Gone With The Wind?

A busy week on the news front, what with work getting underway at the Ramsgate tunnels in preparation for a June opening, people pissing on war memorials, £10 rail tickets from London to Margate (but not Ramsgate and Broadstairs), and now the news that The Duffers are finally giving the 'developers' of the Pleasurama Eyesore the old heave-ho!

Lord, that I should have lived long enough to see that!

But strangely no local media outlet appears to have given a damn about yesterday's announcement by London Array that they have cancelled the second stage of their Thames Estuary wind farm - because of concern over the potential impact on the red-throated diver. That's a bird, apparently. Which the cynical might say has provided a convenient excuse to scrap something London Array didn't want to do in the first place.

The news that a potential 56 further turbines will not now be added to the 175 already blighting sea views from Margate will probably be received as a blessing by NorthEnders, but here on the sunny south side there could be some wailing and gnashing of teeth, given that London Array are based in the Port of Ramsgate.

Which means despite all the recent positive spin by our beloved council about a great future for the port and harbour based on leisure craft, a £7m loan for a cargo quay, and the wind farm business, we're currently down 50+ turbines, as well as a cross-channel operator. And, er, can we have our 3.4m quid back?

Oh well. Never mind. Something's bound to come up. After all, tomorrow's another day!

More Building Shite

Well, this is rapidly turning into Property Week, isn't it?

A reader has pointed me in the direction of Stourbridge architects BBLB's website where you can see full details of the forthcoming London Array fart farm's control and maintenance building which they've designed for our lovely port here in the Ms' P. Click on the pic to read and see more.

The new building is apparently designed to BREEAM Excellent, whatever the fudge that is. Perhaps it's related to the monster bass!

East Of The Wantsum

Here's this week's EotW. As always, click it to big it.

After it went to print, London Array, the galaxy's biggest wind farm ever which is due to begin construction out of Ramsgate next year, announced that they were in fact prepared to scatter a few crumbs from their international table in the form of an open meeting for Thanet businesses next week. This will presumably be of interest to highly skilled workers such as taxi drivers, carpet fitters and double glazing installers. The meeting's next Wednesday 9 June at St Augustine's, Westgate.

London Array is, as you know, a mega consortium made up of Germans E.ON (Powergen in old money), Abu Dhabians Masdar and Danish giant DONG. I'm guessing your best bet for getting any work from them would be to turn up with a tea towel round your head, touting some bratwurst and a six pack of Carlsberg!

Click here for more details of next week's meeting

Full Steam Astern?

Tucked away in the Giant Panda of the Exchequer's Boneless Budget Box just now was the announcement that ports involved in the fart farm industry will be getting 60m smackers! Hurrah!

Perhaps some of it will come Port Ramsgate's way, what with Thanet Offshore Wind and London Array being based here. It could even help offset some of the local population's increasingly expensive cider and ciggie habits!

Meanwhile reader Ian writes:

I have been following the story of the launch of the new LD Lines service to Ostend on your excellent blog. [Aw! Me blushin' Ian!] But I have heard that there needs to be more dredging done in Ramsgate to accommodate the Ostend Spirit and that the lorry park is still closed because of the potholes (I have attached a photo). I also gather that the manager in charge [Brian White, Director of Regeneration and Planning Services, and pro-tem Harbour Master] is away on holiday. With only three days to go to the start of the service this does not bode very well.

Er, well Ian, our beloved council does have a track record of killing the golden goose. But I'm sure everyone is crossing everything and that it'll all turn out OK in the end.

Meanwhile P&O announced today that they'll be sailing to Zeebrugge out of Dover from April. So it looks like the Belgian connection is hotting up!

Noises Off

New reader Lynn writes:

I have recently moved 'out of town' to the quiet (or so I thought) realms of North Foreland, only to hear what I would describe as a sonic boom every half an hour. What on earth is it? Any ideas?

Yours, baffled!

Well Lynn, we've had reports on this blog before of pile driving for the Thanet Offshore Wind fart farm causing this sort of disturbance, so it may be that. Or it could be those army wallahs letting a few big ones off at their Shoeburyness testing range across the Thames Estuary. If any of you lovely readers have any other thoughts, do pass them on.

Meanwhile, still on the theme of annoying noises, reader Millicent writes:

Is it just me or does anyone else hear a constant hum in Ramsgate at night? I remember someone else mentioning it a few months ago. For weeks I do not hear anything then suddenly it is back with a vengeance. It is driving me to distraction this week - all I want is a good night's sleep. And no I don't think I have tinnitus as I don't hear it when I sleep in hotels and elsewhere.

