You know me, I like a good moan. But the weather's been so clement recently that I've been mainly whipping out my old throbber and thrashing it about a bit!
That said, I have been taking the odd snap on the way, so perhaps there's something to complain about on my camera roll...
Here's the crane taking the strain at that new development down on Ramsgate front. You know, what's it called, Watery Voles I think. Anyhow, they seem to be progressing at a pace. Much faster than that lot at the Pleasurama site ever did!
In fact there's building work going on all over the Millionaires' Playground, with developers finding no end of things to convert into luxury apartments. Hurrah! Of course, to feed the building boom you need the raw materials, which is probably why the mountains of hard core and gravel at the Bretts depot down at the port is growing like topsy...
Off to soggy Sandwich after that, and - Holy Noahs! Just like Russell Crowe, they seem to be building an Ark...
Not surprising after the recent inundations down there. Actually it's a £22m flood defence scheme, which means the Quay car park will be mostly hors de combat until some time in 2015.
Whistable next, and I was glad I'd donned my Rolex Oyster (Whitstable Edition) for the annual Toy Run hog-out...
Then later that day, back in Ramsgate, I happened to be trundling past The Goose (The Sovereign in, er, old money) on Harbour Street, which has been tarted up by the new owners...
Let's hope they've paid particular attention to the nasty khazis in there, otherwise their golden egg may end up cooked!
So, um, not a lot to whinge about really. Oh, apart from my brief flirtation with the eastern tip of the island, where I encountered this monstrosity...
A house covered in some kind of puke-inducing pink cladding! It's the architectural equivalent of a spray tan, and, of course can only be in Broadstairs, which generally requires four inches of bronzer and a pair of gold-plated hair straighteners to look even vaguely presentable. No wonder it's known around these parts as 'Boredstares'! Huh!
85 comments:
ECR,
Let me know where you live and I'll come round and give you an opinion on your house.
I think you will find that it is in the best possible taste. It's certainly not pink!
Your description of Broadstairs could equally be applied to some of its elected representatives. With them in mind, I see Little Willy Epps, Tory Town Councillor extraordinaire, is mouthing off over on his safe haven -Thanet Life - about all the problems in the town being down to the political left-wing.
Apart from the fact that he is hardly a friend or ally of the truth or the accurate, I wonder on what he bases his latest UKIP-style rant? Perhaps it is simply that the Daily Mail has finally become permanently embedded up his a***e and he can't stop repeating their rather ludicrous material.
ECR,
If not pink then what colour - envy green perhaps?
More like rage puce, if you must know.
The Beach Resort is a monstrosity and probably dangerous with the Arches behind it. Who gave planning permission for that. Mr 601 Ryl van is doing his best to ruin ramsgate by parking on the prom again. £10 to tip his van onto its roof!
1:47, at least I was mouthing off under my own name. Shame you don't seem to have the guts to try it.
Quite right William. Playing the man not the ball. ECR will spot it in due course and enjoy every second of moderator moaning about it.
Excellent viewing for you William
Your critic apparently sees no irony that it was Daily Mail who championed Doreen Lawrence pursuit of justice and apparently did not hold her SWP association against her one little bit ?
Little Willy Epps is quite extraordinary: how can the Commies be to blame for everything at TDC and BTC when they've been Tory for most of the past decade? And KCC has always been Tory?
Ezekiel wasn't a Commie and neither was Latchford and look at the mess they made.
ECR,
Yes, I must know. I imagined more a snidy yellow.
Anon 3:49,
Who do we contact to collect the £10?
1:47 & 4:32, my comments over on Thanet Life were about Clive Hart's Labour administration putting Pierremont Hall, the long standing home of the Broadstairs Council, on the asset disposal list. I also commented how one of the first acts of Hart's team, on gaining power, was to scupper the plans for the Broadstairs Community Centre when it was just coming into fruition after eleven years of planning and consultation.
These were direct attacks on Broadstairs by a Labour council, but if you know otherwise, why not tell us about it.
Nowhere have I mentioned Commies and, by the same token, I have no time for UKIP or any right wing extremist party.
