Showing posts with label Victorian bathing costumes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Victorian bathing costumes. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Back To The Future?

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed a recent trend towards blasting on the past when it comes to the future of the Millionaires' Playground?

For example, the excellent Ramsgate Music Hall has recently opened. Its Victorian branding and moniker resonate more of unicycling Basset Hounds and plate spinning contortionists than the groovy sounds that are actually emanating from the place.

Then there's Albion House, rapidly being transformed into a boutique hotel which will very much draw from the heritage of the place. I hear rumour that there'll even be a King and Country Bar!

And now we have the imminent arrival of The Empire Room, a splendid looking restaurant addition to The Royal Harbour Hotel, over on the west side of town. Click on the pic above to visit their website.

I dunno. I guess with all the magnificent Victorian architecture around Ramsgate, and perhaps with a little sprinkling of the WW1 Centenary this year, nostalgia is rapidly getting back to what it used to be! Which is why, once the previous bodgers have been swept away from the Pleasurama Eyesore next month, I'll be putting in my bid to build a Barnum and Bailey style freak show on the site. After all, there's certainly no shortage of exhibits in these parts - bearded ladies, man-monkeys, cigar-smoking five year olds, skeleton women, elephant women, women who bang six inch nails into wood with their foreheads.... the possibilities are endless. Who knows, with my plan for a tattooed chav enclosure, I might even get public funding!

Sunday, December 09, 2007

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Hereson!

In a mad moment yesterday afternoon I decided I'd forgo the delights of Westwood Chaos (too many autograph hunters) and get all my Christmas shopping in Boredstares. But after an hour of perusing Victorian bathing costumes and hand-crafted Bulgarian tarambukas, enough was enough.

I was trundling back to the Millionaires' Playground in the old Toyota Priapus when a hideous grinding noise began emanating from the vehicle's nether regions. Fearing it was about to burst into flames, or fry the Eastcliff jacksie with 20,000 volts, or both (you never know with these hybrid things), I pulled into that Murco garage on Hereson Road.

'Better call the AA,' I thought. And sure enough, in less time than it takes to say 'pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis' the chap had arrived. Much scratching of the bonce ensued. 'I've never worked on one of these,' he finally sighed. 'Where's the gearbox?'.

Now call me old-fashioned, but I thought I was paying my sub for him to know that! I AAsk you!

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Spa A Thought

The results of my latest 7 day poll are in, and there's a pretty conclusive majority of you who'd like to see our crumbling West Cliff Hall transformed into a Victorian themed health spa. Here are the results:

Question: What would be the best use for Ramsgate's West Cliff Hall (formerly the Motor Museum)?

Victorian Health Spa: 45% (25 votes)
Community Centre: 34% (19 votes)
Wind Farm Visitor Centre: 10% (6 votes)
Building Material: 10% (6 votes)
Fish Restaurant: 7% (4 votes)
Luxury Flats: 1% (1 vote)

If you recall, the Victorian health spa is the brainchild of one of my readers, Sarah Benfield, who says she put a detailed business proposal before Thanet Council in September and has heard nothing since. Rumour is that the council would prefer a fish restaurant run by one of our local hostelry millionaires, or the ubiquitous luxury apartments.

Sarah writes: As of yet still no news from anyone.....will try one last round of letters and then step it up... I wont wait for ever.

Well Sarah, good luck with the project, and if you need a celebrity to cut the ribbon you know where to come. Just in case, I've taken the precaution of picking myself out a rather fetching little number:

See you at the spa!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Up On The Roof

Haha. No, really, it's only temporary this move to Boredstares. I'm staying at a rather nice guest house on the front while Dave the Roofer replaces some of the tiles that our 400 tonne aluminium friend has been blowing off.

I've just popped back to monitor progress, and as you can see he's getting on pretty well. By the way, the device to the left of the chimney is what he uses to treat the East Cliff to the sophisticated sounds of KMFM. With his own vocal accompaniment of course. As I was leaving, he'd just launched into the chorus of Karma Chameleon.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Beach Blankets Broadstairs

Talk about the blinking tail wagging the dog. Mr Ceaucescu (no relation) now tells me he's so busy with ECR TV, in between what he terms 'masticating' the new Villeroy and Boch chinaware here at the old CTM, that's he's now got me running errands for him.

So yesterday afternoon I found myself in Doyles Psychic Emporium over in Boredstares High Street looking for a set of healing crystals. Afterwards I decided to take a wander down to the Dickensians' teeny-tiny harbour for a lungful of invigorating ozone.

Imagine my surprise to discover their wibbly-wobbly jetty virtually knee deep in sand! Oh well, it's probably for the best. There are only a couple of old tubs bobbing up and down in the 'harbour', so converting it into an extension of the beach will be no loss. Plus it'll give them even more scope to romp around in Victorian bathing costumes!