pic courtesy of Save Dreamland Campaign (click to enlarge)
An update of what is happening at Dreamland, Margate, which I have written about here:
and here:
The launch of the plans for the Dreamland Heritage Amusement Park is tonight; above is a picture of the planned River Caves and waterchute. The River Caves has parts rescued from the very sad closure of the historic Pleasureland Amusement Park Southport, the waterchute a last-minute rescue from the flattening of the park at Rhyl. There's not a lot left now of our historic seaside parks.
Sea Heir
Prince backs heritage park plans
Prince Charles has given his full support for plans to revive Margate’s Dreamland theme park.
His Royal Highness holds monthly meetings with the Prince’s Regeneration Trust’s chief executive Ros Kerslake, and during a recent meeting the next in line for the throne showed a keen interest in the development of Margate’s iconic landmark site.
The trust is providing advice on the renovation of the park, which includes plans for a £12 million heritage fun park and cinema, to the groups working on the project.
http://www.princes-regeneration.org/projects-england.php?id=17
MrKerslake said: “The Prince of Wales is very pleased that his trust is working in Margate and that it is supporting the re-use of local heritage assets.”
A multi-million pounds bid for funding for the ambitious scheme, also backed by artist Tracey Emin, will be submitted in April, with the decision due by September.
A vision of dreamsDreamland rebirth plans go on show
This is the first image released of how a newly regenerated Dreamland could look if multi-million pound plans for a heritage theme park go ahead. The image, along with plans for the world’s first Heritage Amusement Park, will be unveiled on Sunday at a party being held at the Sugar Lounge in Margate.
Jean-Marc Toussaint is working with the Dreamland Trust to help design the layout of the park. A writer, illustrator, creative consultant and concept designer, Mr Toussaint has worked on projects in Europe, Russia and the USA including French parks Park Asterix and Grand Parc Medieval. In the plans the theme park is to be revived and the Grade II listed seafront cinema will also receive a makeover. It is likely to become a music venue and museum showing Margate’s youth the ages, from mods and rockers to punk.
Sea Change, a cultural grant scheme, has already given money to the Margate Renewal Partnership to carry out preparatory work for the heritage amusement park and in June will tell the group if it has secured more funding for work to begin.
An application to the Heritage Lottery Fund will be submitted next month and a decision will be given in September.
A raft of meetings, including a trip to the Prince of Wales’s home Clarence House, have taken place to discuss the project. The Dreamland Project at the Prince’s Regeneration Trust is led by Roland Jeffery, who will also be attending the party on Sunday.
Dreamland Trust treasurer and Shell Grotto owner Sarah Vickery said: “We are delighted with the high profile support that Dreamland is receiving.”
Peter Beck, construction manager at Waterbridge, the company which owns the Dreamland site, said: “We’re very excited about the project and we’re all very positive. We wouldn’t have come this far with it if we didn’t believe it could work. It seems to be gaining support and that’s important because we still need to secure the funding for Dreamland. The funding is essential. With regards the Scenic Railway we’re about 30 per cent complete with the structural analysis and we’re about to move on to commission a three dimensional survey which will see a 3-D map created of the structure which will fill in the gaps. We don’t have the original plans of the part that burned down so that’s the next stage.”
The news has also pleased Margate artist Tracey Emin, who said: “I’m happy Margate will be given part of its soul back. I travel all over the world and whenever I’m asked where I come from and I say Margate the next word is always Dreamland.”
Plans for the heritage amusement park include more than 30 rides, some of which keep the white knuckle spirit alive. The Trust also hopes they can purchase a large Ferris wheel as well as securing cable cars linking the sands with the park.
Designs will be officially unveiled this Sunday at the Sugar Lounge in King Street, Margate, at 7.30pm. The free party will include music from Thanet councillor and DJ Mick T chosen by those attending...
Isle of Thanet Gazette
A click on the word 'image' in the above report will bring the full article and more news of the plans.
http://www.savedreamland.co.uk/
For more on Sea Change:
http://www.cabe.org.uk/sea-change
Much excitement from this strong supporter of the campaign!
For all the latest discussion on Dreamland:
http://www.joylandbooks.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=4
and the newly-launched heritage issues discussion and news forum, as posted here yesterday in this blog http://nemesisrepublic.blogspot.com/2009/03/bit-of-chat.html (do join, all welcome):
http://www.joylandbooks.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=11
Nem
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