The otherwise, Willy, would be Tory Chris Wells championing the Community Centre despite widespread public opposition. (You sound as though you're still in favour of it?). 11 years of planning for a community centre says it all - and paying interest on a loan that hasn't been used. Thanet Labour are incompetent -look at Pleasurama or Manston or EKO or Port - but marginally better than Thanet Torys and luckily they saw sense to scrap the centre.
Your tone is one of Commies and UKIP being better than Cameron's Tories etc. But apparently not you say now.
Now you see, Little Willy Epps, again you're having trouble with the truth, aren't you? Shades of your repeated denials of being a blogging gossip over John Worrow - despite the evidence being set out before you. This time, you started out on Thanet Life with the general swipe:
"What is going on in Thanet is all too often driven by left wing political expediency."
You went on to criticise Labour over night flights and only THEN did you touch on the specific issues in Broadstairs.
You really must be more accurate and stop trying to hoodwink people.
And while you're at it:
1) examine the historic flip-flop behaviour of Lady Rogered Break-Wind over night flights before you wave your little finger at Hart's crew;
2) deal with the issues, rather than falling back on the age-old defence of "anonymity, they've all got anonymity".
William Epps on Thanet Life:
What is going on in Thanet is all too often driven by left wing political expediency. As we saw when Thanet Labour leapt from 'Night Flight Hysteria' comments by one of its older and revered members to 'No to Night Flights' because there were votes to be gained in Ramsgate. The good of the isle overall is secondary to short term polling success.
One also has to wonder if Pierremont Hall, the long time home of the Broadstairs & St Peters Town Council, would be on the present TDC Administration's asset disposal list if that little town had a Labour council. Answer is probably the same as for the spiteful scuppering of the Broadstairs Community Centre project, about to come to fruition after eleven long years of planning and consultation, when Hart's group took power, rather than won a ballot box decision.
Such a beautiful place totally soured by politics and left of centre spite. Does political posturing ever do anything for the people in local government. Sadly, I think no
Oh I get it now, 5:15pm! You're making some kind of hilarious house colour character comparison. Haha! That is, y'know, flippin' zany. Tell, me, how do you come up with your material? You're a comic genius!
Oh, oh, my go.... er....
What colour house do you live in then, mate? Turd brown?
Hehe! Awesome!
There was a small but vociferous group opposing the Broadstairs Community Centre. Many other groups wanted to use such a facility as the old Park Hall and Age Concern buildings were beyond economic repair.
In the May 2011 election, through the Isle of Thanet Gazette, the protest group published the names of candidates, who also opposed the centre, and called on people to vote for them. The result, however, was that the good people of Broadstairs elected thirteen out of fifteen councillors who supported the community centre. Where was your widespread opposition.
I thought nobody wanted the Community Centre including many of the Tory councillors. So much so that it's been cancelled as a waste of funds - or are the 13 out of 15 councillors you mention still developing it after 11 years? And if you're now blaming a protest group then they're not Labour TDC are they? Tell us about the interest paid so far if you know so much about it?
Anon 5:17 I run one of the kiosks so tell us your name then stop by for your £10 when you've tipped the RYL van over. That idiot is ruining my business with his illegal parking pranks.
The Gazette says about £90k interest so far (the annual running cost of BTC itself?) on the £500k loan after c.3years. The full interest after 25 years would be £400k. A bargain.
What's happening with Pleasurama?
What's happened with Epps? He was doing so well with his "Tory Good. Labour Bad" rants.
The end of Manston:
http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/newmarket_holidays_pulls_charter_flights_out_of_manston_1_3556638
What a shame that, when the tables are turned on them by a shining wit such as myself, some people just can't seem to hack it, and resort to personal abuse.
I often find that my Wildean repartee thwarts the knuckle-dragging brigade, and it is therefore in the spirit of such witty banter that I say to the above commentator: 'Sod off back to your turdy shithole, cheesedick.' Ahthankyoo.
I say again 10:06 ..
Manston will NOT close ;-)
9:23 PM, nothing has happened to me for I am still here, but your comments are so ill informed that they do not merit response. Yet again, as always with you, there is the return to insults and silly names making any case you may have invalid.
By the way, the comment above was mine.
