Issue 1 - Winter 2018/19 Issue

RAMSGATE Winter 2018 - 2019

1

RECORDER

Modern-day Seaside Stories

FREE

HARBOUR SOUNDS

THE HOTLIST

SCREAMING ALLEY

SLEEP & EAT

Ramsgate’s musical movers and shakers

All the events you won’t want to miss

Meet the lady behind the cabaret

Where to tuck up and tuck in this winter

02.11

CHASE & STATUS

23.11

REEF

30.11

RIDE

01.12

MATT JAM LAMONT

08.12

SIGMA

15.12

BASEMENT JAXX

15.12

BAD MANNERS

31.12

PENDULUM

01.02

BEANS ON TOAST

08.02

BRUTUS GOLD’S LOVE TRAIN

15.03

DUB PISTOLS

+TURNO

+ BROKEN WITT REBELS

UNPLUGGED 30TH ANNIVERSARY ACOUSTIC TOUR

‘HISTORY OF GARAGE & BASS’ + DJ LUCK & MC NEAT

DJ SET - PRESENTED BY SOUTHBEATS

DJ SET + THEO KOTTIS

+ MAX SPLODGE (SPLODGENESSABOUNDS)

DJ SET - NEW YEARS EVE SPECIAL

‘A BIRD IN THE HAND’ TOUR

THE GREATEST DISCO SHOW IN THE WORLD

LIVE + SPECIAL GUEST

Music events all year-round

DREAMLAND.CO.UK Book tickets now

3

ramsgate recorder

1

Welcome to our first issue!

From the Editor Helen Pipins

Contents 4

The Hotlist - the coolest events this winter

5

Winter News - the best openings and happenings this season

Gemma’s Jaunts - a dose of Ramsgate life from a lady about town

6

Harbour Sounds - we meet the talented musicians who call Ramsgate home

10 Music News - a round-up of what’s happening and who is making it happen 12 In the Mix - the creative community in the heart of town 15 Acting Out - meet the Screaming Alley cabaret founder 17 To Rock in a Hard Place Project Motorhouse; an icon with an uncertain future 18 Where to Tuck Up and Tuck In places to stay and eat this winter 20 Ramsgate Plaques - the fascinating story of the famous people who came to stay 22 Pie Factory Music - the youth community music centre that is getting it so right

Contact

F

inally, we have arrived. Ramsgate Recorder, sister title of the Margate Mercury, is here to celebrate Ramsgate as a place with its own distinctive stories to tell.

It’s been such fun putting this issue together and meeting truly inspirational people from across the town. It may be a little music-centric, but in all honesty as a first issue we feel blessed to have had the choice. Without trying, Ramsgate has become the centre of a vibrant musical universe.

Our cover star Adrian Sherwood is not only a music producer legend in his own right, but has also been instrumental in bringing a lot of the big guns down here.

If you talk music to anyone, he is the first name to roll off their tongue. We get his take on Ramsgate’s thriving scene (page 11).

What I found truly enlightening was the support that all the musicians gave to each other. That everyone cared so much as to how they could help in any way. Be it a song, a riff or a couch to kip on. Their generosity of spirit was inspiring.

That ethos is, I guess, what binds us all together here - making a small, almost forgotten town with an enormous history come back to life, by heartfelt goodness and by creating a community that cares about what happens next.

Discover how to Give Something Back to Ramsgate

Issue One, Winter 2018 / 2019 (November to January)

Front cover Adrian Sherwood, producer and founder of On-U Sound,

by Benjamin Bowles

Helen x

Thank you to our Kickstarter backers!

Ada Helin • Ben Edmonds Chris Pitchford • Daisy del Renzio & del Renzio Architects Jess Search • Jill and Robert Freeman Joanna Alpe • Joseph Dance Laura McCarthy • Mike Garner Naomi • Polly Coburn Sarah Barrett • Susan Dunn

@ramsgaterecorder ramsgaterecorder.com

Editor Helen Pipins Founder & Publisher Clare Freeman Co-Founder and Advertising Jen Brammer Design Lizzy Tweedale Sub-editor Ros Anderson Advertising Amy Braid Intern Georgie Hurst Print Mortons Print Advertising and distribution enquiries info@ramsgaterecorder.com

As well as looking to the future, we also make time to celebrate Ramsgate’s history, including the incredible Project Motorhouse (page 17) and the stories behind our wealth of Blue Plaques (page 20). Although music will feature in every issue you can be assured that future editions will also include all the cultural attributes that are part of the Ramsgate scene, including art, architecture and film, plus all the bits in between. This town has more than enough fascinating stories to keep you reading for some time to come.

I am so lucky to have inherited the Mercury team - led by Clare and followed very closely

by Ros, Lizzy, Jen and newbie Georgie.

Thank you for welcoming me to the fold and allowing me to begin a new journey with you.

And all of us are thankful to you, dear readers, for your support with both the Kickstarter campaign and for generally being as excited as us about everything that is going on in Ramsgate.

Please contact us at ramsgaterecorder@ gmail.com with your thoughts, opinions and ideas for what you would like us to include in our next issue. Keep in mind kindness is key, wherever and whoever you are. It’s free just like us!

ramsgaterecorder. com/helpramsgate

Contributors Writers Andy Malt Anna Bang David Frankel Gemma Dempsey Georgie Hurst Laura Nickoll

Visit our website to see more of the backers ramsgaterecorder.com/about-us

Published by the Ramsgate Recorder Ltd. Photographers Benjamin Bowles Sarah Fennell Illustrators Emma Falconer Jade Spranklen

© All rights reserved Copyright 2018 Ramsgate Recorder Ltd.

Winter Hotlist NOV

2 November 7 - 8.15pm The Obelisk, Harbour Parade rottenramsgate.weebly.com

Lunatraktors Margate’s ‘broken folk’ duo Lunatraktors return to Vinyl Head, fusing folk music with body percussion, harmonic singing, tap-dance and live looping 2 November 7 - 10pm Vinyl Head Cafe and Record Shop

Ramsgate Handmade & Vintage Fair

DEC

Enjoy an array of artisan goods, handmade produce and food stalls

Annual Christmas Fair

Hear modern folk songs from this Irish alt-folk and electronica artist

An exhibition presenting research on job opportunities in the Heritage Industries from students at Chatham and Clarendon Grammar and the Royal Harbour Academy

25 November 11am - 5pm

An afternoon of festive stalls and refreshments

15 December 9.30pm - 1am Dreamland

4 November 7.30 - 11.30pm

9 - 14 November 2 - 5pm

8 December 10.30am - 1pm

Ramsgate Music Hall

Silverland Studios, Ramsgate Royal Harbour

ramsgatemusichall.com

Art’s Cool Presents: Kagoule Alternative rock, with support from Gang and Inevitable Daydream

12noon - 4pm (switch on at 4.30pm) Ramsgate Town Centre visitkent.co.uk/ramsgate christmas-light-switch-on

8 December 7.30 - 8.30pm

Ramsgate Music Hall

elsewhere.community

ramsgatemusichall.com

8 - 16 December 4 - 10pm

Adam Beattie vs The Rail Abandon

Ride

Ramsgate Royal Harbour

9, 10 & 11 November

17 November 7 - 10pm

3 sessions per day at 11am, 2pm and 4pm Townley House, Ramsgate

Project Fear Screaming Alley presents a cabaret night Halloween/ Guy Fawkes special

Vinyl Head Cafe and Record Shop facebook.com/ vinylheadkent

Into Film Festival Free film screenings for 5 to 19 year olds. Including Phantom Boy, The Giant Pear, I Am Not a Witch and The Death of Stalin. Check website for further details

