disabled accessible.

Alton Towers [SEP] The rooms are numbered in the ranges of 1101 to 1159, 1201 to 1259, 1301 to 1359 and, 1401 to 1459, there are a few room numbers that are not used due to the shape of the hotel, these are 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35 on each floor. The Enchanted Village is made up of 120 lodges and 5 secluded treehouses set in the fictional "Enchanted Forest" woodland.

Alton Towers [SEP] Situated next to the Alton Towers hotel, it features new recreational activities, such as various playgrounds for children and an archery range, which is available to use at no extra cost. The site is also home to "The Crooked Spoon" restaurant, and also an additional shop which sells alcohol and outdoor activity toys. The Enchanted Village opened to the public on 18 April 2015. Alton Towers have submitted planning application to expand the Enchanted Village in several phases.

Alton Towers [SEP] The application has been approved and if the plans go ahead, construction on the first phase will commence in 2018 with a scheduled opening of March 2019. The CBeebies Land Hotel opened on 8 July 2017, the hotel has a total of 76 themed rooms: 42 standard rooms (themed to the CBeebies Bugbies) and 34 premium rooms themed to different CBeebies shows, such as "Something Special" and "Swashbuckle".

Alton Towers [SEP] Room amenities include child-friendly features, such as steps up to the sink and children's toilet seats. The hotel features CBeebies-themed shows and entertainment, which run every day of the year, as well as the "Windmill Restaurant". Although Alton Towers had previously gained the necessary permits to expand the Enchanted Village, these plans were eventually scrapped, and reduced into a “pod” style accommodation option. 102 individual accommodation pods will be constructed, each sleeping up to four people.

Alton Towers [SEP] Accompanying shower and bathroom facilities are located to the southern side of the site. The proposals have faced some critical views from the public, with many criticisms being raised over the capacity of bathroom facilities as well as how the resort will cope with the increased demand in food and beverages, as the Stargazing Pods will not have its own restaurant or bar facilities.

Alton Towers [SEP] The council even initially rejected the application citing lack of imagination and “magic”, and although the plans were granted permission the second time, there was not any notable improvements. The Stargazing Pods opened on 12 April 2019. Alton Towers Spa is part of the Alton Towers Hotel and opened in 2004. It includes relaxation and treatment rooms and an adults only swimming pool. Despite being inside the Alton Towers Hotel, non hotel guests are able to use the Spa.

Alton Towers [SEP] Opened in 2007, the Extraordinary Golf mini-golf attraction is themed to different rides and attractions at the park, some of which, are from the park's history. Extraordinary Golf is located to the west of the Splash Landings Hotel. Extraordinary Golf was refreshed for 2016 including the addition of a Galactica themed hole. Opened May 2015, the Enchanted Forest Tree Top Quest is a high ropes course near the Enchanted Village. The attraction opened shortly after, and accompanies, the Enchanted Village development.

Alton Towers [SEP] There is also a low ropes course. Tree Top Quest did not open for the 2018 season or the start of the 2019 season due to budget cuts by parent company, Merlin Entertainments. It is expected to reopen on July 13, 2019. In July 2009, the Alton Towers Resort outlined a 10-year development plan for the park (2010–2019), the aim being to increase visitor numbers, in particular multi-day guests.

Alton Towers [SEP] The plan showed an option for a third hotel or new accommodation of some sort over the coming years. This was later revealed to be a log cabin development, The Enchanted Village. The plan also highlighted areas for development, as well as suggesting the possibility of a new park entrance nearer to the hotels, which could act as a second entrance or replacement to the existing one in Towers Street. Plans for a Phase 2 of the Enchanted Village were approved in July 2018.

Alton Towers [SEP] Plans for a Phase 2 on the same site had already been granted in April 2016 however these proposals were scrapped in favour of a camping option. The new accommodation will be branded as Stargazing Pods and is due to be completed in Spring 2019. On 12 October, Alton Towers website confirmed that The Alton Towers Dungeon will open in 2019. It will follow a similar format to The London Dungeon, which is also part of the Merlin group.

Alton Towers [SEP] The park has made a planning application for two drop towers within CBeebies Land, they will be located next to the Mr Bloom's Allotment attraction. On 1 March 2019, it was confirmed that the drop towers will be named "Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop". They are a relocation of the Hip & Hop drop towers at the Sea Life Adventure Park, Oberhausen, Germany. In 2016, Alton Towers began promoting aspects of its park maintenance on social media, under the banner "Towers Loving Care".

