'Local' Bookshop Goes Bust

Yep, Borders is no more. And, um, the closest outlet was in Lakeside Thurrock. But d'you see what I've done there? By judicious use of the inverted commas, nobody in their right mind is going to think I'm referring to our actual, local biblio-bloke's splendid tome emporium on King Street, right here in the throbbing heart of Ramsgate's bustling metropolis.

In fact I would imagine Michael is, as we speak, calling the administrators to arrange for three bargain pallet loads of surplus Maeve Binchys (or should that be 'Binchies'?) to be trucked down the M2 pronto! Good luck to yer, Michael!

Before They Were Famous 3

Before I lay the old noddle on the Cumfilux Hungarian goose down pillow, I suppose I have to put you out of your misery and reveal that my second famous Thanetian (see post below) was none other than Ramsgate's campaigning biblio-bloke Michael Child. Although most of you seem to have got there under your own steam. I expect it was the shirt that gave it away. Sweet dreams!

It's All Done In The Best Possible Taste!

Yes, folks, it's the photo they tried to censor! Ramsgate's legendary biblio-bloke Michael Child doing his impersonation of the late, great, lovely Kenny Everett's Cupid Stunt (or Mary Hinge as she was going to be called before the spoil-sport BBC suits intervened).

Michael was featured in last Friday's Isle of Thanet Gazunder, but for some strange reason they cropped the shot so that only his head appeared. Fortunately, being the good sport he is, he sent me the uncut version for the blog. So get down there to his excellent bookshop on trendy King Street (opposite the Pains of Waterpoo) and buy those tomes!

Do you have an embarrassing photograph of yourself? If so, why not email it to me at richardeastcliff@yahoo.co.uk so we can all have a laugh?

What's Black And White And Red All Over?

Why, Ramsgate's new, super-duper library, of course!

Pootling down to Waitrose earlier to stock up on Millionaire Shortbread for the weekend, I was accosted by a KCC representative canvassing my views on what colour the interior of the rebuilt bibliotheque should be. My first instinct was, of course, to opine that it should be reminiscent of the glorious red, gold and green interior of Pugin's Grange here in the Millionaires' Playground.

That suggestion was, however, greeted with what I took to be rather huffy disdain, and I was shuffled over to a board covered in photos of municipal (urgh!) libraries from around the county. I must say they all looked more like something Linda Barker might have designed for a children's ward after a bad night on acid, but I eventually settled on a not-too-tawdry puce-coloured scheme. Having pointedly asked if the library, which burnt down in 2004 and is due to re-open later this year, would contain a museum as before ('No'), and whether we would be consulted on which books would be stocked ('No, we've already bought them'), I turned to the thorny question of whether it would be mostly a 'One-Stop Benefits Shop' as has proved all the go in Margate. 'No, that hasn't exactly been a rip-roaring success,' came the rather sharp response.

Meanwhille I see that our local biblio-bloke, Michael Child, met with a lukewarm reception when he tried to take photos of the ongoing works the other day. You can see his report, and pictures, here.

Christmas Shopping In Ramsgate

Following last week's abortive attempt to get my Christmas shopping in Boredstares, today I thought I'd give the Millionaires' Playground a go.

The High Street was rammed, with the market in full swing. And I have to admit that the happy cries of 'Any bowl (of brussels sprouts) you bloody well fancy!' briefly drew my attention. However, not wishing to appear cheapskate by presenting my Aunt Mavis with a bag of vegetables or a disposable lighter for Christmas, I changed tack and popped into one of our twelve card shops. There I met with moderate success, finding a couple of reasonably tasteful Christmas cards, just along from the shelves sporting birthday greetings such as 'Happy 30th Grandma' and 'For The Best Stepmother's Boyfriend In The World'.

Bypassing the huge bones labelled 'Postman's Legs' (the perfect present for the rabid hound in your life) outside the pet shop, I popped into the seasonal 'Polar Village'. Here I felt slightly hoodwinked by the advertising, which had promised an ice skating rink. Hmmm. No ice, just that plastic stuff with a few poor souls wondering why their skates wouldn't budge. And not so much a rink as a patio.

So I ended up getting most of my pressies at our local biblio-bloke Michael Child's splendid secondhand bookshop on trendy King Street. A cup of tea and a browse. Now that's my idea of civilised shopping!

NB: photograph for illustrative purposes only

Biblio-news

Our local biblio-bloke Michael Child, who runs the splendid Michael's Bookshop on Ramsgate's trendy King Street, has emailed me to say that he's started his own biblio-blog. Check it out here.