Ha ha!! Those aerial flights were for dumping colliery waste onto the beach. The buckets turned upside down to drop the waste from a great height. That would be really "terrifying" for the holidaymakers; even in early days it would be against health and safety regulations. Hopefully at Crimdon it was more like a chair-lift.
I'm beginning to think the same Spelk i.e. that it's a mix up. Although the storyboards are official; not sure if they were erected by Durham County Council, Hartlepool Council or as part of the "Turning the Tide" programme.
Best wishes, Yvonne
