The link to the good beach guide is http://www.goodbeachguide.co.uk/ I guess
the map says it all, the site is understandably running very slowly making it a
bit difficult to extract the information, however it seemed that all Thanet’s
beaches scored top marks apart from; Ramsgate Western Undercliffe, Viking Bay
in Broadstairs, Joss Bay in Broadstairs and Walpole Bay in Margate, which
scored a mandatory i.e. the met the minimum acceptable bathing quality
standards.
Louise Oldfield is at the royal courts of
justice and I guess will be tweeting about the Arlington Tesco case, here is
the link https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ArlingtonMargate&src=hash
Next is the news that Bristow Helicopters
are going to be basing recue helicopters at Manston in about 2015, I got a bit
confuse over this being presented by the news as some sort of incursion by an American
company, I didn’t think you could get much more British than a Bristow.
There is a bit of a rumour here that this
story was put to the Labour group with the suggestion that they should release
it a local good news press release, this didn’t seem to happen.
Not sure what happened here as Clive Hart
tweeted the story and put it on facebook, certainly having air/sea rescue will
be handy for anyone local making a navigational error, I have had a few close
shaves on that front although fortunately to date they haven’t involved a helicopter,
just a red face.
I gather we are now in the pre election purdah
period for the Kent
county elections, I believe this mostly effects election candidates, however I think
all local politicians are supposed to careful not to say anything that would
effect the election results.
Strangely enough the problem here in Thanet
is much more one of trying to discover who is standing for elections, what they
stand for and what apart from collecting their allowances they actually intend
to do for Thanet.
Certainly KCC is perceived as being centred
on the west of the county, the only big project in Thanet that doesn’t seem to
be something they have to do anyway being the Turner Contemporary, as I said I will
revisit contacting our existing KCC councillors over problems there.
Oh yes and the council has had to pay the
live animal export companies £80,000 towards their legal fees, I guess this
could have been worse as they were asking for £125,000.
Oh yes onwards and upwards, my bookshop has
quietened down now so I will carry on here.
Cllr David Green, mayor of Ramsgate and TDC
cabinet member has removed his new Ramsgate Matters blog which was at http://ramsgate1.blogspot.co.uk/
Once Dave Green’s Eastcliff Matters blog
was one of the leading Thanet blogs, then we had a period of time when he
hardly ever posted and then about three months ago he replaced it with the new
blog and started on the difficult path of endeavouring to communicate, well now
he seems to have deleted his blog.
This does raise the obvious question, did
he jump or was he pushed?
I will probably ramble on here
Nice map, Michael, good news about the beaches, not fussed about Tesco either way, as its a Margate matter, but you did not include the new helicopters at Manston. Nice to see a bit of sun this a.m.
ReplyDeleteNext on the list Tom.
DeletePeter. No necessity for any boarded up shops or a closed car park. TDC have had the means to deal with these problems all along. They have just chosen not to and left 'negotiations' to Iris. You may well ask why, especially being as Freshwater will be making huge profits from our land if they get planning permission and without paying us a penny?
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DeleteAnon could you take your potentially libellous comment elsewhere.
DeleteNot so Peter. Freshwater refused to renew. I wonder why?
DeleteWith Turner and the possibility of a heritage park etc, there is certainly demonstrable demand for a car park which is a term of the lease, especially if it is insured now (by the Council).
DeleteI never did get to the bottom over who made the application ie Freshwater or Metropolitan Property Realizations (Realizations being the operative word!).
DeleteAnon 3:01 It really doesn't matter who made the application. What matters was that they were seriously in breach of their lease. Had closed the car park which is a term of the lease, failed to insure it and allowed the site to degenerate into an absolute eyesore. Then they apply for a huge development that will generate massive returns and the landlords TDC, are going along with it. If it was a private landlord he would want a big return for agreeing to such a development on his land long before any planning procedures. For some reason TDC appear to be rolling over to it. Being as Iris has been negotiating on TDC's behalf, perhaps she could explain how much the developers are going to pay to get TDC's agreement to their proposals. On the other hand perhaps she wont.
DeletePeter, listen to the lefty NIMBYs who've only been here 2 or 3 years. They apparently know far more than us long-term locals.
DeleteHey, here is a great idea, lets take our money somewhere else and leave the locals who have brought Thanet to its knees to enjoy the company of thousands of Romanians who I will be letting my house to.
