Bit of a blow for Broadstairs this, although the plans say it
will have a book vending and reading area. Sorry about the rather poor sketch I
may add some paint when the catatonic effect of the newspeak “book vending
area” has worn off.
The planning applications are:
18 Apr 2012 F/TH/12/0245 44-46 ALBION STREET, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 1NE
18 Apr 2012 L/TH/12/0246 44-46 ALBION STREET, BROADSTAIRS, CT10 1NE
Fight with the council’s planning website at your leisure, the first message
I got was there are no streets beginning with A the web address is http://www.ukplanning.com/thanet this
building was a chapel in the early confused period of our history, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrine_of_Our_Lady,_Bradstowe
which is where I copied the photo from to draw the sketch, not feeling bothered
to look through my files for one of my own and not wishing to infringe their
copyright.
This is a bookshop that I have been buying books from since
the 1960s so its termination will be a bit of a blow.
Various attempts to produce the look of flint wall and brickwork without painting each brick and flint failed, here is the ghastly result. The only thing I can say is it still looks a bit Esherish as secondhand bookshops should.
I will ramble on about this I expect.
After Time & Space yet another loss to the retail variety of the jewel in Thanet's crown. Broadstairs High Street and adjacent area has shown remarkable resilience in the face of Westwood Cross and on line shopping, but the contagious effect of its diseased neighbours is starting to take effect. TDC's shortly to be imposed higher parking charges will add another nail to the coffin, but who cares anyway for we are largely a bunch of Tories over here who engage in outrageous projects like wanting our own community centre.
ReplyDeleteHow nice it would be to revert to the days of the Broadstairs & St. Peters Urban District Council when labour was something confined to the delivery suite of the local hospital.
What's with the "diseased neighbours" Tom, I though you wanted everyone to pull together for a brighter Thanet.
DeleteDoesn't do to upset your neighbours, one day you may need them.
I refer only to the blighted town centres and not the people, Ken. After all, I went to school in Ramsgate when the shops started way up by Chatham House and everyone was trading right down to the Harbour as well as along King and Queen Streets with not a boarded up front or charity shop to be seen. Just seems to have hit over here well after Ramsgate and Margate with Broadstairs until recently having a good range of unusual shops as well as butchers, bakers, greengocery and fishmongers. In a short space of time we have lost one of the fishmongers, about five of the unusual or unique shops and now one of our bookshops seems to be on the way out. We have even seen the demise of a couple of estate agents and how bizarre is that. All since that Portas woman showed her face in Thanet though I suppose we cannot blame her.
DeleteThe only way our high streets will improve is if we all use them. I think the internet is a greater threat, from which Westwood Cross may well suffer greater than the old high streets
DeleteI think you are probably right, Ken, and Peter, I am more lamenting not moaning and I like and support Iceland.
DeleteFine by me Peter, if you can afford the prices, the important thing is to be reading. I browse the remaining bookshops and if I find something I want look it up on my internet phone, making the decision about which way to buy it on the spot.
DeleteI haven’t found a reasonably effective way of browsing books on the internet yet, I also like to loiter in bookshops, something indefinable there, partly the other people, partly the difference between going to an art gallery and viewing the pictures online or in a book, but I can’t really nail it.
Not another licensed business in Albion Street to add to the existing tally.
ReplyDeleteHow many drinkers' dens do we need?
More specifically, how many drinkers are there with any money left?
DeleteA sort of general answer here.
ReplyDeleteI don’t like to see bookshops close, especially secondhand ones, libraries are not what they were, either in terms of their stock of literature or in terms of fines. With Albion secondhand as Allan Kemp got older the prices did get a bit erratic I know, so I don’t know how well it worked as an economic source of quality reading.
I would guess that for anyone trying to read good literature on a budget, what I provide now represents the best overall bet, I would say the using the exchange scheme most literature can be read for between one and two pounds.
The key problem here is that it is the town centre that makes the town and with the cost and environmental damage associated with mechanised travel, then shops close by are a sound idea.
Before out of town shopping and the internet shop expenses could be paid, now the expenses can’t.
Youcan of course convert shops to residential accommodation, probably even get a grant to do so, no one much wants live on the ground floor in the town centre, there are often occasions during the evening when I venture out of my front door cautiously.
Because this residential property is the least desirable, what actually happens is that the government pays the rent for the people living in it and a lot of those people tend to be those unable to get more desirable accommodation.
The whole thing is self sustaining, the things that can still afford shop overheads are what you have left, next time you are drinking a cup of tea or coffee in a café work out the profit on it and you will understand the problem.
Its a sad fact to see the Historic Chapel now lost, but what about the crypt and consecrated ground and TITHE ancients rights beinng paid for by Residents and the applicant seems to have land grabbed an unadopted land, with residents having to fight....especially the little gift shop next door, having to suffer more anti social behaviour to her windows....If you feel strongly then please support the action group against this change of use to TDC...already in the Consultation period...
ReplyDelete