I’ve been banging on about the bright future of Margate for ages and finally, finally we’re getting somewhere. I can really feel that Margate is starting to understand its new self, and it looks like retro is the way to go. The emerging theme is celebrating the past. Rather ironic really as Margatians have a habit of harping back to better times and bemoaning the current state of the town. This retrospectiveness though, is fresh and positive, and I like it.

For as long as it has been talked about I just haven’t got the heritage amusement park thing. Maybe it’s just because I wouldn’t find it interesting myself so I can’t see it succeeding (although oddly I’m pretty scathing of that type of view when it’s regarding Turner!). Anyhow, I hope I’m wrong and maybe it will be an important part of an emerging theme.

All of a sudden, Margate Old Town has gone retro, and become home to several great vintage shops.  On the Market Place, opposite the timeless Mad Hatter’s Tea Rooms, Helter Skelter Boutique has two floors of beautiful quality furniture and collectibles from the 60’s and 70’s, and just along from there, Zoe Murphy’s bespoke printed vintage furniture is on sale through the Ingoldsby Gallery. Then there’s Betty B’s, which has just opened in the shop that used to be ‘Arry’s on the corner of King Street and Broad Street, where there’s a fabulous selection of vintage clothes and lots of other original items mainly from the 40’s and 50’s. Tying in perfectly is the new My Old Dutch salon on Fort Hill where the Grosvenor Stamp shop used to be - walk in the normal you and walk out with retro hair and make-up! And finally, filling the pre-40’s gap is the new Old Town Antiques in the old Manning’s fish shop on Market Street – a really tiny shop but full of some greats things at great prices. Maisie also has it on good authority that another vintage shop will be opening up in the Old Town soon.

What was it I said a while ago about a mini-Brighton lanes? I heard you laugh.

This just amused me!

Just found my password in the archives so thought I would resurrect the blogging after the summer non-break. I’m afraid the world operates the opposite way round for me. Which brings me to my point.

Why is Margate so crap in the winter? Personally I think it’s far better than in the summer! Not only are there fewer chavs to trip over but there’s a whole different, potentially fulfilling catalogue of stuff! To get you in the zone, walk along the seafront for a few miles then reward yourself with a port and brandy. Nice. 

Anyway (and more pressing, actually), what are you doing tomorrow night? Did you ever think you would be spending it in Margate? Of course not. Well, there are five events all at once, and it will be fab - private views of new exhibitions at Crate, Limbo (Substation) and the Pie Factory, and the Alturnertive crew’s latest exhibition is also open on the Harbour Arm. No, they’re not private – just turn up and you will be made most welcome. Also, I’ve just found out there a special thing going on at the Theatre Royal as well. I’m not a flipping tourist guide so you’ll have to Google the details for yourselves.  Top that off with a visit to Kent’s #1 restaurant, The Indian Princess. Fab. Just get a taxi back as there will be several free glasses of wine involved. By the way BeBeached on the harbour does a lovely Saturday brunch before you collect your car.

The sooner this town breaks away from the old summer holiday mentality, the better. I am sick and tired of being told by the old sticks who ‘understand’ the way it is round here regarding the ’season’. Bollocks. The various Arts crowds have got completely stuck in and there is some great stuff planned for the winter. They don’t care if the sun shines or not; the natural and architectural beauty speaks for itself, and they certainly do too. (Hurrah for the semi-colon while I think about it.) Some people are actually living here! People really are doing it for themselves…. I think I know a song about that….

I’m dreading it but it’s a ‘must see’. The Apprentice, Wednesday 9 pm on BBC1. Also, just found this amusing video http://www.jeremyjacobs.com/2009/05/06/the-apprentice-margate-episode/.

Wow what a beautiful sunny day! Finally I can remember what summer is like. Predictions are that we’ll have a great summer in Margate – good weather forecast and an appalling Euro exchange rate. Hurrah! Margate seems to be finally getting its act together. At last we’re getting a few more decent places to eat, drink and chill. Looking forward to the Pie ‘n’ Mash shop opening and also the new cafe on the harbour arm. Apparently there is a deli opening soon in the Old Town as well. I hope the first part of the Turner Contemporary structure will come out of the ground soon – it will be shocking and every new bit will change the whole look of the place. Some people will hate it, some will love it. I just want to see the spectacle.

On the flip side, I’m still totally frustrated by how horrible it is along the Marine Parade strip and I’m struggling to be impressed by the heritage theme park plan for Dreamland (although I don’t have any better ideas to be honest). A glimmer of hope is the ‘for sale’ sign on the Tivoli/DV8 building. I do hope someone buys it and does something tasteful with it. That frontage really is gross! Full marks to the folk who own the arcade with the tanning salon along there – a simple new banner has actually made it look OK.

With the exception of Ingoldsby, the arts community seems to have hibernated this winter but it looks like there are going to be lots of exhibitions over the summer. Everything kicks off on April 3rd with events at Turner, the Harbour Arm Gallery and Limbo. I hope the influx of artists into the studios in Margate brings more galleries soon, but we desperately need to attract the higher value tourists to make them viable. It will happen, I’m confident of that. Give it a couple of years.

