Two tourists in my bookshop today, after a chat with them the following emerged.They looked on the Thanet tourist website see http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/
The top link in the welcome to Thanet section is called Margate this takes you to http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/explore-margate.asp?&p1=g&p2=margate
They were looking for something in terms of winter entertainment and the thing on that page that looked promising was the link called The new Contemporary Art gallery this takes you to http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/thedms.asp?dms=13&venue=3200241 they were pleased to see that there was an event on and clicked on the link called Times of Our Lives, this takes you to http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/thedms.asp?dms=13&feature=1001&venue=3200241 and they were pleased to see there is an exhibition on.
They booked an hotel and came down to spend the day looking at the exhibition, well they arrived at the exhibition which essentially consists of part of a bedroom that appears to have been furnished from a charity shop.If you read this blog you will know that I wasn’t allowed to photograph it so I have taken a couple of stills from the video about it, it’s as close as I can get to what you see when you get there.
The video is below.
Time of Our Lives from Hugh Kermode on Vimeo.
The two tourists found Ramsgate and your bookshop Michael, so at least they found two things of interest in Thanet.
ReplyDeleteThe direction of TC at present is towards teenagers and students. Will this KCC funded project become a "must have" visit on the Kent schools curriculum to massage the visitor numbers?
Tourists! if you believe the blogs there is nothing in Thanet for them to visit. I for one believe Thanet is a great place and would recommend our Isle of flames to everyone.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Spend a day in Hastings (yes, Hastings the East Sussex Thanet)and these will keep you diverted, if you're catholic in your tastes -
ReplyDeleteSealife Centre
East Hill - walks and nature reserve
West Hill - Castle and Caves
Seafront amusements
Old town & Old Town Hall
Lifeboat Museum
Miniature Railway
Picturesque Fishing boats on beach
(not, sadly, the pier as things stand as HBC are doing a very good TDC impression over that)
Can any one of the Thanet towns manage even that rather ordinary offering, half of which is down to not much more than rather nice topography?
I'm not sure all three together can quite get there. I don't object to Turner, but it would be ludicrous to think that and half a dozen shops and galleries in the old Town in Margate are the solution to the chronic lack of vision and investment - matched only by the endemic self-interest and lack of leadership - engendered by local governments over the years.
Looks as if our Trace has tidied up her bedroom at last - no expense spared! But if that is art I'm agog to see what they put in the Turner Centre - thank goodness admission will be free because I certainly wouldn't pay to see exhibits like that- bring back Van Gogh and Tissot and Frith I say
ReplyDeleteLook,think you are missing the point here,the Turner Contemporary Gallery is going to have Turner Paintings,old Masters and contempory Art,and in the meantime Droit House has as well as information on the new gallery(and when i visited today the Lady greeter was most welcoming and informative about new shops and cafe's etc in the old town)but the exibition is aimed at people who would'nt normally have a chance to "have a go"at art.I met the wonderful Lady who did the "talking book"and was so pleased to have mixed with young and old to share there experiences of being a teenager.The bed is a typical bedroom of a teen in the fifties and they all had FUN and somewhere to share stories together on cold winter days,SO a great time had by all.There were lots of visitors when i visited today,and were fascinated by the exibition.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have gone very silent michael,what is it?you only like bad news?seems like it when you read your latest posts..hmm
ReplyDelete