So, a big fish, some fireworks, a bit of an old sing song and a few fairground rides. And some flooded basements and, er, a lot of wind.Yep, that just about sums up this weekend's inaugural Monster Bass festival for me. But I must admit it did seem to have drawn an influx of visitors to the Millionaires' Playground. The fireworks on the beach were definitely a cut above the usual bangers they let off from the East Pier, and the East Cliff lift, which was open well into the night, was vaguely reminiscent of Covent Garden tube at 7.30pm on a Friday! So at least one out of three cheers for the Thanet Council events team. After all, they can't really be blamed for the weather, can they?
Although on second thoughts, did they have to erect a stage with 'Margate Renewal Partnership' emblazoned right across it? Kuh!
45 comments:
Thought the music procession for the 'Monster Bass' was actually brilliant - as was Hamish's music. Shame about the weather - but I reckon a repeat quality function next year could by reputation grow into something attended from well wide-afield & really help to put Ramsgit on the map. Well done to all responsible for, I say.
As one of Ramsgate's millionaires I would say it was an excellent weekend, reminiscent of weekends some 40 years ago. The event was well thought out and well organised with some good entertainment. For once I must say thanks to TDC and also Ramsgate Town Council who had a financial input.
As for the Margate Regeneration Banner over the stage, yes they may have part ownership of the stage but it was a cheap and tacky stunt to broadcast it at Ramsgate. Are they really that desperate over on the north side? I think maybe the banner answered that question!
Come on TDC and RTC, get working on next year's event, and don't forget the other 51 weekends of the year.
Thats what we like to see from our local council, cut £80,000 from the beach cleaning budget then put £7000 up in smoke on a friday night as well as giving our friends "nods as good as a wink to a blind horse" in the RTYC £5000 for their town inclusive race week.
No doubt Cllrs have a free tab up in the club house.
I will agree that it was an excellent event. The weather hampered, but the entertainment, procession and fireworks were all excellent, and lots of happy faces were seen. On a rain free weekend this could be one of the best events Thanet could provide.
Can't please all the people all the time, eh 8:46 AM? Still, our resident whinger apart, the weekend seems to have gone down well and who cares about the Margate banner. If the poor dears on the north side feel Ramsgate is the place in which to advertise, what recognition!
Funny old life isn't it we have an events teams employed by tdc that provides 2 events a year if we are lucky, what do they do for the rest of the time makes cups of tea for the ch exec and cabinet ? or do they have to lie down and have a rest!!!!!!!!!!!
Does the dolt at 11,47 really believe that the Events team at TDC work only for two events. Bit like saying The peole that run Folk Week take 51 weeks off! Obviously he or she never attended the Monster Bass otherwise they could not possibly have failed to appreciate a magnificent spectacle certainly reminding me of similar celebrations in Spain and Portugal If this event is put on again next year and enjoys a sunny weekend i predict it will get national coverage.
Well done to all concerned.
The dolt at 11:47 believes anything that suits his moaning purpose. Probably thinks events are cobbled together the day before and the only events in Thanet are the ones he heard about. Sad but they exist!
Predictable outcry when the layabouts at TDC are called upon to justify what they do all year. Nobody is questioning that it doesn't take a fair number of hours to organise an event.
However, as an events organiser myself, I know that you couldn't possibly justify your existence if you were only to organise two large events in a year. Many people who organise events on a voluntary basis would do this much, and more, whilst holding down a full-time job.
Instead of being abusive, why don't you just give us a run-down of the events which are organised by the Events team at TDC. Then, we can all judge whether we are getting value for our money.
8:21 PM - Personally I have no idea how many events are organised by the TDC events team. Like most people I would imagine, I only know of those that interest me and that I am likely to go to, save the odd one noticed in the local press.
As a recent DFL, however, I get the impression there is a lot going on around the Thanet towns. Most weeks seem to have something during the summer months and, generally, the organisation of those I have attended has been good.
Perhaps you could answer your own query by looking on line at the TDC website and, in particular, at events and attractions. It is actually no harder than finding blogspots.
The Annual Whinge Festival is particularly well supported. It runs from January to December of each year.
It began with the anti-council riots of the 1830s. Visiting Devon traders rioted against the corrupt council who they thought were in the pocket of local businessmen.
The Devonians said "Up scrumps yew locals and join uzz in a ferking good riot smashing up the council buildings, beating up constables and councillors. "
The locals replied "Can't not during Whinge Festival. Runs January to December see. Bloody council. Bloody outsiders"
Towards the end of the 19th century coal was discovered in Kent and the Whinge festival took account of this
"Bloody council bet the mines don't employ locals"
And when the Welsh, Scots and North of Engalnd miners moved to Kent (to do work) the Whinge Festival took account of that too
"Bloody council. Bloody miners"
Then two world wars and our Americans cousins settl;ed at Manston
"Bloody council. Bloody Yanks with all their money."
