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Dreamland Margate: General Discussion

Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but apparently Luna Park in Australia has sent Dreamland some blueprints for their own scenic railway trains to replace those damaged in the fire?

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Image from Theme Park Review.
 
Sam said:
Apparently everyone who attended the clean-up day got to purchase a special commemorative 'newspaper' of the event, with profits going towards the Trust. Ian from CF has scanned in a copy which you can read here. :)

It's got lots of details of the new park in it, and interviews with key figures. :)

EDIT: A worrying sentence I spotted in the above newspaper:

"Next year The Dreamland Trust will appoint a park operating company, and is currently in discussion with several leading national and international operators."

That must mean Merlin are involved in these talks, though I hope to god they don't get it. I can see Heritage Attractions (owners of LWV) or Parques Reunidos being interested. Why not just pick up the phone and ask EP to run it...?
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Because EP wouldn't want it, I doubt Merlin would either as it's too niche with limited expansion opportunities (they want parks they can stick hotels in as they make the cash).

It will likely be one of the smaller operators which is a good thing, and even if Merlin did operate it, that would only be operations not development (a bit like Blackpool tower) with the trust and council keeping a close check on things.

I wouldn't worry too much.
 
I would personally burn The Scenic down again to stop Merlin getting their dirty little hands on it.
 
The December Dreamland newsletter - I've taken out all the boring bits for you. :)

Dreamland Trust said:
2013 DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

SEASONAL GREETINGS!

Between mid-day and 3pm on the 16 November 2013, Dreamland opened its gates to the public for the first time since the park officially closed in 2006. Over 2,300 people came to the Dreamland site to meet The Dreamland Trust to learn about Dreamland’s past, present and future and to share their memories and experiences of Dreamland.

On the day, more than 160 people registered to volunteer their time and resources to help rebuild Dreamland. Approximately 80 people potted plants on the site to take home, nurture and return to Dreamland in 2014 to transplant in memory of Dreamland’s 1870s pleasure garden and to create an interpretative green space around ‘Lord’ George Sanger’s Grade II-listed menagerie cages.

In the evening 250 people attended a celebrity fund raising art auction, organised by Fontaine Decorative, in Dreamland’s disused seafront amusement arcade. £25,000 was raised toward transforming the arcade into a Visitor and Learning Centre to deliver the pre-opening Activity Plan programme in spring 2014. The event was a sell out within a week of announcing ticket sales.

On the 30 November 2013 fifty volunteers took part in the Big Clear day to help clear moss, weeds and rubbish from the site. This group included the young, middle aged, retired, physically challenged and people with severe learning difficulties.

These events were designed to mark the successful outcome of the CPO challenge. Their success is an indication of the passion, appetite and support for the project and the pulling power of Dreamland.

Having ended the year on a high note, we are now looking forward to the New Year and a new era for Dreamland under a new, full-time Project Director.

PROJECT UP-DATE FROM THE NEW LANDOWNERS

Our project partner, Thanet District Council, has now released the documents to prospective tenderers for the Grade II*-listed Scenic Railway engineering and trains contract. The next package for the Scenic Railway structure build will be released early in the New Year and the Construction Management contract expressions of interest are now being evaluated.

Meanwhile, rides restoration work continues with David Littleboy and Roger Sibley in Wakefield. We look forward to exhibiting the rides restoration work next year in the Dreamland amusement arcade visitor and learning centre.

VISITOR & LEARNING CENTRE FOR DREAMLAND

With the support and funds raised by Fontaine Decorative, the local community and stakeholders and we have already begun work on the design and content for Dreamland’s Visitor & Learning Centre for Easter 2014.

The former amusement arcade in Dreamland’s Grade II*-listed cinema building will be transformed, by HemingwayDesign and our creative community, into an informative, interactive and fun environment evoking the atmosphere of Dreamland and a taste of things to come in 2015.

Run by a team of volunteer greeters and guides the centre will act as an information point describing Dreamland’s rich history, the rides restoration process and future plans supported by a programme of pop-up events and activities in the build up to Dreamland’s opening.

Up-dates and events will be posted on the website news and events page

THE GARDENT GATE PROJECT

We are very much looking forward to working with The Garden Gate project next year to help grow Dreamland. The project, under the management of Paul Boyce at Northdown Park, is doing some fantastic work with adults with mental health issues and learning difficulties.

