Continuum Attractions Archives - Stuart Render Tourism

22 Aug

Continuum Attractions buys GreenWood Forest Park

22 August, 2017
Stuart Render

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Continuum Attractions, the York-based attractions group, has bought GreenWood Forest Park, a family activity centre based in North Wales.

The acquisition, which was completed in July, sees the attractions group move into the outdoor family attractions sector for the first time.

The company says it bought GreenWood Forest Park, which is located at Y Felinheli, midway between Bangor and Caernarvon, “because it is a successful and award-winning family adventure park business and a wonderful opportunity for Continuum to expand into the family, outdoor attraction market”.

Commenting on the acquisition, Juliana Delaney, chief executive of Continuum Attractions says: “We are thrilled to have added GreenWood Forest Park to the Continuum Attractions family. North Wales is a place very dear to my heart. I have relatives living nearby and have been visiting the area since I was two years-old. It is a region that has a fantastic future for tourism. The park is already such a great day out for guests with a passionate team dedicated to providing the very best experience for everyone.”

The former owners of the park, Steve and Andrea Bristow, who set up the business 25 years ago, made the decision to retire to enjoy more time to travel and spend with family. It is understood that they sold to Continuum Attractions because they wanted the project to be put into safe hands.

Kevin Smith, Continuum Attractions’ group attractions director, says: “We are delighted to have added GreenWood Forest Park to our portfolio of outstanding UK visitor attractions. Continuum Attractions has been keen to expand into outdoor, family experiences and GreenWood will offer a fantastic opportunity for us to do so.

“The park’s focus on sustainability is also really important across our business. North Wales is a fantastic place to visit and has important cultural traditions such as the use of the Welsh language. We are absolutely committed to continuing this tradition and the bi-lingual heritage of GreenWood Forest Park.”

GreenWood Forest Park is a TripAdvisor UK Top 10 Attraction and a North Wales Tourist Board Green and Innovation Award-winner.

York-based Continuum Attractions owns, operates and manages eight other attractions across the UK: The Real Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh; The Canterbury Tales, Canterbury; Oxford Castle Unlocked, Oxford; York’s Chocolate Story, York; Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth; The Emmerdale Studio Tour, Leeds; The Emmerdale Village Tour, near Leeds; and The Royal Mint Experience, Cardiff (management contract).

9 Aug

Emmerdale Studio Experience opens on 3 September

9 August, 2016
Stuart Render

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From Saturday 3 September, Leeds will have a new visitor attraction when the ‘Emmerdale Studio Experience’ opens its doors for the first time.

Situated in the programme’s former studio on Burley Road in Leeds, a short distance from the city centre, the brand new experience will take groups on a journey to show how Emmerdale’s characters and stories are brought to life so sensationally for the screen. The attraction says the ‘Emmerdale Studio Experience’ “will give groups the opportunity to become part of the drama and discover the magic that lies at the heart of ITV’s iconic television series”.

Emmerdale_Experience_Logo

Fully guided tours will shine a light on the production process and reveal how everything fits together. With full-scale set reconstructions, preserved props and costumes, to the secrets behind stunts and special effects, this is a rare chance to step behind the camera and into the exciting world of telly.

Groups will experience the much-loved surroundings of the Dingles, Bernice’s Salon, Smithy Cottage and The Woolpack sets, hear fascinating facts on some of the soap’s biggest storylines, and get the gossip and stories from the studio floor as a guide takes them on a unique tour.

dingles_illustration2 — The attraction will feature a full-size replica of ‘The Dingles’ set. Artist impression (c) Continuum Attractions

A spectacularly crafted quarter-size replica ‘model’ village’ sits at the heart of the attraction where sculpted rows of ‘stone clad’ cottages, Bob’s café, David’s shop and The Woolpack nestle together illustrating the warmth of village life. Plus, groups have the chance to tread the boards behind The Woolpack bar for a photograph – the ultimate souvenir for any Emmerdale fan.

woolpack_illustration — Groups will have the chance to tread the boards behind ‘The Woolpack’ bar for a photograph. Artist impression (c) Continuum Attractions

The visitor experience is being operated by Continuum Attractions in partnership with ITV, a relationship that generated unprecedented demand for the seasonal Emmerdale village tours to the exterior filming set north of Leeds, and the success of ‘Coronation Street The Tour’ in Manchester before it closed at the end of last year.

The Emmerdale Studio Experience tours will run seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. Rates for groups of 15 or more are £18.75 for adults, and £17.75 for concessions and children.

It’s understood that a typical visit will last between one and a half and two hours.

Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/emmerdale.

‘Coronation Street On Tour’ opens at the SECC in Glasgow on 27 August and runs until 1 January. It is then due to transfer to Belfast, subject to planning permission. Visitors will be able to see a purpose-built inflatable show dome featuring authentic sets and preserved memorabilia in what Continuum Attractions describes as “a compelling and extraordinary environment”.

Continuum Attractions owns, operates and manages the following cultural attractions across the UK:

Continuum Heritage Attractions:

– The Real Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh

– The Canterbury Tales, Canterbury

– Oxford Castle Unlocked, Oxford

– York’s Chocolate Story, York

Continuum Icon Attractions

– Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth

– Emmerdale The Tour, Leeds

– Coronation Street On Tour, Touring*

For more information, go to www.continuumattractions.com

#DISCOVEREMMERDALE

25 Apr

Emmerdale studio tours to start this summer

25 April, 2016
Stuart Render

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The studio complex in Leeds where ITV soap Emmerdale is filmed is to open for tours later this summer.

The Burley Road complex, situated just over a mile west of the city centre, will be home to the ‘Emmerdale Studio Experience’, giving groups the opportunity to see behind the scenes.

The new attraction is being delivered by Continuum Attractions in partnership with ITV. Continuum Attractions is the company responsible for the successful ‘Coronation Street The Tour’ in Manchester, and the introduction in 2015 of group visits to Emmerdale’s exterior filming sets on the Harewood Estate between Leeds and Harrogate.

Continuum Attractions says: “Continuum Attractions is pleased to confirm the intent to deliver the ‘Emmerdale Studio Experience’, in partnership with ITV. Subject to planning, the Burley Road Studios in central Leeds will open to the public in the late summer of 2016 to showcase a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of one of ITV’s best loved soaps. Following the resounding success of ‘Coronation Street The Tour’, Continuum Attractions is delighted to continue its working relationship with ITV.”

Details of how to buy tickets will be released in May.

Continuum Attractions operates an award-winning portfolio of visitor experiences across the UK including Emirates Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh, York’s Chocolate Story, Oxford Castle Unlocked and The Canterbury Tales. The company is also working with The Royal Mint in South Wales to deliver ‘The Royal Mint Experience’, a new factory experience and interactive exhibition that’s due to open on 18 May.