The Abandoned History Of Crinkley Bottom/Blobbyland | Expedition Extinct Part 1 

I remember my Nan had a car sticker in the 90s that said "I've seen Noel's Crinkly Bottom".

I'm surprised you didn't explain what Mr Blobby was created as, to give context. Noel invented him as a SPOOF character, used to trick celebrities into thinking they were helping make a new kids tv show. As the "tv shoot" went on, the fictional character's actions became increasingly farcical, to see if the unwitting celebrity would reach their breaking point. Eventually Noel, who was inside the suit the whole time, would remove the head and reveal himself, at which pointed would yell "gotcha," and present the celebrity with a gotcha oscar for being a good sport. Of course at first the prank worked as no one knew mr Blobby wasn't a real character, but as the Noel's House Party show became more well known, or became harder to trick celebrities as they had begun to hear about it. It was only from that point that Mr Blobby became more of a stand alone character, but his ridiculousness was intentional as he was originally devised as a parody "typical" children's tv character, whilst never having been real in the first place.

the power went out in my neighborhood when the clip of the Mr. Blobby music video played. Truly he is a force of terror.

When I discovered Mr. Blobby 6 years ago, I tweeted how terrifying he was... and he angrily tweeted back at me. It just made him scarier. Great videos, though.

I'll never understand how Mr. Blobby got popular. He terrified me as a kid, and admittedly still creeps me out a bit still today.

I remember going there as a child, cut my back on a slide an as a result met Noel himself who closed the thing straight away, apart from the blood it was a great day, such sadness seeing it in ruins

It’s difficult to explain Mr Blobby to someone too young to know him. “What did he actually do?” “Well, he ran around, bumped into people, knocked things over, and shouted ‘Blobby Blobby Blobby’ a lot.”

Nice to know the 90s was just as weird in the U.K. as the U.S. :D

Interesting story, but my Uncle was one of the tradesmen hired to build Mr Blobby's house and the Noddy area. His biggest contribution was the thatched roof of Noddy's house because that is his specialisation; he is a thatcher. I visited that park many times throughout my childhood, so I remember each of the eras. The saddest day for me was when they had to close the sea lion show because of a lack of attendance.

Here is a funny perfectly true story for everyone. In one episode of Telly Addicts (for those that are too young to remember this or have never watched it) it was a game show based on TV knowledge hosted by Noel. In one episode one of the contestants was wearing Mr Blobby socks (black socks with Blooby's face on it) and Noel stormed over to the contestant and basically ripped his socks off. Noel was having none of it. He wanted at least one place where he could get away from The Blobster. The contestant had to sit bare foot through out the episode.

Could Blobby's home be considered a haunted house attraction?

8:14 "...and the Taylor family, trying to escape the shadow left by Mr. Blobby..." I gotta give you credit for managing to say that without cracking up.

"I think crinkley bottom will outlive Noel's house party and even outlive Noel's Edmonds" well we can cross fortune teller off Noel's CV now can't we

I remember begging my parents to take me there back in... 95 I think? We had such a long drive and honestly I found the place pretty boring, my parents were trying to keep a cheerful facade but you could tell they knew it wasn't worth the effort. Despite being a weekday it was pretty darn quiet for a tourist attraction during summer holidays (especially during the height of Mr Blobby's popularity), just a few people milling around, and with no real rides if you missed the show timings (which we did) and didn't care about Noddy or the zoo part there was little to nothing to do. At this point all I really remember is the train ride and some brightly coloured area, don't think I even saw Mr Blobby at all, I still have a carrier bag from the gift shop emblazened with Crinkley Bottom though - gotta keep some proof such a place even existed.

My friend used to courier the Mr Blobby suits used at the Morecambe park halfway across the country just to be cleaned. They were that paranoid that people would steal the suits, but it wouldn't stop the courier drivers messing about in the suits.

90s British TV was an...interesting time between this and Teletubbies.

Haha, I used to work in the hotel there! In fact I visited the abandoned blobbyland with a friend, but I never went in. Can't say I'll ever go back. Creepy place!

Mr Blobby is a dark and vengeful elder god.

