Top Place Has Its Chips

Well, as they say on Football Focus, there's confirmation. One of Ramsgate's top nosheries has closed its doors for good.

Reader Steve has just sent me this snap of the front door of Eddie Gilbert's in King Street. The sign says:

Dear Customers,

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that, after more than 5 years serving the Ramsgate community, Eddie Gilbert's has now ceased trading.

We thank you for your custom.

What a shame. I had heard rumours that, since the tragic and untimely death of its owner Johnny a year or so ago, things had been tricky. Or perhaps it's just the current, crappy economy that did for them. What with the ferries gorn too, it's been a bad week for the Millionaires' Playground. Or, to put it another way, maybe some of the millions being spent on regenerating Margate should now be diverted to the sunny south of the island!

Bugger. You know what this also means? Bloody KFC for tea! Grrrrr!

Eddie The Fish

Being as I don't get out much at the moment, I'm having to rely on one of my informants for the fact that the excellent Eddie Gilbert, who, bizarrely, is actually called Johnny (and not to be confused with Eddie the Beer, who really is called Eddie) has now opened a restaurant and fish 'n' chip takeaway at his stylish King Street premises here in the Ms' P. Yet more proof that the town is on the up! Yay! I'll have to borrow Betty my neighbour's Davros undercarriage later and go check it out.

I'm hoping his nosh will be as good as, if not better than, the superb Newington Fish Bar as it'll only mean a toddle for my Friday supper, rather than a trip out in the jalopy. Pete's Fish Factory next to the Belgian Bar is pretty good too, although I'm not a fan of the traditional, surly British service they dish up with their traditional, yummy British fish 'n' chips.

Of course, the one thing a chippie usually needs is a punny name. We have the Codfather here in Ramsgate, which is a fair effort. But my favourite has to be the one I clocked a few years ago next to Sizewell nuclear power station in Suffolk - Fission Chips! Needless to say, their mushy peas glowed in the dark.

Storm And A Tea-Pot

I see veteran weather chap Michael Fish is in the news today, it being the anniversary of The Great Storm of 1987.

I was only nine at the time and living at home, unloved, with Mummy and Daddy. Our modest house was called Dun Researchin' (Eastcliff Senior's little joke), and the only damage we suffered was the minor loss of a couple of the letters of our house name. My how we used to laugh every time we recalled the night Dad's Rs blew off.

Mr Fish, who occasionally stands in for the rather manic Kaddy Tea-Pot on our local BBC news, now denies being a hurricane denier. And he's ditched those trademark sweaters he used to wear. Or perhaps they blew off the line.

Michael Fish on BBC website

The Voice Of Doom

Bev, my agent, called to say I've been booked for a gig! Apparently one of those disaster committees need to update their emergency messages, you know, 'Remain calm', 'Everything is under control', 'Please drown quietly', that sort of thing, and they picked the old Eastcliff larynx for its 'reassuring quality'!

Not my usual cup of Earl Grey, I admit. I'd like to sneak in a few bon mots, I'm sure I'll be able to persuade them that a spot of humour in adversity is the British way!

Fish Tale

As I'm sure you've noticed, Margate has recently disappeared from the BBC's weather maps on digital text. But the good news is that, with veteran weather chap Michael Fish standing in for Kaddy Tea-Pot on our local news this week, Ramsgate's been on the telly every single night!

Usually the place names are rotated nightly to avoid letters from 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' complaining that they didn't get a guernsey. Perhaps a strong and unexpected gust of wind blew Fishy's notes on how to change the graphics off his desk.