A programme of activities is being developed to include growing plants at the Garden Gate, planting at Dreamland and creating animal topiary and green sculptures for Dreamland.

STUDENT PROJECTS FOR 2014

Early next year we begin a 3D design unit with the University of Arts foundation students. The Dreamland Trust has written a ‘client brief’ asking for solutions to landscaping using alternatives to organic material, lighting and treatment of moth-balled areas.

We also embark on a twelve week long project with 2nd year Interior Architecture students who are tasked with finding treatments and solutions for the planned Visitor & Learning Centre in Dreamland’s disused seafront amusement arcade due to open Easter 2014.

At the end of this year, catering students at East Kent College were given the challenge to make canapés for a 1930s menu for the fundraising art auction – they were sensational! We look forward to developing training opportunities with the college in the New Year – particularly in the catering department – yum!
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January newsletter has been sent out to those of us on the mailing list. It doesn't seem to be online yet so I can't provide a link, but I'll copy out the interesting bits below. :)

Newsletter said:
PROJECT UP-DATE FROM THE NEW LANDOWNERS

Our project partner, Thanet District Council, has now released the documents to prospective tenderers for the Grade II*-listed Scenic Railway engineering and trains contract. The next package for the Scenic Railway structure build will be released early in the New Year and the Construction Management contract expressions of interest are now being evaluated.

Meanwhile, rides restoration work continues with David Littleboy and Roger Sibley in Wakefield. We look forward to exhibiting the rides restoration work next year in the Dreamland amusement arcade visitor and learning centre.

THANET SKILLS STUDIO VISITS DREAMLAND

In spring 2013 a Dreamland presentation given to students at the Thanet Skills Studio ignited an interest in developing skills in restoration. Thanet Skills Studio’s BTEC construction students visited the Dreamland site on the 13 December 2013 and are now working with The Dreamland Trust to develop a HLF Young Roots funding application.

If successful, the programme will include field trips, workshops and skills training with Dreamland’s rides restoration team. The group will be involved in up-cycling and refurbishment of some of Dreamland’s ride parts and artefacts.

STUDENT PROJECTS FOR 2014

January sees the launch of our Academic Research Access programme, which was successfully piloted with the Kent School of Architecture project in 2011resulting in a short listing for a Times Higher Education Award.

Participating projects include twenty-five interior design students from the Canterbury School of Architecture responding to Dreamland’s designated Visitor and Learning Centre in the Grade II*-listed seafront amusement arcade and the University for the Creative foundation students creating 3D designs for landscaping, lighting and moth-balled areas of the park.

Also attached to the programme is Canterbury Christ Church Programme Director of Photography, Rob Ball, who is creating a series of tintype photographs of the Dreamland site and its heritage assets. Rob uses a Wet Plate Collodion process, which was introduced in the 1850s. The process is notoriously inconvenient and unpredictable as glass plates have to be coated, sensitised, exposed and developed in the space of about 15 minutes, requiring a darkroom on site. Changes in temperature, chemicals, handling, light and humidity have an effect on the final outcome, but the result is a unique image in response to Dreamland’s archive, heritage assets and evolution.

Catering students at East Kent College were given the challenge to make canapés for a 1930s menu for the fundraising art auction – they were sensational! We look forward to developing training opportunities with the college in the New Year – particularly in the catering department – yum!
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Actually maybe you can access it here. Does this link work for everyone?
 
The bits we care about from the latest newsletter.

Dreamland Trust said:
PROJECT UP-DATE

Third month into 2014 and the project is progressing well.

All landscape and ecological surveys have now been completed. Tenders for the initial works are being evaluated by our partners, Thanet District Council, and we anticipate an appointment at the end of March. Meanwhile, the council has put out a call for interest to tender for the design and build of the amusement park exterior and interior spaces.

A contractor for the design and build of the Scenic Railway trains is being finalised and the council is in the process of drawing up the contract. Meanwhile the specification for the second package of works is being drawn up for the design and build of the Scenic Railway, associated buildings and railway station.

A call out for expressions of interest to restore the Corbiere Wheel and Junior Whip has been released by the council.

