The latest
news from the Save Dreamland Campaign:
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Junior Whip appeal
target reached!
|
JUNIOR WHIP
APPEAL - TARGET £632.50
CURRENT TOTAL £720
**TARGET REACHED**
To donate to this appeal to allow us
to move the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Junior Whip to
Dreamland, please click here |
On 13 June, we
announced the acquisition of
the Junior Whip ride from Pleasure Beach Blackpool. We also stated
that we had a shortfall of £632.50 and appealed for contributions
towards this. Two weeks later and the target has been reached.
Chair of The Dreamland Trust, Nick
Laister, states: "I am extremely pleased that we have not only
reached our target but we have done it in the remarkable time of
under two weeks. On behalf of all of the trustees, can I thank
everybody who has made a contribution, however big and small. These
contributions have made this small but important part of our
proposals a reality and we genuinely could not have done it without
you. This also means that we can continue to have the confidence to
search out other similar opportunities knowing that we have such
strong support behind us."
The surplus will be used by the Trust
to fund future ride acquisitions or for other emergency funding
required to deliver the new Dreamland Margate. To view our current
donations total since the Scenic Railway fire last year,
click here.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
|
The Dreamland Trust welcomes new trustees |
| The
trustees of The Dreamland Trust held a meeting in
Margate on Saturday 20 June. The meeting discussed
numerous items, including progress towards incorporation
of the Trust, the grant funding applications and ongoing
engagement with supporters and the local community.
The most important item
on the agenda was to welcome three new trustees to the
Trust: local accountant Andrew Cannon, musician and
artist Neil Sparkes and the UK's leading authority on
cinema architecture, Richard Gray. More details on the
new trustees can be found on our newly updated
Dreamland Trust page.
It is likely that further trustees will be added over
the coming weeks as the Trust prepares itself for
delivering a new Dreamland.
|
 
Above: New trustees
Neil Sparkes (left) and Richard Gray. |
|
Junior Whip now in
storage |
| The
Junior Whip from Pleasure Beach Blackpool is now safely
in the hands of The Dreamland Trust alongside the larger
Whip ride acquired last year, having been removed from
the Pleasure Beach on Monday 22 June.
Nick Laister was at the
Pleasure Beach on the Monday and Susan Marsh supervised
the arrival of the ride in Margate the following day.
Dave Collard managed the unloading of the ride, helped
by Scott Butler.
At the time of writing,
the current appeal for funds to cover the transport
costs of the ride has reached £520, only £112.50 short
of the target. |

Photograph:
themagiceye |
The Isle of Thanet Gazette
reported the Junior Whip acquisition in its 19 June
edition:
Whip-round for
unique ride
Fun park enthusiasts
are being asked to
dig deep to secure
another ride to help
reopen Margate’s
Dreamland as a
heritage centre. The
Junior Whip was a
popular ride at
Blackpool Pleasure
Beach where it
entertained
thrill-seekers until
the end of 2008. It
has earned its place
at the proposed
heritage amusement
park in Margate
because it is the
last one, a waltzer-style
ride for children,
in the UK.
Although money has
changed hands and
the ride will be
moved into storage
at the Dreamland
site on Tuesday, the
Dreamland Trust is
hoping to claw back
transport costs.
Trust chairman Nick
Laister said: “It is
great news that we
will be able to
operate two classic
whip rides at
Dreamland. Campaign
members made it
possible for us to
acquire the world’s
last circular water
chute back in 2007
and we need your
help again.
“Although this
acquisition will now
definitely go ahead
– the trustees will
personally guarantee
the shortfall – we
do now need to
recover the £632.50
to pay the transport
company.
“Any contribution
towards this will be
very gratefully
received.”
The trust will find
out on July 8
whether it has been
successful in its
bid for £4 million
of funding from Sea
Change, a cultural
grant scheme, and in
September an
announcement will be
made on a Heritage
Lottery bid. Seven
other projects are
vying for cash from
Sea Change’s £12
million fund.
If successful, work
on the construction
of the world’s first
heritage amusement
park could begin
later this year.
Plans for the park
include more than 30
rides. The trust
also hopes it can
buy a Ferris wheel
and run cable cars
linking the sands
with the park. If
you would like to
help, see
www.savedreamland.co.uk
or email
sarah@savedreamland.co.uk
Rides at the planned
heritage park
include:
Cableway:
Cars that fly around
on cables and could
take visitors down
to the seafront.
The Whip: An
adult version of the
junior whip, much
like a waltzer.
Water Chute:
Identical to the
chute that operated
at Dreamland between
1977 and 1995.
River Caves:
A leisurely boat
ride round a track
filled with water
which goes inside
buildings filled
with strange
creatures.
The Meteorite:
Strap in and hold
on, this circular
cage lifts people up
through 90 degrees
and spins round
fast.
Funhouse: A
house full of fun,
including moving
stairs and moving
floors.
|
|
Saturday, 13 June 2009
|
Dreamland Trust agrees
acquisition of Blackpool Junior Whip |
|
Following on from its 2008 acquisition of the Whip at
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, The Dreamland Trust is pleased to
announce that it has agreed to acquire the Junior Whip, the
popular Beaver Creek ride that operated at the Pleasure
Beach until the end of the 2008 season. This is the last
surviving completely original junior whip ride in the United
Kingdom. (There is some information on this ride, which has
been known as the Fairy Whip and, more recently, Griffin's
Magic Dragons, on
themagiceye and the
official Pleasure Beach website).
Although terms have been
agreed and the ride will be moved into storage by the Trust
over the next few days, the Trust currently has to find
£632.50. We are therefore formally launching an appeal to
see if we can quickly raise this amount. |

The Junior Whip pictured at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in
2008. Photograph: Nick Laister |
| So
how can we acquire such a rare ride for such a small sum?
It's all thanks to our supporters and colleagues:
- The cost of acquisition from
Blackpool Pleasure Beach has been generously donated by a
Campaign supporter - more news on our benefactor soon!
- The staff at BPB are
helping out by loading the ride onto the lorry for us.
- Transport company
Ainsworth & Martin is moving the ride for us, and are doing
so at a great price.
- Thanet District Council
is helping out with unloading the lorry at its destination.
Dreamland Trust chair, Nick
Laister comments: "It is great news that we will be able to
operate two classic whip rides at Dreamland Margate, now
that we have concluded our discussions with the Pleasure
Beach. Campaign members made it possible for us to acquire
the world's last 'circular' Water Chute back in 2007 and we need your
help again. This acquisition would not have been possible
without the help of one very generous campaign member, plus
the help and support of Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Thanet
District Council. Although this acquisition will now
definitely go ahead - the trustees will personally guarantee
the shortfall - we do now need to recover the £632.50 to
pay the transport company. Any contributions towards this will be
very gratefully received."
Details of how to donate
can be found on our special
donations page. We will regularly update you on the
total raised from this appeal here on the News page.
Dreamland in Amusement Today
The proposed heritage
amusement park has made the news in Amusement Today
magazine, a leading industry journal.
Download article. |
Thursday,
4 June 2009
|
Urban Panel backs
Dreamland |
| As previously reported,
the English Heritage and CABE urban panel,
which visited
Margate in March, has now released its report on the
town and Dreamland has been identified as the single most
important project for the town. The Save Dreamland Campaign
is now exclusively making the report available, which can be
viewed here.
The report starts its coverage of
Dreamland with a summary of the site visit, where Dreamland Trust
chair Nick Laister set out the Trust's vision for Dreamland from the
Arlington Tower looking down on the site. The report states:
"...the stage was set for
Dreamland. As the Panel saw, this site has been reduced, by
the passage of time and the failure of enterprises both
commercial and municipal, to little more than an
opportunity, albeit a great one. |

