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Merlin Entertainments Group
Merlin Entertainments Limited is a global entertainment company based in London, England, which operates a number of theme park resorts and other visitor attractions. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until November 2019, when it was acquired by a consortium that includes Kirkbi A/S (the investment arm of the Kristiansen family, which controls the Lego Group). History In December 1998, Nick Varney, Andrew Carr and the senior management team of Vardon Attractions (Vardon plc) completed a management buyout of the company to form Merlin Entertainments Group Ltd., with the backing of the private equity firm Apax Partners. Apax sold the company in 2004 to another financial investor, Hermes Private Equity. In May 2005, the company was acquired from Hermes by a division of The Blackstone Group, which later started a major expansion. Between 2005-2010, Merlin acquired the Legoland parks, Gardaland, The Tussauds Group, Cypress Gardens, and various attractions from Villag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merlin Entertainments 2013
The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Research and Innovation. The array consists of up to seven radio telescopes and includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, Mark II, Cambridge, Defford in Worcestershire, Knockin in Shropshire, and Darnhall and Pickmere (previously known as Tabley) in Cheshire. The longest baseline is therefore 217 km and MERLIN can operate at frequencies between 151 MHz and 24 GHz. At a wavelength of 6 cm (5 GHz frequency), MERLIN has a resolution of 40 milliarcseconds which is comparable to that of the HST at optical wavelengths. Some of the telescopes are occasionally used for European VLBI Network (EVN) and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations in order to create an interferometer with even larger baselines, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Blackstone Group
Blackstone Inc. is an American alternative investment management company based in New York City. It was founded in 1985 as a mergers and acquisitions firm by Peter G. Peterson, Peter Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman, Stephen Schwarzman, who had previously worked together at Lehman Brothers. Blackstone's private equity business has been one of the largest investors in leveraged buyouts in the last three decades, while its real estate business has actively acquired commercial real estate across the globe. Blackstone is also active in credit, infrastructure, hedge funds, secondaries, growth equity, and insurance solutions. As of May 2024, Blackstone has more than $1 trillion in total assets under management, making it the world's largest alternative investment firm. History Founding and early history Blackstone was founded in 1985 by Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman with (equivalent to $million in ) in Seed money, seed capital. The founders derived their firm's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Legoland
Legoland (, trademarked in uppercase as LEGOLAND) is a chain of family amusement parks focusing on the Lego building toy brand. They are owned and operated by the British theme park company Merlin Entertainments, which shares a common owner ( Kirkbi A/S) with the Lego Group. The Legoland Billund Resort opened in Billund, Denmark, in 1968, followed by the Legoland Windsor Resort in Windsor, United Kingdom, in 1996. Further parks opened in Germany, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), the United States (California, Florida, and New York), and a Legoland Water Park at Gardaland in Castelnuovo del Garda, Italy throughout the 21st century. Parks in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Shenzhen} are currently under construction. Attractions The parks are marketed to families with children between ages 2–12, and most attractions are geared towards younger children. Attractions consist primarily of outdoor flat rides, dark rides, interactive pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Winter Haven, Florida
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is located about east of Tampa, Florida, Tampa and about southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, with neighboring Lakeland, Florida, Lakeland located to its west. The city's population was 49,219 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second most populous city in Polk County after Lakeland. It is a principal city of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Pre-history The Timucua and the Calusa were the earliest known inhabitants of the Winter Haven area. Both of these groups were deeply affected by war and disease from the Spanish conquest of Florida in the early 1500s. The Timucua were particularly affected by the expedition of Hernando de Soto. By the 19th century, both these groups no longer existed. During these expeditions the Spanish explorers claimed the entire peninsula of Florida for the Spanish monarchy. In the 19th century the Muscogee (Creek), Cre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nick Leslau
Nick Leslau (born 18 August 1959) is an English commercial property investor, with an estimated net worth of £400 million. Leslau is chairman and chief executive of Prestbury Investment Holdings Limited, and chairman of Prestbury Investments LLP. He is a 30 percent shareholder in Prestbury's AIM listed Secure Income REIT, which owns tourist attraction venues such as Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle, and Alton Towers on a long-term lease to Merlin Entertainments. Secure Income REIT also owns 20 private hospitals and 55 Travelodge hotels in the UK. Early life The son of a jeweller and part-time art historian, his parents divorced when he was nine. His mother subsequently worked full-time so that Leslau could be educated at a preparatory school in Hampstead, and at Mill Hill School. Leslau left the University of Warwick where he was studying German, to study quantity surveying. Career After meeting Sam Rosen, Leslau joined the ground rent company of commodities tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William I of England, William the Conqueror during 1068. Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England, situated on a meander of the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. The original wooden motte-and-bailey castle was rebuilt in stone during the 12th century. During the Hundred Years War, the facade opposite the town was refortified, resulting in one of the most recognisable examples of 14th-century military architecture. It was used as a stronghold until the early 17th century, when it was granted to Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, Sir Fulke Greville by James VI and I, James I in 1604. Greville converted it to a country house, and it was owned by the Greville family (who became Earl of Warwick, Earls of Warwick in 1759) until 1978, when it was bought by the Tussauds Group. In 2007, the Tussauds Group was purchased by the Blackstone Inc., Blackstone Group, which merged it with Merlin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park, formerly also known as Thorpe Park Resort, is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and includes rides, themed cabins, live events and '' Hyperia'', the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster at over 236ft and 129kmph, it also includes Europe's tallest element and the worlds first outer banked airtime hill. In 2019, Thorpe Park was the UK's third most visited theme park (1.9 million visitors), behind Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor. After demolition of the Thorpe Park Estate in the 1930s, the site became a gravel pit, but in the early 1970s part of that gravel pit was flooded, creating a unique water-based environment for the park, with the intention of building a leisure attraction on it. Thorpe Park resort was built on that site in 1979, and being partially flooded it allowed visitors to view Thorp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often shortened to Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton, Staffordshire, Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments, Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, Miniature golf, mini golf and Hotel, hotel complex. Originally a private estate of the Earl of Shrewsbury, Earls of Shrewsbury, Alton Towers' grounds were opened to the public in 1860 to raise funds. In the 1970s, a few rides were added and some of the themed areas were developed. Inspired by Disneyland, it was transformed into a theme park in 1980 with the installation of its first roller coaster and several new rides. The park has many attractions such as Congo River Rapids (Alton Towers), Congo River Rapids, Nemesis Reborn, The Smiler and Wicker Man (roller coaster), Wicker Man. It operates a total of ten roller coasters and offers a range of accommodation and lodging options alongside the theme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dubai International Capital
Dubai International Capital (DIC) is the international investment arm of Dubai Holding, a global conglomerate and sovereign wealth fund of the government of Dubai and its House of Maktoum, ruling family. DIC invests private funds on behalf of Dubai Holding and several large third-party investors around the world with a mandate to build a portfolio of internationally diversified assets. DIC, which was founded in 2004, invests in stock, public and private equity through three divisions: *Private Equity: Invests in mid-cap companies in Europe and North America with a focus on secondary buy-outs that include Travelodge, Merlin Entertainments, Doncasters, Mauser, Alliance Medical and Almatis. *Emerging Markets: Manages a broad investment program across the Middle East and North Africa region, including LBOs, funds and co-investments, infrastructure, growth and development capital *Public Equities: Focused on investment in Fortune 500 companies through its DFSA regulated US$1.5 b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in London in 1835 by the French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. One of the early main attractions was the Chamber of Horrors, which appeared in advertising in 1843. In 1883, the restricted space of the original Baker Street site prompted Tussaud's grandson (Joseph Randall) to commission the building at its current London location on Marylebone Road. The new exhibition galleries were opened on 14 July 1884 and were a great success. Madame Tussaud & Sons was incorporated as a private limited company (Ltd.) in 1889. A major tourist attraction in London since the Victorian era, Madame Tussauds displays the waxworks of famous and historical figures, as well as popular film and television characters played by famous actors. Operated by the British entertainment company Merlin Entertainments, the museum now has locations in cities across four continents, with the first overseas branch opening in Amsterdam in 1970. History Background ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land border, as well as List of islands of Italy, nearly 800 islands, notably Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares land borders with France to the west; Switzerland and Austria to the north; Slovenia to the east; and the two enclaves of Vatican City and San Marino. It is the List of European countries by area, tenth-largest country in Europe by area, covering , and the third-most populous member state of the European Union, with nearly 59 million inhabitants. Italy's capital and List of cities in Italy, largest city is Rome; other major cities include Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, and Venice. The history of Italy goes back to numerous List of ancient peoples of Italy, Italic peoples—notably including the ancient Romans, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Village Roadshow Theme Parks
Village Roadshow Theme Parks is a division of Village Roadshow Limited which operates theme parks and attractions in Australia. The Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd was formerly part of Village Roadshow Theme Parks; however, it was sold in 2011 to Merlin Entertainments. History In 1989, the publicly listed Sea World Property Trust who owned its namesake theme park coordinated a three-way venture to acquire Wet'n'Wild Water World from the Herringe Group of Companies and build the adjacent Warner Bros. Movie World theme park. The two other companies involved in the venture were American multinational media corporation Time Warner and fellow publicly listed Australian firm Village Roadshow Limited. The joint venture known as Warner Village Theme Parks was led by Chief Executive Officer John Menzies. Prior to the formation of the company, Menzies was Managing Director of Sea World. In 1992, Pivot Leisure sold its two-thirds stake of the Sea World Property Trust to AOL Time W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
