Carters Steam Fair !

[dave771]

Carters Steam Fair have started arriving on site today and will be open from Saturday 28th May - Sunday 5th June. Carters were amazing on the Dreamland site last year so don't miss it this year!

Visit www.carterssteamfair.co.uk or check out the Facebook page I <3 Dreamland for more details !

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

We'll be there, Carter's Steam Fair is fantastic, the best fair to visit Margate by a country mile, and we go to them all!

Here's the thread from last year with photos.

http://www.joylandbooks.co.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=2108

[dave771]

Carters programme on BBC Radio 4, going on the Gallopers !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011c222.html

[porterm]

Very highbrow; Radio 4 too (something I never normally tune into). I thought the clip was very well presented though and informative, even though my pc kept buffering (thought I had fast cable broadband??) - certainly paying for it anyhow!

By the way, I'll probably be down to Carters at Dreamland on Bank Holiday Monday now (heard the weather's meant to be better by then anyway).

Anyone else going on Monday for a possible meet-up?

Martin

[Busheyfields]

Went through yesterday mid-afternoon, not very busy, hope business and weather pick up for Carters as the week progresses.

[porterm]

Sorry to hear your report Busheyfields. Hope it does indeed improve for them. I might even go over today, even though it is a little late. I know times are tough for most people at present though.

Martin

[porf]

I suspect tomorrow will be busy if it's anything like last year as it coincides with the motorbike run from the Ace Cafe. Also the weather is supposed to be the best out of the Bank Holiday that day.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

We visited today, an absolutely fantastic fair, and the ride-ops are friendly and enthusiastic. A few pics here. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 2809e62f5a

[porterm]

I visited Carters on Bank Holiday Monday with friends and their children. All I managed to ride was their Yachts attraction which looked rather tame, however I thought it gave an unusually surprising "thrill" ride with its tight arc rocking action. (Also, with a young child in tow one can be rather fearful for them not holding on tightly enough).

We were told to put our arms behind the wooden seats and hold on tight; there are no physical restraints. The above experience probably caused a more anxious ride for me and I actually felt rather nauseous afterwards.

Suffice to say I didn't get to ride the dive bomber (which I've never had the guts to ride years ago). I always thought one went upside down on this but Carters Radio 4 recent feature reported that was a common misconception).

Anyone care to give an account of their ride experience on the Dive Bomber? I might return again today if I can as we never got to use our ride discount tokens.

Martin

PS Monday was very busy by the way in the afternoon but the inevitable rain suddenly arrived for a short time by late afternoon which gave us an excuse to visit nearby Beanos cafe. The only downside to our Carters visit was the overall cost of riding for a family we felt. I guess wristbands are not a practical proposition for Carters.

PPS Good to see Dave Collard working the mini Octopus ride; no time to talk though unfortunately.

[Peet]

I rode the dive bomber at Weston Super Mare last year. It really is great fun, definitely recommended, you have to hold on tight but never actually go upside down as the cars rotate freely under gravity and are bottom-heavy so they always stay the right way up. You get great views form the top while the other car is being loaded/unloaded too!

[porterm]

Thanks very much for your dive bomber report Peet. You just might have inspired me to give it a go! (I go on just about any roller coaster but seem to have a strange fear of spinning rides or those that have varied motional turns). I hope I'm not alone there, am I?

Martin [/i]

[vann98]

I went to carters last Friday for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. I had seen pictures of the fair from last year but it was so much more than I had expected and hoped for. The rides were great even if the "swinging ferry" one did mean you had to hold on to the bench as there were no safety rails. I was also quite surprised at the octopus ride. It was great fun and overall the whole experience was amazing.

Lets just hope that "new Dreamland" will be a much bigger success. It should do with rides like the Scenic, Whip and Wild mouse and they won't be in the concrete wasteland Dreamland is today.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

We were told to put our arms behind the wooden seats and hold on tight; there are no physical restraints. The above experience probably caused a more anxious ride for me and I actually felt rather nauseous afterwards.

Did you sit in the Brave seats or the Very Brave seats?





I was Very Brave and I survived it although later on I discovered I had lost my credit cards which were in my back pocket and I imagine they jumped out during that little bit of "airtime" at the top of the swing when one's posterior leaves the seat.



No complaints tho, it was a wonderful ride and a fantastic piece of machinery. they guy who was running it (who was also running it last year, tall, skinny, mid-20's, beard) is very friendly and chatty. It would be a sad day if the Health & Safety Executive ever told Carter's that this ride had to be fitted with lapbars and seatbelts.





And now a first for the Save Dreamland Forum, a couple of pictures of my Mum, 75 years young, who loved her day out in Margate!