I spent time in Ramsgate today (Saturday). You really can’t get much more bizarre than that town. My vision of the place had been blurred. I always thought of Ramsgate as a cool town on the coast but today I was reminded otherwise.
I was a lost puppy, a fish out of water, an old cat in an old town.. I drifted down Ramsgate highstreet today. Drawn as I was to Argos at the top of the street for some last minute Chrsitmas shoppping (I’m a boy). I headed on down the highstreet just to check out what Ramsgte had tuned into in the weeks that had passed.
To be honest, I didn’t expect much change. I had always thought of Ramsgate as a cool town but you know, I think I always saw it at the wrong time. At night the harbour is really something else, but during the day the town truly lacks something that other towns have. I think that its called jaw muscles… This really is a town of slack jaw locals who consider themselves observant when they spot JJB sport between the cheep watch and the phone unlocking market stalls. Don’t get me wrong, I do have faith in this town but there is something wrong at the moment / About the only shops that are opening are sports clothing. I see a Sports World has opened up where Courts was and very busy it was too. I can believe it must be good business to keep chavs clothed.
SO back to Argos Christmas shopping and while there I immediately turned into an old man. The poor man beside me was hassled buy our dear chav, his space personally invaded. They were cocks but they left. Here is where the old man thing comes in: “these kids think they own the high street”, “hanging round in their gangs”, “all I want to know is where the parents are”… I’m almost speechless… I take a quick mental note and see that we are only young men… medium age of thirty… I fill my slip out for the laminater (a Christmas present) and head away with those words ringing… “I blame the parents”.
This place is truly a village. I knew I could go out tonight. Get dropped at somewhere like Churchills, meet someone there and go on to an endless night of drinking and non stop meeting people I know… Tonight the highlight???… Alex Glinn. He is an aspiring sound man who’s dedication and ambition no-one can fault. He’s was working on that local Bob Hoskins film which has become Ruby Blue. I give noted respect out because he is really someone who is doing what he can to get out of the expected Thanet life, especially in such a demanding industry as media.
Ok, I’m back in Thanet for a month. I have six days of gallivanting round the country. I have degree of necessity to head down country to Dorset to spend much needed Christmas time with Family. After that, apart from a possible three days in Wales, I’m spending a time in Thanet and I will record a memoir of my time. As a little end of post bonus; I’m hoping to leave a treat for Thanet before I leave.
Thanet Life seems to be under threat. If you are a Thanetian and want to have your own say in a well read local site on local matters, then please go there with an open mind and volunteer your services.
Thanks
Kevin
This week has been damn crazy. I seem to be missing loads of messages by leaving the msnm on, so if I’ve missed you, I’m sorry. I’m having to follow two programmes doing the combined, so when I see the guys from the comp soc, I don’t know as I’m mainly based in Harcourt. I’ll have to just leave notes on the wiki or something for now.
So far as the Thanet crew goes, I guess its time I was removed from the Thanet Blog List. Hopefully whoever runs that will note this, as well as the guys who are commenting themselves in on the primary listing post.
Get back soon I hope.
Kevin
I was recently lucky enough to have a private invitation to the Gadds brewery. I knows the guys from my time at the pub (finished that today, whoop!) and after they heard me banging on about their stout they said I could come up and see their place at work. I learnt a lot about brewing while I was there and got a far better understanding of not only the methods for brewing ales but also the ale industry as a whole.
It wasn’t all work work work though. They were decent enough to give me and my accomplice Jay a taste of their latest batch of East Kent Pale Ale (EKPA) from their own private bar (The Rams Head) and I’m happy to say that it was delightful. We sat outside and chatted about all sorts. A thoroughly nice afternoon and my thanks to Eddie and Ian for being such good hosts.
I no longer run Thanet Blog List. After my recent possible bias in the comments of this site I felt I needed to hand it over straight away. It has been given to another and I will not name them. They intend to develop the idea and I hope it becomes an even more useful resource.
This Saturday I will no longer be a Thanet blogger. I expect I will keep blogging for the same reasons I started in the first place. I will probably even change my subheading 
I also expect to continue reading others, you’ve been fun. Hope it doesn’t get too much more political (vote anyone but tory, hehe) and you all remember that life is supposed to be fun. Perhaps I’ll also point out for the sake of sillyness, has anyone else noticed that Ramsgate Tourettes and Eastcliff Richard have taken a break at the same time?
Thank you Thanet, its been emotional.
A couple of posts back I stated that Eddie was a stout pusher… but I love him for it. The reason I said this was as simple as the statement. While I was at the jazz festival on Ramsgate seafront the other week I went to the Gadds tent to get myself another beer, but he had run out. What he did offer me though was two small unmarked bottles from some boxes he kept behind him. I asked how much to which he replied “on me”. Difficult to say no to that! I guessed this was a new product that he was testing the ground with. I poured it, tasted it and found it to be the divine nectar. This dark 7% wonder was the kind of drink you only dream of! At that point I concluded that what he was doing was getting us hooked before releasing it to the public. The method certainly worked on me, I was left dreaming on when I could next get my grubby mits on some more.
Tonight I saw Eddie and quickly asked him where I could get more of his magic juice. His reply was simple; I can’t. Stunned horror. Dear God, why? As it turned out, this was a test run they did to check the setup of their equipment in its new location a couple of months prior. They didn’t want to do a brew that they’d feel bad not being able to sell (eg No.3), so Ian came up with the idea of a stout. Brilliant, but not ‘commercially viable’.
So now I’m not sure what is worse. To have tasted it and know that I will never taste it again or, if things had been different, to never have tasted it at all. So, no longer do I love him for being a pusher, I now believe him to be a cruel cruel man!
Seems I got somewhat busted in the BBC Kent article on bloggers as the man behind the Thanet Blog List. Many of the more savvy would have guessed anyway, but its really out now, so I guess its time to discuss it.
I started the list in reaction to Cliff Richard saying he was quiting the scene after a spat with the doctor. I was concerned that there wouldn’t be the central point for bloggers to rally around. I also had issues with the links being removed from peoples blogs due to personal issues. I felt the best way to resolve this was an independent list that would link anyone regardless, trusting the reader to decide what was hot and what was not.
Now we come to the problem. Not only is it not very independent now that its clear its me, but I am leaving Thanet and so feel I will have less time to hunt down local blogs.
We have a few possible solutions here:
a) Kevin continues as is and only adds blogs when he checks thanetbloglist@yahoo.co.uk once every few months.
b) Some other person contacts Kevin saying they will take good care of it and will remain impartial.
c) I tell you all the login and password for the blog and you can all add stuff when you find it. Kevin (or someone) hangs onto the email to reset any abuses with a password reset.
I personally like the third option as I’m a community thinking kinda guy, but I can see its problems.
This is up to you guys to call it as its really your list.
Sorry, i know our local papers have the general difficulty of being able to tell their arse from their elbows, but this really is taking the biscuit! Just a couple of weeks ago they were praising a trader in Arlington shopping arcade in Margate for recruiting a group of graffiti artists to produce some quality work on the boarded up shops. Now they showing the same graffiti and calling it disgraceful! Do they have any idea what they are talking about or do they really assume that we won’t remember what they said last week? Personally, I think its the local presses fickle attitudes to local events and issues that is the disgrace of this area.
eddie is a stout pusher… but i love him for it.
