Joyland Books

SPAB, 19th November

http://www.maintainyourbuilding.org.uk/ ... 00009.html

This sounds quite interesting. As I am now working up in the city I may well try to get along to this after work tomorrow.

Many thanks for posting this EAS (I would never have been aware otherwise I'm sure!)

Martin

Well, I actually got around to just about finding this venue after work tonight. I nearly aborted my mission after initially being guided by a Holborn tube worker who didn't seem to know his left from right as he sent me in the completely wrong direction. (Knew I should have looked at the map myself).

It was quite an interesting talk, with many projected pictures, about the general evolvement in our seaside culture and associated architecture, including lidos. The female speaker didn't really touch much on amusement arcades or parks, but after the talk I went up to have a chat to her about my involvement with this campaign. During our discussion an American guy was near us waiting, it appeared, to also have a chat with the lady. He told me his name was Miko (if I've spelt it correctly) and he had something to do with the Dreamland site planning, I believe, working in connection with Waterbridge. He seemed to hold the view that the area could only now sustain a smaller amusement park and some amount of housing/retail was necessary to boister the local economy, if I got that right.

I personally still do not fully believe those viewpoints and feel that the whole Dreamland site could, in the right hands, once again be profitable, but as a last resort would probably tend to somewhat compromise rather than risk losing everything.

Martin

PS I just missed the opportunity to throw a plug in for our cause after the lecture but a guy got up near the front "stage" area and starting wrapping things up just before I was priming myself!

Hi Martin,

I think if I had met this guy I would first have asked if all the existing retail units in the area were filled i.e. justify his statement. As we know they are not, so how does his position stand up if the existing retail is not let?

The only reason they want housing and retail is to try to get some cash back on the investment.

Buy a bit of land and speculate that it might get planning for houses! Well it's about time things did not always go the way of the profiteers.

Vince.

Well, Dr Ferry has just left her job with the Victorian Society to concentrate on other things (a book) and so really the scope of her interest is possibly more broad and encompasses a wider remit than our focus.

However, I do know that at the recent English Heritage national conference on seasides (attended by two of the leaders of this campaign) the Scenic was mentioned in a talk given by Dr Bowdler, in charge of listing at EH. Dr Bowdler is certainly, I can assure you, aware of the rarity now of some of the structures and buildings associated with amusement parks, and has had the dubious pleasure of reading several reports compiled by me, with help from others (for which I am grateful) but really there is little left in this country which could be protected by listing.

I also think you will find many in the conservation world are aware of this campaign! Don't forget Dreamland not only has the listed Scenic, it also has the listed cinema.

Some of my best mates are fairly high profile in the conservation movement. It's all a battle but it gives credibility to what we are trying to achieve.

Yes, I agree that in reality we know Dreamland could rise again given a willing owner, but I think we will probably have to accept that is out of our hands and thank our lucky stars that at least some of the site will be protected and hopefully become something unique.

Without the hard work of people leading this campaign, we wouldn't have achieved that, and the site would simply have gone the way of Rhyl.