Jazz Festival Goes West

Cripes! Those rotters over on the West Cliff have nicked our jazz festival! The swinging sensation has been held at our very own super-duper, out of this world East Cliff bandstand here in the Millionaires' Playground for the past two years. This year, though, it'll be held in Spencer Square, which as we all know is a den of iniquity inhabited only by a few seedy barrister, journo and City slicker types. Kuh!

Mind you, I must say that, given the icy force 10 blasts that blow across our once-crumbling cliff here in the east, the most appropriate kind of wind instrument is not so much a clarinet as an anemometer. And considering that the biggest part of last year's audience was probably one man and his poodle 70 miles away in Belgium, you can't really blame them, can you?

Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again

On second thoughts that may not be the most propitious of headlines.

My thanks to Sister Assumpta for keeping the big chair warm and, er, unsettlingly moist for the past week. I can thoroughly recommend Georgia for a break. The people are amazingly hospitable and the grub and glug are as cheap as chips. Although as the aforementioned grub and glug consists primarily of aubergine and fruity red wine, I practically propelled myself unaided the 2000 miles back to Heathrow.

Anyway, thanks to the prevailing wind I see I'm back just in time for the Wantsum Jazz Festival at our super-duperised, out-of-this-world East Cliff bandstand!

Do You Wantsum More Jazz?

A couple of clips on BoobTube of last weekend's Wantsum Jazz Festival at our very own super-duper, out of this world East Cliff bandstand. The first is from our local biblio-bloke, Michael Child, the second from someone revelling in the appellation The Fat Baker. Groove!

Hangover

Yurgh! I'm feeling a trifle delicate this morning. I blame a certain local brewer. Well, no, that's not fair really. After all, he wasn't the idiot who poured eight pints down the old Eastcliff gullet. No, that was me.

Thanks to everyone involved in putting on such a splendid bash at the bandstand yesterday. And apologies to everyone I bored with my latest gut-busting joke about the trainee psychic who packed it in because he couldn't see a future in it. Somehow it doesn't seem quite as amusing this morning.

Do You Wantsum Jazz?

With the weather set fair for the Bank Holiday, the BBC is reporting that seaside resorts are top of the list for a weekend getaway. It was certainly rammed in Waitrose earlier, with both local and DFL millionaires practically garotting each other to get at the last of the free range, organic pork bangers.

So it should be a good turn-out for the Wantsum Jazz Festival on Sunday, here at our very own super-duper, out of this world East Cliff bandstand. Acts include Omar, the John Altman Quartet, the Electric 'Arkestra' Experience, and the Harbour Jazz Orchestra.

It all kicks off at 2pm, so be there or be square, man! And don't forget the wild Alaskan smoked salmon!

Update: If you don't fancy BYO, there'll be a food stall and, of course, the Gaddfather of Ale's beer tent (yippee!).

Exodus Genesis

With all the excitement over the Ramsgate Powerboat Weekend, I clean forgot to mention a couple of things happening on the north side.

The Margate Jazz Festival starts tonight, and goes on (and on) until the 22nd of July. And tomorrow sees the premiere of Exodus at the Dreamland cinema. The film, which was shot in Margate, features an enormous statue, constructed from old tut by internationally renowned sculptor Antony Gormley, burning to the ground.

Ticket holders only, I'm afraid to say, but no doubt if you're that keen to see something burn to the ground in Margate you won't be disappointed if you just hang around on the high street for a couple of hours.