 |
"The sad state of the closed cinema and the fire damaged
Scenic Railway is exacerbated by the empty car park and
failed shopping at Arlington Square. However, the panel was
very pleased to have the chance to see this all from the air
high on the 19th floor of Arlington House. There the
enthusiastic advocacy of the Dreamland Trust representative
was infectious and convincing and the rather astonishing
(when viewed from ground level) claim that 15 fairground
rides may be accommodated on only half the site, was much
easier to comprehend and believe. The Panel was impressed
that the local authority has both taken steps to protect the
listed structure of the ride and to encourage development
which will build upon the still firmly established image
derived from the impressive peak of activity at Dreamland."
The Panel's conclusions make for very
interesting reading, as they single out Dreamland as the priority
scheme for the town:
"In choosing which of the
many schemes to prioritise, the Panel had no doubts.
Dreamland is blessed with assets of the highest quality and
national importance, a nationally known (remembered) name,
all the space that is needed, a dedicated Trust, with a
collection of historic fairground rides and a vision which
the Panel thought wholly apposite. Accordingly Trust,
Partnership and authority were urged to turn all necessary
attention to the re-emergence of Dreamland."
The Panel also believed
that there is a very good case for funding for the project
and recommended that it moves forward as a matter of
urgency:
"National funding streams
of relevance exist and, although the Panel has no lien on
them, members thought there was very good case for some
funds coming to Margate and being directed to Dreamland...So
the Panel urged that the vision of Dreamland re-opening as
the first and nationally unique heritage fairground be
promoted with urgency and drive and without unnecessary
burdens. Similarly, the Panel saw no merit in delaying the
scheme because the grander development package for the site
(which suddenly looks very dated) cannot now be delivered.
New housing may be a long time coming and yet this need not
hamper successful delivery of new Dreamland. The remainder
of the site can be brought forward, with minimal investment,
as an events space. Panel members envisaged a near future
in which Dreamland is functioning and attracting new
visitors as well as entertaining and pleasing existing
ones. That can be much enhanced by attracting to the new,
large events space circuses, markets, small festivals and so
on, with obvious concomitant benefits. The Panel was also
confident that such a degree of activity would constitute
the critical mass which would provide the context for a
successful re-use of the cinema."
In concluding, the Panel
even suggested that other projects should be abandoned or
deferred to allow for Dreamland to move forward:
"Indeed Panel members were
so convinced that this is a clear first development priority
that it strongly urged that all necessary funds be directed
to that purpose even where other, generally laudable,
objectives would have to be abandoned or, at least, deferred
as a result."
Dreamland Trust chair Nick
Laister comments: "We are obviously delighted with the
conclusions of the Urban Panel. We are very pleased that
they singled out Dreamland as Margate's priority project and
that they have recognised its national significance as well
as its importance as a critical local regeneration project.
We hope that these conclusions will be taken into account by
the organisations currently assessing grant funding
applications to bring this priority project to fruition."
Click here
to download the report in full.
The report was covered by
the Isle of Thanet Gazette, noting the focus on
Dreamland:
‘Dreamland is the
isle’s best hope’
English Heritage
singled out
Dreamland’s
reopening as a
matter of urgency –
“without unnecessary
burdens” such as new
homes.
Plans to
build flats and
houses on the
seafront site have
been hampered by the
collapse of
Waterbridge, a third
of the Margate Town
Centre Regeneration
Company, which owns
the site.
English
Heritage’s panel
said: “We see no
merit in delaying
the scheme because
the grander package
can no longer be
built. New housing
may be a long time
coming. The
remainder of the
site can be brought
forward, with
minimal investment,
as an events space.”
The reports said
Thanet council’s
proposed new road
layout was
unnecessary. The
panel pinned its
hopes on Dreamland,
adding: “We strongly
urge that all
necessary funds be
directed to that
purpose even where
other, generally
laudable, objectives
would have to be
abandoned or, at
least, deferred as a
result.”
|
In other news, Nick Laister and Susan
Marsh represented the Dreamland Trust at a Dreamland Client Group
meeting at the offices of the Prince's Regeneration Trust in London
today. Representatives of the Margate Renewal Partnership, Thanet
District Council and Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company were
also present. The main subject of discussion was the ongoing liaison
with the funding bodies and partners in providing additional
information. |
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
|
Tracey Emin calls for Dreamland to be rebuilt |
|
Margate-born Tracey Emin has called for Dreamland to be
rebuilt at the launch of a new show in London. Emin was
speaking to BBC News at the launch of 'Those Who Suffer
Love' at the White Cube Gallery, Piccadilly.
When asked by BBC News what Margate
needs to do to get back on its feet, she stated: "Margate needs some
money. Let's get Dreamland rebuilt, let's get the seafront looking
beautiful, let's have an antiques market once a month. Let's get
Margate back on the map".
Emin's call comes as the Government
considers an application for grant funding to rebuild the famous
amusement park.
Click here to
download the clip in wmv format. |
 |
Saturday,
23 May 2009
|
Local paper calls for
Dreamland support |
The Isle of Thanet Gazette
has called on the people of Margate to support the Dreamland
Client Group's bids for grant funding to rebuild Dreamland
Margate:
Show support for
Dreamland funds
The people of Thanet
can make a
contribution to
getting Dreamland
back up and running
by writing to the
government to show
support for
multi-million pound
funding bids.
Dreamland
stakeholders have
submitted two bids
for cash to
rejuvenate the fun
park.
The Dreamland Client
Group, made up of
The Dreamland Trust,
Margate Renewal
Partnership, Thanet
council and the
Margate Town Centre
Regeneration
Company, has
submitted an
application for £4
million to Sea
Change, a government
cultural grant
scheme. A decision
is expected in July.
The Dreamland Trust
has also submitted a
bid to the National
Lottery for £2.6
million. A decision
on Lottery funding
is expected in
September.
If you would like to
let the Government
know how much
Dreamland means to
you, write to the Rt
Hon Andy Burnham MP,
Secretary of State
of Culture, Media &
Sport, 2-4 Cockspur
Street, London SW1Y
5DH.
If you do write, let
us know. Email
newsdesk@krnmedia.co.uk
or call 01843
578150.
|
|
|
Continued coverage of
Times article |
|
Your Thanet on 20 May features extensive coverage of
Dreamland Margate. The front page headline is 'Park Strikes
Back at Snooty Article', which reports Dreamland Trust chair
Nick Laister's
defence of Dreamland and Margate in The Times last
week, following the
article of 13 May by Richard Morrison. The article
includes an interview with Nick in which he sets out why The
Times is wrong.
Page 4 of the same
newspaper features a report on the bid for £4m of Sea Change
grant funding from the DCMS. This features comments on the
bid from Thanet District Council Chief Executive Richard
Samuel and from Nick Laister, who notes that the grant
applications are a very competitive process this year.
Click on the image to the
right to
download pages 1, 3 and 4 of the newspaper, all of
which contain Dreamland content, in PDF format. (For those
who can't use PDF, the 'Park Strikes Back' article can be
viewed online
here).
|

Your Thanet: Extensive
Dreamland coverage |
A further reader has written
to The Times in response to the 13 May article. The writer,
from St Albans, states: "Once the Turner is complete and
Dreamland running, I defy anyone to say it is not a lovely
holiday destination."
Read letter in full...
|
|
Dreamland takes to the
stage |
|
Dreamland takes to the stage in a special free evening of
theatre in Margate on Sunday 24 May. Called 'Dreamland', the
event takes place at the Theatre Royal in Margate and is
presented by Net Curtains Theatre Company. The evening will
combine comedy, drama and nostalgia while looking forward at
the town's regeneration.
The London-based company,
which has Richard Briers as a patron, commissioned the
plays. The Company's website states: "The existence in the
popular memory of a place called Dreamland at a time when a
community is discussing and devising its future is a
theatrical goldmine." There will be three site-specific
plays around this transition from the past to the exciting
future. One will be voted to become the "play for Margate",
best reflecting the town's personality and its place in
21st-century Britain.
The third play - Soul'd by James Woolf - will be of most
interest to Dreamland campaigners, as it looks at one man's
quest to save what he can from the remains of a burnt-out
Dreamland roller-coaster.
To get your free tickets, phone the box office on 01227
787787. For more information, visit
www.netcurtains.org.
|

Click on the image above
for a larger version, or
click here to go
to the website, which includes background information on the
evening. |
|
New photo galleries |
|
The Save Dreamland Campaign has also launched three new
photo galleries:
1. The little-known
Switchback Railway roller coaster predated the Scenic
Railway and was one of the very first roller coasters to
ever operate in the UK. But it was not located at Dreamland.
This gallery pieces together the limited information on this
ride. View...
2. A gallery of postcards
of Sanger's Menagerie and gardens, which predated
Dreamland. Remains of the cages and other structures were
discovered last year and are now listed.
View...
|

New gallery: The Scenic
Railway after the fire. |
|
3. A set of photographs of the
Scenic Railway shortly after the devastating fire in
2008, when the Campaign was given exclusive access to the
ride. View... |
|
News roundup |
The Isle of
Thanet Gazette of 8 May reported the latest grant funding
application by the Dreamland Client Group:
Fun park groups’
£4m funding bid
Groups working at
Margate’s former
Dreamland fun park
have submitted a
second bid for cash
to rejuvenate the
fun park. The
Dreamland Client
Group, made up of
the Dreamland Trust,
Margate Renewal
Partnership, Thanet
council and Margate
Town Centre
Regeneration Company
submitted an
application for
grant funding of £4
million to Sea
Change, a government
cultural grant
scheme. The money
will be used to
transform Dreamland
into a heritage
amusement park which
includes classic
funfair rides and a
renovated scenic
railway. The cinema
would also be given
a makeover and used
as a live music
venue. The decision
on the grant is
expected in July
while the decision
on whether Lottery
funding is
successful will be
announced in
September.
|
The Thanet Extra
on 8 May featured a news item on the Mr G's amusement
arcade which was destroyed by fire in 2003, in which the
co-ordinator for Margate Town Partnership explains that
the regeneration of Dreamland is essential to the future
of the town:
Time running out
to rebuild historic
amusement arcade
Time is running out
to rebuild an iconic
seafront amusement
arcade in Margate,
more than six years
after it was razed
to the ground in a
massive fire.
Mr G’s was destroyed
in 2003 when flames
ravaged the historic
building on Marine
Terrace. More than
120 firefighters
helped tackle the
blaze, described at
the time as one of
the biggest in
Thanet’s history.
Planning permission
to replace the
arcade with a
three-storey
building was granted
one year later, when
developers were
given the green
light to build a
basement car park, a
ground floor
amusement arcade and
first and second
floor offices.
But local people are
still waiting for
the first brick to
be laid and building
work must start
before June 14 –
exactly five years
after officials at
Thanet council
granted planning
permission for the
project.
Dave Kinnear,
co-ordinator for
Margate Town
Partnership, is keen
to see building work
start before the
June deadline. He
said: “We want to
see the whole of
Margate seafront
regenerated as soon
as possible.
Dreamland and the
surrounding areas
are essential to the
future of the town
and the sooner that
work to replace Mr
G’s gets under way
the better.”
Prominent local
figures met to
discuss options for
the future of the
Victorian seafront
within days of the
2003 fire.
|
The unveiling of the
heritage amusement park plans was featured in the May
2009 edition of Platform, the journal of The
Fairground Society.
Finally, the Isle of
Thanet Gazette letters page of 15 May contained this
idea for a new ride that could be installed at Dreamland
when it reopens:
Power of pedals
I read on a local
website of some boys
who took their bikes
to the top of
Margate’s scenic
railway (during the
war when Dreamland
was closed) and
freewheeled down.
That set me
thinking. Why not
build a coaster on
which the riders
pedal up the slopes
instead? Instead of
a chain set to the
non-existent rear
wheel of the bike,
each row of riders
(say, four abreast)
would have their
cranks connected by
gearing to a
cross-shaft and all
the cross-shafts on
each car would be
connected by gearing
to a cog under the
car that would
engage on a rack
(mountain
railway-style) .
At the top of the
slope, the rack
would cease as the
cars enter the
freewheel switchback
part of the ride.
Another, slower,
version of the same
ride would have a
continuous rack so
the downhill
sections would
operate on a
fixed-wheel basis
(or perhaps both
types of switchback
could be combined on
different sections
of the same ride).
As everyone would be
standing on the
pedals when going up
the slopes, a level
section would be
necessary at the top
to ensure everyone
is sitting down
again before the
ride enters the
switchback section
with its sudden
changes of gradient.
This would avoid
major discomfort if
one went over a bump
while still
standing.
The initial start
from the loading
platform to the
first slope would be
under pedal power.
The ride would
freewheel to the
unloading platform
but there would be a
section of rack that
would be lowered or
folded down when the
ride is coming to a
stop, but which
would then be raised
so as to re-engage
it to enable an
attendant to pedal
the cars to the
loading platform.
Assuming that all or
part of the ride is
operated on the
“fixed-wheel” basis,
perhaps the approach
to the unloading
platform could have
a similar foldaway
rack so that the
ride could be hired
out to (for example)
local football clubs
for fitness training
at times when the
ride would otherwise
be closed. Maybe the
designers of roller
coasters should get
to work on this
idea! Perhaps the
prototype could be
installed in the
revamped Dreamland
when it reopens.
John Humphrey,
Cobden Road,
Sevenoaks.
|
|
Friday, 15 May 2009
|
Dreamland
Trust chair defends Margate in The Times |
|
The Times newspaper published a letter from Dreamland
Trust chair Nick Laister following
Wednesday's extremely negative article about Dreamland.
The letter contrasts the Trust's proposals for Dreamland
with the ill-founded assumptions made by correspondent
Richard Morrison in an article that described Margate
as "a blot on the landscape that could disappear overnight
without a murmur of lament". View Laister's defence of
Margate and the Trust's Dreamland proposals
here. Thanet
District Council's website has also been carrying the latest
news on Dreamland over the past few days. Their website has
recently reported the
Sea Change bid submission and the town's
starring role in The Apprentice.
Check back to the site over
the weekend for news of an evening of theatre at Margate's
Theatre Royal called...Dreamland! |

