Thanet and the general election and how the two main parties are using the internet.

As I suppose everyone must know 2010 is to be an election year when we elect our MPs and I am wondering, as a floating voter where I will put my X.

As I see it the electorate in the UK is segmented into two main groups, those who always vote for a particular party and therefore really make no difference and those who don’t and therefore have to make some sort of decision.

The decision making group then further segment into those who live in constituencies that are so dominated by one party that their vote makes no difference and those like Thanet South, where the votes of those of us who don’t always vote the same way actually have some effect of what party eventually governs the country.

I haven’t worked it out but suspect that people who fall into this group are probably in the order of 10% of the electorate.

It’s a peculiar system and one that seems to encourage a lot of the electorate not to vote, but it is the system that we have and with the election looming the only one we have to use.

Here there is also the Thanet factor, which is a sort of mixture of the following:

Considerable disaffection with the local Conservative council administration.

A relatively strong internet community the political part being mostly blog based, seemingly stronger than any other area in the southeast and something that already has an effect on conventional local media.

Presumably this must have some sort of effect on how local people will vote here in Thanet, in fact I think it would be fair to say that this election will be more effected by the internet than any other, so in the first instance I though I would have a look to see how the main political parties were web wise.

So to start with local Labour and Conservative associations and election candidates websites and blogs.

Labour first

The local Labour association website.

Top ranking on Google for the phrase “Thanet Labour”

http://www.thanet-labour-group.org.uk/

This website seems to have last been updated in 2008, it has no feeds so there is no way that anyone can subscribe to, nor is any way I can put some sort of live updating link on this blog so you can see if it ever gets updated.

Next the Thanet South MPs site http://www.stephenladyman.info/

Fifth ranking on Google for the phrase “Thanet Labour”

This is a very sophisticated website with feeds (updates appear on my sidebar) KIA survey on the homepage, video hosted on site with some linking to social networking via facebook.

A bit of a deeper delve suggests that despite this being a sophisticated and expensive site the last press release went up last October. The sidebar announces: Whats new this week - 28/4/08, also a bit peculiar.

Interestingly this site has a place where people can leave comments at http://www.stephenladyman.info/ft_have_your_say_f10d7a59-ba0e-2054-e1a5-a819cdee611a a couple of thoughts here, first I find it quite strange that no one has commented here since April 2009 and second this is quite a bold move by any MP, so please don’t abuse it as we are better of with it than without it.

Thanet North Labour candidate

Seems to have a non existence web presence.

The local Conservative associations

North Thanet Conservative Association http://www.ntca.org.uk/

Second ranking on google for the phrase “Thanet Conservative”

This site is nothing but a holding page for the url the main link is directed at the North Thanet MPs site.

South Thanet Conservative Association

http://www.stca.org.uk/

Third ranking on google for the phrase “Thanet Conservative”

This is a broken page that leads to a plumbing site.

Next Thanet North MPs site

http://www.rogergale.com/

Twenty first ranking on google for the phrase “Thanet Conservative”

No feeds and nowhere interactive.

The site seems to have last been updated on the 8th December 2009, the fact that the press release that I received on the 21st December and published on http://thanetpress.blogspot.com/ doesn’t seem to have appeared on his site yet suggests not being too internet savvy.

Next Thanet South Conservative candidate

http://telllaura.org.uk/

No feeds, I couldn’t find her email address either, contact form only.

The last press release published 25th November 2009 the last one I had was 4th December.

Having said all of this I should point out that it is only the two MPs sites that are likely to be funded by us via their expenses, I haven’t checked this out.

What I am getting at here is that the way the local politicians and political parties use the internet in the run up to the elections is very important.

Certainly the two local politicians who blog regularly do leave me feeling that I have something of their measure see http://birchington.blogspot.com/ and http://marknottingham.blogspot.com/ I am not talking here about agreeing of disagreeing with them but just about their willingness to communicate and tell us who they are and what they think.

There is also another factor here and that is some sort of measure of competence and efficiency, since most of what our MPs do is essentially what used to be called paper pushing and is now keyboard tapping, this is some indicator of how good they are at it.

Pinch and a punch it’s the first of the month and here is the Thanet blog chart.

