Major fire on the Scenic Railway 7th Apr. Suspected arson.

[uvegotmale2000]

www.itv.com/local

click on meridan and watch some footage of the scenic collapsing plus other videos showing you how much was ablaze looks a lot more than first thought

heartbreaking

[Xtremecoasters]

Hey Guys. This may be my fisrt post, but I have been a follower of the Save Dreamland campaign for many years (anyone that has ever visited our website will know me as Save Dreamland). I just thought that I would put it out there that the USA coaster enthusiasts also watched in horror as this beautiful part of our amusement park history burnt and collapsed . The Scenic Railway is a world known and loved attraction (check out ThemeParkReview in Califirnia's trip report and pics for a laugh) and as such we are all with you guys on this one. Anything that can be done we will all try our best to help. Dont give up the fight !! There are a lot of us supporters out there that you do not even know about. But we are all here standing behind you.

[porf]

The first clip on the link above looks like something rapidly ignited or exploded.

There's not a lot of fire initially then it looks like a blast causes part of the structure to collapse.

[Lou]

Hi
Just back from work.
There is no way on this earth that we will give up the fight, we will continue to do everything we can.
The scenic and Dreamland mean too much to us.

[eddiegi686]

Hi,
not sure how aware people on here are but there is a facebook group that someone setup about rebuilding the scenic railway. It seems a lot of people are interested. Someone suggested a fundraising concert on the site if that were possible.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10199834878 - rebuild the scenic railway

It is truly saddening and highlights just how much Margate has lost. People have talked about starting a petition:

Daniel Honour (London) wrote
at 4:29pm
So ppl do care about thanet. Not sure how to do it but i want to do an on line petition so the powers that be have to take note. There is enough space there and with a little corperate sponsorship,a council that will back it and huge public demand a decent public attraction could be created with the scenic railway the centre piece i bet it would be more popular than the turner centre

[troy]

Well done flateric

Margate residents have to stand up and be counted if their town is going to regain any credibility because, believe you me, this latest escapade just reconfirms the stereotype that others perceive of a bankrupt town governed by corrupt officials but run by gangsters.

Firstly pressure has to be applied to the police and any information that people have be handed over. FFS catch the bastards that did it ! Any Margate resident who saw something tell the police, petrol stations have CCTV have they any footage ? At 4.00 in the afternoon somebody must have seen something. Parents, did your kids come home smelling of petrol ?

If the police can catch the culprits it can probably be quickly confirmed if it was a couple of vandals or if something more sinister was afoot. Without these answers the suspicions will always remain.

How one town can have so many fires without anyone being caught is beyond me.

[Xtremecoasters]

I grew up in Canterbury and used to visit Bembom Brothers all the time in the 80's. I spent the happiest days of my life in that park so I know what you mean. It means so much to so many people, me included.

[eddiegi686]

Fires in important places seem to have become common recently in thanet. E.g. pleasureama, quazar laser + arcade, recent arcade, ramsgate library and now the scenic railway. It's disgusting.

[DaveD]

I don't know what to say. I've just picked up the news as the first anyone outside of Margate probably only heard was from todays nationals.

Margate is about to lose (or has lost ?) the only thing that makes it a visitor attraction at present and everything should be done to rebuild and preserve your one last hope of regeneration, as your future without it doesn't even bare thinking about.

As someone who lives in the westcountry I consider myself lucky that I have so many beautiful towns, cities and beaches on my doorstep which attract visitors from all over the country and the contrast with the once popular Margate is frightening.

I called into Margate on a business trip last year which was thankfully very brief. The town centre's a mess. The seafront's a mess. The shops are boarded up. A dispondent and bleak town which appears to have completely given up hope. Even your feral youths looked more mennacing. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but it is about time that Margate took a bloody good look at itself minus the rose tinteds. There is not one good reason to come to Margate, not one.

But yet, there it was in your midst, sat skulking in a forgotten corner of town, all funned out for the moment but of genuine interest to "outsiders", a reason to come, to visit your shops and to put the fun back. The Scenic.

The Scenic was wasted on you Margate. Other towns would have given their back teeth for it, capatalised on it and cherished its history but you chose a different path and just ignored its significance. Now you are staring into the abyss.

I'm sure most campaigners are grateful for the "pick-me-up" that this posting provides.

Margate, Thanet and Kent in general have, and continue to have its problems but at least it has it's own individuality; the West Country is generally perceived to be as dull as proverbial dishwater with manufactured communities & towns with no infrastructure and a Starbucks on every street corner. Beauty it may have but good grief, it is severely lacking in diversity, character, individualism and you can wave goodbye to any socialising/nightlife - I certainly wouldn't live there.

Why is this posting even here? Why direct your feelings towards people who have put an enormous amount of time and effort into preserving the Scenic and Dreamland in general? Spend some time venting your Churchillian anger at the people who deserve it i.e. TDC.

Dave D

[troy]

Dave

Re-read the post. The anger IS directed at the people who it should be directed at. I have supported this campaign for a few years now and will continue to do so and not one word of that post is critical in the slightest of what they are trying to do.

[DaveD]

I appreciate your response Troy but my overall point was that we all feel bad enough as it is and your comments would have been better served in an e-mail to TDC - we need to be as positive as we can at present.

That said, I respect your opinion and that you have supported this campaign for a number of years.

Dave D

[fadman]

Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:13 pm Post subject: My Input

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I think its time that thease incdendents were being looked at more closely, I am not including the fire at the TIVOLI in this becasue i beleve but could be wrong a differant comapany owned that buisness.

Cliff C

Hi all, I've just joined this forum although I have "lurked" in the background for a while. Cliff C, you are correct, Tivoli is owned by someone else and I suspect there is no connection, just unlucky coincedences. As a local businessman, if only for the last 3 yrs, Margate in general has degraded, even for the 3 yrs I have been on the seafront, I have noticed the difference. Firstly, Dreamland and its closure started the downward trend, the next biggest killer was the cross. There is no money in the area, no jobs, but plenty of violence and drugs; I think one core factor of Margate's demise is an anti-social issue, how many of you feel 100% safe at night along the seafront?
However, I like many of you enjoyed the area as a child and am dissapointed in seeing it in such a state. People need motivation to get something done. Most people in the area have thrown up their hands and given up. Without the family aspects such as Dreamland we will only see the area erode away into history. I beg of you all, I love this place even if it is a $h1*hole at the moment, bring back the passion, bring back the love and let's try to get this place back on the map.
As I said I've been here a while, but I feel I must say something, if there is anything I can do to help, let me know. I'm all about saving Margate as well as Dreamland, get some posters to me, I'll display them, get a electronic presentation to me, it will be shown to my customers, get a petition to me, I will get it signed. fadman4@hotmail.com

[eddiegi686]

It's intriguing to see people's views on here and elsewhere, but troy is right, why did it take this fire to get so many people talking? (not meaning any disrespect to the large number of supporters of saving dreamland) maybe others are right about TDC.

[fadman]

To be honest with you eddie, we have been trying to do our own little bit here on the seafront by trying to get press reports and editorials written up on the area, we've also been hounding national press with the same, but if it is not a "Breaking Frontpage Story", they don't seem all that interested. The fire however is such a story, and as I said above, I think a lot of people think they can't do anything as their spirits have been destroyed along with the area.

[marc]

still no sign of Bob.