Eastern Eggs

It's a four day weekend coming up! Hurrah! Hopefully we'll get lots of lovely visitors cramming down here to the far eastern tip of Kent to enjoy all the superduper stuff we've got going on, as well, of course, as our gorgeous seascape, architecture, nosh and booze.

To that end, I've updated my What's On In Thanet guide in the sidebar on the right. If you're on a smartphone, you'll have to click on 'view web version' to see that. To be frank it's not as comprehensive as it once was, given that the Visit Thanet website has improved over the years and is now pretty kushti. So apols if your particular shindig has been left out.

Also in my sidebar is my Recommended Nosheries column. This, er, needs a bit of updating, especially the Margate and Broadstairs sections.

I'll be tooling around the towns over the Easter break to sample the delights of the island's eateries, and reporting back. So restaurant owners beware! Prime cuts only please - no fingers in pies!! And if any of you lovely readers have any grubby experiences to report, do drop me a line in the comments section below.

As ever, I like to promote Ramsgate over Margate, especially given all the public dosh that's been spent attracting tourists to the north side at the expense of the south side over the past few years. So I'm pleased to announce that the Millionaires' Playground can now boast a new museum and gallery to equal the Turnip Contemporary! Step forward The Micro Museum, which boasts a collection of computers, electronics and video games from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. What with that and our Pinball Museum, all we need now is a glass eye collection and the tourists will be flocking!

Haha, no, only kidding. Ramsgate is a great place to visit, and this will be the first Easter for a century during which the happy holidaymakers won't be deafened by knackered old jumbos dive-bombing their barnets.

Still, the powers-that-be have done their best to put the mockers on it all, what with giving us concrete piles and now a burst main poo-drain down on the port, near, appropriately enough, the fart farms. It's not the first, and almost certainly not the last time Southern Water has treated us to this shower of proverbial during the summer season. Crimminy!

Right! I'm off to stuff some carbs in ahead of the Planet Thanet Beer Festival, which kicks off tomorrow. It'll be the ninth year in a row that I've sampled the delights of 180 real ales, then suffered the torture of beer-a-rear for the following week. To be honest, it's not been the same since it moved from Thanet's premier town to Margate Winter Gardens after the first year, but with Wetherspoons now looking like the faves to revamp Ramsgate's Royal Pavilion who knows, next year we could be welcoming the beardy beer imbibers back - to the biggest pub in Britain! Pip pip!

Frankincensed?

Probably a bit too late to catch the spirit of the festive season with that headline. But then I've only got a couple of NEETs on minimum wage subbing this rubbish, so beggars can't be choosers.

Moving on... With the official launch of yet another Thanet bar this coming weekend, and now tours of the island's burgeoning micro pub scene being offered by 'Galvers', whose well-thumbed flyer I found in a local hostelry, you do begin to wonder whether our local tavern tycoon is feeling the pinch. (Galvers, by the way, seems to have left off the excellent Lifeboat in Margate, and The Chapel in Broadstairs for some reason.)

With the rise and rise of the Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival over the past decade, alongside a nationwide resurgence in real ale quaffing, it's no wonder DFLs and bright young locals are jumping on the beerwagon and opening up their own, intimate, boozy businesses to cash in.

Of course Mr T, one of Plane Jane's Picks of the Year in the Isle of Thanet Gazunder a couple of weeks ago, has moved with the times, and it's now possible to get a decent pint of e.g. Gadds' in at least some of his establishments. The khazis are usually spotless too. And the bar staff friendly and helpful. But my guess is he must be wondering whether his mid-market offering is in danger of being squeezed between the small, upmarket bars and the megaboozers run by ambitious national chains like Wetherspoons.

Anyhow, the latest addition to the scene is The Glass Jar on Margate's Marine Drive, run by none other than my old journalist chum, former yourfannitinnit hack Tom Betts. The official launch is this Saturday, with a late licence until 1am. Tom says: 'There will be a free glass of bubbly and the ever popular 'nibbles' laid on. Dress as smart as you can and bring your partner or a friend along (no morons though, yeah?)'.

Well, Tom's a very nice chap, and I wish him all the best with his venture.

And while I'm in a congratulatory mood, jolly well done to those Friends of Ramsgate Seafront types who spent the weekend tarting up the Royal Victoria Pavilion here in the Millionaires' Playground, along with volunteers from local schools, and some help from our teeny-tiny council.

It just shows what people power can do! Y'know, the more I think about it, the more I get the feeling that the bad old days (2007), when everything on our septic isle was carved up by an elite coterie of old-timer public and private individuals who effectively ran the island, dispensing brarn envelopes or 'advice' (usually delivered by a pair of sturdy, trench-coated individuals) at will, is rapidly coming to an end. Hurrah!

Beer Me Up Scotty

Here's something that should leave a pleasant taste in the mouth! What better way to celebrate the true meaning of Easter than getting bladdered on Trussock's Old Jockstrap and 199 other splendid beers, ciders and perries at the 5th annual Thanet GuzzleFest? Well, I can't think of think of a better way, even if you can.

