Margate in the 1950s & 1960s
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2008
- If you ever took a holiday or a day trip to Margate during the heyday of this Kent seaside resort, my compilation of film and stills should bring back happy memories. The core of the material featured is an 8mm home movie that I took in 1961 on a day trip from Southend-on-Sea aboard the steamer, MV Royal Daffodil, and I've cut in some earlier filmed clips from other sources. Much of the action is centred on Margate's famous amusement park, Dreamland - and includes footage of the legendary Scenic Railway and many other rides - some of which had thrilled generations of holiday-makers - as far back as the 1930s. The accompanying music is the appropriately titled 'I'm Drifting Back To Dreamland' played on Hammond Organ by Ken Griffin. Enjoy!
- Zábava
Thank you my time as a child in Margate.
Amazing thank you
Oh I remember it so well! Sadly most people will never know just how packed and popular the place was.I visited a few days ago for first time in ages, stood in the middle of a derelict Lido and dreamed on Tony Savage and the scramble to get a deck chair!
Now I've found you on CZcams too. And we're talking. Who ever would have thought that CZcams could be responsible for re-uniting a mother and son. How wonderful and amazing is that ?!
I worked at dreamland back then .. great video....
Thanks for some great memories from my childhood. My grandfather used to take me there in the 50s
This was a much loved Amusement Park with unique rides such as The River Caves, Sphinx, The Whirlwind Racer, Racing Coaster and the Sky Wheels. Most can never be replaced but some vintage rides saved throughout the country will be installed for the 2014 opening. I hope to be there.
Yes, those of us now in our 60's remember. Beano's to Margate. It is nice to look back from time to time.
thank you for sharing this lovely film
You are all so fortunate to have had Margate and all it had to offer to your childhood. I visited Cliftonville in the summer of 2007 and could feel the spirit of the past all around me. This video is an instant favorite for me.
I got stuck on that double wheel --with a guy called Barry and others for what seemed like ages before coming back down to earth. Beautiful view while at the top --but Oh so scary .
Lovely film - I count myself lucky to have been a youngster in this era, nearly always pub outings then. As a kid, I could never understand why the coach kept stopping for drinks along the way.
Oh my! We also went down to Margate a lot of sundays in the 60's. A packed lunch on the beach in Cliftonville and then off to Dreamland later. The fish and chips dont taste the same anymore, must have been the newspaper! lol. Great Post. many thanks.
Absolutely awesome. Takes me back.
I worked as a barman at the pool bar at Butlins, Clifftonville, during the summer of 1964. Great days not spoilt by the mods/rockers troubles in neighbouring Margate!
I remember that bar. There was a window into the pool below surface level so you could see the swimmers underwater.
Good footage. The slow waltz on the organ is lovely.
Many thanks for the memories
This is so evocative of my childhood, congratulations on getting the video and the music to match
so well together it's almost as if I was there again all those years ago. I remember the crowds of people flocking into the entrance to Dreamland- it was a special day out for our family, life was so much simpler then, we hadn't a lot of money but days out at Dreamland were special.
How can we ever revert to those days?
I found this...trawling CZcams. Some guy filmed it in 1961...the year I was born. A beautiful documentation of Margate in full holiday mode. 48 years ago...strange to think that a lot of the middle-aged people enjoying themselves here are probably passed away now. A timely reminder that we should cherish life, give it our best shot while we can...and take no shit from anyone. This guy has played a big part in preserving the past. It's exactly what our current photographer-friends are doing now.
Oh what happy memories, Dreamland has been part of my entire life. In fact my father started out as a cashier in the office there and went on to become Managing Director of Margate Estates, which covered Dreamland, the Lido and several arcades along the seafront. I remember so much and my dearest wish would be to have a time machine so I could go back to those crazy 1960s days
Excellent Film, the people in it wouldn't believe how Margate has been allowed to fall into such a derelict state. It's only looking at old films & Pictures that you can see just how much has been lost. Extremely sad!...Dreamland needs to open Yesterday!
Fantastic!
fantastic video footage and well done for getting some footage of the caterpillar ride in as well ... I hear there is one packed away ready for when dreamland re-opens ... can't wait!
We used to go to Cliftonville every year when I was a kid in the fifties and sixties. My father would never allow us to go to Dreamland for some reason. I have an old postcard on the wall of the beach at Cliftonville with all the cafes and I always took home loads of chalk. The first time I got to go to Dreamland was when I took my own children in the nineties and they loved it, in fact they loved it better than the big theme parks.
Love that place!
Excellent video! There used to be a miniature bus that would give rides around the car park, a house that turned upside down, the Sphinx (a maze in the dark), and a water ride in round tubs through a magic grotto. The Scenic Railway was superb - let's hope it gets rebuilt.