Once again from this blogs web stats the number of people that come here by clicking on a link on another blog the only significant one not listed is Thanet Life as it has no live link to here.

This is not exactly a Thanet blog popularity chart but it is the nearest I can get to one the figures are for Absolute Unique Visitors.

eastcliffrichard.blogspot.com / referral 808
bignewsmargate.blogspot.com / referral 307
thanetstrife.blogspot.com / referral 172
marknottingham.blogspot.com / referral 134
thanetcoastlife.blogspot.com / referral 78
eastclifframsgate.blogspot.com / referral 69
planesoverhernebay.blogspot.com / referral 61
thanetunderground.blogspot.com / referral 42
billowrights.blogspot.com / referral 34
stopmanstonexpansiongroup.blogspot.com / referral 33
thanetpress.blogspot.com / referral 32
promotethanet.blogspot.com / referral 30
margatearchitecture.blogspot.com / referral 26
villagevoices.blogspot.com / referral 23
nakedinthanet.blogspot.com / referral 19
thanetblogs.blogspot.com / referral 16
thegreatdaktari.blogspot.com / referral 15
startmanstonexpansiongroup.blogspot.com / referral 14
thanetstar.com / referral 11
newingtonblogspot.blogspot.com / referral 8
thanetobserver.blogspot.com / referral 7

I always manage to miss someone please let me know if you spot one missing.

This gives you some idea of this sites usage during the previous month.
5,328 Visits
2,269 Absolute Unique Visitors
9,005 Page Views
1.69 Average Page Views
00:02:41 Time on Site
36.32% New Visits

This is from my new blog http://thanetpress.blogspot.com/ as it shows where this blog figures in all of this.

eastcliffrichard.blogspot.com / referral 307
thanetonline.blogspot.com / referral 158
thanetstrife.blogspot.com / referral 74
thanetcoastlife.blogspot.com / referral 24
eastclifframsgate.blogspot.com / referral 23
margatearchitecture.blogspot.com / referral 16
stopmanstonexpansiongroup.blogspot.com / referral 15
nakedinthanet.blogspot.com / referral 13
startmanstonexpansiongroup.blogspot.com / referral 12
billowrights.blogspot.com / referral 11
marknottingham.blogspot.com / referral 8
thanetobserver.blogspot.com / referral 6

1,152 Visits
617 Absolute Unique Visitors
2,078 Page Views
1.80 Average Page Views
00:01:10 Time on Site
53.56% New Visits

This blog doesn’t have links from all of the major local blogs but does give a different perspective.

I put it online primarily so that recent documents produced by Thanet District Council appeared in an organised and timely manner with proper feeds, something I hope the council will eventually manage to do for itself.

Feeds are very important as it is these that make the live links (recent posts on other blogs on my sidebar or sites like http://thanetblogs.blogspot.com/ work) this is very significant with the modern web as evidenced in that no traffic at all came from the static link on Thanet Life.

As far as I can see the council feels that it is tied up in too much red tape to just embed a blog on there website and let the council officers writing the documents have access to it which would be an easy and cheap solution.

Much of the problem here relates to the fact that for ordinary people IT and the internet has become much more usable and much cheaper, after all if you post a comment here you are publishing to the internet, something that not so long ago required specialist skills and considerable expense.

All you have to do is click on the comments link at the bottom of the post, put your comment in the box and click on “publish your comment” anyone can do so.

From the councils point of view there are many people both council officers and outside agencies that benefit in maintaining some sort of mystique around IT, quite simply if they allowed the modern user friendly and often free IT facilites to be used they would be out of a job.

Various council officers that I know tell me that the situation with TDCs IT is very bad indeed, with access to normal office equipment like scanners being almost nonexistent.

Anyway back to the statistics useful to me as this blog helps to promote my local history publications and bookshop two things I hope are beneficial to Thanet.

Of further interest to me are the statistics from my little used blog http://thanetblogs.blogspot.com/ as most of the local blogs don’t have a link to it there is no point in showing where the traffic comes from, however the way a very few people use it quite intensively is very different to how my other blogs behave.

