Today's Isle of Thanet Gazunder carries a full page spread on the man they're calling the Saviour of Westgate Pavilion (Who cares? - Ed) as part of its campaign to save the aforemetioned, er, shed on the north side of the island. Kevin Crace is described as a 'music entrepreneur' who owns more rights to Elvis Presley's hits than anyone other than the Graceland estate.
What the paper doesn't mention is that our Kev gained fame a few years back as a spokesman for Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, and in fact claims to have arranged his return to the UK in 2001 on humanitarian (and, er, probably legal) grounds. Until last year Biggs was banged up in Belmarsh high security prison 70 miles up the road, but has since been moved to Norwich prison after suffering ill health, and may well be let out soon on compassionate grounds. He's oft-quoted as having missed 'the smell of Margate' during his self-imposed exile in Rio, although 40 years on he might get a bit of a shock were he to rush down here upon his release, as the only thing Margate smells of these days is decay.
Still, who knows? Perhaps Ramsgatonian Kevin, who lists 'smoking quality weed' as an interest in his MySpace profile, might be able to tempt the famous Margate-lover to lend some high profile support to the campaign?
Update: Kevin has subsequently sent me a clarification regarding this item. Click here to read it.
Click here to read full story in the Gazunder
Click here to see Kevin Crace's MySpace profile
16 comments:
due dilligence?
Margate or Cliftonville should make Ronnie feel at at home . A walk down Northdown road these days is more scary than any Rio Flavella, or a trip to the showers on E block.
I only hope that as part of his rehabilitation he does not meet Fingers Eziekel , dodgy Rodge Latchford who could lead him back to his old ways, who needs to hold up trains , when you are already on a gravy train.
'smoking quality weed'. Why do people feel the need to undermine society this way. Its illegal but they show no shame in their behavior.
From my brief encounters with the music biz, 12:58, I think it's de rigeur.
Could I also point out that my post is more about what the Gazunder does and does not choose to tell us than anything to do with Kevin, whose plans for the Pavilion might well be better than some half-arsed effort to turn it into a music hall/doctors' surgery. I mean I've heard of an operating theatre, but that's ridiculous!
It adds a whole new dimension (music hall/doctors surgery) to castrati singing
They said crossing a library with a benefits office wouldn't work. Oh ye of little faith!
Margate has been decaying at an alarming rate in the last year. From businesses shutting down, another hit the dust this week, MAD MAX, to people feeling that Cliftonville is becoming a no go area etc. Time someone in authourity woke up ie Tdc to the scale of recent decline and did more rather than trying to squeeze more money from the public. In many areas our authourities seem very detached. The carparks in central Margate are full during week days and empty at 5.00pm and also empty at weekends. Why? Full of Council worker's cars during the week. Surely Tdc can do more on the free parking or charge a minimal fee ie 30p to fill all the empty spaces on the w/ends and extend it. But guess this involves investment in updated parking pay meters. Long term it would increase reveune from parking and preseve revenue from business rates which must be decling rapidly as more shops close down. With out shops no regeneration will succeed.
The Gazunder is so biased it is untrue!
All the free papers cover the bully boy tactics of our Council Leader except the Gazunder, whose own reporter witnessed the event!!
Hope he has a better memory when he is dragged to court as a witness!!
Cliftonville like a Rio Flavella? Have you ever left England or if you have stepped out of your hotel.
If you are scared of Cliftonville you must be scared of life. It is the most vibrant, culturally diverse and community-orientated area of Thanet. Nowhere else but in Cliftonville do you get children, from all ethnic backgrounds, playing happily together in the streets. Yes it is more impoverished than it was but at least parents there have got time for their children.
As for this Ronnie being associated with 'gangsters', give it a rest. Some bloggers and cowardly anon posters are obsessed with the idea of Thanet being dominated by east end crooks. I don't see that, just a few hard working old men trying to run businesses in challenging circumstances. Hats off to them I say.
If whenever someone has made some money they are accused of being a gangster then we are never going to be able to develop the isle. It's just jealousy and it drags us all down.
So what if he has smoked something or other. Boris Johnson and David Cameron have as well, and they have done rather well for themselves. My son is at Oxford and tells me that many people still know how to have fun, but it doesn't sound like they are taking half what was taken in the 60s.
Come on Jimmy your not fooling anyone with your sindy shylock moniker, hard working business men my arse, setting fire to things and pushing through dodgy planning applications for private profit is not business its criminal.
I was stuck in traffic on friday in vibrant Cliftonville because some junky whilst burglaring a house coshed a copper on the way out bringing the whole area to a stand still. Whilst waiting I saw the biggest collection of druggy pond life watching the proceedings god help us all.
Tell you what they dont go in Aldis anymore its full of the us poor Thanetians getting a better bargain there than Sainsburys!
sindy shylock has managed to access some top quality gear judging from her ? post. " Kindly old men doing their best in difficult circumstances" do me a favour.
I now have a mental image of Jimmy ,Ken ,Sandy , et al saving kittens from trees and and giving out Werthers Originals to any a little scallywag they meet .
The old men hold the ilse back as they have no vision other than how to get rich quick buy selling off everything whether they own it or not.
How different they are to the Friend family who gave Northdown House and the parkland to the people of Margate, which this lot want to sell for a fast buck
Some of you people are so negative and seem to see intrigue in the most mundane things. I really don't buy this idea that the most influential people on this little Isle are gangsters. Especially not senior council people. The idea is just ludicrous. If it was true then surely Iris would have been 'taken out' in a 'drive-by' long ago.
It is clear that the same sort of people who view rather dull medium-sized business owners as 'gangsters' view quite ordinary places little like Cliftonville as akin to the bronx.
I think some people just need to get out more and try to see bit of the world. Thanet is a quaint and pretty little place that most people haven't heard of. It's hardly a magnet for international criminals.
Perhaps if you have little else to do it is fun to sit around imagining the worst and creating fantasies about people you proabably will never even meet. But it gives rather dull people more credit that they are worth. It also make Thnaet seem more exciting that it is.
Well Sindy, just invite round Hilton, Thorley and Godden for a Bar be que!
I'm sure the conversation will be interesting until the lap dog Ezekiel et al arrive! Then we will hear the true plans for Thanet!
And yes, we know what they are, don't we boys!!
Don't forget the Richardson gang connection in Birchington, and the 'others', although most have retired from active service.
the word on the street is that they did try to Take out Iris Johnson in a Soprano style drive by ,but she was on Fort Hill at the time , and due to dedualling the hit man ended up in Deal as he was about to squeeze the trigger.
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