Laister: "Few seaside
resorts have such a strong place in popular seaside
entertainment culture" |
Thursday, 14 May 2009
|
The
Apprentice - the morning after |
|
Margate received extensive national exposure yesterday when
The Apprentice came to town. Yesterday, we carried
some of the many media articles on the town and the
Dreamland Margate project, on the build-up to the BBC One
broadcast. Today, we ask the question: what can the Save
Dreamland Campaign and the team bringing forward proposals
for the Dreamland Amusement Park learn from Alan Sugar's
apprentices?
There is nobody better to
answer that question than our very own Sarah Vickery, who
appeared on the top-rated show:
"I was rather surprised by
how rubbish the teams were - I've watched every series of
the Apprentice and I think this lot is the ropiest yet!
|
 
Margate on BBC One primetime: Sarah Vickery (left) and
Alan Sugar |
"The Ignite team mentioned the Grotto in their copy, but
didn't even bother to come here, and the Empire posters and
leaflets were laughably bad.
"What a missed opportunity for
Margate. Eight supposedly talented people, branding experts
on hand, the might and budget of the BBC - and they didn't
come up with a single usable idea."
The show aired just two
weeks after Thanet District Council submitted a £4million
bid to the Government’s Sea Change grant scheme for funding
to help create the world’s first amusement park of historic
rides on Dreamland. And this was hot on the heels of an
application for over £2.6million to the Heritage Lottery
Fund in March, submitted by
The Dreamland Trust with assistance from The
Prince’s Regeneration Trust.
Dreamland Trust Chair Nick
Laister comments: "We know that filming of The Apprentice
took place last October. Back then we had only just been
awarded a relatively small Government grant to undertake
feasibility work on the Dreamland project, so we didn't
expect our plans to feature heavily in the contestants’
presentations.”
“We now have detailed plans
for this striking new attraction which will transform
Margate. It’s a reminder of how much progress has been made
in such an incredibly short period of time.”
Does Nick Laister agree
with Sarah Vickery that The Apprentice teams were rubbish?
"They were appalling".
“I don’t believe Margate
needs rebranding,” says Laister. “It’s a traditional seaside
town with a fantastic beach, beautiful architecture, loyal
fans and passionate residents – but it has been allowed to
decline over a number of years. Our plans for Dreamland will
halt that decline, transform the town and create a genuinely
compelling new visitor attraction.”
“Our project has backing
from residents, businesses and key stakeholders in the area
and that shared vision puts us in a very strong position.”
|
|
In related news,
The Telegraph newspaper featured an article on the
current state of Margate, focussing on our plans for a new
theme park at Dreamland. The article states: "The idea of
putting Margate back on the tourist map is not just the
stuff of reality television but a problem that has been
consuming local tourism officials for years. More than a
third of the Scenic Railway was destroyed in the 2008 fire
but plans are now underway to restore it in time for the
opening of the £17.5 million Turner gallery in 2011."
Read the article in full... |
 |
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
|
Today's Times newspaper carries
a lengthy feature on Margate to tie in with the Apprentice's visit,
called
'What's wrong with Margate'. The article is very critical of
the town and its regeneration proposals, including Dreamland.
Click here for Dreamland Trust chair Nick Laister's
response. |
 |
In a flurry of press interest
in Dreamland caused by The Apprentice (9pm tonight, BBC One,
The Guardian newspaper includes a much more upbeat
article on Margate from Iain Aitch, identifying Dreamland as
a "plus point".
View article... |
 |
And BBC One's South East Today featured an extensive
piece from Margate, comparing the proposals that are to be
seen on The Apprentice with the proposals emerging from the
town itself. Nick Laister (The Dreamland Trust), Derek
Harding (Margate Renewal Partnership) and Peter Beck (MTCRC)
are seen at Dreamland, with Nick Laister describing The
Apprentice as a "gimmick" and stating that the real solution
is to go "back to the future" with the Dreamland proposals.
The programme can be viewed online for 24 hours
here. |
Read more about the proposals for a
compelling new visitor attraction at Dreamland Margate in our
Sea Change Proposal Document or on our special Dreamland
Micro-Site.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
|
The last couple of days have seen a flurry of activity as
work continues on efforts to bring a world's first tourist
attraction to Dreamland, Margate. Monday 11 May saw a
meeting of the Dreamland Client Group and their advisors at
the offices of the Princes Regeneration trust in London.
Nick Laister, Susan Marsh and Sarah Vickery all attended to
represent the Dreamland Trust. Points discussed included the
ongoing work in relation to the recent bids and the
timetable to deliver the attraction.
Today saw assessors from Sea Change in
Margate to discuss the £4m bid with the Dreamland Client Group. This
included a site visit to Dreamland, where the assessors were shown
inside the Cinema the amusement park. Nick Laister represented the
Trust throughout the day, and Council Leader Sandy Ezekiel and Chief
Executive Richard Samuel were present throughout most of the
session. BBC One's South East Today featured a report on the
visit.
This is Kent featured a
report on the latest funding bid, including quotes from
Dreamland Trust Chair Nick Laister.
|
| Margate gets
the Alan Sugar treatment tomorrow when the Amstrad boss
sends his apprentices to the seaside to rebrand the town.
Tomorrow's The Apprentice on BBC One features Margate
extensively and this has resulted in much interest from the
media in the resort.
This is Kent includes an extensive article on the
programme, which features Shell Grotto owner and The
Dreamland Trust's treasurer, Sarah Vickery. Sarah apparently
told the apprentices: "Your visions are dreadful. They’re
just dreadful." Derek Harding of the Margate Renewal
Partnership, one of the key players bringing Dreamland back
to life, is also featured. Sarah was also interviewed by
Invicta FM today and
Radio Kent yesterday. |
 |
Saturday, 9 May 2009
A
report in today's national Times newspaper mentions the
proposed heritage amusement park at Dreamland, and features comments
on the town's regeneration plans from Council Leader Sandy Ezekiel
and the Margate Renewal Partnership's Derek Harding.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
|
Sea Change
application submitted - decision expected in July |
| The Dreamland
Client Group (made up of The Dreamland Trust, Margate
Renewal Partnership, Thanet District Council and Margate Town Centre Regeneration
Company) submitted an application for grant funding of £4m
on Thursday to Wave 3 of the DCMS's Sea Change Large Grants
programme. The full submission can be downloaded as a PDF by
clicking on the
report cover to the right. In addition, the
application form is downloadable by
clicking here.
The application was supported
by numerous other reports, including Business Plan; Outline
Design Report; Historical Overview; Conservation Statement;
and Interpretation Strategy Report. These can all be
downloaded from
this link. We expect
that announcements on Wave 3 applications will be made in
late July.
This application follows a
separate application to Heritage Lottery Fund on 31 March
for £3m, which was submitted by The Dreamland Trust on
behalf of the Dreamland Client Group. The results of this
application will be announced later this year.
Discuss the bid on our Forum. |
 |
|
Urban Panel Report
imminent - Dreamland proposals strongly supported |
| Back in
March, Margate was visited by the Government’s Urban Panel
(made up of the Commission for the Built Environment and
English Heritage), and Dreamland was on their list of places
to visit (Read
news item about their visit...). The Dreamland Trust
has seen part of their report, which will shortly be
released. Not only is the Urban Panel supporting the
Dreamland proposal, they have singled it out as one of the
most important projects in the town.
The report concludes: “The
Panel urged that the vision of Dreamland re-opening as the
first and nationally unique heritage fairground be promoted
with urgency and drive and without unnecessary
burdens...Accordingly, Trust, Partnership and Authority were
urged to turn all necessary attention to the re-emergence of
Dreamland”.
In other news, the proposed
Dreamland heritage amusement park is mentioned in a report
on the River Caves fire at Southport's Pleasureland in the
Champion newspaper. |

