Thanet coast life

The sea defence works - recent finds (01/12)

2012-02-01T15:24:00.008+01:00

It is going to take at least a week before the tide will go out far enough to allow any reasonable exploration around the square head and the north wall of Margate stone pier below the lighthouse. This in turn is ample time to allow the ground to settle after the recent pile driving and allow the tides to restore some form of natural order. Therefore any wind from the north will be welcome even if it does bring a bit of snow. In the meantime the part of the north wall between the back of the Droit House and as far as the Groyne will still be accessible at low water and should be good with the metal detector if the iron debris from the Jetty can be avoided. Towards the groyne a large amount of stone blocks have been uncovered, all remnants of the 1953 storm. Towards the other end behind the Droit House and the old sluice where I found the coins as in the previous posting, there is still every possibility of finding ammunition from the Second World War and iron nails from the Jetty wreckage of the 1978 storm. I have mentioned live ammunition being found in the area before and the two bullets in the photograph above were found in the past few days along with the iron nail from the Jetty, so it is always there to be found.

Amongst the recent finds from the past week is another piece of a Baluster from the Balustrade that surrounded the 1829 Lighthouse that was lost in the 1953 storm. I have taken a few photographs of the recent find and have posted them on the left.

Pictured is the joint that fixed the Baluster into the stone work and also present are traces of the original mortar.

The Friends of the Margate Museum in the near future will be staging an exhibition of all the storms that have battered Margate , along with photographs and accounts of the storms to coincide with the sea defence works. All my finds will be part of that exhibition and all the significant finds will be donated to the Margate Museum.

The sea defence diaries 30/01/12 - the coins are now turning up

2012-01-30T15:08:00.011+01:00

The top two photographs above were taken during the Christmas period and show the piling around the square head in position. The two photographs below were taken this morning around 09:45 am 30/01/12 and show how deep the piling is being driven in around the square head. Equally as interesting are the layers of mud, sand and clay that are being dug up and the historic evidence it contains. When the work is completed I am sure there will be many finds to come as the tide washes through the spoil around the square head.

Before I took the photographs of the pile driving I ran my metal detector over an area I selected a few weeks ago behind the Droit House. The area is full of iron work from the wreck of the Jetty entrance making it very difficult to metal detect effectively, but I did manage to pick up a few coins. I have selected the older ones and as you can see the sand and sea outside the harbour wall has a terrible effect on them. The top line are George III halfpennies and one George III farthing, the second line are Victorian bun head pennies and the third bottom line are two Victorian halfpennies and two farthings. The oldest George III coin is dated 1799 and all were found close to the harbour wall around the area of the blocked up sluice.

The sea defence diaries (28/01/12) - I should have brought a bigger bucket.

2012-01-28T19:37:00.008+01:00

This morning at day break (28/01/12) I targeted the back wall of Margate stone pier from below the lighthouse to the corner of the square head. It was a cold start and it didn't help sinking in a muddy hole up to my knees walking around the square head where it appears the piling has been completed. The area has been well and truly turned over and the ground is very soft as I found out.

The changing of the surface around the square head has now brought fresh debris to the surface where I did manage to find a few coins, but it still needs to wash down to a more solid base to search properly and more methodically .

Once past the square head the ground is more solid and the new piling is clearly visible. The old post 1953 piling has been removed and replaced leaving small piles of debris that have been washed through by the tide leaving plenty of historical evidence amongst the tangled mess of old fishing nets and metal. As customary on these occasions I pick up everything and I was soon to fill up my bucket with bits of brass and copper, plus lead fishing weights and pieces of lead work. All for further examination at a later date, I could have picked up more but the bucket I had was too small so I had to leave some things behind.

In a previous posting I mentioned the Balustrade that surrounded the lighthouse that was constructed in 1829 to replace the 1815 original and how I found two parts of a Baluster . Today I found another piece that know brings my tally to three.

After looking at a few prints I am now convinced that the Balustrade is dated 1815 and not 1829 as I originally thought, confirming that my finds are part of the original construction of the stone pier.

Rummaging through the stone debris from the 1953 storm it is noticeable that there are different types of stone used in the construction of the Stone Pier from the 1810 to 1815 period. Today I came across a large slab of granite, one of many that were used to cap the flat surface of the square head.