Well, I can't say I've heard a hum Laura. Smelt one down at our lovely Royal Harbour where the duffers can't be arsed to clear the icky detritus from the water, yes. But heard one? Nope. Anyone else having the same problem?

Mystery Banging Was Wind Farm Work

Just a quick update on Monday night's mysterious banging. Turns out it was indeed nighttime construction work at the Thanet Offshore Array, where they're pile-driving 100 wind turbines into the sea bed off Margate.

The array's owners, Vattenfall, have apologised for any inconvenience to the isle's inhabitants and said that Monday's disturbance was caused by an unusual combination of weather which drove the sound inland. They say it's unlikely to happen again as they did five years of environmental studies before work began to minimise the impact on residents. However, they've promised to consult on what can be done to change the situation should it happen again.

Contrast that with Manston owners Infratil. They want to fly jumbos over us all night, every night. No environmental studies. No apologies. No nothing. Perhaps they could learn something about being good neighbours from Vattenfall. With that, I'll stop banging on!

Full exclusive story in yourfannitinnit
Sign the petition against night flights

Mysterious Banging

Reader Tom of Westgate writes:

Have you noticed a loud banging in the air lately? I was kept awake by it last night from about 11pm, when I first noticed it, to about 2.30am, when it seemed to stop. It was a distant thud, almost like a huge gun firing every two seconds. I tried to record it on camcorder and dictaphone but it didn’t register at all. When I first heard it it sounded like the steady beat of dance music but after a bit I noticed it hadn’t changed.

I opened the window and listened and it was like the very ground was shaking with each strike, shuddering like the T-Rex scene in Jurassic Park. I am totally perplexed. The only thing I could think it might be was the boats that are doing the wind farm, doing the foundations. It seemed to be emanating from the direction of the sea but then again, would they do all that late at night? Perhaps it’s just a phenomenon up on the north side of the isle.

Any ideas? It was driving me to distraction last night and I want to know if anyone else heard it. I asked my flatmates this morning but they looked at me like I was mad. They probably don’t have trouble sleeping like me.

Hmmm. A mysterious, regular nighttime banging that shakes the whole room. What on earth could it be? Over to you luvvly readers!

Dry And Windy

Just back from a druid meet at one of the local caves, and toddling along our trendy East Cliff I was struck by the amount of traffic going in and out of our splendid port here in the Millionaires' Playground. A veritable armada of specialist barges, tugs and lord knows what, much of which seems connected to the two offshore fart farms that will soon be blighting the sea views off Margate and Boredstares. No sign of those fast cats from Euroferries yet, though.

Whilst Ramsgate cements its environmental credentials as the Windy City, further along we appear to be suffering a drought:

Our Mediterranean style Madeira Falls have been dry for weeks now. The council sign appended to the railings explains:

Albion Gardens Waterfall Refurbishment - Thanet District Council apologises for any inconvenience during the cleaning and repairs to the waterfall. Following the cleaning of the silt and cutting back of vegetation, work is being undertaken to infill any cracks in the pulhamite rocks with specialist sands and material to match the original render provided in the 19th Century. This work required warmer weather and could not be carried out in the winter. It is hoped to have the works complete and the waterfall in operation at the start of June.

So now you know. No sign on the Festival of Britain fountain next to the luxury Granville Theatre and Cinem, though. That's also been dry for weeks. And this area:

where the council overturned a preservation order so they could grub out the trees and shrubs doesn't look as if it'll be replanted any time soon. As we know from recent events in Cliftonville, the Cecil Square duffers don't seem to rate flowers beds at the moment. Or are they just reluctant to spend any money in Ramsgate in the hope that the Town Council, when it's elected on 4 June, will have to pick up the tab?

Wind Farm Running Out Of Steam?

Once upon a time there were two wind farms growing up off the coast of our blustery island. One was an ickle baby wind farm called Thanet Offshore Wind. Thanet Offshore Wind had a single Swedish parent, Vattenfall, and lived happily ever after.

But there was also a strapping, teenage wind farm, and that one was called London 'Arry. 'Arry had two parents - German Ian and Anglo-Dutch Shell. But they got divorced. Then Ian discovered he was gay, and started seeing a Danish giant called Dong. But Ian became uncertain whether he was in fact gay, bisexual or merely bi-curious, so he introduced his middle eastern lady friend Masdar into the relationship.

Everything bumbled along quite happily for a bit. But then the money started running out, and they all had to go on benefits. Poor London 'Arry's growth was stunted, and the hundreds of jobs he had dreamed of generating for his home town of Ramsgate evaporated. The end.

