Off island reader Veronica writes:So sad to read that the museums are due to be closed. Is the UK's history no longer of interest? What is wrong with the local government there, have they no idea how to raise funds to keep important places open?
I think the key words there, Veronica, are 'no' and 'idea'. Let's take the Millionaires' Playground as an example. Wikipedia can only manage two lines on Ramsgate under the heading 'Arts and Media':
The Gallery IOTA (Isle Of Thanet Arts) is based on the towns west cliff. Ramsgate Maritime Museum near the harbour quayside has exhibits showing the evolution of Ramsgate Harbour and East Kent maritime history. Ramsgate's sole cinema and theatre is the Granville Cinema, situated on Victoria Parade, in the town's Eastcliff area.
Hmmm. Now, can anyone spot the deliberate errors? Yes, that's right, IOTA skedaddled almost two years ago and are now based on Margate Pier/Harbour Arm/Jetty whatever it's called these days (where they're currently exhibiting the wondrous works of Baldwin and Bushell). Ramsgate Maritime Museum is about to close so that it can be flogged off to developers by the nuff-nuffs at the council. That leaves the Granville Theatre and Cinem who try their hardest, poor loves, but, really, I think most people would struggle to describe a rolling programme of 'psychic nights' and amdram productions as 'culture'. I guess our library, oops, sorry, 'gateway', which got toasted in 2004 is currently being rebuilt, but there's no sign yet of when it's going to re-open.
Still, there's no point feigning surprise that Ramsgate's culture has disappeared or gone 'oop north'. It's all in the Politburo's 5 year plan, which they published last year, and which can be summarised thus:
Margate - Turner Centre, arts and culture
Ramsgate - Port and flight path
Broadstairs - Don't for gawd sake touch this as most of us live there and we like it the way it is
The Rest - Concrete.
19 comments:
When the bully boy in charge of culture says they must go that is what happened. Anyone ever heard of a carpet salesman knowing anything about culture?
Please, please ask Michael to publish your Thanetsauraus, we have been chuckling about your sayings!
The East Kent Maritime Trust was facing legal action from the Steam Museum Trust (whose cureor is the ex curator of EKMT) for compensation over the delapidation of the steam tug Cervia over the years it was entrusted to east Kent Maritime Trust.
Over those years EKMT were funded by the council to the tune of about 100,000 pounds per year.
So that is about two million over the years ?
The Trustees (like Cllr William Hayton) seem to suddenly have stopped being listed as trustees (with unlimited liability) on the Charity Commission website.
Tony Beachcomber makes a good point about consultancy fees paid to an individual of some 25 grand a year.
Charity Law requires annual audited accounts. The last accounts submitted to the Charity Commission by EKMT was about four years ago. Leaving around 400,000 pounds of public grant aid from TDC as yet unaccounted.
Even on the last set of accounts the auditor comments are a worry. More or less saying he wants to be paid for the audit but not all the audit questions were answered.
Who benefits from torpedoing the EKMT ?
And before lamenting the loss of museums how about not assuming they were properly and successfully run in EKMT hands.
In short ... the EKMT gravy train has derailed to avoid collison with the incoming Steam Museum Trust gravy boat litigation ?
Yes- we have to move out so Chinese culture can come in - Sadly paid my last museum to Margate Museum today.
I'd be happy for Michael to publish my Eastcliff Richard's Juicy Bits - Three Years In The Millionaires' Playground. How about it, oh Biblio-Bloke?
Unfortunately I think the Thanisaurus will have to wait until next Christmas in order for there to be a big enough body of drivel, er, work to justify an entire tome!
So long as there is nothing too libellous I’m up for it, one continuous word document, and a cover illustration is all I need, 10% royalty for you to stoke up the millions.
The only problem I am having with my publications is finding somewhere to sell them, the museums used to stock them, so did Albion Bookshops.
Waterstones and W H Smith want to be supplied through a wholesaler that wants 60% discount and free shipping. So if the book sells for £5 you get 50p they want to pay £2 with me paying for the postage of say 50p that leaves £1 for me which doesn’t pay for the paper and ink.
'Nothing too libelous'?!?!?
There's never been proven to be anything libelous in my jottings!!
Funny thing you know Richard but once a thing is committed to paper it has permanence not associated with the internet, also anyone who mistakenly thought that they had been libelled knows where I am. It is the old problem really that whereas one can be anonymous on the web it’s a lot more difficult on paper.
Oh, well, maybe I should amend that to 'there's never been anything proven to be libelous in any of my online jottings, TV drivel or newspaper mumblings' then!
But I expect there's a lot of people waiting for you to be exposed so they can nail you ECR - like your comrade in arms Bertie. You don't think that he's made a grovelling apology on his blog because he's gone all soft and cuddly do you?
It's only libel if it isn't true, and don't forget, if they take you to court you can say whatever you like in the courtroom.
Yer shame on Bertie bullies he was doing a good job - anyone ever heard of the Coach house museum?
Gordon Bennet, 6.46! Can't visit any blog these days without some nerd from the CGP/TDC Press Team having a go at Biggles over on Strife. Has he got them rattled or are they worried the 'done deal' he bangs on about is true?
I think we can safely say that the high and mighty are well and truely rattled!
It does not matter what they think, or how much they try and have a go at you or Bertie, one thing is clear. The truth will come out in the end! And as I see it, it's going to be messy!!!!!
Even when there is no story, you guys create one. Tiny minds, with not much to do. Sad little men and women.
6:46 - 'I expect there's a lot of people waiting for you to be exposed so they can nail you ECR - like your comrade in arms Bertie.'
Even though my blog is anonymous, there are still ways and means of setting the legal beagles on me. Nobody has. Which would suggest, if anyone had thought they'd been been defamed, they've been advised that, in all probability, they haven't. People may send threats in the hope that I'll get the collywobbles and shut up, but I'm used to that. Perhaps Bertie isn't. And besides, it ain't libel until a court decides it is.
Unless, by 'nail', you mean something rather more physically threatening, in which case it would be a matter for the old Bill and my security consultant Fat Kev.
Hope you havent got cameras on you all the time - that is the usual Mr Nasty trick!
Lets hope the truth will come out - seems to be taking a long time, some of the rumours been circulating since April and nothing has happened since, some of us are wondering if Thanet is really going to be saved or not!
Redevelopment of shop for new Waitrose on Chiswick high road, guess who the builders are - none other than Carter of Paul Carter leader of KCC fame no wonder he wants china gateway a big construction job might go his business' way! Bring back the likes of Sandy Bruce Lockhart no business ake to grind other than selling his apples
So what's left for tourists to visit, Dreamland to museums gone...Does TDC Plc see no future in tourism, just industrial, shoping and housing developments for our area.
IOTA. LMFAO
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