Alton Towers [SEP] The features typically include scenic paintwork, relaying pathways, changing light bulbs and changes to park audio. Although the scheme was also used as an excuse to keep some attractions shuttered as a cost saving measure rather than to improve them. The 2015-16 winter saw scenic paintwork and detail restored to the station exterior. However, scenic detailing and rust effects were overpainted on the ride's track and supports the same winter. The covered scaffold tunnel under Rita's launch track was received some decorations.

Alton Towers [SEP] In 2017, Hex re-opened with repairs to some effects under the "TLC" name; also with a new sound system, although the quality or need for a new sound system was contested by visitors. During the 2017-18 winter, Duel received a new musical soundtrack composed in-house, to restore the zoned audio effect through the ride. It also had repairs to props and some of its lighting altered, notably the use of LED UV.

Alton Towers [SEP] The project is co-ordinated in-house by Alton Towers Resort as a means of securing budget for essential aesthetic maintenance, to circumvent the lack of dedicated budget delivered by parent company Merlin Entertainments. The resort launched a Twitter and Facebook account which frequently showcases images of what occurrences are taking place under the project. Alton Towers has a tradition of codenaming its new roller coaster developments as "Secret Weapon", or "SW", followed by a number.

Alton Towers [SEP] The name is associated with the park's inclination to promote its rides as holding "world first" or in some way "innovative" features and records. However the naming tradition actually began for unrelated reasons, since "Secret Weapon" was the working title of a roller coaster that was ultimately never commissioned. SW1 was a pipeline roller coaster, planned to open in around 1992, on what later became the Nemesis site.

Alton Towers [SEP] It was provisionally titled the "Secret Weapon", with the intention of theming the ride as an ambiguous weapon testing facility. John Wardley rode the Arrow Dynamics prototype of their pipeline coaster, but stated "it was very slow and rather boring", as well as the requirement for such a high lift hill being unsuitable for the park's planning restrictions. After a second layout revision, labelled "SW2", the ride was scrapped and development on SW3 (Nemesis) began.

Alton Towers [SEP] The code name subsequently became the standard preliminary name for major roller coaster projects at the park. The convention was briefly dropped while the park (and its parent company the Tussauds Group) was owned by Dubai International Capital, before being continued by the Merlin Group.

Alton Towers [SEP] The "Secret Weapon" rides are: Prior to the main open season, Alton Towers held the February Half-Term event which saw a selected ride offering opened for the week before the start of the main season in March, however the event was cancelled for 2016; with the exception of Sharkbait Reef which was open for Pirate and Princess Week held at the Resort hotels. Alton Towers has a history of hosting concerts since the 1960s.

Alton Towers [SEP] Concerts in recent years have included the Alton Towers Live event in 2011 and 2013. In 2010, there was an 80s concert for the 30th Anniversary featuring Rick Astley and Bananarama and also that year hosted a P!nk concert. In the past these concerts were often held in the car park at an additional fee, however more recently concerts have been held within the theme park. Artists that have performed there include Tina Turner and The Black Eyed Peas. "Scarefest" is the resort's largest annual event.

Alton Towers [SEP] It celebrates Halloween with a number of temporary scare maze attractions, scare zones, costumed characters and extended opening hours. Rides and areas are lit with coloured lighting at night, with most rides and attractions continuing to operate until 9pm. The Scarefest event has been running since 2007, although the park started celebrating Halloween with decoration several years before and has operated the "Terror of the Towers" scaremaze since 2002. The scare mazes are upcharge attractions.

Alton Towers [SEP]   Previous Scarefest maze   Current Scarefest maze "*Terror of the Towers took in break in 2004, 2005 and 2006." For the last days of the season, Alton Towers host firework Shows, these have been running annually since the 1990s on the Great Lawns. The displays were considered disruptive by some local residents, which led to formal complaints. Two local residents decided to take the theme park to court regarding this issue.