DeleteA 'lefty Nimby ' who has been here only 6 years who knows much, much more than a long term loser
The application for Judicial Review is because there are serious faults in the screening decision of the Sec. of State resulting in what is a huge site not having an Environmental Impact Assessment. The proposed store clearly has a wide impact on Margate seafront. Margate seafront is the reason why Margate as a town is here. The jobs provided by the visitor economy and the 1000s of visitors are why this application needs to have the appropriate safeguards attached to it. They can always build the smaller store they actually consulted on in the early days.
DeleteUnderstanding Thanet protests, Peter, is beyond the scope of most of us normal folk. Somehow one is supposed to believe that a Tesco, a revitalised car parking area and a face lift for Arlington House is worse than the present ugly facade, the boarded up shops, the seedy muggers alley that passes for an arcade and the litter and mattress strewn car park. The mind boggles, but then, that is Thanet I guess.
DeleteBy the way, I thought you said Louise was a nice lady. I do not know her, being Broadstairs based, but she seems to be coming over as the Margate version of Christine Tongue. On second thoughts, no one else could be that bad.
Peter, I don't think I've expressed an opinion about anyone or that I disapprove of anyone. I've reported what has been said to me. I'm not against a supermarket at Arlington. I believe I and many others would like whatever is proposed to be of an appropriate size for our Highways to cope with and that all checks have been fulfilled in terms of impact assessment.
DeleteFair enough, Louise, but my one fear would be that endless delays, as we have seen with Dreamland and the Pleasurama site in Ramsgate, will result in an increasingly derelict site to the detriment of the town.
DeleteWe agree again Peter! The uninformed such as Louise and the nimby's of Arling whine about "thundering lorries" when in reality, the new store would have no more than 6 lorries a day, one every couple of hours, not to appalling.
DeleteThe number of cars they whine about is 18,000 over 2 days! Now it would appear that that is a perfectly manageable amount of traffic. It would also indicate that a HUGE amount of people want this store, and want to shop there, despite Ms Oldfield's interferance based on unsupportable "we don't like Tesco's/big business" rhetoric.
You're right Peter, the lorries would come from the West, and wouldn;t touch the seafront at any point, as would a good number of the cars from all the people that so keen to shop there, and indeed the 100's of people that will be working there, but don't let that FACT stand in the way of some good ole fashioned bullshit.
The figure of 18,000 cars is the developer's figure. The lorries can only come in one way along with most of the traffic into Margate. They will then turn into the narrow All Saints Ave along with all the store traffic. The extra traffic is estimated by the developer at 18,000 cars over 2 days. The seafront will be affected and this will have to be managed. This is why the KCC approved Jacobs seafront scheme would have to be shelved. If the yes campaign is going so well, where are all the signatures and letters? How is that Yes To Arlington Tesco site and page going?
DeletePeter 7:21,
DeleteYou make a cogent argument. Which I for one could support.
Peter, honestly, I don't know where you get the idea from that my idea for Margate is all coffee shops etc. I fully support businesses that work with the local market and understand that different areas of the town are different and unique from one another.
DeleteI don't understand why you have to make this so personal rather than the issue at hand. I don't think I resort to that with you. I simply haven't said anything like you are insinuating. The seafront area is obviously of key importance, as it always has been, to the visitor economy. That in itself isn't an exclusive economy. But what all flavours of the visitor economy share is that excess traffic in a key leisure environment is detrimental. This is no matter how much money you have or don't have.
Louise, I would dispute the comment 'it always has been' otherwise they would never have given consent for Arlington House in the first place. Also, as a result of Peter's suggestion, I visited your site and left a comment in response to one from Richard Card, wherein he wrote a load of ill informed nonsense about the NI peace process. You published his, but not mine, despite an absence of profanity or name calling, so I shall not bother again. You obviously practice the same sort of censorship mas Driver.
DeleteAnon 7:47 Well, we might well ask why did Arlington House get approved in the way it did and in that location. I think you have to ask Mr Crittenden, Mr Maughan and Thanet Council. But that said, it's a building built for the visitor economy in the style and spirit of its ag. We could well do with those 500 car parking spaces open. I'm not sure why I decided not to publish your comment. There must have been a reason. Perhaps publish under your name and it's more likely to be published. I don't give the same weight to anon comments as named because bloggers are under pressure and anon comments don't often help!
DeletePeter, I think you said I was for not what I was against. My opinion about Costa is based on many things. Their approach to paying tax in this country for one. Now, what was it you said about what I want, where I eat, where I want people to sleep and how is that not personal?
