Sunday, June 20, 2010

A Wetherspoon Eye On Ramsgate Front?

Carousing with the Ramsgate glitterati on the strip last night, it soon became clear that rumour is rife about pub chain J D Wetherspoon taking over the soon-to-be-defunct Kent International Hotel.

Wetherspoons, who operate 780 hostelries around the UK, including Margate's Mechanical Elephant, is on the acquisition trail. Their website even asks readers if they've got any recommendations for sites that could be transformed by the company's own brand of beery magic. And surprisingly they're after hotels as well, they already run 16.

Whether Wethers can break Frank Thorley's grip on Ramsgate front is yet to be seen. Whether the local rozzers can prevent packs of pie-eyed punters staggering all over the road at pissed o'clock in the morning is another question. To which, I would suggest, the answer is a resounding 'No'!

PS: I see the excellent Thanet Anthem (see story below) has put on almost 3,000 BoobTube viewers since yesterday, and is now going to be released on iTunes! Our beloved council must be spewing that six times as many people in a day have watched a video that portrays them as the nincompoops they are than are prepared to watch their guff about Margate's 'Big Event'. Hurrah!

18 comments:

Lucy Mail said...

This sixth attempt at locating one of their venues in a single town must be a first for 'spoons, surely!

Michael Child said...

I have heard this too Richard, in this day and age it is just another thing that helps to put a town on the map.

Readit said...

Us old fogies (inc ECR) may be concerned at the p*ssed o'clock events but if "The Thanet Antheum" is to be believed, the youngsters are looking for good venues.

Anything preventing another derelict building in Thanet has got to be good.

Anonymous said...

The bigger concern for Ramsgate is that if the town cant keep a modest range hotel going like the Kent Int. how can a hotel at Pleasurama pay its way?

Anonymous said...

anon again!
Surely an Hotel is an Hotel? People who are pissed would stumble upstairs and fall into bed.
Not cross roads and vomit into the Harbour. Poor fishes.

Anonymous said...

More commas please Lucy.

Anonymous said...

W'Spoons have been after that site for a years now

Anonymous said...

I posted a link on facebook to the youtube clip and it is being reposted loads on other profiles :)

Richard Eastcliff said...

I agree Mr Readit. So long as the licensees are made to take their responsibilities seriously, and the Old Bill stop avoiding any intervention that might upset their pension plans.

Anonymous said...

Its a horrible building, a real eye sore, if it was knocked down and landscaped it improve Ramsgate 100%

Ramsgate Fan said...

I'd heard it was actually Barracuda, the owners of The Sovereign who had bought it. They have many different brands and have recently gone in for Inns & Hotels too.....

Anonymous said...

over 7000 recorded views by us for the Anthem..... not bad in a weekend.

Rear view mirror said...

anon 1:53 my understanding is that the KI is viable, it was the whole group that was put into administration.

Richard Eastcliff said...

And as I said, Wetherspoons are now into hotels.

Anonymous said...

Ramsgate fan is wrong.Barracuda has still financial problems.

The ROYAL HARBOUR HOTEL will open in Spring 2011...
Seems Thorley is not amused.

The ROYAL HARBOUR pub will open by X-mas 2010.

Anonymous said...

The Thanet Anthem.

Welcome to a place where the best nightclub is Escape, but it is always shut
An art gallery that no-one really even wants, opened by a slut
The pikey bumper cars replacing all the rides that got burned down
The fact that Woolworths probably owe their closure to this ugly town
So chill out on the beach and watch the ASBOs break sh*t in Margate

Wasteman shit hole where dreams are trampled and robbed by the council.
In Margate

High IQ is under 32. Get on the Thanet Loop. Now you’re in Broadstairs
Go down the Dolphin if a broken nose is your idea of fun
Feeling of Déjà vu the same band as last week its EK1
Or the emo kids that wanna slit their wrists, cos they think it rocks
Three schools in a row but the kids cant go, at court their in the docks
Not sure if I like what I see in the second of the three I’m in Broadstairs

Wasteman shit hole where dreams are trampled and robbed by the council.
Im still in Broadstairs

Please get me out of here quickly, Cortina from Smiley’s, now I’m in Ramsgate
Get out of the cab cant believe its just as bad and I’m just so bored
All these swanky bars and fancy drinks that no-one can afford
Its meant to be the best place to go out but its just a joke
Cause everyone today spent all their JSA on a ticket of coke
So Thanets all it seems, just a place of broken dreams. This is Thanet

Wasteman shit hole where dreams are trampled and robbed by the council.
F**k living in Thanet just wanna get away but that’s what they all say
Now your in Thanet, Thanet, Thanet.

Lucy Mail said...

Actually, y'know, viewing the lyrics laid out in a comments section like that, it does look a bit like the insane, paranoid rantings of our local, lung deficient loony, Retireded Rick.

Anonymous said...

i heard today that wetherspoons are definately taking over the royal pavillion to open very soon. anyone know if this is true or more rumour.??