Farm defends Titanic-themed ride after backlash
BBCThe owners of a Titanic-themed ride have defended it after criticism it disrespected those who died in the 1912 disaster.
More than 1,500 people drowned when the ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic while on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
The Titanic ride at Graveley Fruit Farm near Hitchin, Hertfordshire, sees the replica ship lift at one end to slide customers downwards, resembling the sinking of the ocean liner.
Manager Will Campbell-Gray said: "We're keeping the memory of Titanic alive and we're not making fun of the dead at all."
More from Beds, Herts and Bucks:
He added the ride was renamed The Big Tipper last year after complaints were made online, but the original name was restored after his wife received threats demanding it was changed back.
The Titanic was 269m (882ft) long, 28m (91ft) wide and more than 53m (173ft) tall, and took about three years to build.
Its construction cost £1.5m, which is about £170m in today's money.
The ride has received comments on social media calling it "disrespectful" and "odd".
Campbell-Gray highlighted the educational value of the ride, believing it has encouraged children to learn about the history of the ship.
"We've had autistic children who are obsessed with Titanic... they love coming here and going on it because they know all the facts and all the figures," he said.
The ride was constructed last year using repurposed farm materials, including strawberry polytunnel hoops and an old tipper lorry trailer.
He said: "It never even crossed our minds that there would be any backlash."
After receiving complaints last year, the farm had new signs made to rename the ride The Big Tipper, but Campbell-Gray said this caused a "far greater" backlash.
He said: "My wife, who does the social media, got threats... death threats saying that we should change it back.
"So we actually thought long and hard and thought, actually, we're not making fun of the dead or anything.
"Actually it's a nice thing to be a memory of the Titanic and keep the Titanic memory alive."
Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.
Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
