British Open Brass Band Championships", British Open Brass Band Championships, archived from the original on 13 August 2010 , retrieved 21 July 2010 Jennison set out a small amusements area in Belle Vue during the 1870s, which was expanded in the early 20th century to become what was advertised as the "showground of the world". [2] Popular rides included the 60mph (97km/h) Bobs roller coaster and the Scenic Railway. Other entertainments included grand firework displays from 1852 and an annual Christmas circus from 1922. Music and dancing were popular attractions in Belle Vue's various ballrooms. The Kings Hall, opened in 1910, housed the Hallé Orchestra for several years and hosted concerts by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Nat King Cole, The Rolling Stones, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Led Zeppelin.

Sending up the eating habits of North Americans (whose Statue of Liberty brandishes a hamburger) as well as the French predilection for frog-related dishes, the director manages to pay homage to such cultural icons as the guitarist Django Reinhardt and French comic Jacques Tati. The latter, one feels, would have approved of the resourceful way a vacuum cleaner is used to make music. Belle Vue was the first privately financed zoo in England, [28] and grew to become the third-largest in the UK. [29] Jennison's original idea was that the gardens should be primarily a botanical excursion, but it became clear that the public was interested in the animals as an attraction in their own right. The initial collection had consisted of domestic birds and a few exotic parrots, but Jennison probably also acquired those animals that could not be sold after the Manchester Zoological Gardens closed in 1842. [16] By 1856, the Jennisons had added kangaroos, rhinos, lions, bears and gazelles. [30] A young orphan boy, Champion, loves to watch TV, especially broadcasts by a red-hot jazz singing trio, The Triplets of Belleville, who belt out their toe-tapping numbers in the irresistible style of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club de France. Once grown up, Champion is a Tour de France racer but gets kidnapped en route by sinister mafia types; his gran and his fat, lazy dog Bruno come to Champion's rescue enlisting the help of the Triplets themselves, now elderly ladies. When it closed, Belle Vue left a gaping hole in the heart of the region that has never been completely replaced. It gave people a focal point, something to be proud of, a place where they could take their families and be sure of a great day out at a reasonable cost. [1] Belle Vue enjoyed a brief post-war boom between the end of the Second World War and the early 1950s. During the early 1960s, it could still attract 150,000visitors on Easter Monday, but by the end of the decade that figure had dropped to about 30,000, as the competition from rival amusement parks increased. Sir Leslie Joseph and Charles Forte bought Belle Vue in 1956, but by 1963 Forte was in sole control. [3] Although he made some improvements to the zoo, Forte's interests lay in developing the gardens' dining and exhibition facilities. [4] Fire became an "ever present hazard" during Belle Vue's later years. The most devastating occurred in 1958 and destroyed many buildings, including the Coronation Ballroom. [25] Although the zoo was spared, the fire almost reached the lion house, distressing one of the older lionesses so much that she had to be shot. [26] Vandalism and theft also became serious and recurring problems; intruders killed 38 of the zoo's birds, including 9penguins, in 1960. [27] Zoo [ edit ] Cover of the official guidebook for the 1906 seasonIts plot involves the diminutive, club-footed Madame Souza preparing her orphaned grandson, Champion, to be a world-beating cyclist by personally supervising his arduous training regime. The Scottish-based acoustic trio of well-travelled musicians, who combine to produce fresh and exciting music with a broad European repertoire.

Belle Vue is currently home to the National Basketball Performance Centre, headquarters of Basketball England. It the home arena of men's basketball team Manchester Giants, women's basketball team Manchester Mystics, and women's netball team Manchester Thunder. Sporting events became a permanent feature at Belle Vue after an athletics stadium was built in 1887. [85] Greyhound racing [ edit ] Food for the animals became difficult to obtain during the First World War, but for the most part the gardens carried on as usual. Following the declaration of peace, several monkeys originally destined for government experiments with poison gas were acquired, as was a hippo, a dromedary and a zebra. In 1921 and 1922 the zoo obtained two animals who became great favourites. Lil, an Indian elephant, arrived in 1921 accompanied by her British Malayan handler, Phil Fernandez. Phil and Lil provided entertainment, advertising, and elephant rides for 35 years. Frank, a brown bear, arrived in 1922. By the time of his death, 40 years later, he was known as the "Father of the Zoo". [23] a b "Beleville Rendez-vous (2002)". UniFrance. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021 . Retrieved 28 August 2021. The Triplets of Belleville". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014 . Retrieved 19 April 2014.In a humorous post-credits scene, the boatman who rented Souza the pedalo is seen waiting expectantly for his vessel to return.