But more importantly, what are you doing for the regeneration of Margate?
Louise has gone very quiet.
DeleteLouise Oldfield:
ReplyDeleteHave been granted permission by Judge to move to apply for Judicial Review #ArlingtonMargate woot!
Sadly the nimbyism that has blighted the regeneration of Margate continues. Not sure what motivates Oldfield to almost singlehandedly scupper the regeneration of Margate, but sadly she costs 100's the jobs that Tesco's offers, and 1000's the store they clearly want.
Delete~
You should be ashamed of yourself!
Funny you said 'You should be ashamed of yourself". That's exactly what Roger Latchford shouted out to me at the Crown Court restaurant during the Sandy Ezekiel trial.
DeleteSurely Louise you do not subscribe to the Worrow theory that everybody who comments from the right on blogsites is Roger Latchford. Over the years I have been Latchford, Moores, Wise, Hamilton, a TDC Tory Councillor, a homophobe and a Nazi when, in reality, I am a retired Broadstairs resident with fairly middle of the road views and a love of Thanet stretching back to childhood. I would just like to see something progress to fruition in the area without the usual suspects objecting.
DeleteHi Tom, no I don't think that. Just that the last time I was called that it actually was Roger Latchford. Not that it was my fault we were at Crown Court. And obviously the judge yesterday agreed with the claim.
DeleteWell Louise, It seems that Mr Latchford, Me and most of teh rest of Thanet are more than tired of you interfearing in a development that the VAST majority of Thanet want and need! I SO wish you could find something constructive to do with your time, rather than keep Margate residents out of work, and having to travel to do their shopping, just so you can exercise your vacuous political agenda.
DeleteIt's a shame you allow your aspirations to spend time in overpriced cafe's, espousing outdated political BS to overshadow others need to work and feed thier families!
Once again, you should be ashamed of yourself!
PS well said Tom.
DeleteWhat do you do, John to improve Margate?
DeleteThe planning file shows the ratio of people for and against the development. But it's not just me, John, is it. There are many people who have concerns regarding the planning process for this scheme. The move to judicial review would not have been allowed had there not been grounds.
Were you and Mr Latchford at the trial? And why should I be ashamed?
I would love to see planning applications that are submitted for development of public land filtered by one voluntary body for Thanet.
DeleteThe point about the cleaning of Arlington Square is that it is the responsibility of the leaseholder. It clearly hasn't been kept open, clean or tidy. Yet TDC were out there assisting with cleaning a few days before the planning inspector arrived in town. If people wish to read the planning application files, they can, or attend the inquiry every day - where they could have applied to speak, they could have done so. They still could make their voice heard, this is a democracy. It's in the hands of Pickles.
DeleteSolo Gays, 29 March 11:45 PM
DeleteYour idea sounds plausible, but the devil is in the detail.
How would you ensure that this voluntary body was impartial and did not contain those with vested interests? What would be their terms of reference? Who would set their terms of reference? Are you advocating a quango and if so so who do you envisage funding it?
Peter, the clean up was in the area locked off by Freshwater. As you know, there have been clean up, community gardening activities in Margate.
DeleteJohn
DeleteWhen I attended the Arlington Tesco Inquiry the developers were submitting alterations to their plans right up until the moment the inspector declared the proceedings open. With those kinds of tactics how could anyone really have an opportunity to absorb the impact of what they propose? But that is the hallmark of developers such as these, talk about one thing but push through something completely different under our noses.
A committee of residents, some with planning experience, and others with a passion for democracy, I suspect would root out this kind of thing. There is also a lot of confusion around over local, those most affected comment, and district wide consultation. I think this also needs clearing up and I suspect this confusion is also knowingly exploited by developers.
Sorry, Solo Gays, but if our elected representatives cannot protect our best interests how would you expect a group of appointed people to do any better. You would still have vested interest, political bias and personal preferences coming into play. Democracy is still the best answer, but the electorate need to be more searching in their voting trends, not just follow the rosette, and they need to keep in touch with their elected councillors to keep them on the ball. John is right when he says your suggestion has the potential to be just another quango and we all know how expensive and, in the main, inefficient they have been.
DeletePeter, have you tried asking Freshwater if you can do anything? Good luck with that. The point about the clean up, and it is really minor, only answering because you raise it as a major issue, is that Freshwater have a responsibility to keep the shops open, the area clean and tidy and well maintained. They didn't and days before the public inquiry starts and questions about the lease are being asked, TDC assist in a clean up. Obviously it shouldn't be closed never mind in a dirty and unmaintained state. But for all of their £7,500 per year rent they pay while seeking to raise the value of the plot to bazillions, you'd have thought it could have been kept up better.
