What a nice place to find!

[r_learmouth]

Just wanted to say how pleased I was to find out about Save Dreamland and indeed the wider forums.

I quite often reminisce over the Christmas period through the internet. It's nice to find links to the past and hopefully even to be able to get involved again someway!

I was taken to Dreamland on several occasions as a child in the mid-70s. Sadly I have little in the way of memories which is gutting as myself and my brother had a wonderful childhood. In fact I seem to remember so little of my life now before the age of 10! Thankfully lots of wonderful stuff is recorded in my Dad's extensive slide collection but sadly nothing of Dreamland.

Somehow the aspect and external appearance of the park lodged with me and on the odd occasion I've gone back to Margate as an adult seeing it again stirred something deep inside of me. Somehow, subconciously, Dreamland has become potent imagery of my childhood without actually remembering much about it!

I have 2 memories. First of all remembering that a perfect day was beach, Dreamland (and no doubt going on all day about going there) and going home past the Hornby factory at Westwood. The other memory is very bizzare! The mid-70s was when less-able bodied people had those government issue light-blue 3-wheeled cars and for some reason I'd developed an obsession with them. We were getting back into the car one day in the Dreamland car park (it must have been late as I recall it was nearly deserted) when I spotted what I thought was one of these cars a few feet away. I made a remark to my Mum in what I thought was a very quiet voice and the gentleman came over and told me in no uncertain terms that he was not disabled! That's probably my earliest memory in my entire life (I must have been 4-6 years old) and appears so clearly in my head it's like we're all there now.

Anyhow, I last drove past Dreamland in about Oct/Nov time 2005. I'd made a point of driving past while I was making a trip to the Hornby factory. You see, some dreams do come true as I have spent my whole adult life dealing in collectable Scalextric cars! I even did it for a living for 2.5 years at the time of my factory visit.

I assumed then that Dreamland was finished. It certainly looked like it. A big part of me sunk through the floor when I saw it. So I can't tell you how thrilled I was to discover that there might well be a future for the park.

I think the heritage park is a simply amazing idea. I had no idea we had so few historic parks left and that what we did, had been closing at such an alarming rate in the last couple of years. I take my hat off to the movers and shakers amongst you in fact all of you who have a love for Dreamland. I really do.

And I think one of the nicest things about the words and messages I'm seeing is that this is not just about saving machinery, important that is. It's all about remembering, reliving and preserving precious childhood memories as well as making sure it's all there for our children. It's also about saving our amazing seaside resorts - who'd have thought we would have needed to do this back when we were children .

As a long time enthusiast of many things vintage including steam railways I have seen similar projects work very well and hold their own. I so hope this one comes off and will be watching this space carefully. It would be a special thing to return with my parents and my 2 children to a bright park, full of fun and laughter.

By the way, perhaps Hornby becoming involved in some way would add some weight or further interest to the project? They could have a circuit, shop, exhibition somewhere. That would be a nice thing as Hornby have been synonomous with Margate and played their own, signficant part in the local economy too over the last 40 years. I have a useful contact inside the factory if anyone wants to explore this.

[Gary]

What a great post - Welcome to the forums r_learmouth! Great to have you here.

Scalextric? Hornby? FANTASTIC!!

I remember having an Airfix racing game circa 1966 - Wish I still had it.

My wife bought me a train set for Christmas last year and a Scalextric two years prior..My 10 year old daughter thinks I'm mad but I'm just trying to do the things you do when you are mid forties and revisit "the happy highways where I went" ..and to quote yourself:

preserving precious childhood memories as well :D

I think the idea of involving Hornby sounds fascinating - I'll leave it to the main people spearheading the campaign to answer this though.

Hey if you are in possession of any old photos (Perhaps from your dad's slide collection) of any old interesting rides / places etc then please feel free to share them with

http://www.joylandbooks.com and

http://www.joylandbooks.com/themagiceye

All visitors to these forums, I'm sure, would love to see some of them.

Cheers

Gary

[alco804]

I too was glad to find the website, I have many happy memories of dreamland. I was shocked a few years ago to find it had closed, it had always seemed so full! It's shocking that Margate and other seaside towns have allowed their Attractions to close, this has led to reduction in visitors and the downturn in the areas. Lets hope the heritage project gets going I forone will be willing to help out and will be in line the first day it reopens. Long live Dreamland and long may it continue.