Manager behind Titanic-themed ride at family farm defies criticism from ‘wokes’ who branded it ‘disrespectful’

The manager of a family farm defiantly refused to change the name of his Titanic-themed ride after facing backlash from the ‘woke brigade’.

A slide at Graveley Farm in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, is decorated and themed around the ill-fated ship which sank in 1912.

Despite having been an attraction at the park for multiple years, this summer a number of parents became enraged at the theming of the slides, branding it ‘disrespectful’.

Furious parents compared the Titanic theming to having a ‘Twin Towers ride’, despite the tragedy taking place more than 110 years ago.

Initially wishing to calm the critics, farm manager Will offered to change the name of the popular ride.

However, he was then encouraged by other guests to hold firm and chose not to change it at the behest of a small handful of people.

He pointed out that there are no living survivors of the tragedy and very few children of survivors and referred to the Titanic immersive exhibition, which opened in London last year.

The farm opened in 1981 and offers fruit-picking in summer as well as crazy golf, a playground and water slides for children.

The farm has vowed not to appease the ‘woke brigade’ and has decided against changing the ride’s name

Tickets for the slide at the farm are given out as boarding passes, with each ride called a ‘wreck’

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The ride lifts up into the air, providing four slides for children at the attraction

For £2-a-turn, children can hop on board the replica ship, which then lifts its bow into the air, creating four slides.  

Tickets are handed out in the form of boarding passes to the fateful 1912 ship, with each ride referred to as a ‘wreck’. 

Criticism began to emerge on Graveley Farm’s Facebook page, with parents describing the attraction as ‘sickening’.

Andy Taylor wrote: ‘I’m sorry, but this is one of the most distasteful, disrespectful and strange attractions for children.

‘I cannot believe that you have created a game and ride based on such a tragedy.

‘The Titanic is infamous for sinking, causing the deaths of 1,500 people of which 60 were children. This is sickening and anybody who doesn’t see an issue with this clearly has no sense of morality.’ 

Claire Borchers added: ‘So odd to have a children’s ride themed around one of the worst tragedies in history.

‘Why is it named Titanic? Strange bunch of people who not only enjoy, but endorse this. 

‘A simple change to the name or colour of this ship would make it far less offensive and more appropriate as a children’s ride. 

‘There wouldn’t be a ride focused around the twin towers or other historical tragedies, so why is this acceptable? Very very odd 

‘Certainly won’t be visiting whilst it is there and will urge others not to as well.’

In response to the backlash, the farm was forced to apologise and at first promised to change the name. 

They wrote: ‘We are absolutely making no joke about it at all.’

However, farm manager Will later had a change of heart and vowed to ignore the ‘woke brigade’ and keep the name.

He said: ‘We did get some criticism at first, and we did change the name. 

‘However we then got considerably more people telling us not to give in to the “Wokes”, so we changed it back. 

‘We get around five hundred people a day using it, and as far as I’m aware it has offended only a handful of people.

‘Titanic has become almost a byword in the English language. There are no survivors, or for that matter, children of survivors alive today.

‘I would like to think if we could talk to the ghosts of the people who drowned over a hundred years ago when the ship went down, that if they knew that there was a children’s slide made in their memory that gives a lot of pleasure to so many people, then it would be met with a kindly smile.

‘There is a full immersive experience in London and this was put up after our ride. 

‘Everyone loves the slide and we honestly got far more backlash for changing the name than we did when we had it as Titanic. This is why we changed the name back to Titanic and have had it ever since.’