 |
Monday, 27 April 2009
Visit Kent
survey shows overwhelming support for Dreamland Project
| Earlier this
month, an online survey entitled 'A proposal for Margate'
was sent to the existing Visit Kent UK database of
over 31,674 people. Over 3,300 people replied and 93% felt
that the Dreamland project is a good development for
Margate. 78% would visit the Heritage Amusement Park when it
opens. Campaign
Leader Nick Laister says: "Public consultation exercises
undertaken by Thanet District Council, the Save Dreamland
Campaign and Dreamland owners the Margate Town Centre
Regeneration Company have consistently shown that local
residents and businesses want to see an amusement park at
Dreamland, possibly more than anything else for the town.
This survey shows that those who visit Kent also believe
that this is good for the town and something that is likely
to attract them to visit Margate. This is great news." |
 |
Locals Love
Dreamland!
The Visit Kent
survey is just the
latest in a long
line of public
consultation
exercises where the
people of Margate
and Thanet have
shown
that they love
Dreamland and that
they have a passion
for the project.
Here are just some
of the consultation
highlights:
2004 - Margate
Masterplan:
Dreamland generated
the most responses
to the consultation
(44% of all
responses) “with
almost all of them
strongly supporting
the use of the site
for a major
amusement park,
family-based
attraction”
2006 - Proposed
Modifications to the
Thanet Local Plan:
A total of 452
representations
submitted and, of
those, all but 10
related to the
Dreamland site.
Almost all wanted
the site to remain
an amusement park
with the Scenic
Railway retained.
2007 - Planning
Brief: The
Council received 229
completed
questionnaires. Over
92% wanted the
Scenic Railway
retained, over 87%
wanting at least 50%
of the site in
amusement park use
and over 85% stating
a desire for
refurbishment of the
Dreamland cinema
building for leisure
uses.
2009 - I Dream of
Dreamland: Over
400 attend. 94% of
comments made being
in favour of the
project.
|
|
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
| Nick Laister
and Susan Marsh represented The Dreamland Trust at a
Dreamland Client Group meeting at the offices of The
Princes Regeneration Trust in London on Friday 17 April. The
meeting was primarily to discuss progress with grant funding
applications. At the meeting, Margate Town Centre Company
(the owners of Dreamland) announced that there had been a
change in shareholding in that minority shareholder
Waterbridge Group (which owned 30% of MTCRC) no longer holds
any shares in the company. Existing shareholder Midos Group
has acquired Waterbridge's share in MTCRC, but the
Waterbridge team - Toby Hunter, Peter Beck and Ross Stewart
- will continue to manage the project. The Client Group was
assured that the change in shareholding will not have an
impact on the heritage amusement park project. This news is
also covered in today's
Thanet Times. |
Blog site
Eastcliff Richard, in an article entitled "No More
Sweet Dreams at Dreamlanders' Hotel", reports that a Reading
hotel owned by Waterbridge Group (The Forbury) has gone into
administration. Unfortunately, the article links this to
Dreamland by stating: "...the Forbury was created by parent
company Waterbridge, none other than the owners of Margate's
very own car-park-cum-charcoal-factory Dreamland!" This
article is incorrect as Dreamland is owned by MTCRC - as
stated above, Waterbridge only had a 30% shareholding.
More accurate updates on Dreamland
have been recently featured on the Margate Town Partnership website,
This is Margate, and on the
Margate
Renewal Partnership website. Dreamland also gets a mention
in a recent article in
The Mirror about BBC series The Apprentice, which will
shortly be featuring Margate. |
 |
Sunday, 29 March 2009
| The national press takes
an interest in the Save Dreamland Campaign's proposals for a
heritage amusement park at Dreamland, with an article in
today's
Sunday Express. Journalist Iain Aitch weaves a
nostalgic tale about the park, his childhood and the classic
rides that have been acquired and includes an interview with
Dreamland Trust chair Nick Laister and National Fairground
Archive director Vanessa Toulmin.
Read... |
 |
Aitch also writes about
Dreamland in his blog,
We're
British, Innit. |
Saturday, 28 March 2009
A letter about the Dreamland proposals
features in the Saturday Observer (download
PDF). Some controversial comments about Dreamland and the
Save Dreamland Campaign on the
Thanet Strife blog. Dreamland has also recently been covered
in
Leisure Architecture and
Bignews Margate.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Dreamland Park
Masterplan updated
| The
Park
Masterplan for the new amusement park of thrilling
classic rides at Dreamland has now been finalised ready for
submission to Heritage Lottery Fund and DCMS for the
Heritage Lottery and Sea Change grant applications. The
changes follow the well-attended public event on 15 March at
which literally hundreds of comments were received by the
three partners in the Dreamland project, The Dreamland
Trust, Margate Renewal Partnership and Margate Town Centre
Regeneration Company.
The main changes are to
rearrange the rides to create an improved layout, the
introduction of a more formal garden area to reflect the
gardens that used to be located to the west of the Scenic
Railway and the addition of the Dreamland Miniature Railway.
Click on the Masterplan to view a larger version on our
Dreamland
Heritage Amusement Park pages. |
 |
Those who did not go the successful I Dream of Dreamland
event in Margate on 15 March can now see what they missed in
a special video on YouTube. The video shows
footage of the event, and a look at some of the film that
was shown.
View
video...
Finally, Dreamland has
been extensively covered in the media over the past few
days.
Newsparcs and
Central-Parks, two French web portals about
amusement parks, have posted information about the rebirth
of Dreamland. It has also been featured in the local press.
The Thanet Extra of 20 March covered the launch party
and other Dreamland news:
|
 |
Kiss me quick,
and make it fun
again!
Plan to make
Dreamland world’s
first heritage
amusement park
Launch party
message: It’s all
about having a good
time
Bring back the
heartbeat of our
town and make it fun
again. That was the
simple stirring
message at the
launch of plans to
make Dreamland the
world’s first
heritage amusement
park.
The site in Margate
has been at the
centre of false
dawns and failed
schemes for decades
but the latest
multi-million pound
project has fired
people’s
imaginations. The
scheme was launched
at the town’s West
Coast Bar on Sunday
night and more than
400 people rolled
back the years with
candy floss and
popcorn, music,
costumed usherettes
and archive film of
Dreamland in its
heyday and offering
a glimpse of what
could be.
Sarah Vickery,
treasurer of the
Dreamland Trust that
administers the Save
Dreamland campaign,
said: “We want
Dreamland to be
associated with
having fun again. It
is not about
concrete block
paving, desolation,
sadness and fires.
The heritage park
plan is about making
Dreamland and
Margate all about
having a good time.
“There is so much
goodwill from so
many people and I
think the Scenic
Railway fire last
April was a massive
wake-up call for
people who finally
realised that
Dreamland, its
history and
heritage, could
really disappear
very soon.”
Cllr Mick Tomlinson,
former town mayor
and regarded as “Mr
Margate” due to his
50-year involvement
with Dreamland and
the carnival, said:
“This is a step in
the right direction
as part of
rejuvenation plans
to bring the dear
old town back to
life. It still has
so much to offer
visitors.”
He was DJ for the
night, with one
request for Chas and
Dave’s Down to
Margate coming via
email from Perth in
Australia.
Seaside Culture
Donkey ride owner
Nick Gunn, who
returns to the main
sands in April,
said: “Margate has
always been about
kiss-me-quick hats,
the funfair and the
beach; simple
seaside fun, and it
should stay with its
roots.”
Derek Harding, from
Margate Renewal
Partnership, said:
“This is an exciting
scheme. With
Dreamland one end of
the prom and Turner
Contemporary by the
harbour, there will
be a great mix of
traditional seaside
culture and
innovative
contemporary art.”
The Trust has worked
with Thanet council
and Dreamland’s
owners, the Margate
Town Centre
Regeneration
Company, on what is
being called “a
thrilling theme park
from the past”.
Nick Laister,
chairman of the
Dreamland Trust,
said: “We were
successful in
winning a Sea Change
grant last year and,
with additional
funding from
Dreamland’s owners
and the Margate
Renewal Partnership,
we have been able to
appoint specialist
advisers who are
starting to bring
our dreams to
reality.
Scenic Railway
“If we can secure
our next round of
grant funding, work
on the park could
start later this
year, with the park
opening in 2012.”
The £12 million park
would be built
around the Grade II
listed Scenic
Railway, the oldest
rollercoaster in the
UK. It would feature
some of the last
surviving examples
of well-known
amusement park rides
and have been
rescued by the Save
Dreamland Campaign.
Mr Laister said:
“This will not be a
collection of gentle
old travelling
fairground rides.
Dreamland will
create a large,
thrilling permanent
seaside amusement
park, of the sort
that could be found
around the coast of
Britain throughout
most of the last
century, but has now
largely disappeared.
“It will be an
authentic
traditional seaside
amusement park
experienced in its
correct location. We
think it will be a
great success and
will play a
transformational
role in the
regeneration of
Margate.
“The Dreamland of
tomorrow will echo
the thrilling theme
parks of the past,
and this is your
chance to climb on
board, fasten your
seatbelts and enjoy
the ride!”
Dreamland could
revive glory days
By Spencer Cork,
programme
controller, KMFM
Thanet.
The other day I saw
a news clip of
Margate back in the
1960s and 1970s,
when the beach at
Margate main sands
was packed to
capacity and you
couldn’t actually
see the sand for all
the people on the
beach. One other
thing I noticed is
that during the same
news clip you could
see one solitary car
driving down towards
the clock tower. One
single car beside a
completely-packed
beach.
Fast forward 30
years and things
have changed so
much. For a start,
where would all of
those people park
now? It was very
much obvious that
the main form of
transport then would
have been the train
into Margate
station. Of course,
back then the
visitors had the
Dreamland amusement
park as the main
drawer in addition
to the sandy beach.
So could we perhaps
see a return to the
town’s former glory?
Well, plans have now
gone on show to
perhaps once again
bring the Dreamland
park and cinema to
life with a
potential £12
million pound grant
to create a heritage
amusement park on
the current site.
But just how much
fun does £12 million
buy you these days?
Reports suggest that
if all goes ahead it
could open in 2012 –
but please, if it
does go ahead, make
it 2013 or it will
be overshadowed by
the Olympic Games
and Margate could
simply be overlooked
once more.
|
The Isle of Thanet
Gazette
of 20 March also reported on the new Dreamland
proposals:
Bringing history
to life with
Dreamland’s rebirth
A party to celebrate
the launch of new
plans for Dreamland
drew hundreds to
Margate this week.
Displays of new
drawings and layouts
for the heritage
amusement park were
unveiled to the
public at the West
Coast Bar.
The party-goers were
treated to fish and
chips, popcorn and
candy floss before
hitting the dance
floor to boogie to
specially chosen
tracks.
The colourful
drawings of
Dreamland’s proposed
future were created
by French artist and
theme park designer
Jean-Marc Toussaint
who is working with
the Dreamland Trust
to help design the
layout of the park.
He said: “When I was
told about the idea
of a theme park with
a museum, I thought
it was a great idea.
“It will still be
the place people are
expecting and there
will still be
wonderfully exciting
rides but while
queuing up they will
have the opportunity
to learn a little
about the ride and
something about its
history.”
Funding bids for the
project are due to
be submitted in the
next few months and
a final decision on
whether the plans
can go ahead will be
given in September.
If permission is
secured work on the
construction and
renovation of the
park and cinema
could begin this
year.
Plans the future
-
Scenic
Railway Station
– Early
Dreamland
buildings were
modernist in
style and
Dreamland’s new
buildings echo
the streamlined
designs. The
station has a
large fin,
reminiscent of
the cinema
tower. The
helter skelter
is designed to
feel like a
lighthouse.
-
The Main
Plaza – The
Scenic Railway
is the park’s
centerpiece,
alongside
carousels and
children’s
rides. Water
will run along
the railway,
with a deck
allowing
visitors close
to the ride. The
Cableway gives a
bird’s eye view
of Marine
Terrace and
sands.
-
The River
Caves –
Drawing
inspiration from
the listed 19th
century
Menagerie Cages
at Dreamland,
the ride is a
search for
fantastic
mythical dream
creatures which
will populate
the cages of a
Menagerie of the
Weird.
-
Wild Mouse
and Wheel –
Another
streamlined
building and a
food and drink
kiosk. This
style works with
modern
materials, such
as the metal of
the Wheel, but
also sits
happily with the
wooden structure
of the Mouse.
Each ride will
be introduced by
fact boards in
the queue lines,
including
historical
information and
old photos.
-
River Caves
and Water Chute
– The entrance
to the River
Caves is a
homage to the
great scenic
rides of the
1920s. Rides
form the
south-west
corner of the
park.
|
|
Saturday 21 March 2009
Our latest
plans online!
| Plans and
drawings of the thrilling new theme park proposed at
Dreamland, Margate are now available to view exclusively on
the Save Dreamland Campaign website. The Plans were launched
at a outstandingly successful
event in
Margate on 15 March. Our new
Heritage Amusement Park
Pages now feature layout plans, drawings showing
what the park will look like, plans and elevations of
buildings and background information on the project, the
park and the rides already acquired. This will be a truly
unique project.
More...
We have also made available for
download the Powerpoint
slideshow presentation that was running along one side of
the venue throughout the event. |