I am a Londoner who visits Thanet regularly and I must say that "Boredstares" is spot on. It is a prime example of "the emperors new clothes". It is far from quaint, there are no decent restaurants, there are no decent shops, no decent attractions, the main beach is disgusting in the height of Summer, the locals are stuck in some kind of Thatcher Essex man time warp, the place is over run with drunks every Friday and Saturday night and yet everyone compares it to St Ives. St Ives it most definitely is not.
Anon 9:53 you may be many things but you are not, as you claim, a Londoner who visits Thanet regularly. In truth you live here and are a regular commentator on local blogs.
On the contrary that was the first time I have commented on a Thanet blog for the very reason that people like yourself always chime in with some comment about the commentator rather than the actual point under discussion. If you want to debate the notion that Broadstairs is not all it is cracked up to be then I am prepared to debate it with you, otherwise I have better things to do than engage with time wasters.
10:43, you are none other than that boring fat bloke who lives down South Eastern Road off his wife's labours. A Broadstairs councillor posts a comment and so you immediately kick off with snide remarks about the town. Whatever problems Broadstairs may have, at least it has not got you.
9:53, if Broadstairs is as bad as you say, why do you regularly visit?
I visit Thanet regularly but rarely Broadstairs. I much prefer Margate or Ramsgate. I will not be visiting here again either as the comments have more than adequately demonstrated the pusillanimous mindset of Broadstairs folk.
11:49 what a hoot you are. The only visiting you do is to a bench on Ramsgate sea front where you pretend to do the crossword in the paper. Please don't give up on the humour even if you do not intend to be funny.
I spy an Epps/Mallinson/Holyer/Hamilton/Checksfield nexus here! The usual suspects, attempting to railroad blog comments into personal attacks on people who are making perfectly valid points.
Enough of the anon speculation already! Any further such tripe will be canned forthwith!
Apologies, Londoner, but a lot of my commentators are 40w bulbs!
I'm not a Londoner but I do live in Thanet and so, I know about the towns. Broadstairs has a long history of being regarded as a quaint seaside resort with an understated touch of class. Sadly, this reputation has taken a battering in recent years: the voiding of bowels and stomachs in the streets at the inappropriately named "Folk Week", the greed and lack of responsibility taken by licensees, the bottom-end shops which have taken over the High Street, the overpriced stuffy little cafes (which have the nerve to call themselves restaurants), the small-minded, sniffy councillors who have prevented progress. It's sad but you can't argue with it: Ramsgate, and even Margate, are on the up whilst Broadstairs is very much on the slippery slope.
I could recommend some solutions:
Folk Week - folk music not pop music and no drinking on the streets unless you're a Morris Man.
Publicans to be held to account for the consequences of drinking outside their premises.
More rigorous and critical inspections of food establishments. Pay attention to overcrowding, poor ventilation, noise levels and toilet facilities.
New councillors who are capable of seeing Broadstairs as one of the Thanet towns, rather than adopting a fortress mentality and viewing Broadstairs as the last bastion of a bygone age.
Thanks for the mention, Richard, not that I need the votes, but think you are adrift from reality somewhat here. The alleged Londoner is the usual suspect and the attack on Broadstairs simply part of his spite style.
As for Checksfield, Holyer and Mallinson, I have not seen them around for a while and particularly on this thread.
What was you out on day release Dickie?
Sorry Mr E, but whether it was or wasn't, attacking the commentator rather than the comment is the shabbiest and lowest form of debate.
As for you Don, yes, as a matter of fact I was, until some twonk on a mobility scooter ran me over.
There seems to be an element of thanet convinced that despite being sold for £1, announcing it is going to close, losing its biggest customers, mystery bidders not putting an offer in to buy it , they think that Manston will rise again.
I have no doubt Manston will reopen......as a ruddy great housing development. Maybe that's what they mean, as even the most ardent supporters can see the game is up for manston airport.
Er, what about the attacks on me, references to little Willy Epps etc, rather than the subject under discussion. Don't they count or is that fair game as I am perceived to be a Tory.
Those who live by the sword must surely expect to perish by it sooner or later.
ECR - you are so right. The snarkiness (yes pedants, it's an online term) shown by the usual suspects you've mentioned has made the blogging scene a duller place than it was, even a few years ago.
Last week, a number of valid discussion points I posted about Manston Airfield were received with the usual, it seems, 'You're Garbutt' you are' type responses. A week later, I still don't know who Garbutt is. Thing is, I don't care. Blogging and boards are not an identity parade,
but a place for discussion.
