In this postcard sent in 1994, the author writes to tell their Auntie Barbara in Tunstall that they have ridden the “Big Max” and it was “amazing but really scary”. The photograph on the postcard is taken from the south car park, now home to the Big Blue Hotel.
Without the postmark, it’s clear that the image is early in the Big One’s existence because it features the ride’s original first drop that has a different profile to what is found on the ride today. The drop was modified before the 1997 season.
In the foreground to the left is The Star pub, acquired by the park earlier that year. In the centre is the Fun Factory amusements, later incorporated into the Big Blue Hotel as the Blues Bar & Brasserie.