Above: The rebuilt Scenic Railway station
by Jean-Marc Toussaint |
KentOnline features an interview with Dreamland
Trust chairman Nick Laister about the proposals. You can
also hear Nick talking about the proposals on KMFM
here. They then followed up the launch event with a
further article
here, which includes a gallery of photographs taken
on the night.The 17
March edition of the Thanet Times reported on the
party held in Margate to mark the unveiling of the Dreamland
plans, along with some correspondence from readers:
Park’s future
Mythical beasts
among themes for
Dreamland
A Menagerie of the
Weird was one of the
wacky plans unveiled
at a wild party
celebrating
Dreamland.
Busty blonde
usherettes dished
out lollipops while
party goers scoffed
popcorn, candy floss
and fish and chips
at the West Coast
Bar in Margate’s
King Street. Top pop
tunes past and
present boomed out
at the Old Town bar
after the crowds
were asked to choose
music which reminded
them of Dreamland.
On the walls were
colourful drawings
by theme park
designer Jean-Marc
Toussaint who is
working with the
Dreamland Trust to
help design the
layout of the park.
Flying in especially
from his home in
Paris the designer
said: “The first
time I came to
Dreamland was in
2001 and I just went
‘wow, what a great
place’. I’d been
researching all
these great theme
parks around the
world and when I was
told about the idea
of a theme park with
a museum, I thought
it was a great idea.
It will still be the
place people are
expecting, there
will still be
wonderfully exciting
rides but while
queuing up they have
the option to learn
a little about the
ride and something
about its history.
We can really have
fun with that.
People won’t go just
to learn about
history but if they
can grab a bit of
information and
learn about them
that’s great.”
The Dreamland Trust
is bidding for
funding from Sea
Change, a cultural
grant scheme and
will be told in June
if they have secured
funding for work to
begin. The group
have also submitted
bids to the Heritage
Lottery Fund and
will get the results
in September.
Plans for the
heritage amusement
park include over 30
rides, some of which
keep the spirit of
white knuckle rides
alive. The Trust is
also hopeful they
can buy a large
Ferris wheel as well
as having cable cars
linking the sands
with the park.
The Dreamland
Project at the
Prince’s
Regeneration Trust
is led by Roland
Jeffery who said he
was extremely happy
that so many people
had turned out on a
chilly Sunday
evening.
The temperature
inside West Coast
rose as DJ Mick T
gave the crowds
their favourite
tunes as well as
displaying his
working models of
Dreamland past.
On the walls
historic footage
from Dreamland
played alongside
plans for the newly
envisaged theme
park.
Dreamland Trust
treasurer and Shell
Grotto owner Sarah
Vickery said: “It’s
great that so many
people have turned
up and there’s a
real mix of people
taking an interest.”
What was on
display?
-
The main
plaza – The
scenic railway
is the
centrepiece of
the park,
alongside
gallopers and
children’s
rides. Water
will run along
the scenic, with
a deck allowing
visitors to get
up close to the
ride. The
cableway gives a
bird’s eye view
of Marine
Terrace and
Margate’s sands.
-
The River
Caves – They
draw inspiration
from the listed
19th-century
Menagerie Cages
on Dreamland.
This ride will
be a whimsical
journey around
the world
searching for
fantastic
mythical dream
creatures which
will populate
the cages of a
Menagerie of the
Weird.
-
Scenic
Railway Station
– Early
Dreamland
buildings were
modernist in
style and
Dreamland’s new
buildings echo
those
streamlined
designs. The
scenic railway
station features
a large fin,
reminiscent of
the cinema
tower.
-
Wild Mouse
and Wheel –
Another
streamlined
building with a
food and drink
kiosk. This
style works with
modern
materials, such
as the metal of
the wheel, but
also sits
happily with the
wooden structure
of the mouse.
-
River Caves
and Water Chute
– The entrance
to the River
Caves is a
homage to the
scenic rides of
the 1920s, one
of which, Coney
Island’s
Dreamland in the
USA, was called
Dragon’s Gorge.
Park’s royal fan
Prince Charles has
given his full
support for plans to
revive Dreamland
with a heritage
amusement park. His
Royal Highness holds
monthly meetings
with the chief
executive of the
Prince’s
Regeneration Trust
Ros Kerslake, and
during a recent
meeting the next in
line for the throne
showed a keen
interest in the
development of
Margate’s iconic
landmark site.
Mr Kerslake said:
“The Prince of Wales
is very pleased that
his trust is working
in the town of
Margate and that it
is supporting the
reuse of local
heritage assets.”
And from the letters
page,
Nightmare
Dreamland Heritage
plans, another big
example of how
Thanet wastes money,
buying up rubbish
from theme parks
that have gone bust.
Where do they think
they are going to
get the visitors
from, apart from
sentimentalists from
the past, who won’t
use it every day or
every weekend. The
young know what they
can get elsewhere.
The money could be
used much better on
something else. More
planning
incompetence, Thanet
wins the award every
time.
Adrian Ottley,
Prospect Road,
Birchington.
|
The Thanet Adscene
of 19 March also reported on the party:
Party time
unveils Dreamland
plans
Busty blonde
usherettes, candy
floss machines and
fish and chips were
enjoyed by hundreds
of people who turned
out to see the plans
for Dreamland
unveiled.
A party held on
Sunday night at the
West Coast Bar in
Margate saw
party-goers enjoying
traditional fun-park
food alongside their
favourite tipple
from the bar.
On display were
colourful drawings
by theme park
designer Jean-Marc
Toussaint who is
working with the
Dreamland Trust. The
Trust hopes to
secure public money
to create a heritage
fun park with old
fashioned rides.
Flying in especially
from his home in
Paris the designer
said: “The first
time I came to
Dreamland I thought
‘wow, what a great
place’. I’d been
researching great
theme parks around
the world and when I
was told about the
idea of a theme park
with a museum I
thought this is a
great idea.”
Sea Change, a
cultural grant
scheme, will let the
Dreamland Trust know
in June whether they
have secured more
cash. A Heritage
Lottery Fund bid
will be submitted at
the beginning of
April and a decision
will be given in
September.
Dreamland Trust
treasurer and Shell
Grotto owner Sarah
Vickery said: “It’s
great that so many
people have turned
up. The plans look
fantastic and I’m
glad so many people
are taking an
interest.”
|
The unveiling was also
covered in the
Leisure Opportunities magazine,
InterPark Magazine, the
Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts and the
much-loved
Eastcliff Richard blog.
The Thanet Extra of
13 March reported the listing of the menagerie cages:
Dreamland’s rare
animal cages listed
A set of historic
menagerie enclosures
and cages on the
former Dreamland
site has been given
a Grade II listing
by the Department
for Culture, Media
and Sport. It has
been made on the
grounds that
“pleasure ground
related structures
are very rare, and
early animal cages
are exceptionally
so”.
The recommendation
also goes on to say
that “Margate is a
very significant
seaside resort, and
Dreamland was its
principal attraction
(after the seaside).
This survival from
the complex’s early
years is an
important reminder
of the resort’s
history and of the
evolution of mass
leisure.”
The site was used as
the pleasure grounds
of the Hall by the
Sea and was taken
over in 1874 by
“Lord” George
Sanger, a noted
travelling circus
manager. It went on
to become one of the
principal
attractions in
Margate, featuring a
menagerie and a
lion-tamer. Sanger
retired in 1905 and
the menagerie was
re-opened in 1913,
when lions and bears
were recorded as
having occupied the
cages. A zoo
continued to operate
on the site from the
1920s to the 1950s.
“Lord” George, and
other members of the
Sanger family, are
buried in Margate
Cemetery.
Located near the
main railway line,
the remains include
three lion cages
with steel bars set
into stone and with
low entrances for
the animals. Thanet
council applied for
the listing and Cllr
John Kirby, cabinet
member for
regulatory services,
said: “This listing
is excellent news
and ensures that
these enclosures and
cages will now be
preserved for future
generations. We all
know that Dreamland
is an important and
much loved part of
Margate and it is
encouraging to see
that being
recognised.”
|
The 21 March edition of
Your Thanet reports on the news that the BBC
series The Apprentice could be visiting Margate with
contestants being given the challenge of rebranding the
town. The plans for Dreamland get a mention. This news
was also covered by
thisiskent.co.uk on 18 March, including a quote
from one of the key partners on the Dreamland project,
Derek Harding of the Margate Renewal Partnership.
Nick Laister, Sarah Vickery
and Susan Marsh spent all day yesterday at the new offices
of the Princes Regeneration Trust for a Dreamland Client
Group meeting. At this meeting, architects Levitt Bernstein
presented their final drawings and report and Locum
Consulting also presented their final version of the
business plan. Other matters discussed included the content
of the grant funding applications, arrangements for taking
the project forward to implementation stage and a discussion
on how The Dreamland Trust
can ensure that it is fully prepared for the big challenge
ahead. There will be more news on the latter point in the
next couple of weeks.
Finally, journalist Nick
Spurrier has written an article on Dreamland and the
Campaign in the journal of the The Institute of
Engineering and Technology. The article is called
'Creating a Scene'.
Read... |
Monday, 16 March 2009
'I
Dream of Dreamland' event exceeds expectations
|
Plans for a brand new amusement park at Dreamland were
unveiled last night at a hugely successful event in Margate
town centre. Over 400 people attended the evening party, at
which the Dreamland Trust, Margate Town Centre Regeneration
Company and Margate Renewal Partnership revealed their plans
for a spectacular new heritage theme park on the Dreamland
site. In addition to the plans and drawings of what will be
a 'world's first' attraction, there were various information
boards, two separate film shows of Dreamland footage, models
of various Dreamland rides, free drinks from the bar,
funfair food, usherettes and a Dreamland-themed disco.
Nick Laister, leader of the
Save Dreamland campaign and chairman of the Dreamland Trust
said: "We were overwhelmed by the number of people who
attended, which exceeded our expectations. It was great to
meet so many people, some who had travelled down from the
north of England and the Midlands just for this event. We
were really grateful for all the feedback on the exciting
plans, and I am pleased to say that everything I heard that
evening was extremely positive. This gives us the confidence
that we can press ahead with finalising the plans ready for
the grant submissions next month." |

Nick Laister, Jean-Marc
Toussaint and Sarah Vickery at the 'I Dream of Dreamland'
event on 15 March 2009.
Photograph: Justin Garvanovic.
Click for a larger version. |
| All three
trustees of the Dreamland Trust attended, along with
Paris-based theme park designer Jean-Marc Toussaint, Derek
Harding of the Margate Renewal Partnership,
Roland Jeffery and Rosie Fraser of the Prince's Regeneration
Trust and Mark Lewis
and Matthew Poulter from Levitt Bernstein Architects.
Nick adds: "It was a fantastic party atmosphere
all evening. There was a real mix of people, young and old, and
phenomenal goodwill. Everyone
seemed to recognise that this project has a USP that should capture
the public's imagination."
“I was slightly overwhelmed by the
crowds,” admits Sarah Vickery. “We’ve been doing this for long
enough to know that the people of Margate want Dreamland back, but
to see so many people turn out was immensely satisfying.”
“Back when this event was first mooted, I wanted it to be like a
little slice of Dreamland with sights, sounds and smells that might
transport you there, if only for a moment. And we wanted people to
enjoy themselves, so that we can start to put the sad and desolate
Dreamland era behind us and start creating new happy memories. The
atmosphere on the night was amazing, lots of people commented on it,
and I’ve been told today that it was like being back at the park, so
I’m really pleased.”
Nick Laister concludes: "I would like to thank Sarah for all her hard work in turning this from what could have easily
been a standard public consultation event into a truly inspirational
evening. And thanks also to Mick Tomlinson for providing the music
for the evening and for putting his Dreamland models on display."
Those who couldn't make it to the
event should keep checking back to the News page this week, as we
will be uploading the plans and drawings to the
Heritage Amusement
Park pages. In the meantime, here are some photographs of the event,
courtesy of Justin Garvanovic of the European Coaster Club.
There was much press coverage on the
day of the event, including an interview with Sarah Vickery on the
BBC
News website and with Nick Laister in
Your Thanet. The
Best Western Hotels website also carried the news today and
there is a full-page article written by Nick Laister in the latest
edition of
First
Drop magazine, published by the European Coaster Club.
Planning Resource also covered the event. |
A day-long stakeholders consultation event on the Dreamland
proposals was held today at the Margate Media Centre.
The Dreamland Trust, MTCRC and Margate Renewal Partnership
presented the plans to representatives of numerous
organisations from Thanet and the region. This was followed
by workshops on the Amusement Park and Cinema, a film show
and a discussion on the key points that came out of the day.
Right: Nick Laister, Susan
Marsh and Jean-Marc Toussaint at the Dreamland Stakeholders
event this afternoon. Click on the image for a larger
version. |
 |
Sunday, 15 March 2009
| The
Saturday Observer featured an article about today's
unveiling of plans for the Dreamland heritage amusement
park. The article includes a number of quotes from Campaign
leader Nick Laister on the market for this unique
attraction.
Click here to read the article in a PDF document.
The news is also featured in Kent on Sunday.
The event is at 7.30pm,
West Coast Bar, King Street, Margate.
The Campaign's proposals
for a heritage amusement park made the front page in
Friday's Isle of Thanet Gazette. This article covers
the high profile support that the Dreamland project is now
receiving, including HRH Prince Charles and Margate-born
artist Tracey Emin: |

