SLIDESHOW: VIPs take 70ft plunge from new Lancaster bungee tower

Europe's first ever '˜flight tower' opened in SAS style with a daredevil test run by stars of a TV reality show, schoolchildren, a councillor, the mayor and an MP.
Photo Neil Cross
Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic CollegePhoto Neil Cross
Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic College
Photo Neil Cross Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic College

The intrepid group took on the scary 70ft high free fall, bungee jump and zip wire structure at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre and lived to tell the tale!

Presenters of the Channel 4 show Who Dares Wins, Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox and Matthew ‘Ollie’ Ollerton, did a gravity-defying demonstration attended by pupils from Our Lady’s Catholic College in Lancaster.

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Then VIPs including Cat Smith, MP for Lancaster, Robert Redfern, mayor of Lancaster, and councillor Darren Clifford, took the plunge.

Photo Neil Cross
Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic CollegePhoto Neil Cross
Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic College
Photo Neil Cross Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic College

Coun Clifford, who is scared of heights, had pledged to do a ‘Daring Drop’ from the top of the tower, attached to a rope and safety harness, for charity.

And he conquered his fears by doing just that, to a huge round of applause from onlookers at a wet and windy Salt Ayre.

Coun Clifford, who chairs Morecambe Town Council and is also on both Lancaster City and Lancashire County councils, did the drop to raise funds for this year’s mayoral charity – the development of a diabetes hub in Lancaster – and as a veteran of the armed forces, the veterans mental health charity Combat Stress.

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“That was really frightening, I was genuinely shaking at the top of that,” he said afterwards.

Photo Neil Cross
Councillor Darren Clifford, who is afraid of heights at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, LancasterPhoto Neil Cross
Councillor Darren Clifford, who is afraid of heights at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster
Photo Neil Cross Councillor Darren Clifford, who is afraid of heights at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster

Ms Smith also had a go, opting to drop from the lower platform halfway up the tower.

“I’ve learned something, I’m really scared of heights!” she said afterwards.

“I might have done the smallest one but I’ve done it and I can tick it off and don’t need to do it ever again!”

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Gravity is now open to the public and is part of a £5m upgrade of Salt Ayre by owners Lancaster City Council with partners Alliance Leisure. The attraction was built by Hangfast.

Photo Neil Cross
Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic CollegePhoto Neil Cross
Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic College
Photo Neil Cross Who Dares Wins SAS TV presenters Foxy and Ollie at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster, with pupils from Our Lady's Catholic College

The 90 minute Gravity experience is suitable for all the family (seven years +) and no prior climbing experience is needed as our dedicated team will be on hand to show you the ropes.

Options include:

Leap of faith (6 metres high)

Speed Zip Wire (12 metres high)

Photo Neil Cross
Councillor Darren Clifford, who is afraid of heights at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, LancasterPhoto Neil Cross
Councillor Darren Clifford, who is afraid of heights at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster
Photo Neil Cross Councillor Darren Clifford, who is afraid of heights at the new Gravity bungee tower at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, Lancaster

Superhero Zip Wire (12 metres high)

The Fall (12 metres high)

The Plummet (12 metres high; 3m free fall)

The Drop - 7m flightline (19.5 metres high; 7m free fall) or 3m flightline (19.5 metres high, 3m free fall)

Sessions cost £12.50 for juniors (7-17) and £15 for adults (18 years and over).

See our Facebook page for videos of Monday’s Daring Drops by Cat Smith and Coun Darren Clifford.