DeleteSolo Gays is right, the inquiry revealed countless issues not yet specified or decided, new designs revealed hours before all to be assessed in the inquiry de novo without ever having being consulted on as is the right of planning inquiries. Such a shame isn't it that for a huge site and the architects having worked on it for 10 years that the people of Margate didn't get to be consulted on much of what was being asked to be decided on in a 4 days and having to attend the council chamber. The lack of access to public participation because of this paper trail of technical papers is one of the grounds for the judicial review.
As for a lack of plan b vision, you are right. Aside from the supplementary planning brief from 2008, there has been not one £ spent on a vision for what it could be.
I've always wondered what are the justifications for a huge Tesco's on that site and why we should support it.
ReplyDeleteWell now you know Peter. TDC could have dealt with it instead of allowing Iris to do the negotiating.
DeleteWhere else is that woman going to appear?
DeleteWho's this Iris that everyone is talking about?
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DeleteAnon potentially libellous anonymous comment directed at a named local politician can result in one thin and one thing only, which is comment moderation on this blog.
DeleteI can only assume that your comments hope to achieve this end and that you are against any open local blog dialogue.
My recommendation to you is to get your own blog and mount your attack from there.
If you don’t stop this I will turn off anonymous comments here and in the respect you will have won.
Peter I married in 1978 and there were empty units there even then it has never been a popular shopping site. As an ex shopkeeper I would say its only real options would be either Tesco or convert to housing.. Business rates and rents would be better spent elsewhere. I never got to read the previous comments but I can imagine they were about a utopia where all shops earned a living and everyone lived on fluffy clouds with baby lambs gamboling around and they lived for ever and the butcher only sold quorn an the fluffy rabbits lived under the hedgerow etc etc #PASSTHESICKBUCKET
DeleteWe really do seem to agree on almost everything Peter! *goes for a lay down!*
DeleteMichael, Is that £80,000.00 purely for the costs of high tailing it out of the decision to stop the exports or does that include settling the £1,4000,000.00 damages claim as well?
ReplyDeleteI hope whoever was irresponsible will be made to pay.
DeleteIt was all Ian Driver's bright idea so maybe he should pay.
Delete£1.6 billion contract to keep 22 rescue helicopters around Britain for 10 years.
ReplyDeleteThats about £14.5 milllions a year to keep 2 at Manston.
Looks like if Manston can survive as an airport until July 2015 this will bring very welcomed income.
Has there ever been any proposal to bring business or jobs to Thanet that was not attacked by a vociferous minority, invariably resulting in delays, at best, or a non event at worst. From Thanet Earth to Manston airport, Turner Contemporary to the Arlington Tesco, out they come with their protests and the sick part is that, quite frequently, as with the Broadstairs Community Centre, the protestors do not even live locally to the thing they are protesting against.
DeleteI am Thanet brought up and educated yet a decade and a bit DFL returnee after a working career elsewhere so, perhaps, can see both angles. Certainly I get the impression we get some who move here on retirement and then want to obtain peace and tranquility at the expense of the locals jobs, but we also have indigenous who oppose all change as inevitably bad without giving it a chance. The Turner has revitalised Margate old town, but yet there are those still condemning it. Says it all about Thanet and yet, in reality, it is as ever that noisy and vociferous minority that spoil it for the majority.
The best starting point would not be to build anything before we flatten the Red Hall first.
The Red Hall Massive do not really care about anything except protest - revolution in their dreams - for its own sake. Their meetings are nothing more than a bit of self indulgence. Their influence is slight. The Red Hall Massive is politically harmless, rather like the the Workers Revolutionary Socialist Party, only without the massive talent and beauty of a Vanessa Redgrave.
DeleteWith the collapse of the USSR the dedicated British Marxists scuttled off to the Green Party. Where they can do some real damage.
Not totally harmless I am afraid, John. Their protests against the Broadstairs Community Centre and their exaggerated support numbers manage to convince Thanet Labour that there were votes to be won by going along with them. As a result, on gaining power in Thanet they promptly pulled the plug on the new lease necessary for the centre, which was within weeks of fruition, to be built. It was only when they belatedly realised that there was in fact majority support for the project in the town, and under the threat of legal action from the town council, that they climbed down and reversed their ill conceived decision. Unfortunately, that has set the scheme back by months.
