As some of you will no doubt know by now, a fire has destroyed Mr Gs Amusement Arcade on Margate Seafront, as well as doing what looks like irreparable damage to the neighbouring Funland Arcade.
The fire apparently began sometime before 6.30am and is described by the BBC as being "one of the biggest fires in Kent in decades". 20 engines and 120 fire fighters are reported to have attended and, as of 1.30pm, the buildings are still smoking although the fire appears to have been contained.
I arrived at 8.30am, by which time Mr Gs was a pile of smoking rubble. The Funland Arcade was still perfectly intact at that point, and it looked for a while as if it would survive. Then the fire took hold again. Watching the building go up in flames was very upsetting: this will change the face of Margate's seafront; we have lost a number of historic Georgian facades as well as two arcades. On a positive note - the only one I can think of - the Scenic Railway was untouched by the fire.
The fire began in Mr Gs, which is owned by Jimmy Godden. Dreamland General Manager Barry Moss is quoted as being "devastated". He confirms that Mr Gs was halfway through a refurbishment and that contractors were working in the building yesterday installing air conditioning. He says that the building was locked up safely at 10.30pm last night after a normal day's trading.
Margate is left with gaping blackened hole in its seafront, just weeks before the start of the season.
Kent Fire Brigade report that it is too early to say what caused the fire.
Sarah