TheWeekender ‘CT LIFE AT ITS BEST’ www.the-weekender.net
ISSUE ONE / AUTUMN 2011 / FREE
Rockabilly Ravers
PLUS Best Kent Walks Autumn Spa Breaks Mark Gatiss on Vincent Price Upgrade your period home in style
Mama Mia! Thanet’s Little Italy Uncovered The Man Who Survived the Beat Hotel
TheWeekender contents Issue One, Autumn 2011
OUT AND ABOUT
9-15 It’s a Numbers Game: Dogs Just the Job: Canterbury Cathedral’s stone mason Rodin’s Kiss comes to Margate Latest race news from Folkestone Camber Sands Rockabilly Rave Marlowe Theatre opens Autumn spa breaks Christmas gifts from the RLNI
FOOD & DRINK
29-37 The Weekender visits Broadstairs’s own Little Italy and finds that there’s much more to the town than Dickens and candy floss
15 Local Hero: Peter Cushing by actor and horror fan Mark Gatiss
PEOPLE
16-18 Photographer Harold Chapman talks about pre-war Deal and living with the Beat Generation in 1950s Paris
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TALK
20-21 Professor Frank Furedi (University of Canterbury) argues the case for tolerance in an increasingly intolerant world
TALE
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23-27 An army of nearly 150 giant wind turbines lies off the north Kent coast. Are they an unwanted eyesore or a step in the right direction for Britain’s energy policy?
SPACE
39-44 A Georgian cottage gets a modern makeover and keeps its charm Six of the Best: Period homes
ACTIVITY
55-59 Why walking is good for everyone plus the best walks and rambles for CT dwellers Let’s Go: Walking
HEALTH & MONEY
60 Our resident experts offer their advice
CT DIRECTORY
61-63 Quality local businesses and services
MY CT LIFE
64 This issue: Polly Evans, BBC South East newsreader
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Publisher and editor Dan Synge dan@the-weekender.net 020 7062 0162
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TheWeekender Design Malvin Van Gelderen Contributors Mark Gatiss, Frank
Furedi, Ben Dickson, George Ramsay, Nikki Osman www.the-weekender.net
FOOD AND DRINK
The Real Italia The elegant seaside town of Broadstairs has its own Little Italy. Dan Synge investigates
T
urn off Broadstairs High Street towards the harbour, and on a warm sunny day you’d be forgiven for thinking that you have arrived in some exotic southern Mediterranean port. The heady smell of freshly fried seafood, oven baked pizzas and rich dark espresso wafts up Albion Street and if you are wise enough to enter the Osteria Pizzeria Posillipo at number 14, you will be treated to the some of finest Italian food this side of the Alps. Owner and manager Vincenzo Esposito was born and raised in Naples but has been running the restaurant since 1994 alongside partner and fellow Neapolitan Espedito Tammaro. Although the pair have since opened other Osteria restaurants in Canterbury and Faversham, the business remains a real family affair and the food as authentically Italian as you will find anywhere.
Originally they intended to open their first venture in London, but luckily for those living in the East Kent area, they plumped for the seaside charms of Broadstairs. “We wanted somewhere where we could relax and run a typical southern Italian kitchen,” explains Vincenzo, “and of course there are lots of fresh ingredients here from fish to asparagus, cauliflower, fresh basil and parsley.” At the height of the summer season, they serve up to 600 meals a day – all from a tiny kitchen below stairs. There’s also a wood burning pizza oven that has room for 11 pizzas at a time. Signature dishes such as grilled sea bass and linguine Posillipo (pictured here) are repeatedly ferried up from the heat of the kitchen to the restaurant’s cool spacious terrace overlooking Viking Bay With the blue sea in front of you, it’s easy to imagine that you could be somewhere on the Amalfi Coast. According to Vincenzo, the secret of southern Italian cooking is its pure ingredients, whether that’s fresh fish, garlic or herbs. And unlike stodgier northern Italian dishes there is a distinct Arabic influence due to the area’s proximity with Sicily and the north coast of Africa. “I grew up in Naples in a small block of flats where my mother was always cooking,” he says. “In a place like this you can smell everyone’s sauce being made and you realise the best food is made with the simplest ingredients.” Around the corner on Victoria Parade is another Broadstairs food landmark with similarly impressive Italian connections. Established back in 1932, Morelli’s café was one of the first to introduce creamy cappuccino to the UK. Most visitors come for the ice cream or tempting desserts and sundaes, although the coffee isn’t bad either. The interior is as retro as its legendary knickerbocker glory (pictured here) and
features a very kitschy, cream padded bar. There are Lloyd Loom white wicker chairs, port-holesized colour slides and a bizarre swirly ceiling mount. Almost all the fixtures and fittings date back to the 1950s. Morelli’s also have 25 other shops all over the UK including an ice cream sundae bar at Harrod’s, yet they say that the best is in Broadstairs. If you walk back down towards the promenade, you’ll find Chiappini’s self-service restaurant and coffee bar. The Chiappini family didn’t arrive in Britain until the 1960s and indeed Chiappini senior worked for the Morelli family before deciding to open his own establishment. Another local Italian family, the Marchesi brothers used to own the Royal Albion Hotel, so until recently, three Italian businesses coexisted just a few metres away from each other without so much as a spilt cassata cornet. Chiappini’s is a good place to have lunch – it serves freshly-made pasta and salads, and you won’t have the inconvenience of paying first then standing in a queue before handing a chit to the catering assistant, as is the custom in Italy. On a sunny day, you simply grab your coffee, sit at a table on the promenade and watch the human traffic pass by. La dolce vita isn’t as far away as you think
The List: Broadstairs Eating Osteria Pizzeria Posillipo, 14 Albion Street, www.posillipo.co.uk, 01843 601133 Morelli’s, 14 Victoria Parade, www.morellisgelato.com, 01843 862500 Chiappini’s 1 The Parade, 01843 865051 Tartar Frigate 37 Harbour Street, www.tartarfrigate. co.uk, 01843 601636
an Job Opposite page: Seafood linguine and a Morelli’s dessert. This page (from right): Espedito Tammaro in his kitchen; the terrace at Osteria Posillipo; pizzas to go
Shops and Markets Arrowsmiths Great for quirky designer gifts and fashion ideas. York Street, 01843 865291 Bay 158 Cards and books galore from this smart town boutique. 158 High Street, 01843 860688 Bottleneck This reputable independent trader has an excellent range of wines and spirits.
