MISSING RIDES

The Dreamland Trust was granted access to the Dreamland site, by Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, in June to undertake an inventory and mark various component parts of the Historic Rides Collection owned by The Dreamland Trust. This was the first time The Dreamland Trust had been allowed on site or given access to the collection since the CPO process began almost two years ago.

The Historic Rides Collection has been collated by The Dreamland Trust, over a decade; many of the rides being rescued or donated by supporters of the Save Dreamland Campaign. It is with disgust and disbelief therefore that The Dreamland Trust reports that MTCRC began removing The Historic Rides Collection this week without consent.

The Dreamland Trust worked with MTCRC to identify all the parts of the rides; each one being spray painted with a distinctive pink identification mark. Their removal and expected disposal via scrap merchants, or onward sale, is viewed as theft and has been reported to the police.

Most of these items are designated for up-cycling into creative interpretation, café furniture and set dressing.  The removal of these items does not impact on our plans or delay the project.

The Historic Rides Collection also includes a suite of rides acquired and purchased by The Dreamland Trust, which are currently with external heritage rides restorers where some restoration work has already begun. Other historic collections include a series of amusement park and fairground artefacts and paraphernalia held in secure, off-site storage, and the Dreamland Archive soon to be available as an online learning resource.

We are finalising the rides line-up for the 2015 opening, which will be supported by guest rides and visiting attractions.

The police are aware of all the missing items and have visual evidence of the property being removed from the site and are carrying out further surveillance and investigations.

The Dreamland Trust asks that if anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of the items, or is offered the stolen property, to immediately contact Margate Police Station in confidence.

Thanet District Council will become the new owners of the Dreamland site following the completion of the 28-day vesting process on the 3 September 2013.

The Dreamland Trust extends grateful thanks to Margate’s vigilant community for alerting us to this activity.