BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.!

I have heard it so many times in Thanet politics “You couldn’t make it up could you”.

No sooner than Roger Latchford OBE has donned his purple rosette on behalf of UKIP, he is on telly spouting off about his pet subject, Manston Aerodrome.  I seem to remember two years ago, the good people of Ramsgate gave a resounding NO to night flying at said aerodrome and voted in a Labour Ramsgate Town Council, tipping the balance at Thanet District Council in favour of Labour.

Well ol’ Rog OBE is now in charge of a group of virgin councillors without an email amongst them. Let us consider our Roger’s pedigree, he was the “brains” behind the Ezekiel Conservative administration. Well at least he was Deputy Leader. No problem there then.

When Rog was in power last time he was in charge of such successful schemes as EKO and Chinagate(way) which we all are  appreciating to this day.  Just a small reminder, in case you have forgotten, these schemes were joint KCC / TDC initiatives in the time of the Ezekiel administration. Excuse me for being a cynic but has Paul Carter just received SEVEN more votes.

Next we will be hearing that Pleasurama is starting again.

GRIFF Hijacked

Griff Rhys Jones was in Thanet today in his capacity as President of Civic Voice, the supporting organisation for all Civic Societies in the UK. Griff arrived by high speed train in Ramsgate to help the campaign for restoring Ellington Park, he then moved on to inspect  Project Motorhouse and the newly renovated promenade shelters.

Whilst at the Project Motorhouse he was hijacked by campaigners with placards protesting about the lack of progress on the Pleasurama site in Ramsgate. However, it quickly became apparent that all parties were on the same side, wanting Ramsgate to be regenerated throughout. Griff in his usual jovial manner agreed to a photo shoot with the “protestors” as seen above.

After the visit to Project Motorhouse , Griff moved on to the Custom House for coffee and an interview with Kent on Sunday (don’t miss it!), before moving on to Margate in order to add his support to the clock tower appeal. Thanks for your support Griff and good luck with the rest of the tour to Faversham and finishing in Rochester on Saturday.

A Walk in the Past.

On sale now !    In shops throughout the town (including Michael’s Bookshop) The Ramsgate Town Trail booklet, written and produced by the Ramsgate Society. It features seven seafront walks from Cliffsend to St George VI Memorial Park. The walks are continuous but can be taken individually, or as long as time and energy permit.

The walks will take you back into the grand history of this remarkable town, starting at a Viking ship called “Hugin”, on to see the work of A.W.N.Pugin, “God’s own Architect”, and then contemplate a sketch done by Vincent Van Gogh, maybe in his lunch hour, whilst teaching at Royal Road and living in Spencer Square.

Visit the most remarkable harbour in the UK, the only one with royal recognition, the guide explains how this happened and shows you the work of many famous people who crafted the Ramsgate we know today.

A wealth of bygone celebrities and architectural masterpieces jump out of the book and are displayed in real life before your eyes. You will walk past, squares, crescents, mansions, churches, lighthouse, waterfall, harbour, military installations, monuments, gardens and each one will tell a different story, from the past to the present.

The book is 80 pages, packed full with information about Ramsgate, together with a postcard attached to the last page which can be detached and sent to family or friends saying “wish you were here” and they will when they read the guide. Ramsgate Town Trail booklet costs £5.99 and is available from outlets in the town displaying “Town Trail on sale here” posters. All the proceeds will be re-invested in charitable projects about the town by the Ramsgate Society.

Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund and Thanet District Council for funding the initial project. Also thanks to Pomegranate for great work in designing and publishing this complex project. Brilliant job !

Phoenix rising

“Nothing ever happens in Ramsgate” was a common phrase frequently heard around the town in the last five or six years.  Is this now changing?  Is the Phoenix rising from the ashes?  Is having our own Town Council at last paying off?  There is definitely a link between things happening in Ramsgate and the Labour controlled administration at TDC. I have reservations about the “how and why” of Labour’s coming to power but I have to say it is paying off for Ramsgate.

We have our own Visitor Information Centre, we have progress on the Harbour master-plan, we have the Maritime Museum opening, we have a high speed train, we have promise of a boutique hotel in Albion House, Ramsgate tunnels possibly opening, a refurbished Madeira Walk and Westcliff rose garden, We have promenade shelters being renovated all along the seafront, we have commemorative blue plaques throughout the town, we have a Town trail booklet imminently expected and information boards to come on the sea front  Also just maybe a development of flats and hotel on the seafront by 2014 to attract new residents .

