'Dreamland' sign, Marine Terrace, Margate, Kent, UK

            An entertainment venue and amusement park, based on a traditional English seaside funfair, has stood at the heart of Margate seafront since 1880, called 'Dreamland' since 1920. This variety cinema, featuring a Compton theatre organ, was built in 1923, displaying the oddly iconic 'Dreamland' sign on its front tower. [Since replaced by something bland and san-serif...]

Like most British seaside resorts, the popularity of Margate declined rapidly in the 1960s, as people increasingly chose to take foreign package holidays; there were still plenty of daytrippers at the weekends, but fewer midweek and fewer staying to use the hotels and restaurants.

By the the early 2000s Dreamland was in terminal decline; in 2005 it closed for redevelopment of the site as housing (though the Grade II* Listed 'Scenic Railway' wooden rollercoaster couldn't be moved) but simply became derelict. The cinema, by then Grade II Listed, closed in 2007, when a multiplex opened nearby.
A 'Save Dreamland Campaign' proposed conversion into a heritage amusement park specialising in attractions from other British amusement parks; several rides were acquired, and by 2012 Wayne Hemingway was appointed as designer of the site and branding.

'Re-imagined Dreamland' opened in June 2015... but the operating company became insolvent within six months. At the time of this photo in May 2016, the cinema (upgraded to Grade II* in 2008) appeared derelict again, though continued operation of Dreamland under administration funded a second refurbishment; relaunched in 2017, the park seemed to be thriving as it entered its centenary, 2020.  Uh oh....

Taken in: UK / England / Thanet District / Margate (show map)

Taken on: May 22, 2016

Tags:

dreamland

sign

margate

thanet

kent

cinema

brick

tower « less

Sets appears in: • Kent

Groups appears in: • Kent • Gray! more » • Margate, UK • Planet Thanet • Urban Fragments 2 (NO people) « less

Camera: Canon EOS 60D, f/11.0, 1/60 sec, 27mm, ISO 125 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 60D
Lens:	EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	27mm
ISO:	125
Exposure Bias:	-2/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 (Windows)
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