we moved to margate in 85, used to have a cafe up cliff'lle , since then it's been all down hill, sad to say we had enough and moved on , i hope they give it a decent burial r.i.p.
My son lives there and I have just come back from visiting.....what a great shame that Margate has been left to rot. There's a new art gallery but who is it for? This once beautiful place needs a revival. So sad to see this once great lady on the floor. :-(
I left Margate in 2002, and went back late last year. I have to say I was extremely appalled by how run down it's gotten in these last 6 years. In the time I have been away, I have visited many other coastal towns (now I live Inland in Wiltshire) and it always occurs to me how Margate still stands out as the worst in the country. Not only for it's seaside location, but the shopping. Having lived in Margate for 18 years of my life, I fail to see why the council can continue to let the town rot!
@sammipink Sammi it wasn't too bad even going back to the mid 90's - it was a fortnightly day out from East London from 1981 with friends - then, after getting hitched, with Wife my Son during the 90's - we adored the character of the place. Visiting a few years ago, we were devastated. The place is now nothing more than a ghost town and I really feel for the people living there. Well done Thanet Council - the closure of Dreamland and subsequent lack of investment was a master stroke!
It gutting to see this! I used to visit margate during the summer holidays as a kid and it was always bustling with people - Dream Land was the whole reason I used to love going there - sad
OMG, i lived in margate from 1984-1999 when i moved to sheffield it was falling apart, it has fallen apart, theres just nowt there, i feel sorry for the kids and families in the summer. KENT COUNTY COUNCIL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FOR GOD SAKE.
I live in margate, and must say more shops have closed since this was posted. But what made me laugh was the comment at the end of the video. Complain to the council.........Thanet.Gov....:D
I did not see margate when it was in it prime which is ashame because it looked so much fun in Jolly Boys outing lol. It's ashame that council won't invest to make this a better place, as it was, and deserves to be again.
I grew up in margate, the 70's 80's were fantastic loads going on, but now.... an absolute utter shithole. Iwork in margate and it's so sad to think what it was like, and what it has become.
Its a seaside town that just got left behind. To somebody who grew up loving Dreamland and seeing its decline - which has occurred under Jimmy Godden's control. I am really surprised that the Scenic Railway hasn't had a mysterious fire yet. Not saying that i think he is responsible for all the previous fires but hey, if u search for "Jimmy Godden fire" on Google u get 6200 results. the only restoration that was done when I was a kid was some1 putting a tank top on the statue that is 2:02
Prior to this fire, what exactly happened to Dreamland? As someone from East London (now in Essex) I used to drive down to Margate almost every other Sunday (from 1981) with mates - then it became a fortnightly excursion once I got hitched and had a Son. A few years ago we drove down to Matgate - the first sign things were bad was when the previously busy NCP car park looked like a bombsite. There were half a dozen rides owned by Gippos that I wouldn't have pissed on. What the F*** happened?
Margate has seen an influx of artists and hippies moving from london and other places. Is now filled with vintage shops and quirky bars well worth a visit to the old town. But not sure I would travel all the way from Canada to visit Margate to be honest. Some parts of the town still need a little work.
Wish I was a billionaire....I wish .......would love to regenerate this lovely resort....truly very upsetting to visit after so long and find so much degeneration....I only visited on holiday from Scotland,but so sad to see how Margate has changed.Poor Margate...u do not deserve this.
Margate is depressing but so is Ramsgate. That's what happens when you allow your council to build an out of town shopping centre coupled with a recession and the rise of the internet. I remember fondly Margate as a child with Dreamland, BHS, now Primark, M and S and others. I never go to Margate now and never will, too many immgirants and drug addicts and dumped rubbish from London. Ramsgate is nearly just as bad another place I no longer go to and I come from Deal.
This cannot be blamed totaly on the council although TDC is probably one of the worst i have come across. Margate has hit rock bottom but is now on the rise again. The restoration of Dreamland is starting from feb 2010 with a number of sea front buildings having been or being restored in 2010/11. The change is becoming noticeable.
PS. Hasn't Burtons and Argos since closed in 2013 along with F. Hind the Jewellers. Your video of Margate is sad. Out of all the towns in East Kent and all have been hit by this recession and economic decline, Margate is the worst with Ramsgate not far behind. At one time, if you fancied a day out shopping other than Canterbury you would go to Margate that's not that long ago may be up until the early 1990's. BHS, Marks and Spencer, M and Co (Mackays), HSBC, Phones 4 U, River Island, DP gone.
Margate is terrible nowadays. The arcades are so run down. Dreamland is gone. I don't know how much business the beach does nowadays. Ironically 10 - 15 years it was still doing good business.
TDC watch this vid, its really sad but brutely honest, i live in margate i know what it was , what it could be ....bah stuff all that lets build a completly unwanted arty farty center
I live here now and friends of mine have tried to open a shop here, you would think that would be easy, no way, thanet council are arseholes, dont come to margate, its a dump, i am moving out of the place.
All these youngsters lol margate has always been a shit hole etc, You dont know what the hell you are talking about, Margate used to be actually a nice place! People from all over came to visit. It was nice and a place to be. The theme park was great cos you paid 10.00 to get in and that was it, great rides for the time etc, then it got taken over and turned into any yob can walk in for free and pay for rides, thats when margate turned into a shit hole.
Last visited in 1978,just been back.How sad.Poor Margate.Been abroad all these years....So sorry to see how this town has changed.
Lived here all my life....How sad to look at this vid....as i sit here remembering how it was....
I was in Margate today as hadn't been there since 2004 and i was gutted to see how much town has been run down!
we moved to margate in 85, used to have a cafe up cliff'lle , since then it's been all down hill, sad to say we had enough and moved on , i hope they give it a decent burial r.i.p.
My son lives there and I have just come back from visiting.....what a great shame that Margate has been left to rot. There's a new art gallery but who is it for? This once beautiful place needs a revival. So sad to see this once great lady on the floor. :-(
Wow great video! didnt realise how bad its gone since i left in 2004! no wonder i moved and now live in Dallas, Tx USA
I left Margate in 2002, and went back late last year. I have to say I was extremely appalled by how run down it's gotten in these last 6 years.
In the time I have been away, I have visited many other coastal towns (now I live Inland in Wiltshire) and it always occurs to me how Margate still stands out as the worst in the country. Not only for it's seaside location, but the shopping.
Having lived in Margate for 18 years of my life, I fail to see why the council can continue to let the town rot!
@sammipink
Sammi it wasn't too bad even going back to the mid 90's - it was a fortnightly day out from East London from 1981 with friends - then, after getting hitched, with Wife my Son during the 90's - we adored the character of the place.
Visiting a few years ago, we were devastated.
The place is now nothing more than a ghost town and I really feel for the people living there.
Well done Thanet Council - the closure of Dreamland and subsequent lack of investment was a master stroke!
It gutting to see this! I used to visit margate during the summer holidays as a kid and it was always bustling with people - Dream Land was the whole reason I used to love going there - sad
OMG, i lived in margate from 1984-1999 when i moved to sheffield it was falling apart, it has fallen apart, theres just nowt there, i feel sorry for the kids and families in the summer. KENT COUNTY COUNCIL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FOR GOD SAKE.
I live in margate, and must say more shops have closed since this was posted. But what made me laugh was the comment at the end of the video. Complain to the council.........Thanet.Gov....:D
Margate has been literally left to rot. Such a shame.
I did not see margate when it was in it prime which is ashame because it looked so much fun in Jolly Boys outing lol. It's ashame that council won't invest to make this a better place, as it was, and deserves to be again.
I grew up in margate, the 70's 80's were fantastic loads going on, but now.... an absolute utter shithole. Iwork in margate and it's so sad to think what it was like, and what it has become.
Its a seaside town that just got left behind.
To somebody who grew up loving Dreamland and seeing its decline - which has occurred under Jimmy Godden's control. I am really surprised that the Scenic Railway hasn't had a mysterious fire yet.
Not saying that i think he is responsible for all the previous fires but hey, if u search for "Jimmy Godden fire" on Google u get 6200 results.
the only restoration that was done when I was a kid was some1 putting a tank top on the statue that is 2:02
dreamlands coming back and i find it hard to believe why shops r closing its packed
Prior to this fire, what exactly happened to Dreamland?
As someone from East London (now in Essex) I used to drive down to Margate almost every other Sunday (from 1981) with mates - then it became a fortnightly excursion once I got hitched and had a Son.
A few years ago we drove down to Matgate - the first sign things were bad was when the previously busy NCP car park looked like a bombsite. There were half a dozen rides owned by Gippos that I wouldn't have pissed on.
What the F*** happened?
hello. i was just wondering what happened to margate. im interested in this places history?
sweet magic closed!!!!!
i went there in holiday and it was really good
now everything is closed including dreamland
it does look like a dirty old town
Any progress lately on revitalizing Margate? I'm from Canada, and planning a trip to this area.
Margate has seen an influx of artists and hippies moving from london and other places. Is now filled with vintage shops and quirky bars well worth a visit to the old town. But not sure I would travel all the way from Canada to visit Margate to be honest. Some parts of the town still need a little work.
Wish I was a billionaire....I wish .......would love to regenerate this lovely resort....truly very upsetting to visit after so long and find so much degeneration....I only visited on holiday from Scotland,but so sad to see how Margate has changed.Poor Margate...u do not deserve this.
Agreed
Margate is depressing but so is Ramsgate. That's what happens when you allow your council to build an out of town shopping centre coupled with a recession and the rise of the internet. I remember fondly Margate as a child with Dreamland, BHS, now Primark, M and S and others. I never go to Margate now and never will, too many immgirants and drug addicts and dumped rubbish from London. Ramsgate is nearly just as bad another place I no longer go to and I come from Deal.
This cannot be blamed totaly on the council although TDC is probably one of the worst i have come across. Margate has hit rock bottom but is now on the rise again. The restoration of Dreamland is starting from feb 2010 with a number of sea front buildings having been or being restored in 2010/11. The change is becoming noticeable.
@bake67s How many are closed now? ;-)
The governments plan to save Margate - Turner Contemporary!
......
Margate is doomed.
The Waverly?!!!
PS. Hasn't Burtons and Argos since closed in 2013 along with F. Hind the Jewellers. Your video of Margate is sad. Out of all the towns in East Kent and all have been hit by this recession and economic decline, Margate is the worst with Ramsgate not far behind. At one time, if you fancied a day out shopping other than Canterbury you would go to Margate that's not that long ago may be up until the early 1990's.
BHS, Marks and Spencer, M and Co (Mackays), HSBC, Phones 4 U, River Island, DP gone.
why?
If you think this is grim try St Leonards side of Hastings
don't knok the ppl who live there i am 1 of them.
the council are more interested in buildng a art gallery than doing he area up
....and now the donkeys are going. Things going from bad to worse
Margate is terrible nowadays. The arcades are so run down. Dreamland is gone. I don't know how much business the beach does nowadays. Ironically 10 - 15 years it was still doing good business.
i hope Yates and Weatherspoons close and Escape too-they are all toilet!And have done sweet f.a. for margate.
TDC watch this vid, its really sad but brutely honest, i live in margate i know what it was , what it could be ....bah stuff all that lets build a completly unwanted arty farty center
The wrong people, besides they have no money
I live here now and friends of mine have tried to open a shop here, you would think that would be easy, no way, thanet council are arseholes, dont come to margate, its a dump, i am moving out of the place.
Your film does Margate a great injustice......Its a lot worse than your film portrays.Will it ever attain its former glory???????
is this what happens when the english move out and the immigrants move in? horrible and sad..
All these youngsters lol margate has always been a shit hole etc, You dont know what the hell you are talking about, Margate used to be actually a nice place! People from all over came to visit. It was nice and a place to be. The theme park was great cos you paid 10.00 to get in and that was it, great rides for the time etc, then it got taken over and turned into any yob can walk in for free and pay for rides, thats when margate turned into a shit hole.