Natty makes his debut in Ramsgate performing his brilliant album Man Like I in its entirety 11 November 7 - 11pm Ramsgate Music Hall ramsgatemusichall.com

Ramsgate Illuminations Local boat owners and businesses decorate their boats and businesses with Christmas lights to raise money for Ramsgate RNLI

The Ramsgate Northern Lights Laser Show A light show visible around Ramsgate town and Harbour

30 November 7.30 - 10.30pm

8 - 16 December 4 - 10pm

Dreamland

ramsgatetown.org/thingsto-do

dreamland.co.uk

Precious Kent – Objects of Desire

Palace Cinema, Broadstairs

An exhibition by awardwinning jewellery makers and silversmiths based in Kent

intofilm.org/events/festival

30 November - 2 December

From 19 - 23 November

Small Boats Owners Club, Guildford Lawn

facebook.com/ramsgate illuminations

A performance from this revered Oxford quartet in Dreamland’s Hall by the Sea

Pie Factory, Margate preciouskent.wixsite.com/ objects-of-desire

Carols by Candlelight

21 December 7 - 8pm

Elsewhere, Margate

Adam and Sonny will be coming to Ramsgate as part of their tour

dreamland.co.uk

Bluefire Community Theatre presents Christmas Variety 2018.

An evening with songs, poetry, music, sketches and more. Tickets £10 door/ £8 advance.

30 November 7.30pm

An interactive space mission for 7 to 12 year olds by None Zero One

Enjoy a DJ set from Grammy award-winning electronic duo Basement Jaxx

An evening of festive stalls and refreshments

12 November 7.30pm

Natty - 10th Anniversary

screamingalley.co.uk

25 November

Basement Jaxx DJ Set

Christmas Variety 2018

A Manchester-based no-wave band with special guests

Vinyl Head Cafe and Record Shop

The Red Arrow Club, Ramsgate

Live music, stalls, mulled wine and much more

The Margate three-piece’s debut performance at the Music Hall, supported

by Lazy Pilgrims and Jimi Tormey

loopingtheloopfestival.org

3 November 7.30pm

Christmas Lights Switch On

St. Laurence Parish Church Hall, 33A High Street

Ground Control

3 November 7 - 10pm

facebook.com/ vinylheadkent

ramsgatearts.org/ project/artandcraft

Inevitable Daydream

3 November 10am - noon

A performance from this London-based folk singer-songwriter

Harbour Parade

tomthumbtheatre.co.uk

Head to Pegwell Bay for the monthly beach clean hosted by Guardians of the Deep

Brooke Sharkey

Art’s Cool Presents: DUDS

Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate

Beach Clean

guardiansofthedeep.org

visitkent.co.uk/ silverland-studios

7 November 7pm

facebook.com/ vinylheadkent

Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate

Georgie Hurst

Harbouring Hopes for Ramsgate

Seamus Fogarty

Historical Murder Town Trail – East Cliff A walking town tour to discover more about at least six murders that took place in East Cliff from 1859 to 1930

Compiled by

St George’s Church, Ramsgate, Church Hill

NYE: Pendulum DJ Set The ultimate New Year’s Eve party with a headline DJ set from drum ‘n’ bass DJ’s Pendulum 31 December 9.30pm - 2am Dreamland dreamland.co.uk

JAN Tour of St. Lawrence Church A fascinating free tour of this historic church where many famous people and royalty are buried 5 January 10 am - noon St. Lawrence Church, High Street

Lewis Parker

Warmduscher

The post-punk band play at Ramsgate Music Hall 14 December 7pm - midnight Ramsgate Music Hall ramsgatemusichall.com

A performance from arguably the greatest UK hip hop artist of all time 11 January 7.30pm Ramsgate Music Hall ramsgatemusichall.com

ramsgate recorder

NEWS

Winter News and Openings Writer

Georgie Hurst

A

fter a busy summer, buzzing with visitors old and new, the coming winter months will prove that there is more to this seaside town than its beaches and architectural gems. The sense of community spirit surrounding the regeneration of Ramsgate is cemented by the work of the Ramsgate ROAD (Residents One a Day) team, who each commit to picking up one piece of litter a day to keep the streets clean. Likewise, an exciting new addition to Turner Street is promising a host of opportunities for local people to learn new skills in a multi-purpose recording and rehearsal facility, The Music Hub, which is set to open officially in the new year. You can read more about The Music Hub in our interview with the owners (page 12). Next door, at the Ramsgate Music Hall, new management has taken the much-loved space to new heights, with an eye wateringly good line-up for

G

ma m e

Writer

Gemma Dempsey

’s Jaun ts

Illustration

Jade Spranklen

A dose of Ramsgate life from a lady about town

W

ithin 24 hours of getting the keys to my house in Ramsgate I was walking down Harbour Street dressed as a jellyfish. Yay! I’d found my tribe - or at least some fellow gelatinous zooplankton. This was to be the first of many weird and wonderful experiences I’ve come to enjoy as a Ramsgatian.

I’d never visited Ramsgate let alone Thanet

Courtesy of Malcolm Kitkaldie

winter, including reggae star Natty and hip hop artist Lewis Parker. Over on Addington Street, the new expansion of Vinyl Head also exhibits the town’s musical tendencies. The store, which celebrated its 4th birthday in September, now sells musical instruments alongside its ever expanding and impressive collection of vinyl. For all the foodies out there, there’s never been a better time to live in Ramsgate! Addington Street has welcomed newcomers Burro Burro, the brainchild of Ali Coco Epps and Tom Cawte (of Cheesy Tiger, Margate), an independent delicatessen and grocery store specialising in both local Kent produce and lesser-known items from around the world. In the near future, the shop aims to begin a pasta-making class for adults and kids, a Friday wine and cheese night, and an ugly veg box scheme. On Queen Street, Zest,

prior to making it my home. I’d moved back to the UK from Los Angeles in 2012 and knew Gemma’s Next Chapter wasn’t going to be in London. I lived in an area east of LA called Silver Lake – a funky neighborhood that I’d loved for its music venue (The Satellite) a coffee shop (Cafe Tropical) a street festival and an eclectic creative community. So where in the UK would I find a similar ‘hood?’ My friend Stephen Bass had bought in Margate and he invited me to attend the inaugural

By The Sea festival at Dreamland in 2015 Foals rocked the roller disco and I had my first spaceship ride in 30 years (half of which was spent bouncing along the bottom as I’d forgotten to pull back on the handle).

I was hooked! Six months later I’d found a lovely house, discovered the amazing Ramsgate Music Hall, the fab Vinyl Head Cafe, met an array of brilliant artists and community activists, attended the Ramsgate Festival (where yours truly donned Medusian tendrils) and joined in the swim.

Gemma’s Next Chapter had begun! Forget DFL - I’m DWR - Down With Rammers!

