Community Allotment Open Day

This is a lovely place and there will be lots to do and buy. Saturday 8th August, 11am - 3pm at the Windmill Community Allotment Project corner of Dane Valley Road and College Road. Support your local community and eat some yummy food too!

The Reading Rooms boutique bed and breakfast opening in Margate

The Reading Rooms is a luxury bed and breakfast, opening shortly in a restored Grade II Listed Georgian townhouse on Hawley Square.

Kent Food Market, Margate Old Town Stalls

Anyone who would like to take a stall at the August edition of the Old Town Market, please get in touch with Louise: louise.oldfield@gmail.com.

The market theme is Kent Food. It runs from Saturday 29th to Sunday 30th of August from 11am until 4pm on both days.

Yesterday's arts and crafts market went well. Especially like the pretty striped stalls.

The Tudor House was literally full when we got there! Will do a dedicated post to that effect next, but just goes to show what a vaulaable attraction it is that despite being closed, it suddenly fills up when a board saying 'Open' is outside!

Tudor House Open tomorrow!

Rare opportunity to visit the Tudor House in Margate. It's open from 11am till 4pm (might be 4.30, but not sure). Volunteers are manning it so it can be open. It's such a treat to visit a unique and precious piece of very old Margate history. So pop in and say hello to the nice ladies looking after it for the day.

Celebrate Grotto Day!

I just got this in from the Friends of the Shell Grotto:

Dear Friend

Let’s celebrate Grotto Day!
Saturday 25 July at the Shell Grotto, 12pm onwards

Join us to mark the traditional feast day of St James, with a host of free activities for children and adults alike. We are continuing the custom of 'shell grotter' building with free shell panel making for children. Meanwhile, Sandwich storyteller Tony Cooper will be making a welcome return to the Grotto after his spine-chilling performances at our Halloween event. And Grotto historian Gretchen Cornwall will be offering guided tours.

The Day’s activities:
12pm on – Shell Panel making for children with artist Jan Cooper
12-1pm – Storytelling in the Grotto with Tony Cooper
1pm on – Guided tours with Gretchen Cornwall

Plus free refreshments for Friends and, of course, free entry. Please remember to bring your membership card!

Full details are here:

http://www.shellgrottofriends.org/events.html

There's lots going on in Margate this weekend, so you can combine your visit to us with a close encounter with the Margate Shell Ladies (their first outing around town this year) or experience some first-rate music at the Margate Big Sky Jazz Festival, with acts including BBC Jazz Awards 'Best Vocalist' Christine Tobin performing live on the Piazza.

The weather forecast is good. There's lots to do. It's all free. So we hope to see you in Margate on Saturday!

Margate Historical Society goes online!

Very pleased to see this. There is an amazing wealth of information within the MHS and the researchers who have spent years piecing together fragments of Margate's past and present. So welcome to the internets: http://www.margatehistory.blogspot.com/

Sleaford Mods

Friday night was a fine evening of entertainment in Margate. We had a very nice meal of beef stifado at Bebeached which gave us views of one of a brilliant sunset. Even the Pink Flamingo looks nice when it's lit up. Then off to Westcoast for a drink where I was outdressed by the visiting mods. Downstairs at the Front (not sure if this is now referred to as Westcoast!) to a performance by Sleaford Mods, who turn out to be one. John Cooper Clarkesque, ranting stream of organised chaos consciousness.

Margate's Application to List TS Eliot's Shelter

Nice article in the Guardian on Margate's application for the Nayland Rock shelter overlooking the main sands to be granted listed status, where the author TS Eliot composed some of his works.