The Turner Contemporary

On this subject I am getting two conflicting messages, most of the media and comments on the various blogs seem to be all for the new design, but most of the people I speak to seem not to be so keen.

Personally I think it’s a very ugly design that is completely out of harmony with its surroundings and have great doubts about how recycled glass cladding will weather in that windy salt sprayed environment.

It is as though the architect completely ignored the surrounding buildings the sweep of the coastline and the harbour, in essence ignored Margate. To say that its shape represents sails suggests certain unfamiliarity with things nautical.
I am suggesting a more familiar design that is more in harmony with the Droit House, see picture above.

Click here for some other peoples views on the subject

Moaning Minnie Thanet's Civil Defence Sirens

Moaning Minnie Thanet's Civil Defence Sirens
By Steve Moore and Alan MooreThis is the latest publication out today, an enjoyable interesting well researched book which I imagine many of you will be looking forward to reading. Click here for more about the book and to view sample pages

Occasional Ramsgate Writings By Donald G Long

It gives me great pleasure to publish Don Long’s new book this week.

Introduction

Love the town in which you dwell, as you do, too – don’t I love Paris and London, though I am a child of the pine woods and of the beach at Ramsgate
Vincent Van Gogh

Indeed many of you love the town in which you live. I love Ramsgate – to me a very special place, with buildings to delight the eye – residents of great interest – and some important events, which have helped to shape the history and character of our town and the country.

This series of articles will I hope interest and inform you the reader, and that you will enjoy reading them as I did writing them.
Don Long

The articles are

HERESON AND HOLLICONDANE
A Tale of Long Ago

MOUNT ALBION HOUSE, RAMSGATE

SIR MOSES MONTEF10RE (1784-1885) EAST CLIFF LODGE AND RAMSGATE

THE FOUNDING OF THE MONTEFIORE SYNAGOGUE, RAMSGATE, 1833

ST PAUL'S CHURCH
KING STREET, RAMSGATE

THE SAN CLU HOTEL, RAMSGATE

HERESON SCHOOL, RAMSGATE
1909-1959

CHATHAM HOUSE COLLEGE
1797-1917

I have published the article about THE SAN CLU HOTEL, RAMSGATE as a sample click here to read it.

Thinking of the week a whole perhaps the best bit has been Simon’s pictures of Havana

link

Dover castle

We went to Dover castle this week, seeing a successful heritage site I am very conscious the a combination of Ramsgate Harbour, some interesting historic vessels, the maritime museum and the Ramsgate tunnel system, the main line part of which is big enough to display substantial historic items, could all be used to a lot better.

Anyway so much for the gripe you can click here if you want to see the pictures.

Ramsgate's answer to Turner and Tracey

As the new Turner centre plans have been revealed I thought it appropriate to feature Bob Simmonds book Ramsgate's answer to Turner and Tracey if it interests you click here for some of the books content.

The publicity and controversy generated by the proposed Turner Centre at Margate, and the recent book and film about Tracey Emin's childhood there, have given the impression that these are the only famous artists ever to have lived in Thanet. This book attempts to correct this by looking at the many artistic, creative and significant people who have lived in the neighbouring town of Ramsgate.

The first chapter provides information about the local connections of a whole range of people - from Saint Augustine to Jackie 'Mr. TV' Pallo and from Karl Marx to Frank Muir - with lengthy looks at Queen Victoria's childhood visits and the holiday stays of Marx and Engels.

The significant local figure of Sir William Curtis, his relationship with George IV, and his influential role in the transportation of convicts to Australia, is then examined, with new research from Australia which casts the great Baronet in a less than favourable light.

A chapter is devoted to each of the more well-known artists who have worked in Ramsgate, including William Frith, James Tissot, Vincent Van Gough, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and the Pugins - with reproductions of their local pictures where possible, and a humorous modern-day version where not.

The architectural remains of the fishing industry, and of the army's presence in the town during the Napoleonic wars, provide an insight into these two periods, and extracts from the letters of an army officer's wife give an interesting glimpse into the social whirl that made Ramsgate very fashionable at that time.

A stroll along the eastern cliff is provided in order to look at places where other notable people have lived whilst in the town. These include Albion Place (visited by Queen Victoria and Jane Austen), Wellington Crescent and the Plains of Waterloo (Coleridge, Marx, Frith, Collins), the site of Truro Lodge (Professor Samuel Vince FRS), the Granville and San Clu Hotels (various), and East Lodge (Queen Caroline, Lord Keith, Duke of Wellington, Moses Montefiore etc,), and the latter's mausoleum and synagogue.

The book ends with details of other books, websites and organisations that can provide more information about the characters mentioned.

THE MONTEFIORE ENDOWMENT AT RAMSGATE Charity 230919

On of my customers drew my attention to the above notices, Moses Montefiore set up an endowment trust to protect the synagogue in Ramsgate where he and his wife are buried and to protect the land surrounding it so that it remained quiet and peaceful.

Not being lawyers but both being wary of public notices it seemed a good idea to draw people’s attention to them.

Notices published
Jewish Chronicle 12.10.2007
KM extra 26.10.2007

Reflections on the secondhand book trade publications

Looking at the secondhand book trade publications today I noticed a couple if things of a more general interest.

The first is that “Wiltshire County Council has been disposing of good books to a landfill site. It was disclosed this morning in a local newspaper that Wiltshire County Council has sent some 300 children's books to the waste tip - and some are in near perfect condition. Local tax payers may well ask questions, as is their right, but this action will doubtless anger most members of the secondhand book trade who were not asked to bid - including those `charity shops' who would have loved to get their hands on such stock for next to nothing”.

Ed. It would be interesting to know what Kent County Council do with excess stock.

The second “the massive firestorms (all 16 of them) that are raging across the western states tonight, it will difficult to grasp the colossal impact and losses both to property and residents. Our sympathies to all those affected.

There was bound to be massive losses if only because of the sheer size of the affected areas. One of the first to be reported, is a unique collection in Malibu of Elvis Presley memorabilia. The owner only had time to grab one major item before she fled - his army uniform. Lilly Lawrence told the American press that 32 original movie scripts with Presley's personal annotated notes and original song sheets had been lost.
It is sad that this will not be the only loss of unique archives, books, ephemera and memorabilia.”
Finally Christie's in London recorded today a world record price for J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: an exceptionally rare first edition that realised £19,700.