Here are some other bonkers experiences I’ve had over the last 27 months…

Attended not one but two encores by the hilarious half-naked singer and hot dog fan BA Johnston, both in the ladies loo at The

5

a new bistro and cocktail bar, has just opened its doors; or if you’re visiting the Ravensgate Arms, why not try Arya, a new restaurant above the brewery, run by Luke Crittenden (former head chef of Polpetto in London) and his brother Ben (owner of STARK in Broadstairs) that offers modern Europeaninspired small plates. Down on the seafront, the fourth branch of A La Turka has opened with a menu offering authentic Turkish cuisine, specifically dishes originating from Gaziantep, a city and settlement in Turkey’s south-eastern region. For all the caffeinefiends out there, Ramsgate’s local coffee aficionado Daisy Rollo (of Coffee Arabica) is offering the perfect opportunity to learn how to make your favourite brew with barista training courses at her home and for corporate events. Ramsgate also has a new escape room, Breakout, which hosts themed rooms for kids and adults to enjoy, as well as a kitchen run

by Brooklyn Diner, formerly on Broadstairs High Street. As Christmas is fast approaching, the town will be ablaze with the Christmas Lights Switch On in the town centre featuring Starlite performers on 25 November, the Ramsgate Illuminations and Northern Lights Laser Show taking place across the harbour from 8 to 16 December, as well as the annual Christmas Fair to get you in the festive mood at St. Laurence Church Hall on the 8 December.

Ramsgate Music Hall (me and about 30 others, all squeezed into ‘the jacks’ as my Irish mum would say); Wore an albumcovered cardboard box on my head as one of the extras on a video shoot for Humbi of Vinyl Head, filmed in Arco Barco. It was quite a challenge to dance in character (Mott the Hoople) especially when in proximity to a Moondog album head complete with horns; Been brilliantly entertained - and occasionally perplexed- by the fabulous Screaming Alley Cabaret (including the now legendary ‘Egg Woman’); Became immersed in glorious sound and vision in and around town as part of this year’s Festival of Sound; Discovered I really like craft beer - my first sampling at The Ravensgate was a powerful brew called Trench, leading me to declare the next morning ‘I’ve Been Trenched!’

Who knows where Gemma’s Jaunts will take me to next - perhaps I should consult my chimney sweep’s palm reading mother.

In the meantime I do know there’s rarely a dull moment to be had here, especially if you’re open to diving in, so come on down the water’s lovely!

“Gemma’s Next Chapter had begun!

Forget DFL I’m DWR - Down With Rammers! ”

Learn more about Gemma and listen to her on K2K Radio here mixcloud.com/GemmaDLALDN

6

ramsgate recorder

MUSIC

Harbour Sounds Writer

Andy Malt

Photography

Benjamin Bowles

Over the last decade, a steadily increasing number of successful and internationally-known musicians have built a close-knit community in Ramsgate. We spoke to some of them about the attraction of seaside living and having so many potential collaborators on your doorstep

“It could be the next music hub like Bristol or Brighton.

I think the future looks bright for Ramsgate” Graham Warnock, Serial Killaz “The first thing we remixed was one of Congo Natty’s tracks, and that’s kind of how I ended up moving down here in 2013 - meeting him to work on some stuff and falling in love with the seaside town. I’d always wanted to live by the sea, so when I came here I got a little flat with a sea view.

Then I spent my first winter in there and was like, er, no. I’m now one road back, so I can get to the beach in five minutes, but I’m that little bit protected.

There’s loads of musicians here, but it’s not being pushed to the level it should be yet. Over the years there’s been a gathering of people here, and I think it’s now starting to really become something cultural, which is bringing a benefit to the area. It’s a very supportive scene. There’s lots of different genres, people doing hip hop, reggae, jungle. Adrian Sherwood’s someone who I met down here who’s been very supportive to the area, keeping people linked and getting them together.

It helps the community.

The next stage is getting the council realising and supporting how much there is going on down here musically, because it could be the next sort of music hub like Bristol or Brighton. I think the future looks bright for Ramsgate.”

ramsgate recorder

MUSIC

7

Taz, rapper and producer “I’ve been in Ramsgate for about four years, back and forth. A woman made me come down, but then I realised that there was a support network of musicians here. People I would have never met if I was in London. Like Adrian Sherwood, Ashley Beedle, Duncan Mackay, Adamski, Congo Natty.

The music business is such a nasty, dreadful, lovely, colourful place. Being in Ramsgate I feel supported. It’s good to have these older musicians that have been there and done it to speak to me. It’s been an education. More than creating, I’ve just learnt from them. I couldn’t buy that education. All their different experiences.

Everybody has a different story to tell.

Ramsgate is a hub, man. It can only move on.

What they have schooled me about, I can pass on to somebody else. I bring the modern-ness to the table, and it’s good that they’ve facilitated my modern-ness and helped me move forward. That’s what I like.

There’s a lot of stars among the people who have been down here. The egos are going flat and it’s all about who’s got the talent. There is some of the dopest talent I’ve seen in my life.

That’s not me saying that the creatives that were here before are egotistical, but music should be an environment to bring your talent to the table. We’re all here in a small village, this ain’t Hollywood.”

“The music business is such a nasty, dreadful, lovely, colourful place.

Being in Ramsgate I feel supported”

Jo Wallace, producer, DJ and founder of Ramrock Records “I used to come down here in the early 60s with my mum and dad. Then my dad decided that he didn’t want to spend any more money on cheap day returns from Chatham, so we bought a house in Broadstairs. I established Northern Soul and scooter clubs down here in the late 70s. I moved away in the early 80s and have been all over the place. I moved back to Ramsgate in 2011 and I can’t see myself leaving.

Ramsgate has very powerful energy.

There is a force that draws you here. People are tired of everywhere else, and Thanet has always been the forgotten corner.

I promote Ramsgate actively; I always bring up Ramsgate, the music scene and everyone that’s involved. On a global level we’re important, but we prefer to be quietly chugging away in the background and not driving around in limos.

We all work together, and one thing leads to another. It’s incredible. It saves me having to get on a plane anywhere. I just say, “Right, I’ll see you round the corner at the Falstaff in five minutes.” There’s this very, very beautiful connection with people, and everybody gets it. There’s a real passion for putting good music back into the pipeline. There’s a DIY feel to it. It’s almost like punk.”

Matt Smyth, audio engineer and producer “I’ve been here since 2000. I’ve worked on a variety of projects with a lot of artists who have more recently moved down. The Music Hall’s a huge part of what’s being built here, and that’s drawn a lot of really good artists to the area to perform. It punches above its weight, no doubt about it.

In a way there’s two scenes. There’s the pub rock scene, but there’s all these artists that are making music. And there’s younger musicians coming up as well. It’s good all round, and it’s very diverse. It makes life very interesting.

Some of the artists that have worked in Ramsgate over the last two or three years are quite spectacular.

There are a lot of musicians actively working here. There’s a lot of studios.

It’s not a case of these people moving down and just commuting out. They’ve taken an active role, and they’re creating opportunities for people in the area.

It starts with networks. Adrian Sherwood moved down, and some other people connected with him followed. All these things add up. You could go to a pub here and meet other musicians. We’re talking world-class people. Someone comes to the area, has a look around, enjoys the sea, but then they’re meeting professional musicians. They see those people and think, “OK, I could live down here and work.” That’s the critical thing really.”

Adamski, DJ and producer

Image courtesy of Adamski

“I’ve been here about ten years. I was living in Berlin and felt homesick. Then I came to visit my dear friend Nigel Askew from the Queen Charlotte Pub and immediately fell in love with the place.

Personally, I like the proximity to London and I like the sea air and views.

It’s important for me to be able to connect with big cities like London in real time, because these days we have the technology to work on music anywhere. Also, it’s much harder to make a living from music now because of things like Spotify and YouTube, and the cost of living is slightly less in small towns like Ramsgate.

There are untold musicians and producers here. I probably know about half of them. People help each other out, guesting on each other’s projects and lending studio time, which is nice and community spirited. I’ve collaborated with a few local rappers and I helped on the Project Motorhouse music with school kids last year.