Brilliant footage
amazing film archive, even home 8mm produced valuable results :D
@meljaxon Totally agree. I went to Margate virtually every summer with my parents from the mid 50s until 1970 and its demise is upsetting. I went back last summer for a day and wandered along the front trying to see any remaining aspects I knew so well. Some are still there but when you recall literally thousands of holidaymakers wandering the same path 40+ years ago young people could not begin to imagine those days now.
Sarap sumakay cgro jan
excellent post thanks, just wish it was like it now
Bags being the first one on the time machine back to decent times like these.
This is a brilliant piece of film. You must be so proud. Thanks for getting it on here. I shared it to my FaceBook page..and here's what I wrote:
(next post)
Those were days of innocence and fun. Now just thugs and junkies hang out there.
17th August. Dreamland has been saved. Government has given the green light for Thanet Council to purchase the former park. Work will start soon for phase one to re open in twenty months time. Fantastic news.
Hi kester1940,
My name is Kayla, I'm contacting you from Inside Job Productions. We are a small London-based production company and social enterprise.
We are currently working on a commission from the Dreamland Trust. The film is a documentary about Dreamland through the years, with aims to preserve its
heritage and history. The film will be shown at exhibitions and on their website.
The team at IJP found this video and wasn't sure how to contact you more directly. We really like the footage, and so if you are the owner of the footage, I would be really grateful if we could have a chat about using some of it in the documentary.
Thank you and have a wonderful day.
It's interesting to know that they had cotton candy in England back in the 50's & 60's but it didn't catch on in Holland until the late 1980's!
It's interesting to notice that they had cotton candy in England back in the 50's or 60's but it didn't catch on in Holland until the late 1980's.
Hi there, great video, I've just written a song about my time in Margate as a 10 year old in 1968, would it be possible to use bits of your film for a video I will produce for CZcams, I will obviously credit you in the video :)
Fantastic news indeed, Mr Stickland. What a shame that certain features of the original park such as the River Caves were destroyed, and (presumably) it will not be possible to re-create or restore to their original design. Many thanks, however, for posting the good news that Dreamland will be saved. Do please post here again whenever there is further news.
Amazing footage here, I really wish that Thanet council was further on with their plans than they presently are. I was at "Dreamland" car park this weekend and unfortunately it is a mere few months away from being ankle deep in rubbish and waste, how people can leave a place in such a state is a real shame, I would love to take my children to the old park. We can all hope, but as for a 2014 opening? At present they can't even be bothered to pick the rubbish up from the car park, such a shame
I am 61 and recallgoing on holiday to Margate in the early 60s. Why on earth would we travel to Margate in those days from the Midlands?
Yes. He features on Flickr.
Good thought - I guess I should have used Tony Savage, as I still have an LP that my parents bought on one of their holidays. He was resident organist at the Lido in Cliftonville, wasn't he. The Hammond Organ you hear on my soundtrack was actually an American musician, Ken Griffin, and the title of the tune is appropriately 'I'm Drifting Back To Dreamland'.
He used to play that organ lido 👍🇬🇧
Do you remember Douglas Harrison of Dreamland? If you do and would like more info and photos about Dreamland and the Lido I will keep an eye out here for your reaction. Have already posted a comment under sixtiesstephanie. So glad you put this on You Tube and gladdened my day xx
Nice footage and good quality. I presume it may be super 8mm? or Standard 8mm. liked it very much.
Hi- Channel 5 News are doing a report on the regeneration of Margate and Dreamland - would it be possible to use your footage please? Many thanks Katie - 0207 098 2912
@lollyclan Amen to that!!
I really enjoyed seeing Margate in the 50's. We've just done a new gopro walk of the whole town for our youtube page, hope you enjoy ours in exchange showing the contrast between then and now. Thank you we've subscribed.
Nice vid is the music by Tony savage?
Hello from BBC South East Today. Love your film footage - would you allow us to use some of it in our programme this evening? Regards Elaine Bruce
Here's the newsdesk number if you are able to call please - 01892 675580 - Regards Elaine
Brilliant from shayla Vaughan hi miss
At 2 .56 minutes there's a woman in glasses on a mobile... wtf? time traveller i expect, Lilly Savage
Check out "O Margate" also CZcams
2:56 whats she doing with a phone in the 40,s wtf
Hello there, I cannot find an email for you so I wanted to leave a comment. We would love to use this amazing footage as part of our programme for the BBC. Could you please contact us on 01225 584 060, or email me at isaac.confino@onetribetv.co.uk to let us know whether we can or cannot use it. Thank you!
I would seriously love more information on Doug and Jimmy certainly from our time at The Cottage and my time at chartfield you might also want to leave me a message on my channel so we can start to talk again