Read poor London 'Arry's story in the Grauniad
London Arry's website

Crane Takes The Strain

I see there's a new addition to the port here in the Millionaires' Playground! Dominating the Ramsgate skyline is the Sea Jack, on hire to Thanet Offshore Wind who are building one of the fart farms off the coast of Chavvy Island.

The vessel will install the wind turbine foundations and then continue with the erection of the turbines themselves in the summer and autumn. According to my copy of Windtech International: 'Sea Jack was specifically built to service the growing offshore wind market. At over 90 metres long, 33 metres beam and with a powerful Manitowoc M1200 Ringer crane, the barge is an ideal platform for large scale offshore wind projects such as Thanet.' So now you know.

Anyone who thinks this mighty piece of Meccano blights the general loveliness of the Cannes of Kent can console themselves with the thought that it's only temporary, and that it's not our vistas of the briny that will be permanently blighted by the wind farm so ya boo sucks. Besides, I personally believe it could become something of a tourist attraction. Hopefully, if we get enough of these hoists parking in the port, we could have the makings of the world's first Crane-ium!

Fart farm website
Warning for Westcliffians: This crane could be a noisy bastard

Shit Sandwich

Before I toddle off and crack open my last magnum of Pétrus 1961, I thought it fair to warn you that if you're planning to go to Sandwich over the weekend, or indeed any weekend between now and November, my advice is don't bother.

Tucked away on page 39 of last week's Gazunder was this ad, detailing plans to spend the next 45 weekends or so digging up the A256.

It's all in a good cause, though. Well, they've got to get the juice from the fart farm into Richborough somehow!

Click on image to enlarge
Click here to go to Thanet Offshore Wind website

It's Another Ill Wind

A cunning plan to put the mockers on the view of the Turneresque sunsets from mARgaTe™'s embryonic Turnip Centre seems to have hit the doldrums. E.ON, one of three partners in the London Array, announced hundreds of job cuts this morning. The news comes only four days after E.ON's chief executive told the FT that the economics of the world's largest offshore fart farm are currently 'on a knife-edge'.

Better news though for the smaller Thanet Array, which is being masterminded from our lovely port here in the Millionaires' Playground. A salty seaman has emailed me to say:

The dredging that has (finally) started at Ramsgate is not so much to help the ferries from touching bottom (ooh madam) as to make some room so that the installation jack-up 'Sea Jack', her pontoon berth and the 'mono-pile' transport barges Osprey Carrier and E3501 can start work on the wind farm!! Honestly!!

Last week in Feb should see the first arrivals - dredging, crane trials, installation procedures, weather, Port Ramsgate, Nore Challenger, permitting.

Hurrah!

Click here to read E.ON interview in the FT

Fart Farm News

Reader Brian writes:

Richard, as you were the only local blogger to accurately report the suspension of the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm construction in October (natch), I thought you might be interested to know that it is now back online. The Swedish energy company Vattenfall, owners of the Kentish Flats Wind Farm off Whitstable have bought the project off CRC the previous owners for a reported £35m.

The employment opportunities for locals will be fairly restricted during the construction stage, as the wind farm construction industry is very specialised, however I can foresee employment opportunities on the marine side, operating the support craft. The Port of Ramsgate will of course benefit by being the base for the support of the marine operations, and where a new berth will be built. There is also an 'Operations and Maintenance' building, to be constructed within the Port of Ramsgate, which it is envisaged that local builders will be given an opportunity to tender for. Further opportunities for local employment will be available for the 'Operation and Maintenance' stage of the project, which has a projected lifespan of 40 years.

It is hoped that the offshore construction will commence in February 2009, and the completion date is now late 2010.

And with my plan to turn West Cliff Hall (the Motor Museum in old money) into an exciting environmental adventure centre, the future of Ramsgate as 'the windy city' seems assured. Hurrah!

Wind Farm In The Doldrums

I'm getting reports here in the big ECR newsroom suggesting that Thanet Offshore Wind, the company that's building the smaller of the two fart farms proposed in these parts, is putting everything on hold due to the credit crunch.

Just three weeks ago the Uranians trumpeted 'dozens of jobs' after TOW signed a lease on land and buildings in our lovely port here in the Millionaires' Playground. So far one job has been created. Now it seems the winds of change have blown a cold blast over the project's backers and frozen their assets!

Click here to read last month's story in Thanet Extra

Update: One bit of good news, though. I see Thanet Earth is recruiting! Click here to go to their website.

Giant Dong Pumps Up Wind Farm

Danish energy giant DONG has saved Port Ramsgate's bacon following Shell's recent withdrawal from the proposed £1.5bn fart farm off the Thanet coast, according to Kent Online. The firm has become 50/50 partners with German outfit E.ON after buying Shell's stake for an undisclosed sum. Construction work for almost 300 turbines is due to take place in our lovely, lovely port here in the Millionaires' Playground over the next three years.

