Joyland Books

by **EAS** » 10 Oct 2006, 15:30

Is Bob a Margate resident?

by **Sarah** » 10 Oct 2006, 18:13

Bob began his first post on this forum with the words "I have not been to Margate for a few years.."

However's he has since claimed the kind of knowledge that could only be possible if he lives a) in a caravan on Dreamland, or b) in Jimmy Godden's back pocket, or lately c) up Toby Hunter's right trouser leg.

Maybe he's got a timeshare arrangement going on.

Sarah

by **EAS** » 10 Oct 2006, 19:54

As they say in forumspeak:

LOL!!

by **Neil** » 11 Oct 2006, 13:59

It would be great for Margate to become a Brighton, and I believe that Bighton is getting the observation tower which should pull more punters, however a few months ago we were all pleased with Southport which had Pleasureland, a new pier and soon a water park. As Amanda Thompson seems to show money and power corrupt, and while there are property developers looking out for the next money grab no where is safe

by **Strongbow55** » 12 Oct 2006, 01:47

It would be nice for Margate to be Margate
It is a unique town more down to earth than Brighton and has started so many trends in its years that other seaside towns copied
channel 4 did the town no favours with the exodus event portraying it as a refugee centre
and the reporter from the BBC who did the article on the news regarding the event actually said that dreamland had been closed for a long while when in effect it had been closed for 4 days when she made that remark
Margate still has its attributes a fantastic beach nice friendly people
and a blank canvas of a seafront ready to be transformed from dereliction in appearance to a vibrant costal resort
Brighton regained its popularity because of a cosmopolitan outlook and the gay influence on the town making it a fun place for everyone
(the pink pound adds millions to Brightons economy) and the pride event becomes more popular by the year

Margate is different its special....coming from a working class family in Newcastle even I had heard of Margate by the time I was 7 years old
we all dreamed as kids of going there of course we never did make it
we just couldnt afford it
If only Thanet officials could see what an asset they have in Margate
and do what they are elected to do things would be less stressful

If the land owners insist on hanging on and holding residents to ransom
to vital parts of the town the council should make compulsory purchase orders on the land and actually do what they were elected to do

failure to act now will result in the further Degeneration of the town and
those people in power who are elected to make decissions should do so now!

by **taffy** » 12 Oct 2006, 08:07

Here here.

I think you are absolutely correct Strongbow. The council and the previous Dreamland operator (if that's not a contradiction in terms) have gone out of their way to undermine and run down the stability of the town. They can then say nothing works; it is rundown and seedy; nobody goes.

All of the above are a direct correlation of their own actions.

I am going to Blackpool in a couple of weeks time. I just got (with some difficulty) tickets for Ken Dodd on a Sunday night and I had to try five hotels before I found a free room.

As I have said before here 'If you do not give people a reason to visit a town nobody will', and employment and residents will diminish sharply.

VOTE THE COUNCIL OUT.
Taffy

by **vince69619** » 12 Oct 2006, 08:29

taffy wrote:
VOTE THE COUNCIL OUT.
Taffy

Point 1. See Bob you can edit a quote and just leave the bit you are responding to. NO NEED TO QUOTE THE WHOLE POSTING!

Point 2. I believe some time next year the local elections are on in Margate. Do we notch the campaign up a level?

Vince.

by **EAS** » 12 Oct 2006, 20:40

Strongbow - which part of Newcastle?

by **Strongbow55** » 13 Oct 2006, 01:12

EAS wrote:Strongbow - which part of Newcastle?

well whitley bay actually
but I did run the old waterloo on westgate road for a while (now demolished) and I was manager of the tatler in the haymarket and the apollo in byker in the 80s for classic cinemas
before moving to Aviemore to run the Aviemore Centre for Stakis alas even that is demolished along with my beloved reindeer ride from santa clause land LOL

by **EAS** » 13 Oct 2006, 08:39

The Spanish City!

Alas now bulldozed.

The Tatler - I recall it well!

by **Strongbow55** » 13 Oct 2006, 19:20

EAS wrote:The Spanish City!

Alas now bulldozed.