When I moved here there wasn’t Ramsgate Music Hall, which has put the town on the map. I’ve played there a few times live or as a DJ, and they’ve had many great acts down there. The summer seafront festivals can be fun, though it would be nice if more people knew they were going on.”

B-Ji Kundalini Yoga

A design-led lifestyle store and cafe offering a fresh approach to eating, drinking and shopping. Find us in one of the Military Road Arches, overlooking Ramsgate’s Harbour.

Available for events & private hire.

17 Military Road Ramsgate CT11 9LG Tel. 01843 580666

ni dali r n u K fo a is e g o Y ryon Eve ❣

archiveramsgate

Mondays from 6:00pm–7:30pm Tuesdays from 9:15am–10:45am Tuesdays from 7:30pm–9:00pm Wednesdays from 7:30pm–9:00pm at

17 Military Road, Ramsgate CT11 9LG

07932 574941 – bettina@b-ji-kundalini.com www.b-ji-kundalini.com B-Ji Kundalini Yoga

12-14 Cliff Street, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9HS www.delrenzio.com | post@delrenzio.com 01843 446 210

Full Architects Services Design & Planning Services Listed Buildings & Conservation Building Control Drawings Cross Disciplinary Design Sustainable Design

del Renzio & del Renzio Architects | RIBA Chartered Practice

10

ramsgate recorder

MUSIC NEWS

Compiled by Helen Pipins

Illustration

Emma Falconer

Leader of the band Celloman, the cellist discusses his favourite Ramsgate venues, helping young musicians and hanging out by the sea My music is... A fusion of styles including African, Middle Eastern, classical, jazz, pop and urban, fronted by the cello.

No one has been able to categorise Celloman properly. Not even me!

My favourite music to listen to is... Strangely, I don’t spend that much time listening to music as I’m always making music, either for myself or for the artists on Map Records, one of my labels. However, my taste in music is eclectic and I have tons of CDs. I listen to music at... I’m old school. I still like listening to CDs through a home system. The last album I listened to was a new reggae album by the artist Horace Andy, produced by Adrian Sherwood, who lives literally 30 seconds away from me.

I am fortunate to have played on three of the tracks. The album is released on Sherwood’s label, On-U Sound, in January and it’s wicked!

What's on your Ramsgate to-do list?

Well, I am mostly interested in presenting local original artists from my agency, so my aim is to get as many local venues on board to support this as possible. There are many who already have. The Queen’s Head, the Queen Charlotte, Albion House, The Green Tara and of course Ramsgate Music Hall. I hope to add to that list.

Do you have a favourite Ramsgate hangout?

I have friends who own 26 Harbour Street bar in town. I have a lot of respect for Ramsgate Music Hall and the bands that they have managed to attract to the area.

I usually do a Christmas showcase there once a year with my agency and they are most supportive. Last but not least: the sea. Aren’t we all here for that?

What made you move to Ramsgate?

I grew up in London, but moved here 11 years ago. Wow… doesn’t time fly! At a certain point, capital cities like London become too expensive for creatives to maintain a life-work balance, especially as most are self-employed. The move gave me breathing space to be creative.

What's your most memorable night out in Ramsgate? Hmmm. Difficult one. I have had so many good nights out as I put on so many gigs. It would definitely involve live music though.

What's the best thing about your job?

The thing that I love the most is travelling abroad and gigging. As both a session player and as an artist, I have traveled a lot. I love that life.

What advice would you give to young people hoping to break into the music business? I have spent so much time giving advice to young people, both as a music lecturer and also at my own academy. There is no single route to get to where you want, but you must be driven and have no plan B.

1

Upcoming projects in Ramsgate and beyond? I am working on a solo cello album that demonstrates a new style of cello playing that I call ‘Arpezzato’, which uses a variety of finger techniques imported from other instruments. I’m on the home stretch of the album and plan to do the release party at Vinyl Head. I am also about to release an EP from a really good young Ramsgate band called Shaving The Pineapple. I am biased as my son, who is 15, plays the drums in the band. They have been picked up by BBC Introducing and have done live radio on BBC Kent. So, going well.

If someone gave you to money to invest in Ramsgate, how would you leave your mark?

Five years ago, I started MAP (Musicians Artists Producers), which is a company dedicated to building a bridge from Thanet to the wider music industry for young musicians in east Kent. It is now an academy, agency, record label and entertainment business. It is certainly beginning to make its mark but investment would be well used as it has been a real labour of love and there is much to do. MAP also trades as a Community Interest Company, so definitely something for the area.

Lisa Says Lou Reed

2

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan

Curtis Mayfield

3

In the Name of Love Kenny Rankin 5

Punch Up at a Wedding Radiohead

ad inylhe bit.ly/v

9

Soul Drummers Ray Barretto

I.T.T

Fela Kuti 10

Nina

Hugh Masekela 6

8

The Albatross Rickie Lee Jones

4

Ballad of the Broken Seas

7

The Making of You

Do you Realize?

The Flaming Lips

11

Wake Up and Live Bob Marley & The Wailers

ramsgate recorder

MUSIC NEWS

11

André Dack from the Ramsgate Music Hall shares his must-see live music events for winter 02 / 11 Lunatraktors (Vinyl Head) The spellbinding indie-folk outfit return to Vinyl Head after performing at the grand opening of the record shop in September.

Set to be a special, deeply intimate show.

Writer

Helen Pipins

Photography

4 / 11 Seamus Fogarty (Ramsgate Music Hall) Combining folk and electronica Seamus Fogarty is one of Domino Records’ most innovative artists. Modern folk with great melancholy and humour. Essential!

Benjamin Bowles

Producer Adrian Sherwood has worked with reggae legends and top-flight acts.

He tells us why the wealth of talent based here is making Ramsgate’s music scene so vital

12 / 11 DUDS (Elsewhere) Art’s Cool brought DUDS to the area back in February, and it was one of the shows of the year. Now they return to play at Margate’s brand new venue Elsewhere.

I

’ve been down here for eight years now and I have run a label, On-U Sound, since 1980. We’ve worked with many great artists, from Sinéad O’Connor to Primal Scream to Depeche Mode. But my main love is Jamaican music, organising parties down here in Shanty Town which was one of our pop-up clubs, which I did with my friend Nigel Askew.

We have a world class community down here. There’s Congo Natty, formerly known as Rebel MC, Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald who played on all the Sugar Hill records like ‘The Message’. Then Adamski who did ‘Killer’ with Seal and Clem Bushay, a legendary producer of Lovers Rock.

We’ve also got Graham Warnock from the Serial Killaz, Duncan MacKay, a brilliant trumpet player who has played with Primal Scream, and my close friend Ivan Hussey, aka Celloman, a world-class musician who plays on lots of my productions as well.

A good friend of mine is Ghetto Priest who started Asian Dub Foundation and who has worked with me for many years. He won Reggae Album of the Year last year for Every Man for Every Man which I produced.

This town is blessed with the Music Hall. It’s a magical place and won best small venue in the country. One of the most important labels in town is Ramrock, run

by Jo Wallace and Ashley Beadle. Ashley is a famous producer and DJ and Jo is one of the world’s experts on Tamla Motown and Northern Soul. On top of that we have Mike and the crew at Big Jelly Studios, a worldclass studio. They have an exceptional, unique mix room which specialises in analogue and vintage gear. Add to that the fact that the town has three or four record shops. It’s a very exciting and vibrant place.

These people are collectively driving the underground scene. I’ve just finished an album with the great Horace Andy who works with

17 / 11 Hendrix Tribute - Are You Experienced? (Olby’s Soul Cafe) We all love Hendrix, and these guys are the best tribute around. Guitarist John Campbell even plays the Strat behind his head and with his teeth.

