Wednesday 26 October 2011

No news is good news. Apart from perhaps the royal visit to Margate.


The Kent Messenger Group has pulled out of the deal to buy up The Thanet Times and The Isle of Thanet Gazette.

I am not sure if this is good news or bad news, I suppose this realty relies on their ability to survive what are interesting times in the word of business.

I haven’t had either of the free papers that the two companies produce this week, this means that I have looked at the stories they have produced on their websites instead.


Two stories caught my attention, one being that The Charles Dickens pub in Broadstairs has closed http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Sudden-shutdowns-leave-Broadstairs-pub-staff-cold/story-13655641-detail/story.html and the other being that the council are going to stop monitoring their CCTV between 3am an 9am http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-15458905

I think the problem here is a fundamental one, which is as technology advances how does anyone get paid for writing anything?

Sorry the picture isn’t very good, should have used different paints, but I hope it shows my confusion over this problem.



The blue I mean, something out of a travelling art palette I have sorted this out now and can put a squirt of cobalt blue straight from pocket to palette and produce a fairly even wash anywhere. 
I will ramble on I expect     


Sorry I digress, of course the main news item is that the queen and the duke of Edinburgh are to visit Margate next month, see http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2011/october/26/her_majesty_visits_margate.aspx once again I find I don’t know what to say.


In view of my recent problems with trying to find out what events are going to be on, I wonder if the council will announce the royal visit on their website.  

46 comments:

  1. So the Queens visit to Margate has left you with nothing to say. What about another down from London benefit scrounger checks out Margate's HMO sitution. After all she claims rathe ra lot from the state.

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  2. 16.34 the alternative would be. What? President Cameron. The lines “Beware of letting go of nurse, For fear of finding something worse” come to mind.

    Or are you suggesting that we should have no leader of state, a leader of state chosen for us to vote for by the political parties?

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  3. We could have a ceremonial president that is elected for a fixed number of years and just for 2 terms.
    The thought of Charles as King does not bare thinking about. Not exactly a paragon of virtue.

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  4. So anonymous at 16:34, how much do you receive from the state? I would rather give to the Queen than to you. I expect that you are more expensive. There clear evidence that the Queen earns her money from the Civil List.

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  5. Whereas you anonymous are a paragon of virtue.

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  6. Anonymous, your elected ceremonial president: how about John Prescott?

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  7. John, I am a state pensioner on £105 per week plus free bus pass. But in the years before I retired from being self employed, I was paying over £25,000 per year in tax and NI. And still paying taxes. Lucky me for being able to do so.

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  8. Anonymous, And all this makes you jealous because someone has more than you.

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  9. We need to elect someone (a) non-political, (b) who's had a crime-free life, & (c) who loves his / her country.

    I suggest King Cliff Richard.

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  10. All I know is that the royal purse costs £40 millions per year and the royal protection squad costs £30 millions per year. If we had a ceremonial head even if it was a person like Jonh Prescott it would cost nothing like that. Why shoud we pay for 550 police officer to provide round the clock and round the world cover for the many non contributing minor royals to go clubbing.
    Thanet could do with some of this money.

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  11. In my mind, the Royal Family are a plus for GB.UK. so lets support them. And regards the sad git who moans about the Civil List... if it shows a profit... lets go with it. I have to say, I have changed my mind about Royalty... Bring it on!!! (Oh, and Pippa should be invited as well)

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  12. In my mind, the Royal Family are a plus for GB.UK. so lets support them. And regards the sad git who moans about the Civil List... if it shows a profit... lets go with it. I have to say, I have changed my mind about Royalty... Bring it on!!! (Oh, and Pippa should be invited as well)

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  13. Anonymous at 19:00, Why should Thanet ie you get this money. What do you do that is such a benefit to the Realm.

    About President Prescott: maybe you do not object because like Lord Prescott you are a class warrior. In which case, how does President Margaret Thatcher appeal.

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  14. Anonymous at 19:00, I should be grateful for a detailed sight of your costings.

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  15. Michael, You've been and gone and started something again.

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  16. Great news, I`ll be there to cheer her on.

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  17. Peter, you mean that guy who skived out of National Service, claiming he was too young, when my brother who is even younger went. Are you sure he loves his country enough to serve in its armed forces, at least Charles did for all his alleged faults.

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  18. 18:14 You must have been on a pretty fair screw to pay £25K in taxes so how come now you are only on the basic state pension plus bus pass. Touch of the old live for today and let the state take care of tomorrow.

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  19. John, read your comments about Presidents Prescott and Thatcher and would have to say that the thought of any politician as head of state is scary. Bad enough being saddled with political PMs.

    Taking everything into consideration, we are not badly served by our constitutional monarchy system despite the perpetuial whinging cost claims of the anti-Royalists. Guess in their blinkered view, presidents cost nothing.

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  20. Ahh, but did your brother make records as good as 'The Young Ones', 'Summer Holiday' & 'Batchelor Boy'?!

    OK, I'll go for Queen Lulu then.

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  21. Incidentally, if what you say about Cliff & National Service is accurate (which I don't think it is), then presumably at least two of The Beatles also somehow got out of it (despite being unknowns at the time); both John & Ringo were / are older than Sir Cliff.

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  22. I suspect the the cost of protecting the entire Royal family is only a small fraction of the cost of protecting the US President - his limousine alone is probably more expensive. And I suspect that any UK president would feel the need for highly expensive security - if only to demonstrate to the world how important they were.

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  23. Will,

    I agree. I am with you on this.

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  24. We are still paying for the protection of that would be Emperor Anthony Blair and his entourage. At least HM is worth the money, whereas Blair...

