London Flickr Meetup Group daytrip to Margate

I love to see what catches the eye of people visiting Margate. The Londonflickrmeetup group came down to Margate last weekend and captured a snapshot of our town by the sea as viewed by outsiders.

Why do place names change?

Was just mooching through a lovely old 1836 map of Thanet from the brilliant website Old Ramsgate The Great War that I picked up via the equally nice blog Promote Thanet. I walk my dog most days out at Botany Bay and the name has always struck me as odd. Looking at the map it says it's called Barleymow Bay (that's me squinting and can't really read it that well). It's a lovely name. The Bay then goes round the corner to White Ness and then on to Kingsgate. Which reminded me of the small changes that have come in even over the last few years: The Parade is referred to in the media now as The Piazza and The Stone Pier as the Harbour Arm. Rebranding of place names without good reason sits oddly I think. What's the purpose? It's not as if there has been a disaster, some awful event which makes a name change necessary. Personally, names shouldn't be changed without good reason.

We Make Margate Blog

Margate's stitchers, makers and doers are organising a workshop on Empty Shops and general 'let's do stuff' stuff. Check: http://wemakemargate.blogspot.com/

Broadstairs Visitor Information Centre Cut

​THANET council is to axe the staffed visitor information centre (VIC) in Broadstairs, replacing it with a telephone.

The decision to axe the VIC member of staff from the desk at Dickens House is part of £75,000 in cutbacks which the council is making.

The plan is to continue tourism services alongside the museum but without staff. Instead the council will install leaflet racks and a free phone line to the VIC in Margate.

Bill Hackney, who runs the town’s South Lodge Guest house and is a member of the Isle of Thanet Tourism Association, said: “The Visitor Information Centre services are critical to the ongoing and upward development of tourism. I think the council is cutting off the nose to spite the face. Tourism is worth more than £160 million a year to Thanet. It is a very big part of the Thanet economy. To cut back on a fundamental cornerstone of the economy even in these hard times is short-sighted.”

This new cutback comes as a blow for Broadstairs, which lost its first visitor information centre in 2004.

Zoe Holeness, chairman of the Broadstairs Tourism and Leisure Association, said: “It is a sad loss. Ramsgate has something in place and in Margate they have decided to keep the Visitor Information Centre. This is unfortunate for Broadstairs which has more visitors than the other two put together. We would like to keep our VIC open for one more season so we will be contacting the council to put our views forward.

“It is such a shame tourism isn’t on top of the list. It is an easy way to make cuts in a time when the country is in recession. People are advised to holiday in England but there is no advice for them when they get here.”

Brian Sleightholm of St Peter’s Village Tour said: “It is obviously unfortunate because we are a tourist area. It is difficult because it has been good outlet for promoting our village tours. Visitors have been there a staff have mentioned our village tour and on many occasions booked people on the tour. Nevertheless I realise what the financial conditions are like and hopefully we will still have an outlet for our leaflets. Having said that, we have had more and more bookings through our website which shows how things are changing.”

Angela Curwen of the ITTA said: “There is an ongoing discussion going on between the ITTA and the head of the visitor information centres and we are working to make the best of the changes.”

Cllr Shirley Tomlinson, for Thanet council, said: “Information will still be available in Broadstairs. Although the council’s visitor information team may not be based there in the future, there is already an exceptionally knowledgeable team who work at the museum and who help and advise visitors about the area. They are a great resource for visitors and they will be supplemented by a freephone service that will allow people to speak directly to one of our VIC team.

“This may not be the approach that people have been used to in the past, but we’re in tough economic times and need to make savings. We’re not alone in rationalising our visitor information services. Many other councils are doing exactly the same thing as well, as it’s not a service that councils legally have to provide. However, it’s something that remains key to us and that’s why we’re looking at new ways of working that allows more information to be accessible to both residents and visitors.

“If any commercial operators are interested in helping provide visitor information in Broadstairs, we’d be delighted to hear from them.”

Press: ‘Turner effect’ has got the Old Town buzzing

Margate’s cultural quarter is already feeling the so-called ‘Turner effect’, according to some traders in the Old Town.

Many are feeling more upbeat as the gallery takes shape, and new shops are opening each month as the arts scene begins to flourish.

The opening of the gallery, which is still being built, is due in the spring of 2011, but some in the town say they are already feeling the benefits.