Surely 6:18 talking about who Garbutt is becomes a discussion in its own right. Most people know, of course, so you are a bit unique in Thanet claiming you don't.
Re: 6.46 ECR - Can you do something about this? Are these people wilfully stupid?
So what is your point, 7:13, or would you like ECR to do something about everybody except you. Then discussion would be dead even despite your ability to talk to yourself.
Well the attacks on you, Mr E, are surely precipitated by your own obsession with who's who in the zoo. He who lives by the sword, etc.
As for everyone's obsession with Garbutt, again, it is probably a result of him being such an obsessive. I agree, it has made the blogs a much duller place, and I really do wish there was a solution, other than comment moderation which is pretty dull in itself!
People in positions of authority have become worried by the rapid rise of popularity of blogs and bulletin boards. The fact that discussion in these forums is controlled by the arguments put forward is a source of grave concern to those who are used to controlling the agenda by controlling who is allowed to speak and eliminating dissenting voices.
A particularly effective way of nullifying discussions on bulletin boards is to employ somebody to post massive amounts of tripe in response to every point that is made. This is exemplified above. At 1:38pm I posted a pretty hard-hitting criticism of Broadstairs. The next 8 postings were just tripe and didn't even refer to the criticism of Broadstairs, even though one of the contributors is a himself a Broadstairs councillor.
For me, this provides incontrovertible proof that the people making niggling little comments aren't doing this because they are stupid. They are doing it deliberately, to drive people away from the blog.
The unwashed masses will still be able to express their opinions but nobody will read them. The status quo is restored.
Mobility Scooter ehh someone with good taste if they tried to run you over me thinks judging by the comments it wont be the last Check the brakes on the Old Throbber YOU KEEP UPSETTING THEM THEY WILL RISE UP. But then you must be used to these attempts after all these years.
I'm 7.13
To the person that responded. I am a non-political local person who doesn't know the councillors, regular bloggers or have an axe to grind yet you go straight for the personal in response to what was a fairly innocuous and valid comment. You may find this fun but nobody outside the circle does, that's all I'm saying.
If councillors are responsible for this 'mood' on the local boards, they should hang their heads in shame. I agree Completely with what 7.29 said.
Oi ECR keep you hands of my 40 watt bulbs i was hoping to mate them with my e-bulbs = 80 watters. Speaking of watters, i see some good news for our watters, although not as good as a pint of Gadds seasider and definitely not salty as the good old briny. Now ladies and gentlemen back to your corners, keep it witty and friendly or i will send Big Dick around?
Come now, 7:29, where exactly were the salient points in your criticism of Broadstairs. Talk of stuffy cafes, bottom end shops and sniffy councillors is not real substance and more displays a lack of real knowledge of the town. Likewise with Folk Week which, back in 2012, had its problems but was far more successful in 2013.
Broadstairs High Street, like most others, has suffered by the move to out of town shopping, but still offers a good mix of fresh food retailers and the more unusual. There are a good selection of restaurants and cafes offering a wide variety of choice and nationalities.
It remains a decent little town with a good mix of seasonal events and still attracts visitors in considerable numbers. If you do not believe me, try parking in the town on sunny weekends and holidays.
It is not perfect and, like Ramsgate, sometimes seems to suffer at the hands of a Margate obsessed council running Thanet. Nonetheless, it is still a lot better than you would portray.
ECR, I expect to be attacked if I stick my head over the parapet, but merely questioned why others should perhaps be afforded your protection. Like you, I would love to get back to decent debate, especially if spiced with humour rather than insults.
That's enough garbage about Tim, or anyone else for that matter. Stick to the point.
7:29 is pretty much spot on with his criticisms of Broadstairs hence Cllr Epps desperately trying to deny it.
All the re strange he cites Westwood Cross as a factor in the decline - developed by his fellow councillors(!).
He should get back on thread with the Community Centre hje was praising and its cost to date as an example of the dismal quality of our councillors.
This blog would be more interesting if the main posts were more interesting. A skit on buildings(!) or the repetition of the throbber nonsense and carry on or private eye rip-off humour are waning given the serious issues of council failure being raised in the comments.
