Not just a plumber’s housewife! Anecdotes ~ of the building trade. Details, names and places have been changed to protect the identities of the …guilty.
Can any one tell me why Ramsgate beach was empty today?
One could count the number of people on the sand this afternoon. One could, but I didn’t. I couldn’t believe how empty it was. I went down there a few weeks ago on a similar beautiful Sunday afternoon - that time I thought perhaps the lack of people was due to the Big air Event going on in Margate.
Just a thought but does the lack of car parking have anything to do with it?
Thank goodness. I think I have commented myself on previous occasions that £1.30 per hour for the privilege of Parking in Margate does not make sense.
Similarly the park parking charges in Northdown Road, Cliftonville and in Ramsgate town centre should be addressed.
Check links to my previous blogs - local to Thanet - in right hand collumn.
For more about local car parking read the blog and comments here:
http://bignewsmargate.blogspot.com/2008/06/its-start-for-margate.html
How many people did the same thing as me - lean against wet paint at the weekend? The black tar-like substance which coated my arm was on the gate entrance to the Ramsgate Croquet club (see below link), on the Royal Esplanade.
OK my posture should be better, no excuses, I bought it on myself by leaning against a gate… My slouching took place, however, on a busy Sunny Saturday afternoon when the whole area was packed with people - even the Croquet Lawns were busy - which must be the first time I’ve ever seen that. Surely whoever painted the gate would expect lots of people to touch it or brush up against it.
I was trying to explain just what the game involved - but I’ve never played it and my own knowledge is limited to the account in Alice in Wonderland.
I was with my 6 year old - do not touch that gate!
He and others around laughed at the black stripe on my arm.
“Is it still wet, mummy?”
He did not touch the gate but could not resist touching my arm.
“Yes it is still wet and now on your fingers - do not touch your clothes!”
Fortunately, we were minutes from home where we scrubbed up nicely and fortunately our clothes were not ruined.
The fast train London to Ramsgate or Margate. We really could be in (East) London in just over an hour.
Well, the actual timetable is to be confirmed later this year.
All we know for definate is at: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/main.php?page_id=376
It says:
The NEW journey time to Ramsgate should be 1 hour 24 minutes from St Pancras Station, via Ashford. The good news if you want East London or the City or anywhere on the Central Line you would get off at Stratford, which would save more time. Yes we would be there in just over an hour!
Currently, the morning commute Thanet - London is over 2 hours! Although later in the day you can travel to either Charing Cross or Victoria in about 1 hour 48 minutes.
The predicted new journey time for London (St Pancras) to Margate is 1 hour 38, just about the same time as the current ‘fastest’ train to Charing Cross but a journey which is about 10 minutes shorter than a typical trip to Victoria Station. Not so much to get excited about!
Whereas Thanet is a mere 77 miles from the Capital, if you were to have a morning commute from York ( 212 miles) the journey would be - less than 2 hours!!!! With later trains taking a little longer.From Bristol (105 miles) you can travel for 1 hour and between 30 - 45 minutes.
And from Brighton (53 miles) less than 1 hour!
The Quex Powel Cotton museum is open this half term - even though they are trying to keep it secret - their website says closed!
What a good time we had yesterday. Myself & another mum and three children (£10 admission - family ticket - special winter prices).
An additional £1 each meant we could touch some exhibits - a skull a skin, sharks teeth, turtle shell.
The really lovely weather yesterday provided the opportunity for a picnic and we spent 2 hours in the gardens - which are really lovely.
Half term is almost up on us, the children need entertaining, here is my own personal list of suggestions for the week ahead (depending on weather, etc…). Many places to visit are closed this time of year. We certainly will not be able to do all of these things: there are only so many museums we can visit and, of course, if we go out every day it does get quite expensive.
Sunday 17th - FREE! A 26 minute film by Andrew Cross commissioned to mark the opening of St Pancras International Droit House, Margate screenings every hour from 10.30 until 15.30.
Visit the Thanet Museums:
www.margatemuseum.org.uk Mon- Fri 9.30-4 £1.50/75p
Ramsgate Maritime Museum Thursday- Sun 11-4 (small fee) www.ekmt.fogonline.co.uk/page7.html
Travelling further afield:
Near Canterbury
if the weather is good? £9.50/£7.50 www.wildwoodtrust.org/
At www.discountbritain.net/ you can get money off vouchers for many places including our local zoos (Howletts) which open at 10am every day and Chislehurst caves.
Wed or Thursday: £6.50 www.sciencefestival.org.uk/
A day out visiting the museums of Canterbury? Consider: museum passport for discounted entry to Canterbury Roman Museum, Museum of Canterbury - with Rupert Bear Museum and West Gate Towers! Full price £6.20 Concessions £3.70, Family £15.00 www.canterbury.gov.uk/buildpage.php?id=120
I have heard that there is a week of golf lessons for children. 10am every day £75 for the week at www.manstongolf.co.uk
I think we will go swimming, perhaps to the park, for a walk, and riding his bike… and, of course, we will stay in. I’ve invested in some new paint and paint brushes!
Any other suggestions are welcome.
P.S. I have just read in the Thanet Gazette that the Quex Powell- Cotton museum at Birchington is open - with special stuff going on. The website says it opens in March…
xxxxx
Vehicles are so much trouble: they cause road rage; global warming and arguments about car parking.
The good people of Birchington are enraged about White Van Man and his plumbing friends parking on double yellow lines, near a junction on one of Thanet’s narrowest streets. I’m not surprised, I know the street. To fuel their fury there is actually a large car park just 100 metres or so further along the street.
Lets face it - some of these drivers are probably lazy, selfish and full of their own self importance. They don’t care where they park or what danger they cause to other road users (including pedestrians). I like to think, however, that it is a minority of drivers who are causing trouble.
