Dreamland Margate | 1960's Recreation

This is as I remember Dreamland Margate back in the 60's. With such Iconic rides as the River Caves, Sky Wheels, Ghost Train, Whirl a Boats, Miniature Railway, The Roller Coaster, Paratroopers, Dive Bomber, Rock n Roll Topsy Turvy House, Queen Mary Ship, Firework Seating Area, The Alice In Wonderland Ride, The Magic Gardens, Dodgems, Buffet Building, and so much more I've re-created using maps, old photographs and how I saw it in my minds eye, and then tried to put it all together. Like my other parks this is by no means to scale, however it should bear a striking similarity for anyone that remembers this far back, so hopefully this should give some sort of idea of the atmosphere and feel of the park, aside from that you'd have to travel right back to the past to experience it fully.
I have started off with a retro Black and White feel to the park and then start the tour outside the park from the old Eaton Road Entrance which is now closed off to the public. There is both day and night time scenes of all the rides and attractions. It's taken me some while to put all of this together. I do hope you enjoy the park.
Geoff Dean.

[@JulieChapman-n7p]

I used to go to Margate every summer with my nanna and her friend and granddaughter. The Tubs as I called them / River Caves , the Caterpillar , paratrooper and the magic gardens and fireworks. Thank you for letting me relive my childhood of 48 / 50 years ago . I was between 8 and 12 when I used to go . Happy Happy memories.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you for your message. My father used to work for the park during the 60s when I was not very old, but I do so have a reasonable memory of where a lot of those rides were and how they looked. There are a few vintage films of the park online but they are few and far between. I was dabbling with a recreation of Dreamland and Margate modern times as it is now, then once I had the main template I removed all the modern stuff and kept mainly the Scenic Railway and the Seafront Cinema Building Entrance and then started to rebuild the 60s park looking at photo's and maps from that era. In someways it did actually feel like I was back there for a while as I was constructing all this which was kind of odd and although there is so much not quire acurate I hope it will give some people an idea of how it felt bacj then. Thank you for watching. Kind Regards. Geoff

[@uksuperrascal]

I just got the comment link from my channel, better late then never - I remember and rode all the rides. Nice job Geoff.The search lights on the ship were from WW2 my Friend Terry Perser rescued the big Search light and was on BBC Blue Peter presenting the Search light to RAF Manston Spitfire memorial and the search light is still there today.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you John. I had a great deal of fun with this creation. Innitially I had designed the Park as it is now, well as it was say in 2019 during the pandemic using Planet Coaster which is quite a fantastic piece of software. Then I came up with the Idea of getting rid of everything except the Scenic Railway and anything else that is still there including the Ciinema Entrance Bulding on the seafront, then I re-built the park as it was back in the 60s using various old Photographs, maps and how I remebered it looked and put all that combination together. There's a fair ammount that is not correct, but all in all I don't think it was too far off, and the Double Wheel I had to design from complete scratch using various tools and available Objects available to me. Thanks for stopping by John. Take care. Geoff

[@uksuperrascal]

@@geoffdeanthemeparks Some one has to keep an eye on you LOL- Great work

[@bpvra]

An amazing piece of work Geoff and as someone who has studied the parks layout I can say that it's very accurate.

[@mjc5509]

WONDERFUL VIDEO THAT TAKES ME BACK TO MY YOUTH WHEN I LIVED IN THANET...WELL DONE!

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

I thought you might like this one Michael. I do have somewhere old footage in the 70s from a cine camera. I can lay my hands on a convertion I did years ago but the quality isn't all that good, it's in colour and shows a bit of Dreamland as it once was. Do check out my channel as I also have some of the latest Dreamland uploads, up till last year beacause of Covid and hopefully will be putting more online once it opens fully again. I also have a lot of the USA parks, Walt Disney World, Sea world, Univesal Studios Florida as well as Hollywood etc, You may find those interesting. Thank you for watching, I've subscribed to you for if and when you may someday upload anything, I try to support as many people as possible. Kind Regards. Geoff

[@normapocher9023]

Thank you for your recreation. I have searched high and low for a picture of the double wheel, which was a sensation. How I loved it as a youngster.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you very much. This was once a park that I used to visit often and was close to my home. The fisrst thing I used to see on entering was the Double Wheel or as it was also known as the Sky Wheels. I tried to re-create the park as best as I could. Many thanks once again and best wishes. Geoff Dean

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you so much for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed the upload.