All of this is by no means entirely down to either Ramsgate Town Council or Thanet District Council but a new cohesiveness of effort for town improvement is now taking effect and such a momentum can only increase as the opportunities of Localism are more clearly defined.  Look out world - Ramsgate is on the map.

shoppingRAMSGATE.

With shopping being in everyone’s mind at Christmas I felt this was a suitable post to read with your Christmas Turkey and a glass of mulled wine. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.
(Click on pictures to enlarge)

The public consultation about this time last year, on the Core Strategy planning proposals, identified the possibility of making Staffordshire Street car park in Ramsgate a key site for the development of an “anchor store” to provide an enhanced shopping experience in Ramsgate town centre. Staffordshire Street car park is adjacent to Cleaver Lane which is an original cobbled street, quite unique and a survivor of “old” Ramsgate.

These two adjacent features provide a unique opportunity to integrate a very special shopping experience within the existing fabric of the town. By providing a series of small shop units fronting the north side of Cleaver Lane an “olde worlde” Dickensian street can be achieved, but enter any of these small shops and they are connected directly into the large new department store beyond, thus creating a wealth of differing shopping environments to suit all tastes

The remodelled site contains a two storey car park at the ground and lower ground floors and a panoramic restaurant at roof level with roof terrace and views of the church spire and town. A solar panel array on the roof provides a substantial proportion of the electricity requirements for the centre.

This is one of five proposals being put forward as opportunities for the regeneration and revitalisation of Ramsgate in the 21^st century and in preparation for the 200^th anniversary of Ramsgate Royal Harbour. Such schemes will require inward investment into the town and provide opportunities for employment together with an enhancement of the town’s economics.

SHOPsuccess

RAMSGATE

The Promenade Shelters Appeal Charity Shop at 52 Queen Street, Ramsgate, looks set to stay open for another week. The shop was set up last week by Nelson Crescent and Prospect Terrace Residents Association to aid the Ramsgate Society Shelters Appeal and has so far raised nearly £2000. 

 Agreement has been reached for the shop to stay open for a further week until 10th December. We need more items to sell and volunteers to help within the shop for two hour periods. The shop is open 10 to 4 each day except Sunday 10-2. Any support would be most welcome  and thanks to Pearson Gore, Estate Agents for the loan of the shop.

Cinderella on Sea

                                                         “THE  RATEPAYERS  TEARS”

Ville Views blog says, us Ramsgatonians live in a beautiful place, therefore we should shut up and keep playing second fiddle to Margate. This is a typical view of Ramsgate, stated by an outsider who knows nothing about the town. Ramsgate’s downfall is its beautiful location and setting, visitors are enchanted by it and do not see Cinderella beneath its beautiful exterior.

 The odds have been stacked against Ramsgate since 1974 when local government re-organisation created Thanet District Council with a voting advantage of 60/40 in favour of Margate. Since then Cinderella’s fortunes have rapidly declined as all the attention is lavished on its ugly sisters. Ramsgate has even been struck off the tourist map with the closure of its Visitor Information Centre.

Fortunately for Ramsgate, it’s a bit like “Marmite”, it seems that depending on where you live in Thanet you either love it or hate it. Those who hate it put obstacles in the way of its success; those who love it volunteer their time and effort, free of charge to ensure its survival and progression. One thing’s for sure, the more obstacles that are put in the way of Ramsgate’s re-generation the more the town’s volunteers rally to keep it functioning.  There are more volunteering groups in Ramsgate than you can shake a stick at and even the Town Councillors donated their expenses to the good of the town.

We in Ramsgate have a marvellous opportunity to illustrate that “Localism” can really work and take charge of our own destiny to thwart those faceless individuals who are jealous of Ramsgate’s magnificent beauty and resilience. 

Buckets and Spades at the ready.

One of Ramsgate’s big events is happening this Sunday, 5^th June, The annual “Bucket and Spade” run will be travelling from Faversham to Government Acre in Ramsgate, arriving from 11.00am onwards. It promises to be a great event and the weather might just hold out long enough for it to be a glorious day.

It is organised by ROMMCC (Ramsgate Old Motor and Motor Cycle Club), there will be many veteran and vintage cars and motor cycles to view. Along with motor related stalls, side shows and live music etc, a really good event for all the family.

