The Thanet Star

How is your singing voice?

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 08:15:02 -0400

If you fancy a good old fashioned hymn singing session then get down to the clock tower in Margate.

The afternoon there will be an hour of Sunday hymns at the Margate clock tower for those that enjoy a good old fashioned sing-a-long. It's being put on by a number of churches and I understand there will be a band to accompany the singers.

Midweek Beer: A real life Thanet meet up

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:21:40 -0400

Fancy a get-together?

I don't know how it is for you but I have met in person only a very small fraction of my readers and an even smaller fraction of my fellow bloggers (unless ECR and the anons are actually old mates of mine keeping it secret).

I'm going to be hanging out at the World Bar in old town Margate from about 7pm on this Wednesday and have invited a large number of people to come join me. This would be an ideal time for bloggers and blog readers who are free that night to roll up and say hi to each other. We don't have to stay in that venue nor do we "have to" do anything else.

There is no agenda beyond having a good time

It's open to all (being a public bar and all) so ECR can show his real face and pose as a reader. Yes, that does mean Simon Moores is invited but no, I do not think he'd want to come meet me for a pint somehow.

All are welcome but the topics of Politics and Religion might want to have an early night so we Internet users can take an evening off too. If you fancy seeing the man behind this blog then you know where to show your face this week.

Where to get a carpet?

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:36:50 -0400

I'd want to ask you guys and gals for some advice.

I have a room 14 foot by 12 foot that requires some fairly resilient carpet. Including getting the carpet itself (and gripper rods, underlay and fitting) what would you say a fair price is and where would you advise that I go to obtain that fair price?

Thanet District Council are officially disliked

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:07:36 -0400

Thanet District Council officially has one of the lowest satisfaction ratings in the UK according to one report.

In all of Britain only 17 councils were rated lower. Just 33.6% of those interviewed could say that they were at least fairly satisfied with the local council. Compare this with the top three

Wandsworth Borough Council - 75.3
City of London - 72.7
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - 72.2

So while Tamworth Borough Council (32.8%), Torbay Council (30.2%) and Northampton Borough Council (26.8%) might be even worse on the crap-o-meter that is still a fairly useless score.

At least we managed 26 from bottom on "nice place to live" which Newham London Borough managed to scoop the last place on. Sucks to be them - maybe our bloggers need to take a holiday there so that Thanet seems bright and nice when we get back... or not...

So Thanet is officially slightly less crap than Newham London Borough and has a council which is about as useless as Bristol City Council - tell us something we don't know.

...and the winner is Tony Flaig

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:45:09 -0400

This long over due Rising Star of Thanet Award goes to...

(Drum Roll Please)

Tony Flaig of Big News Margate.

Tony is one of Thanet's premier rising stars and has been featured in more BBC documentaries than any of the rest of us. I've been meaning to write this post for ages and feel bad that it has taken me so long to celebrate one of our best talents.

Tony has given coverage to the topic of Kent TV despite the risk it has exposed him too. Thankfully for us Kent TV don't scare our Tony. However our Tony scares their overpriced buttocks clean across the room.

Tony joins a select few Thanet rising stars who have so far been recognised with this award. It's well deserved too. Tony has had more than his fair share of strife from ne'er-do-wells that have an agenda to hide.

Let's raise a glass to "our Tony" and to many more years of great blogging!

The surprising parable of the Westwood Cross superstore

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:18:47 -0400

Having endured yet another painful and fruitless trip to Westwood Cross in search of nothing more complex than a bag I see a whole other reason why little shops should, must and will survive.

Faced with a bewildering array of things that I do not want and cannot use it is becoming increasingly hard to find what I am looking for. The bigger shops might "offer more" but in doing so they offer less. Less speed, less focus and less ease of searching.

The total irrelevance of the shopping experience is, for me, exemplified by Debenhams, Westwood Cross. The first floor appears to be dedicated to ladies clothes, underwear and other accessories while the first thing that hits you as you go to clime the stairs is "back to school" which is for sale goodness only knows where.The do very little by way of men's clothing that fits the large and tall man (nothing to be exact), many "generic" clothes carry sports brands that I refuse to display on the general principle that should I ware an advert I want to get paid for it not the other way around.

Even the sales assistant was unclear on where "bags" might be found. "Do you know where some-section-or-other is? Near there".

"Thanks for nothing," I think.

I located no less than three places in the upper maze where bags are displayed. The third, while at first most promising, contained mostly unsuitable designs and types but even those that might have been "okay" had a big fat Nike tick on which is a huge turn off for me.

At that point I gave up, got lost and wondered the maze seeking the exit.

I did look into Burtons and was able to exist before I had realy entered - they were small enough for me to see that they did not try to also carry man bags.

There is a lesson to be learned here - the bigger the shop, the more irrelevant stuff I must walk past to find the one item I need.

