Leonard Thompson married Lilian Doris Bean in 1928 and had no plans to enter his wife’s family firm. However, when W. G. Bean died the following year, there was no succession plan for the Pleasure Beach Company. By 1931, Leonard was Managing Director and led the company for the best part of half a century.
Working with a number of architects, most notably Joseph Emberton, he worked to upgrade the park’s facilities and buildings, rebuilding vast swathes of the park in a modernist style.
He shepherded the business through the Second World War and a difficult period in the aftermath where materials, a workforce and new devices were difficult to come by. Entertainment also became central to the park’s offerings with the introduction of the famous ice shows in 1937.
A number of the park’s most famous landmarks were constructed during Leonard Thompson’s tenure including the Ice Drome (now the Arena), the new Casino and several rides including the Derby Racer and the Grand National.