Margate museum in the old town

Margate currently is at its lowest ebb for some time, however there are still things to do and see, for instance, you can always go to the visitor centre for the Turner project which will inevitably be closed. But one attraction that does appear open and is actually representative of Margate is the museum. As there was nothing better to do on Monday Bank Holiday I went to visit. The museum is reasonably-priced at a pound for adults, I was quite surprised that it was actually open. The museum itself could benefit from more room but having said that, there is a broad spectrum of exhibits covering the social history of the town everything from holidays, war, sea and politics. For someone who has lived here locally for most of my life, it is quite an eye-opener to see photographs and drawings of parts of the town that had disappeared forever. The Pier for instance, the Hippodrome Theatre (replaced by the beautiful library and Magistrates' Court those who seek to regenerate to Cecil Square should take note), the Lido etc. The museum disappointed on two fronts, one was the fact it was empty apart from me and my partner and exhibits, secondly was the stark contrast of Margate now and how Margate was in the past.

Margate given its location close to London should have retained its place as a visitor location sadly it has not. It will take a lot of work to put Margate back as a busy destination for people wishing to escape London for the day. In the meantime I would suggest anyone reading this to take a good look at Margate museum before the crowds get here in 2009 when the Turner contemporary is completed on time and on budget as it is certainly interesting and good value.