[@Ricksta66]

One word Awesome and just how I remember it :)))

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Than you Ricky. I tried the best my memory served me as well as several photo's, maps, postcards and old footage which really helped. Even now after I've got used to my own doing it does actually kind of feel like how it once did. Best Wishes. Geoff

[@Ricksta66]

Shared and added to my Pinterest account 👍

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Cool Thank you. I've not tried Pinterest yet, Is it any good Ricky? I'll have to look into that one. I do also have modern up to date Dreamland as well as the seaside and clocktower that I worked on in Planet Coaster, That's quite an advanced program I found. Best Wishes. Geoff

[@orangebrick7745]

It was interesting to hear your comments on the use of the funnels on the "Queen Mary". I am now 81 and actually worked up in the front funnel in the late 1950's during school summer holiday. There was a similar position at the top of the helter-skelter.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

That's interesting. I had no idea that the Helter Skelter had a staff viewpoint, but it does make sense. My father worked for Dreamland in the early 60s but before that my Grandfather was partnered with a guy called Jock who eventually became the parks manager through part of the 60s and then into the 70s. The funnels on here are a lot on the tall side compared to the original Queen Mary. I actually had a great deal of fun trying to re-imagine what I remembered Dreamland to look like through the 60s era. Best Wishes to you. Geoff dean

[@chaldon2viewJ84M]

You have done wonders again making this video Geoff. I like your night scenes and the views from above the ships funnels around 19:44... all very realistic. I had no idea that Dreamland had so much to offer back then but then, like now, Margate is a long way to go for a day trip! Well worth spending a holiday there for all who enjoy all those fun rides and even I would love to have seen it👍. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed it all. Take care. Best wishes, Julie😊

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you Julie. It was a really good place to visit back in the 60s and 70s, there were coach loads of people filling all the Hotels and Guest houses for miles around. I don't think there are many hotels operating now, or even guest houses. It has changed so much from what I remember. The Cruise ship used to house amusements and funfair stalls plus other attractions. I have been looking at old maps and photographs to get a more detailed park. Thank you for watching and hope you are ok with all this going on. Kindest Regards. Geoff

[@bobbysimmo]

WOW ! . What a stunning video Geoff . From the very first seconds i was transported back to my childhood . When me and my brothers were little my parents used to take us to Margate for a weeks holiday every summer . This is very much how i recall it , you've done a superb job . I remember very clearly the sphinx and river caves , but the gem here for me is reminiscing on the double wheel and upside down house . I used to stand and watch in utter fascination as these two rides went round , especially the topsy turvy house . As for the big ship with its huge funnels i definetely remember the fireworks behind it . Celebrities of the day such as Wendy Craig , Anita Harris and Monty Modlyn would introduce the fireworks that used to produce vast crowds joining in with the countdown to launching . So many memories here that it also got me to thinking about my other childhood love which was Battersea park . This is a wonderful piece of work Geoff , it must have taken ages , thank you for sharing.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thanks Bobby. I too remember all that you have mentioned, the River caves and Sky Wheel, or double wheel, It did really look quite spectacular back then didn't it. I really was only able to use as many old photos as possible, the rest was what i remembered and where they roughly were. Best Wishes. Geoff

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

PS I have just recently added the London Resort using this same application, how it could look in the future.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Happy New year Bobby. Better than last year. Regards. Geoff

[@bobbysimmo]

Happy new year to you too Geoff . Yep lets hope things get better soon . I'll go bonkers if it's another year without funfairs to point a camera at .