I could have done with the tide going out a bit further as there has been some iron concretion dug up but then I thought it can wait as there is so much to see and do at the moment. But I will within the next week give it a whack with a club hammer subject to the tide going out far enough of course.

The sea defence dig - beach glass

2012-01-26T18:12:00.003+01:00

As the Margate sea defence work progress the changes will affect the tidal flow in and around the Harbour and around the Main Sands itself. This in turn will bring many shards and pieces of broken glass to the surface, each piece representing a time period of Margate's 277 years of seaside history. The more dominant pieces being the thick pieces of green aqua glass that are often found worn as smooth as pebbles almost anywhere in the Harbour and Main Sands precinct. Green aqua glass is typical Victorian and is made by adding iron oxide to molten glass in coal fired furnaces that enables a thicker glass bottle to be produced that can hold gaseous liquid like aerated mineral water in a coloured container that can disguise the sediment.

There are many designs of Victorian mineral water bottles, the most famous being the Codd patent mineral water bottle that had an internal marble stopper. That when filled, the pressure in the bottle will push the marble against the internal rubber washer creating a seal. The bottle could then be opened by pressing the marble down and breaking the seal.

These bottles were massed produced and evidence of discarded bottles can be found in every waterway system and coastal area in the country. Margate is no exception and being a Victorian seaside resort the evidence is overwhelming.

In the above photograph are broken necks of a Codd bottle and a marble stopper that show just how the bottle worked, representing some of the many pieces of Codd bottle found in the past few months.

In the bottom left of the photograph is an unusual find of a Lamont patent internal wooden stopper with a rubber seal that I found water logged in Margate Harbour. The principle being that the stopper would float inside the bottle when filled creating a seal.

The sea defence diaries - 26/01/12 a mystery find.

2012-01-26T14:12:00.003+01:00

This is the latest find (26/01/12) found by Breheny contractors working on the Margate coastal defence project. Found behind the harbour wall , it certainly is a mystery.

My recent coverage of the sea defence works has certainly been attracting some interest if my blog stats are to be believed. Which is a good thing because it is times like these that someone somewhere may have that little bit of knowledge that can make all the difference and I find it is always best to share things with a wider audience

My theory and it could be totally wrong, is that when passengers boarded or alighted to and from steamers or even when cargoes like coal were being unloaded, or even when the small railway on the upper promenade was in use, there has to be some form of crowd control. I think that this may have been a post or part of a post to hook chains onto, that temporary blocked access. I could be wrong and any other idea will be gratefully received.

Anyway thanks again to Breheny contractors and the team at Margate for taking the time and trouble to save another piece of history.

The Kings Steps - my view

2012-01-24T18:00:00.006+01:00

In today's Thanet Times (24/01/12) there is an article about what now appears to be the partial demolition of the Kings steps / stairs landing stage. There has also been a fair amount of natter on facebook on the subject , some misguided and some very good points made.

Personally I just cannot understand why some people have made it an emotive issue because the battle to conserve the Kings Steps ended in the early 1970's during the late Margate Borough Council era and the early Thanet District Council period.

The current construction came about after the construction of Marine Drive in 1886 and the landing stage and steps were constructed some time after. On the right of what is now the blocked off entrance there was once a flight of stairs that lead down to the sea and acted as a landing stage when the tide was in. The steps were very long and broad most cast in concrete with a few stone ones worked in. They were made like this to accommodate a queue of people boarding or leaving a vessel and they were known as the Kings Steps following on from a historical tradition of a flight of stairs known as the Kings Stairs that were set back further in the Parade before reconstruction in 1886. On Anthony Lee's margatelocalhistory.co.uk website there are a number of maps where the original location of the Kings Stairs can be seen.

The steps by 1970 were starting to become unrepairable, unsafe and costly to maintain. Soon it was becoming mission impossible for the local council and the decision was made to demolish the steps. There was local opposition but demolition went ahead leaving a repaired landing stage that in effect was acting as a breakwater for the waves that lashed Marine Drive in stormy weather than anything else. Eventually the landing stage become silted and the landing stage remained unused for decades.

That is until now and the current construction of the Margate coastal sea defence project will see them gone forever or should I say out of view. In a way I am surprised to see that they are going to be conserved within the structure of the revetment of the sea defence works.

