Rory Holburn has it all worked out if he’s ever able to take control of the weather.

He said: “I’d like to start the day with sunshine to bring everyone out.

“Then some cloud and, perhaps, a rain shower around lunchtime to bring people in.

“I’d be very happy with that.”

Then again, as the operator of two of Bournemouth’s most popular indoor and outdoor attractions – RockReef and PierZip as well as Key West Bar & Grill – he does have something of a vested interest.

This year marks Rory’s 21^st anniversary with Openwide International Ltd.

The company, founded in 1992, has a 25-year licence to operate Bournemouth Pier.

The Eugenius Birch-designed iron pier is one of just 48 remaining in England, including four in Dorset (Bournemouth, Boscombe, Swanage and Weymouth).

It opened in 1880 at a cost of £21,600 and, after later extensions, stretches to 1,000 feet.

Openwide, which also operates Cromer Pier in Norfolk, took over operation of the pier in 2006 and has since invested more than £1.5m.

RockReef, an all-weather indoor attraction housed in what was once the Pier Theatre, was launched in 2014.

It includes 28 Clip ’n Climb themed, indoor climbing walls offering varying degrees of challenges and suitable for all abilities and ages from four to 94.

Other activities include a Vertical Slide drop, a ‘Leap of Faith’ jumping challenge, a HighLine high ropes aerial obstacle course and the Pier Cave, a 65-linear metre indoor fun cave experience.

Meanwhile the PierZip is the world’s first pier to shore zip wire, with a 250 metre dual zip wire.

Also opened in 2014, thrill-seekers launch from the Zip Tower platform 25 metres above the sea and then ‘zip surf’ over the top of the waves to land on the beach.

Last month Josie Gibson, from ITV’s This Morning, became the latest celebrity to try the attraction.

And in 2015, Mark Williams rode down the zip wire, dressed in a tuxedo, to propose to his girlfriend, Julie Power, on the beach.

PierZip, in particular, has proved highly popular, paying back its initial investment within 18 months.

With a peak summer price from July 18 to September 2 of £22 for a single rider (£40 for dual riders and £66 family and friends up to four people), up to 60 people an hour have used the attraction.

The charges are based on walk-in prices with cheaper tickets available for pre-bookings and other times of the year.

Rory, who became a Director of Openwide International in 2009 – the majority shareholder and Managing Director is Steve Cutbush – said the past 15 months had been something of a high-wire act in itself.

He said: “The first lockdown was a case of mild panic, in common with everyone else.

“No-one had a clue as, overnight, everything closed down.

“But we all worked together to get through it and actually managed to pull things back after a strong summer.

“Without doubt the VAT cut helped a lot.

“Now we’re looking to get capacity back up again as restrictions ease.

“Key West Bar & Grill has a packed programme of live music and also themed theatrical events such as a ‘Faulty Towers’ dinner show and ‘Sheerluck Holmes’ murder mystery dinner.

“Things are beginning to get back to some kind of normality.”

Rory, 60, also acts as a consultant on tourism projects across the world including the USA and Middle East.

Before joining Openwide he spent ten years at Chessington World of Adventures.

As Divisional Director of Operations he was responsible for all operations and trading within the theme park.

It included overseeing 20 ride attractions, 16 catering units, 12 retail units, six amusement operations and four franchise businesses.

He said: “I just love the business.

“It’s the thrill of delighting an audience and creating memories which can last a lifetime.

“I don’t think there’s anything to beat it.”