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
Roller Coaster (Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach) the second tallest and second fastest wooden roller coaster in the UK. It is a Grade II listed building. In 1929 Pat Collins, the owner of Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, attended the Paris Colonial Exposition where the largest attraction was a scenic railway. The Scenic Railway had been designed by German Herr Erich Heidrich of Hamburg especially for the Exposition (Heidrich was a scenic railway designer, having the previous year designed and built Montaña Suiza at a Spanish amusement park), and was operated at the Exposition by showman Hugo Hans. At the close of the Exposition, Pat Collins bought the