Crikey! It's been quite a day for emails! Mr Dickens of Broadstairs writes:I went to the Italian market in Broadstairs today in the area surrounding Pierremont Hall. This has been an annual event for years and is a cheerful diversion from the weather and closed shops that normally greet any visitors at this time of year.
I spoke to one trader who wondered what he was getting for his 100 sovs per day as the Duffers did not even manage to get the traditional street banner up across the high street to remind people it is on. They have managed to sanction a lot of demolition around the Hall however to build some more depressing crap flats though, as always if you can f*ck something up leave it to the Cecil Square Mafia.
I clicked on their website to see if they could be arsed to mention the market, and the pride of place is a private landlords association meeting at the Marlowe Centre. I guess you know where their priorities are as they try and remove any mention of tourism and things to do.
Moving to the north of the isle, an anonymous reader has sent me this:
John Coghlan, the original drummer of Status Quo, was supposed to be doing a gig at Westgate Pavillion last Friday with Kevin wotsisname who organised it. They cancelled the gig because Kevin hadn't organised a PA system, his website was still advertising events for last October, and he didn't bother turning up at the venue till 8.30pm.
The support bands had travelled from Manchester and Newcastle and quite understandably everyone was pretty upset. Oh dear. We do have talented business people here on the isle.
Indeed. Although I'd say the gene pool of talent could do with some fresh chromosomes if that's the best it can do!
Finally, moving back south, thanks to all the readers who have emailed me to point out that Ramsgate was yet again in the national press today. Another excellent review for Eddie Gilbert's, this time by Zoe Williams in the Sunday Torygraph. Zoe finishes with the immortal line: 'Everybody's saying it, and that's because it's true: as improbable as it sounds, with this and the brilliant Age & Sons I reviewed last year, Ramsgate is becoming a gourmet's destination. Thanet is the Amalfi coast of Kent'.
Funny, that's just what I think every time I walk down 'King Street, Zoe!
12 comments:
Easter is the wrong time of year for the Italian market, I've always thought. It's chock full of sweet things to eat when everyone's chock full of, er, choc eggs. Plus the weather is never that great. Cold, drizzly early spring days don't sit well with Italian food, somehow. Still, it wasn't as bad as two years ago when it was snowing!
Totally agree on on the demolition issue, by the way, Mr D. I don't know which is more depressing, the gaping spaces left by knocking down perfectly usable buildings in the middle of the town, or the flats which eventually be built there.
If they said they were going to fly the Italian food in via Manston then the council would have pulled all the stops out.
Maybe next year let's have Yamfest instead where you can have a lucky dip with a large bag of Charlie hidden somewhere amongst the flown fresh from Africa fruit and veg.
Having been to one of these markets in the past I couldn't believe the ridiculous prices being charged for perfectly ordinary foodstuffs but the good folk of Broadstairs and from afar were shelling out like there's no tomorrow.
Sorry, however, for anyone who had brought goods to sell if the council hadn't done anything to support them. Was this down to the town council or TDC? Pretty much same councillors but different officers.
On the demolition theme, some of these buildings were knocked down some time ago but no doubt the developers are 'waiting for the market to pick up' or, the other excuse 'waiting for better weather'. Take a look at two of Lilybrook's developments in St. Peter's Road and feel sorry for the residents looking at part-completed developments that have been like that for months. Main buildings in these cases still standing but work seems to have halted on the 'refurbishment and extensions'.
Eddie Glberts do the best fish and chips I have ever tasted. No exaggeration.
Amalfi Coast!!!!! Pity about the weather
The developers will be paying a reduced council taxes on the site as it is uncompleted , and their borrowing and current percentages will be low.
They can sit on the site meantime waiting for the market to pick up . The old Pierremont garage is like a 2nd world war bomb site, and it looks like nothing is happening soon .
New building needs to happen but of good quality to meet needs not just to speculate and turn the high street into a graveyard
If you have an allotment that you do not look after the council will take it back from you and give it to somebody who will.
Maybe they should push Lillybrook the developers on the St Peters site and sanction them if thet have no intention of getting on with the work
Well, I do sympathise with everyone in Boredstares having to look at an empty site for a year or two. Spare a thought, though, for us Ramsgatonians who have had to stare at 'bomb sites' for years if not decades. In fact there's one round the back of the Granville that's been there since the bombs dropped in WWII, despite planning permission for ghastly flats being granted in the early 2000s!
Ironically the Pierremont Garage site WAS a WW 2 bombsite as the fire station there was bombed in 1940 killing the firemen on duty. They are buried in St. Peter's Churchyard and a couple of years ago there was a special service commemorating their service with one of the previously unmarked graves having a grave marker paid for & dedicated by the local fire officers.
Re. the Italian Market, by the second day most of the stall-holders had gone home but then who in their right mind pays £3.50 for a loaf of bread baked in London? All the cars had London number-plates so yet more money going out of Thanet to London stall-holders.
Just another version of the "Continental Markets" at Westwood Cross but pricier!! Went the first year and was knocked down by the prices and disapointed by the quality. The trouble with these markets is that many of the traders bring down their soon to date expire goods to offload. If I want a good quality continental treat Ill trot off to France on a day trip - I do like to eat British but unfortunately we dont make many salamis!!
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