7/8 Charlotte Street, www.bottleneck.co.uk, 01843 861095 JC Rook and Sons The best cuts of meat in town. Especially good on sausages, game and pies. 1 High Street, 01843 862813 Don’t Miss A movie at The Palace Cinema on Harbour Street, often mistakenly called ‘the smallest cinema in the UK’. Go for an ice cream afterwards. www.palacebroadstairs.co.uk, 01843 865726
Staying Over The Royal Albion Hotel A top spot to rest your head and with great views over Viking Bay. The rooms have recently had a modern revamp by the owners Shepherd Neame, and there’s an impressive menu in the downstairs restaurant. Prices from £80 (double/twin room) www.albionbroadstairs.co.uk, 01483 861509 For further information visit www.visitbroadstairs.co.uk
SPACE
Back To The Future Can a tiny Georgian cottage meet the demands of contemporary living? New house design team Settle are convinced it can
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hen publisher and would be property developer Martin Wharton came across a two bed terraced cottage whilst strolling the back streets of Walmer, he saw its promise at once. Having bought the property at the end of 2009, he spent just 12 weeks renovating the house from top to bottom and is currently on his third development in the Deal area. Luckily for him, this outstanding example of a late Georgian cottage, thought to be built for dairy workers (the dairy was directly behind the property) boasted many attractive period features. Those which he immediately set about restoring included its narrow winding staircase, original wood paneling in the sitting room and the old brick fireplace. “It was the perfect project to cut my teeth on; the house was a manageable size and had lots of potential,” recalls Martin, who has since left the world of publishing to start Settle, a company specialising in house design and project management. Settle’s philosophy is about working with great consideration for the character and feeling of a house, adapting it to create a home for the way we live today whilst maintaining a period building’s individuality. He explains: “My pet hate
is newly renovated property that follows a generic formula rather than one that’s unique to the house and the people who live there.” This character-filled cottage reflects the approach perfectly, and all the conveniences associated with modern living are integrated seamlessly and thoughtfully into the fabric of the building. Storage, meanwhile, is well planned and maximised to ensure that ‘living the dream’ is a reality for the home’s new owners. “We believe in peeling back the layers, rather than ripping out the heart of a house,” adds Martin. “We also believe that the tiniest details can make the biggest difference, so we try to work with suppliers who share the same attention to detail.” Making a 200-year-old property fit for the demands of contemporary living can of course be a challenge, but this is what drives Martin. He says: “There’s an enormous
amount of satisfaction, not to mention responsibility, involved in restoring and adapting a property like this. It’s now ready for the next generation, and many more to come.” Not all aspects of the house appealed to Martin’s taste, however, and at the back of the property there was what he describes as “a hideous 1970s extension”. His solution was to which he clad it entirely in shiplap timber which he painted a nostalgic, seaside cream. “It helped soften the look of the outside and allowed it to integrate with the original house,” he says. The interior reflects the same attention to detail and awareness of history applied to the fabric of the building. For instance, the hand built kitchen has a natural un-fitted look, even though it is fully equipped with everything you’d expect from a kitchen today. Where new materials were necessary, they were selected for their natural and enduring qualities; a flagstone floor complements the restored wide floorboards seen elsewhere in the house. They say that a home can tell us a lot
Pics from far left clockwise: It’s all in the details; vintage finds; the cosy kitchen/diner; trad storage; the bathroom gets a makeover
about its occupants, but this home also tells us that period houses can support a contemporary lifestyle with a nod to the past that allows you to close the door on some of the stresses and strains of modern life. All that’s left is to light the fire and open some wine. www.settlehomes.com
How to adapt a period home Georgian and Victorian homes don’t always suit the needs of modern home makers. Here are some top tips to bring them up-to-date. 1 Prioritise your budget Spend your money wisely, starting with the fabric of the building before committing to the finish – there’s no point in worrying about the colour of the living room walls if the roof’s leaking. 2 Maximise storage Modern living demands different requirements to those of our ancestors, so draw up a list of everything, not forgetting that you’ll need a home for the vacuum cleaner and ironing board too! 3 Plan the electrics 21st Century living demands a lot of power. Sockets inside cupboards can help you hide audio-visual equipment and maintain a period look. 4 Lighting Lamps work well for living rooms, especially where there are low ceilings. Ones collected from antique shops and markets will create a more individual look and save you money on expensive fitting. 5 Make it home Piles of books look incredibly homely and warm. Mix with vintage finds to create a comfortable, lived-in look – that’s the difference between home and a show-home.