Calling Margate artists: Mad for Margate

Those folks at Margate's Harbour Arm have put out the last call for artists wishing to show work in an impromptu show entitled 'Mad for Margate'. It will be held from the 6th to the 19th of June at the Harbour Arm Gallery. 


Every year they show the work of local artists. 


This year emerging and professional contemporary artists from the area are invited to submit work. As there is little lead time, please send your images and details, including image sizes please, to Pat Wilson (pat.wilson@i-machine.co.uk) by Thursday the 24th of May. 


The costs of gallery hire, and PV, which we hope to keep to between £15 and £20, will be shared by the participants.

Thanet Council omit key beaches and bays from visitor guides

Leafing through the newly published Isle magazine, a publication aimed at visitors to Thanet, I was left perplexed by the visitor guide maps at the back on pages 74 and 75.

Isle is funded by Thanet District Council and the European Union.

There are individual maps for Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and the villages. There is a glaring omission: Most of Thanet's key beaches and bays are not on these visitor maps. These same maps are on the Visit Thanet website: http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/maps-and-travel/

This is the list of bays that aren't featured:
Minnis Bay
Grenham Bay
Epple Bay
St. Mildred's Bay
Palm Bay
Botany Bay
Kingsgate Bay
Joss Bay
Dumpton Bay
Pegwell Bay

Many of these bays are Thanet's key beaches. I've long bemoaned the fact that the towers at Reculver are missed off Thanet's visitor maps because it lies within Canterbury's jurisdiction,  which makes no sense at all for a visitor setting off to walk that glorious walk from Minnis Bay to the Reculver. But it hadn't even dawned on me that there would be visitor guides published without even including Minnis Bay or any of the other bays between there and the adventure golf at the Nayland Rock on Margate's main sands.

How does this make any sense?

The Margate map is from the Nayland Rock to Walpole Bay. There are helpful directions indicating 'To Hornby Visitor Centre'. No mention of Quex or the Powell Cotton Museum.

Broadstairs is shown from Stone Bay to Louisa Bay. Even Thanet District Council's own policy of promoting the 'seven bays of Broadstairs' isn't adhered to.

Ramsgate is shown from the main sands to Westcliff Bay.

Birchington is depicted without a coastline at all. The centre of the map features mostly the dual carriageway the Canterbury Road. Not exactly the most appealing part of Birchington to promote to visitors to the area. And where is the sea?

They simply don't depict the coast that connects the towns. Thanet District Council really need to get to grips with what information is relevant to visitors. Marketing by postcode makes no sense at all. Omitting whole swathes of key beaches is a misrepresentation of Thanet's offering for visitors.

After trawling through Visit Thanet's website I find there is a beaches and bays leaflet available as a pdf. Referenced in the main text not as a menu item. This has the map that really should be pushed to the forefront. it shows the whole coastline with all the bays. Those of us who live here know how close the bays are to the individual areas, a visitor doesn't. They rely on advice.

What did the Romans ever do for us?

Well, they brought us here on the Kent coast plants such as Alexanders and wild fennel. As such Alexanders that we find growing around the coastline are a relic of the Roman Empire.


Until the 16th century, Alexanders was well used as a herb and vegetable when it was superseded by celery, which at that time underwent cultivation to become much milder root vegetable than it had previously been. Celery then overtook Alexanders, but it was still popular in kitchen gardens until the 18th century.

On one of my regular walks close to Margate the whole of the cliff top area is currently in full bloom with Alexanders.  They can grow up to 1 metre tall. They're at their best in April. The whole plant is edible. The stems can be blanched like celery, the flower heads treated like broccoli. The seeds remain on the plants into the winter and they can be roasted and ground. These black seed heads help you mark out where the plant will be for the coming spring.

Leaves are twice pinate, with dark glossy green final leaflets with fine toothed edges. You can't mistake them in flower with their yellow umbellifers.

Kent based Miles Irving's excellent handbook The Forager has a detailed history and recipes and also mentions that they are such an invasive plant and they as a company are currently engaged by Thanet District Council to remove them along the Kent coast!

My daily walks around Margate and its nearby bays and countryside have been the most positive aspects of moving here. Within minutes of my home I'm able to explore and more often than not find some hidden treasure. I paddle in rock pools in wellies on a daily basis. I highly recommend this pass time if bored of the gym or in need of meditation!

