Bush Tucker Trial

While you lot freeze your knackers and/or clackers off, I'm suffering in my jocks in 40+! I've moved up country to Jimmy Wicket's holiday home (he's taken a bit of a shine to me), where I'm undergoing ordeal by barbie and esky, which involves being force fed juicy steak, yummy prawns and slabs of ice cool stubbies. At this rate, I'm very tempted to take up Jimmy's offer of becoming his stooge and making Oz my permanent place of abode.

Mind you, the heat brings its own risks. The whole state is dry as a nun's nasty, and everywhere is on bushfire alert. When you consider that almost 200 people lost their lives due to bushfires in this area a year ago, it puts a few Poms whingeing about a bit of snow, some disrupted trains and a lack of grit into perspective, doesn't it?

I'll leave you with that thought, and to show I'm not totally out of touch with the latest happenings in the Cannes of Kent, here's a couple of shots a reader sent me of how the Pleasurama/Royal Sands/Titanic development is coming along!

Granville Court Fire

Tooling down to the Costcutter for this week's Gra*ia earlier, the old Eastcliff eardrums were practically burst by the most deafening din. Several ambulances, fire engines and police cars were converging on Granville Court, here on Ramsgate's trendy East Cliff.

According to the locals, smoke had been spotted billowing out of one of the windows and apparently somebody had accidentally set themselves alight. Victoria Parade was blocked off, and last time I looked still was, although there was no sign of continuing conflagration. Luckily I had the trusty Leica with me:

Typical! You don't see a single member of Her Majesty's Testicle Scratchers in these parts all year, then four come along at once!

Update: Tragically it seems as if this fire resulted in a fatality. Thanet Extra is reporting that a 94 year old woman on the fifth floor died from burns after apparently trying to put out a toaster fire. Click here for full story.

Slated

A while back I reported on the slateless state of the Granville Court roof here on Ramsgate's swinging East Cliff. Well, er, as you can see they've now replaced them. And, um, the privet hedge along Victoria Parade has been trimmed by the council. Oh yes, the life of a millionaire celebrity is endlessly fascinating, you know!

Thanet Loopy

Remember my trip on the buses a couple of months ago? Reader Jane has written in to report a similar experience:

The other night I heard a commotion outside the house. When I looked out of my bedroom window, yet another Thanet Loop bus had got itself stuck up the back streets behind Victoria Parade. The problem seems to be temporary drivers seconded from other areas, who, not knowing Ramsgate, turn prematurely before Victoria Road. The sign on Victoria Parade is slightly misleading and if you didn't know the area you might think it points up D'Este Road.

I had plenty of time to get my camera, so appropriately enough I turned the photos into this loop. Now I know how my car got mysteriously damaged a few months ago!

Well Jane, I'm not sure if we can put all criminal damage in the area down to the Thanet Loop, but clearer signs might be a good idea. Turn very tight, please!

Bussed Up

When you're a celebrity, like me, you don't take public transport. The hoards of fans and autograph hunters are just too much to bear. I have noticed, however, that we're pretty well served for public transport here on the Ile de Thanet, and have often wondered what it would be like to travel on the Thanet Loop. Well last night I got my chance.

Meandering along the grimy back streets behind our beautiful East Cliff in search of a late night bottle of Chardonnay, I came across a single decker bus attempting to negotiate the junction of D'Este Road and Truro Road. I wasn't aware that this was a normal route for this service, and it soon transpired that the driver wasn't aware of the normal route either. He had become wedged between the cars parked on all sides of this narrow junction, and was stuck.

Quick as a flash he leapt out of his bus and beckoned me over. 'I was on my way back to the depot and took the wrong turn, Can you help? You'll have to get up the back and give me directions.' As the vehicle was empty, I was happy to oblige. Which was how I got a free ride, in reverse, all the way to Victoria Parade, a distance of at least 50 yards.

Well, as they say on their buses, you'd be loopy not to, wouldn't you?

Update: As some of you have pointed out, the entire episode was rather reminiscent of this:

Pile-Up On Victoria Parade

Another scoop for ECR! Regular reader Samantha has just emailed me these photos. She writes:

The East Cliff in Ramsgate came to a stand still this morning following a collision between two cars at the junction of Victoria Parade and Victoria Road. I had my small digital camera on me and took these photographs. An officious little man in an NHS hi-vis came up to me and told me it was 'illegal' to take photos, quoting 'patient confidentiality'. I told him I was perfectly within my rights as I was standing on the public footpath, at which point he got onto his mobile saying 'I'm going to have to call my controller'.

Sounds like utter tosh to me, Samantha. So, here are the pictures they tried to ban!



On a serious note, you have to wonder whether our local caff-crushing, car-crushing councillor Dave Green's new safety bollards are working along this stretch of road. Cars still have to edge out of the side roads onto Victoria Parade before they can see what's coming. I'd hesitate to suggest traffic lights at this junction, though, as that would just turn all the side streets into rat runs.