If they were made of stone that had been crafted I could understand that and the need for conservation, but we are talking about Brett's finest ready mix concrete. In fact some areas are repairs less than 20 years ago.

I think it is right to keep them intact as they are a solid foundation for the revetment but to wrap them up as a conservation measure before they are buried does seem a bit silly, costly and time consuming.

The sea defence diaries 23/01/12 - another find

2012-01-24T14:43:00.009+01:00

This piece of the railing sent in by Warren Martin the sea defences site engineer and was found late night on 23/01/12 by Paul Bailey an excavator driver working for Breheny the contractors working on the Margate coastal defence project.

The railing post originally came from the upper promenade around the second and third cant and is one of the original railing posts. From the photograph it confirms this passion Margate Pier and Harbour Company had for painting everything in red oxide that was made of metal and did not move.

The railing post has now been been set aside for exhibition, many thanks to Breheny contractors and the team at Margate.

They are Heraldic Dolphins not Sturgeons

2012-01-23T16:17:00.005+01:00

When it comes to local history and historical indentification in Thanet there have been many inaccuracies and mistakes often reported and circulated. We all make mistakes and nobody is perfect and like everything else mistakes should be corrected and then just left at that. However, there are some who just keep getting it wrong and and even when presented with the facts still persist on producing the same inaccuracies.

Today I read part of a statement referring to the Margate coastal sea defence works released by TDC and its reads "The Sturgeon lights, which were positioned on top of the concrete pedestals along the sea wall have also been carefully removed".

The facts are that they are not Sturgeons lights but Heraldic Dolphins and this has been pointed out many times.

In fact anyone reading this can check the facts themselves. The photograph from google images to the left is taken of the same lamps along the Thames embankment and they are described as heraldic Dolphins, in fact every reference on google to the design refers to heraldic Dolphins.

So who is right and who is wrong ? - it doesn't take much working out.

The Margate sea defence dig - animal bones a mystery solved

2012-01-21T16:15:00.007+01:00

A few days ago I found an old butchered jaw bone of a pig in Margate Habour, even though it was old and had been in the harbour for many years, it was a find that really did not come as a surprise. This is because finding old animal bones and teeth in Margate Harbour is something I have always done since my bait digging days from the early 1970's. It was only a few months back that I was talking to someone on facebook who remembered finding animal teeth around the slipway area of Margate Harbour.

Putting on my historical cap I was able to tell him that the vicinity around the slipway was once where the old town drain spilled its contents into the harbour and that is most likely the origin of the animal bones and teeth in Margate Harbour.

This afternoon I have been reading up on articles on Horn Corner and Hazardous Row when I can across an article by Mick Twyman. It was one of the last he published before he died and it was a write up he did on Harzardous Row. In a paragraph about the Parade and the bridge that went over the town drain he mentions a wooden hut beside the bridge that can be seen in the copied print on the right of the bridge as you look at it. This wooden hut was in fact a butchers shop and it belonged to a George Penn who was reckoned to have thrown animal remains into the town drain from his shop.

I suppose the evidence is conclusive as in a vicinity where old animal bones and remains are found it just happens to be the outlet of where the old town drain spilled its contents into the harbour and there just happens to be an old butchers shop by that outlet (circa 1790's). Somehow I do not think we will need time team to work that one out.

Anyway I reckon with full confidence that more butchered animal remains will be found when the north wall fronting the Parade is dug and in the Harbour in general.

The sea defence works - recent finds (01/12)

2012-01-21T14:21:00.008+01:00

I am now photographing some of my finds, found in the vicinity of the Margate sea defence works to keep as a record. So far I have not come across anything spectacular but I am building a collection of life at Margate Harbour.

This item I believe to be a marine engine part it is made of bronze and weighs over half a kilo found around the square head where pile driving and digging has taken place.

A butchered jaw bone of a pig, I originally thought it was a sheep's jaw but the tusk shape of some of the teeth made me think other otherwise. Found inside the harbour close to the wall where digging and pile driving has taken place.

Three bottlenecks of the string neck variety, the glass is thick and crudely made I reckon probably dates round 1810 to 1830's. These were found on the surface before the sea defence work started when I walked the entire area picking up everything of age.

