Saturday, April 29, 2006

Lonesome Clown On A Crumbling Cliff

On reflection I'm rather surprised that the state of our crumbling East Cliff here in the Millionaires' Playground hasn't, as far as I'm aware, made the front pages of the national papers.

The local papers, of course, have much bigger fish to fry (and wrap themselves around), and prefer to focus their attention on how many keyrings a man in Cliftonville has collected, local councillors marrying Dolly Parton impersonators, and pit bulls getting their heads stuck in railings.

And there's been no reply yet from the local council's Leisure Department, who, I've been told, are responsible for dealing with this serious issue, presumably by organising a 'bring your own concrete' party in the seafront car park.

Meanwhile it's come to my attention that the last remaining vestige of the Pleasurama amusement park, which used to occupy what is now wasteland at the bottom of the cliff, is still doggedly clinging to the very concrete facade that is in danger of cascading into the English Channel. This, once illuminated, clown still looks out to sea with his cheeky grin, a semi-circle of lights between his upturned hands which, in days long past, used to illuminate in sequence to give the effect that he was juggling.

Over in Margate, they only this week removed the illuminated Dreamland sign which had graced their formerly famous amusement park for decades, and carted it off to a bonfire in Herne Bay.

So today I'm starting a campaign to save Ramsgate's Pleasurama heritage. We could even rope in Scottie and his dilithium crystals, perhaps he could get the thing working again.

Actually it's nothing to do with nostalgia. I just think that there couldn't be a more appropriate tribute to our borough engineer than a solitary, ball-juggling clown on a crumbling cliff.

10 comments:

Snailspace said...

All of the decortive lighting around our once proud isle are owned and maintained by Uranians.
or Town partnerships.
The Dickensians are a law unto themselfs at the moment.But seem to be getting things done
Perhaps you should approach Pim down at the RTP

Snailspace said...

Sorry I ment Decorative

Richard Eastcliff said...

Good thinking, Scottie. Or how about our car-crushing man here on the East Cliff, Councillor Green? He's a Trustee I think.

Lucy Mail said...

I remember those clowns, 4 of them I think, in their heyday.
When they took one of them down a few years back, I rather fancied the idea of adding it to my vast collection of mer-merobilia until I came face to face with a ten foot high lump of shagged out plastic.
I doubt that even Linda Lovelace would have wanted to take that in.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Yes Lucy, I've often heard that clowns give some women the willies.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Yes Lucy, I've often heard that clowns give some women the willies.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Sorry, am I repeating myself now?

Lucy Mail said...

Well we've all 'often' heard it now.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Richard Eastcliff said...

Apologies but we've had an attack of the spam morons. If it gets worse I might have to turn on comment verification.

Telling ME about some get rich quick scheme - there's a nerve!