312 Visits
51 Absolute Unique Visitors
447 Page Views
1.43 Average Page Views
00:06:12 Time on Site
16.35% New Visits

Devil Crab Velvet Crab Dead Crab

Just noticed this article click here to read on the IOTG website, is says that the dead crabs that have been washed up on our shores may have been killed by a virus and warns against picking them up.

As people on the blogs have been talking about them being killed by cold and even suggested eating them, I thought I should spread this warning, don’t hesitate to pass it on.

Buying books as Christmas presents

Customer feed back is suggesting that quite a lot of people coming into the shop would like books that I have in stock for Christmas.

Quite a lot of people would like local history books, either those published by me or those published by others that we have in stock and I am trying to think of ways to make this easier. Obviously people don’t want to buy a present for someone that has already got it.

I have published an up to date list of my own publications, so you can print it out and tick what you already have, click here for it after some experimentation I have found that it is easier to print out if you paste it into word first.

I don’t take conventional Book Tokens, which are the province of the full price bookshop world, I do however issue my own which can make useful presents.

THANET IN DANGER OF BEING “DEVELOPED TO DEATH” NEW “GREEN” DEAL FOR ISLE TO BE DEBATED IN RAMSGATE

This is a press release from The Independent Media Society, and I should add any local group who sends me stuff for publication will get my full cooperation. I looked at the various statistics and noticed the counter I put on the this site a few months ago has had a lot of hits and as it went up by about 2,000 last week, so I feel I have an added responsibility to the local community.

Pic. Norman Thomas

Thanet stands in danger of being “developed to death” and needs a new “green deal” to give people jobs without damaging the environment,

This is the controversial proposition which will be debated at a crisis meeting to be held in Ramsgate on Friday December 12 at 7.30pm at which Dr Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party will be the key speaker. Caroline Lucas is also a member of the European Parliament for the South East.

The meeting, called by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, will discuss the biggest environmental issues facing the isle including the China Gateway proposal, the giant greenhouse development Thanet Earth and the plans for Manston Airport.
Pic. Dr Caroline Lucas

Film-maker Norman Thomas who is chairing the meeting said: “Thanet is currently facing some of the biggest developments in its history, bringing huge amounts of building and extra traffic.

“We run the risk of losing hundreds of acres of green space and prime farmland.

“If these developments go ahead, they will change the face of the isle forever, with incalculable consequences for all the people living here now and for generations to come.”

Mr Thomas added: “We’ve got to debate these issues now and look at the alternatives. We all want jobs, but will these projects really bring jobs in any significant numbers? Many fear we will simply find ourselves in an over-built, traffic-congested mess."
Supporters of the Green party argue that in the wake of the present national financial crisis a “new green deal” is needed which will mean the Government investing in providing “sustainable” jobs for the future.

Said Mr Thomas: “We’ve got to started exploring the options for new types of jobs in Thanet now. Rather than low-paid warehousing work, we’ve got to look at jobs which arise out of the natural assets of the area and the creative talents of its people.

“Anyone who is concerned about the future of the area should come and put their point of view.”

The meeting will be held at St George’s Hall, Broad Street, Ramsgate at 7.30 pm on Friday December 12th.

For more details telephone Christine Tongue on 01843 604253 or email
inmeds@yahoo.co.uk

New youth groups started in Cliftonville

This is a press release from TDC and I will endeavour to publish them as they come out in the future, two reasons one is that the YDC site has no feeds which means I can’t just add their site to the recent posts on the sidebar and the other is there is no where that one can comment on their press releases that others can view.

Two new youth groups, focusing on dancing and football, have been started in Cliftonville, with the help of a worker who’s funded by the Safer Stronger Communities Fund.

The Street Football club meets quarterly at the Quarterdeck every Monday evening form 7pm to 9pm and is aimed at those aged 11 years and older. Sessions are free and take place on the Muga (multi use games area) at the Quarterdeck area, which provides a safe area to play.

The Street Dance Troupe has free weekly sessions at the Quarterdeck on Friday evenings between 7pm and 8pm for 13 year olds and older. It’s also got a sister troupe that meets on Mondays at St. John’s Community Centre from 4.30pm to 6.30 pm for those aged four and over, with mums welcome.