Then more recently tomatos were discovered on the Isle.
"Bet they don't employ locals. Bloody council"
And the tomato mines employed Polish people in preference to Thanet locals.
"Bloody council"
8.19am genius
reminds me of a classic comment at this years air show at Palm bay when a family turned up one minute after the opening plonked their chairs and picnic hampers at the front when they had a choice of around 100 metres and said " can you get someone to turn off that speaker in front of us"
Bloody council!
8:19 AM Quite brilliant summary of Thanet's whinge fraternity. Had to come out of my semi-reclusion to congratulate you.
I am Anon 8.19 and I thank you for your kind comments.
I like the true story of a career guidance session at Clarendon House.
Teacher "What are your plans ?"
Tracey " I wnna go uneee and doo meediha then break into meediha by doin a foo years as a wevver gal"
Teacher "And you Kirsty ?"
Kirsty "Same as Tracey innit"
Teacher "And you Chantelle"
Chantelle "Same as Tracey"
Teacher "Well there are other options like Tourism and Leisure at Unee"
And the true tale of the hotel cleaners in Ramsgate (single mothers responding to the pressure to do some part time work)
Michelle "Are you gonna vote in election ?"
Mariella "F-ck off they force me to work and f-ck up my benefits and expect me to vote for 'em ? Let other people vote for 'em if they want to."
Obviously posted by a former teacher at Clarendon House for the Thanet version of 'young ladies' so my sympathies as well as applause.
Ah so Dolt is the new tdc buzz word. Of course sent outside office hours because the blog sites are such heinous places of ill repute they are blocked from the cecil square bunker.
bit random this but i was at the monster bass on sunday (jolly good show all round ) if anyone out there watches Fraser re runs was the dj/ compare on the main stage Daphnes drunk brother?
trouble is i dont think he was acting!
As a visitor to Ramsgate during the weekend of 14-15 August, I am pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Monster Bass Festival. Fortunately, the weather was very settled for the 9pm parade. I thought the story-teller gave a beautiful rendition of this fishy tale. The lighting and music were terrific. The firework display was about the best I have ever seen. I don't have issues with tdc, so may be my opinion is not clouded by other issues. The residents of Ramsgate should be proud of the people who organised this and other presitigious events in Thanet.
Strage tale from the Anglo Saxon Chronicle.
Hengist and Horsa were rowing towards the Thanet coast.
They could see a line of locals shuffling along on the cliff tops. Hengist inquired of Horsa "What they up to, Hokey Cokey ?"
"No", replied Horsa, "It is what they call locally dole queue."
"Why they talk so much when doing this dole queue shuffle dance ?" asked Hengist
"Whinging" replied Horsa, "They have a whinge festival lasting one mid winter fest to the next and so on. They chant a strange chant Blud Dee Count Cil"
"Will they fight us" asked Hengist
"No because they would lose place in dole queue but still wonder why King Vortigern so pleased to see our invading arses ?" said Horsa
Hengist was thoughful for a moment "How much does Thanet dole queue and whinge festival cost Vortigern ?"
So Hengist came ashore at Pegwell to be greeted by one local Ralphus Houlterai.
"Sorry Count Cil's events group couldn't lay anything on for this. Our volunteer events group thought I should pop along and do a quick sketch to produce a portrait later"
"Ralphus", said Hengist "You on your own pal. Where volunteer group ?"
"It's raining", explained Ralphus.
"But Dole Queue shuffle carries on in rain ?" asked Horsa
"Yes," said Ralphus, "Bloody Count Cil couldn't arrange a queue in an alphabet"
Incredible how some folk, like 10:54 AM, assume that anybody who praises anything that happens locally must be a member of the TDC or in the pay of said council. Well, smart one, it is office hours and you are still a dolt.
You chucking a sickie tho Anon 2.10?
I think you used to go Clarendon and went unee do meediha then got a job with council innit ?
3:24 PM, I only went to Clarendon in my dreams when I was about fifteen. I was at the other green blazer place across the way so my career aspirations extended a bit further than working for the council!
As someone with millionaire's taste but lacking the cash I thought the weekend was fabulous. Just the touch of class that Ramsgate's deserves. Move on you lot - stop griping start grafting!
Well Anon 4.19 your aspirations aged 15 do nothing to dissuade us from our view that you work for TDC now.
Anon 5.43
Most encouraging to see that you reiterate the theme of the rioting Devon traders of the 1830s.
Stop Thanetians whinging though ?
