The East Kent Critic was a radical local newspaper that first started in 1947 and ran until 1948 was restarted in 1963 and ran until 1985. It was edited by the Labour councillor Derrick Molock and partly funded by the Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken from 1980.It is a mixture of local history and politics, something akin perhaps to today’s Thanet blogging scene.
I have just received permission to reprint it and have most issues from June 1969 to 1985 but am missing many of the earlier issues.
I have just published the whole issue from 40 years ago on the internet click here to read it I am curious to know what people make of it, do you want me to publish what I can online as well as the printed version?
I remember this well with affection. An interesting little read and in fact I even wrote an article once for it.
ReplyDeleteI also did a book review and received the book in question as payment.
Unfortunately it wasn't a book I liked but then such is life.
Loved the bit about cloud cuckooland in Margate - bit like Matt Clarke's figures for Manston? Also good to see that Broadstairs Folk Week was in full swing. Best bit however has to be quote from Cllr Sam Haywood "We (Ramsgate Council) are consistent in our inconsistencies. More please Michael and soon!
ReplyDeleteHad to laugh at Hosers Tea gardens, best bits are the adverts. If you aint got owt better to do Michaelfill up cyberspace with more of em.
ReplyDeleteMost interesting Michael. Derrick Molock was a thoroughly decent man and is missed by many. My late father Bill Evans and he were lifelong friends - despite their very different political views.
ReplyDeleteI've read my dad's diaries for various years in the 1930s and they are punctuated with entries of 'played cricket with DM on clifftop at Broadstairs'. As young teenagers, they would take it in turns to represent England and Australia - innocent times for sure - and he recalled these experiences fondly when he spoke at Bill's funeral in 1995.
As war clouds gathered, they had strong opposing views on what should happen. Derrick was a committed pacifist and registered as a conscientious objector at the beginning of WW2 - which takes a certain courage of its own, I guess.
Many will know he was a local and county councillor for a long time and lived at Cliffsend. In the early 1990s, he became Chairman of KCC, something he regarded as a great honour and achievement. I was lucky enough to have lunch with him and my parents at county hall during his term.
Curiously, Derrick was the first patient to be admitted to the new QEQM hospital when it opened in 1996 and he died a short time after. Had he still been with us, I'm sure he would have done his level best to try to oust the Conservative leadership that bestrides Thanet now.
I know Meresborough Books published front pages of EK Critic in a book during the 1980s and accompanying articles appeared at the same time in Bygone Kent magazine.
Nick Evans