Both groups are run by their own youth committee, meaning young people have a say in agreeing what the group does. The groups are supported by both the St. John’s NAG (Neighbourhood Action Group) which helps them to raise funds, and Beth Denning, the Community Cohesion and Development Officer for the Kent Refugee and Minority Support Group, who is funded by the Safer Stronger Communities Fund.

Beth says: “It’s great to be involved with such a great group of young people. The groups are growing from strength to strength, due to their enthusiasm and commitment.”

The two groups have received an enthusiastic response from the young people already taking part. Jamie, one of the three football coaches at the Street Football club, said: “I’m playing the game I love and I’ve had coaching training. It’s good to feel part of something.” Toni, one of the dancers at the Street Dance Troupe, says: “I love coming to Street Dance. I didn’t think I could do it, but the instructors are really cool and I’m healthier now”.”

To find out more about the two groups, contact Beth on 0779 222 6103.

The Isle of Thanet from Prehistory to the Norman Conquest

I have just received stock of a new book by Gerald Moody, paperback 192 pages, black and white illustrations throughout £17.99, published by The History Press.

This is what it says on it.

Deputy Director of the Trust for Thanet archaeology, Gerald Moody, has used all the most up-to-date and new archaeological evidence to produce the only book available about the history and archaeology of the Isle of Thanet.

The Isle of Thanet is located at the eastern tip of Kent and was once separated from the East Kent mainland by the Wantsum channel. With its unique position which made it part of a key trade route in the Romano-British period, the island has a long and diverse history. The Isle of Thanet explores that history from Prehistoric times up to the Norman Conquest, through the story of the rich and varied archaeological finds and a study of the key sites identified on the island, including Bronze Age Barrows, the Roman Minster Villa and Saxon monastic settlements. It also provides a historical study of the individuals and institutions that pioneered the exploration of archaeological sites on Thanet from the eighteenth century to the present day.

Local pollution maps and incidents

I am still trying to make a case that having a major industrial development on the most sensitive part of our underground reservoir is just plain stupid.

I am still waiting for replies from TDC and the environment agency related to the Sericol spillage.

My main point is that dense industrial estates have pollution incidents so should be nowhere near the water abstraction boreholes.

Click here for the pollution map of Thanet it’s an edifying experience and shows pretty clearly what I mean.

More pollution

I hadn’t realised how much pollution has occurred in Thanet until I looked at the pollution maps (previous post) and I would like to know about other incidents and people that have been effected.

Obviously I have been discussing local pollution issues with our politicians and Steve Ladyman mentioned one earlier today, he said.

You might want to investigate historic pollution of the site at Westwood were McDonalds is now. I have had reports in the past of chemical tanks on that site associated with old engineering works that were cleaned by workers who suffered chronic health conditions thereafter. I was never able to get proof but you may dig some thing up as when I heard about it many years ago we didn’t have a ‘blogsphere’ that could jog peoples memories and other than the recollections of a couple of workers from the site (one of whom had become very ill with symptoms that could possibly have been caused by chemicals but equally could have been caused by something else) I got no further.

Whitfield Tower Revisited

I did a post about this tower earlier in the month and had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I had read something about it in one of my publications. It was in fact in the 1831 publication The Picturesque Pocket Companion To Margate Ramsgate Broadstairs & Parts Adjacent by William Kidd with woodcuts by G. W. Bonner, Woodcuts being favoured for this sort of guide as they can be printed with a platen press and therefore included in the text rather than having to be tipped in after the book is sewed.

Click here to see what Mr Kidd had to say about it and to look at Mr Bonners cut.

I have two copies of the original guide in stock as well as the cheap reprint.

1816 picture of the tower that was near St Peters

If memory serves me right this tower was supposed to mark the highest point on the Isle of Thanet, the fact that it wasn’t actually on the highest point in Thanet only goes to show.

I thought it was one of the most attractive of the old prints that I bought today.

The early confused period in Thanet

One of the oldest historical accounts of The Isle of Thanet is that of William Lambarde in his Perambulation of Kent first published in 1570, I have copied the relevant pages from the 1826 edition for your amusement and edification.

Click here to read it