Clay pipe stems, there is no shortage of them and they are found where any digging has taken place. However, there doesn't seem to be many pipe bowls at the moment.

I think this may be a hand made copper fastening found around the square head of the stone pier. It looks as if it has been subject to a great force that has bent it.

A sample of the hundreds of shards I have picked up over a wide area since the early autumn. Most are non descript and only show signs of age , a few do have part of the logos of paddle steamer companies.

The sea defence diaries a recent find ( 01/12)

2012-01-21T09:06:00.008+01:00

I have received this photograph sent to me by Warren Martin who is the site engineer working for Breheny civil engineering who are the contractors for the Margate coastal sea defence works. It was found at the end of the Stone Pier and it is a iron wheel with spokes covered in concretion which will need further research.

It is good to see that the contractors are keeping an eye out for historical items while working to a busy schedule. I have also been informed that a number of complete old bottles were found when the north wall of the boating pool was demolished.

Warren has offered me the wheel to add to the collection of finds of which I will gratefully accept. Should anyone else find any item arising from the sea defence works please contact me and I will feature it on my blog.

I have been constantly going through the images in my collection of Margate Harbour and the area of where the sea defence works are taking place studying the detail. I have also been viewing all the Margate postcards up for sale on ebay something I can recommend as I find it easier than going to the library and cheaper than buying them. Below I have picked two out from my collection, one is of the colliers at low tide in Margate harbour that has lots of detail. The second is of the boating pool and shows the pipe that drains Tivoli Brookes that forms the inner core of the remaining boating pool wall.

The sea defence diaries 19/01/12 - goodbye to the Kings Steps

2012-01-19T16:11:00.008+01:00

Today at 11:15 am the demolition of the King's Steps began, heralding the end of an era for those of us who remember the Jet Spray, diving off the king steps and fishing for flounders and eels. I expect the remains of the Kings Steps will become infill for the revetment.

Elsewhere the work by the clock tower known as the south wall is gathering pace as seen in the photograph. Behind the Harbour wall piling has been driven in, starting from the Droit House end and this afternoon they will be driving in piling behind the old sluice.

As for today's finds, the shard count has dropped dramatically due to tidal changes. I did find part of a jaw bone of a sheep and a unusual copper boat fastening, plus a few other bits of cooper boat nails and roves.

Due to neap tides, the tide will not be going out as far so I am going to leave it for a week to allow more of the silt in the harbour to loosen up.

The Margate Sea Defences - the construction of the Stone Pier

2012-01-18T16:11:00.007+01:00

In the Margate Historical Society archives there is a detailed account on the construction of the Stone Pier researched in detail by Mick Twyman and Alf Beeching . In a way this has become my hand book, and as Mick is no longer with us I am using both Alf's and Mick's research to put together as much physical evidence together to complement their research by taking photographs, recording my observations and obtaining samples of the stone pier during the sea defence works.

Mick's work is an historical account written for historians so I have listed some bullet points for those who are following the sea defence works as a matter of interest.

Towards the end of 1809 the go ahead to construct the stone pier was given working to a design by John Rennie. The bulk of the construction was to be built on timber piling driven 16 ft into the creek with stone resting on wooden sleepers. The construction was to be built in sections and infilled with chalk.

In late 1809 authorisations to acquire Whitby Stone, Fir,Elm, Beech timber piles and planks, along with Swedish hardwoods were given. Due to supplies problems with acquiring Whitby Stone , Purbeck Stone was also acquired.

Work begun in April 1810 with the first stone being laid with ceremony. In order to cut costs 2,000 tons of stone from the demolishion of the Reculver Church was shipped to Margate at a cost of one shilling a ton and used for the internal construction. Some of this stone was used to build the wall where the car park is today.

Due to a storm in 1811 part of the construction collapsed in a storm.

A decision in 1812 was made to put the remaining construction of the Pier and the running of the Harbour under the control of the new incorporated Margate Pier and Harbour Company.

The last remaining section of the Pier was completed in 1815 with the last 300 feet built entirely on wooden piles and sleepers.

In 1823 the Pier was lit by Gas Lamps .

In 1826 a sluice was opened and a granite pathway constructed as a cart road for for the removal of silt at sixpence a ton. The idea of the sluice was also to allow silt to drain out of the harbour as the tide went out, in fact the opposite happened with sand being pushed through from the outside in rough weather. Eventually the outside wall of the sluice was bricked up, however the entrance inside the harbour is still visible today.