More info on cooking Alexanders: http://www.tracingpaper.org.uk/2007/04/15/alexanders/

Post Office Cecil Square Margate - TDC proposes to convert into flats

At the Planning Committee on Wednesday 21st March, Members voted to make a site visit to view Grade II Listed Post Office building on Cecil Square, Margate. Thanet District Council owns the building and has made an application to convert it to 2 x 3 bed flats, 6 x 2 bed flats, demolition of rear extension, construction of  1 x 3 bed house and 1 x 2 bed houses. The Planning Officer for the application, stated it is the Council's intention to sell the building.

You can view and comment on the application here.

The Officer Report is available for download here. 


Page 46 of the report states:

"Evidence has been provided of other offices available within Margate Town centre, which are currently  being marketed, but have yet to find occupiers. Some of these units have been marketed for at least 2 years with no interest."

On page 47 under the heading Consultations, Thanet District Council's Conservation Area Appraisal Officer states:

"There has been justification submitted that no use can be found for the offices currently vacant in the primary build and that residential development appears the most prudent and sustainable use for the designated heritage asset."

Clearly the statement from the Conservation Area Appraisal Officer is, according to the information available in the report, in error.

Unless there is evidence of marketing of the Post Office building that has escaped our attention?

Details of a financial contribution from the developer, Thanet District Council, were also outlined. Yes, that's our money being donated from our own public purse to ourselves. £8750 is to be donated to the play scheme at Tivoli.

How was Tivoli chosen when we have Dane Park as a nearer park?

Where would this £8750 come from?

If you have views on this application, please add them as comments on this post. But more importantly, write to Emma Fibbens the Planning Officer leading on this application emma.fibbens@thanet.gov.uk.
Quote ref: F/TH/11/1052

What happens next? 
Well, a site visit is being made by Committee Members. Then it will come back to Planning Committee and a decision will be made. The building is Listed and it's the Council's own application. Therefore, it cannot make the final decision. It will be deferred to the Secretary of State with a recommendation.

We've heard from other departments within the Local Authority that there has been interest from various providers of studio space. Some of whom seem to manage to run studios within heritage buildings. Perhaps one section of the Local Authority should ensure it speaks to the other before disposing of one of our valuable heritage assets and stating there has been no interest.

Manston Night Flights Consultation

Hot out of TDC's press office is the invitation to participate in the consultation on proposals to bring in night flights at Manston Airport. Deadline is March 2nd.


For more info on the arguments against go to: http://www.nonightflights.tk/
For more arguments for you could read what Charles Buchanan musters up.   http://www.manstonairport.com/news-and-events/comment-responding-to-report.html


Here's the TDC press release: 
"You are invited to comment on proposals for regular night-time flying
at Manston Airport.

The proposals were submitted by Infratil, owners of the airport, on 27
October 2011 and included an aircraft noise assessment report and
economic assessment, which are technical reports explaining the
implications of the proposal.

After receiving the documents from Infratil, the council then
commissioned specialists Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd, to carry out an
independent assessment of the proposals and technical details. Their
report reviews the environmental and economic impacts.

To view the proposals and independent assessment, please go to
www.thanet.gov.uk or visit Thanet’s Gateway Plus in Margate or the
council’s Ramsgate District Office in York Street.

The council is now carrying out a 28 day public consultation to provide
members of the public with an opportunity to comment on these
proposals.

All comments must be submitted in writing either by e-mail to
consultation@thanet.gov.uk or by post to Consultation, Thanet
District Council, PO Box 9, Margate CT9 1XZ. The consultation closes on
Friday 2 March 2012, any responses received after this date will not be
accepted.

Please note that legal advice has confirmed that, at this stage, the
council is only being asked to provide a response to the proposals. The
council is not in a position to make a decision on the night time flying
policy at this stage. The feedback from this consultation will therefore
be used, along with the findings of the independent assessment, to help
draft the council’s response to Infratil.

For more information on this consultation please go to
www.thanet.gov.uk "

Lemn Sissay's poem for Margate will be projected on the Turner Contemporary January 26th

Very much looking forward to seeing the poet Lemn Sissay's poem for Margate projected on the side of Turner Contemporary on the evening of January 26th at 6pm. I enjoyed meeting Lemn. One of those human beings who exudes the very essence of being alive and in connecting with the people he meets.  A fine quality for a poet I think. 

Lemn blogs here.  Where he reminds us that people with ideas should never be without a notebook.

Article on This is Kent 

Stand up comedy nights at The Tom Thumb Theatre

Stand up comedy nights coming every 3rd Saturday in the month to our favourite bijou theatre, The Tom Theatre. How perfect a fit!

Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville, CT9 2LB
Tel: 01843 221791
www.tomthumbtheatre.co.uk