Sunday ramble, pen and ink sketch, some photos of today’s walk in Ramsgate, nothing much really.

Once again the local blogs are being showered with spam, and a lot of it is getting through the spam filter, Don has gone for comment moderation, see http://promotethanet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/comment-moderation-again.html Simon has already got it set but the problem has not passed unnoticed by him see http://birchington.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/shark-attack.html

With this blog and the press release blog http://thanetpress.blogspot.co.uk/ I have had to delete over 100 spam comments in the last 24 hours. Apologies if I have deleted any legitimate comments, also please note if you reply to a spam comment your reply will also go when the spam is deleted.

I had a bit of a fight with a bath tap last week and pulled something in my knee, meaning that I have had some difficulty walking, today was the first day that I felt I could mange a reasonable walk, albeit slowly.

I would guess that today has been about the warmest and sunniest this year and I think there was a bit in the middle of the day when it would have been just about warm enough to sketch out of doors. I can’t sketch with gloves on or with very cold hands.

Anyway I decided we would stop somewhere with for a drink with a view where I could guarantee it would be warm enough, this is much more difficult than you would think, in the end we finished up at the café on the end of the pier http://royalharbourbrasserie.co.uk so here is the sketch.

As you see I am trying to abide by my new year resolution by putting the date and location on sketches.

Finding somewhere with a view to sketch Ramsgate from is much more difficult than you would think and with my wife and children in tow which means buying four drinks can be expensive.  

Any thoughts on this problem would be appreciated.  

The photos next, these are automatically uploaded to the internet by my mobile phone so I don’t know what order they will come up in, I will add some more text when I see how they appear.

The photos seem to have come up in reverse order, as you see Blockbuster in Ramsgate is closing, I wonder what if anything will take this very large shop premises, particularly concerning for me as it is between my shop and the centre of the town.

Retail is becoming very difficult and demanding at the moment, where I am trading most of the shop properties have either been converted to undesirable residential accommodation or are just empty.   

The restaurant at the end of Ramsgate pier was very busy, about an hours wait for a table when we got there, fortunately they also have sofas with coffee tables if you only want a drink or a snack, so we didn’t have to wait. Pot of tea for three and a hot chocolate just over £7, the quality and service was excellent, the seat comfortable, the view about as good as you are going to get in Thanet.     

On to the new shelters, it is now possible to sit in a shelter that feels and smells clean, I guess the key to this will be keeping them that way.

On to The Sailor’s Church, a free visitor attraction and well worth a 

Apologies here, still learning to use the camera in phone, boys with toys and all that. 

The roadworks to provide services to the harbour arches looks to be nearly finished, I gather there is a waiting list to rent a Harbour arch, even though the rent has gone up to about £200 per week and the activity there has to be maritime related.