For those who grew up in the HTV region in the 80's, every time I hear "Cricket St Thomas", I automatically add "near Chard". The TV ads just kept with that phrase. "Come to Cricket St Thomas near Chard ... see the animals at Cricket St Thomas near Chard... fun for all the family at Cricket St Thomas near Chard." 35 years on and it is still burned into my memory. Thing is, we never went there, we were all just too annoyed by the ads.

The best days were the ones where the Christmas No 1 would be totally bonkers and not an X-factor/BGT winner. Mr Blobby is a national treasure. Believe it or not Mr Blobby used to be scripted. Graeme Gardner used to write scripts for him

I really thought that after 20 years, i would never have to think about that show or Mr Blobby again. Thanks a bunch for ruining my day by ensuring that that fucking song will be stuck in my head! You're still awesome though :)

This is the scariest idea ever, for a theme park

I wasn’t a 90s kid but this is a sad story. I hope whoever grew up playing at this park has great memories of it ❤

What a weird park. I think it was destined to fail however, as the Blobby character simply could not hold interest for long. The park also seemed to miss attractions like roller coasters and other things to keep it interesting outside the Blobby character, and a zoo will not do that in the long run...

This place will haunt Jack Whitehall's nightmares.

I live about half a mile from the Lancashire 'blobbyland' - it was in a local PUBLIC park called happymount. The whole thing was a fiasco from start to finish, not least because they tried to grab a well loved and used public park and turn it into a private for profit space. From the very start they (both edmonds and our local group of crooks known as Lancaster council) seemed to delight in winding up the locals (that would be me) and the whole thing was resented greatly. Once edmonds had moved in and spent a ton of cash, and so was considered to be in too deep to just pull out, the council tried to extort large payments from the blobby company for various things. A long legal battle ensued, and edmonds sued the council over and over again, each time walking away with MY cash. We learned pretty quickly what mr edmonds is really like when not on tv - he is a very angry, arrogant selfish and really quite nasty character who would not last 5 minutes on the streets of Morecambe and he knows it - I invite him to come and try ! In the end he closed up and sloped off to abuse someone else, and we got our park back - it now has, amongst such things as an olden days merry go round and a ghost train, a small but well put together water park which is FREE for everyone. Blobbyland was without doubt the stupidest idea anyone ever had for a theme park, and noel edmonds is a nasty little so and so whom I will be happy never to lay eyes on again. Good riddance !

As an American, I am horrified

The fact that no one has made a horror movie based on this is astonishing!

Mr Blobby looks like something from Slenderman's nightmares

I remember being dragged there as a kid, would have only been six, my sister loved Mr Blobby, I however found him to be a freakishly terrifying mix between the joker and Anne Whidicome. I much preferred the animals of farthing wood attraction. Now there was a true gem from my childhood!

Nothing says lets take the kids like a farthingwood section "come on kids, lets see some animals die"

Do you ever see footage from some random South American or Eastern European Tv show and think “what the hell is going on over there?” That’s what the rest of the world must’ve been thinking about the UK during the 90’s.

9:53 "Mr Blobby touched me here" Are you sure there isn't a darker reason behind this parks closure?

Very good documentation on the history of this strange place. A lesson in why not to deify a fleeting icon. Blobbys time had come as soon as his temple was finished. Alas, poor Blobby 😣

Alan Partridge doesn't like Noel Edmonds, he said "I dislike Noel and his stupid Ewok head".

Gotta respect the "Mr Blobby touched me here." Ahh British culture!

Such a shame! Cricket St Thomas was such a beautiful place to visit. Although i visited it before the Blobby attractions were there, sad to hear it's all gone.

Noel's House Party was to Saturday nights what The Big Breakfast was to weekday mornings

The 90s and early 2000s is just one big acid trip.

Nice video! I was born in 1999 so I missed all the Mr Blobby-ness but I remember the park fairly well. I visited it a lot in the early 2000s, but even then it was very run down and very very empty. There were very few animals and the (mossy and rusty) zebra train only ran about 5 times a day. The line of shops was opposite the station I think, and I have vague memories that things in Dun Blobbin (like the dog at 4:12) were put in the shop windows. I talked to my mum about it, and she said it was always unkempt and dirty, even in the 80s and 90s.

My kids use to love Mr Blobby I remember buying them the VHS tape as well, really was a popular figure at the time but like a lot of other popular figures they burn bright and then fade away,,,,,,,,,,,,,Really interesting video.

