Thursday, June 05, 2008

Getting The Blues Gives Isle A Boost

Cripes! Just when you think there's no news about, ten stories come along at once! Well, one anyway. Following the granting of several gongs from the Marine Conservation Society's latest Good Beach Guide a couple of weeks ago, those nice chaps at Encams (Keep Britain Tidy in old money) have today awarded Thanet a record ten Blue Flags for the Ile's beaches, including a welcome return of the Blue Flag for our lovely sands here in the Millionaires' Playground. That's a whopping eighth of all Blue Flags in England! Here's what Encams say in their press release:

We should be smitten with our own beaches – and mate with Margate (Surely Ramsgate - Ed.) not Majorca. Thanet, which takes in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, today basks in the glory of ten Blue Flags. This is the best performance anywhere in the country for a decade.

Hurrah! Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Phil Barton added:

We keep being told that our love affair with the seaside has been on the rocks. But as far as we are concerned England’s beach resorts go from strength to strength. Now is the time for the English to rekindle passion for traditional beach holidays in this country. Our beaches are fabulous places to visit and that’s official. Blue Flag is only awarded to beaches that have good access, top notch facilities, are litter free and have clean sea-water. We are challenging people to avoid overseas air travel and be kind to the environment by holidaying at home.

Clearly Phil didn't visit Viking Bay the other weekend when it was strewn with more than 100 bottles, empty drink cans and dirty nappies (eeurgh!), but I think we'll, er, gloss over that. And as for the precise location of the putting green they list as one of the attractions on Ramsgate Sands, lord only knows! Still, if it means more people holidaying at home, and fewer knackered old jumbos polluting the air over my cliff top mansion, I'd even be prepared to publicise the little-known fact that there's gold nuggets buried in them there sands!

Click here to read Encams press release
Click here for list of Blue Flag beaches

13 comments:

Peter C said...

I took one of my strolls along the coast from Westbrook (near Margate) to Ramsgate yesterday, & (apart from the crumblig Lido area) I never fail to be moved by the beauty of the place. There are far, far worse places to live. I think I'll take a cycle along there this afternoon... : )

Anonymous said...

You seem to have got confused between sand and people. I know it's esily done. The people are the loose, yellow tinged wet things that crap all over their own space. Sand is the loose yellow tinged wet stuff that...er...doesn't.

Anonymous said...

If you don't see the beauty in Thanet, you are asleep.

Head, SMEG said...

is this a good time to point out that the blue flagged ramsgate main sands beach has a graffiti'd rotting pavillion attached to it surrounded by winos every night/morning? Or that the huge pleasurama derelict site sits behind it? Or that most weekends planes fly directly overhead at low height? How about the car park that used to be a lido? or the building that used to stand call Marina Restaurant?
If TDC want Ramsgate to be a seaside resort, I suggest they support it in everyway, not only by cleaning the beach.
its like setting a 2 carat diamond in the middle of a dogssh1t.

Anonymous said...

Did Viking Bay get a blue flag? as shown in all the publicity.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Nope - doesn't look like it did ha ha! Must have been all those dirty nappies (eurgh!). Louisa and Bottomy Bays got gongs, though.

Anonymous said...

A Friend of mine from the Midlands was suprised when he visited and realised we had sand and not shingle like areas further up the coast.

Richard Eastcliff said...

What somebody needs to do now is get this publicised. Only a ten second mention on South East Today tonight. We need posters all over London telling people about our fantastic beaches and how close they are. Even the weather down here is usually better than in the 'village', although we could do with at least one superb all weather attraction.

Anyone for turning Manston into a theme park to rival Alton Towers?!

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

Bloody spam!

Anonymous said...

Yeh that would be good!

Anonymous said...

I prefer mine well done.

Anonymous said...

Joss Bay was on GMTV the other day and lovely it looked too....ahem, not that I watch it obviously.....