Another day out looking at books and buying a few, this one
didn’t come to much and having meandered easterly along the north Kent coast I
arrived in Herne Bay and was soon finished with the book business.
I should stress that those who remained in my bookshop put
in a fine days work, local history books printed, our new publication about
Thanet Benchmarks should be available in my bookshop on Monday, the printer
that prints the book covers has been replaced and last but not least here are
the books that went out on the shelves today http://michaelsbookshop.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/goosebumps-horrorland-in-bookshop.html
The Clock House in Herne Bay, like so many of the more
interesting structures in Kent has been rubbished by Newman sic Pevsner in
Penguin’s famous Buildings of England series, to the extent that it is worth a
journey to Herne Bay just to see it.
Here is what he has to say:- “By Edwin F. Dangerfield, 1837.
Portland stone tower of four stages, raised on seven steps. The inept design is
instructive: the classical vocabulary thus debased was ripe for attack. Square
round stage, with Greek Doric columns in threes at corners: then a stage with
Corinthian columns in the same scale, which means that they look absurdly big.
After that Mr Dangerfield hurriedly finished off with a pedimented cube and an
octagonal domed top.”
One of the first and one of my favourite clock towers and
worthy of Newman’s attentions, academic snobbery, intellectual tripe, classical
absurdity of Porterhouse proportions, “beam me up Scottie”.
Allthatsaid the pale stone against the pale sky makes it a
beast to draw using only watercolour paint, it think this is my third attempt.
Watercolour sketch of Herne Bay Clock Tower from
Wetherspoons, took about an hour and a half, Wetherspoons providing two cups of
tea, an excellent salmon salad and chocolate fudge cake, extending the time to
a very pleasant two hours.
Had I the time I would travel the county of Kent painting the charming buildings rubbished by our overly zealous and misguided leader of architects. But hey what a wonderful guide for Men of Kent, Kentish Men – Women of Kent, Kentish Women and even a DFL in 1965 like me it is. Isn't it?
