Dreamland Margate

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Dreamland Margate
Image:Dreamland-front.JPG
Location Margate, Kent, England
Owner The Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company
Opened 1920
Previous names Bembom Brothers White Knuckle Theme Park
Operating season currently closed
Rides 0 total

Dreamland Margate is a currently closed amusement park in the seaside resort town of Margate, Kent, England.Pland are however in place too re-open it.

Contents

[edit] History

Dreamland opened in 1920 and became a popular attraction with visitors to Margate. The park has the UK's oldest roller coaster, The Scenic Railway which is a Grade II listed structure. In 1981 Dreamland was purchased from Associated leisure/Plesurama by the Dutch Bembom Brothers who owned several European park's they renamed it Bembom Brothers White Knuckle Theme Park,[1] and converted it to a pay-on-entry park.Many new rides were installed including The looping Star metal roller coaster (the first complete track circuit vertical looping coatser in the uk) and The Mary Rose a looping pirate ship. In 1990 it reverted back to the iconic Dreamland name, [2] and in 1996 it was purchased by Jimmy Godden, who had operated Folkestone's Rotunda Amusement Park since the 1970s (now closed) and Ramsgate Pleasure park since 1982 (also closed) [3]

Dreamland Margate in late 2007(Fire damaged in 2008). Only The Scenic Railway, a listed building, remains.
Dreamland Margate in late 2007(Fire damaged in 2008). Only The Scenic Railway, a listed building, remains.

In 2003, Godden announced that Dreamland would close and the land become a retail and commercial site.[4] Public opinion supported continued use of the Dreamland site as an amusement park, along with a government report in 2004.[5][6] Dreamland was sold to Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company in 2005 for £20m.[7] A number of local residents have formed the Save Dreamland Campaign. The campaign proposes to turn Dreamland into a Heritage Amusement Park consisting of a number of vintage rides and attractions from other British amusement parks.[8] Some rides have already been obtained by Save Dreamland and are currently in storage.

Although it was initially announced Dreamland would close in November 2003,[9] it did indeed operate during 2004, 2005 and 2006. Since then, most of the rides and attractions have been removed with only The Scenic Railway remaining.[6] Its listed building status means it cannot be moved or dismantled.

[edit] 2008 Scenic Railway Fire

On April 7, 2008, a fire broke out at the Dreamland site, causing significant damage to the Scenic Railway. Police initially treated the fire as suspicious,[10] before confirming that it had been started deliberately.[11]

The BBC reported that up to 60 firefighters had tackled the blaze,[11] and that about 20% of the track was destroyed, as well as the workshop where the cars were housed and part of the "station", although the engine house, containing the electric motors and winding gear, survived.[12]

The Save Dreamland Campaign said that repairing the structure would not be difficult, while English Heritage said that, while it was certainly badly damaged their instinct was that the structure was not beyond repair. Sandy Ezekiel, leader of Thanet District Council, has called on the owners to restore it as soon as possible, due to it being a listed structure.[13]

Thanet District Council officers said it was reasonable to expect that the ride might be repaired and operational by 2009 and that it hoped the owners of the site, the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, would undertake the necessary work.[12] Following a meeting on the evening of 2008-04-16, Thanet District Council's Planning Committee said that the rollercoaster's restoration should be made a legal requirement, and hoped that the Grade II listed ride would be rebuilt by Easter 2009.[14]

[edit] Dreamland Margate in popular culture

Dreamland was the subject of a 1953 documentary film, O Dreamland. It was also visited by characters in the 1989 Christmas special of BBC Television sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. Some of the rides seen in the sitcom can now be found renamed and repainted at Loudoun Castle Theme Park in Scotland. It was also the filming location for the 2007 film Exodus.

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1989 Bembom Brothers White Knuckle Theme Park Flyer. Archived Copy
  2. ^ 1990 Dreamland White Knuckle Theme Park Flyer. Archived Copy
  3. ^ The Save Dreamland Campaign.
  4. ^ "Dreamland fun park set to close", BBC Kent, 2003-01-16. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. 
  5. ^ "Inquiry hears rollercoaster fans", BBC Kent, 2004-06-29. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. 
  6. ^ a b "Dreamland plans 'a blank canvas'", BBC Kent, 2007-02-06. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. 
  7. ^ "Dreamland site sold to developers", BBC Kent, 2005-03-11. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. 
  8. ^ "Heritage idea for Dreamland site", BBC Kent, 2007-04-30. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. 
  9. ^ "Dreamland closes its doors", BBC Kent, 2003-11-02. Retrieved on 2008-02-09. 
  10. ^ "Fire rips through rollercoaster", BBC, 2008-04-07. 
  11. ^ a b "Rollercoaster fire was deliberate", BBC, 2008-04-08. 
  12. ^ a b "Arson ride could reopen in a year", BBC, 2008-04-14. 
  13. ^ "Dreamland ride 'can be rebuilt'", BBC, 2008-04-11. 
  14. ^ "Planners say ride must be rebuilt", BBC, 2008-04-16. 

[edit] External links

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