Just occasionally there may be a good reason for stopping on a double yellow. I actually remember being one of those offending drivers - I have parked at that very location - I had good reason which I expained to the trafic warden - once in 2003 and once since then, I’ve also parked in the car park a number of times. Mr Tara Plumbing parked in that car park this morning.
What is this all about? In case you don’t know:
This is the location of St Nicholas Heating - S.H.N. They supply all things gas and plumbing related to the trade and the public. It is a local, family run business - the corner-shop of the gas/water world.
Like most corner-shops they do not have a huge, free, convenient car park. There is only off road parking space for 2 vehicles at their premises.
All the usual car parking issues are relevant:
S.N.H. is one of the main suppliers used by Tara Plumbing because they can offer the sort of high quality, personal service that you expect from a family run local business.
The partners who run the business really are qualified plumbers, so they know what they are selling.
And, of course, one of them trained as a plumber at the same time and same college as Mr Tara Plumbing (along with another local man, lets call him Mr Birchington Gas). It’s a small world and everyone does know each other.
This blog includes a permanent link to SNH on the right or you can click here:
If you visit them, please be considerate with your parking.
I have received quite a few visitors to my blog this week from
http://eastcliffrichard.blogspot.com/
Presumeably he quite enjoys reading what i have to say, he does note however, that my blog would be much improved if it had a link to HIM! So there you are. Eastcliff Richard’s blog is most highly recommended for the excellent photos which generally accompany each entry.
Actually, I have a link on the right - it is big and blue - which links to any Thanet Blogger worth reading, via the Thanet Blog List. I look at this site all the time and it links to a wealth of local information. It is also often the best source for the most up to date local news.
There are a few blogs that I read regularly - I don’t necessary share the views of the bloggers, but they are interesting, informative, well written or have other merit. They are:
http://www.joeobrown.blogspot.com/ Jo is 12 and lives in Margate.
http://birchington.blogspot.com/ By Cllr Simon Moores. His blog also contains great photos.
http://eastclifframsgate.blogspot.com/ Posted by Cllr David Green.
http://damejanetsfootsteps.blogspot.com/ A fascinating lady called Millicent - she doesn’t post often. Perhaps someone who is so ellusive and interesting doesn’t really exist?
http://margatearchitecture.blogspot.com/ A new blog which is about the beautiful buildings of the area.
Last, but by no means least:
http://bignewsmargate.blogspot.com/ by Tony of Margate.
This documentary film left me frustrated.
The whole premise of the film was that our green and pleasant Isle will be built all over.
Unless I missed something, which is possible, the film contained amazingly few facts.
Not one single map in the whole film to show us how much of the area is currently built up or open space and what proportion of open space might be lost in the near future. So how can we draw any conclusion as to the validity of the arguments?
We were not told many figures either - how much land is there? What is our current and predicted population? How many dwellings are there currently and how many people are living in homes that are not fit for human habitation? Can existing poor quality housing stock be improved or should it be demolished?
Apparently, on Sat 10th November the film shown was not the finished version. So perhaps this information will be included later.
There are about 1000+ houses to be built around Westwood. This sounds a big number, but not when you know Thanet’s has about 57,000 households (people who live together as a family) and total population is 127,000.
The Housing Strategy (2005) on Thanet District Council’s website provides the following information:The Isle of Thanet covers an area of 10,315 hectares incorporating the main towns of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate with Birchington and the outlying villages of Minster, Monkton, Acol, Sarre and St Nicholas at Wade.Statistics:
So there are approximately 55,800 houses available in Thanet. We know many properties in the area are ‘holiday homes’, so the real need for housing is much higher. That tells me there is a need for at least 1,000 more homes if nothing else changes locally.
Also via TDC website one can access the Local Plan (2006) which estimates a need for 4,200 new homes by 2011 for new people moving into the area based on jobs that may be created locally at the airport, Pfizer and local business parks. Whether or not there really will be 9,000+ new jobs in the area within the next few years… I don’t know.
You can read the Council’s Local Plan which is to cover the period up to 2011, here:
http://thanet.devplan.org.uk/document.aspx?document=15&display=chapter&id=112
Thanet Under Threat poked fun at a council representative who said there would be new employment generated for car mechanics and plumbers to service cars and boilers. He was correct, if there are more employed people living and working locally they will need their various bits and pieces serviced. They will also use the local restaurants, taxis, pubs, etc..
Of course, the problems with new housing developments in Thanet are obvious -
If you are interested, Cllr Green has some vital statistics:
http://eastclifframsgate.blogspot.com/2007/09/housing-in-thanet.html
Which suggest that the current level of building work in Thanet may be enough, without the big developments at Westwood and on Ramsgate seafront.
*****************************************************
Film maker replies:
We have two more screenings planned at the Palace cinema, Harbour St, Broadstairs, Saturday 8th December at 12 noon and Sunday 9th December at 5pm.
We are also holding a public meeting on the 13th December at The Red Hall, 11 Grosvenor Rd, Broadstairs at 7.30, hosted by Friends of the Earth.
You are very welcome to attend all of these, if you wish.
Our concern is to preserve the good things that we have in Thanet and help to improve the lot of the worst off in the area, and I do not see how massive building projects can achieve this.
…. edited for personal details….
Best wishes
Christine Tongue
The film that has been much written about in the local press - will be screened at the Granville in Ramsgate Sat 10th Nov.
I have no idea whether it is worth seeing or whether you should spend your evening doing something more enjoyable. From what I have read it has a political agenda - that all green space in the area will be covered by new builds and without the infrastructure to cope.
I will probably be in the audience.
Recent Comments