30 / 11 Ride - An Intimate Acoustic Concert (Dreamland) Shoegaze giants Ride play an entirely acoustic set at Dreamland. Ordinarily a very noisy band, it will be intriguing to hear how these songs sound after being stripped back.

Massive Attack and I’m about to finish an album with Lee Perry, Bob Marley’s producer.

He’s 82 now and a living legend. He was here in Ramsgate last month.

What I’m seeing nationally is a lot of the new bands are middle class, because their parents could afford to send them to music lessons - that’s why we need access to lessons and teachers for everyone. On that score we do have an incredible set up with Pie Factory Music, an extremely cohesive place for the youngsters where one of my wonderful engineers, Matt Smyth, also works.

I would like Ramsgate to be seen as a place of excellence for the locals first. The underbelly is very poor here. In my day we used to have youth clubs, community centres, and venues. There is a definite need for more things for young people. We have a festival here called Contra Pop, the brain child of Kyle McCallum, a visionary music man. We need more festivals like that and the council needs to invest in them. I know that all councils struggle with money but if someone from the council asked to consult with me and some of the other musicians, I would absolutely welcome that with open arms.

1 / 12 Molly Burch (Tom Thumb Theatre) Texas singer-songwriter Molly Burch’s debut album Please Be Mine was a wistful, romantic and thoroughly enjoyable set.

A steal at £8 in Margate’s cutest venue.

13 / 12 Acid Cannibals (Elsewhere) Acid Cannibals are two guys from Glasgow known for blowing audiences away. Punk? Noise rock? Speed metal?

Whatever it is, it’s glorious.

15 / 12 Basement Jaxx DJ Set (Dreamland) Grammy Award-winning electronic duo Basement Jaxx will play a DJ set in Hall by the Sea. Absolute legends of the dance scene, right here on our doorstep.

22 / 12 Steve Davis & Kavus Torabi (Ramsgate Music Hall) Snooker legend Steve Davis and his sidekick Kavus Torabi host a Christmas party at RMH. Expect left-field prog rockers, quality electronica, and maybe some Xmas classics too...

11 / 01 Lewis Parker (Ramsgate Music Hall) Lewis Parker is arguably the greatest UK hip hop artist of all time. Having grown up in Canterbury, he is set for a homecoming show after moving back to the UK from Queens NY.

In the Mix

Writer

Georgie Hurst

T

Photography Sarah Fennell

he Music Hub, located on Turner Street, is the creation of what seems to be an ever-expanding network of local musicians, producers, studio engineers, artist managers and everything in between. The multi-storey facility houses two rehearsal rooms, two live recording rooms and ample space for the team’s ambitions of an education suite for production and design workshops, music tuition, and music therapy classes. The idea began three years ago, when trumpeter Duncan Mackay (who the team dub ‘the ambassador of all influence’ having previously played for the likes of Primal Scream and Tina Turner) and producer Darren Howes planned to open a recording facility and rehearsal rooms for their own project. However, with the individual musical talent of Ramsgate, the pair saw an opportunity to create something that extends to the larger community. “We want a place to bring everyone together in one space,” says Darren when I meet the team at the local ‘Spoons to find out more about the project.

“We’re all very aware of how the arts scene in Thanet is developing, and how it’s almost segmented in places, where Margate is more known for the arts, and Ramsgate for music,” says Joshua Gerschel, former promoter for drum’n’bass label Metalheadz and artist manager. The team are sat in a circle of six around me, weary from the previous night’s antics when they hosted their first event at the Ramsgate Music Hall - the Hub’s next door neighbour. “It turned into a hip hop jam night,” says Duncan, “everyone was sharing their lyrics. There was live improvisation happening - I’m gonna get my horn out next

A new music venture draws on a diverse range of local talent.

We get the lowdown on The Music Hub from its founders time!” It seems that the mixture of skills at the table embodies the melting pot of talent in Ramsgate, as Duncan reels off a list of local music figureheads to me: “On my street we’ve got Linda Lewis, the famous singer, my next door neighbour is Graham Coxon from Blur, Julia Forsyth lives on the same road, so does Adamski, you can have a coffee with him. It’s like Stella Street… and Mick Jagger owns the corner shop,” which - to his amusement - I

“The whole team exudes an infectious energy and excitement surrounding their venture” initially believe, though it doesn’t seem that far-fetched in such a star-studded town.

While the Hub aims to function as a record label, they are also dedicated to becoming a force for good in the area, as Joshua explains.

“We will be running a separate community interest company, called Music Hub Learning, and it’s a facility we have within the Music Hub Studios. The intention is to house up to 12 students at any one time and to provide accredited courses.” The learning suite will be named after the late David Malin, who was a local composer and producer. Bryan Lucas, who joins us at the table, provides an example of how the enterprise will give opportunities to

local people; he is a trainee support member who, to begin with, is going to be cabling and rigging apparatus for the refurbishment of the building. “It’s only early days,” Darren tells me, “we are also linked up with two of the mental health organisations in the area, Live Well and Turning Point.” The Hub plans to facilitate music therapy classes, Joshua adds. “A lot of the courses we are going to be doing will aim to help people with anxiety disorders, because music can be such a calming influence.”

Though they are currently producing the first EP from Dilemma, Darren and MAP agency alumni Kieran Newell’s new hip hop project, there is still a lot of work to be done. With the refurbishment of the studios currently underway and to be completed by Christmas, they plan to be fully open as a business by the end of January, ready for the all-day launch party on 2 February. It seems the whole operation is fuelled by local support.

Darren mentions Kiaya Eaton and Kayleigh Mason, both artist managers instrumental to the business, as well as Ramsgate DJ Howard Sway and his father Gary Monks, who run Island Vintage together, and “have been incredibly helpful supplying us with audio equipment and contacts - we’re lucky to have people like them in Ramsgate.” “It’s time to unite people,” Duncan says with vivacity. The whole team exude an infectious energy and excitement surrounding their venture. Each coming from different backgrounds in the music industry, they are brought together by mutual respect and big ambitions for the town and community. As Darren sums up, “the idea is to bring all the amazing local talent together and have a real scene in Ramsgate.”

atom presents by arrangement with Primary Talent International

UNPLUGGED 30TH ANNIVERSARY ACOUSTIC TOUR

Plus Special Guests

FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2018

HALL BY THE SEA, DREAMLAND, MARGATE

24HR

THANET TAXIS

01843

333333

Book & Track using FaceBook Messenger Book on-line through www.thanetcars.com or download our apps You can now pay in-car, simply request a chip & pin car



Just mention this ad when booking to get 20% off your next cut or colour STIRLING 172 Northdown Rd, Margate  |

seetickets.com | thebandride.com

24HR

FANCY 20% OFF?

01843 571 888 stirlingmargate

TC_HERON_POSTER_240x320_AW.indd 1

18/10/2018 11:00

ramsgate recorder

ENTERTAINMENT

Acting Out

15

“We might be from London but we bring ‘holiday eyes’ to this place”

Writer

Anna Bang

The founder of Screaming Alley talks about circus, cabaret and why Ramsgate welcomes the anarchic side of the artform

C

reative producer Lara Clifton and her company Screaming Alley want to bring more cabaret to Ramsgate.

Screaming Alley is named after a spot in Ramsgate that, according to local lore, ‘is not one for the faint-hearted on dark nights.’ Despite this name choice, Lara Clifton is a decidedly gentle character who loves meeting people and someone who, in her own words, “likes to get things done.

