The Contemporary opens this weekend if we want Margate to revive, we need to be positive as the Turner Contemporary Gallery opens, and of course its no time for histrionics about rights, wrongs missed opportunities et cetera, the Turner Contemporary is the only game in town and in my opinion is looking quite good.
A couple of times when I've driven back into to town after work in the last few days I've had the urge to take a picture of the Gallery in bright sunshine and blue skies, reflected in the calm water of the beach and harbour, the only thing stopping me, the traffic and the limitations of the Iphone camera.
Last Saturday I had a leisurely, walk around Margate, starting at the top end, the high street is not as bleak, as has been painted in the press, once at the bottom its clear that businesses, notably arty shops have sprung up that didn't exist last year.
The town for has for a while felt busier, if only with amateur photographers although I'd imagine, a fair few journalists of the relaxed lifestyle art travel type, have also been trawling around, I myself I had one documentary maker spend a couple hours at Flaig Mansions asking my opinions, I think he got all he needed, since he never came back, don't think I bored him witless.
Anyhow I realise that for many, they'd have liked to have seem some other way of enhancing the area, but Turner is here and now, enjoy and make the best of it, go along to the opening.
As far as I'm concerned, the only bad thing, about the Turner has been the delayed opening which can be fairly and squarely place at the doorstep of Conservative Kent Council and the original architects, this should have opened four years ago, still better late than never.
Since I'm standing for the council and I would like your vote (Dane Valley) and just made a political point so best include imprint.
Published and promoted by L. Latham on behalf of on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, Flat 1, 2 Prospect Road, Broadstairs, Kent. CT10 1LD
Best Wishes and Good Luck to the Turner Contemporary from the "sunny side"
ReplyDeleteI am now looking forward to a Margate renaissance and really hope that it is a success.
ReplyDeleteIt wont be a success, people will come to the Turner Centre ( or what ever it is called) be really suprised what a run down town Margate is..... spen an hour walking round this fatastic torist attraction / gallery / waste of money.
ReplyDeleteAfter there visit im sure the will leave Margate as fast as possible in the 4 wheel drives breaking the speed limit to get out of this neglected, rundown town as fast as they can to never return.
They should of regenrated Margate all at the same time and made it half decent before building this monstrosity. All it will do is bring people in and then scare them for life to never return.
Its another millenium dome although in a few years time will be an empty shack or tourist infoirmation centre or similar just before the start of the pier.
SHould of kept the pub that was originaly on the site, it would probably of got more visitors.
10:17 Does have a point for, once the visitors find grammar and spelling like his abounds in Thanet, they will probably write us all off as village idiots.
ReplyDeleteLet us hope, however, that he and his like stay well away and the visitors only meet our more artistic, talented and literate residents.
only meet our more artistic, talented and literate residents.
ReplyDeleteAre there any ? This is Thanet the inbred Capital of the UK.
Strange, I always thought it was full of immigrants and DFLs. Hardly inbred but possibly multibred!
ReplyDeleteStrange, I always thought it was full of immigrants and DFLs. Hardly inbred but possibly multibred!
ReplyDeleteObviously one of the inbreds your self then. Just look a the people around Northdown Road, Wierdos.
Thanet is a shit hole, you cant polish a turd !
You poor creature, is repeating what others have written the limit of your wit.
ReplyDeleteNorthdown Road is far from inbred, a situation that occurs in isolated communities devoid of newcomers, for it displays just about every racial type in creation. Weird some of them may appear to you, 6:03, but inbred, most definitely not.
What does surprise me, if the place is such a shithole, is why you remain or do you feel at home in such environment. Perhaps you are attracted to shit!
It's going to be great
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with some of the posts here, Thanet is actually a great place, yes it has it's issues but then everywhere has issues of one sort or another.
ReplyDeleteOur biggest set back and has been for years is our council, self serving, faceless and not a spine between them.Sort out the council and you will see a new vibrant Thanet start to emerge, after all, when have the council ever made a decision that seemingly made sense.
As for TC, well i think that Meridian news said it all tonight, and for the first time in my life i actually agree with something that the jumped up wally that Brian Sewell actually is..... A shed where Shredded wheat should be made !!!! I cannot understand how in this climate of cut backs, a project of £18M can be completed that actually generates no income, is solely for a small minority and which will continue to cost taxpayers millions more to service/maintain in future years.
In my view for what it's wort, it's no more than a very ill conceived waste of money.
Margate the champion the champion, of the world
ReplyDeleteThe old town would be a desolate wasteland full of bedsits, if TC was not built. The prospect of TC has enticed new business set ups in pursuit of greatness. If TC can keep Margate in the global media for a long time, roll on the golden age.
"In my view for what it's wort, it's no more than a very ill conceived waste of money."
ReplyDeleteBased on what? Any evidence? Or just anti-art prejudice?
Maybe some people are stuck in Margate, not by choice but due to the wages in the south east being some of the lowest in the country.
ReplyDeleteSome people live here because they have to and not by choice !
12:47 There is no such thing as stuck. If someone really wants to try somewhere else they will find a way.
ReplyDeleteWhat you mean is that some like to sit back, claim they are stuck and whinge about everything whilst, in the main, living off others.
10-17 there were over 8000 visitors today,the old town was packed full of people who wanted to stay longer,the sun shone the town was buzzing everywhere was packed full of happy people,go and live your sad life and the rest of us can embrace the amazing sunset that is lighting up our amazing skies!..
ReplyDeleteIm on the negative side of things for sure, i made my visit from Canterbury yesterday and it still shows what a run down town Margate is. The Gallery was ok but something i would probably never make the effort to visit again ok there was some "Nice" art and the weather was good but give it a few weeks and it will be a total different story.
ReplyDeleteMargate would be a much better place if all the carps dissing it were to get off their arses and contribute something. Either that or bugger off and live somewhere else, for all our sakes.
ReplyDelete11.15
ReplyDeleteOf course Margate is "run down" that's the reason there's a planned regeneration, including the Turner. The art there isn't supposed to be "nice", thoughful, challenging amongst other things but "nice" art is reserved for those who think art ended around the niddle of the 19th century.
Look at other art galleries up and down the country that have opened in recent years: no sign of them closing, even though funding to the Arts Council has been cut by £100 million.
The Turner is in pretty good hands and they know the ins and outs of raising money. It's a registered charity so can go to numerous sources for funding.