DeleteThat was brought about by the Red Hall duo and a bunch of around thirty tree huggers, most of whom did not even live in Broadstairs. Check history, John, and time and again vociferous minorities have caused much grief for the more placid majority and you have even touched on it yourself with the Green Party.
I gather plans were redrawn as a result of protests? I was one of those concerned about the charm of the place being lost if the building encroached beyond the footprint of the huts that are there. I grew up in Broadstairs but don't live there anymore, but retain links and forge new ones.
DeletePerhaps Chris could clarify the situation for us?
Really, Solo Gays, you must stop believing all you hear from the Red Hall. The plans, drawn up over years of public consultation, involved replacing two old buildings with a new one having a smaller footprint than those replaced. This loss of parkland was the protestors claim but it had no substance.
DeleteChris Wells is now Chairman of the Community Centre Trust, but having debated this for years and given repeated explanations at the annual public meeting in the Pavilion, I am not sure he will want to go over old ground again. It is up to him.
Suffice to say now that things are now going ahead and the protest changed nothing.
I turned up at the meeting of protesters in 2011 in the park, and what I witnessed was a sizeable chunk of local people very concerned about the development, so there had obviously been a breakdown in communication? I was unaware I was being tricked by Marxists?
DeleteThe sizeable chunk numbered 38, that is out of a population of 23,000, and the photo in the local paper showed that it included the then mayor and mayoress, a couple of community trust members and a few others on the support side who had gone along to see what happened as well as a few children.
DeleteThere was no breakdown in communication, there was a full public consultation and the issue was covered at length at three annual public meetings in the Pavilion. In the 2011 election, the Christine Tongue, through a letter to the Gazette and a Thanet Press Release on line, called on the electorate to support candidates, who she listed, who opposed the community centre. At the election the good people of Broadstairs elected thirteen out of fifteen councillors who supported the community centre.
Nonetheless, Solo Gays, you believe whatever you want for clearly you do not deal in facts.
That is why I am here Allan, to ascertain facts. As Tom has pointed out in this post, those of us who take an interest in local issues cannot always attend meetings all around the Isle.
DeleteThe recent TDC consultation on the matter I gather only fielded around 80 responses? Why the Isle wide consultation? If, as you say, this is a Broadstairs issue?
I would in actual fact be quite interested in working with Chris to use the centre as a base for Thanet wide community heritage restoration projects. I think it would be an ideal pleasing central location?
The TDC consultation was an attempt by the then new Labour administration to justify their spiteful act when they realised the size of the backlash they faced from the Community Centre Trust and the Broadstairs and St Peters Town council. When then also faced with legal action, the awful realisation dawned that they had screwed up and they became all supportive again. History shows, and that would have been the basis of legal argument, that both Labour and then Conservative led district councils had encouraged and supported the community centre proposals, thereby causing the trust to raise and spend funds as a result in good faith.
DeleteFor the record, there was never going to be a loss of parkland, ancient woodland was not going to be destroyed, just a few self seeded sycamores, and the plans include relandscapiong the gained space and the planting of selected tree specimens to enhance the park. Nonetheless, never let the facts stop a good protest, eh?
Tom & Allan, I think that this fantastic support for companies proven to bring trade to an area clearly proves that Oldfield and the Red Hat simpletons have no interest in regenerating Margate, they merely seek to stiffle any change in a manner the luddites would have been proud of, and simply for the sake of protesting any and all progress;
Delete"I do hope that we don't have to start a No to Costa in Margate campaign to go with the No Tesco in Arlington, No Tesco at Westgate..."
Allan Mallinson 10:35 AM 28 March,
DeleteI take your point, Allan. I was guilty of lazy writing in my use of the word harmless. Taking your example it is fair to say that the claims of the Red Hall Massive may sound plausible but do not stand up to even cursory examination. However, they are not deterred. Once thwarted they merrily scratch around in search of another protest. For the act of protesting is all that matters to them. Their grievances real or imagined come and go. The Red Hall Massive is at worst an irritant and at best self indulgent. I find them rather quaint.
Allan, March 28 1.31
DeleteHas Broadstairs TC never commissioned a scaled model of the new building set against existing structures? I understand this is done elsewhere where civic schemes are proposed, and this would rightly involve those who are not comfortable attending town hall meetings, for them to comment.