Manston attracts the most comment in the debate on expanding or closing it now largely decided as a closed airport.
But what happened to the Port collapse you raised ECR? The council simply agree to ignore it. Shouldn't Hart and Everitt resign for example for that?
Seriously Richard, what the bloody hell is going on with Thanet blogging? Or rather - the piss poor rants of anon posts. It's pathetic! You just cannot discuss the topic at hand any more before some spine less (fuk) wits makes a "funny", usually at the expense of others. And leave William alone ffs! He has said "not standing any more" so give the bloke a break! ffs! It's simply not cricket in my book, old chap. soz for the ramble. toodles
Epps seems to be back to his usual tricks of hogging the blogs here, Michael's bookshop and Thanet Life and insulting anyone who disagrees with him, much as Holyer did. It does seem a blend of stupidity and Tory activism and lonely pensioners with nothing to do and then bleat about their search for a decent debate. Their views are discredited as invariably idiotic so then they post as the anons they decry, so why don't they write their own blogs?
Speaking of dirty Broadstairs:
http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/kent_beaches_get_clean_bill_of_health_1_3559778
None of the beaches have been looked after by TDC: look at the lack of beach cleaning, toilets closed for months, few beach huts, parking on the prom and so on. The councillors are elderly ineffectives and the officials incompetent and overpaid.
Epps will never mention the Community Centre farce or Moores and the 0% fraud: Tories Good, Labour Bad and cover up everything else that disproves that.
Clive is the same with his nonsensical Gazette articles on how TDC is superb, working hard, airport the future, Port perfectly fine, corruption what corruption etc etc
What's happening with Pleasurama and the Port, presumably nothing? We need a clearout of our councillors they just can't do anything.
The councillors are useless, but they don't know it. Over many years they have built up this image of themselves as entrepreneurs and promoters of regeneration. However, when they've used public money to back their ideas they have lost, every time.
Yesterday I went to Margate for the first time since last Summer. Councillors have spent tens of millions of pounds of public money backing the Turner Centre claiming it would regenerate Margate. Yet I walked past boarded up shop after boarded up shop; far more then there were last year. The Turner Centre has cost huge amounts of money but has not resulted in regeneration. Those responsible must now go.
Thanks for the support Duncan and I agree with you about the blogging scene. Unfortunately it is mainly one rather spiteful anonymous who seems to hate all and sundry in much the same proportions. After his demolition of Broadstairs I see he has now started on Margate. For his benefit though, on the Community Centre, TDC are now directing that the trust look at alternative sites for it, probably to fit in with their plans to dispose of Pierremont Hall.
Duncan,
Well said. I agree with your assessment of this blog
Duncan,
You are correct. I sometimes get the impression that this blog is little more than a playground for vulgar inadequates.
The problem with your observation, Mr Smithson, is that many of the "piss poor rants" come from either properly named bloggers or those using a name just for their blogging activity - which puts them in the same anonymous category as me. Your focus on "anons" is therefore misplaced.
The problem is the personal attacks and threats that many are all too keen to throw around, the obsession some have with trying to identify anonymous bloggers, and the obsession some have with "Tim". Those obsessions seem to afflict mostly "named" bloggers.
Your suggestion that quality contributions flow (only) from named bloggers is wholly flawed.
And the challenges to Mr Epps come about because of his behaviour and false staements on the blogs, not his personality.
10.47 Well said. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not political or a blog owner etc etc, just a local resident. That I choose not to give my actual name is more to do with the sensitive nature of my work in East Kent. Council representatives spend tax-payers money so should be identified when posting comments. I could invent a nom-de-plume but don't see what difference it would make.
These old boys are obsessed with rank, number etczzzzz
As Tony Benn once said, it's all about the 'Ishoos' !!!
Duncan, They have arrived. QED
11.56
Obviously a councillor or amateur snapper. No capitals after commas, there's a love.
Well said 10:47. Cllr Epps now refers to the Community Centre but still refuses to detail the costs so far (we have a figure of c.£100k and counting) and now seems to be blaming TDC. And most of the councillors sit on that council too.
He pointed out most of the Broadstairs councillors were in favour so why after 11 years and £500k has it not been built? As with Manston/LHR 24/7 cargo airport no doubt because it was a stupid policy in the first place and the public rejected it as soon as it became known.
