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Saturday, 22 August 2009
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Isle Magazine looks forward to Dreamland |
| The Dreamland
Trust's Sarah Vickery looks forward to the return of Margate's best
loved attraction in the Autumn 2009 edition of the Isle of Thanet
listings magazine, Isle. In the article, called 'Meet me tonight in
Dreamland', Sarah provides a glimpse of what Dreamland might be like
when it opens as planned in 2011:
"Dreamland will be an exciting,
exhilarating, intoxicating experience; a place packed with charisma and
charm; with ‘1001 Thrills’ as the old guide books once claimed."
The article also
provides a background to the recent work of the Trust and its partners
in delivering this new attraction.
Click here to download the
article in PDF format, or
here to view the entire issue. |
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Thursday, 20 August 2009
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The Independent: Closure
of Dreamland has contributed to Margate's High Street woes |
| Saturday's Independent
newspaper featured a lengthy article on the sharp decline in the
fortunes of Margate town centre. According to figures released recently
by the Local Data Company (LDC), Margate was found to have Britain's
worst rate of shop closures this year, with one in four shops closing. |
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Whilst the opening of Westwood
Cross out-of-town shopping centre was given as the principal reason for
the decline, the article stated: "The lack of parking, higher bills, the
effect of internet shopping, and the closure of the Dreamland amusement
park are other factors that crop up as contributing to the current
struggles."
The article points to positive developments in the town, with the
planned reopening of Dreamland specifically referred to: "Together with
the construction of the Turner Contemporary gallery on the harbour and
an attempt to attract higher quality shops to the old part of the town,
the projects form part of a plan to relaunch Margate through the arts.
Dreamland is also set to reopen by 2012 to help attract day visitors
back from London."
Read the full article... |
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
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Brief update
Nick Laister, Sarah Vickery
and Susan Marsh met with Heritage Lottery Fund at their offices in
London today to discuss the recent grant award of £384,500. This follows
a Dreamland Client Group meeting in Margate on 12 August at which Sarah
and Susan represented the Dreamland Trust.
Below is a message from the
organisers of a really exciting festival this weekend in Margate:
Dippers & Dunkers : Margate's Festival of New Variety & Burlesque
21-23 August 2009 |
The Dippers &
Dunkers Festival takes its title from the locals that would make welcome
and 'dip and dunk' their sea-bathing visitors in Margate's salty
waters. The 'blue flag' beaches of Margate have always had a classless,
ageless and universal appeal and the Dippers & Dunkers Festival offers a
wide range of entertainment just right for you to 'dip' into. Whether
you are a budding Street Magician, Tight-Rope Walker, Fan-Dancer, or
fancy your chances as a Male Burlesque Artist - we can provide you with
the workshop. All ages and abilities welcome!
If you would prefer to 'dunk'
into some fantastic New Variety & Burlesque performances we can offer
you the sensational 'Sassy Seaside Show', or for a late club-night,
Balkan-Bar-Burlesque beckons. |
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The incredible 1950s Dreamland 'Sideshow Illusions', make a return to
Margate, fully restored and more thrilling than ever - just 'roll-up,
roll-up' on the day for free fantastic fun.
'Skin Deep' the touring tattoo
exhibition from the National Maritime Museum, arrives in town. We
invite you to share your body art and help us create our own Thanet
Tattoo.
Educational talks,
historical talks and the fantastic BoHo Market are all just waiting for
you so come along and join us.
www.dippersanddunkers.org.uk |
Sunday, 16 August 2009
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Dreamland "born of enthusiasm and pride": The Observer |
| As the result of the £4m
Dreamland funding application to Sea Change is awaited, national
newspaper
The Observer presents a major feature on the effectiveness of using
cultural projects as the basis for the regeneration of seaside resorts
around Britain, with a significant focus on Margate. |
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Whilst very critical of a
number of projects around the UK's coast, Dreamland receives strong
support from writer Rachel Cooke. Whilst discussing various seaside
projects with the owner of one big success story (Littlehampton's East
Beach Cafe), the proposed amusement park of historic rides and restored
cinema at Dreamland is seen as an example of a project born in the
history and culture of the resort itself, rather than "parachuting stuff
in", as another interviewee describes some cultural projects. The
article states:
We talk about the
Dreamland project in Margate: local enthusiasts have been
buying up heritage pleasure rides - most recently, Blackpool
Pleasure Beach's Junior Whip - and are now raising money so
that Dreamland can be reopened as the world's first
amusement park of historic rides (the Deco cinema will also
be restored, as a museum of street style). Last month the
Dreamland Trust was awarded £384,500 by the Heritage Lottery
Fund for its development plans; as I write, they await a
decision on a £4m application to Sea Change. We both love
this idea, born of local enthusiasm and pride. It seems to
belong to Margate already - a privilege its new gallery will
have to earn.
Perhaps it all
comes down to what you call culture. I can think of few
things lovelier than looking at a tempestuous Turner sky in
the place where he painted it. But I also think that old
wooden rollercoasters count as culture, too - not to mention
fish and chips and mushy peas and Tizer. These things are
part of who we are. They make our lives better, just as art
does, and theatre, and music. To combine them, then, is very
heaven. For our battered seaside resorts, all 250 of them,
this must surely be the future.
Read article in full...
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Saturday, 8 August 2009
Press coverage of the Heritage
Lottery announcement continues in:
Banmoco,
Planning Resource (skip the ducks!),
Teletext,
Big News Margate,
Than.net Blog, amongst others. The news has even hit the message boards at
the birthplace of seaside amusement parks and roller coasters,
Coney Island!
Also of interest is Tracey
Emin's memories of her childhood in Margate in last weekend's
Independent.
Wednesday, 5 June 2009
Attractions Management magazine
features a news item on the Dreamland lottery funding announcement.
Read article...
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
BBC News Channel is coming
to Margate tomorrow. The digital channel is investigating how Margate is looking
to boost its tourist trade and reinvent itself. It's part of a week-long series
called Coastal Britain looking at issues and stories around the UK's coast.
Sarah Vickery of the Dreamland Trust will be interviewed live from Dreamland
shortly after 3.15pm tomorrow afternoon.
The recent Heritage
Lottery award is reported on
Ultimate Rollercoaster. An innacurate reworking of the Trust's press release
appears on the
Best Western Hotels website.
Sunday, 2
August 2009
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Following
much press coverage over the past few days on the Heritage Lottery
award of £385,000 to The Dreamland Trust for development work on the
world's first amusement park of thrilling historic rides,
yesterday's Kent on Saturday featured a short article on the
regeneration implications of the project. The article states:
"If
it all goes ahead, the new attraction could pull in around £8.5
million into thelocal economy...If the park gets up and running,
visitor numbers are estimated to reach around 700,000 each year,
with roughly 350,000 paying to go on one or more ride. This is
likely to generate about £3m everyyear from ticket sales. The £12m
park operation will employ 17 full-time staff and about 100
part-time employees." |
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A highly evocative history
of Dreamland and the Scenic Railway appears in the August edition of
Best of British Magazine. The article traces the history of
the park from its early years, through its time as Bembom Brothers
White Knuckle Theme Park, to the more recent efforts to save the
park.
Click here
to download the article in PDF format (5MB). The magazine is
available at most large newsagents. |
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