In 1829 the lighthouse was replaced with a larger more ornate construction that collapsed in the storm of 1953 when the timber piling that supported the lighthouse and square head gave way.

There is also recorded damage to the stone pier in the gales of 1832, 1877 , 1897, 1953, 1971 and 1978. of which evidence hopefully will be uncovered as the under pinning of the stone pier is undertaken.

In the above diagram is the boundary of the where the Harbour ends and where the Main Sands begin. Which takes me back to 1981 when someone dumped a three piece suite off the square head. They dumped it at low tide and as the tide came in it became waterlogged and remained in situ much to the disgust of local fishermen who tied up alongside the square head. A request was put into Margate Pier and Harbour Company asking for it to be removed. This was refused because the MPHC said it is outside their boundary. So the fishermen had to remove it themselves, but they had the last laugh as they found out who it belonged to and dumped it in the front garden of the person who thoughtlessly dumped if off the square head.

The sea defence diaries 17/01/12 and a ramble

2012-01-17T16:04:00.012+01:00

Today work started on pile driving the back wall of the stone pier from behind the droit house to the groyne that can be seen in the photograph. This should prove very interesting when the ground has settled as this area has a lot of history or should I say potential. Where the blue vehicle is parked the bricked up entrance to the sluice can be seen in the harbour wall and this should be interesting as the entrance to the sluice had a granite pathway. I expect the power of the equipment used for pile driving will cut through the pathway like a hot knife through butter. But it will be interesting to see the pathway that has laid buried since the mid nineteenth century. The pathway was used for carts that were used to transport the silt from the harbour as a cheap form of dredging.

Beneath the base of the back wall are layers of debris from the Jetty that have banked up from the many storms that have hit the outer wall of the harbour. Most of the debris has fused into concretion that has been very difficult to dig into and I am hoping the mechanical activity will loosen some of it up so I can have a good look.

To get to the site the pile driver and digger are having to go around the square head of the stone pier which has given them a small window to work in because of the tide. The area around the square head is soft sand, clay and shingle, the pile driver and digger are churning it all up as they go around the square head which is great. This has really loosened up the ground and the tide is moving things about and causing other areas inside the harbour to scour out.

Today, I carried on as from yesterday paying less attention to the stone work plus I left my metal detector and spade at home and concentrated on walking the area.

Years ago up until 1958 there was a coal trade at Margate when 50,000 tonnes of North East coal was brought into Margate Harbour by coasters annually for the gas works in King Street. As a result of the unloading there are many pieces of this North East coal that can be found within the harbour. I normally pick a bit of coal up for research and some for my neighbour who has a coal fire, while I was picking up a few bits of coal out of the freshly churned up clay I came across a bottle stopper and embossed on it was the words W B REID & CO NEWCASTLE . It may be wishful thinking but considering Margate had a sea going coal trade with the North East I do think this stopper may be connected.
Other finds today included a Tizer bottle stopper, a very worn copper coin, lead weights, clay pipe stems and shards of different descriptions. Scrap metal from maritime activity is abundant around the outside of the square head and I have been picking it up . The other day I weighed in 4 Kilo of mixed brass and copper like boat fittings etc., at Kent Metals which now goes towards paying my car park fees.

Casting my mind back to the mid 1980's when the area around the back wall was washed out for brief period in places I did make many finds and observations. I can remember finding a battered silver plated bowl with two handles engraved GRAND HOTEL . Other finds included world war two live ammunition the entire length of the wall, a grenade, plus many coins. The oldest coins being George III copper issues. There are masses of concretion around iron objects and there also water logged timbers from the jetty at the base of the wall and alongside the groyne. Some timber could also be boat remains as there are many copper boat nails of all sizes in the vicinity.

Back to the subject of the sea coal in Margate Harbour. During the unloading of coal there was spillage and coal ended up in the harbour. However, even though the coal was "lost" overboard it still belonged the ship as it is part of the cargo and had a legal owner. At the time the area within the Harbour belonged to Margate Pier and Harbour Company so the public couldn't take any coal out of the harbour. Any coal that ended up outside the MPHC boundaries and on the main sands was flotsam and it would have been difficult to prove the origin of the coal as it could have been jetsom so people would take it and there was very little anyone could do about it.