Am I fearless? Or stupid? I am obsessed with putting shows on and I like to do oneoffs. I’ve never had anything to lose.”

She thrives on the thrill of never knowing if it’s going to be brilliant. “The thing with one-offs is you have to be present and it only happens once. You have to think on your feet.”

Her love of producing shows started at an early age when she would create short pieces featuring her seven-year-old younger brother. She remembers being influenced by attending the Alternative Circus Festival when she was 13, and other influences include Sandra Bernhard and also the Cirque Imaginaire (now Le Cirque Invisible), led by Charlie Chaplin’s daughter Victoria Chaplin.

Lara tells me how Chaplin performed on a trapeze above the crowd, letting the tips of her long hair gently sweep over their heads.

She is also a big fan of Marie Lloyd and Loie Fuller, both classic vaudeville stage acts from a time when a woman putting on shows and performing would have raised eyebrows.

I ask Lara about what has fuelled her 15 years of producing cabaret. “I love the form of anarchic, audience-involved cabaret,” she says, “you must have room to move about rather than a static audience sitting down. I like to make the space feel fluid so audience and performers can engage with each other.

Audiences respond to their lives being mirrored on stage, giving people who might not normally have a voice a chance to express themselves.” She stresses how she likes to encourage people to feel safe and free to let go. “The beauty of cabaret is that anyone can do it. And everybody feels OK; the nature of each act being short makes it accessible. If you don’t like that particular performer, you know someone else is coming up shortly.”

We’re joined by Janet Brown, the other member of Screaming Alley. A Goldsmiths

Photograph by Rahel Weiss

Fine Art graduate, she started in Screaming Alley by helping out and now does the graphic design for flyers, the distinctive logo and also postcards. Both have been living in Ramsgate for several years and have embraced the coastal life, not missing London at all.

Janet sums it up: “We love the space and the Georgian architecture here. People are nice.

There’s less competitiveness. And it’s great knowing you can afford to live and work here.”

Photograph of Blanche Dubois at Screaming Alley by Alex Burden

They felt the vibe in Ramsgate was very ‘them’ from the start and immediately warmed to the place. “We might be from London but we bring ‘holiday eyes’ to this place, hopefully making locals appreciate how lucky they are!”

Lara would like to train people in production, ideally get a production studio together and have a team of lighting designers, sound people and so on. But that’s the future. “People here have been great, there’s a real ‘muck in and do’ mentality, one person will have sound equipment you can borrow, another lighting. I have Arts Council funding for Screaming Alley so can afford to get really good acts in and show them how great it is here.”

Screaming Alley does not have a venue at present but Lara is obsessed by Mary Townley’s building on Chatham Street, most recently a sofa shop, which is about to be developed into housing by architect firm del Renzio & del Renzio. Mary Townley was one of England’s earliest female architects who designed several buildings in Ramsgate and who was also a prolific party giver. As it is 200 years this year since Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein and Shelley spent time in Ramsgate, Lara would love to have a celebration with a Frankenstein theme at the Townley residence.

Follow Screaming Alley on @screaming_alley

Andrew Bird

Sabine Kรถnig Kimmy MacHarrie

Shelby Fitzpatrick

Ulla Hรถmfeldt

Stuart Jenkins

Emma Burton

Isabelle Capitain

Polly Gasston

THE PIE FACTORY 5 BROAD STREET MARGATE KENT CT9 1EW

Joan MacKarell

Olivia Schlevogt

Meet the makers at a selling exhibition of international award-winning designers based in Kent.

30 November - 02 December 2018 www.preciouskent.wixsite.com/objects-of-desire

OPENING TIMES FRI: 12.00 - 21.00 SAT: 10.00 - 18.00 SUN: 10.10 - 17.00

preciouskent@aol.com

Co-educational, day & boarding school for 3-18 years in South East England

Looking for a School for September 2019?

- call today to book a tour

Registrations now being taken for Nursery, Reception and Year 3 Small class sizes offering individual attention Inspirational outdoor learning curriculum Focus on core academic skills Extended day for working parents Happy, creative, focussed environment Spacious modern and traditional facilities

T: 01843 572912 E: jsadmissions@slcuk.com College Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 7AE

www.slcuk.com

ramsgate recorder Writer

Gemma Dempsey

Historical photographs

Courtesy of Ralph Hoult OBE

Group photographs

HISTORY

To Rock in a Hard Place

Courtesy of Janet Fielding

W

17

hat do The Rolling Stones and Ramsgate have in common? No, I’m not referring to a certain plant responsible for ‘Parfum de Ramsgate’ but the fact that they performed at West Cliff Hall and Gardens in 1964. Opened just before WWI, the hall was one of three such buildings built in the south-east, providing a year-round entertainment space, including hosting dances for the pilots based at Manston Airport during WWII. In 1985 it became a Motor Museum housing over 100 classic cars, but after it closed its doors in 2005 it was repeatedly vandalised and, in 2010, Thanet District Council identified it for disposal. Cue entrance by Janet Fielding, whose impressive CV includes the roles of actress, (Doctor Who aficionados know her well as Tegan), actor’s agent and community activist. She’s a force of nature with an excellent ability to swear like a sailor should anything or anyone get in her way. Luckily for Ramsgate she decided to take on the task of rescuing the building, with a vision to transform it into a multi-faceted community space to be run by experienced local residents, providing jobs and work experience for the town.

Prior to 2006 Janet had never heard of Ramsgate but following a friend’s recommendation she checked it out. “I saw the beach, the cliffs going down to that gorgeous harbour and all the pretty Regency architecture and I was sold,” she says.

Due to its location Janet realised that if the Motor Museum fell down it would cause huge problems as its walls support the main access road to the harbour used by 2,377,000 vehicles per year. Annually 43,000 people walk across its roof. We’re fortunate Janet got busy with it – the building was added to the Theatres at Risk register, and in 2011 it became known as Project Motorhouse.

“I went around town talking to various people and businesses to see what the community needed,” Janet says. “One

We meet the power-house behind a campaign to revive the historic Ramsgate Motor Museum as a community hub

thing was clear: Ramsgate locals wanted it to benefit young people in some way.”

It took time and money to create a plan for a self-sustaining building as stipulated

by Thanet District Council. When Janet got cancer in 2013 her Doctor Who buddies (above left) stepped in, including ex-Doctor Peter Capaldi who held his first ever Doctor Who convention for Project Motorhouse. Students at The Ellington and Hereson School (now part of Royal Harbour Academy) staged a musical revue, ‘Bringing it Back’, charting the history of the building and plans to renovate

it. By 2014 over £85,000 had been raised. “The youth work wasn’t supposed to start until the development was complete,” Janet says, but a collaboration changed that. Janet knew Jo Mapp from her community work and they joined forces. “Our projects always have a public face and if possible we try to improve the look of the town inwhat we do,” she explains.

Their most recent venture is Harbouring Hopes for Ramsgate, another Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots project. “We have partnered with the Ramsgate Society and Ramsgate’s Heritage Action Zone. Students from the Royal Harbour Academy and Chatham & Clarendon Grammar (left) are exploring career opportunities in the heritage industries, from managing a project at Canterbury Cathedral to becoming a stonemason.”

As for the building’s reincarnation into a much needed space providing entertainment and employment opportunities, a spokesperson for Thanet District Council told us that it has now put the West Cliff Hall site forward for sale at auction. “This follows a national advertising campaign and discussions with local groups who had expressed an interest.

