Broadstairs Woman Finds Whelk

A Broadstairs woman has spoken of her shock and surprise at finding a whelk.

Builder's wife Jody Dobson, 29, described the moment she was walking along the beach at Dumpton Gap and discovered what she thought was a Belgian chocolate. 'My mum buys me these Belgian chocolates for Christmas and I just thought it was one of them. But when I picked it up it was all hard like, and seemed more like a snail.'

Jody took the whelk home to show to her children - Chantelle, 5, and Reece, 7. She added: 'I never knew there was a beach at Dumpton Gap before, let alone these things on it. When my husband Craig came home he told me it was a whelk and not to be so daft. I felt like a right moron!'

Whelks are common along the Thanet coast, according to marine biologist Professor Paul Murray. 'They are distantly related to snails but actually belong to the Buccinidae family,' said Prof Murray. 'Whilst many are edible, they certainly do not taste like chocolate.'

Sadly the story has an unhappy ending, as Jody explains: 'Once I knew what it was, I kept it in a bucket of tap water, but it went all still and died not long after.'

Whelkome News

As if to prove that Ramsgate isn't being completely left behind in the culture stakes, I see we now have a whelk stall to rival Mannings on Margate Pier, promising to sell all sorts of seafood and fresh fish seven days a week.

It's run by the ubiquitous Cannons, who've been boat and fisher folk here since before the Vikings invaded. They've just been given their licence by TDC, so yesterday was their first day. And already they're becoming a bit tired of people shouting: 'Have yer got any crabs on yer, cock?'