Dreamland's slow death

Dr Simon Moores of Thanet Life posted these two photos of Dreamland at Margate. They show the huge contrast in the funfair's fortunes. Margate, like so many of Britain's seaside resorts have become almost ghost-towns. Cheap foreign holidays, English weather and poor facilities have condemned places like Margate to the scrapheap.

Successful seaside resorts like Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Brighton & Blackpool appear to have have adapted to change. Presumably, their local authorities have had the foresight to re-invent their respective towns in order to cater for modern trends. There's no reason why this couldn't have happened to my home town. Moreover, just down the road at Manston/Kent International Airport, there's the third longest runway in the country. Why can't it be London's fourth airport? Plans are underway for a fast train link to London nearby and Margate's silted-up harbour could be turned into a magnificent marina. I could go on.....

Days to Remember by Simon Moores

With summer upon us early this year, here's a photo of Dreamland in all its glory.

I can still recall the smell of the hot dogs and onions and the excitement of the rides and attractions, when as a small boy, I was allowed my annual outing to the amusement park when it was the heart of Margate's summer tourism industry.

Here also is a photo that I took more recently. Do you notice any small differences?