Old Ramsgate Pubs by Michael David Mirams first came out in
about 1980 as a fairly primitive booklet, I think the print run was in the high
hundreds, about 8, now it is a very scarce local item changing hands for about
£40, the second and revised edition was a limited edition of 200 copies, also
now a very scarce local item.
The new 3rd edition priced a £10 is a smart well
illustrated good quality large format paperback. It’s now the best source of
information on Ramsgate Pubs. This isn’t one of my own publications but I do
have it in stock in my bookshop in Ramsgate, I am pointing this out mainly
because I did have stock of the 2nd edition back when it came out
and fairly soon after it couldn’t be got easily or cheaply.
If you are interested in our pubs I strongly recommend
coming into the bookshop and having a good look at while it’s still about and
if you want it mortgage the mother-in-law or cat – although I probably can’t
say either for reasons of political correctness (I will take other books in
part exchange), in case it suddenly runs out.
I have been enjoying it today, my favourite quote is
"...in the reign of Henry VIII it became known as the Red Cow, after an
Auburn-haired girl that worked in the tap-room.” Something that is giving me
pause for thought about whether we always have the right illustration on modern
pub signs, especially where old pubs are concerned.
The snow today didn’t come to much here in Ramsgate and by
early afternoon the sun was shining so I went for a short walk to the seafront,
not much to report really, The Waterfront/Jazz Room bar wosisname seems to have
closed again, lots of building work noises coming from The Royal Victoria
Pavilion, Pleasurama still a deserted building site, the slipways working away,
the beach still washing away.
We had to go to Tesco at WC this evening and went to The
Range first which is showing signs of looking a bit sad and denuded, mid you so
was Tescos, it’s hard to nail really but I always used to find a bargain in the
artist’s materials range at the Range and used to get extra large packs of
stuff like cooking oil and tea in Tesco, but it wasn’t just that, perhaps not
as busy as shops of that size should be was part of it.
This may be just me being over sensitive to the feel of
these stores, but then I have concerns about UK retail being a shop assistant.
Outside Tesco the moon looked amazing afraid the mobile
phone photo just doesn’t do it justice.
Michael, in your first picture that of the Admiral Napier you will see my name on the sign, or rather that of a relative in my line. I lived in the pub for a while in the 50s when my grandfather was the relief manager.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I saw the picture, which is on the front cover of the new book I thought of you John and would have emailed you if you Hadn't picked it up.
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