The Ramsgate Society will be staging an exhibition about Promenade Shelter Renovation, Ramsgate (Heritage Regeneration) Trust Ltd and Ramsgate Tunnels Group., together with a fund raising competition to win lunch for two at the very popular Eddie Gilbert’s Restaurant.

DON’T MISS IT  - SEE YOU THERE.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time passing

Where have Ramsgate’s flowers gone?

Not long to go

Where have all the flowers gone?

None on the seafront, yet again?

When will they ever learn?

When will they ever learn?

Chinese Puzzle?

Much publicity was generated about the Thanet District Council delegation, which visited China in 2008 with the supposed intention of securing Chinese investment in the China Gateway project. Three years on, with no commitment by the Chinese to support the venture and a fragile financial predicament of the development company , no sign of economic advantage from the East Kent Opportunities LLP backed venture has filtered through to Thanet.

In fact the planning permission for China Gateway Phase 1 still remains outstanding and not approved because of real concerns about discharge of effluent from the factories and warehouses into septic tanks above Thanet’s underground drinking water supply.

Grandiose schemes like these are “pies in the sky” and it is very unlikely they will come to fruition. The number and type of jobs created by this sort of venture are not accurately quantifiable and by no means secure. Take the example of M&S Westwood Cross for instance, on the face of it, a creator of many jobs, but when the number of jobs lost at M&S Margate is deducted, the picture looks far less rosy.

The only way to job security is economic prosperity for the whole island and whilst Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate continue to look run down and unattractive to both visitors and prospective new residents alike, the Thanet malaise will remain. Grants are available for regeneration on a large scale like Turner Contemporary or on a small scale for garden planting etc. We need a council sympathetic to the needs of the whole community and with the energy and determination to make it happen rather than sitting on their hands and saying “it can’t be done”

“A station too far?”

The train now standing at platform 1 is the 8.01am calling at Birchington- on-Sea, Westgate-on-Sea, Margate, Broadstairs, Dumpton Park, Ramsgate, Parkway and Minster. If there is any time left over it may even go to London St Pancras but if not the whole process with be repeated tomorrow.

Just what we don’t need is a new station on the horizon, which we can drive to, instead of the other seven to which we can already walk. Still a footpath from the new station to the airport terminal will be quite convenient and exciting for airline passengers, putting your foot onto the zebra crossing to cross the runway could be quite tricky but the volume of planes hardly makes for a health and safety hazard.

If the airport really needs a station, why not build it at the KIA terminal.

If a commuter car park is really required why not build it at Ramsgate station.

Thanet must have one of the densest concentrations of stations in the UK outside the National city centres, utilise these rather than constructing a new one. Building a new station and bypassing the existing under-used stations will do the same for Thanet stations that Westwood Cross did for the Old Town Centres.

This is definitely a “station too far”, too far to drive to, too far from the airport terminal, too expensive and too devastating on the existing infrastructure to contemplate.

Open for business - Closed to tourists

With the 2011 tourist season almost in sight, it is interesting to see the frantic preparations to get Ramsgate ready for the onslaught of visitors to Thanet (read Margate) triggered by the opening of the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery in Thanet (read Margate).

  The Ramsgate signage is all in place to direct hoards of uninformed visitors to the Ramsgate Visitor Information Centre where they can get acquainted with all the details of the latest attractions in Thanet (read Margate).  Just as well Thanet has an award winning Visitor Information Centre, oh but that’s in errrr Margate. Even the alfresco waiting area is empty in Ramsgate and the only hoards to be found are hoardings. Is this what we pay our council tax for, could not £17+ million have lifted the whole of Thanet as a tourist destination.

Strangely enough the real council slogan “open for business” has an ironic twist with TDC providing little or no support to business in Ramsgate. There are more shops thriving in Ramsgate than there are in Margate, without the council’s help. If they give help similar to that given to the Community Pharmacy Gallery in Margate then perhaps Ramsgate is better without it.

Just a quick reminder about a news flash, some six weeks before last Christmas, was it £40,000 ? to be shared around the old towns to spruce up empty shops. How many empty shops have been given a facelift in Ramsgate (Answers on a postcard please to Cecil St, Margate) What this current administration fails to realise is that “Margate needs Thanet” more than “Thanet needs Margate”.

It seems that the only type of council business conducted on the south of the Isle is employment for the “boys with the black stuff”.

Watch this space for future editions of “Tarmac Thanet News”