ONE of Southend’s oldest attractions has reopened after a £150,000 revamp.

Works to refurbish The Crooked House at Adventure Island have now completed and it has reopened to the public.

The vintage amusement is one of the seafront’s oldest attractions as it has been there for about 67 years.

The attraction has undergone previous facelifts and survived disasters – and now park bosses have been working to preserve it for future generations.

Paul Clapp, creative director at Adventure Island, said bosses are continually upgrading and revitalising the attractions throughout the park.

He said: “As part of those ongoing refurbishments we have been planning to refresh The Crooked since 2016 and wanted to follow the theme set by our Adventureville ride.

“The Crooked House’s last revamp was in 2011, so after seven years of welcoming thousands of visitors, we decided to make it brighter with more lights, more cartoony and more appealing to our younger friends, by introducing the Ted family into the house, while retaining the overall layout and character of the attraction.

“We are sure everyone will love the new look.

“The Crooked House is the oldest attraction in Adventure Island and holds great memories for many generations, so we feel we are its custodians.

“At the same time, we want to make it appealing to today’s generation, so it is important that every now and then our heritage rides and attractions are given a makeover to keep their appeal fresh and vibrant.”

He said park representatives have been chatting with visitors, to gauge their reactions, and have been delighted by their comments.

Despite being one of Adventure Island’s oldest attractions, the Crooked House, built in 1953, is still as popular as ever.

It has stood the test of time, surviving the floods of 1953, which took the lives of 120 people in Essex.

Although the flood was not as bad in Southend as on Canvey, Peter Pan’s - now known as Adventure Island - was flooded, as was the Kursaal.

A line on the Crooked House shows how high the water reached. In 2011 the house hit prime time TV after it featured in BBC One drama EastEnders.