Thanet Loyalist

A series of Rantings from John T Williams a local loyalist and Thanetonian

Second in the Series

The Editor                                                                                                                                      26th May 2006

As i walked through Cliftonville and central margate taking in the sea frontage it seemed to become abundantly clear that the area was in terminal decline and that fairly soon no-one would contemplate willingly visit this town.

how has this sad state of affairs come about? Could it be the same old tribal politics that has reduced what was once a clean ad tidy resort into a sad and unimpreposossessing blot on the Kent coast. Could it be the same old faces and the same old exhausted party rhetoric thats has turned what was one a thriving holiday destination into a veritable wasteland?

Northdown road and the high street were once busy shopping centres with a good selection of retail outlets, now they have all the ambience of a 19th century American gold rush town after the gold ran out.

All we can look forward to in the next local election, will be the transferance of power from one sad collection of "know all" control freaks with ther sad retinue of "non thinkers" to another set of the same. i dread to think what the future will bring for Margate. As a local who has lived here all my live and who's family ran sucessful businesses whithin ths area, i can only feel a sense of sadness for what has been "assisinated" is the good-will that once permeated the town,  something you can't recapture with party politics.

Yours Faithfully

John T Williams

The first in the series a letter that John wrote to the editor of the Thanet Gazette

The Editor                                                                                                                                      21st April 2006

As i returned from the ceremony to re-dedicate Ramsgate's flag pole, i decided to take a short walk along the harbour adjacent to the Maritime Museum. One can imagine my surprise at the state of the steam tug "Cervia". She is totally covered in rust, indeed, the Titanic looks to be in better condition even after nearly a century on the Atlantic seabed. The woodwork was splitting, the hull and upper works look to be in need of urgent repair and conservation, in a word the vessel looked absolutely shambolic!

What on earth are visitors going to think when they see this heap of mouldy scrap ? Ramsgate's harbour has often been reffered to as the "jewel in the crown" as regards tourism,  yet we are presenting this rusting abomonation to the visitor. This vessel has been in its present condition sometime, why? What has happened to the funding that has been poured into the organisation that was formed to safeguard this areas maritime heritage?

As this corner of Kent fights for visitors numbers, we should be trying to improve our attraction, not present a riusting hulk worthy of a South London scrap-yard.

Yours faithfully

 

John T Williams

 

 

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