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  25. Cliff, John & Ringo ALL missed compulsory National Service by a year. Prior to 1958 no UK pop group lasted long because of NS, & this is one reason why The Shadows (with & without Cliff) were the first.

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  26. Elizabeth WindsorOctober 27, 2011 4:24 pm

    One would like to announce that one is very much looking forward to coming "Down to Margate" as Charles and David would say.

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  27. Elizabeth WindsorOctober 27, 2011 4:27 pm

    Also, after writing orf 50% of the Greek debt, one now plans to write orf 50% of Thanet District Council.

    Anyone fancy a gin ??

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  28. No, Peter, he flew Shackletons over the Atlantic monitoring Russian submarine movements with Coastal Command. He also does not spend most of his life on some sun soaked isle showing his patriotic regard for his homeland.

    As for Lulu, be carefuil, for if Scotland gets its independence should could be Lulu Queen of Scots, thus placing us English under tartan rulr.

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  29. Some pop stars had their careers seriously blighted by not going for or getting medically discharged out of NS. Terry Dean one example.

    Cliff claimed he just missed it due to age but then claims something different when heralding his show business milestones. Oh, and the last NS airman to be discharged from the RAF was in late 61 at RAF Scampton. They planted a tree to mark the occassion and he must have been called up in 59.

    Seem to recall, on opposite sides of the pond, Michael Caine and Elvis did their stints.

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  30. Michael Caine was in the British Amy. He saw active service in Korea

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  31. Elizabeth Windsor,

    Very good ma'am and to the Tower with TDC.

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  32. I remember Terry Dene. I have one of his recordings tucked away somewhere. I liked him.

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  33. Elvis was nearly 6 years older than Cliff (yes, strange but true that Elvis was called up at the age of 23).

    How about Queen Cilla, is she ok?

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  34. Terry Dene was medically discharged having suffered a breakdown during basic training. One time beau of Edna Savage, his career never recovered and some years later he featured in a BBC 'Where Are They Now' programme busking to cinema queues in Bristol.

    The difference in age between Cliff, whose age changes depending on which story he is selling at the time, and Elvis is an irrelevance. More comparable is the RAF chap who completed his service in 1961 putting Cliff well in the time frame.

    Mind you there was also a well known cricketer who got out of it with flat feet but went on to play five day test matches. Who you were and who you knew made a difference for some.

    As for Cilla, a queen with a nose job. Yuk! You will suggest Jordan next.

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  35. Is that a person or something you do in the ablutions?

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  36. The dates of 1961 for the last people doing National Service is about right - i joined the royal Navy at Chatham in March 1959 for a nine year regular engagement, when I was 17 and the last R.N national Service ratings were going through basic training then - most were deferred entry because of University or apprentice opportunities - hopes this helps because most of other call-ups for non university entrants would have been at least one year before - cna't speak for cliff richard or the Beatles !!!!

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  37. Quite right, John, and Cliff Richard reached his 18th birthday in 1958, well in time to get called up, so he must have wriggled out of it somehow.

    I recall him in 58 with his poofy hairstyle, curled lip, mid Atlantic accent and Elvis impersonation on newsreels I saw when serving abroad in the army. Being a Redcap I was hoping he would appear in uniform one day so I could knick him for some misdemeanour. Sadly it was not to be.

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  38. National Service formally ended on 31 December 1960, but those who had deferred service for reasons such as University studies or on compassionate or hardship grounds, still had to complete their National Service after this date. It had also previously been decided that only those born up to 1 September 1939 were to be called up. The last man called up for National Service, Private Fred Turner of the Army Catering Corps, was discharged on 7 May 1963. However, the last National Serviceman was Lieutenant Richard Vaughan of the Royal Army Pay Corps, who was discharged six days later on 13 May 1963.

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  39. "It had also previously been decided that only those born up to 1 September 1939 were to be called up"

    This explains why Cliff, Ringo & John Lennon (who were all born in 1940) didn't do National Service.

    Now please apologise to your (& my) superior, Sir Cliff Richard.

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  40. Cliff Richard could never be my superior and I will not apologise for calling him a poofy, curled lip, mid Atlantic accented, Elvis impersonator.

    Further more, no-one domiciled outside the UK for most of the year should ever be knighted. He only comes back when he wants to promote another album or Christmas release for his blue rinse fan club.

    If you want to fawn over him, Peter, be my guest but don't expect it of others.

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  41. Think if you folks check online, National Service officially ended on the 31st December 1960, although a few people who had been deferred for higher education continued to serve after that date. All males who reached the age of 18 before 31December 1958 were liable for call up.

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  42. Why's everyone picking on Cliff but ignoring Lennon? Or is it the usual "The Beatles can't do no wrong" attitude?

    Anyway, I know I'm right.

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  43. And I don't have a blue rinse!

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  44. Perhaps, Peter, because you nominated Cliff for president whilst nobody mentioned Lennon. Having said that, I would have more than happily nicked Lennon as well had he ever appeared in uniform.

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Comments, since I started writing this blog in 2007 the way the internet works has changed a lot, comments and dialogue here were once viable in an open and anonymous sense. Now if you comment here I will only allow the comment if it seems to make sense and be related to what the post is about. I link the majority of my posts to the main local Facebook groups and to my Facebook account, “Michael Child” I guess the main Ramsgate Facebook group is We Love Ramsgate. For the most part the comments and dialogue related to the posts here goes on there. As for the rest of it, well this blog handles images better than Facebook, which is why I don’t post directly to my Facebook account, although if I take a lot of photos I am so lazy that I paste them directly from my camera card to my bookshop website and put a link on this blog.