Having not received any suitable bids this is the next step, we hope that all interested parties will seek the opportunity to bid at auction later this month.”

Janet Fielding’s response to this news? “We had an undertaking from TDC to do the frame but they don’t have the money.

We don’t have the £1.5million the frame needs. It would be wrong of us to take on the building without that money in place.”

Uncertainty continues as, just as the Ramsgate Recorder goes to press, it has been announced that the West Cliff Hall site has sold at auction for twice the guide price. What the new owners intend for this complex, historic site it seems only time will tell. And all those who love the building may have to wait a while longer for... Satisfaction. projectmotorhouse.org.uk

18

ramsgate recorder

Eat Archive Set within the harbour’s arches, Archive’s contemporary interior is filled with light all year round. The café shares its Scandi-style space with a beautiful selection

Where to Tuck Up

and Tuck In This Winter Ramsgate is as famous for its hospitality as it is for its historical architecture. The waterfront café culture thrives all year round, whatever the weather, but the town offers far more than just a decent flat white Writer

Laura Nickoll

Photography

Courtesy of establishments and Sarah Fennell (Archive, Queen Charlotte, Flavours by Kumar)

of homewares and gifts and the menu is a flexible all-day set-up, with fresh, healthy plates offsetting an abundant display of pastries from the estimable Modern Boulangerie (the almond croissants are perfection).

Speciality-roast coffees are excellent, too. Keep an eye out for Elk Kitchen’s Scandinavian tasting menu nights.

Wed-Mon, 9:30–5pm

Queen Charlotte This Addington Street pub delivers pretty much everything you could wish for from a local boozer.

Self-described as a ‘boho bar with a difference,’ it has great craft beers, live music every Friday, poetry night on Wednesdays, an art gallery upstairs, and hosts regular pop-ups: Mexican food from El Chico Burrito on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and Japanese food from Noriko’s Kitchen Friday and Saturday nights.

Flavours by Kumar ‘The best Indian restaurant in the world,’ according to actor Timothy Spall, sits on a narrow side street in the town centre. It might not be easy to spot, but Flavours by Kumar is popular with the locals as well as stars of stage and screen. Anil Kumar, ex-head chef of Margate’s awardwinning The Ambrette, cooks up modern and delicately spiced Indian dishes, worlds away from traditional highstreet curry house fare.

Royal Harbour Brasserie Exposed to the elements, this restaurant on the East Pier is a hidden gem in a captivating spot. Large windows running the length of the dining room take in both the harbour and the horizon out to sea. From the brasseriestyle menu, which casts its net wide, your best bet is moules frites, dishes from the (locally-manufactured) Harrison charcoal oven, or just go for a drink at the bar.

Arya The Ravensgate Arms, a quintessential local pub and haven for beer geeks, collaborated with chefs (and brothers) Luke and Ben Crittenden to open Arya this autumn. Operating in a modest space upstairs, the brothers have designed a compelling menu of inventive small dishes. After dinner you can decamp with a digestif to the cosy fireplace downstairs.

Open Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sun for lunch; Sat lunch and dinner

Kyoto Sushi Recently picked by Olive magazine as one of Ramsgate’s food highlights, this Japanese restaurant on the High Street is short on frills but scores highly with locals.

As well as sushi it offers favourites like bento boxes, dumplings and ramen but also less familiar dishes for the more adventerous.

Evenings only (Tues-Sun)

19

ramsgate recorder

Sleep

HOTEL • FUNC T • TIO AN R NR AU OPEN TO NON-GU OO • T E S E ST F M RE S CA

Albion House Perched on the East Cliff, Albion House hotel makes for a stately stay. Of its 14 plush Regency-style rooms, 12 have sea views. Built in 1791, Albion House has hosted plenty of illustrious characters, most famously Princess Victoria and the Duchess of Kent, who holidayed here in the 1830s. Its sensitive restoration in 2014 saw its regal heritage restored. Modern British season-led food is served all day at Townleys, the onsite restaurant and bar, there’s gin tasting on the first Friday of every month, and on Thursdays it’s

Hotel Restaurant Bar & Cafe 16/18 Addington Street, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9JJ 01843 482600 • enquiries@thefalstafframsgate.com

www.thefalstafframsgate.com

3-for-2 cocktails.

Bed and breakfast from £95; dinner, bed and breakfast from £145.

Royal Harbour Hotel Thoughtful home-from-home touches put this 28room Georgian seafront hotel in a league of its own, with ground floor areas offering bookshelves to browse, vinyl and turntable, crackling fires, an honesty bar, and complimentary late-night cheese and biscuits.

The snug, crimson-walled and characterful Empire Room restaurant serves polished food: by day there’s a Ramblers’ menu and Afternoon Tea, by sundown the menu moves up a gear, with Kentish produce getting top billing. The team also runs Little Ships Restaurant & Café on Harbour Parade.

Rooms from £80. Book direct and get a free Continental breakfast.

The Grange and St Edward’s Presbytery Reside in Victorian grandeur and Gothic opulence at The Grange, the West Cliff home that architect and designer Augustus Pugin built for his family in the 1840s, or stay next door at the more diminutive gabled Presbytery. Steps at the end of The Grange’s beautiful private garden lead straight to the beach.

Grange sleeps 8 (3-night weekend from £1012, 4-night week from £729); Presbytery sleeps 4 (3-night weekend from £383, 4-night week from £276)

West Cliff Apartment Courtesy of John Miller

This 2-bedroom apartment, in a listed building conversion in Ramsgate’s West Cliff area, is perfectly placed for a seaside escape. Both bedrooms are ensuite and there’s a communal landscaped garden.

Dogs are welcome, there’s a highchair for families with young children, and allocated parking to boot.

Weekends £80 a night; weekdays £60. Book via mulberrycottages.com

The Falstaff What was once a pub reopened in 2015 as an 8-bed contemporary boutique hotel, at the heart of the West Cliff ’s conservation area on Addington Street.

The hotel’s café and garden is a perfect pit-stop – sourdough bagels and pastries hit the spot. Keep an eye out for the hotel’s popular Thursday Supper Clubs.

Rooms from £85 a night. The hotel also has a 5-bed selfcatering apartment on Nelson Crescent.

SI

TU AT E

DI

CO

S N N YARD GARDE TO G NT DIN HE HI STORIC AD

URT

T

20

ramsgate recorder

HISTORY

The Blue Plaques of Ramsgate

Writer and Photographer David Frankel

Dotted around the streets of Ramsgate are over twenty blue plaques commemorating the eminent figures that have been part of the town’s history

T

he first plaque was installed in 2010 at 8 London Road. It commemorates John Le Mesurier, who lived there for the last part of his life. Le Mesurier is of course best remembered for his role in Dad’s Army, but appeared in more than 120 films.

Vincent Van Gogh, probably Ramsgate’s most famous past resident, is remembered in two separate plaques. The first is in Spencer Square, where he lived in 1876.

The second is close by, on Royal Road where, as a homesick young man, he taught art at what was then a boys’ school. His drawing, ‘View of Royal Road, Ramsgate’, showing the scene outside his window, is in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. For reluctant travellers, a copy of the sketch can be seen in The Churchill Tavern, which appears in the drawing.

Like Van Gogh, author Wilkie Collins gets two plaques of his own. Collins was an enthusiastic visitor to Ramsgate, and the town features in several of his works. His first plaque is on Nelson Crescent, where

he stayed. The second is on Wellington Crescent where his lover, Martha Rudd, and their children stayed. For propriety’s sake he lived separately, visiting them under the pseudonym William Dawson.