This may win the award for the strangest theming choice for a Theme Park ever, I swear Mr Blobby is just some British joke you guys pull on everyone else around the World! Great video as always though!

US viewer here, I listen to these podcast style but sometimes watch when I get a second. When you said Noddy was a timeless classic vs Mr Blobby I was curious about what could make such a big difference. Well, it really took one look and I can see why the contrast is insane.

3:15 "for some reason". That's the moment I realised this kid wasn't around in the 90's. Mr Bobby was huge! I had Mr Blobby's CD and my now wife went to Bobby land as a child. You had to be there man!

The 90's were a hell of a drug.

I admit to liking Mr Blobby when I was a kid... I honestly forgot both he and Noddy existed until I was reminded about them by this video...

I'm from the US so I neither knew of the characters nor the park. So coming from a complete outsiders point of view I'll say it was still a facinating video! I grew up in Atlanta Georgia & in the late 70s there was an indoor theme park downtown baises on the Side & Marty Croft shows of the era. (Land of the Lost, H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund & the Sea Monsters, etc) I don't think I ever was there, but I'd have been too young to remember. But the site still exists & it's the world headquarters for CNN I believe. The long escalator that was the entrance to the park is still there

That brings back memories, went 3 times as it’s not far from my home my daughter was three at the time and loved it! Such a great day out it was such a shame to see it close, saw Mr Blobby! , Noel Edmunds and two actors from the Bill tv series, such great fun and lots of happy memories.

It's the kind of thing that even now at nearly 40, I'd have happily enjoyed seeing. Maybe not specifically Mr Blobby because well he's kind of creepy, but the idea is always appealing. Noddy was something I got to see over here as well and enjoyed reading old Noddy books in the library so that part would have really been woot to me. It's just sad that places like this regardless of whether popularity of the character wanes, don't seem to be what people care about anymore even when they say oh it was great as a kid.

I heard about how creepy Mr.Blobby is.

Noel Edmonds used to live near me in Preston St. Mary and he called his house Dingley Dell and used to visit Lavenham often.

Cricket St Thomas was a lovely place to visit before Crinkley Bottom arrived.

Wow. RU-vid recommended me this video and i am absolutely in love! Its always nice to see people who do their research and arent clickbait. You had my subscription 5 minutes in xD But seriously! Amazing video!

Wow, I thought the US’s love of Barney was ludicrous! Between Mr Blobby and the freaking Teletubbies...you guys must LOVE you some LSD!

So nice to hear more into the history of the place and what's been going on over the years, I looked up about the place about 2 years ago but nothing like this so I really appreciate the work you put into this! I went here as a kid on quite a few occasions, it looks bad today but as a kid in the 90's it was awesome and I have fond memories of it still to this day, those where the good old days. Thank you once again!

Blobbyland was what started my fascination with abandoned places!! I saw a video of it in 2013, and ever since then i’ve loved abandoned exploration, and even explore places myself.

I have very faint memories of being there as a small child. The house at 3:51 I recognised immediately on the thumbnail. I remember my brother was too scared to go in for some reason. I remember going on the train as well but that's all I can recall. I was very young like younger than 5 I think.

I love your channel. You tell me about stuff I had no idea about. I want to find episodes of this show it looks odd to say the least. But I want to see what was all the fuss was about. Thank you!!!

Basically it became irrelevant when Mr Blobby disappeared from TV. Some character-based theme parks become irrelevant. Other interesting losses are Windsor Safari Park (now Legoland) and Tucktonia (giant model village) in Christchurch, Dorset which I saw when it opened in about 1975. I did enjoy finding out recently in Tom Scott's video on "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" that a Scottish variant was "Mr Blobby - Did a jobby - On the motorway ..." - the mind boggles.

I visited as a child, my grandparents stopped there on our way to butlins Minehead in summerset. This video has given me me a huge nostalgia episode, thank you so much for covering this.

Great videos - love them so much! Got any plans for Oakwood Park in Wales? Or perhaps Flambards in cornwall?

3:28 I think that song just became the background music to my nightmares.

I went to Cricket when To the Manor Born was popular (before Blobby) as I really wanted to see Grantley Manor. So begged my Dad to take me. It was beautiful. All of it, the estate the house, everything. Then Noel got hold of it and it has been down hill ever since. Noel started it's downfall. Warner Holidays finished it.