Not very interesting really, but well worth it for the headline!

Click here to read full story in Kent Online

Disarray Hits Wind Array

Bloody Shell! The Anglo-Dutch oil giant has announced it's jacking in its commitment to the proposed London Array offshore fart farm, which was going to be nailed together at our lovely port here in the Millionaires' Playground. That just leaves the Ethel Mermans (Germans) in the shape of E.ON to get on with building the world's biggest offshore wind site, so the future's not so rosy. Or should that be green?

Meanwhile in other suity news, Margate-based Hornby has bought model car maker Corgi to add to its purchase of Airfix last year, another neat fit with its existing Scalextric and Hornby Trains brands. Phew! At this rate they'll be asking me to edit the Pink 'Un!

Click here to read Shell story on BBC website
Click here to read Hornby story on BBC website

Dish Of The Day

With high winds buffeting the Millionaire's Playground again this morning, it looks like another great day for raising the roof, or popping out with your camera and snapping a few aerial photos!

Speaking of which I'm indebted to Mary, who describes herself as a 'fan' (Ooh! spare my blushes!), for the photo of this, er, dishy collection. Mary writes:

My dear Graham went home to visit his parents over the holiday. To avoid becoming house-bound, avoid parent overload, and generally do his body good, he walked your beloved Ile de Thanet, putting in about 5 miles each of the seven days he was home. He also made a photo journal of his travels. One of the sights that he noticed and found a need to document was the appearance of and proliferation of these pieces of (somewhat) necessary evil. The beautiful old architecture surely would benefit from a ban on these eyesores, but I wonder what new technology would be capable of invisibly replacing the necessity of the hardware? When that happens, I wish your council God-speed in passing a ban on them.

I couldn't agree more Mary!

Straw Pole

Blustering Beauforts! If anyone doubted there was enough wind in these parts to power the world's largest offshore fart farm, they should have tried walking along the East Cliff this morning! It had caused a bit of damage, too. I snapped this particular aerial stunt in one of those grubby back streets on my way into town.

If you recall, I had a moan about the widespread proliferation of these Jodrell Bank sized receivers back in April 2006, when I suggested that they were a health and safety requirement to accommodate the portliness of our local seagulls. Other theories have surfaced subsequently, such as the imminent hijacking of our digital TV services by our close neighbours the French. And in an unusual display of consideration for our splendid architecture, our beloved local council have even considered banning them.

If you ask me, when the occasional strong blast is causing them to blow off like this, I'd ban them not just on grounds of being unsightly, but of being potential death traps too. Blimey, if one of those bashed you on the bonce you'd be brown bread before you could babble 'Barrymore'!

Port Whine

Ramsgate's Royal Harbour and Port are, of course, the jewel in the Ile de Thanet's, if not the entire country's, crown. So naturally I ramped my Oticon Delta up to 11 when I overheard a couple of matelots discussing the future of these fine facilities on my morning saunter along the harbour wall, dressed inconspicuously in my customary attire of captain's cap and brass-buttoned navy blue blazer. Here's how it went:

Matelot A: So the council want to hive off the port eh?
Matelot B: Yeah, they need to raise £10m for this new quay the wind farm people want.
Matelot A: But wouldn't that mean there'd be no room for another ro-ro operator?
Matelot B: Yeah but the rumour is TransEuropa are up for sale anyway, so who knows how much longer they'll be here? And Sheerness have made a play for the wind farm people, who are pissed off about the state of the dredging, so what would that leave us with?
Matelot A: Fancy nipping into the pub for a drink?
Matelot B: No thanks, I'm driving.

Crikey! Now of course this may have all been briny tittle-tattle, but you have to admit that our beloved council's track record of running its assets into the ground speaks for itself. So borrowing ten million sovs to build an asset that might never be used in the first place seems to be bordering on the reckless.

Still, if the silt isn't dredged out of the harbour soon, the last thing they'll be accused of is being wreckless!

Wind Up

Blimey! What an appropriately gusty day for the government to give the go-ahead for another 7,000,000 offshore fart farms. Mind you, it'll give my campaign to promote Ramsgate as The Windy City a boost. And add weight to my plans to convert our crumbling West Cliff Hall into a world class research centre for wind.

As some older Ramsgatonians may know, we're no strangers to wind here in the Millionaires' Playground. And to prove the point, Samantha has sent me another of her splendid clips. This illuminated windmill apparently used to stand somewhere on Ramsgate's West Cliff: