Back and Forth and Round and Round, autor failing_angel

The Big Wheel and Scenic Railway Taken in Dreamland Dreamland was created, by John Henry Iles in 1919, from the 'Hall by the Sea' an amusement park dating back to 1880. Dreamland was inspired by Coney Island. Inspired by Coney Island which he had visited in 1906, Iles renamed the park Dreamland and initiated work on the construction of a Scenic Railway roller-coaster in 1919 having purchased the European rights to the Scenic Railway from inventor and patent holder LaMarcus Adna Thompson. The roller-coaster opened to visitors in 1920 with great success, carrying nearly half a million riders in its first year. Iles was quick to install other rides including a smaller coaster called the Whirlwind Racing Coaster, the Joy Wheel, the River Caves, Dreamland Miniature Railway and The Whip. A ballroom was constructed on the site of the roller-skating rink in 1920 and in 1923 Iles built his Variety Cinema on the site. In 1926 Iles undertook the construction of the Cliftonville Lido swimming pool on the seafront. Between 1920 and 1935 he invested more than £500,000 in Dreamland, adding new attractions and facilities and ultimately in the construction of the impressive Dreamland Cinema complex in 1934, now a grade 2 listed building. John Henry Iles retired in 1938 and the business was handed over to his son Eric. [Dreamland.org] The park was renovated in the 1970s, sold to the Bembom Brothers from Holland in 1981, later sold on to another amusement park owner in 1996, but finally closed in 2005. The future of the park was uncertain, until a restoration project began in 2010, with the park re-opening in 2015, following a major overhaul and reconstruction.