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Dismaland entrance and queue! |
I have grown up around Weston-super-Mare, it is where I went to school and where I went to college, it is where I have met some of my closest friends. When I heard that Banksy - a notorious Bristolian street artist - had opened an "amusement park" in the towns derelict Tropicana, I was intrigued. I know very little about art, so I won't act like I do, but I still like to look at pretty things. We decided to wait a couple of weeks after opening to miss the initial queues - this meant we were able to buy tickets for a specific time slot. We arrived at 7pm, as our ticket stated, to find there was a 50 minute queue of people who had done the same thing - the initial excitement had not declined!
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David Cameron Art Work |
When
we finally reached the front of the queue we entered another queue, this time in three
lines – allowing us to pass through the "Dismal security". One of the
security officers was shouting at us for not joining a smaller queue – accusing
us of “enjoying queuing”. This offended my mother instantly and she could not
understand why there was "the need for such an attitude”. We had to explain that this is what they were hired to do - be dismal! My brother was not allowed to
pass through security until he had put his hoodie hood up!
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Toy boats filled with models of
immigrants |
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One of the happiest park attendants |
Once
we got inside there was more evidence of the Dismal theme – with depressed park
attendants all looking like they were having the worst day of their lives! My
father and brother were already in the Dismal mood after the long queue and
what we found inside did not lighten their spirits. The place was designed to
be as depressing as possible – to the point it wasn’t depressing, but instead
funny. Cinderella’s castle looked like it had been caught in an arson attack,
tables to eat food were surrounded by puddles and the Ferris wheel looked like
it could fall over at any minute.
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Miniature Town |
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The ballerina trucks by Mike Ross |
We
walked round, looking at notable structures along the way, such as the two
trucks in a ballerina pose by Mike Ross and the carousel with the horse meat
butcher making lasagnes – another one of Banksy’s clever references to social
scandals. Next to this we found the tiny boats filled with immigrants, with
many face down in the water. The public could control and drive the boats and
there was even a warship with a machine gun on the front. We headed past the
lady being attacked by birds into the viewing gallery. This was where the
standard art gallery made its appearance with pictures that touched on all of
society. At the very end of the gallery was a model toy village with miniature
people and cars. The Dismal park attendants here were in their prime – shouting
at people for taking too long to look at the model and laughing at those taking
pictures.
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The carousel in full spin |
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Cinderella and her Papparazzi |
After
leaving the gallery, nightfall had arrived and the park began to glow –
unfortunately for Banksy, making it look a little bit happier. We walked past
the attendant who was running a stand where, if you could knock over an anvil
with a ping pong ball, you could win the anvil, and headed towards the castle. The queue
was huge – around the entire park.
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Cinderella's Castle |
After we finally reached the entrance of the
castle an old TV was playing the end of Cinderella – where she marries the
Prince and drives off to live “Happily Ever After”. Once we finally got inside
there was only one piece of work, which the entire castle was built to house.
Cinderella fallen from her carriage – her outlook looking grave and instead of
helping her, there was paparazzi photographing her. It was a strong resemblance
to the sad end of the late Princess Diana. Even my Dismal father had to
appreciate that piece of art.
We
left, feeling a bit sad, like our evening had been a touch depressing. But
isn’t that the point – to leave feeling Dismal?
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My Father and I outside Cinderella's Castle |
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