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Click here for the latest news
Sunday, 26 July 2009
News
of the Trust’s successful Lottery bid has been reported widely over the
weekend, with Meridian News, BBC Radio Kent, Isle of Thanet Gazette,
Amusement Today and KMFM running the story. Click here for the Thanet
Extra feature,
here for the Isle of Thanet Gazette piece and
here for the news from BBC South East Today.
The
Prince’s Regeneration Trust, which coordinated the project’s funding
bids, has also issued a press release about the news, which you can
read here. Rosie Fraser, Commercial
Director, says: “This is a real
vote of confidence in Margate…. We are delighted to be able to take
this crucial step towards placing Dreamland at the heart of Margate
once more.”
Friday, 24 July 2009
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Fasten your
seatbelts: plans progress for Dreamland Margate |
| The Heritage Lottery Fund
(HLF) has given the green light to The Dreamland Trust to work up plans
to create the world’s first amusement park of historic rides, it was announced
today. Development funding of £384,500 was awarded to help
progress the ground-breaking plans.
The
HLF first-round pass means that The Dreamland Trust can now progress to
the second stage of the HLF application process. We have up
to two years to submit more detailed plans and apply for the £2.65
million of HLF support that we are seeking for Phase One of the
project, which totals over £12 million.
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The Dreamland Margate project celebrates the heritage of popular
seaside culture, of which this site is a nationally important example.
Phase One will create a thrilling amusement park of historic rides,
many of which are the last surviving examples of their type. Over the
past decade, these rides have been rescued from across the UK by The
Dreamland Trust, with the assistance of site owners the Margate Town
Centre Regeneration Company; visitors will be able to experience the
visceral thrill of riding this rare and precious collection.
Centred
on the Grade II-listed Scenic Railway, it is expected that the park
will generate considerable employment opportunities for local people
and attract around 700,000 visits annually. Entry to the park and
landscaped gardens will be free of charge with wristbands being sold
for those who want to experience the rides.
During
Phase One work will also be carried out on the Grade II*-listed
Dreamland cinema building, restoring its 1930s Modernist façade,
safeguarding the auditorium and Compton Noterman organ, and installing
an exhibition space to explain and publicise the project. It’s planned
that the cinema building will house a national centre of street style,
celebrating Margate’s pedigree as Britain’s capital of popular culture,
and sharing our rich legacy in music, fashion, photography and graphic
design.
Commenting
on the award, Dreamland Trust Honorary Secretary Susan Marsh said: “We
are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us the
opportunity to further develop our vision for Dreamland Margate. Along
with our partners at the Margate Renewal Partnership, Thanet District
Council and the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, we are
committed to bringing this project to reality as quickly as possible.
We will now work up detailed plans to ensure that we deliver this
unique new visitor attraction in the heart of Margate, providing a
major boost for the tourism economy and giving the people of Margate
what they have so long wished for – a revitalised Dreamland.”
Dreamland
Trust Chair Nick Laister said: "This is really good news for this
project. I am sure all of our supporters will join me in thanking our
Honorary Secretary Susan Marsh for all her hard work in submitting this
successful bid on behalf of the Dreamland Trust. I know that both Susan
and Sarah Vickery burned a great deal of midnight oil over many weeks
putting together our submission and dealing with queries. I would also
like to thank Derek Harding at the Margate Renewal Partnership, Peter
Beck at Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, Nick Dermott at
Thanet District Council and both Roland Jeffery and Rosie Fraser at The
Prince's Regeneration Trust for their support. We will now begin work
recruiting a Project Director to take the Dreamland project through to
implementation, followed by a number of other key appointments.
Announcements will be made shortly."
The
Dreamland team is also awaiting an announcement on the bid for £4m to
the Government's Sea Change scheme, a decision on which is expected
soon.
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Tuesday, 21 July 2009
The Thanet
Extra on 17 July included comedian Joe Pasquale's supportive
comments about the proposals for Dreamland.
The Isle
of Thanet Gazette of the same date reports on a new “vision”
for Thanet that has been unveiled by Thanet District Council, including
Dreamland. The new document, which is described by the Gazette as "a
rose-tinted view of how Thanet could look in 2030", says:
“Dreamland
has been transformed into a striking 21st century attraction; a
national centre for the preservation and celebration of the heritage
and culture of seaside amusement parks and popular seaside
entertainment.”
Saturday, 11 July 2009
There
were a number of Dreamland-related meetings last week. Nick Laister
represented the Dreamland Trust at a meeting with Sea Change programme
director Sarah Gaventa in Margate on Tuesday 6 July. This included a
visit to the site and a tour of the Cinema building.