Imagine if £100k had been spent on cleaning up Broadstairs beach rather than pointless pen-pushing?
The councillors are too old, too many, too expensive and too stupid we need a clearout and a change rather than them clinging on. At least Epps and Sandys have resigned. When will the others go?
Usual charm offensive I see, 1:49, but to answer your query on the proposed Commmunity Centre, it was to be funded by £600K from TDC, £85K from KCC and £500K from BTC via a Public Works Board Loan.
The time in planning and consultations was to deal with all the objections raised and to accommodate those, in particular the desire not to lose parkland. It had finally reached agreement all round including the planning consents, but TDC then refused to grant the necessary lease to the BTC.
TDC are now directing that alternative sites should be considered. That is not blaming, merely stating the facts.
1:49 perhaps you could qualify your too expensive comment in relation to councillors. Do you actually know what town councillors in Ramsgate and Broadstairs receive?
You can forget investigating the Macgonagal-Moores 0% fraud or Thor mercury too. Silence is best at TDC: how badly are we served?
The Duffers would rather keep quiet and poison themselves and their families and friends and neighbours than do anything.
2:02. Certainly: expensive in three ways: they charge twice for essentially the same council ie doublehatters. Expensive also in terms of incompetent/waste ie the Port £3M, Pleasurama £2M, council tax increases rather than sackings and so on. Expensive in terms of idle ie wasted opportunities: Pleasurama still derelict, the beaches/toilets still dirty/closed, lack of FOI and so on. Does that help you? Or do you think they are excellent and we should pay them more because they are underpaid?
Thanks Cllr Epps: the Public Works Board Loan is from where? KCC? Central Government?
So c.£1.2M to build Pierremont Hall again or an addition to it? Looks like a white elephant vanity project but the BTC councillors still think it's a good use of tax?
Snarky as ever you've also forgotten the costs to date after 11 years and ongoing? £100k? And what the money could have been spent on say beach cleaning.
Sandys is not a councillor but an MP and has stated she will not stand again in 2015. She has not resigned and is still the MP for Thanet South.
Epps has also said he will not stand again for the Broadstairs town council in 2015, but he has not resigned and is still a councillor until then.
You do seem to have some grasp problems 1:49.
Er, 2:14, the last time I looked the Public Works Board was precisely that, an organisation that provided loans for public works.
er Cllr Epps who funds this Public Works Board then? Is there a weblink?
2:17 is quibbling again: both Epps and Sandys have resigned and could step down to prevent lame duck politics which is what we now have from them.
There is a major problem with the bogging scene and William Epps and his cronies are it. I posted at 09:13, giving some critical views of Margate, based on my personal experience. At 09:38 William Epps felt the need to post and to accuse me of being some other poster who posts frequently.
I don't post frequently. I have only posted twice on this thread. Epps is just lying when he accuses me of being this other poster. Why should he be allowed to lie about somebody he doesn't even know? It's just typical of the gutter-level politics that is endemic in Thanet.
Well said, 2.04pm. I am working up a treatise on the current parlous state of Thanet blogging, which I hope to publish after Easter.
Well done ECR. These one-handed dullards are ruining it for everyone else. Or at least, they're trying to.
2:04 you rather lost me for how can you lie about somebody you do not even know? Bit like me suggesting that you are a fat, ugly bloke. How could I possibly know so it is meaningless. Get yourself some Prozac and relax more. Life is for living, not moaning about being called something anonymously.
You're right, Anon, that we all need to have thick skins when blogging. I used to blog as "One Voice In Thanet" and am very aware of the "tensions".
But I think the point 204 is making is that Epps and a few others respond to every contribution they do not like or support with the same narrow suggestion - that the contributor is just one person. They usually try to say that the contributor is "Tim" who is obviously something of a bete noire for them.
It IS difficult to distinguish between anonymous contributors, sure, but they persist with their claims even when they are told they are incorrect. And they avoid the points and the issues being raised and instead slag off the presumend originator.
I have crossed words with Epps over his actions, behaviour and false statements on here and have been called "Tim" in response more times than I care to remember. It is incorrect and gets a bit wearing after a while.
Post a Comment