Ramsgate High Street

This picture of Ramsgate High Street circa 1910 on the right the building with the decretive lamps outside is Sanger’s Amphitheatre and Hotel opened in 1883 and was later in 1908 converted to The Royal Palace Theatre by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham it was later used as a cinema, it was mostly demolished in 1961 to make way for Fine Fare, now Argos, what an act of vandalism.

Designed by A. Latham of Margate and erected by Denne Bros. of Walmer, the amphitheatre could seat 1,620.

Architectural disaster

Having just discovered the very interesting Margate architecture blog where the latest posting is related to what was demolished to make way for Argos, Somerfield and Iceland in Margate I thought I would post something about what was on the site of the Ramsgate Argos. I have taken the illustrations above from my publication Ramsgate & Broadstairs by Camera and Pen by J Bavington Jones which was first published in 1904.

I was astonished that that the grand Sanger’s Hotel and Sanger’s Amphitheatre (pictured above) was demolished in 1960 to make way for the supermarket (Fine Fare) now Argos.

It is a sad that the supermarkets and chain stores have, over the last 50 years, caused so much damage to the Thanet towns, both by their developments and eventual closures.

The word that comes to mind here is parasite, feeding of the host town until it's dead and then moving out of town.