Solo Gays, there was a full consultation, plans have been available for examination and inspection for years now and you only have to go to the park to see that demolishing the present park hall and age concern buildings, with the new building sitting on the site of the former, will create more space. Many organisations are waiting to use the new facility and it is sad that a few protestors have managed to set it back because of their unjustified and largely unsupported campaign.
DeleteOk Allan, if no-one from the opposition is here online to debate the points we are raising, then we shall let the matter rest.
DeleteSolo Gays, probably for the best for these plans were drawn up by a democratically elected council, passed by the planners, amended following public consultation to take in various concerns raised and there have been ten years elapse over which to raise objections. It is indeed time to let it rest.
DeleteAccording to the Broadstairs Town Assembly on Monday evening, the plans for the community centre have to go through the planning process again so objectors can begin again! The town council chair actually said that the plans were being redrawn in order to lose fewer trees. So things have changed a little. The park is still a bad place for a large building - however useful it will be to the town.
DeleteChristine
I take it you mean the Broadstairs Town Forum, Christine, and how exciting to learn that you and your rag, tag little band can start protesting all over again. You really do not get the message do you that more people want the centre than oppose it. Don't you have anything better to do than just oppose or dream up scandals that don't exist.
DeleteIt's a shame that Christine's life is SO empty, all she has is trying to prevent others having the facilities to enjoy theirs. She is indeed a selfish, miserable and intellectually dishonest creature of the lowest order.
DeleteMichael, whilst other commentators have discussed the Arlington Tesco issue, I should like to pick up on the point you raise about Mayor David Green's blogsite closure, for this seems to be part of a worrying trend. From the heady days of say 2009/2010, when we had something of an abundance of sites dealing with local topical issues and encouraging lively debate, we are rapidily coming down to a mere handful, possibly just one.
ReplyDeleteI will discount for the moment those pleasing little sites that promote nature, deal in history or expound on beachcoming, all make a valuable contribution, but it is the demise of debate that is to be lamented. Of our elected representatives the Labour ones, with David Green now packing up, have all disappeared for Mike Harrison and Will Scobie long since stopped posting. Is this Labour policy for all we have left on that side now is Thanet Labour and that seems to confine its postings to attacking central government rather than Thanet issues in the main. The almost total absence of comments suggests this either does not excite or that critical debate is not allowed.
The Conservative side is not much better with only Simon Moores regularly posting on his Thanet Life site, James Maskell pops up occassionally and Chris wells contributes around a few sites from time to time. Tony Flaig, on the Liberal/Democrat front, closed down and, although now reopened, only posts something new occassionally.
On the non politically obvious debating sites, with Eastcliff Richard and Bertie Biggles now into history, the debating forum is all but reduced to Thanetonline and, even there, the constant attacks of the insidious must raise the prospect of it eventually becoming too much to manage. Other than the increasing spam with all these "I haf just found your velly nice site' and payday loan interlopers, there are those who seem to persist in unsubstantiated attacks on individuals, councillors and council officers being top targets, at great risk to blog site administrators. Richard Card, or his impersonator, seems to persist, despite repeated warnings, in accusing people by name of crimes whilst the anonymous, oft referred to by John Holyer as the Aquifer Man, levels accusations of corruption at individual councillors and officers, also by name. Some, possibly the same anonymous, also dismisses all who seek to challenge or request clarification as idiots, stupid or senile. That hardly encourasges debate.
These blogsites offer an opportunity to discuss local issues and to register differing views, perhaps for many of us, whose routines inhibit attendance at public meetings or who prefer the privacy of our own home/office, the only outlet. People like Michael are to be thanked for giving the time and effort to provide us such opportunity yet, all too frequently, there are those that seek to abuse the privilege so afforded. How difficult is it to express an opinion or even disclose something you think you know without naming someone in a libellous way? Similarly, how difficult is it to debate without resorting to insults? Surely we can agree to disagree in a civilised way without name calling.
Having followed the Thanet blogs for a few years now I am appalled at how the scene has shrunk and at the loss of so many contributors. Hence, this is something of a call to all of you who, like me, enjoy a browse around the blogs, to keep it civilised, keep it legal and, in the process, to protect what we have left. If Michael goes internet debate in Thanet will join the dodo.
Tom having just had a good look at the whole of the local representation and any associated comment or debate I guess there really isn’t anything else much now.
DeleteFrankly the part of it that makes it difficult is the un-moderated anonymous comment, something I now turn off when I don’t have the time to deal with it.