Two plaques in the once regal Georgian district north-west of the town centre remind us of Ramsgate’s distinguished past. As a young princess, Queen Victoria spent holidays in Ramsgate, and stayed at Townley House.

It is said that she remembered the town fondly, perhaps as somewhere she could escape the claustrophobic environment of her early life. Also commemorated on the Townley House plaque is the building’s designer, Mary Townley, one of the first British women to find success as an architect.

Nearby, 1 Chatham Place was home to Arthur Wellesley — The Iron Duke himself.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Ramsgate was an important garrison town and port. It was here that Wellesley planned many of the engagements of the war. This connection can be seen in many of the town’s street names.

Visits by two of the 19th century’s most radical and influential thinkers, Karl Marx and Charles Dickens, are celebrated by plaques on the evocatively named Plains of Waterloo and Paragon. Marx was here to visit his daughter, Jenny, a social activist who lived in Ramsgate for a time and is remembered on her own plaque on Artillery Road.

Another Ramsgate resident of international importance is honoured on Bellevue Road.

Elizabeth Fry is remembered chiefly for her work as a prison reformer, but in her lifetime she was also a renowned social activist and philanthropist. When she died in 1845, hundreds of Ramsgate’s people joined a memorial service, and the coastguard lowered their flag to half-mast — a tribute normally reserved for state funerals.

Overseen by The Ramsgate Society, Ramsgate’s blue plaque scheme has over twenty markers commemorating artists, politicians, novelists, actors, poets, social reformers, doctors, each one deserving of a place in the town’s collective memory.

Archie & Blue Design|Build Social Media: @archieandblueonline www.archieandblue.com

▪ Corian approved manufacturer and installer ▪ Loft Conversions ▪ Extensions ▪ General Building ▪ Carpentry & Joinery ▪ Kitchens ▪ Bathrooms technotimber@icloud.com technotimber

Ramsgate | Broadstairs | Margate

visitramsgate.co.uk Where to Eat & Stay - What to See & Do

Travel info, Maps & Trails. Photo Gallery, Blogs & Events

22

ramsgate recorder

MUSIC

Musical Youth We ask Programme Manager Zoë Carassik-Lord what makes Pie Factory Music so special

Kent region. Around 1,000 young people currently

see many of our

access our core programme in Thanet each year.

young people go on to incredible

What is it you offer young people on a daily basis?

careers both in the

Our open-access youth clubs happen Mondays,

music industry

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from Ramsgate

and elsewhere.

Youth Centre, and they always have a range of

It’s brilliant to

activities on offer - from music-making, to arts and

see young people

crafts, sports and games, and space to hang out

making positive

and chill with friends. Our team are also trained to

career steps and

offer support and guidance in many areas such as

heading off to

self-belief, wellbeing and aspirations. On Mondays

universities. We’re

we run our Live Room and Band Factory sessions -

proud to play an important role in

this is when we have our recording studio open for Tell us about what Pie Factory Music does. We

young people to record their own music, and we have

many young people’s lives and especially love those

are a charity that provides a place for young people

a group of instrumentalists rehearsing in our band

we’ve worked with over the years keeping in touch to

in East Kent to chill out, express themselves, be

room. We also have a group of young volunteers

let us know what they’re up to.

creative and feel safe. We run open-access youth

who run social action projects such as litter picking

club sessions from Ramsgate Youth Centre and

around the Central Harbour Ward.

How are you supported? We are a commissioned youth service provider for Kent County Council,

all over the Dover district. As a charity with our roots in music provision, we also run the Thanet

How do you think this is benefiting the young

and we currently receive short-term funding from

Emerging Artists Programme - a music development

community? We know that by giving them a

the National Foundation for Youth Music. Like any

programme for young musicians in Thanet.

range of positive activities and opportunities to

charity, we’re constantly having to fundraise to keep

get involved in, they are less likely to be drawn to

our services going, and we rely on the kindness of

How did Pie Factory Music Start? We started as

anti-social or risk-taking behaviours. We constantly

donations from the local community.

a Youth Music Action Zone back in 2002 when

get feedback from young people that they like what

Thanet was highlighted as an area that needed more

they do here and can recognise an improvement in

What can the local community do to help? Donate

opportunities for young people to be involved in

skills and confidence. One participant summed the

£5 a month to help us provide free food in our youth

music making. Since then we’ve built a reputation

atmosphere up best by describing Pie Factory Music

clubs; or volunteer your time and skills whether

for delivering high quality programmes, and over the

as a ‘family’. We also offer young people experience

in our youth club sessions, or to help to keep our

years we’ve filled over 130,000 free workshop spaces

and routes into careers by connecting them with

grounds and garden tidy. For more information on

and raised over £3 million in funding for the East

local services and organisations. We’re humbled to

how to donate visit: piefactorymusic.com.

Nice Things and the gallery Put the Fun back into shopping!

From porcelain vases to contemporary steel jewellery, from hand-rolled felt to sequin-covered mermaids, Nice Things, just off Ramsgate’s royal harbour, has a huge collection of beautiful and unusual things, handmade or manufactured by independent designers. Most are made locally.

The shop is fun, colourful and friendly. We specialise in showing work you won’t find elsewhere, often by emerging makers, giving new chances to sell for the first time.

Nice Things and The Gallery 19-21 Harbour Street Ramsgate www.nice-things.co.uk (online shop) www.thegallerynicethings.co.uk

23

ramsgate recorder

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH! We all love a nice safe neighbourhood, and neglected or empty properties can attract unwanted attention.

We can help!

£250 Finders fee

on successful completion

Are there such places near you? Do you know someone who wants to sell but can’t? We’re looking for projects that will help to regenerate your neighbourhood.

Contact Phil today for a friendly confidential chat.

01843 26 20 56 phil@tee2.co.uk

Royal Harbour Brasserie A UNIQUE RAMSGATE LOCATION

Great venue available for private birthday parties and special occasions Sunset dining from the only panoramic Harbour brasserie in Ramsgate

vegan dishes are available, and there is also a Children’s menu. Desserts include chocolate fondant, sticky toffee pudding, and ice cream and sorbet made by chef Adrian Mowl.

The brasserie is the perfect location for Sunday lunch: A regular Sunday roast is £10.00, or you can indulge in a large roast for £12.50.

For vegetarians, there is a homemade nutroast. craft beers and guest beers on tap, plus a selection of ciders and guest wines from independent, single-estate vineyards, along with an extensive range of cocktails.

We’re cooking with a charcoal Harrison oven

OPEN 11 AM TILL LATE - WEDNESDAY to SUNDAY We have f ree par king ou t s ide t he premise s & a large s un t errac e E ast P ie r, Royal Harbou r, Ram s ga t e, CT 11 8L S 01843 599 059 | ro yalharbourbra s serie . co . uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: DEAN SPINKS, SMIDDYPIX

S

tunning views and a warm ambience awaits you at the Royal Harbour Brasserie.

With its unrivalled position on the harbour arm in Ramsgate, offering a panorama of the sparkling marina, the jetty and out to sea, the restaurant recreates the relaxed style of the original Parisienne brasseries.

Relax with a cup of freshly ground coffee, home-baked patisserie, or a meal, either inside, or on our terrace that allows you to enjoy the sunny days and glorious sunsets. You can even see France on a clear day!

Open from 11am till late everyday, we do breakfast/ brunch with a vegetarian breakfast. The menu concentrates on simple dishes beautifully prepared, with the freshest of local seafood and Kentish ingredients. Seafood lovers can enjoy paella, or mussels. Vegetarian and