Notting Hill On Sea v The New Millionaires' Playground

I'm playing host this week to one of the country's greatest living writers who's doing a bit of research for his column in The Sunday Telegraph.

He's been told that Hastings has been dubbed 'Notting Hill on Sea', and that Ramsgate is, of course, the 'New Millionaires' Playground'. Judging by the number of people who reach this blog by putting 'Ramsgate property' and 'Hastings property' into their google-iser, word has clearly got around.

So he's decided to spend a couple of days in both towns to determine the winner. He's already been to Hastings, which he describes as 'scuzzy' and 'terrifying in parts'. His initial thoughts on Ramsgate? 'Much nicer, and seems to have much more of a sense of purpose, with the harbour and everything.'

Of course, I'll be wining and dining him to the max over the next couple of days. This is one competition I'm determined Ramsgate is going to win!

Ramsgate: nicer than Hastings

Pier Group Pressure

I see the British Urban Regeneration Association's annual Seaside Network conference is currently taking place in Scarborough.

Usually such news would provoke not much more than a yawn from yours truly, but this quote from Matthew Lock, Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, Hastings Borough Council, caught my eye:

Hastings is pleased to support BURA with this new endeavour. Coastal communitites are starting to turn it around; we've achieved a lot here and want to shout about the change we are achieving but we also want to know more about how our peers are creating renewal. Collaboration with our colleagues around the coast, private and voluntary sector too, can be a further catalyst for change; a consolidated voice shouts a lot louder!

'Peers' and 'renewal' eh? Would this be the same Hastings Borough Council that has been so successful in preserving its heritage that last week it announced it might have to demolish its splendid Victorian pier because it's fallen into utter disrepair since they handed it over to the private sector?

I think we should be told!