The Corbiere Wheel is the creation of French engineer, Henri Corbiere, built around 1956.
This veteran Ferris Wheel is the only ride in the world to have a spherical motion. In other words the whole wheel revolves around its base as its gondolas travel in a spiral path describing a sphere through space.

Now in its golden age this state of the art design had its passengers spellbound by the unique sensation of its double action.

Dreamland’s Junior Whip is the last surviving original in the UK. The Junior Whip opened at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in 1927 as the Fairy Whip. It was believed to have been originally located in Bingle & Bob's, the children's park set up that same year between the Jack 'n Jill Slide and the Scenic Railway.

In 1934, the ride was moved to Emberton's Kiddies Park where it was located immediately south of the Zipper Dipper. It operated until 2008, in recent years as Griffin's Magic Dragon, and in 2009 it was dismantled and moved to Dreamland Margate.
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Just had a little research about what's been going on recently (well, this was as recent as I could find), and according to the Isle of Thanet Gazette, The Dreamland Trust has formally applied for permission to rebuild the Scenic Railway. Found an interesting image on the Save Dreamland website of the engine room:

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Can't wait to ride this again :D
 
Interesting bits from the latest newsletter...

A New Era

Whitsun weekend saw the opening of our vintage style Visitor & Learning Arcade in Dreamland’s former Bali-Hai bar with over 5,000 visitors coming through the door in the first week. The young and not so young queued outside waiting for the count down with Chairman, Nick Laister; Hon Secretary, Susan Marsh and Board Director, Sarah Vickery who jointly cut the red ribbon and led the community through the doors.

The arcade houses the Dreamland Expo: a past, present and future - an immersive and interactive experience for all the family evoking Dreamland’s heyday, charting the revival of one of the UK’s best loved amusement parks and looking forward to things to come in the exciting lead-up to Dreamland’s Phase One opening in 2015.

Describing Dreamland’s rich heritage the arcade also plays host to a collection of 1950s and 60s arcade games and pinball machines, amusement park artefacts, fairground paraphernalia, bijou cinema, more…

Last November, the local community raised funds to open the arcade at an art auction organised by Fontaine Decorative and this spring an army of volunteers, led by John Cripps, worked tirelessly to transform the space for all to enjoy.

The Arcade provides a unique setting for community activities, school trips, presentations and special events – for more information please email[email protected].

FREE ENTRY open daily from10am until 5.00pm – no need to book, just rock up and have fun!
Wheelchair accessible.

SCENIC RAILWAY PROGRESS

The Grade II*-listed Scenic Railway running gear is currently being surveyed and tested in Doncaster by the engineering company, WGH Engineering Ltd. We took the opportunity to interview the team when they came to Margate to remove the gear last month and boy, is there story interesting!

Our history goes back to the coal mining industry from the late 1960s through to the early 80s when we designed and built rope haulages, rope hauled vehicles, self-propelled vehicles and locomotives for use on narrow gauge underground tracks.

We operated around the world but the NCB, as it was then, in the UK was by far our largest market. However after the miner’s strike in 1984 it became obvious that the whole mining industry was going to change dramatically, it was certainly going to contract and was definitely not going back to how it had been.

We decided then that we needed to start looking for a new outlet for the skills we had gained over the previous 20 years and pared back the business to its most basic level. The conclusion was that we designed equipment to run safely on very difficult and challenging tracks.

A railway track underground in a mine is nothing like the underground in London, it is much tighter and built on continually moving ground that can change daily. Even with good maintenance the track conditions are very challenging with lots of very tight curves, twist and misalignment, very similar to a roller coaster! That literally was how we identified a logical extension to the business, which over the next five years actually replaced the mining sector entirely.

As WGH we have been successfully designing and building all manner of leisure rides; roller coasters, log flumes, suspended and ground mounted track rides and much more since1989.

Currently we have dismantled and examined most of the haulage equipment to establish firstly how the system worked and then what can be salvaged and reused.

We have also built two timber bogies based on various photographs, drawings and some intuition to again determine how they worked and identify the important dimensional interfaces between the vehicle and the track.

We have been analyzing the performance of the vehicles on the track using our standard data as we would normally but then comparing our findings with timed film evidence of the actual ride to try to trim our assumptions to match the actual conditions of this particular ride.

