25 ton fire engine on unsupported chalk cliff.

Over the last few years I have had various promises from the council’s engineer that heavy vehicles will be prevented from going onto the footpath above what they agree is an unsupported chalk cliff in poor condition.

I guess this old newspaper article says it all.  

 
I guess this old newspaper article says it all.  

Report from The East Kent Times
January 11th 1936.







Two more rides wrecked at
"Merrie England."







With a crack like the report of a
cannon, another huge fall of cliff occured in the neighbourhood of "Merrie
England," Ramsgate yesterday (Friday 10th) afternoon. The huge thrill ride
the "Coaster" has been wrecked, and part of the
"Brooklands" miniature motor racing track is buried under several
feet of chalk. This is the second big cliff fall at the same place within ten
days, and over a thousand tons have fallen on the fun city, wrecking first the
"Ghost Train."







Miraculously enough no one was
hurt. The top part of the Promenade, which has a concrete retaining wall
remained intact, but underneath the fall has cut into the cliff face to a depth
of several feet. The fall occurred only twenty yards from the spot where a gang
of men were working, clearing away the debris from the fall on December 31st.
The management of "Merrie England" were advised last Tuesday that it
might be well to dismantle the "Coaster" ride to avoid possible
future falls, but the inclement weather made this impossible at the time. To
dismantle the "Coaster" takes some ten - twelve days, and if the men
had been working on the ride on Friday afternoon they must surely have been
buried beneath this latest fall of cliff.






Mr F. Price the Manager of "Merrie
England" who was walking past the "Coaster" at the time, said he
heard a sharp report like that of a cannon, followed by an ear-splitting rumble
as ton upon ton of chalk fell upon the ride. The "Coaster" was flung
sideways and the whole structure trembled violently and you can see where the
retaining blocks have been forced out. These rides are balanced perfectly; now
that the ride has been knocked sideways like this, a strong wind may well bring
it down into the roadway. We had been advised that this piece of cliff would be
the next to go and intended to dismantle the "Coaster" but the
weather has been too bad. It takes some considerable time to take down a
structure like this and if we had gone ahead with the work about a dozen men
would have been working right where you see that chalk.

 They should expand if clicked on

I have added a picture of firemen digging out to see if anyone was buried after one of the 1967 collapses, as it would seem the 1936 article was insufficient to convince some people that it is pretty stupid to let a 25 ton fire engine up there.