Big Wheel Open

The Save Dreamland Campaign was launched by Joyland Books in January 2003 and is now supported by several thousand people. This is the place to discuss all aspects of saving Margate's famous amusement park and its iconic , Grade II listed Scenic Railway, Britain's oldest roller coaster.

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Big Wheel Open

Postby RowBot » 02 Apr 2006, 19:03

Just to let you all know the Wheel is currently open and people are going on it, at £2.50 (go around about 4/5 times). For pictures of the ride and on the ride please click the link below:

http://www.dreamlandfunpark.co.uk/pics/

ps I'm not wiz with the camera, so sorry about some blury one's.

Ian
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Postby Sarah » 02 Apr 2006, 19:14

Thanks Ian. Great photos. So much for its lack of safety certification Bob. Want to retract that?

Pic 090 gives us the best view of the barricade yet. They seem to be anticipating queues of no more than half a dozen small people for the Scenic.

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Postby RowBot » 02 Apr 2006, 19:29

Just adding a user-friendly interface now with JAlbum :) will be same website address
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Postby Vince, Charlie and Sam » 02 Apr 2006, 19:47

Awesome, we will be riding next saturday afternoon, anyone fancy meeting up?
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Postby RowBot » 02 Apr 2006, 19:49

i might be able to come depending when I'm going to my girlfriends :)
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Postby Jim Douglas Jr. » 02 Apr 2006, 20:17

Let's not encourage Bob to say anything else stupid....
(Like he's capable of saying something that isn't.)
Kyle & Herbie the Love Bug lll53
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Postby Tony P » 03 Apr 2006, 18:31

Excellent photo's.

Some superb views.

mmm... the baracade 'wonderful'.

The rest of the anticipated rides are rather thin on the ground. Do the operators know Easter's around the corner?

Some more action on the rides front would help to rebuild Dreamland's reputation.

Back to the wheel..... superb! I have riden this wheel at Goose Fair 2 years ago. A very smooth ride, even for those not too happy with heights.
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Postby ricardobugsy » 03 Apr 2006, 19:06

Great pics from the wheel. Especially of the park.
Do you know if they are running night time rides or are they just illuminating it for effect?
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Postby darkrichard » 03 Apr 2006, 20:07

the wheel is running day and night well has been for last couple of days
im from margate i live across road from dreamland
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Postby Jim Douglas Jr. » 04 Apr 2006, 01:49

Don't panic. I think most mobile rides require less than a day to assemble.
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Postby RowBot » 04 Apr 2006, 18:15

Jim Douglas Jr. wrote:Don't panic. I think most mobile rides require less than a day to assemble.


yes but the point there not even on site doesn't give people confidence

Vince, Charlie and Sam wrote:Awesome, we will be riding next saturday afternoon, anyone fancy meeting up?


Well seems I'm free morning time but im off up london to see my girlfriend in the evening (up to about 2pm ish).
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Re: Big Wheel Open

Postby steele » 05 Apr 2006, 08:53

RowBot wrote:Just to let you all know the Wheel is currently open and people are going on it, at £2.50 (go around about 4/5 times). For pictures of the ride and on the ride please click the link below:

http://www.dreamlandfunpark.co.uk/pics/

ps I'm not wiz with the camera, so sorry about some blury one's.

Ian


Hello,

Great pics by the way!

I have not been to Margate for about 12 years and will be going back for the first time this summer. My family used to have out holiday there every year since about 1983.

Do you have any other pics of how the rest of Dreamland looks? I have been looking at the pics on the savedreamland.co.uk but would imagine its changed recently too.
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Postby Neil » 05 Apr 2006, 10:08

Great pics, many thanks. Going a little off topic a while ago Toby Hunter mentioned that for the 2006 season he would be installing token vending machienes to help give the park the best possible chance, are they there yet?

It's great that the Big Wheel is up and running, but they are going to have to get a full amusmement park up and running ASAP. Maybe for a few days the Big Wheel will be kept going by people from Maragte, but it needs to start attracting people from further afield soon or it will start losing money. This is not really a criticism of George Webb, but of Waterbridge who seemed to diver around a lot before deciding who should operate the park.

Overall it sounds more promising than last year, but not really a recipe for a mega success which will be no doubt employed by Bob/Jimmy Godden/Waterbridge/Roger Gale/Sandy Ezekiel to argue it isn't viable.

When the only two large rides present may be a Big Wheel and the Scenic you have to ask yourself whether advertising in London will be such a success after all.
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Postby Killa » 05 Apr 2006, 12:31

News on the wheel front,

the wheel will be pulled down in mid june so it can attend newcastle town moor fair (a huge money spinner for the wheel) and another big fair before probably returning to margate a month later.
You can't beat that top buzz feeling!

www.ffun.co.uk
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Postby Killa » 05 Apr 2006, 21:16

http://www.atfotf.com/rides/bigwheel/01553.html

Take the following link from the excellent atfotf site to see pictures of how easily this big wheel can be transported compared to older dutch models (namely vekoma/kroon/nauta bussink)

it also shows a picture of the wheel open for the first time back in 2003.

Here is a similar link to anyone interested in pictures of the wheel building up (also some of another slightly smaller mondial wheel)

http://www.atfotf.com/buildup/giantwheel.htm
You can't beat that top buzz feeling!

www.ffun.co.uk
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