[@Ricksta66]

Ps I love how you've added them little spinning Planes I remember them at the Southend Kursaal and not forgetting the scary Sky Wheels, wasn't it really nice back then Dreamland Margate:)) Rock n' Roll House made me feel sick when my mum and dad took me in there, everything turned around and upside down.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Yes all of that I remember so well, also the River Caves too. I did go on the sky wheels and realised just how terrifying and fast it moved when you are actually on it. It's like a vertical Super Twist, larger and more potent, when it pulled you down so quick as one wheel passed over the other and you're seat was at that specific point it just dropped and that seat tipped back and you felt like it was falling, scarier than a lot of big coasters. They did have one for a while in an area in Florida, One evening I was going to try and find it, but the link busses were taking forever and so I abbandoned it. They do sem to have a few in the USA travelling fun fairs which is cool. Take care and regards to you and your family. Geoff

[@rpgentertainment211]

Absolutely fantastic

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you so much. Happy New Year To You.

[@bicentenialkid]

Thanks for another great video 👍 and I hope you are doing well.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you Matt. This is an Amusement Park close by, one which I up[loaded prior to this, but this was as it was back in the 1960's which was much better than today. Regards. Geoff

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Wishing you a happy new year. Hope you are well and managing to steer away from the covid. I was poorly over Christmas period feeling so much better now. I had a retina detach from my eye in November leaving me with an emergency procedure less than a week after to re attach, quite a scarry experience. Hope that you are well and had a good Christmas. Do check out my latest upload I think you'll like it, seven miles of festoon night lights, similar to las Vegas. Stay well . Best wishes. Geoff

[@bicentenialkid]

@@geoffdeanthemeparks it’s so great to hear from you and I has as good a Christmas and New Years with everything going on. I’m so sorry to hear about the surgery, but I’m happy to hear you are doing better. Stay safe my friend and I will keep you in my prayers for sure. Take care and have a great day.

[@tristv8891]

These deserve more views 💯

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you for the kind comment. Best Wishes Geoff Dean

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Happy new year to you. Geoff Dean

[@tristv8891]

@@geoffdeanthemeparks Happy new year to you

[@joshchannel3389]

How did you make this ? This is amazing 😊

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Thank you Josh. This was done using Planet Coaster. Took quite a long time to complete this, If you look at the link at the end of the video you will see I have a Margate Illuminations, It's actually Margate as it is now and Dreamland as it was last year, also a day version is available on my channel.

[@bicentenialkid]

I hope you are doing well and I finally added some videos to my channel. By the way, this is what I look like and that’s my girlfriend Dena in the picture with me. Have a great day.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Hi Matt. Doing ok. I will be checking out your channel. Take care. Geoff

[@bicentenialkid]

@@geoffdeanthemeparks great to hear from you and I give a shout out to you in one of my videos. Have a great day my friend. I was sorry to hear about the passing of Sean Connery. What a class act for sure.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

@@bicentenialkid Thanks Matt. Yes Sean Connery passing is sad, we lost a few known uk faces this past week. Stay well.

[@bicentenialkid]

@@geoffdeanthemeparks great to hear from you and happy Halloween 🎃. Take care and stay safe my friend.

[@bicentenialkid]

By the way, how are things in the UK currently? It's so so here in Ohio and worse in other states unfortunately. What a year indeed.

[@geoffdeanthemeparks]

Not too bad, but pretty much the same as where you are, face coverings, social distancing, pubs having to close at 10pm, possibly all this for another six months. I'm pretty sure that by that time the world governments will have to had come up with some sort of solution by then, as it's not a good thing to take away everybody's freedom continuously. We will get back to normal in one way or another. Take care Matt.

[@Ricksta66]

Sorry Geoff I'm back again but this time with my youngest brother, wanted to show him 😊👍