Alton Towers [SEP] The court issued Alton Towers with a noise abatement order in October 2005 which restricted the theme park to three shows a year, previously five, with noise readings not exceeding 40 decibels outside the park. In 2006, the display was rebranded as Electric Towers, but then discontinued. However, the fireworks and laser show was reinstated in 2010 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the theme park and has returned to being an annual event. During the closed season months Alton Towers holds regular "Pirate & Princess Weekends".

Alton Towers [SEP] The event entails decorations, and themed activities for children in the Hotels and the waterpark. The theme park's Sharkbait Reef aquarium also opens for the event. During December, the "Santa's Sleepover" event takes place. Both resort hotels are decorated for the event and a pantomime takes place. The Alton Towers Theme Park also opens for Christmas with a small number of rides open as well as a Santa's Grotto. The event is largely aimed at children.

Alton Towers [SEP] In 2015, the theme park permitted entry to non-hotel guests for the first time however the event reverted to hotel guests only in 2016. Festive Breaks continue from 27 December 2018 to 6 January 2019 with a similar lineup to the Santa's Sleepovers.

Alton Towers [SEP] Since 2015 Alton Towers have opened the park for a "Services Day"; a day where a limited quantity of discounted tickets (fewer than on a usual season day) are sold to those who work in public services such as the Police, NHS, Fire brigade, Prison service, Army, RAF, Royal Navy and other similar services. Services Day is usually held approximately two weeks prior to the start of the new season, which usually begins mid-March.

Alton Towers [SEP] Due to the success of the 2015, '16 and '17 Services Days, a two-day weekend of Services Days was planned for 3 and 4 March 2018, however this was postponed to 11 March due to weather conditions. Another two-day event is planned for 16–17 March 2019. Services Days are open to holders of a Blue Light Card or a Defence Discount Service Card. In June 2015, sixteen people were injured on The Smiler ride, with two individuals requiring leg amputations.

Alton Towers [SEP] Merlin Entertainments originally released a press release blaming the crash on "human error". However, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) concluded the crash was foreseeable, stating that "Merlin failed to put in place systems that allowed their engineers to work safely on the ride while it was running". During the subsequent court case, Merlin retracted their statement and pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety law.

Alton Towers [SEP] The company was fined £5Million, with the court citing a "catalogue of errors" with Merlin's operating procedure and training. In June 2017, Alton Towers estate owner Nick Leslau repeated the discredited claim that the crash was due to "a human error", but added that "Merlin has paid a massive price, but the performance of the business has been exemplary and the share price is now at an all-time high."

Alton Towers [SEP] On 30 June 2004, due to a strong gust of wind, the Sky Ride cables became caught, jamming the ride. About 80 people were on the ride, and nine people had to be rescued by being abseiled down cables. During the 2007 Scarefest season, a fire broke out in the Forbidden Valley section of the park due to a halogen lamp that damaged the roof and mechanics of the ride. The damage was reparable and had to be closed for six months before reopening midway through the 2008 season.

Alton Towers [SEP] Nobody was harmed. Another fire happened to the ride this time in the Cloud Cuckoo Land station in the 2009 season, due to a faulty vending machine, on 21 July 2009. The fire completely destroyed the whole station. Over the following season, the station was rebuilt, ready for the 2010 season.

Alton Towers [SEP] On 20 July 2006, when the train was entering the tunnel section of its course, two carriages uncoupled, with the front half of the train continuing up the slope while the rear half remained stuck in the tunnel. The front half failed to make it over the hill, rolled back and crashed into the rear half which had remained stuck in the tunnel. Six people were taken to hospital and 23 others were treated for cuts and bruises.

Alton Towers [SEP] Following the incident the Runaway Mine Train was closed for the rest of the season. The train was only returned to full length operation in June the following year. Alton Towers is set in a Conservation Area, which puts a restriction on the height of any ride or building development in the park.

Alton Towers [SEP] It has been agreed with the local council that no buildings should be built above the tree line and if so should be disguised to fit the landscape; this can be seen on the ride Rita, where parts of the top of the track is camouflaged green as to fit in with the trees. Noise pollution is also a problem for the park due to the close proximity to the villages of Alton and Farley and the town of Cheadle.

Alton Towers [SEP] There have been several cases where Alton Towers have been taken to court over the noise levels emitted from the park and have been served noise abatement orders in 2004, 2005 and 2006. On 3 May 2012 a couple from the local village of Farley won the rights to a full High Court trial on the amount of noise generated by the park.

