Margate Scenic Railway Burnt Down

[farmer-alex 2]

A serious local and personal loss to Kent, Great Britain.

If you have a spare minute please read on, I am going to tell you a little story.....:

There is a man in East Kent, well known and very much well hated, Jimmy Godden.

He owns much of our once thriving costline and seaside resorts, including Margate Arcades and Dreamland. Under his ownership there have already been about 3 traditional old Arcades burnt down... and now the oldest Rollercoaster in the World.

May I also add he has already declared his willingness to develop the Seafront as housing.

Co-insidence ?

I dont think so.

The Scenic Railway has been up and running since Victorian times, it is (was) the last thing Margate had to hold on to, and to be proud of. Now that has gone, burnt away like all the other historical buildings along Margate Seafront.

For the last 5 or so years there have been massive campaigns to re open and restore Margate seafront. All has been lost.

Sp I spose the reason I felt I needed to put this on the Forum was to make people understand just the damage that one very rich man can make to a community.

Who knows what will hapen now. 

It can only get better ?

http://www.invictafm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=647714&spid=12809

[coolotter88 2]

oh, a ROLLERCOASTER, I was wondering how railways burn down when they're near the ground and made of iron bars.

[The_Dalai_Llama 15]

Many coasters from that era were called railways or scenic railways. A sad day for roller coaster kind.

[Easy Bakes 253]

A Shame.

[Duke87 1,070]

Given you've got an owner that people hate, and three other things of his that have burnt down already... this looks an awful lot like an arson case to me.

Setting fire to a historic structure is a despicable act in and of itself, but doing it just because you don't like the person who owns it? Come on now. That's like setting fire to city hall because you don't like the current mayor. This Godden guy couldn't possibly own it forever, he's only mortal. And one day someone else would have owned it, perhaps someone you'd like better. But now that it's destroyed, no one can ever own it or even use it, good or bad.

Off goes the nose to spite the face!

[saltandsauce 0]

that practice is not unheard of

a listed school has been vacated and is left to stand until it "happens" to burn down this is action of the council by the way

a pub near where i live is about 500 years ago and its claim to fame was bonnie prince charlie had three pints there or something but the village has nothing else in it the full story is

one man owned the pub another man owned land behind it and wanted to build flats on it

the two men hated each other

the pub owner then decided to sell

the man who owned the land decided to pay somebody else to go and buy the pub for him but in his name

the pub is closed and not a single resident will be surprised when it burns down

the pub is B listed

[farmer-alex 2]

The Police have confirmed it was Arson.

Two Guesses who it was.

Mr Jimmy Godden.

Just a complete waste and loss of history, and fine archietecture.

[Glenni 1,444]

Originally posted by: Duke87 Given you've got an owner that people hate, and three other things of his that have burnt down already... this looks an awful lot like an arson case to me.

Setting fire to a historic structure is a despicable act in and of itself, but doing it just because you don't like the person who owns it? Come on now. That's like setting fire to city hall because you don't like the current mayor. This Godden guy couldn't possibly own it forever, he's only mortal. And one day someone else would have owned it, perhaps someone you'd like better. But now that it's destroyed, no one can ever own it or even use it, good or bad.

Off goes the nose to spite the face!quote>

You misunderstood, what people suspect is  that Jimmy Godden ( the hated man) pays people to do the arsons for him, on the properties he owns, and then construct, for example condos at the site. It ha nothing to do with people hating him and setting fire to his properties, but hired arsonists from Jimmy. You have probably heard of such ridicolous ways of making money in the US too.

Some people are just so greedy sometimes.

[ILL Tonkso 1,236]

Another person to add to my 'People to Kill today' list.

[un1 41]

Is the railway a historical landmark?

[farmer-alex 2]

Yeh Grade II listed building.

There are now plans on re building it.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: Glenni You misunderstood, what people suspect is  that Jimmy Godden ( the hated man) pays people to do the arsons for him, on the properties he owns, and then construct, for example condos at the site. It ha nothing to do with people hating him and setting fire to his properties, but hired arsonists from Jimmy. quote>

Ah, okay. New question then: how has this guy not been arrested and thrown in jail?

You have probably heard of such ridicolous ways of making money in the US too.quote>

Back in the 70's, there was a case of arson virtually every night in the South Bronx. The arsonists? The owners of those buildings. Now, granted, they weren't looking to replace anything. The situation was that tenants were leaving, people couldn't pay rent, and it cost more to keep the building running than was made from doing so. As such, the only profit to be had was by torching the building, collecting the insurance money, and leaving for greener pastures. Eventually it got so bad that insurance companies simply refused to provide insurance to anyone in the area.

So yes, I have heard of such ridiculous things in the US. Quite familiar with the concept.

[un1 41]

Well at least there re building it! Though that has never happened where I live! (Northern Ontario) The worst fires up here are forest fires!!! This kind of remindes me of the day Wasaga Beach water front was destroyed by a fire (not all of the waterfront).

[farmer-alex 2]

Basically because he owns so much in Kent, not just along Margate Seafront but also Folkstone, and what was Rotunda Theme Park (which also completely burnt down a few years ago under his ownership).

He has just never been caught, whether that is because he is a very clever man and covers the evidence well, or because the authorities are too afraid of him, or getting a backhander.

No one really knows.

The rebuilt Rollercoaster still wont be the same though.

Jimmy Godden needs locking up and the key thrown away.

[nazaguy 0]

Isn't the oldest railway Manchester to Liverpool?

[GingerBlokey 30]

Originally posted by: nazaguy Isn't the oldest railway Manchester to Liverpool?quote>

Yes, but that has nothing to do with it as this is a rollercoaster, not a railway.

[farmer-alex 2]

Yeh the Name is pretty misleading.

It is the Oldest Rollercoaster in the World, but is known as the Oldest Railway.

As said before it was common of that Era to name Rollercoasters "Railways".