A page from an old Thanet history book, a wander around Michael's Bookshop in Ramsgate with me and a visit to the town of Deal in Kent.

 

A couple of pages from a book called 1831 book “The Picturesque Pocket Companion To Margate Ramsgate Broadstairs & Parts Adjacent” by GW Bonner.

Picture from two different copies available here at Michaels Bookshop and Ramsgate. Our cheap reprint which I think is £6.99 or an 1831 original copy.

The picture will expand to readable size with bit of clicking or tapping depending on whether you are looking at this on copter or smartphone.

Next a video I made yesterday of a look around Michaels bookshop where I work in Ramsgate.

The idea here is to have something for people who are not familiar with the bookshop so they can decide whether or not it will be worth them coming to have a look.

Next we went to the town of Deal in Kent yesterday. This was mostly to buy some books from the Oxfam Bookshop there. But we did get out our mobile phones and take a few pictures which you can see here.

We had lunch at Acordo Lounge there which is part of the group that has the very good cafe on Ramsgate seafront called Perico Lounge. The same good quality and relaxed atmosphere in both places.

I also got out my paint and brushes and started painting a picture from there.

here is the link to the books that went in Michaels bookshop today

Lighting up Ramsgate in 1951

I think most of these pictures show "The Ramsgate Festival of Light" in 1951. This was done for the festival of Britain.

  

And this is a picture of Dinah Sheridan who did the turning on, of the illuminations that is, Festival of Britain 1951.. The following pictures are of people looking at the lights I think they were easier to photograph than the lights. 

On to 2025 the lights in Ramsgate are looking good, a bit wet and windy yesterday evening so a very short video 

Here in the bookshop we have just got most of the Christmas decorations up. 

I am very optimistic about the future of Ramsgate town centre as the council has made it one of the designated areas for High Street auction powers.

This means that the long-term empty shops in Ramsgate can be subject to rental auctions where the landlords have to rent out the buildings at the auction price. 

Obviously this hardly costs the council anything and should hopefully bring the town centre rents down to an amount that's related to the current town centre footfall.

That said, we sold about 100 books a day when I opened the bookshop here in 1987 and we still sell about 100 books a day now in 2025.

Here is the link to the latest batch of books to go out for sale at Michaels Bookshop in Ramsgate

Mystery Photos, The Art Of Bookselling, Yesterday's Answers

 Q 1 This was a purpose built building for a Thanet business, where is it, what was the name of the business and roughly when was it built?

Q 2 Which Thanet worthy lived in this house? you can add the name of the house date it was built, it was built for the Thanet worthy who lived in it, architect if you like, don't be shy at avin a go.

 Q 3 Roughly what date was this taken? The clue is the Clue

 Q 4 Where in Thanet

 Q5 Where in Thanet

Q 6 Where in Thanet

Another normal March day here at Michael's Bookshop in Ramsgate where I work, I keep expecting some sort of business slowdown but sales were considerably better than the second Monday in March 2019

 I have been plugging away at the new bookcases in our art book section, nearly finished now.

Header boards and labelling mostly today.

link to the photos of the books we put out today

Just realised I have been slacking on the Broadstairs front

So a page from the 1948 Broadstairs Guide which we usually have in stock.

The answers to yesterday's questions

 Bounty was moored in Ramsgate Harbour for five years this is her leaving leaving in March 1951

Granville tower is tall so between about 1870 and 1899
Clock house clock dial black so from around 1842 to 1881
Vulcan, an iron steam paddle tug of 140 tons (142 t), also built at Blackwall and delivered to Ramsgate in 1858
Best I can do is between 1870 and 1881

Coastguard station at Pegwell the dip to the right is where the lower decking to the hotel and pubs are now.