Photo: Disney
Ahoy Fannit fans! I've just got back from giving my old Twankey a burnishing in Bournemouth, in preparation for a four week run of Aladdin starting next Saturday! (Tickets available at all good websites.)
I must say, the back of that camel's giving me a bit of gyp, but such is the burden that we slebs have to bear.
And speaking of slebs, none other than my old showbiz chum Tom Hanks popped over to the clifftop mansion the other day for a spot of reminiscing about his early life on the septic isle. As regular readers of this rubbish will remember, Tom was born in Thanet while his father was serving with the USAF at Manston, and spent his formative months in Cliftonville. I must say, he didn't seem very impressed with the area, but he did appreciate the Turkish barbers in Ramsgate who relieved him of his Movember mo ahead of the gala premiere of his latest flick in Leicester Square!
And speaking of shaves, while I've been away the comments on this blog seem to have become rather unkempt, a bit like a 70s porn star's dangly bits. Dear-oh-dear-oh-dear-oh-dear-oh-dear-oh-dear-oh (Get on with it - Ed.) Quite who gives a flying twankey about the comings and goings at RAF London Kent Manston Margate Tracey Emin Maggie Thatcher Schipol International Airport, gawd knows.
And speaking of polls, I've just had one of my biggest ever! Yes, almost 200 of you voted on whether Thanet Council is fit for purpose, here's the full SP...
Question: Is Thanet Council fit for purpose?
Yes: 6% (13 votes)
No: 93% (182 votes)
An overwhelming vote there, confirming, er, what we already knew anyway.
So there you have it! Moustache now, and get on with carefully rehearsing my ad libs! Toodle-pip!
26 comments:
The Widow Twankey no doubt!
Oh the joys of the panto season. Otherwise known as unattended blog comments!
tom hanks was born in thanet???
They're behind you!
Yes Tom Hanks was born in Thanet, his father was a cook with the USAF. His birth cert says California but that was because all USAF members serving overseas could only register their children as US citizens once their were back in the US of A.
Apart from Clive and Bob and Sue and Everitt and Harrison and Wise who could be the 6 people in your poll who think TDC is not crap?
They have spoilt a 100% crap rating!
And why is Bayford now saying filming of council meetings possible but maybe in 3 months? It's the public right to film now.
Another Duffers delay tactic.
Mickey Mouse Manston needs to close and more emphasis on East Kent Film Studio, the reopening of Dreamland amusement park and the Paramount theme park.
And clearing the Pleasurama site ready for the Summer season.
The Duffers are stuck in the industrial past.
What Cllr Bayford is saying is that because it was debated once there is a six month rule before it can appear again
In fact, there is no implicit 'right' to film in council in the same way there is no implicit right for the public to film at Westminster. The Conservative group recognise that resisting the technology and a growing public interest in the issue is not achieved by a blanket ban and consequently wish to relax it.
Thanet has its own long running Pantomine, what about calling it Ali Baba and the forty thieves?
ECR, Surely you are not Bobby Crush?
Cobblers Simon. The ban was introduced by TDC recently - obviously desperate to ensure secrecy over corruption and fraud and failure.
And all FOI has not been released on staffing/salaries etc.
Nor on EKO or Ferrygate or the 0% salaries.
The right to film in parliament is law. Why TDC feels it incapable to do the same is as above.
Resignations and deselection and removal at elections are required.
Simon. You have always given the true picture about the economic reality of UK.
Yet your reasons for considering your own political future, if UKIP make gains, seem to be that you liken UKIP to the 1930s Blackshirts.
But you have never accepted that a problem Thanet tories have long endured (Or embraced) is that you did not keep clear blue water between you and the right wing militant tendency League of St George.
I wonder if this is a case of pointing out the speck in UKIP's eye whilst ignoring the planks in Thanet Tory eyes.
We need a clear-out at TDC.
Just as I was beginning to really like Bob Bayford you mention all the planks in the party! Oh dear.....
Christine
Thanet Watch
What a cast comes to mind in the Pantomime Season : Cinderella - Julie Marsden -Ugly Sisters - Ian Driver and Alan Poole-Fairy Queen John Worrow- Baron Hardup Clive Hart - Widow Twanky - iris Johnton
Buttons - Will Scobie - the mind boggles opening night this Thursday - TDC Council Meeting
The standing order on filming and recording has been in place since the gramophone was invented.. Or close...!
Let's remember that I introduced the filming of Council meetings when I was in Cabinet and such things were within my control. Like it or not things were starting to change quite quickly at that point in time, with good sensible policies, like controlling the spread of HMOs, rationalising the asset disposal register and more.
And then suddenly one night it was all change and cllr Cohen and Worrow delivered the Council back into the hands of Clive Hart and Alan Poole leaving everyone much relieved that I could not push through any more reformist style changes helped by Alasdair Bruce and my other forward looking colleagues..
Truly amazing this Simon Moores, how open and transparent TDC would have become with him in office and how great and successful Thanet would have become. So why did it not happen?
Must be a part for him in the Thanet panto.
Moores is incredible isn't he? Anyone would think a 0% salary bung to Samuel and White is a wonderful thing.
Is the Ratcatcher a panto role? His political career is behind him!
Which is why gentlemen I'm reluctant to contribute to local blogs as within moments, we have 0% salaries, Al Qaeda training on a Thanet gun range, black helicopters, poisoned aquifers and more.
Entertaining if nothing more. Perhaps I should take-up panto with ECR!
Just a reminder that when Simon was in the cabinet, ex chief Samuels was also given a leaving bung of £100k plus just months before he would have retired anyway. When the Thanet Star exposed this the TDC press office went into full flow -
"I can confirm that the figures quoted in the Thanet Star article are wildly inaccurate. The facts in the article were not checked with the council prior to publication.
Cheryl xxx
Press and Media Manager
Thanet District Council
Pity the next years accounts had to show the true pay off.
The Thanet Star is hardly at the cutting edge of investigative journalism, even by Thanet blogs standards!
It's all too complicated to go into but blame the civil service compensation culture that is wildly out of control and not the local politicians who are stuck with paying off overpaid public sector execs all over the country because they have no option.
None of us liked it but that I'm afraid is politics
But Simon your cabinet did not have to pay off Samuels just a few months before his retirement date. Even if the cabinet wanted to combine the chief execs role with the financial officers role that could have been done a few month later. And look what a mess having the combined roles has caused, as an example not even a piece of paper giving TDC some hold over TE Ferries was drawn up.
What an almighty slip up.
"None of us liked it but that I'm afraid is politics"
Actually, I think it is this kind of "can't do" attitude that is killing politics. What we need are some conviction politicians who are prepared to fight to save public money. Right now, that would entail going through every senior council employee's contract and insisting that golden parachutes and severance deals are removed. Have you done this councillor, or will you be on this blog whingeing that you can't do anything about it when the next scandal hits?
For heaven's sake. I'm afraid this kind of example
is exactly why those of us who act in the best interests of the public do not engage the prejudiced and the uninformed on weblogs
Just listen to yourself " going through every senior council employees contract and insisting"
It's a contract 6:49 a legal document. You dont simply chuck it out because you don't like it
Absolutely no point in continuing this discussion I am sorry to say
I am Bobby Crush.
Moores in charge but not taking responsibility it seems. Of course he could have refused Samuel's extra pay claims. Of course each contract can be reviewed and rejected or not.
And of course the 0% fraud was announcing one thing to the public ie no pay increases but doing another ie increasing pay. Fraud with public funds and now he's found out he twists and turns
Slimey Moores and corrupt TDC is exactly the problem with politics and the sooner he resigns the better.
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