This is taking shape and we can now see where the problem areas are likely to be.

PROJECT UP-DATE

And back in Margate, the Scenic Railway design and build contracts are now out to tender with the council anticipating a selection by early August and expressions of interest to restore the Corbierre Wheel and Junior Whip have now been received by the council who are in the process of evaluating the restoration method. The main works contract was put out to tender at the beginning of June and the park operator opportunity is out to tender with a deadline for responses by 25 July.
 
Dreamland will have some 'new' illuminations when it reopens courtesy of Blackpool Council:
Thanet Gazette said:
Classic illuminations have been donated by Blackpool council to be used at Margate’s Dreamland when it reopens.

They include light fountains, giant snowflakes, angels and devils, sparkling light features and other decorative items.

The Grade II listed Dreamland in Margate first opened in 1870 under the name Hall-by-the-Sea before changing its name in 1920.

Cllr Graham Cain, Blackpool council’s cabinet member for tourism and leisure, said: “The Dreamland restoration plans are is a real community effort and have attracted great support.

"It's pleasing that Blackpool will be able to make a contribution to such a historic landmark.

"We wish all the Dreamland team the very best with their project."

Eddie Kemsley, director at Dreamland, said: "We're delighted that Blackpool Illuminations – one of the most iconic sights in British culture – has donated items towards Dreamland ahead of its opening next year.

"We plan to make good use of the items in very creative ways."
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Only a small update, but thought some may find it interesting nonetheless :tonguewink:

Source

Edit: Found another interesting article which gives more detailed information here :)
 
Last edited:
Main news from the August newsletter:
Dreamland said:
Last autumn The Dreamland Trust and HemingwayDesign visited Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Illuminations on what turned out to be a very rewarding research trip.

Whilst there we were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Illuminations HQ, archive and works depot by Head of Illuminations, Richard Ryan. The operation and scale of the collection is truly breath taking and we were thrilled that Richard agreed to donate selected items to Dreamland Margate.

Blackpool's world famous illuminations came about in the 1870s when the council awarded £5,000 to experiment with electric street lighting. Dr Siemens' 8 dynamo-electric machines, powered by 16 Robey engines, were switched on, on the 19 September 1879, to power 8 arc lamps on along the seafront emitting light equivalent to 48,000 candles with approximately 100,000 people from across the UK travelling to marvel at the spectacle – and there rest, as they say, is history…

We are now super excited to announce the arrival of some of Blackpool's classic illuminations to adorn Dreamland's park environs in 2015. Amongst the selection are fountains, snowflakes, angels, devils and all manner of sparkling decorative features.

Cllr Graham Cain, Blackpool Council's cabinet member for tourism and leisure, said: “The Dreamland restoration plans are is a real community effort and have attracted great support.

“It's pleasing that Blackpool will be able to make a contribution to such a historic landmark.

“We wish all the Dreamland team the very best with their project.”

The Dreamland Trust will be working with the local community and volunteers to restore and up-cycle these pieces ready for installation next spring.

Eddie Kemsley, director at Dreamland, said: “We're delighted that Blackpool Illuminations – one of the most iconic sights in British culture – has donated items towards Dreamland ahead of its opening next year.

“We plan to make good use of the items in very creative ways.”

20,000 visitors!

This month we celebrated our 20,000th visitor to the Visitor & Learning Arcade. What a surprise Kate McDonagh, from Erith in Kent, got when she was greeted with a roof-raising cheer and goody bag when she walked through the doors to the Dreamland Expo! Kate received a goody bag and said;

“Dreams Can Come True in Dreamland”.

Opened on the 25 May 2014 The Arcade and Expo have proven to be a very popular attraction and learning resource for the local community and visitors to Margate.

The Expo is an immersive and interactive experience for all the family, evoking Dreamland's heyday, charting the revival of one of the UK's best loved amusement parks and looking forward to things to come in the exciting lead-up to Dreamland's opening next year.

Situated in a vintage style arcade, the Expo describes Dreamland's rich heritage and plays host to a collection of 1950s and 60s arcade games and pinball machines, fairground and amusement park artefacts, bijou cinema and so much more…

The space provides a unique setting for community activities, school trips, presentations, celebrations and special events. The Arcade also supports a programme of pop-up exhibitions, talks, tours, entertainment and acts as an archive hub for collecting images, movies, ephemera and artefacts.

