Dreamland opens for the summer season.

Dreamland on the reopening day

Dreamland has reopened after a  makeover including putting a music stage at the centre of the site .
It's been interesting seeing all the changes happening over the last 5 years. From a first look inside at a derelict site with just the old roller coaster in need of a lot of restoration, and abandoned buildings.

Dreamland with work continuing

Parts of dreamland under constuction

Seeing the plans at that stage for re launch of dreamland as a vintage theme park was exciting.

Dot Dash art installation at Dreamland.

Queuing for the first tickets for Dreamland's opening

There was hope that a lot of local artists could be involved with the project, I put my name down for a number of things, but nothing happened there was no further contact and nothing materialized unfortunately.

One of the temporary rides

Finance problems loomed and changes in ownership, and I think the great pool of local goodwill for Dreamland wasn't utilized sufficiently. But it is still here and financed for the continuation of the venture and further restoration and development.

Many day trippers were arriving from the station this half term week and at the opening Dreamland was packed.
Lots of  new landscaping has been done and the whole site looks good, reminding me of the childhood fairgrounds I visited, with out the smell of diesel!       They just need the plaster dogs and cats as prizes.

A whole series of concerts and events are planned through the year, but the site is free to enter at any other time, you pay for the rides you want. This is a much better idea than the original one of everyone having to pay to get in whether they went on the rides or not.

Dreamland website here                    

New entrance to Dreamland.

Dreamland opens, Margate Kent

 

 

Ruth and I had tickets for the first day of opening at Dreamland. I had heard on the news that the Scenic Railway wasn't finished which was a shame, but I was more interested in seeing the site and the vintage rides. I like the old signage and paintings on the rides as well as some of the old cars and jets on the rides. Dreamland website here

 

The weather brightened up fortunately as we walked down, The original entrance was open down by the cinema, which still awaits it's restoration. A shop at the entrance and loads of staff everywhere. I must think of what might be good to sell there.

There is an indoor section with pinball and other arcade games, which we didn't look at this time. I presume they are open to everyone as the ticket section was outside. There are other activities inside too, including a roller disco.

They were still opening up rides while we were there, and pieces of hedge and fences were being moved around. I didn't mind this slightly chaotic mood it added to the atmosphere of  anticipation and of being one of the first on the site.

The chair o plane started up when we walked over, a 1970's classic Waveswinger, made it Germany and brought over from South Africa apparently.

I liked the painted decorations around the ride and took photos of it as well as the rest of the site and rides.

The Wall of Death had a showing which we were in time for, a wooden rickety feeling structure, where two rows of us looked down on the circular wooden track where two men rode their bikes round. In fact the bikes came right up to the top of the walls, very exciting to watch with the riders weaving around doing acrobatic moves as the walls vibrated with the noise of the engines.

I wasn't close enough for taking good photos, but enjoyed the performance.

The Helter Skelter and Hurricane Jets were being well used. I really like the jets, 1950's ride with good decorations.  Little ones were getting ready to pedal the Dream Cars, little vintage cars on a track. But the Big Wheel, and Double Decker weren't open, nor quite a few other rides, which was a shame, but I knew we would get free tickets for another visit.