I guess the problem for me with blogging is that I don’t get much time to do it, I don’t think it would be feasible to run comment moderation or to permanently turn off anonymous comments. Both of these actions being self defeating, you either have open and instantaneous debate or you don’t.
I guess a lot of the problem is down to the blogger settings, you can’t for instance set it so only anonymous comments are moderated.
I have on several occasions recently looked at the blog to find there are around 100 comments that need removing, mostly spam, some seem to be great chunks pasted from elsewhere, anything from Richard Card or aquifer man comments to stuff lifted from local history, sometimes they have odd obscenities or libels added and sometimes they don’t.
The net result of this is that I am now immediate and fairly heavy handed with the spam and delete buttons.
My recommendation to people is to get a blogger id, as comments posted by people who are signed on with their blogger account appear in a different colour and I am much less likely to delete or spam them by accident.
How long I will bother is very much related blogger catching up with the recent spam problem and changing the way it is managed, at the moment it is a real pain.
David green announced he will not be standing for Mayor of Ramsgate in the may elections last night
ReplyDeleteBarry I don’t understand this one, we don’t have town council elections in May, perhaps this is some sort internal election where the councillors elect a mayor at a town council election. Perhaps the annual town council meeting on the 9th May, the mayor of Ramsgate isn’t an elected mayor in the sense that the electorate vote for a mayor, at the moment I think with the large Labour majority in RTC it would be more of a selection.
DeleteMichael, you are absolutely right about the choice of mayor being nothing to do with the county council elections in May. Our Thanet town mayors are chosen for a year at a time, though some continue longer, particularly when nobody else wants the role, usually from within the council. The political make up of the council is irrelevant and the position is often offered in recognition of years of public service or, in the case of Margate, to raise the profile of potential candidate for higher things. A mayor, of differing politics to the current council majority, is not uncommon in Thanet.
DeleteFrom FB this a.m. "sorry if my speaking offends, you probably gathered I am a very reluctant public speaker. You wont have to put up with me much longer as I stand down from Mayor/Chair of RTC in May." David Green
DeleteWhere is everyone? Here was I hoping for some of the Thanet blogging scene cut and thrust on this holiday Friday and nothing. Are you all in church? Or maybe you are all struck speechless by TDC's pronouncements on equality and climate, possibly even guarding your valuables following Ian (the voice) Driver's warnings on the Great Thanet Art Theft. Whatever, the silence is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI'm here!
DeleteI didn't mean you 2:40, I meant the other anons!
DeleteI'll be posting over the weekend. How about you, anon 1:54? WIll you be blogging?
DeleteLouise, if you post something that stirs the old literary spark, I will be there. Otherwise I shall be imbibing a good 10 year malt out of a dark cholocate egg whilst keeping a close eye on my only painting of value.
DeleteWhat is odd is that John you don't comment about the blog posts I've written on my blog, but post them here?
ReplyDeleteWhy is that?
You seem to post more on other people's blogs as comments rather than your own blog.
I would have thought that your blog would have been one of the most popular blogs in Thanet given all the support that you have for your causes.
And what have you done for regeneration of Margate?
I think John Holyer, John Hamilton and Tom Clarke are a 21st version of the Beverley Sisters. Not sure where Ren Wood fits in, though...
ReplyDeleteDon't know about the others, Anon 9:51, but frankly, I do not give a toss what you think. Mind you, you must be bloody old to remember the Beverley Sisters for I had to look them up on google. Apparently, one of them was a WAG which is more than can be said for you.
Deleteanonymouse 9:51 am,
DeleteWhat are you doing here? You're depriving a village somewhere of its idiot.
Tom,
DeleteThe last time I saw anonymouse 9:51 he was walking down Lovers' Lane holding his own hand.
Hi John,
DeleteYou have a good Easter.
As for Anon, well he has still not recovered from his annual confidential that said "Sets himself appalling low objectives and then consistently fails to achieve them."
Ooh, Babs and Joy (alias Holyer and Clarke) are rattled...
ReplyDeleteSisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters...
What a simple minded soul you are, Anon 7:28, but Peter is probably right, you have imbibed too much of the juice again. By the way, checked out the 'Sisters' number and that was Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas making you even older than I thought. You make sure you wrap up warm in this weather and keep taking the tablets.
