A Last Friday, Dreamland re-opened its doors after a closure of 10 years, and a long battle and campaign to revive and reinvent the “beating heart” of Margate. To me it was a magic day and a celebration of the English Seaside glorious days.
This is how the sadly site of Dreamland looked back in 2013, derelict, damaged by fire and with very few of its original features. This is what was left of the famous “scenic railway”, the first rollercoaster in the UK which was inaugurated in 1920 and attracted more than 500,000 visitors its first year.
Everyone outside is waiting impatiently for Dreamlands gates of pleasuredom to open! Comedians and performers accompany the happy crowds.
Designer Wayne Hemingway as well as the Dreamland Trust have done such a great job inventing a vintage and retro design with pastel colours, choosing great music tracks, refurbishing the roller disco and of course, the rides and attractions.
The carousel with its original horses from 1876!
The performers…
Good taste and naughtiness.
Dreamland has had its ups and downs, “but who hasn’t?, comments Caroline, great great grand daughter of Lord George Sanger who created Dreamland. “It’s the passion of the people here who made the reopening possible and you can see it on their face today”, she adds. Dreamland is the land of the dreams, again…
And as litlle boy on his roller skates spontaneously says to me: “I can’t believe the dream has come true”! Dreamland has a wonderful series of events programmed this summer and for your information North Kent has been voted “Europe top family holiday destination”! http://www.dreamland.co.uk
Dreamland re-opens!
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