It all kicks off over at the Mike and Bernie Winter Gardens in Margate at noon on Friday. Stretchers at 10.30pm. Then you can do it all over again on Saturday. Admission £3 (£2 Saturday). Look out this year for a special number from Ramsgate's very own Gaddfather of Ale!

I've been a guest of horror the past four years, and apart from a slight attack of beer-à-rear on day two in 2007, which I put down to the council catering, I've had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Hats off to the organisers of what is pretty much the Ile de Thanet's cultural event of the year!

Click here for Feshtival website hic

Beer Today, Beer Tomorrow!

Here's something that should leave a more pleasant taste in the mouth than that last item! What better way to celebrate the true meaning of Easter than getting bladdered on Trussock's Old Socks and 199 other splendid beers, ciders and perries at the annual Thanet GuzzleFest? Well, I can't think of think of a better way, even if you can.

It all kicks off over at the Mike and Bernie Winter Gardens in Margate at noon today. Stretchers at 10.30pm. Then you can do it all over again tomorrow. Admission £3 (£2 Saturday). I've been a guest of horror the past three years, and apart from a slight attack of beer-à-rear on day two in 2007, which I put down to the council catering, I've had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Hats off to the organisers of what is fast becoming the Ile de Thanet's cultural event of the year!

Click here for Feshtival website hic

Cider House Fools

Yikes! It seems Churchills pub here in the island's premier town will be the venue for an interesting social experiment this Saturday - a cider festival/comedy music gig! The guzzlefest is courtesy of those splendid chaps at Thanet CAMRA, who organise the wobbly knees-up at the Mike and Bernie Winter Gardens each Easter, while the gigglefest will be provided by Ramsgate's new purveyors of comedy and music, Tropical Robots.

Tropical Robots are promising 'an eccentric Birmingham 8 piece' called Misty's Big Adventure, featuring a 7 foot, rubber clad dancer called Erotic Volvo. Just the ticket after you've knocked back the 50 ciders and perries, and 'cider-related food' that'll be on offer!

Click here to go to Cider Festival website
Click here to go to Tropical Robots MySpace
Click here to go to Misty's Big Adventure MySpace

This article has been approved by the Politburo.

Beer Yesterday, Dire Rear Today

Urgh! This will have to be a quickie! I've got an important, erm, appointment to attend. Must have been those council chips I scoffed half way through the afternoon. I'm sure it's nothing to do with the ten pints of fine ale I quaffed.

Talk amongst yourselves for a bit. Must dash!

Beer Today, Beer Tomorrow

Hurrah! It's Easter! And what better way to celebrate the true meaning of Easter than getting bladdered on Nadger's Old Wobbly and 199 other splendid beers, ciders and perries at the annual Thanet GuzzleFest? Well, I can't think of think of a better way, even if you can.

It all kicks off over at the Mike and Bernie Winter Gardens in Margate at noon today. Stretchers at 10.30pm. Then you can do it all over again tomorrow. Admission £3 (£2 Saturday). I was a guest of honour last year, and apart from a slight attack of beer-à-rear on day two, which I put down to the council catering, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Hats off to the organisers of what is fast becoming the Ile's cultural event of the year!

Click here for Festival website

Curtains Up On Beer Bash

I've been asked by those lovely people at the Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival Blog to reinstate their link higher up my sidebar, as they're now, er, beering up for this year's glugathon. Only too happy to oblige.

The 2008 GuzzleFest will once again be held at Margate's Mike and Bernie Winter Gardens, on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of March, following a successful try out there last year. This will be the third festival, and I've attended all three, which makes me feel rather sad and washed up to be frank. Oh well, never mind, there really is no better way of celebrating Easter than getting crucified on Nadger's Old Wobbly!

(Photograph courtesy of Mr X)

Glued To The Blog

Urgh. Must have had an off pint at the Beer Festival yesterday. The world's just fallen out of my bottom. On second thoughts, though, it's more likely to be something to do with the Thanet District Council regulation hot dog I indulged in after the tenth pint.

Talking of which, that flying doctor chappie over in Westgate appears to have developed blogarrhea. Ten posts in less than two days, and some of them very loose indeed. There must be an election on or something.

Top Beer

I must say I'm getting very excited about the Planet Thanet Easter Beer Festival.

Beer o'clock is at noon tomorrow and Saturday, with stretchers at 10.30pm both days. Sadly the festival has relocated this year from the Millionaires' Playground to the Winter Gardens in Margate, so I'll be wearing my CelebProtect Kevlar stab vest to and from the venue just to be on the safe side.

The organisers are promising thousands of different beers and ciders, including a reconstruction by Ramsgate's very own Gaddfather of Ale of an ancient brew from Margate's now defunct Cobbs brewery, along with all the old favourites such as Nadgers Old Jockstrap and the rather fine Tossingtons 'Wibbly-Wobbly' India Pale Ale.

So - be there or be, er, sober!