Wallace and Gromit ride at the Pleasure Beach

Get ready to be stocked up on cheese because Wallace and Gromit are coming to Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

The Great British icons are to be the centre piece of the new Thrill-O-Matic family ride which will replace the Gold Mine which closed at the end of the 2011 season.

Pleasure Beach bosses say it will cost £5.25m and is due to open in 2013. It will feature all the best-loved characters from the dynamic duo's adventures. £2m towards the new attraction will be a loan from the Growing Places Fund, invested by Lancashire Enterprise Partnership to enable the project to get off the ground.

Creators Aardman are working with Pleasure Beach design and engineering team on the ride which will take a trip through A Grand Day Out, visit The Wrong Trousers, take A Close Shave and deal with A Matter of Loaf and Death.

The ride takes almost four minutes and takes in dozens of well-loved scenes from the Wallace and Gromit films.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach managing director Amanda Thompson OBE said: "We are delighted to be welcoming Wallace & Gromit to Pleasure Beach.

"Thrill-O-Matic represents a significant investment in the park and we know the characters will be a huge hit with the families who come and visit Pleasure Beach.

Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit, said: "We are really enjoying working with the Pleasure Beach team on this new ride and new format for Wallace and Gromit and can't wait to get started on building all the props and set pieces.”

Edwin Booth, chairman of Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said: "This looks like a cracking project and the ride will be a lot of fun. I can't wait to try it.

"There's a serious side to our involvement as this is one of the first projects supported by a loan from our Growing Places fund, which helps projects that will benefit the economy to get off the ground.

"In this case the Pleasure Beach has a hugely important role in attracting visitors to the area and the new attraction will strengthen its appeal for years to come."

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