The Tatler - I recall it well!

alas the poor spanish city did bite the dust and was such a nice little park
and was usually quite busy..... one the developers did win
I was at the Tatler in the latter years :wink:

not when it was a cartoon house

by **EAS** » 13 Oct 2006, 21:07

Bought, alas by the local authority I gather.

Read and weep:

http://www.consultwhitleybay.com/

and consider what could happen to Dreamland.

http://www.francisfrith.com/search/engl ... 246001.htm

[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]

by **Strongbow55** » 14 Oct 2006, 01:56

EAS wrote:Bought, alas by the local authority I gather.

Read and weep:

http://www.consultwhitleybay.com/

and consider what could happen to Dreamland.

http://www.francisfrith.com/search/engl ... 246001.htm

[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]

[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]

just hope dreamland campaign is more successful!!
http://www.consultwhitleybay.com/

by **Bob** » 15 Oct 2006, 07:42

Strongbow55 wrote:
EAS wrote:Bought, alas by the local authority I gather.

Read and weep:

http://www.consultwhitleybay.com/

and consider what could happen to Dreamland.

http://www.francisfrith.com/search/engl ... 246001.htm

[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]

[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]

just hope dreamland campaign is more successful!!
http://www.consultwhitleybay.com/

People here seem to be suggesting that every failed amusement park should be subsidized by the Local Council. Do you understand even what the level of subsidy that would be needed? It would run to millions of pounds each year. It would as well be illegal under EU legislation.

Times change and people no longer visit seaside resorts in any numbers. These facilities were built to cater for the days when the majority of people took their holidays in the UK. That market has gone. It will not return. It leaves the seaside amusement parks trying to survive on a market 50 to a 100 times smaller. People’s expectations of an amusement park are also a lot higher. That means investing serious amount of money. Money that is just not there. There is also now the competition from the major theme parks. Seaside resorts are poorly located and far too small to compete against them. Interest in Amusement parks has also declined significantly this can be seen by the decline in the number of traveling fairs which were once common throughout the UK but are now seen in very few towns. There has also been competition from Computers. People would have at one time gone to the arcades to play on the machines now most will play on their computers at home.

The only possibility for seaside amusement parks to survive is to change to meet modern needs. This means redeveloping the sites providing high class modern facilities such as good quality hotels, pubs & entertainment & leisure. There is a place still for the traditional seaside fair but it need to be on a smaller scale and focused on the pre teen market.

I am sure this approach will please very few if any here but it’s the only viable approach.

As I have said many times before if you believe seaside amusement parks are such a goldmine and that the Save Dreamland Campaign has massive support then form a company and buy and run it. You do not need experience you can employ a company to run it on your behalf

by **Nick** » 15 Oct 2006, 08:32

Bob wrote:People here seem to be suggesting that every failed amusement park should be subsidized by the Local Council. Do you understand even what the level of subsidy that would be needed? It would run to millions of pounds each year. It would as well be illegal under EU legislation.

On this page, people seem to be talking about Spanish City at Whitley Bay. When that closed, the operator of the park (Keith Turner) said that he would have been happy to keep operating it. It closed because the landowner of the site (the Council) wanted to redevelop it for housing, a new road, a school and various other mixed uses. Spanish City was a nice, well-run park. No subsidy was requested by the operator of Spanish City. In fact, I am not aware of any park in this country operating with a subsidy.

Bob wrote:As I have said many times before if you believe seaside amusement parks are such a goldmine and that the Save Dreamland Campaign has massive support then form a company and buy and run it. You do not need experience you can employ a company to run it on your behalf

And we keep telling you that we are not theme park operators. We don't have to buy Dreamland and run it as amateurs when established and successful operators want to buy it.

I am surprised that after all your years on this board you haven't picked up on the reason why Deamland isn't currently in the hands of a major park operator. The reason is not lack of interest, nor is it because Save Dreamland Campaigners haven't clubbed together and become theme park operators. It is because the Council has artificially inflated the value of the site and therefore prevented operators acquiring it.

Perhaps you could answer this Bob. Here is a challenge to you and the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company. If the Save Dreamland Campaign clubbed together and offered full market value for Dreamland as an amusement park, independently assessed by a chartered surveyor jointly appointed by the Campaign and MTCRC, would MTCRC sell it to us? If the answer is yes, then let's start talking.

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Why can't Margate be like Brighton?

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