Memories of Blackpool's Monster Drop slide where kids 'earned their stripes'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

If you were a Manchester kid growing up in the 1980s, there's a chance you holidayed in Blackpool and were one of many to take on the famous Monster Drop.

Located at The Professor Peabody’s Playplace in the Winter Gardens' Olympia Exhibition Hall, the mega playground was a paradise of pure excitement for youngsters. Many will remember it featured rope courses, climbing nets, ball pits, space ride and the enormous bouncy castle.

It also boasted different play areas for different age groups across the four floors, with some apparatus being fairly tame. The playground was the one of the ultimate childhood experiences - but there's one unforgettable feature many will remember braving and earning their stipes on.

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The famous Monster Drop slide was something of an extreme sport for youngsters and looking back seemed fairly dangerous. Only the brave amongst our peers would take on the terrifying yet exhilarating slide and it wasn't uncommon to see parents in a panic watching their kids hanging from the edge by their arms before they let go.

The only way to the bottom was back down the stairs if you bottled trying the Blackpool slide. But for those who did do the drop, it's something they still remember today.

At Professor Peabody’s Playplace, for around £1.75 per head, parents could relinquish responsibility of their child for a few hours while they chilled out at the cafe - or went to a nearby pub, the MEN previously reported. As you went in, a cardboard cut out of the professor welcomed you to the multi-tiered venue, which was later displayed at the seaside resort's West Coast Rock Cafe.

The play centre closed its doors in