Margate Winter Gardens seek cash for £1.5m revamp

SHE is the grand old lady of Margate seafront, a majestic venue which has hosted thousands, if not millions, of visitors over her years, and now to mark 100 years of the Winter Gardens a major £1.5 million makeover is being planned.

In August 2011 the much-loved entertainment venue, which has hosted stars including the Beatles, will celebrate its centenary.

To mark the occasion an appeal has been launched to raise money for vital repairs as well as giving inside and out a fresh look.

Work includes completely removing the back wall of the Winter Gardens, on the sea side, which is rotting away. Extra fire exits will be installed which will mean the building can host bigger events and concerts. More seats and an overhaul of the decoration inside and out are also on the list.

One of the most noticeable changes will be the replacement of railings that run along the very top of the building.

Steve Davis, managing director of Thanet Leisureforce, which operates the building on behalf of owners Thanet council, said: “This is work that we have to do and unfortunately, due to economic circumstances, Thanet council has not got the money. The council will be putting money into the project but as yet, how much, I don’t know how much.

“We need to get going with this now because the work will take some time to do. We’ve shown that we can get the big acts to Margate but we need to increase our capacity and improve our technical equipment, some of which, believe it or not, is nearly as old as the building.

“Those improvements will help get the big name acts to the Winter Gardens. The Winter Gardens has been doing this for nearly 100 years and before that there was a bandstand on the site so it’s always been part of the town.

“Margate’s going to have Dreamland, Turner and up the hill a revitalised Winter Gardens, it should be part of the package. I really think that together we can raise the money.”

Thanet council leader Sandy Ezekiel said it was a fantastic achievement for the Winter Gardens to be celebrating 100 years.

He added: “It’s a well loved landmark and has seen a huge variety of entertainment and special events held there over the years. It would be great to see this appeal fund raise the money needed to renovate and improve the building to ensure that the centenary can be celebrated in style.”

A fund raising dinner will take place on September 30 at the Winter Gardens where it is hoped significant financial commitments will be made to the appeal.

Tickets for the dinner will be on sale from the box office at £27.50 each or £200 for a table of eight. For more information call 01843 296111.

What are your memories of the Winter Gardens?

Did you meet the love of your life there, or  just have a cracking time with friends? Do you remember the Winter Gardens during the wars or during the 1950s and ‘60s?

Whatever your story, we want to hear from you, and we want your views on the plans. Email thom.morris@krnmedia.co.uk

Don’t miss next week’s Isle of Thanet Gazette for a special report looking back on the Winter Gardens’ past, the stars who played there and your stories.