Policeman from White City
Date made: mid 20th century
Description: This fibreglass, cartoon style policeman was from the dodgem/bumper car/ go-kart attraction at White City, a fairground and amusement park on Onchan Head. This was the last surviving amusement at White City and were run by Billy Moore. A feature of this operation was a loud-hailer system and the plea "Brake Now" could be heard some distance away. Eventually this method was replaced with an electronic 'zapper' which cut off the offender's engine ignition and brought them to a halt.
Onchan Head had been the site of an amusement park since at least 1908, with Pierrot troupes and other entertainments attracting thousands of visitors each summer. The name White City was possibly derived from the famous London dog track. The burning down of the Onchan Head pavilion in 1962 was perhaps the beginning of the decline and White City closed down at the end of the 1987 summer season. The site was redeveloped for apartments in the 1990s.
Materials: Fibre Glass
Object name: statue
Collection: Social History Collection
ID Number: W0361/1
Subject tags : #MM100COLLECTIONS
Wasn't the policeman inside with the dodgem cars ? - Allan Singleton Report this
The policeman and dodgems at White City were made by my fathers company; Whitaker bits of Shaw, Oldham - Deb Maders Report this