Alton Towers superfan moved family next to theme park to go on ride 15,000 times
A theme park fanatic rode one attraction more than 15,000 times and moved closer to the park to maximise their thrill-seeking opportunities.
Michael Eley first visited Alton Towers in 1976 on a family outing with his mum and older brother, who died just a decade later.
It was when the haunted house at the park first opened in 1992, that a lifelong passion began.
The Staffordshire teacher had long loved braving the spooky rides with his brother, but fell head over heels for Alton Tower's intense version.
Michael added: “My brother used to drag me on haunted houses wherever he could find them - and I’ve loved the haunted house at Alton Towers from day one.
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"It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up the first time I rode it and it continues to do so to this day.”
Michael has been riding the ghost train for 30 years (Michael Eley)So bowled over was Michael by the ride that he moved to Alton to be closer to the theme park.
Over the next three decades the 51-year-old - who lives with his wife, Caroline, 50, a Tesco worker, and has three children, Jamie, 29, Charlie, 23, and Sonny, 20 - rode the ghost train 15,000 times.
His commitment to the ride and the decision to move to Alton followed the death of his dad.
“My dad had very little time to enjoy his retirement before he sadly passed away," Michael said.
"Losing him so suddenly made us re-evaluate what was important to us and prompted us to make the move to Alton to have the park on our doorstep.
“It’s always been a special place because of the care they put into their rides and the investment they make to ensure their attractions are unrivalled.
Michael got to bring along some of his students last month (Michael Eley)“There’s a real magic in the air once you walk through those gates. It’s a place where you can forget all your troubles.”
Aware of Michael’s long-term love of the spooky attraction, bosses at Alton Towers decided to invite him for a special visit to coincide with the opening of new attraction The Curse at Alton Manor.
The family-friendly attraction charts the story of Emily Alton - the troubled daughter of a pair of Victorian high society figures who prefer partying to parenting.
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Crammed with cutting-edge audio and projection mapping technology it takes visitors through a dozen extraordinary scenes.
He first rode the ghost train with his brother and dad (Michael Eley)Michael was asked along to try it out with a group of Year Six pupils from Denstone College where he teaches.
Since the visit last month he has been on the immersive dark ride a total of 208 times.
“It was such a privilege to be invited to take some of our pupils on the ride. They were absolutely buzzing afterwards," Michael said.
“The haunted house at Alton Towers has been a passion of mine for three decades now and I’m delighted that the Curse At Alton Manor takes it to the next level.”
He added: “I had sleepless nights in the run-up to the relaunch. It has meant so much to me for three decades that I was worried some of the magic might have gone.
“But, I was delighted to discover that it’s better than it has ever been. I was totally blown away by how it has been updated.
"It combines jaw-dropping special effects with incredible storytelling. I couldn’t be happier.”
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