Manor Mania-Rotunda Revisited.

[Neil]

When I was up in Dover viting Dreamland I managed to wangle a visit to the Rotunda in Folkestone. This is my third photo gallery since the park closed and has a bonus surprise, Thurstons fair was occupying the site and had managed to reopen the log flume for another 'last time'.
http://www.freewebs.com/rotunda-2004/

[antony]

Hello Neil

Thanks so much for troubling to post these very interesting pictures - it is a long time since I was in Folkestone although I was a fairly regular visitor in the fifties and early sixties. I came to this site due to my huge affection for Dreamland which I visited often in the same period.
I am intrigued by the Runaway Coaster as it seems similar in construction to one of my all time favourite rides - The Racing Coaster - which ran adjacent to the River Caves in Dreamland. Do you (or does anyone!) know if there are any similarities and indeed what happened to the Dreamland ride - was it sold or destroyed?

With best wishes
Antony

[Graeme]

Nice pics, Neil. If you wanted to know, the ride that's in Trauma Towers is called a Tagada.

I am intrigued by the Runaway Coaster as it seems similar in construction to one of my all time favourite rides - The Racing Coaster - which ran adjacent to the River Caves in Dreamland. Do you (or does anyone!) know if there are any similarities...?

Very likely. I don't know anything about Margate's Racing Coaster, but it sounds like it was a side friction coaster like Runaway Coaster. These were all pretty similar, figure-eight layout etc. Clacton Pier's Steel Stella was probably the most elaborate side friction woodie in England, as it was quite a lot taller and longer (in terms of footprint length, probably ride time as well) than usual. It had more storeys. I've ridden Runaway Coaster, but I'd love to have ridden the Steel Stella!