This murky scene sums up the situation in just a few watering holes in Thanet tonight with Christmas less than two weeks away. The Swan in Westgate was the quietest I have seen it, ever; The Nottingham Castle closed at 10pm with just 6 customers since 4pm and The Wig & Pen was shut in Margate Old Town as Bertie was driven home 45 minutes ago.
This ominous quiet on a Friday night does not portend well for the future.
A post script: A reader has e-mailed that rumour has it that Cummins is laying staff off as orders shrink for generators. Not good news if this is true as they have become over the years a major employer f/t and p/t of over 400, mainly Thanet based, employees.
Click to expand, pictures of Broadstairs, Margate, Ramsgate and an optical
illusion from the bookshop in Ramsgate
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Aerial photo of Broadstairs probably early to mid 50s
Tug Aid in Ramsgate Harbour
Tug Vulcan in Ramsgate Harbour
Dent De Lion Gatehouse
Pier Hotel M...
4 weeks ago
5 comments:
Your post called my late father to my mind Bertie.
He was an ambulanceman. We lived in a flat above the ambulance station and welfare clinic (School dentist, outreach chest clinic etc).
Hence his journey to work was a sight to behold. After his breakfast and second cup of tea in the flat he would wander down the stairs and get to work. Starting at the ambulance station kitchen where he would put the kettle on ....
Then he would read the paper over a cup of tea.
He would like to see if "Ow man Rose" had been up to anything.
That was a man who would have been CGP worst nightmare. For example he would delve a way back into history and find unrepealable rights to graze his sheep on top of a would be development site, Or rights to build a sheep shelter on top of a highway under construction. (And in the middle of the night he would have built some walls Periodically he would swear out a warrant to go to Downing Street to arrest the PM. Advertise for a Scottish assassin to murder De Gaulle (It seems he found a dispensation in French law for Scottish mercenaries to kill on French soil without facing charges) "Sits Vac: Scottish Warrior for assassination duties in France. Target De Gaulle. Standard medieaval employment conditions of Highland mercenaries to apply"
So there would be a chortle if Ow Rose had pulled a stunt.
I asked the old chap one day why he did not read on the economic situation.
"Price of beer in miners' welfare clubs", he announced "When they can't afford the cheapest pint around then it will be time to worry"
I never gained his post Maggie Thatcher insights on that arbiter.
But by extrapolation when no one can afford a pint it must be serious.
Then we will not have drunken yobs fouling our streets this christmas, at last ! I knew that the Labour Government had engineered this recession for a reason, To save on Policing costs and reduce reported crime.
Yes that's the Labour way. Stop everyone enjoying something to cover up their mismanagement of our public services!
As it's the Labour way, why are our Tory Council doing the same thing!
I think we will see a fall off in the number of pubs. However the survivors will be quite remarkable.
Remarkable in that they have customers!
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