Stephen Roper from the Old Town Gallery in Broad Street said: “The effects are already being felt, but the big push needs to start this year.

“It has taken a lot longer than we anticipated and we have had to hunker down for a good few years, but the time is upon us.

“These old streets are coming to life and the impetus is with us now.”

Mr Roper, a jewellery-maker and gallery-owner, used to run a business in Whitstable, a town that has been transformed in the last 15 years.

He says the same thing is now happening in Margate but more quickly.

“I saw that town change so much through the years, but I believe it is happening much faster here,” he said.

“I came to Margate because of the Turner as it is a project we really believe in and I see this place transforming in a way that Brighton or Whitstable did,” he said.

Artist and businesswoman Zoe Murphy, an acclaimed furniture-designer, has moved into an old pie factory next door to Stephen.

She said: “As a local artist I would definitely say there is a real buzz around the place at the moment.

“There seems to be more investment in the area with new shops opening and I think that is lovely.

“It gives you a lot of encouragement to see other people having the confidence you have and makes you want to stick around. Shops that are opening may not be frequented loads now, but you think they will be when more people come here. I’m optimistic about the next couple of summers.”

In recent months the Cupcake Café, an antiques shop, Helter Skelter, Busy Bs and My Old Dutch have all opened.

In the meantime, live-music venue The Westcoast goes from strength to strength, with top acts such as The Bluetones playing in recent months.

Anne Marie Nixey, chairwoman of the Old Town Action Group and owner of Oriental design store Qing, said: “It’s encouraging to see everybody’s hard work pay off.

“We have believed in the Old Town and realised the potential it has and that is really beginning to show now.

“When visitors find their way into the back streets they are delighted at the little secrets that are to be found.

“There are more shops opening soon and I get asked about the place by traders all the time. I feel lucky to be in my third year and see the transformation as it happens.

“This year really feels like changes are happening.”

Press: Trust boss vows Turner centre in Margate is value

THE Turner Contemporary will receive at least £1 million in public money a year once it opens.

A trust is due to take over the running of the gallery from Kent County Council (KCC) on April 1, but it will receive a grant of more than £1 million a year to help cover the gallery’s estimated £2.6 million annual running costs.

The grant is in addition to the money already paid by KCC, the Arts Council and the South East Economic Development Agency (Seeda) to build the £17.5 million gallery by Margate’s harbour arm.

The grant will continue until KCC leaders judge the gallery can support itself.

Speaking to the Isle of Thanet Gazette, trust chairman John Kampfner said the funding was agreed before the trust was appointed, but he was confident the project would provide value for money.

He said: “We’re not complacent. Everybody will always have their opinions and they are free to air them.

“We want to show people by our actions that this is a great thing for the town, not by what we say.

“The views I hear now are more of frustrated impatience at waiting for the gallery to open, rather than about the project itself.”

Former New Statesman editor Mr Kampfner now heads the Index on Censorship, which promotinges freedom of speech.

He said the trust was in close contact with other projects in the town, such as the planned redevelopment of Dreamland.

Mr Kampfner said 2010 would be the year when “it all comes together”, and welcomed Margate artist Tracey Emin’s installation planned for Droit House, which will be unveiled around the time the trust assumes control of the gallery.

KCC said the cost of Emin’s project, which will see a pink neon sign reading “I never stopped loving you”, installed over the entrance to the Droit House, has not yet been finalised.

Press: Inspector backs fewer bedsits plan for Cliftonville

Unfortunately, Margate Central has similar, if not in part worse stats than Cliftonville West. Yet bedsites and HMOs are not halted in planning yet.

Inspector backs fewer bedsits plan for Cliftonville

Plans to cut the number of bedsits in a Kent seaside town have been given the go-ahead by an independent planning inspector.

Thanet District Council has spent two years coming up with a plan for the future of Cliftonville, near Margate.

It wants to increase the number of family homes and holiday accommodation.

The decision will allow planners to restrict the number of multiple occupancy homes and support other developments such as houses and hotels.

'Good news'

The inspector said the council's new policy was in line with legal and planning legislation.

Councillor Roger Latchford, cabinet member for economic development and regeneration, said: "This is excellent news.

"We have been working closely with the community in Cliftonville to make sure that these new policies, along with all the other good work going on in the area, will help improve the quality of life of everyone who lives or works there.

"The independent inspector asked some searching questions before concluding that our policies were sound, which is really good news."