For more information about opening times and what's on visit www.dreamlandmargate.com.

All Aboard!

Did you know, that you and your dearest could be the first to ride Dreamland’s fully restored Grade II*-listed Scenic Railway at the 2015 Grand Opening?

Yes, it’s true! All our newsletter readers are automatically entered into a prize draw – all you have to do is tell your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours, so they too have an opportunity to enter the draw by signing up to receive the newsletter on our website at www.dreamlandmargate.com.

Hold on tight and scream if you want to go faster!
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I have left out some chunks of it, so you can read the rest here :)
 
Ooh they're getting some of Blackpool's old illuminations? Nice of them, and it's great that they're being reused to help another attraction blossom, rather than gather dust! :p
 
Sorry for double posting, but restoration work begins on the Scenic Railway next week :D

Thanet District Council said:
Work to restore Britain’s oldest surviving rollercoaster to its former glory starts next week marking another significant milestone for Dreamland.

From Monday 15 September, the iconic Grade II* listed Scenic Railway is being lovingly restored by contractors Topbond Plc. Group on behalf of Thanet District Council.

Workmen will undertake an intricate programme of work to restore the historic structure, ahead of the opening of a re-imagined Dreamland amusement park next year (2015).

Initial work recording the building and structure for historic purposes has already started, but from next begins in earnest with the dismantling of the buildings and structure on a phased programme - commencing from the motor house moving north.

Restoration will include the replacement of the foundations on which the newly fabricated timber trusses will be erected. Secondary timber structures will then be fixed to the main structure. All the works will systematically follow the scenic in a clockwise direction.

Leader of Thanet District Council, Cllr Iris Johnston said, ‘It is very exciting to see work start on Britain’s oldest surviving rollercoaster. The Scenic Railway is synonymous with Dreamland and the Council is very proud to be leading the way, breathing life into Dreamland once again.”

Eddie Kemsley, Project Director at Dreamland, said “This is an important milestone in Dreamland’s history and is symbolic of the enormous achievement of the Dreamland Trust’s ‘Save Dreamland’ campaign. Work on the Scenic Railway is the first crucial step in our work towards opening a re-imagined Dreamland”.

During the re-building works, The Dreamland Trust will continue to host an exhibition on Dreamland’s history and future. The Dreamland Expo: a past, present and future, describes the revivial of Dreamland – one of the UK’s best loved amusement parks and has to date welcomed more than 25,000 visitors. The Dreamland Expo is free and open weekends from 10am to 5pm. For more information, please visit www.dreamlandmargate.com or call 01843 295 887.

Ahead of the anticipated 2015 opening, award-winning designers, HemingwayDesign led by Wayne Hemingway MBE, Gerardine Hemingway MBE and Jack Hemingway are working to create a re-imagined Dreamland as a unique vintage-style amusement park with lovingly restored thrill rides, classic side shows and destination dining set within a landscape capable of hosting national festivals and major events.

The new Dreamland will be a visual and sensual delight, delivered by creative thinkers and designers ensuring every nook and cranny is touched by the hands of artists and artisans. With a creative use of up-cycled amusement park artefacts and fairground paraphernalia creating an immersive, timeless environment.

Background
The Dreamland site is owned by Thanet District Council following successful compulsory purchase.

The council, working in partnership with The Dreamland Trust, has secured a funding package of £18 million, which includes external funding from The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Sea Change grant, to deliver the first phase of the project.

Award winning multi-disciplinary designer, Wayne Hemingway MBE, has been appointed to deliver the look, feel, smell, taste and sound of Dreamland as a unique vintage-style amusement park with historic thrill rides, classic side shows, eateries and evocative spaces set within a landscape capable of hosting national festivals, major events and visiting attractions.

The Dreamland project plays a significant role in community engagement, education, training, sustainable employment and boosting the local economy. It is also a major component in the continued regeneration of Margate, spearheaded by Turner Contemporary in 2011.

The council is currently undertaking a procurement exercise to identify a suitable operator for Dreamland.
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Source
 
It occurred to me that, as Dreamland is owned by Thanet Council, it's probably the only publicly-owned theme park in the country.
 
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