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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Margate's Dreamland theme park opens to revellers | Margate's Dreamland theme park opens to revellers |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A funfair that formed the centrepiece of seaside days out for generations of day-trippers has reopened after an £18m restoration. | A funfair that formed the centrepiece of seaside days out for generations of day-trippers has reopened after an £18m restoration. |
| Dreamland has 17 vintage fairground attractions from funfairs around the UK in its reincarnation as a heritage amusement park. | Dreamland has 17 vintage fairground attractions from funfairs around the UK in its reincarnation as a heritage amusement park. |
| The site on Margate seafront has been closed for 10 years, with campaigners fighting to save it from development. | The site on Margate seafront has been closed for 10 years, with campaigners fighting to save it from development. |
| But it reopened without the Scenic Railway star attraction. | But it reopened without the Scenic Railway star attraction. |
| Revellers were due to be let into the site at 10.00 BST but the ribbon across the entrance to the park was not cut until 11.00 BST. | Revellers were due to be let into the site at 10.00 BST but the ribbon across the entrance to the park was not cut until 11.00 BST. |
| BBC South East reporter Simon Jones said: "Dreamland has missed its 10am opening time. It was always going to be tight." | BBC South East reporter Simon Jones said: "Dreamland has missed its 10am opening time. It was always going to be tight." |
| The organisers apologised to the crowds of people waiting outside, saying they were doing a "bit of tidying up". | The organisers apologised to the crowds of people waiting outside, saying they were doing a "bit of tidying up". |
| 'Dreamland is iconic' | 'Dreamland is iconic' |
| The wooden Grade II*-listed rollercoaster, badly damaged in an arson attack in 2008, was not restored in time but Dreamland hopes it will be ready in the coming months. | The wooden Grade II*-listed rollercoaster, badly damaged in an arson attack in 2008, was not restored in time but Dreamland hopes it will be ready in the coming months. |
| Chris Wells, leader of Thanet District Council, said it was disappointing the Scenic Railway was not ready yet but such delays were "unforeseeable". | Chris Wells, leader of Thanet District Council, said it was disappointing the Scenic Railway was not ready yet but such delays were "unforeseeable". |
| "It's fantastic to see the culmination of so many years of hard work by so many people finally come to fruition. Dreamland is iconic and means so much to not only Margate and Thanet but Kent and beyond. | "It's fantastic to see the culmination of so many years of hard work by so many people finally come to fruition. Dreamland is iconic and means so much to not only Margate and Thanet but Kent and beyond. |
| "Dreamland is synonymous with Margate's heyday and signals the continuation of this vibrant regeneration, already well under way with the Turner Contemporary and the revival of the old town." | "Dreamland is synonymous with Margate's heyday and signals the continuation of this vibrant regeneration, already well under way with the Turner Contemporary and the revival of the old town." |
| See more pictures of the refurbished Dreamland on our Facebook page. | |
| Dreamland holds happy memories for Margate residents as well as the thousands of Londoners who flocked there in its heyday. | Dreamland holds happy memories for Margate residents as well as the thousands of Londoners who flocked there in its heyday. |
| Patricia Briscoe, now 85, met her husband, who was serving in the RAF at nearby Manston airport, in its ballroom in 1948. | Patricia Briscoe, now 85, met her husband, who was serving in the RAF at nearby Manston airport, in its ballroom in 1948. |
| "He was dancing but saw me and came and asked me to dance," she said. | "He was dancing but saw me and came and asked me to dance," she said. |
| "He was so lovely, and I went back to my friends and said, 'I like him'. | "He was so lovely, and I went back to my friends and said, 'I like him'. |
| "We have been married 64 years, since 1951." | "We have been married 64 years, since 1951." |
| The funfair, with its weekly fireworks displays, added to the fun of Margate as a traditional seaside destination. | The funfair, with its weekly fireworks displays, added to the fun of Margate as a traditional seaside destination. |
| "When we were kids everybody was there - all the Londoners used to come down every weekend," said Jim Needham. | "When we were kids everybody was there - all the Londoners used to come down every weekend," said Jim Needham. |
| "They'd all be singing in the pubs and the kids would be on the beach. | "They'd all be singing in the pubs and the kids would be on the beach. |
| "We used to to go into Dreamland for the whole day and get lost. | "We used to to go into Dreamland for the whole day and get lost. |
| "It was a shame when it shut. | "It was a shame when it shut. |
| "I can't wait for it to open again - the grandchildren are buzzing." | "I can't wait for it to open again - the grandchildren are buzzing." |
| 100 years of fun | 100 years of fun |
| 1920 Dreamland opens with Scenic Railway rollercoaster | 1920 Dreamland opens with Scenic Railway rollercoaster |
| 1939 Site requisitioned by the government and closed for the duration of World War Two | 1939 Site requisitioned by the government and closed for the duration of World War Two |
| 2002 Scenic Railway rollercoaster gets Grade-II listed status | 2002 Scenic Railway rollercoaster gets Grade-II listed status |
| 2005 Site sold to Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company. Save Dreamland Campaign set up | 2005 Site sold to Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company. Save Dreamland Campaign set up |
| 2008 Scenic Railway badly damaged in arson attack. | 2008 Scenic Railway badly damaged in arson attack. |
| 2012 Thanet District Council approves compulsory purchase order. Wayne Hemingway becomes theme park designer | 2012 Thanet District Council approves compulsory purchase order. Wayne Hemingway becomes theme park designer |
| 2013 Council takes over ownership of the site | 2013 Council takes over ownership of the site |
| 2015 First phase of new Dreamland opens on 19 June | 2015 First phase of new Dreamland opens on 19 June |
| Dreamland's decline coincided with Margate's own. | Dreamland's decline coincided with Margate's own. |
| The rot began to set in for many traditional seaside towns during the 1960s as holidaymakers were lured abroad by sunshine package holidays. | The rot began to set in for many traditional seaside towns during the 1960s as holidaymakers were lured abroad by sunshine package holidays. |
| "The world moved on and we have now got to make this a site that moves with the world," said Wayne Hemingway, Dreamland's artistic director. | "The world moved on and we have now got to make this a site that moves with the world," said Wayne Hemingway, Dreamland's artistic director. |
| The restoration work, funded by contributions from the council, the government and the Heritage Lottery Fund, has been hit by setbacks including a fire in the roof of a two-storey building in May. | The restoration work, funded by contributions from the council, the government and the Heritage Lottery Fund, has been hit by setbacks including a fire in the roof of a two-storey building in May. |
| But Ms Kemsley insisted everything except the Scenic Railway would be ready on opening day. | But Ms Kemsley insisted everything except the Scenic Railway would be ready on opening day. |
| Hundreds of workmen have been on site all week, and were still adding finishing touches on Thursday. | Hundreds of workmen have been on site all week, and were still adding finishing touches on Thursday. |
| The park reopened at 11:00 BST on Friday, with acts including Chas and Dave - whose single Margate reached number 46 in 1982 - and Marina and the Diamonds playing to sold-out crowds in the evening. | The park reopened at 11:00 BST on Friday, with acts including Chas and Dave - whose single Margate reached number 46 in 1982 - and Marina and the Diamonds playing to sold-out crowds in the evening. |
| "We will be ready to go - absolutely," chief executive Eddie Kemsley said before the park reopened. | "We will be ready to go - absolutely," chief executive Eddie Kemsley said before the park reopened. |
| "We're so excited. We're sold out and we can't wait to let people through the doors." | "We're so excited. We're sold out and we can't wait to let people through the doors." |