SUNDAY 4 AUGUST 2019Variation on a theme park
An amorous getaway – at Alton Towers? Helen Coffey discovers the
joys of a kid-free break on the ’coasters
It’s not just for the youngsters, you know... (Alton Towers)
“Romance” and “rollercoasters” are two words that make for strange bedfellows. Or so I’d always thought.
But as my partner and I stumble off our fifth ride of the day, making little aftershock whoops of joy as we
clasp hands and giddily lock eyes, I have to admit that I may have underestimated the aphrodisiac powers of
theme parks. Not even the Smiler ’coaster’s macabre soundtrack of children singing amid a nausea-inducing
black and yellow colour scheme is killing the vibe.
Perhaps it’s all that adrenaline rushing around your veins, creating a similar phenomenon to the one that
sees people start feeling frisky after a car accident (but a lot less frightening and a little more PG). Or
perhaps the fact of turning the whole thing into a “minibreak” rather than just a day out gives it an extra
injection of va-va-voom.