Sunday, November 23, 2008

Bignews On The Small Screen

Good to see local bloggers represented on the BBC's Politics Show this lunchtime, even if they did choose Bignews Margate's Tony Flaig over the isle's premier blog to discuss whether the Ike and Tina Turner Centre will or will not kickstart regeneration in the Arsonists' Playground. Also appearing were Derek Harding from the Margate Renewal Thingy Whatsit, local aesthete Stephen Roper, and some old duffer from Kent County Council.

Still, hopefully I'll get my chance to have my two penn'orth next week when the Beeb are due here in the Millionaires' Playground to discuss TDC and KCC's Ramsgate degeneration policies, such as the closure of all our cultural facilities and the imposition of a Stansted size airport on our doorstep!

Click here to see story on Politics Show website

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes and didnt he speak well - got in the bloggers two big digs - Northdown house and the closure of the Margate museum - keep both of those topics hot on the agenda!
See they showed their justification for the M and S purchase - a few modern art exhibits on the edges of the otherwise empty building!

Head, SMEG said...

did anyone pick up on what the old codger said in relation to transport links? Manston being another way for people to get here from london?

Anonymous said...

What are they gonna do? Send chopperloads of Londoners down on day trips?

Lucy Mail said...

Send Londoners down with chopper-loads, would be more like it!

Dear-oh-dear, what's on MY mind?!

Anonymous said...

Not all bloggers have a problem with Margate museum or Northdown house, just those who have nothing better to do with their lives.

Why not reduce the council tax to the level where essential services are done, and cut out the rest. ie NO grants to anyone

Tony Flaig said...

Blimey I didn't realise that local TV had access to double chin enhancement technology, it makes me look a bit of a bloater?

Tony Flaig said...

Quite right anon, not all bloggers would agree, just like not all tory councils respecting legal restrictions on selling Northdown House.

I wonder what that's all about

Tony Flaig said...

Anon 3.45 see above comment

Anonymous said...

TDC seems to be aware that there may be restrictions on selling Northdown House. This is stated in the "Thanet Matters" booklet issue no 39 sept/oct. The problem for Thanet council tax payers is that the legal docs may not be straightforward and this is were trust comes in.

Anonymous said...

1:08, have you actually been in the M&S building and looked around? It may not seem much from the outside but there is some interesting stuff and my daughters go there to take part in the various activities they put on.

Anonymous said...

Yes I have gone in and had to leave before I fell about the place laughing! I would laugh now if it was not for the thought that my Council tax going to TDC and / or KCC is paying for the stupid embarrassmant!

It is a disgrace.

Anonymous said...

We spent a good 2-3 hours gluing broken crockery together, making 3D foodstuff models from paper, half hour watching a video film, another half hour looking at displays and reading up on them. I wonder if 6:09 bothered to do any of that? Think about what those activities teach people, not just arty skills, practical that can be expanded upon in regular household chores. By the way I have no particular interest in art, neither too did the guy next to me with his children but he pointed out it was free and taught them something. People like you moan about kids on the street but aren't willing to pay to take them off. Society has got some of what it deserves by not investing in activities such as these.

Anonymous said...

Well Said.

Head, SMEG said...

Mike Hill, KCC's lead on turner said in regards to Manston;

"KCC are trying very hard to promote Manston as an another way of getting to London".

I think he was trying to talk up a proposed rail link from HS1 down to Thanet for the airports benefit, not flights from Manston to Heathrow.

Anonymous said...

11:26, this is excellent news - children are being taught how to use glue. Do they let you take home the repaired crockery? It sounds like health and safety should be looking at this in case the sharp edges cut small fingers. I am sure there are better things for children to glue together I hope the gallery staff are not round the back smashing up good china just so it can be stuck back together.

Anonymous said...

Yes - they are being taught the proper way to use glue i.e not stuffing it up their nostrils. Be thankful!

Anonymous said...

I have kids too - but i dont need to justify the purchase at £3million on a mortgage of the M and S building to entertain and educate my children,there are other free facilities that i can take them too without going to the M and S building - KCC libraries to name one, i am not a philistine who leaves my kids to roam on the streets as has been implied - just do not see the justification for the purchase of this building - anything wrong with that?

Anonymous said...

TC have to pay rent to TDC, they will be out sooner rather than later, then TDC can rent it out to someone else, or sell it on, the downturn wont last forever, so do calm down.

Michael Child said...

I finally got around to watching it, having recorded it, nice one Tony.

As a thought to those of you who are for the gallery in M&S, to me the amount of money spent and continuing to be spent on running it is grossly disproportional to any benefits derived from it.

It’s a fairly large exhibition space and I would have thought the way forward is to seek some of the major exhibitions doing the rounds.

Anyone who has been to London to see any of the major exhibitions that one has to queue for hours to see will know what I mean.

If what we are getting in M&S is representative of what we can expect when the gallery is built, then visitor numbers already show that it isn’t going to work.

Anonymous said...

Hello Michael, You will get your 'London' exhibitions when you get your London gallery, not before. Better to use a space (old M&S) than leave it boarded up? From what i understand its a stop gap.

Anonymous said...

Hope the transport links are ok after the opening of Thanet Earth
(2 million lorries a day) and gateway (40 million lorries a day)
Come to Thanet, well get halfway there and turn back because of the traffic jams.

Anonymous said...

There's more than one way to get to Margate! In 1957 144,000 people arrived by the steamer The Royal Daffodil. So how many are they expecting in the new Turner?

Anonymous said...

The M & S Turner Experience is costing us council tax-payers £2 million a year. I can think of plenty of other ways KCC could spend £2 million. I don't think the Turner folk pay rent for the use of the building as they managed to negotiate a freebie deal with TDC who own the building.

Anonymous said...

no they didn't!

Anonymous said...

Lets go to Margate and;
Visit an art Gallery! Good

Then visit, shops! All shut.

Dreamland! Shut.

Cinema! Shut.

Museums! Shut.

Caves! Shut.

Of course, we will see thousands flocking to margate once the Turnip centre is built!

Anonymous said...

They can come via the Invisible Steamer!