Alton Towers [SEP] The couple have been in a legal battle with the park for nearly a decade, and during this period succeeded in a noise abatement order on the theme park which led to the audio from the top of the Oblivion drop being removed, and Alton Towers having to limit the amount of annual fireworks displays to only three a year.

Alton Towers [SEP] Stephen and Suzanne Roper, who live only 100 yards from the park, say that their lives have been made a misery by the noise of the screams as well as fireworks displays and music. They launched their legal fight in 2002, but after years of wrangling, their claim for an injunction and damages was thrown out in January 2011. Judge Mr Justice Hickinbottom later overturned that decision, bringing the claim back. This now paves the way for a full court hearing.

Alton Towers [SEP] The Ropers will seek an injunction forcing the park owners to close or relocate some rides and an order forcing them to pay damages for noise suffered from 1998 to the present.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] Mammon, originally exhibited as Mammon Dedicated to his Worshippers, is an 1885 oil painting by English artist George Frederic Watts, currently in Tate Britain. One of a number of paintings by Watts in this period on the theme of the corrupting influence of wealth, "Mammon" shows a scene from Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" in which Mammon, the embodiment of greed, crushes the weak through his indifference to their plight.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] This reflected Watts's belief that wealth was taking the place of religion in modern society, and that this worship of riches was leading to social deterioration. The painting was one of a group of works Watts donated to the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) in late 1886, and in 1897 it was one of 17 Watts paintings transferred to the newly created Tate Gallery. Although rarely exhibited outside the Tate Gallery, the popularity of reproductions made "Mammon" one of Watts's better known paintings.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] George Frederic Watts was born in 1817, the son of a London musical instrument manufacturer. His two brothers died in 1823, and his mother in 1826, giving Watts an obsession with death throughout his life. Meanwhile, his father's strict evangelical Christianity led to Watts developing a deep knowledge of the Bible but a strong dislike of organised religion.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] Watts was apprenticed as a sculptor at the age of 10, and at the age of 16 was proficient enough as an artist to be earning a living as a portrait painter and as a cricket illustrator. At the age of 18 he gained admission to the Royal Academy schools, although he disliked their methods and his attendance was intermittent.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] In 1837 Watts was commissioned by Greek shipping magnate Alexander Constantine Ionides to copy a portrait of his father by renowned artist Samuel Lane; Ionides preferred Watts's version to the original and immediately commissioned two more paintings from him, allowing Watts to devote himself full-time to painting. In 1843 Watts travelled to Italy, where he remained for four years. On his return to London he suffered from depression, and painted a number of notably gloomy works.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] His skills were widely celebrated, and in 1856 he decided to devote himself to portrait painting. His portraits were extremely highly regarded. In 1867 he was elected a Royal Academician, at the time the highest honour available to an artist, although he rapidly became disillusioned with the culture of the Royal Academy. From 1870 onwards he became widely renowned as a painter of allegorical and mythical subjects; by this time, he was one of the most highly regarded artists in the world.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] In 1881 he added a glass-roofed gallery to his home at Little Holland House, which was open to the public at weekends, further increasing his fame. In 1884 a selection of 50 of his works were shown at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, believed to have been the first such exhibition by any artist. Mammon originally meant wealth in Aramaic, but from the early days of the Christian Church the name was occasionally used to represent the personification of greed.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] This notion of Mammon as an individual, rather than an abstract concept, became commonplace in English culture owing to Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene", published in the late 16th century, and later in John Milton's "Paradise Lost" (1667), both of which treated Mammon as an individual exemplar of greed. As was the case with almost all English artists of the period, Watts was heavily influenced by the works of both Spenser and Milton.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] Watts based "Mammon" on a scene from Book II of "The Faerie Queene" in which the protagonist Guyon encounters Mammon in a cave containing . " Mammon" was one of a series Watts painted at around this time on the theme of the corruption brought about by wealth, including "The Wife of Plutus" (1880s), "Sic Transit" (1880–1882) and "For he had Great Possessions" (1894). Watts depicted Mammon as a corrupted version of traditional images of the gods.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] This reflected his belief that the worship of wealth was taking the place of traditional beliefs in modern society, and that this attitude, which he described as "the hypocritical veiling of the daily sacrifice made to this deity", was leading to social decay. ( His widow, Mary Seton Watts, wrote in 1912 that Watts had said that "Mammon sits supreme, while great art, as a child of the nation, cannot find a place; the seat is not wide enough for both".)

