The tidal surge at Margate December 2013

 The effect of the recent tidal surge on Margate was nothing more than an exceptional high tide. In fact the sea defence system was not even challenged. Even the temporary sand barrier on Margate main sands put up by Thanet District Council even withstood the test, saving Marine Terrace from a costly clean up. Over the years and more so in the past decade the amount of sand on  Margate main sands has increased. In my lifetime the beach has doubled in size and changed its shape on numerous occasions producing many beach combing finds. The recent tidal surge has reshaped shaped the beach again for the second time this year and from the high water mark to the low water areas the sand has leveled out. If it stays like this then the beach users in the summer are in for a treat. As for myself it is a bit of a disaster as all the historical sites are now re buried but it can wait as most of it has been there for centuries.

Not a lot came in with the tide during the surge except a few large lumps of sea coal that constantly roll around out there on the sea bed. There was also many sea shells that had been uncovered mostly Whelk , but I did find a tropical one, a small conch. The origin from this I know. Its origin came many years ago from a tourist shop in the Arlington Arcade Margate. The shop sold many tropical sea shells and was run by Terry Purser who was also a bit of a show man and knew how to pull of a publicity stunt. When he received a consignment of sea shells in from abroad a few of the crates somehow managed to get wet inside. This caused mildew in transit and the shells were not up to a retail standard. So discreetly,  he arranged for the shells to be scattered on the low water mark on Margate main sands. Given a few tides people started to find tropical shells scattered around the main sands.The dicoveries made the national newspapers including the Sun and for years after that people actually believed that tropical sea shells could be found at Margate.

New Palace Steamers in postcards

From the mid 1890's up until the outbreak of the First World War two main paddle steamer companies and two railway companies competed to transport people in their thousands to Margate . One of the companies New Palace Steamers even produced their own souvenirs for the trip. I have now accumulated a few postcards they produced.

On another point two years ago I found a piece of broken plate on the main sands that has part of the same address seen on the bottom of the postcards.

On some areas of the Margate main sands near the low water mark I am now coming to the conclusion that most of the shards excluding mineral water bottles that have been found are actually gash thrown over the side by the Paddle Steamers that visited the jetty during that era. Also the amount of finds that date after the time the paddle steamers stopped operating the routes does decline significantly.

The Mick Twyman collection - The Surf Boat disaster 1897

The history of the Margate Surfboat disaster that claimed nine lives on the 2nd December 1897 is an event that has been well documented. Thanks mostly to Mick Twyman and the other co writers and researchers from the Margate Historical Society.
Recently I have been looking at Mick Twyman's archive on disc and found some information on the funerals that took place including photographs and a poem. So for the benefit of internet search engines I am posting. Please feel free to down load .

The Mick Twyman collection - The Marine Series of photographic postcards by Margate seaside photographer George Philip Hoare

Trawling through the Mick Twyman collection of  postcards I am now able to piece together some more photography by Margate sea side photographer George Philip Hoare . This time it is the marine series he produced before the First World War . It is noticeable that in every batch I have come across George seems to have this thing about photographing rough weather, mostly from the Jetty looking towards the shore. In one instance there is a view of the area that is now the site of the current Turner Center and in the back ground are the studios of a rival George Houghton that can be seen on the cliff top, If this was intentional I do not know. George Houghton was in business before George Philip Hoare and he photographed the destruction of the Marine Palace on the 29th November 1897. George Philip Hoare arrived in Margate a year later in 1898 aged nineteen and was employed as a photographer by Goodman and Schimdt.

The Mick Twyman collection - Margate photographer George Philip Hoare continued

Following the previous posting of the work of George Philip Hoare, I have now come across some more postcard photographs . I am purposely posting more images of his work as I feel that the volume of his work is greater than I originally thought and is becoming a subject in its own right . There is strong enough evidence that there are two styles of writing on the front of his postcards. I have also come across examples of his work coloured in and published by other postcard publishers. Please feel free to download and add to your folders as there is no copyright on any of these.

There is no need for me to describe anything George as has already done it for me.

The Mick Twyman collection - The construction of the Winter Gardens Margate

The construction of the Winter Gardens at Margate is very detailed historically and I know there are many photographs doing the circuit following the centenary of the opening.
In Mick's archive I have came across a few with some dated 22nd June 1911 . I believe they  could be the work of Margate photographer George Philip Hoare as he lived opposite the Winter Gardens at the time and his studio was just around the corner in Fort Road. I know in the George Philip Hoare archive there are many of the construction and the early days of the Winter Gardens.