Click on image above to view full size
version. |
Sea Heir
Prince backs
heritage park plans
Prince Charles has
given his full
support for plans to
revive Margate’s
Dreamland theme
park.
His Royal Highness
holds monthly
meetings with the
Prince’s
Regeneration Trust’s
chief executive Ros
Kerslake, and during
a recent meeting the
next in line for the
throne showed a keen
interest in the
development of
Margate’s iconic
landmark site.
The trust is
providing advice on
the renovation of
the park, which
includes plans for a
£12 million heritage
fun park and cinema,
to the groups
working on the
project.
Mr Kerslake said:
“The Prince of Wales
is very pleased that
his trust is working
in Margate and that
it is supporting the
re-use of local
heritage assets.”
A multi-million
pounds bid for
funding for the
ambitious scheme,
also backed by
artist Tracey Emin,
will be submitted in
April, with the
decision due by
September.
A vision of
dreams
Dreamland rebirth
plans go on show
This is the first
image released
of how a newly
regenerated
Dreamland could look
if multi-million
pound plans for a
heritage theme park
go ahead. The image,
along with plans for
the world’s first
Heritage Amusement
Park, will be
unveiled on Sunday
at a party being
held at the Sugar
Lounge in Margate.
Jean-Marc Toussaint
is working with the
Dreamland Trust to
help design the
layout of the park.
A writer,
illustrator,
creative consultant
and concept
designer, Mr
Toussaint has worked
on projects in
Europe, Russia and
the USA including
French parks Park
Asterix and Grand
Parc Medieval.
In the plans the
theme park is to be
revived and the
Grade II listed
seafront cinema will
also receive a
makeover. It is
likely to become a
music venue and
museum showing
Margate’s youth the
ages, from mods and
rockers to punk.
Sea Change, a
cultural grant
scheme, has already
given money to the
Margate Renewal
Partnership to carry
out preparatory work
for the heritage
amusement park and
in June will tell
the group if it has
secured more funding
for work to begin.
An application to
the Heritage Lottery
Fund will be
submitted next month
and a decision will
be given in
September.
A raft of meetings,
including a trip to
the Prince of
Wales’s home
Clarence House, have
taken place to
discuss the project.
The Dreamland
Project at the
Prince’s
Regeneration Trust
is led by Roland
Jeffery, who will
also be attending
the party on Sunday.
Dreamland Trust
treasurer and Shell
Grotto owner Sarah
Vickery said: “We
are delighted with
the high profile
support that
Dreamland is
receiving.”
Peter Beck,
construction manager
at Waterbridge, the
company which owns
the Dreamland site,
said: “We’re very
excited about the
project and we’re
all very positive.
We wouldn’t have
come this far with
it if we didn’t
believe it could
work. It seems to be
gaining support and
that’s important
because we still
need to secure the
funding for
Dreamland. The
funding is
essential. With
regards the Scenic
Railway we’re about
30 per cent complete
with the structural
analysis and we’re
about to move on to
commission a three
dimensional survey
which will see a 3-D
map created of the
structure which will
fill in the gaps. We
don’t have the
original plans of
the part that burned
down so that’s the
next stage.”
The news has also
pleased Margate
artist Tracey Emin,
who said: “I’m happy
Margate will be
given part of its
soul back. I travel
all over the world
and whenever I’m
asked where I come
from and I say
Margate the next
word is always
Dreamland.”
Plans for the
heritage amusement
park include more
than 30 rides, some
of which keep the
white knuckle spirit
alive. The Trust
also hopes they can
purchase a large
Ferris wheel as well
as securing cable
cars linking the
sands with the park.
Designs will be
officially unveiled
this Sunday at the
Sugar Lounge in King
Street, Margate, at
7.30pm. The free
party will include
music from Thanet
councillor and DJ
Mick T chosen by
those attending.
To choose your
favourite song that
brings back memories
of Dreamland email
sarah@savedreamland.co.uk
There will be old
films of Dreamland,
music, hot dogs,
candy floss and
usherettes
encouraging visitors
to share their
memories and their
hopes for the future
of Dreamland. There
is also chance to
meet the Dreamland
team.
Editor’s comment
To hear the Prince
of Wales is pleased
with the news that
Dreamland is on the
up, is high praise
indeed.
The former fun park
has suffered mixed
fortunes. The news
that work to create
a heritage theme
park could begin by
the end of this year
is encouraging. The
work by
professionals and
volunteers behind
the scenes cannot be
underestimated.
Hours have been
spent, slogging
tirelessly away at
meetings and touring
the country looking
for rides.
While the idea of a
heritage theme park
might not be to
everyone’s taste, it
is surely better
than being used by
developers for more
homes.
In Dreamland’s glory
days hundreds of
thrill-seekers, some
from as far away as
the US, would come
to Margate to ride
the Scenic Railway.
The heritage part of
the park has
received criticism
for fear that the
white-knuckle
excitement wont be
there – but it
doesn’t get much
more exciting than a
rickety old wooden
roller coaster.
Come September the
fate of the park
will be sealed. If
successful, Margate
could become the
classic seaside town
it once was.
|
|
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Exclusive first look!
In the build-up to Sunday's unveiling
of our plans for a heritage amusement park at Dreamland, we bring
you an exclusive first look at one of the artist's
impressions of Dreamland, giving a tantalising glimpse at what the
£12m theme park could look like when it opens in 2012. A masterplan
for the park has been developed by Levitt Bernstein Architects with
Paris-based theme park designer Jean-Marc Toussaint. The drawing
below is by Jean-Marc and shows the rebuilt River Caves and Water
Chute. See several more artist's impressions, the new masterplan and
much more at Sunday's event.
7.30pm, West Coast Bar, King Street, Margate. Admission free.

Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Sarah Vickery appeared on BBC
Newsroom South East yesterday evening from Dreamland explaining
the plans for the heritage amusement park which are to be unveiled
on Sunday.
Today's Your Thanet newspaper
featured a preview of Sunday's event, with several quotes from
Dreamland Trust chairman Nick Laister. Nick provided more
information about the heritage amusement park proposals, the
applications for grant funding and the timetable for the
construction of the park.
View report.
And check back to this News page
tomorrow evening for an exclusive sneak preview of Sunday's
unveiling with an artist's impression of what Dreamland will look
like when the Heritage Amusement Park opens in 2011/2012.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
| The heritage
amusement park was featured extensively on Breakfast with
John Warnett and Julia George on BBC Radio Kent this
morning. At 7am John Warnett interviewed Graham Cooke who
was reporting live from the park. Just after the 8am news,
the Dreamland Trust's Sarah Vickery appeared as a studio
guest. Sarah talked about the restoration of the Scenic
Railway, the costs of the project and gave some teasers
about what people can expect to see when the plans are
unveiled on Sunday. If you missed this, you can here it for
a few days on
BBC Radio Kent's website (Graham Cooke's report is
at 0:01:53 and Sarah is on at approximately 1:02:40).
Alternatively,
download both reports as an mp3 from the Save
Dreamland website. Note that the pre-recorded part of
Graham's 7am report is repeated in the 8am slot.
The news is also covered on the main
BBC
News website, based around an interview with Dreamland Trust
chairman Nick Laister. |
 |
News of the unveiling of the heritage amusement park plans
this weekend was also covered today in the Thanet Times:
|
Dreamy exhibition
unveils funpark’s
future
Dream no more about
Dreamland’s return,
an unveiling of the
plans takes place on
Sunday in Margate. I
Dream of Dreamland,
an unveiling of the
Save Dreamland
Campaign’s plans for
the world’s first
heritage amusement
park, is at the
Sugar Lounge in King
Street from 7.30pm
to 11.30pm.
Plans were initially
announced in 2007
and since then the
Dreamland Trust has
worked with Thanet
council, Margate
Renewal Partnership
and site owner
Margate Town Centre
Regeneration Company
to get proposals
moving.
Organiser Sarah
Vickery said: “We’d
like you to choose
your Dreamland
soundtrack for the
night, so if you
have a song that
brings back special
memories of the park
please email your
request to
sarah@savedreamland.co.uk
Was this song
playing when you had
your first date at
Dreamland? Or your
first kiss? Share
with your memories
with us and we’ll
share your music.
There will be old
films of Dreamland,
music, hot dogs,
candy floss and
costumed usherettes
encouraging visitors
to share their
memories and their
hopes for the future
of the Dreamland
site, both the park
and the cinema."
There is also a
chance to meet the
Dreamland team.
Plans are for a £12
million heritage
amusement park
centre on the Grade
II listed scenic
railway, the oldest
roller coaster in
the UK. It will
feature some of the
last surviving
examples of
well-known amusement
park rides rescued
by the Save
Dreamland Campaign
from parks which
have closed down.
Chairman of the
Dreamland Trust Nick
Laister said: “We
were successful in
winning a Sea Change
grant last year and,
with additional
funding from
Dreamland’s owner,
MTCRC, and the
Margate Renewal
Partnership, we have
been able to appoint
specialist advisers
who are starting to
bring our dreams to
reality.
“If we can secure
our next round of
grant funding, work
on the park could
start later this
year, with the park
opening in 2012.”
Cage protection
Rare cages
discovered at the
Dreamland site have
been given planning
protection by the
Government and now
may be incorporated
into a road plan.
The move will mean
the newly protected
site will need
listed building
consent.
|
Monday, 9 March 2009
Sarah Vickery will be interviewed live
on BBC Radio Kent at 8am tomorrow morning, with news of the
weekend's launch event and
our heritage amusement park proposals. She will be interviewed again
by Radio Kent in the build-up to the event at 4.15pm on Sunday.
She is also being interviewed for BBC Newsroom South East
tomorrow at the park.
Friday, 6 March 2009
'I
Dream of Dreamland' event - more details
We are formally unveiling our plans
for the brand new Dreamland Amusement Park at a special free public event
on the evening of Sunday 15th March at the West Coast Bar, King
Street, Margate. The layout plans and images have been assembled
over the past few months by a team led by The Dreamland Trust/Save
Dreamland Campaign, site owners the Margate Town Centre Regeneration
Company and the Margate Renewal Partnership. Sunday will be the
first time these plans have been seen in public. In addition to
unveiling the plans, we will be presenting old footage of Dreamland
and the Scenic Railway through the years, playing a seriously good
Dreamland soundtrack and having an all-round fantastic time. The
Dreamland of tomorrow will echo the thrilling theme parks of the
past, and this is your chance to climb on board, fasten your
seatbelts and enjoy the ride! Click on the invite below for a larger
PDF version and put the event into your diary now!
If you would like to print out
this poster and put it on the wall at your place of work, right
click the image below and click 'Print Target'. Alternatively, save
the PDF file onto your PC by right clicking the image and click
'Save Target As'. Thank you for your help.