Mammon (painting) [SEP] Mammon wears gold and scarlet robes, and crushes "whatever is weak and gentle and timid and lovely". Watts aimed to show Mammon not as crushing the weak through deliberate cruelty, but through an indifference to the damage he was causing. His headdress resembles donkey's ears, an allusion to Thomas Carlyle's description of "serious, most earnest Mammonism grown Midas-eared" in "Past and Present".

Mammon (painting) [SEP] "Mammon" was first exhibited in 1885, under the title of "Mammon Dedicated to his Worshippers". The catalogue accompanying this exhibition described this unusual title as "righteously scornful". Aside from an oil sketch now in the Watts Gallery, only one completed version of "Mammon" was made. This was among a number of paintings donated by Watts to the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) in late 1886.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] In 1897 it was one of the 17 Watts works transferred to the newly-created Tate Gallery (commonly known as the Tate Gallery, now Tate Britain); at the time, Watts was so highly regarded that an entire room of the new museum was dedicated to his works. Although rarely exhibited outside the Tate Gallery, cheap photographic reproductions of "Mammon" made by Frederick Hollyer circulated widely, making it one of Watts's better-known paintings.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] In 1887 it was one of the paintings discussed by Scottish theologian P. T. Forsyth in his series of lectures on "Religion in Recent Art". Forsyth considered "Mammon" a companion to Watts's 1885 "Hope", arguing that both depicted false gods and the perils awaiting those who attempted to follow them in the absence of faith.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] By 1904 the image was well-enough known that the "Daily Express" reproduced the head of "Mammon" alongside that of John D. Rockefeller, a person of whom the newspaper greatly disapproved, implicitly inviting readers to draw comparisons. Watts returned to the theme of greed in "Progress" (1902–1904), one of his final works.

Mammon (painting) [SEP] This shows the figure of Mammon as one of three figures representing what Watts called "non-progress"; academia, wealth and laziness, oblivious to the emergence of Progress on horseback behind them. The central figure was described by Watts as "money grubbing"; as with "Mammon" and many of his other works, Watts aimed to show spiritual and material values as inherently contradictory.

Radegast (beer) [SEP] Radegast is a Czech beer brewed in Nošovice, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic since 1970. The beer is named after the slavic god Radegast. Stemming from the name for the beer is the slogan: "Život je hořký: Bohudík", a Czech phrase which translates into English as "Life is bitter: Thank God" (in reference to the beer's "bitter" taste).

Radegast (beer) [SEP] The brewery is owned by Pilsner Urquell (since 1999), which is, in turn, owned by Asahi Breweries. Radegast is the most popular beer in Moravia. The company brews these different types of beer: Additionally, Radegast brewery produces since 1992 a non-alcoholic beer under the Birell brand.

Jhenaidah District [SEP] Jhenaidah () is a district in the southwestern part of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Khulna Division. It has an area of 1964.77 km². It is bordered by Kushtia District to the north, Jessore District and West Bengal (India) to the south, Rajbari District and Magura District to the east, and Chuadanga District and West Bengal (India) to the west. At the beginning of the British rule Jhenaidah was a police out post and was turned into a thana in 1793.

Jhenaidah District [SEP] The Jhenaidah Sub division was established in 1862 and was turned into a district in 1984. Annual average temperature: maximum 37.1 °C, minimum 11.2 °C. Annual rainfall: 1467 mm According to the 2011 Bangladesh census, Jhenaidah District had a population of 1,771,304. Males constituted 50.04% of the population and females 49.96%. Muslims formed 90.39% of the population, Hindus 9.48%, Christians 0.06% and others 0.08%.

Jhenaidah District [SEP] Jhenaidah had a literacy rate of 48.4% for the population 7 years and above. Jhenaidah district has 1,771,304 people as of 2011. Density of the population is 901.5 inh./km². Deputy Commissioner (DC): Soroj Kumar Nath Chairman of Zila Porishod: Kanak Kanti Das Mayor of Municipality: Saidul Karim Mintu There are six upazilas under this district: The district is predominately Muslim, 89.6%. The next largest religion is Hinduism with 10.3%.