Blackpool Pleasure Beach lived in London where Leonard worked at a Swedish Match Company, however upon hearing of Bean's death the couple returned to Blackpool, where decisions regarding the future running of the Pleasure Beach were in discussion. Leonard up until that point had not had any active involvement with the Pleasure Beach whatsoever, however on a mutual agreement with his wife it was agreed that Thompson would take over the running of the Pleasure Beach and have full responsibility of all its affairs. His first move was to appoint Oscar Haworth as the General Manager and George Palmer as Chairman of the
Pleasure Beach Bridge timbers creaking and shifting under the weight of passing cars. Prior to the bridge's construction, Pleasure Island was accessible only by ferry. In 1907, the Pleasure Beach Ferry Company was given the rights to build a movable toll bridge. A series of trestles were built across the tidal flats with a swing span across the dredged channel. The swing span was constructed in 1927, but in the Great Depression the Beach Ferry Company transferred control of the bridge to the city of Bridgeport. The tolls were removed and the bridge continued to be used after Pleasure Beach's closing in 1968,