Yew got bob hope yew janner.
Good grief, what a shower you lot are!
If my dear old Gramps was alive to witness such utter drivel, he'd be turning in his grave!
6:39 PM, tell me, are you the Queen for you are rather inclined to use the collective 'we' rather than the personal 'I' or do you imagine others support your misguided view. I do not, never have and never will work for the council as I work for me.
Inappropriate use of the collective occurred in your post of 2.10
"Incredible how some folk"
We tire of you.
Hardly inappropriate when applying to a number of different comments.
Be that as it may, though, it really does not matter whether you tire of me or not because there is SFA you can do about it. Just get some hot chocolate, a couple of paracetamol and hit the sack. It will all be brighter tomorrow.
So much anonymous comment here I hardly feel that I dare come in as a positively identifiable local but there were a few anomalies here that interested me and I thought I would add them.
This event was sponsored by TDC and Southern Water, I notified TDC that there was a problem with the drains in Harbour Parade on several occasions during the weeks leading up to the event.
The event started with a moderate rain shower during which the drains overflowed into the businesses there.
Southern Water had a promotional tent right next to the beach that they had contaminated with a sewage discharge last month, which they hadn’t mentioned to the council so I was surprised at their level of cooperation.
Oddly enough this event also coincided with Ramsgate’s Wantsum Jazz festival that the council seemed to be selectively promoting.
I did get down there and take a few pictures but the weekend was punctuated with shop and family commitments so I didn’t see all of it.
Right in the middle of the event is the closed Maritime Museum that is waiting for the council to grant them security of tenure so they can open.
It was the intention of the trust that wants to open the museum, when the council gets around to giving them their lease, to have had a series of events last year and this year. This didn’t happen because of the councils; several words come to mind here I willgo for prevarication.
The Pleasurama site that someone had broken (lifted the gates of their hinges) into so that the fairground vehicles could park there, could have had an all summer visitor attraction on it, it isn’t being used for anything else.
What I am getting at here is we need something going on in Ramsgate all through the summer. I am not knocking the event what I saw of was very good, just pointing out that while putting on a one day event the council seem to have prevented many other events and attractions this year.
Thank God for Michael Child. At last, a posting which takes a measured view of the event instead of some starry-eyed self-justification, clearly posted by someone who had a hand in organising the event.
Let them eat cake, but only a couple of times a year.
Pause to think for a moment you Ramsgate folk. Broadstairs seems to be an endless run of activity throughout the holiday season from Viking Funerals through Dickens Week to Folk Week, Water Gala to the Food Fayre. Is this down to TDC or a energetic town council?
You now have a Ramsgate Town Council so where are they in all this lack of activity. Perhaps it is the wrong butt you are kicking?
9:58 AM
There you go again seemingly obsessed with this idea that anyone who posts a comment supporting anything in Thanet must be a member of, or work for, the TDC.
Perhaps you had not noticed but some comments have been made by visitors and another from a recent arrival. Get real, whoever you are, for you are ignoring the fact that the council are democratically elected by the majority of voters thus making you the minority.
By all means criticise, campaign to change the council if you wish but at least accept that you are expressing your views. Some of us hold different ones and, for the moment at least, we are in the majority.
There you go again 11:08AM, obsessively trying to stop an obsessive from obsessing.
Could you not bring yourself to rise above it and make your point/comment without pointlessly trying to prevent pointless comments?
I'm sure that the person who is making these comments does so with the intention of riling you.
Ignoring them would almost certainly turn that around!
Ramsgate Town Council has only been running a year so give them a chance! This year they are putting on the Summer Squall festival over the coming bank holiday weekend, which has been entirely organised by (mainly DFL) volunteers who work in the creative industries, no TDC involvement whatsoever and no homespun Walph type amusements.
So we'll be able to get a glimpse of the future and see what it's like hopefully.
12:21 PM, You make a fair comment which I take on board. It is just that the obsessive scribe winds me up but, you are absolutely spot on, I should not allow myself to sink to his/her abysmal level. Delete the her for no woman could be such a cretin.
hey Thanecians ( correct spelling?)
Great to hear so many comments both good and bad. If nothing else the Monster Bass has created a blog controversy and a debate not out of place on Question time i look forward to the Summer Squall debate in the near future does anyone know when it is on?
sorry Summer Squall i did not read the earlier entry correctly. The Bank Holiday weekend doh!
Looks like the TDC blog posting division is getting angsty because they've been caught red-handed.
I feel an FOI coming on...
I thought it was an absolutely spiffing do but then I do work for the council and got all my rides for free, including the late one with a 'wevver' girl, leastways that's what she said she was.
I enjoyed it and would like to see it as an annual event.
Post a Comment