You'll appreciate that I have not contributed much to the local Blogosphere of recent, I'd like to be able to tell you, that this is the result of working on other fantastically more interesting projects but it's not the case. Plain and simple I no longer have the time.
Still fortunately for you the reader, there are plenty of alternatives, a favourite being the newly arrived Thanet Waves blog, which combines cynicism, humour and better grammar than what you're likely to get here.
Apart from listening to the news on radio four going to work, I'm pretty much out of touch with what is occurring in the greater world, my connection with Thanet and what goes on is at this point tenuous, not helped by lack of available copies of local newspapers like yourthanet and Thanet extra. The Gazette which is readily available seems pretty patchy in its coverage of local issues probably the consequence of losing one of their reporters Thom Morris.
Maybe I'm just peculiar in my tastes, but for Margate itself the biggest story or perhaps most important story is to be found in the classy Margate architecture blog. Now the subject matter of the blog to which I'm referring is not necessarily the most sexy item you're likely to read unless that is that you happen to be a train buff.
Dull and unexciting as it might be, according to Margate architecture, train services to London from Margate are about to get ten minutes slower and and there'll be fewer of them, in what would appear to be a blatant attempt force travellers to use the expensive and not particularly fast service from Ramsgate to Saint Pancras it looks like Margate will be suffering considerable economic damage. Not something likely to interest those down at Gazette towers but probably more important that the endless drivel about Manston.
Since Roger Gale will soon be asking for us the electorate to keep him in the luxury he's become accustomed, maybe the rail time table is something he could sink his teeth into once of course he's finished polishing off the monthly £300 + plus food expenses courtesy of you and I.
Warnings of further disruptions to Bignews Margate, its likely that contributions will be erratic for a while particularly when my own journeys are subject to their own quaint disruptions more on that later.
ramsgate train times currently 2 hours plus to cannon street, victoria.
ReplyDeleteIn the not too distant future, 1 hour, 15 mins to st pancras.
Much nices trains. Not that much more expensive. Going into the most recently developed station in London.
Its much quicker for the majority of people using it hence its popularity so far on the preview services.
Tony, you are partially right. The new service from Ramsgate is superb, I leave Broadstairs at 0640am, catch the 0705 train, and am at my office near Euston by 0840am, a brilliant step forward for £4 odd extra each way. A high speed service is coming to Margate, and will go the same route through Broadstairs and up to St Pancras.
ReplyDeleteThe existing routes from Margte will now have more stops up to Victoria and will add some minutes to the journey. Those who have settled here because they wish to travel inot (and work in) say, the Victoria are are likely to feel somewhat bruised.
Roger Gale has been highlighting this since it was first announced, you will see it on his website, and campaigning for better services from Margate up to Victoria. For me, and others heading to north london, the new service is just superb.
We will continue to demand better services for Margate, and there may be possibilities for change as the new services bed down.
Please do not apologise for your absence. We have all been enjoying it. More (of less) please!
ReplyDeleteI think we should all be suspicious of longer journeys from Margate also some of the "preview" journeys are hardly that good given the distance of about 70 miles
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:53 I'm guessing that the therapy is not entirely successful