This video reminded me how much I used to enjoy Noddy as a kid. Great nostalgia! I had never heard of Mr. Blobby before but he kind of reminds me of Polkaroo. Its weird that he got a whole theme park.

I had never heard of Mr Blobby until recently and I just can't get enough of him. I love him 'cause he's so weird. I can't be the only one.

DUNBLOBBIN

I remember seeing Philip schofield getting a gotcha from Noel Edmonds at the radio 1 road show in Cleethorpes. Noels house party was a stable Saturday night viewing through its entire run

Iv been there, got pictures taken in Mr blobbys house I loved it!!! One of my fav childhood holiday memorys!

Great videos, really enjoying your channel. I'd love to see you do the history of blackgang chine on the isle of Wight, such an old park with so many abandoned features due to landslides over the years.

Everytime I hear about Mr Blobby, everyone points out how no one knows how or why he became popular. Like he was some eldrich god that Dr. Who defeated

My dad got free family entry because cricket's st thomas owned the dairy he was a milkman for. This video brought back some memories

I loved Mr blobby and I remember pleasurewood Hills doing a theme area for him I still remember it

Cool video and a great insight in British culture: Loved it!!

I live in chard. Can confirm nothing fun is left inside the grounds. Just a fancy hotel.

I'd only ever heard the Mr Blobby song before and had no idea that there was even a TV show, never mind a theme park. Cool video.

7:29 I've Used To Love Watching Noddy's Toyland Adventures On BBC Television When I Was A Kid And Since Then I Was A Huge Noddy Fan Along With Pingu. Thanks Expedition Theme Park Mate. X

I remember going here. my sister banged on Mr blobbys house window, and then baby blobby started crying. strange place. always remember how odd the train was, becuse it looked like a house

if you can could you do a expedition extinct on a children’s theme park located in devon called once upon a time? 😍 it’s sadly been closed for years now and they’ve built houses where the park used to be. it was built around an old railway station. i would love to see a video about it!

lol I stayed here . Owner’s son invited me on holiday, the park was eerie but animals were still there. Their manor and hunting lands were beautiful. I was freezing during the Christmas holiday . South Florida girl and frozen but it was a wonderful trip. That park would have made a great horror movie I think.

Thanks for doing this video- I was born in 1990 and I always wanted to go and since stories emerged about it's fate, I wondered what it was like in it's heyday.

4:13 Just some random ghost feet next to the dog.

I remember Hulk Hogan threatening mr blobby as the Hulkster had a single coming out at the same time

Aw yeah! Expedition Theme Park uploaded, today is gonna be a great day!

Excellent video, made me want to look up more pictures of Mr. Blobby lol!

This is such a sad story

(From a US viewer who knows little of this “Mr. Blobby”...) Wow... you guys *really* liked Ecstacy in the ‘90s, didn’t ya? Like... a *lot*.

Mr blobby looks like the things nightmares are made of

Noel's House Party was one of Britain's best live tv-shows ever. Great tongue-in-cheek entertainment value.

Remember when some guy twatted blobby and people cheered

I was going to make a comment about how weird that show looked but I watched bear in the big blue house so I think I’ll shut up.

What people don’t understand is that Blobby had much more depth as a character than people give him credit for. He did some really deep analysis on modern culture in the 90s and there’s a real spectrum of satire in some of his work. I think he’s been credited in a lot of post 90s philosophical work.

I went here when I was little. I’d totally forgotten about it til I saw this!

...and Noel Edmonds is located 200km away from sanity.

So this was basically Disneyland but for BBC TV shows.

I loved me blobby and was in this park in 1994 looking at photos I have of me with blobby face painting, teddy and balloon, brings a tear to my eye seeing anything rot like this 😕 still I have lovely memories and photos here with my parents 🫶 thanks for sharing this

Love these videos so much

I always wondered how this presenter was able to use a program on BBC (ie paid for by the license fees plus gov subsidy) to spin off a commercial enterprise like this. Answers on a postcard, please.

9:55 Mr Blobby touch me here pmsl, who said graffiti wasn't funny

I remember really enjoying house party as a kid but also remember being utterly freaked out by blobby. Not much has changed, he gives me the heebie jeebies 😂

I love your channel because you cover parks I've never heard of or seen anyone cover. Thank you for the interesting stuff!