DeleteAw bless, Tom, you're funnier than a pantomime dame. I'm glad you're such a prolific silver surfer, but the Beverley Sisters did do a cover version - at least - of "Sisters". Now, about you accusing Louise Oldfield of subscribing to the theory that drawling extreme right-wing mumbo jumbo all originates from Roger Latchford, OBE (one can only imagine what that stands for!). Aren't you one of the little group of extremists who always try to suggest that anyone taking a stance AGAINST your right-wing views is John Worrow? Aren't you obsessed with "naming" bloggers about whom you have - when ensconced in your cosy attic wearing your Miss Marple gear - pieced together bits of information? Aren't you obsessed with trying to suggest you know who certain bloggers are, and telling tales on your favourite blogs? In the circumstances, I don't think, dear Tommy, that you are in any position to use your catapult to pelt others with pebbles. So put it away, there's a good person, and go and ask one of your Johns to give you permission to reply.
ReplyDeleteI bet one of them will refer to "anonymouse". That's such a giggle.
anonymouse 10:30 pm
DeleteYou are the Manston Aquifer Man and you are a buffoon.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Easter Greetings and I hope that you enjoy the rest of yours.
Sorry, Holyer, you're wrong as well as being persistently offensive.
ReplyDeleteAnonymouse 11:05pm,
DeleteThe only skill you have ever developed is the art of being obnoxious.
You know nothing about me, Holyer, so your observation is worthless. And I think for you to label anyone else as obnoxious is far funnier than your occasional attempts at humour. Whatever, if your thuggish language and attitude on here is the basis for your apparent superiority comes, then...oh dear...
ReplyDeleteAnonymouse 8:56 am,
DeleteI know this about you. Take the lies out of you, and you'll shrink to the size of a mouse; take the malice out of you, and you'll disappear.
Anon, a bit of light hearted banter is surely nothing to get all wound up about and, after all, it was you that kicked off with the Beverley Sisters comment. What I find really hypocritcal from someone quick to label others as offensive is your constant references to age, which in itself is an 'ism' these days. We all grow older and quite what constitutes decrepid escapes me. One is too old for gymnastics by 20, competetive swimming by 30, football and boxing 35, if you haven't made your first million by 30 you probably never will and so on. At the other end of the scale, some people climb mountains at 70 and write a best selling novel in their 80s. Some, on the other hand, are just miserable because they cannot come to terms with their advancing years and so they make perpetual references to the age of others.
DeleteYou take your pick.
Thank you for the holiday weekend humour, Holyer. Your thuggishness does make me smile.
ReplyDeleteYou fool nobody, Anon, for John Holyer gets right up your nose and your pathetic attempts at making light of his comments fail miserably. Tom Clarke wipes the floor with you and don't even attempt to take on John Hamilton for he is well out of your league.
DeleteAnonymouse 10:14 am,
DeleteI am delighted to hear that you are grateful for my humour, one does one's best. A word of advice old chap, don't you think that you are rather overdoing your use of the epithet thuggishness to the extent that it has lost its meaning. Actually it's meaningless anyway. For I cannot find the word 'thuggishness' in the dictionary; but 'thuggish' is there. Never mind, take no notice of me. I know that you have a lot of well-wishers - they'd all like to throw you down one.
John Holyer, Allan Mallinson, Tom Clarke, John Hamilton... what a curious and rather distasteful little playground gang, occasionally bolstered by Ren Wood. I have no doubt that the long-out-of-sight Nora Batty would have been number 6 in the line-up were she still around. It is good that you 4/5/6 take yourselves seriously, at least. I guess you even snort approval at each other's thuggish (does that suit you better, Holyer?) and boorish behaviour every time one of your posts appears.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Holyer, you must have a very large bowl (no extra "e" before you complain) if your alphabet soup forms an entire dictionary. I'm impressed.
My, my, Anon, how do you live with your wit? Fancy discussing the make up of alphabetic soup, the mind boggles.
DeleteAnonymouse 3:27 pm,
DeleteYou are using some of words that I taught you. Still, there is nothing wrong with you that couldn't be cured with a little Prozac and a Polo mallet.
Wow, I raised NB from the dead. Clearly this resurrection game isn't so difficult after all. As for you, Holyer, well keep on laughing at yourself.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder people are reluctant to take part in all this.
ReplyDeleteChristine
But, Christine, they are taking part which is why this blogsite gets dozens of comments and your Thanet Watch one is lucky if it gets a couple.
DeleteChristine,
DeleteWhich people, in what are they reluctant to take part and how do you know this?
She doesn't know, John, she just pops up with her fool comments now and again, but please do not expect a debate. That is not her style.
Delete