Thursday, 5 March 2009
Urban Panel
comes to Dreamland
The last two days have seen some of the most intensive
meetings so far in the bid to bring an exciting new 21st
Century tourist attraction to Margate's Dreamland.
|
| On Wednesday
4 March, the Government's Urban Panel visited Margate. The
Urban Panel brings together the expertise of the Commission
for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and
English Heritage to help Local Authorities, development
agencies and others to engage in major regeneration of
historic towns and cities. Nick Laister and Sarah Vickery
represented The Dreamland Trust at a special evening dinner
with the Urban Panel at No6 Brasserie in Margate. Also in
attendance at the dinner were Richard Simmons (Chief
Executive of CABE), Les Sparks OBE (Chair of Urban Panel),
Dr Andrew Brown (Regional Director, English Heritage) and
Cllr Sandy Ezekiel (Leader, Thanet District Council). That
same evening, Susan Marsh was busy representing the
Dreamland Trust at a meeting of the Margate Round Table, at
which she gave a presentation on the work of the Trust/Save
Dreamland Campaign. |

 |
On the morning of Thursday 5 March, Nick Laister attended
the Urban Panel's site visit to Dreamland. Nick presented
the Trust's vision for the site and answered questions from
Panel members. He then joined Susan Marsh and Sarah Vickery
for a Meeting of the Trustees of the Dreamland Trust at the
Walpole Bay Hotel in Cliftonville.
|
At midday,
the Dreamland Client Group (The Dreamland Trust, Margate
Town Centre Regeneration Company, Margate Renewal
Partnership) and their advisers (The Prince's Regeneration
Trust, Levitt Bernstein Architects, Locum Consulting)
presented their proposals for a Heritage Amusement Park at
Dreamland to the Board of the Margate Renewal Partnership (MRP)
at the Margate Media Centre.
|
 |
|
The support of the Board is essential if the project is to
be delivered, as it requires 'buy-in' from the key
stakeholders in the town and south east region. Roland
Jeffery of the Prince's Regeneration Trust opened the
presentation and he was followed by Nick Laister, who set
out the Dreamland Trust's vision for a "thrilling theme park
from the past", with a slideshow showing why the proposal
will be a unique visitor attraction of international
importance. Nick was followed by short presentations on the
business plan from David Geddes of Locum Consulting and the
masterplan/architectural designs by Mark Lewis of Levitt
Bernstein Architects. The MRP Board is chaired by Pam
Alexander (Chief Executive of SEEDA). Other Board members
present included Victoria Pomery (Project Director, Turner
Contemporary); Dr Andrew Brown (Planning & Development
Director for South East, English Heritage) and Richard
Samuel (Chief Executive, Thanet District Council).
The Board presentation was followed by
a meeting of the Dreamland Client Group, at which further work was
carried out on the amusement park proposals and further planning of
the big public launch event of the Dreamland Heritage Amusement Park
in Margate on Sunday 15 March at 7.30pm. The Trust hopes to see a
big turnout for what is expected to be a lively evening.
Dreamland cages
in the news
News of the listing of Sanger's animal
cages at Dreamland has made it into a number of news and blog sites,
including
This is Kent,
Nemesis Republic Blog and
Thanetonline. |
Monday, 2 March 2009
Dreamland cages
listing entry
We now have a copy of the official
listing schedule for the "remains of menagerie enclosures and cages
at Dreamland". Download
(PDF)...
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Dreamland
meeting in royal residence
| Susan Marsh
and Nick Laister of The
Dreamland Trust/Save Dreamland Campaign were again in London
yesterday for meetings at the offices of The Princes Trust in
Clarence House, the Prince of Wales's official residence. The first meeting, which started at 10am, covered
some of the business discussions that have to take place between The
Dreamland Trust, Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company (the
owners of Dreamland) and Thanet District Council. The discussions
were facilitated by The Prince’s Regeneration Trust.
Susan Marsh, Secretary of the
Dreamland Trust, said: “It was a productive meeting as we move
forward to making formal grant applications very soon”.
|
 |
|
A short break for lunch and the
second meeting commenced when many of the consultants working for
the Dreamland Client Group had arrived to give preliminary reports
on their work to date.
Nick Laister, Chair of The
Dreamland Trust, said: "It is exciting to see the architects' first
layouts of the Heritage Amusement Park. Initial reports from Locum
Consulting on the business plan were also very promising, but there
is still much work to be done if we are to meet the tight deadlines
for the grant applications."
Nick Laister, Sarah Vickery and
Susan Marsh will all be attending a whole series of meetings in
Margate during next week and are also preparing for the special
evening event ‘I Dream of
Dreamland’ on Sunday 15th March when they hope to see
supporters of the Campaign.
|
Thursday, 26 February 2009
|
Dreamland animal cages
listed! |
| We are
pleased to announce that the animal cages, which were
uncovered last year and once formed part of 'Lord' George
Sanger's menagerie, were listed Grade II on 23 February.
Thought to be the
only cages of their
kind left in this
country, the two
metre semi-circular
cages most likely
contained monkeys.
The zoo lasted
until 1905 – the
year Sanger retired
– when the remaining
animals were sold
but was partially
restocked in July
1913. When Dreamland
was opened in 1920
the grounds were
derelict but were
restored, although
the cages were never
returned to use.
|
 |
|
I Dream of Dreamland
-
event announced
We are also able to announce a
special evening event in Margate on Sunday 15 March 2009,
open to all, at which the proposals for a heritage amusement
park at Dreamland will be launched and discussed. Full
details of the event - called I Dream of Dreamland -
to follow soon. A teaser below - put it in your diaries.
 |
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Isle of Thanet
Gazette responds to Leader's criticisms
Dreamland featured extensively in the
local press this week. In addition to the Leader's Column (reported
yesterday), there was coverage in Friday's
Isle of Thanet Gazette, including a response to Thanet
District Council's Dreamland-free vision for the town:
Dreamland
development depends
on bid for funding
Work could begin on
Dreamland’s revival
by the end of the
year if a
multimillion-pound
bid for funding is
successful. Meetings
have been held this
week to thrash out
the final details of
the applications to
be submitted in
April. Dreamland
Trust treasurer
Sarah Vickery is
seeking the windfall
from regeneration
body Sea Change and
the Heritage Lottery
fund, with a
decision expected by
September. The Shell
Grotto owner says it
will cost £23
million to turn the
site into an
amusement park and
its cinema into a
music venue. Ms
Vickery said the
trust is bidding for
less than £10
million; if
Dreamland’s owners
can stump up the
rest, the park could
open by Easter 2012.
Editor’s comment –
Ignore Dreamland or
face your peril
Hardly a week passes
without our news
team receiving a
passionate plea from
a reader demanding:
“We want Dreamland
back.”
Families, not just
from Thanet, but
across the country
and even further
afield, have fond
memories of Margate
as a bustling
seaside town with
the amusement park
as its corner stone.
It’s the town’s
identity – why kill
it?
So when the council
unveils its vision
for 2030 and makes
no mention of
Dreamland in it, you
can’t help but
wonder if the
council is actually
listening to the
people who elected
it.
Sandy Ezekiel says
this week the
council is fully
behind Dreamland.
The proof will be in
the pudding. When
the report goes into
so much detail in
Ramsgate as to
mention sailing
clothes shops,
oyster bars and
seafood restaurants
but, for Margate,
makes no reference
to Dreamland you
can’t help but think
it’s not in the
forefront of
councillors’ minds.
Tourism was the
isle’s principal
industry and its
people still aspire
to this – hence the
council-supported
Turner Contemporary
planned to draw in
crowds.
But that is one
section of the
market. What about
families, schools,
clubs, couples and
individuals that
just want a day at
the seaside? Margate
should consider
other previously
much-loved
struggling seaside
towns, such as
Blackpool that play
to their strengths
and encourage crowds
with a choice of
entertainment
including
amusements.
Like many other
non-commercial
districts, Thanet’s
business parks
provide additional
bread and butter
employment. But this
is secondary
industry. With high
unemployment, high
levels of benefit
and run-down towns,
how will we attract
skilled workers
unless we become the
tourist attraction
we once were.
Listen to your
electorate. Ignore
Dreamland at your
peril.
|
Friday, 20 February 2009
"Positive
progress" made on Heritage Amusement Park proposals
| Nick Laister and Susan
Marsh attended a Dreamland Client Group meeting at
the offices of The Prince's Regeneration Trust in London
today. To demonstrate Thanet District Council's commitment to the
project, TDC Chief Executive Richard Samuel also attended.
Although Toby Hunter of MTCRC was not able to make it in
person, he was present for a large part of the meeting on
speakerphone from Cornwall. Ross Stewart and Peter Beck
represented MTCRC, with Derek Harding representing the
Margate Renewal Partnership and Roland Jeffery and Rosie
Fraser attending on behalf of the PRT.
Dreamland Trust Chairman Nick
Laister said: "This was a very important meeting, where we
needed to iron out a number of fundamental issues. I am
pleased to say that positive progress was made and I am
confident that we will be able to put forward strong
applications for grant funding later this year. If we are
successful, work building a new amusement park at Dreamland
will commence."
Work on the layout of the
park continues apace, with a further design workshop
proposed for next Friday, 27 February.
Following Sandy Ezekiel's
statement of commitment to
the Heritage Amusement Park
project on 17 February (see
below), the Council
Leader formally responded to
the
10 February article in
the Thanet Times in his
weekly column in today's
Isle of Thanet Gazette:
"Last week I
announced my vision
for Thanet. Perhaps
I should not have
been surprised when
I read the piece in
the Thanet Times
highlighting
Dreamland.
The headline quote
from me, "Let go of
the past", was only
part of what I said
to Thom Morris when
asked about the
future of the
Dreamland site.
Whether it was his
editorial bosses or
Thom himself who
chose to give only
half the statement I
don’t know. What I
can assure all is
that the council
position is clear.
We want to see a
heritage park that
mirrors no other, is
unique and offers
the kind of
sustainable
attraction that
Dreamland did in the
1950s, 1960s and
1970s. I also went
on to talk about a
sealife centre that
we were negotiating
with an operator
before the
recession. Talks are
still ongoing.
Perhaps the
Government could put
its resources into
this much needed
scheme rather than
throwing it into the
banks."
|
The proposed Heritage
Amusement Park was also covered in
Your Thanet. |
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
"I am 100% behind the project": Sandy Ezekiel,
Council Leader
|
The Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Sandy Ezekiel,
has given his full support to the proposed Heritage
Amusement Park at Dreamland, which is being promoted by
The Dreamland Trust.
The comments come on the day that the Trust launched its
vision for Dreamland in response to
comments made by
Cllr Ezekiel last week.
Ezekiel contacted the
Dreamland Trust today to refute the report in last week's
Thanet Times.
"I made it very clear to
the reporter that I support the heritage park. With
appropriate enabling development, it's absolutely the right
way to go. After all, it will be my signature on the funding
document, so of course I am 100% behind the project." |
 |
He added that he would be
"more than happy" to add Dreamland to the council's vision
document if that's what the public wants. A draft version
goes out to public consultation on 28th February.
Front page news
The Trust's vision was the
front page item in today's Thanet Times, backed by a
major article inside the newspaper. In the article, based
around an interview with Dreamland Trust Treasurer Sarah
Vickery, the Trust exclusively announces that work could
begin on Dreamland’s revival by the end of the year if a
multimillion-pound bid for funding is successful. Sarah explains the reasons for the launch this
week: "We felt we had to release this information now
in response to Sandy Ezekiel’s comments, which were
unhelpful to say the least."
|
| Sarah told
the Times that the project will cost £23 million to turn the
former thrillseekers’ paradise into a fully fledged
amusement park and its cinema into a music venue. Architects
are busy working on the plans which will be revealed before
funding bids are submitted in April.
The article
goes on to state: "The park could include
bumper cars track, a water shoot, sandstorm wheel, ghost
train, caterpillar, haunted swing and the return of the
river caves. The cinema could become a music venue with the
facilities to cut a track, and museum documenting the
history of Margate’s teenagers, from punks to rockers.
"Sea
Change, a cultural grant scheme, has already given money to
the Margate Renewal Partnership to carry out preparatory
work for the heritage amusement park and in June will tell
the group if it has secured more funding for work to begin." |
 |
BBC Radio Kent will
also be including the story on their news bulletins
tomorrow. |
Designing Dreamland
Further progress was made on the layout of the Heritage
Amusement Park yesterday when a design workshop was held at
the offices of Dreamland's architects Levitt Bernstein. Nick
Laister and Susan Marsh represented the Dreamland Trust at
the meeting and, with assistance from Paris-based theme park
designer Jean-Marc Toussaint and tourism experts Locum
Consulting, worked through the rides acquired for the project
to assess the space required to deliver a tourist attraction
with sufficient critical mass to act as a destination, which
can accommodate large numbers of visitors in pleasant
landscaped grounds.
Susan Marsh comments that
the day was a success: "Whilst the meeting schedule is
getting intensive its worth all the travelling as we see our
dreams coming to fruition". |
Friday, 13 February 2009
| The work currently being
carried out by Prince's Regeneration Trust on behalf of the
Dreamland Trust, Margate Renewal Partnership and Margate
Town Centre Regeneration Company features in the PRT's
latest newsletter (scroll down to the picture of the Scenic
Railway at this
link). The project now features on the PRT's
main website. |
 |
For more information on The
Dreamland Trust, which administers the Save Dreamland
Campaign, click here. |
Friday, 13 February 2009
| Nick Laister and Susan
Marsh represented the Save Dreamland Campaign/The Dreamland
Trust at a Dreamland Client Group meeting in London today.
The meeting discussed progress on preparation of to two
grant funding applications to be made in April. Margate
Renewal Partnership has already received funding from the
Government's Sea Change cultural grant scheme, which is
part-funding the current feasibility and design work. An
application for several million pounds worth of additional
funding will be submitted in April by the Dreamland Trust
and Thanet District Council, with a decision expected in
June. A further bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund will
also be submitted in April with a decision in September.
Architects Levitt Bernstein, working with the Campaign's own
Jean-Marc Toussaint, are currently preparing a detailed
layout for the heritage amusement park. If successful, work
on the heritage amusement park should start in 2010 for a
2012 opening. |

