Joyland Books

Apologies if this has been flagged up before but I've only just discovered it. Great colour footage of Margate including very good shots of the amusement park during it's '60's heyday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCc0RP6n ... ure=g-hist

Fantastic footage, nice to see some footage of the Shell Grotto in among it (02:31)

Lots of old Austin Cambridges and Westminsters to be seen too...

Obviously the world has changed since that footage was filmed and Margate will never be the mass tourism magnet that it was in the 1960s although I'm convinced that it could be as successful as Great Yarmouth, Southend-on Sea or Brighton are today if only we could ever find a local Council interested in making Margate a popular tourist destination rather than simply lining their own pockets...

I agree Margate could be a great little tourist spot again. We recently went to Weston Super Mare and it was busy and thriving with line after line of big seafront hotels, despite the fact the beach is mud, the sea is brown and goes out for miles and for hours that you actually forget you are by the sea! Oh and it rains alot there too. (Sorry to any Weston fans). I was really curious how it could be that a place like Margate, with beautiful sandy beaches, blue sea and being in the sunniest and warmest part of England could be suffering so badly. I'm afaid It is completely down to TDC and I have always blamed them for the disgraceful way the town has been allowed to decline. They have a lot to prove and supporting the Save Dreamland Campaign is at least a start.

I think that your Council bashing comments were right about 2 years ago, but I don't think they are reflecting the situation now.

We are soon to get the results of the CPO where the people you are attacking have invested a great deal of time and resources to move towards the whole of Dreamland being available for use as a park again. I carefully use the word 'available' as it's going to take time to achieve.

Let's see what some of the more knowledgeable people have to say on this.

Vince.

Hi Vince, I'm sorry if my 'council bashing' seems harsh, but I am finding it hard to forgive them for changing the Thanet Local Plan, effectively unprotecting Dreamland and changing the land from Amusement Park land to Residential land. This course of action changed the land value massively . You may recall Philip Miller of Southend was very interested in acquiring Dreamland - at amusement park value. As a result, this fantastic opportunity was lost, many years of investment in the town lost and thousands of tourists all lost, not to mention the park sitting derelict encouraging the much anticipated fire. We would not be in this situation now of having CPOs etc and maybe the town's High Street would not keep being on National News for having the most boarded up shops. As I said in my OP, at least they are now on board and that of course is great.

Over the years I have never known so many people from the council be up in court. Only recently I believe another rather high profile Councillor was in court for some misdemeanor or another, and we all remember the one who befriended our campaign and ended up with his fingers in the till. I think because of this, people including myself, become very suspicious and untrusting of them. I live in Birmingham and Birmingham City Council is the largest Local Authority in the Country, I can't remember any Birmingham Councillors being in court. (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong)

I may be 200 hundred miles away and don't claim to be an expert on Margate but I am not unknowledgeable either. My parents have had a large circle of close friends who have lived in the town since the 1960s, I have Aunties, Uncles and Cousins who moved to Margate in the 1980s and my parents have had their own property in the town for over ten years now, with myself visiting them for at least a week every two months or so. Over these decades I have never known any of the above have anything good to say about TDC, not once!

So I think we will have to shake hands and agree to disagree on this one, but that is what makes forums like this great - different views and opinions. Anyway hope to see you at the opening of Dreamland where we can have a good old 'knees up'!

Enjoy the sunshine all

I am not sticking up for anyone, just thinking that whilst things are going in the direction we prefer, is biting one's tongue is a better approach? Why rock the boat when it's sailing the right way, the journey could take longer with lots of rocking.

That's all I am trying to say.

Vince.