Dreamland Margate Open Day (part 1)

[Doc]

As some of you may or may not know, today, the Derelict Dreamland site in Margate opened up to the public for the first time since 2006. The day offered people the chance to "take back Dreamland". This involved an inside look of the site as it stands now, proposals for its future as a Heritage Amusement Park as well as giving the community the chance to get involved with clearing the site for a 2015 opening.

(I actually took so many pictures that even after shortening them down, the update is still too large. For that reason, I will split it into 2-3 sections.. Note that most of the pictures are of me touring the derelict site.)

Having just disappeared into town for a Greg's muffin, I actually had to hurry back to the site to ensure I wasn't late for the 12.00 opening. We were informed to wait in the car park area beside the Scenic Railway where we would then be lead into the park. Crowds started small but within minutes I could easily say there were a few hundred there.

Thankfully the weather was sunny and surprisingly hot so raincoats and umbrellas were not required.

After the crowds had gathered, TDC leader Clive Hart welcomed everyone to the big event, informing them of the project and how beneficial it will be to see Dreamland reinstated as a major tourist attraction in Thanet.

Nick Laister, Chairman of the Dreamland Trust then made a speech, explaining briefly the plans to develop the site into the world's first 'Heritage Amusement Park'.

A countdown then sounded the opening of Dreamland as the ribbon was cut.

Due to the amount of people waiting to get in, there was actually a limit on how many people could enter the site at once (H&S and all that). I believe it took an extra five minutes but finally we were given access . (However not before some guy on a megaphone managed to almost deafen us by instructing everyone to go back)

As the site has decayed rapidly since its official closure in 2006, many areas were still off limits. This included this little area around the cinema/arcade entrance. Despite this, I still managed to get some neat shots.

A better view of the boarded up Grade II* listed cinema building and related buildings.

I was actually surprised to see how many people had turned up to see inside the park and find out about the new plans for Dreamland. Minus the occasional moment, the place seemed consistently busy for the four hours I was there for.

Due to H&S, we were not permitted beyond a makeshift fence. Thankfully it was a low one and allowed me to take this image of the derelict site. I had tons more but had to limit the amount I uploaded.

The back of the partially destroyed Scenic Railway. Many various stalls were set up in this area and had many of the key people involved with the project wandering around and readily willing to talk to you.

Hemmingway proposals for the Heritage Amusement Park were also on show. People were free to look through the plans and see the features that will make up the park. I know a teacup cafe and vintage arcade games are two proposals on offer.

Concept art for the new park.

A closer look at one of the proposals.

Another picture of the Scenic Railway and derelict site.

I think I will leave it there for part 1. Hopefully I can post the second piece sometime tomorrow morning.

(Apologizes about the quality of certain photos. In some cases the sun was so bright I was literally taking pictures at random, hoping for the best. As I used both flickr and photobucket to upload these pictures, you will notice a size difference in the final part of the trip report).

Over and out!

[pluk]

Love it.

Amazing how dilapidated it can look after just a few years, let me at the place with a pressure washer.

[Inferno]

Thanks for sharing this!

Makes me happy that it was so well supported.

[Doc]

Pluk:Thanks Pluk! It is crazy how much the place has collapsed. Other the general weeds and debris, many of the buildings seemed trashed, with floors and ceilings ripped off in places. Was hard to tell if this was the result of repairs/surveys or the work of the former owners who seemed to enjoying stripping the site of all things valuable before they were forced to leave.

Inferno: Thank you Inferno. According to official news articles, over 2000 people were in attendance. It was great to see the public support!

Part 2 is here!

As the day went on, I couldn't help notice the crowds getting bigger. It actually got a little too crowded at one point and ended up squeezing past some photographers much to their annoyance...


One thing I thought was particularly cool was all the scale models of rides built at Dreamland in the latter half of the 20th century. I believe they were all made by Mick Tomlinson who used to work at the park in the 70s.


The Skywheels were once a popular attraction at Dreamland and are shown here in this scale model.


A model of the original River Caves. This classic left the park in the 80s and much of the original site now houses apartment block/flats.


Another classic was the Tumble Bug. This left Dreamland at a similar time. Pleasure Beach had an identical but it was scrapped when Amanda took over the park.



Two of the former BPB Whip cars were out today and allowed the public to sit in them for a unique photo opportunity.
This ride is earmarked for phase one restoration.


I have to say, what I liked the most was how the organisers managed to engage the community. As well as an area to sign up as a volunteer for the "Big Clear Day", there was also a stall in which you could plant a seed, take it home and return it next year when they begin landscaping the park. Little ideas like this give the community direct involvement.

There was even a wall which allowed the public to write messages of goodluck.


Parts of what looked like the Corbiere Wheel seemed to be stored near the Scenic Railway entrance.


A quick peek inside the arcade/cafe located within the Scenic Railway. I couldn't help notice the mass of weeds and moss that dominated alot of the once carpeted floor. To my understanding, this cafe will be removed when the Scenic undergoes restoration.

People taking pictures from underneath the Scenic.


I couldn't resist.

Part three will be posted shortly and will feature pictures from the derelict west side of Dreamland.

LG95

[Matt 236]

Looking at the pictures makes it show how exciting and hopeful this project is going to be, not just bringing (back) another amusement to the uk but also holding a selection of classic rides too.

However seeing how run down it looks (which isnt surprising in the time of 7 years) is rather saddening to see and I hope they can successfully rebuild & restore the scenic and cinema there.

[Doc]

Thanks Matt. The good thing about this project is they have an enthusiastic and dedicated team behind them, all who genuinely want Dreamland to succeed. In my opinion this is much better than getting some half arsed job by some company with no real vision. Just a pity how run down the place looks.

Anyway guys, here is the final installment of the Dreamland Open Day. This update focuses on the West Side of the park and its current condition. Any questions, just ask! (Apologies about picture sizes)

After we walked around the stalls half a dozen times we decided to head up to the west side of the park. As part of the open day, vintage cars and motorbikes littered the site, often with people driving them around. I was less interested in this part though it all added to the experience.

While not much was going on at the west side of the park (other than the vintage cars), I couldn't miss taking some close ups. This is clearly the sad remains of the Scenic Railway station. I have to say seeing it like this wasn't easy. It was actually my first rollercoaster.

A host of vintage vehicles parked up on the west side. In the past this area has been home to rides likes the Big Wheel, the Wild Mouse and the Caterpillar. The remains of a gokart track can also be seen on site.

The majority of this area won't be used for phase one of the Dreamland project. Instead it will act as a performance space and overflow car park. Rides will gradually be placed on the area as they become available.

Parts of the historic ride collection lay in this corner of the park. This includes parts of Southport's old wooden wild mouse, River Caves boats and the remaining mechanical parts of the Cableway ride.

Historic rides with menagerie cages and turret in background.

The former buffet/arcade building sits alone on the west side of the park. This building dates back to pre war though now looks worn and dilapidated.

Artistic shot?

Old arcade signage with the original art deco supergraphics peering through from behind. This building has certainly seen better days..

Small bungalow lies near the buffet building. From what I could tell, it seems this building was converted into a toilet block sometime in its history.

The striking art deco cinema fin is one of the key landmarks on Margate seafront.

The building has recently undergone an urgent works notice in an attempt to prevent further decay. Other than the lower level tunnel entrance (seen here), the rest of the building isn't planned for full restoration until phase 2.

Well, I believe that is everything.

Hope you found it all interesting.

Thanks!