Caterpillar: One of the rides acquired for the heritage
amusement park |
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
| Council
Leader Sandy Ezekiel was interviewed in yesterday's Thanet
Times. In this interview, Ezekiel appears to speak out
against Dreamland:
Article
Campaign Leader, Nick Laister,
says: "We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this
statement. We are currently seeking clarification because it
is completely at odds with his position at meetings and
completely flies in the face of the Council's own adopted
Planning Brief for the site. More importantly, such comments
could severely undermine the work being carried out by the
Margate Renewal Partnership, Council officers and
Dreamland's owners in bringing forward a thrilling new
amusement park at Dreamland. This is particularly concerning
as the various partners in the project (the Council, Margate
Renewal Partnership, Margate Town Centre Regeneration
Company and The Dreamland Trust/Save Dreamland Campaign),
supported by consultants (The Prince's Regeneration Trust,
Locum Consulting, Jean-Marc Toussaint, Levitt Bernstein
Architects) gear up to submitting a bid
millions of pounds of grant funding for the world's first heritage amusement park at Dreamland.
|

Council Leader, Sandy Ezekiel: U-Turn? |
"How many other Councils would make statements like this
only a matter of weeks before an important bid for millions
of pounds worth of grant funding is submitted? I hope he
carefully considers the consequences of this statement in
undermining the efforts of all these organisations and its
consequential impact on the regeneration of the town.
"From my own perspective, it will be
very disappointing if Mr Ezekiel does not retract these comments,
not only because it goes against the wishes of the people of Margate
in the various consultation exercises undertaken by the Council over
the last few years, but because this U-turn comes at a time when
major players in the tourist attractions industry have come forward
and expressed their serious interest in operating this exciting 21st
century attraction. We await clarification." |
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Tuesday's Thanet Times included
a small news item on the possibility of a museum dedicated to youth
cults being located within the Dreamland Cinema:
Taking lead on
Dreamland
Consultants
developing concepts
for a possible
Heritage Amusement
Park and use of the
Dreamland Cinema
building have taken
a lead from a Thanet
Times story. We
reported how
conservation expert
at Thanet council
Nick Dermott hoped
for a museum
dedicated to youth
cults since the
1950s. At a meeting
next week,
discussions will
take place on
whether the
Dreamland Cinema
building could be
used for such an
attraction. To find
out more see
www.thisiskent.co.uk
or the Isle of
Thanet Gazette next
Friday.
|
In other news, the Noble
Organisation has applied for planning permission to use the land
formerly occupied by Mr G's amusement arcade (43-47 Marine Terrace)
as a temporary car park for a period of five years. The gap in the
frontage at Marine Terrace was created in
April 2003 following a devastating fire which destroyed the
arcade and damaged other adjacent buildings. The plot is leased to
the Noble Organisation by Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company
Ltd.
View the covering letter explaining the background to the
application.
View planning application form
View site location plan
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Dreamland, Margate: "A Thrilling Theme Park from the Past"
| Campaign
leader Nick Laister represented the Save Dreamland Campaign
and The Dreamland Trust today at a meeting in London with
consultants working on a business plan for the proposed
Dreamland Heritage Amusement Park. The aim was for all
parties to agree a vision for the park, and the listed
cinema, and to look at options for the main Dreamland
building. Laister opened the meeting with an outline of the
Trust's vision for the world's first heritage amusement
park, which he described as "a thrilling theme park from the
past". Also attending the meeting were representatives from
Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, Margate Renewal
Partnership, Thanet District Council, The Arts Council,
Locum Consulting and architects Levitt Bernstein. |
 |
As well as a business plan, more detailed design proposals
for the park will emerge over the coming weeks, with the
Campaign's theme park designer Jean-Marc Toussaint playing
an important role. The work will form the basis of bids for
grant funding later this year.
A summary version of the Trust's
vision for the park is now available to download from
here. Much more
information on our proposals can be seen on our special
Dreamland Heritage Amusement
Park Microsite, including the Concept Plan and details of
the acquired rides.
In a flurry of recent meetings,
Campaign Coordinator Sarah Vickery represented the Campaign at a
meeting Margate on Tuesday to discuss arrangements for stakeholder
consultations in Margate. Susan Marsh represented the Campaign,
alongside Derek Harding of the Margate Renewal Partnership and Nick
Dermott of Thanet District Council, at a meeting with the Heritage
Lottery Fund on Wednesday.
In other news, discussions continue in
the attempts by Thanet District Council to bring a summer funfair to
Margate. This was covered in yesterday's edition of
Your Thanet. |
Monday,
2 February 2009
Friday's Isle of Thanet Gazette
carried a small news item on the likely lack of a summer funfair on
Dreamland:
Doubts cast over
summer fun fair at
Dreamland site.
There is doubt over
whether a fun fair
will be held at
Dreamland this
summer - the second
year Margate's prime
seafront site could
remain empty. Land
owner Waterbridge
said is willing to
consider individual
requests for a fun
fair if any are
made. But Thanet
council has
confirmed its not
willing to pay for
one to be there.
Meanwhile, the Grade
II listed Scenic
Railway reamins
fenced off as repair
work continues after
it was partially
destroyed by fire
last April.
|
Meanwhile there has been a flurry of
behind-the-scenes activity over the past few weeks. Sarah Vickery
represented the Campaign on a 7 January 2009 site visit to
Dreamland with the Princes Regeneration Trust and Locum
Consulting. The two consultancies are advising Margate Renewal
Partnership, the Dreamland Trust and Margate Town Centre
Regeneration Partnership on the feasibility of the heritage
amusement park proposals as part of various bids for possible grant
funding. The aim of the meeting was to familiarise the consultants
with the park and the two main listed structures. Sarah and Susan
Marsh represented the Trust/Campaign at a further meeting at Locum's
offices in London on 22 January.
Friday,
16 January 2009
| Peter Wilson
has contacted the campaign to tell us about a booklet which
tells the railway life of his Grandfather, Edward Cuckney.
Called Edward (Ted) Thomas Cuckney: A Distinguished
Railway Career - Mainline & Miniature, the booklet
features the miniature railways of Margate Pier & Harbour Co
Ltd and Dreamland Amusement Park. Click on the image to the
right for a larger version of the cover.
If the booklets are purchased
directly from Peter, he will donate £1.00 for each copy sold
to the Campaign. The booklets cost £3.75 each, including UK
postage and packing. Please send a cheque, payable to P
Wilson, to:
Peter Wilson, 6 Sea View
Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1BX.
Don't forget to mention the
Save Dreamland Campaign to ensure that we receive the
donation. Newspaper
report
here. |
 |
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