Thanks also to Peter Sutton for sending some fantastic photos of Dreamland between 1969 and 2006. The new Peter Sutton Gallery includes a rare photo of the Astro-Liner ride (right).

And don't forget to visit the construction gallery of work at the Dreamland site, which is updated regularly.

A second article in today's Gazette looks forward to work starting on the Scenic Railway early next year once the company has been selected to carry out the work. The Dreamland Trust is considering tenders submitted by various international wooden roller coaster specialists.

The Save Dreamland Campaign website will be following progress with the works at Dreamland in a special photo gallery. We have already uploaded photographs from the first few days of work.

Chairman of the Dreamland Trust Nick Laister comments: "Seeing this important restoration work start on the Cinema is a fantastic end to 2010 and will be closely followed early next year with works to the Scenic Railway. We still have significant hurdles to cross, but we are going into 2011 with the prospect of seeing Dreamland transformed over the next 12 months. On behalf of the Dreamland Trust, I would like to thank all of the Campaign's members for their continued support and wish everybody a very Merry Christmas."

The December issue of the Dreamland Trust Newsletter is now available to download. This provides an update on work on the Dreamland Margate project by the Dreamland Trust. This has already been sent by email to all those who have signed up for the Campaign. If you would like to get a copy of the newsletter before it appears on this website, please join our mailing list.

The new website is launched on the day that visible work starts at Dreamland, with the Cinema building now fenced off along Marine Terrace to allow for scaffolding to be erected from tomorrow. Work on the cinema roof and electrics should start in January, then in February/March we are expecting work to start on the restoration and rebuild of the Scenic Railway roller coaster. We will keep you updated on progress and will post photographs as work gears up.

The celebration runs from 18 to 24 December 2010 at 10am-4pm daily. Find us at The Pie Factory, Broad Street, Margate CT9 1EW.

FREE entry, no booking required, just a pocket full of loose change!

Nick Laister was recently interviewed by G-Force Mag.

Booking is essential, by phoning Nicola on 07845 979024. The event is to be held at the Margate Media Centre, King Street, Margate CT9 1DA.

For a large PDF flyer, click on the image to the right.

Issue 7 of the Dreamland Trust Newsletter is now available to download. This provides an update on work on the Dreamland Margate project.

This has already been sent by email to all those who have signed up for the Campaign. If you would like to get a copy of the newsletter before it appears on this website, please join our mailing list.

In the same edition, Thanet District Council's heritage development advisor Nick Dermott writes about some of his favourite architecture in Thanet, one of which is the Scenic Railway.

In other news, Dreamland was mentioned in last week's launch of the Margate Arts, Creativity and Heritage Programme, as reported in Your Thanet News.

And finally a belated mention of the death of local historian Mick Twyman last month, who was a good friend of the Save Dreamland Campaign and will be sadly missed by all of us.
 

Michelle Stratton reviews the conference on amusement park history that took place in Southport in April, at which Nick Laister spoke about the proposals for the world's first amusement park of historic rides at Dreamland. There were also talks on the demise of Pleasureland and the legacy of London's Battersea Fun Fair.

The major Dreamland item is a two-page article by heritage consultant Jason Wood, who has been directly involved in the Dreamland project. In this article, Wood sets out the background to the Dreamland proposals and why that inspired him to organise the Southport conference. View the two articles.

A total of 12 different venues will be throwing open their doors next month, as part of Heritage Open Days, which runs from Thursday 9 September until Sunday 12 September. It’s been organised under the banner of Margate Arts, Creativity, Heritage (MACH). Click here for a programme of events in Margate. More here: www.heritageopendays.org.uk