Question about the Potential Future of Dreamland

The Save Dreamland Campaign was launched by Joyland Books in January 2003 and is now supported by several thousand people. This is the place to discuss all aspects of saving Margate's famous amusement park and its iconic , Grade II listed Scenic Railway, Britain's oldest roller coaster.

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Question about the Potential Future of Dreamland

Postby Graeme » 10 Feb 2003, 18:29

I would like to ask the Save Dreamland campaign what it visualises in the future for Dreamland.

1) How much car parking space do you suggest the park keeps, if any at all? If you are suggesting the park carries on with half its space, would that mean the Scenic Railway and everything on the Frisbee side of it, leaving visitors to use general Margate car parks?

2) If the campaign is successful, the only ride Jimmy Godden is obliged to leave is the Scenic Railway. He could sell on his funfair type rides to numerous different showmen/amusement park operators, or in a package deal to the new buyer. Would there be room for new, permanent attractions along the lines of the ones Dreamland once had? Or do you think it will be enough to have the Scenic Railway as the main coaster, supported by rides similar to those there now (eg. Frisbee, Seastorm)?

Thanks! :)
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Re: Question about the Potential Future of Dreamland

Postby Nick » 10 Feb 2003, 20:05

Graeme Cassidy wrote:1) How much car parking space do you suggest the park keeps, if any at all? If you are suggesting the park carries on with half its space, would that mean the Scenic Railway and everything on the Frisbee side of it, leaving visitors to use general Margate car parks?:)


A similar area of car parking to that existing today could be retained, to be shared by Dreamland and the new attractions. If a supermarket or leisure complex were to be built there, it would need its own parking. There may also be the potential for car parking as part of the new development. Remember, there is a huge car park on the opposite side of Dreamland, part of that shopping arcade/tower block complex.

Graeme Cassidy wrote:2) If the campaign is successful, the only ride Jimmy Godden is obliged to leave is the Scenic Railway. He could sell on his funfair type rides to numerous different showmen/amusement park operators, or in a package deal to the new buyer. Would there be room for new, permanent attractions along the lines of the ones Dreamland once had? Or do you think it will be enough to have the Scenic Railway as the main coaster, supported by rides similar to those there now (eg. Frisbee, Seastorm)?


It would still be a sizeable park, so I think that there would be room for some permanent attractions. I always give Southend's Adventure Island as an example of best practice - they have managed to fit a mixture of portable and permanent rides into a similar space.

The Local Plan for Margate is, however, much stricter than this. We at the Save Dreamland Campaign are being very relaxed about our plans for the future of the site. If you go to the Save Dreamland FAQ page (http://www.joylandbooks.com/scenicrailway/faq.htm#What), you will see that the council will only allow "limited" redevelopment of the site, and are now looking to strengthen that. It might, therefore, not be necessary to lose 50% of the site.

Reading the Local Plan, it makes you wonder whether one half of the council is talking to the other half, and which half is talking to Mr Godden!

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Re: Question about the Potential Future of Dreamland

Postby Graeme » 13 Feb 2003, 14:23

Thanks. It hadn't occurred to me that any new leisure or retail complex would likely have its own car park. I'm sure visitors to Dreamland would indeed be allowed to use that.

I parked in the other car park over 10 years ago, actually. I remember being so impressed at the sight of the Looping Star poking over the trees, sigh.

And of course, Southend's Adventure Island doesn't have its own car park at all, and that is doing brilliantly. I'm just trying to conceive how what sort of attractions need what sort of car parking.
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Postby Nick » 13 Feb 2003, 15:29

Remember, in the Bembom days, Dreamland didn't have a car park on site. The site was entirely covered in rides. I think Dreamland can survive without a car park at all, but any supporting development will more than likely need a car park to be viable.
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Postby Glen » 15 Feb 2003, 14:33

Yes back in the 1980s the entire park was filled with rides and there was no car parking. Most of the visitors seemed to arrive by train, you could buy special all-in tickets from London which included your train fare and admission. And very reasonable they were too, it wasn't worth driving. I remember there was always a huge exodus of people walking from the park to the train station at the end of the day. And most of the people on that train had been to Dreamland.

Back in the pre-Benbom days there was an area set aside in the park for coach parking, I believe it was down at the front (on the site later occupied by the Ladybird coaster and water chute).

I find it hard to understand how quickly the park went downhill, back in the 80s it was a magical place, lots of rides, lots of people and the pay-one-price admission seemed to be working very well. It looked set for a long and prosperous future. But obviously it wasn't as succesful as it appeared. Does anyone know why Benbom's sold out? Was it due to other business commitments or was it simply because they were losing money? I find the latter hard to believe.

Let's all hope the park stays open in some way or another. I remember what happened to Clacton after Butlins closed - it died a sudden death. The same thing will happen to Margate. Let's be honest, whos' gonna visit Margate if there's no Dreamland?
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Postby Nick » 15 Feb 2003, 18:26

Back in the early 1990s, when I lived in London, I remember the combined rail/Dreamland tickets that you could buy. They were very popular. It is hard to think that - less than 10 years ago - the train was full of crowds visiting Dreamland. That was in the Bembom days. It hasn't been promoted in this way since Bembom's sold it.
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Dreamland all-inclusive

Postby Rich F » 21 Feb 2003, 15:28

I used to utilise the all-inclusive rail and entry deal to Margate - my first "proper" park too :)

3 hours along the coast to margate - arriving and looking out through the trees at the Looping star and getting excited about the day ahead :) happy days..

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