IT'S highly unlikely that Margaret Thatcher would have accepted a ride on the Corkscrew when she called at Alton Towers during her election campaign in 1987.

As one of the pack of journalists who followed the Prime Minister that day, I can tell you that she declined John Broome's offer of a ride on the Grand Canyon Rapids and opted for the cable car instead.

Before the visit, Mark Fisher rather uncharitably expressed the hope that Mrs T would go down the Black Hole and stay there.

I have an interest in the demise of the Corkscrew, as I was probably the first journalist to see the plans. Mr Broome granted me this privilege as we sat in his makeshift office at the Towers one night in the late 1970s.

It was the first time I'd heard the phrase 'theme park' on this side of the Atlantic. John Broome liked American ideas, even if he looked and sounded like a cultured English gent.

He gave further evidence of his combative style by recording every word of our radio interview on his own big tape machine, which was clearly visible.

Broome had taken charge at Alton only a couple of years earlier after lining himself up for the job by marrying into the owner's family.

However, he was already talking enthusiastically about turning the place into "the stately home that's anything but stately", an expression which to be honest made me cringe.

I didn't tell Mr Broome, but I didn't fancy the idea of Alton Towers being turned into a pleasure-dome. Even so, it was already a big attraction and had been for many years. In the 1960s crowds of 30,000 turned up on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend.

But there was nothing vulgar about the place. There were fairground rides and some motorbike racing. But I'm sure the great majority went there to enjoy the beautiful gardens.

However, if anyone had predicted in the early 1950s that Alton Towers was destined to become the biggest tourist attraction in Britain, I should have laughed it off as a joke.

At that time Alton was still known as the Rhineland of Staffordshire, harking back to the time when the Earls of Shrewsbury welcomed visitors to their stately home.

This reminds me of a tale from the early 1900s when one visitor wore out his welcome, at least with the Countess. This was no other than King Edward VII, a chum of the Earl.

The playboy monarch was in the habit of using the Towers as a stopping-over place, not with his Queen but with girlfriends. On one occasion the Countess turned the king and his floozie away.

John Broome never turned royalty away from Alton Towers. He even persuaded them to take part in It's A Knockout.