On
Thursday 8 July, Nick Laister, Sarah Vickery and Neil Sparkes
represented the Trust at a meeting of the Dreamland Client Group in
Margate. Also in attendance were representatives from Margate Renewal
Partnership, Thanet District Council, Margate Town Centre Regeneration
Company and The Prince's Regeneration Trust. On the agenda were the
various grant bids and the construction programme.
We
have now updated the
Heritage
Amusement Park pages to include details of the
Junior Whip, which was acquired from Pleasure Beach Blackpool in June.
Click here for the
Junior Whip
page.
Tuesday, 6 July 2009
Sea Change decision expected
soon
Tension
mounts as the Save Dreamland Campaign waits to hear if Thanet District
Council's bid for £4million from Wave 3 of Sea Change funding has been
successful. The application was put together by a committed team from
the Margate Renewal Partnership, The Dreamland Trust, site owners the
Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company and Thanet District Council.
Feasibility work for the project was also supported by Kent County
Council, SEEDA, English Heritage and the Arts Council England.
The
Government-funded Sea Change scheme aims to regenerate historic seaside
towns through investment in cultural projects. Its priority is to
invest in the most deprived seaside resorts in England, and in the best
quality applications.
"Sadly,
Margate certainly falls into the first category," comments Sarah
Vickery. "On a more positive note, we all believe that our application
is of the highest calibre."
A
decision is expected to be made public by the end of July. For more
information on the initiative:
http://www.cabe.org.uk/sea-change
And
keep everything crossed!
Junior Whip benefactor revealed
In
previous news items we mentioned that the cost of the acquisition of
the Junior Whip from Pleasure Beach Blackpool was met by a benefactor.
We can now reveal that the benefactor is Save Dreamland Campaign member
Dave Love, whose contribution made this acquisition possible. Here are
some photographs of Dave with the ride he has donated to the Trust, and
other photographs of the ride being unloaded - click on the thumbnail
for a larger version. (Photographs: Susan Marsh and Dave
Collard)
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| Susan Marsh and benefactor,
Dave Love |
Dave Love with the Junior
Whip, which he acquired for the Trust. |
Susan Marsh and the man who
drove the Junior Whip from Blackpool to Margate, funded by the Trust's
recent appeal. |
Eric Marsh with a Junior Whip
car and Dave Collard behind. |
The Junior Whip cars on the
Ainsworth & Martin lorry. |
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| Dave Love with the Junior
Whip. |
Dave Collard unloads the cars
from the lorry. |
Detailing on the cars, which
operated until recently at Pleasure Beach Blackpool. |
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Dreamland
Trust Honorary Secretary Susan Marsh writes about the arrival of the
Junior Whip in Margate on 23 June 2009:
Arrival Day
When we heard the Junior Whip was available to us,
the last survivor in Britain in original condition, we had to have it.
The challenge started, but thanks to our loyal supporters, it was not
insurmountable. In fact, a Benefactor agreed to pay for the ride, an
appeal was underway for the transport and Thanet District Council
agreed to help with a forklift.
It was with that information I hit Margate to
oversee the arrival as well as have meetings.
On Monday I worried, double checked the
arrangements for the forklift, and ensured there was an early morning
call for Dave Collard. Like me, he is not a morning person.
Tuesday I was up very early - sleep escapes you at
such times. It was surprised hotel staff who saw us arrive downstairs
ahead of the breakfast hour; well, we could start on the cold buffet.
Two spoons of Cornflakes and the mobile rang. It was the driver, who I
had asked for an advance call, to tell me he was at the first lay by
after the M2.
It was soon time to hit the road. Still nervous I
rang the security man on the way to ensure access to our safe storage
site, took a call from Sarah to tell me not only was Dave up and about
but en-route.
I hit the site and my husband Eric went off onto
the main road to ensure the vehicle actually turned into the right
place. The man with keys arrived, soon followed by Dave and Scott and
then on rolled a great big forklift. The nerves began to recede.
Towards me walked a man I hadn’t met before -
coincidentally, our Benefactor was in town and had come to see the
arrival!
Finally the wagon from Ainsworth and Martin pulled
in with a very cheerful driver, JP, who, despite being from a Blackpool
family, had spent some of his younger years in south London and
Margate, especially Dreamland, had been his stamping ground.
Everyone helped unload the wagon and secure the
ride; Mark came along and assisted with storage. Eric had to be the one
to cover himself with grease pulling a car from the ride; the easiest
way to move them he told me.
A good job done and followed by a welcome brew,
courtesy of Ted.
A very big thank you to everyone who helped make
this possible.
Susan Marsh
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There
was also a very small piece about the arrival of the Whip in Friday's Isle
of Thanet Gazette.
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here for the latest news
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