What is Margate thinking...?

Today was a memorable day. The inauguration of Barack Obama is truly a significant step forward for the world. Given the segregation which still existed in the US even 50 years ago, it is truly remarkable to see a black US President. He may have won a lot of support simply because he is black, but fortunately he seems like a decent and intelligent bloke as well.

I’ve always found racism totally ridiculous. I guess it’s understandable for some people to have difficulty understanding other cultures and to be xenophobic if they don’t know any better, but to judge someone because they are a different shade of brown is SO laughable. I would apply this statement anywhere in the world, actually. Please don’t think I am trivialising anything or disregarding the struggle for black recognition. I’m white and Western, and have never been on the receiving end of generations of racist stupidity and evil, and I simply can’t imagine how that makes someone feel. But I think racism is just so last year.

I actually think Obama’s blackness is potentially more significant to the rest of the world than to the US. The ramifications of having a non-white man with the middle name of Hussein in that position is fascinating. It’s a shame he can’t tick the foreign policy box on his CV but hopefully he’ll learn. If he doesn’t, he’s going to look like a white plonker in a black skin.  Anyway, he has done his job. He was voted in. He made history. Top bloke.

And finally I get to my point. The election of Obama is highly significant, but when, oh when, are we going to address the huge elephant in the room? Today’s ceremony encapsulated it all - popularity, intelligence, style, Aretha Franklin (respect!!), great policies, uplifting speeches, ceremony, solemnity, 21st-century technology, ambitions of world peace, and…. religion. What?!

I am so saddened that politicians have to pretend to have religious belief to be successful. I guess they have to because it gives them credibility by making them appear honest (and gets them the ‘religious’ vote) but essentially it’s because senior positions in establishments still demand it. Why are we in the Dark Ages over this? I know my history enought to know how religion has shaped the establishment over centuries, but this is the 21st century! We have science, we have education, we have free-thinking. Much of the world lives in a secular way and most educated people are skeptical or agnostic at the very least. We are hanging to to a part of history which has no place in the real world.

To me, this pretence at religion completely undermines any trust I may have for a person from all the other evidence. (Of course, they could (like Tony Blair?) actually believe it, which is even more worrying.) I am simply at a loss to know how an educated, intelligent person can seriously expect real respect if, in the middle of doing their job admirably, they scuttle off to mass to mutter mumbo jumbo to their imaginary friend or try to pretend what they’re saying is driven by something akin to fairies at the bottom of the garden (not my phrase – Richard Dawkins’). Credibility? Honesty? Don’t be ridiculous.

The giant leap I refer to? The vitally necessary secularisation of major Western governments which would allow the appointment of an atheist to a senior position in world politics. The colour, race or gender of that person is unimportant they would get my vote for their honesty every day of the week. I can’t see this happening in the US for a very long time but then who thought there would be a black President 50 years ago?

Hello again and a Happy New Year to all. I was far too involved with my own stuff at the end of last year to even think about blogging. I admire all the prolific bloggers who managed to carry on churning it out!

I also found myself being quite out of touch with what’s going on. I’ve found it takes some serious effort to discover what’s happening in Thanet in terms of entertainment, arts, music, and interesting things in general. The Isle mag is great but published too far ahead to be complete. I suppose we have the local papers and other publications like the WWW leaflet but I know a lot of events and cool things don’t appear, especially if they’re not highly commercial. TDC have listings but they’re a bit patchy too. Incidentally, I wonder what happened to the Thanet Leisure blog? I’ve also seen AdVenture, Margate Handbook and various free ad things for goods and services but they’re hardly inspiring. 

It’s all a bit disjointed. Is it because Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs are too busy competing with each other rather than pulling together? In Oxford there’s a fantastic flyer called Daily Info (also online www.dailyinfo.co.uk). It’s obviously current, and targets a reasonably intelligent readership despite being cheap and cheerful. Daily Info has always been centred around students which is hardly the Thanet demographic, but I wonder whether something similar could succeed here? There certainly seems to be a need, and I’d like think there are enough interested/interesting people in Thanet to make it work. Not being a media mogul, though, I may be dreaming again.

I’d like to congratulate Rokka for opening their new bar on Margate seafront. From the smell of paint their boys had clearly been working around the clock to get the doors open last night, but well done. They have a great product in Ramsgate and have been one of the few businesses with the foresight to grab a key position in Margate. I hope other people will follow their example. Restauranteurs, licencees, retailers - stop sitting on your hands and be part of it! Good luck and all credit to Rokka.

 

News for all you old hippies out there. I have just heard that, for the first time ever, Fairport Convention are playing in Thanet. Not Broadstairs, not Ramsgate, Margate! They are starting their tour on 2nd May 2009 at the West Coast Venue on King Street in Margate. Tickets via www.westcoastlive.co.uk.