Members of the last horse-drawn stage show in England completed their 200-mile pilgrimage to Margate from Stonehenge yesterday (August 1) only to find the park they were due to stay in was locked.
The show has been travelling from Stonehenge to Margate and is led by David Sanger, descendant of Victorian star Lord George Sanger, the founder of Dreamland predecessor, the Hall By The Sea.
David, who was one of the family members who officially reopened the Dreamland site in 2015, partner Amanda Chapman and baby Lord Sanger are joined by a procession of travelling actors, musicians and performers.
They are due to lead the Margate carnival on Sunday and then set up the show for performances at an after-party in Dreamland but the journey has been plagued with problems.
Promised funding did not come through, meaning David had to launch a crowdfunder appeal to help the troupe make the journey.
Then when they arrived at Tivoli Park yesterday, where they had made prior arrangements to stay, they found the park was locked.
In a post to social media furious David said: “We’ve just walked over 200 miles to lead the Margate carnival. We came to meet the carnival man and we were allocated a space in the park, we’ve just walked 15 miles (yesterday) and we have been locked out of the park where we were told to pull on to. Disgusting behaviour indeed, it put the family and horses in serious danger, I am not pleased at all.”
Dane Valley councillors Gary Hillman and Gary Taylor came to the troupe’s aid. After making several phone calls they arranged for the Sanger Stage Show to pitch up at Dane Park.
In a message to residents they said: “Tonight in Dane Park we have “The Sangers (Ancestors of George Sanger Mr Dreamland) all the way from near Stonehenge staying here due to an area locked where they were meant to be going in Margate.
“They are here for Margate’s Carnival weekend and performing a free show in Dreamland.
“Can I stress they are not like the Travellers we have had recently. Please be welcoming to them.”
Unfortunately, the message doesn’t seem to have reached everyone, show members had a bike stolen from them last night.