Sitting here in the serenity of my Broadstairs guest house, it's hard not to forget that I'm just that little bit closer to Margate than I would be ordinarily.So what news of the place? Well, the Margate Town Renewal Community Partnership Alliance, or whatever they're called this week, are asking for design ideas for a feature that will signpost what they describe as the town's 'architectural gem', according to the BBC website.
What be that then? The listed Dreamland Cinema? No, that's closing. The Lido then? No, that's being converted into flats. The Sea Bathing Hospital? Nope. Ditto. So what do they mean? Well, here's the griff:
We know there's a great deal going on in Margate's creative industries at the moment. They're at the heart of the town's regeneration and are helping to change the face of the Old Town beyond recognition from a few years ago, when it was falling into dereliction. We are aiming to take that regeneration forward and we want artists and designers involved in that process. Margate's cultural regeneration into a "dynamic, thriving and successful town" also includes a new Turner Contemporary gallery and ongoing redevelopment plans for the Dreamland site it says here.
Hmmm. You know, maybe it's time to resurrect my plan from over a year ago to install a giant arse on Margate front. You never know, there'd probably be a hatful of grants, and I couldn't think of a more fitting tribute to the place. After all, if you're going to die on your arse, you might as well make it a big one!