What would solve my need most acutely would be a shop that sells only bags. Sports bags, modern laptop bags, back packs and, say, handbags. In short a shop servicing just the one niche.

In being focused they are able to rob Debenhams and it's ilk dry of customers with a bag need. Anyone who might enter the shop will become acutely aware of any bag need in their life. The shop would prosper (also it'd get a review from me for free).

This is also why smaller shops are able to compete with supermarkets. Less choice is sometimes a good thing. Infact studies have shown that the more choice a person has the less happy they are with their final selection. We have crossed from inflexibility via freedom through choice into a wilderness where no need can be met properly.

In today's uncertain climate the shop that embraces this and keeps things simple and focused will be able to prosper even in our decaying high street. I long for the time when this starts to happen if only so I can stop giving myself a migraine at Westwood Cross shopping centre without having anything to show for my visit.

Anonymity may not be enough

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:01:59 -0400

Thanet bloggers beware - new case law could strip you of your "right" to privacy.

The headline reads "Bloggers have no right to privacy says British court". It centres arround detective constable Richard Horton who wrote (the now deleted) NightJack blog. The court has ruled that he has no "right to anonymity" under British law.

This means that should ECR, Biggles or any of the other "anon" bloggers have their real names uncovered there is nothing that can be done to stop that information being made public. One assumes that this applies to those that comment. So watch out.

Overview of Meadow Nursery, Millmead

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:02:18 -0400

The Meadow Nursery page on the Sure Start Millmead website is out of date. To help keep Thanet's information local web a bit more useful here is a short guide to which you are welcome to add additional information via the comments form.

Meadow Nursery is part of the Sure Start complex in Millmead, Dane Valley. Meadow Nursery is a purpose built Nursery featuring a large outside play area and a full compliment of dedicated equipment to help children learn while playing.

Meadow Nursery take children from a very young age starting with Buttercup Room. Meadow Nursery's Buttercup Room is for children under two years of age. It has dedicated staff, nap area and a seperate outside play area.

Meadow Nursery's Bluebell Room is specifically for children aged two to three years. After their third birthday children are eased into the ajoining room called Primrose Room. Meadow Nursery's Primrose Room is for children aged three years and above and they will be here until it is time to leave for school.

Meadow nursery constantly receive a very high offstead rating and have achieved a number of other marks of excellence. If Sure Start Millmead had updated the website in the last nine months I could tell you what they were exactly.

Statistically the nursery's results speak for themselves. Consultation with a local school showed that around half (about 50% although I lack the figures to hand) of children starting school were at or above the minimum level set out by national legislation and so forth. Meadow Nursery's outgoing children in that year had 97% at or above the level required with the remainder being made up of children with significant additional challenges and needs.

This result from Meadow Nursery is perhaps the best indicator that Early Years Intervention is effective and likely in the medium to long term to help break the cycle of poverty in Thanet.

For more information you can contact Meadow Nursery driectly on 01843 282247. You can also see if this link is working, in which case you will be able to print out an application form.

Pictures from the "Big Event"

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:57:39 -0400

Matt B himself

As promised I was up at the "Big Event" near by the high tech karaoke concert of cover bands hanging out with the dad's from Father's in Thanet as well as the out numbered ladies representing the rest of Six Bells Children's Centre.

Yes that is me looking a bit scruffy and in need of a beard trim. I'd just had a long scare with the disappearance of one of my children. Fortunately about a minute before I'd been handed wrist bands that one can add a mobile number to. So the panic ended when another mum phoned me to say there was a very sorry little boy wanting daddy.

There was also a very sorry daddy wanting his son. He didn't wander off again and was most vigalent that his brother and sister stay close too - so all is well that ends well.

Here are a few snap shots of the day. More can be found on my facebook account later.

Say cheese mate

This next picture is the view through the thin canvass of the stand. It's part of the long line of people waiting to use the loo.
need to potty?

Oh, it does end then?
still need the loo!

FIT Air Show for dads

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:17:17 -0400

A group of Dads from around Thanet will be using the "Big Event" to meet other dads. The reason? FIT!

lumpy aka mick

doug

FIT (or more commonly Fathers In Thanet) will be at the air show (aka Margate's "Big Event") this weekend to promote a group aimed specifically at dads. Doug and Mick (two blokes who would not stand still for a decent photo) want to see more dad's getting something out of the monthly dad's group.

this was the best I could get

Currently each FIT meeting sees around six or seven dads plus a host of children of different ages.

Fathers in Thanet meet once a month at the Six Bells Children's Centre and will be available at the Six Bells Children's Centre stand for the weekend. Look for this logo (based on a design by yours truly)
Fathers in Thanet Logo.

...and this logo (nothing to do with my art work).
Fathers in Thanet alt logo

If you are at the "Big Event" (and a lot of people will be) make sure you find the dads and have a chat.
Almost a good photo