I do know that one person had the legal rights to the coal lost overboard in Margate Harbour but I cannot remember his name or what the arrangement was. All I know was that this person had the full consent of the MPHC and the owners of the Cargo to salvage coal.

Following a harbour revision order the rights of MPHC were transferred to TDC which was a long winded legal affair. So technically TDC do own the rights to the deposits of coal laid buried in Margate Harbour and anything salvaged within the Harbour boundaries which does sound quaint. Ramsgate Harbour has strict rules and people cannot do as they please and I suppose the same would apply to Margate Harbour as rules do not change because the tide is out. Anyway I do not think TDC will flex its muscles at Margate but it is something I feel should be taken into consideration if a valuable find is made.

Finally, everything I find that is historical or special interest I will give the TDC owned Margate Museum first option to add it to their collection if they so wish and this has already been established with the Museum.

The sea defence diaries 16/01/12

2012-01-16T12:55:00.021+01:00

It has just been over a fortnight since my last dig and there seems to been very little digging done as most of the work taking place is pile driving.

Around the square head of Margate Stone Pier most of the movement has been tidal action washing out the spoil where some digging had taken place a few weeks back. The digging and pile driving has dislodged many pieces of the 1815 stone pier construction and pieces of 1829 lighthouse balustrade lost in the 1953 storm. The two pieces of the balustrade I have photographed match up with images of the 1829 lighthouse, one baluster shows clearly how the stone blocks slotted into each other using a mortise and tenon joint. I also took a photograph of a stone blocks that still had a piece of a stone tenon inside sealed with lead of which I took samples.

Not all pieces of stone can be identified and there are many fragments. Examining stone and brickwork can be interesting by looking for markings and I have in the past found child finger prints on brickwork dating from the Victorian era and earlier when child labour was used to manufacture bricks.

Stone work can carry many other type of markings including vandalism from decades past. I did come across a piece where someone had carved their name and dated their handy work. In the bottom photograph the name L.ELEY 1937 can be clearly seen.

Finally, some of the stone blocks in the sand are still well preserved and intact and it has occurred to me that perhaps they could be retrieved to repair other parts of the harbour arm that are not critical to the construction where excessive wear has taken place.

Margate sea defence works- something else to look out for.

2012-01-14T20:53:00.007+01:00

When I first took up digging the Thanet coastline seriously I started finding items at a phenomenal rate and it was nothing to find a hundred items in one session. In the course of a year I would literally have thousands of items all neatly boxed, stored and recorded. Then one day when I had the lot all laid out it occurred to me that the vast majority of my finds were mostly generic and mostly massed produced. Some items could be over 150 years old and others like a box of farthings for example are what they are a box farthings each having very little detailed history or provenance.This soon led me to study local history and examine everything I found in detail to try to establish some history to any item I found.After a while I was able place some history to some items which gave the item some provenance. In time a pattern of finds would emerge that pinpointed areas that produced more items that would have some associated history. These areas turned out to be the site of the Marine Palace destroyed on the 29^th November 1897, the Jarvis Jetty built 1824, and Margate Jetty and the Harbour area where the sea defence works are taking place today. I have mentioned bottles and their origins so the next item to be found in the sea defence works area has be coins. Even though coins are massed produced there is always some history behind some of them. They do not even have to be valuable as in the case of coins that have been personalized.

Many years ago working people did not own much and lived in chronic poverty due to ruthless exploitation. Owning very little, a gift to each other like a love token, talisman or souvenir etc., people would deface a low denomination coin with an inscription like a name or initials or just pierce the coin to act as medallion or charm. The coin I have scanned is a good example and very interesting, it is a copper Irish halfpenny dated 1822 made from Cornish copper and minted at Matthew Boulton’s Soho mint in Birmingham. Judging by the circulation wear it must have been pierced sometime in the 1840’s and looks like any other pierced coin. Closer examination shows the crown has been defaced and the date removed leaving only an Irish Harp. As the coin is struck in coin alignment and not in medal alignment the head of the monarch George IV hangs upside down. All done deliberately I suspect by someone who has a low regard for the British monarchy.

In the past I have come across many coins of a personalized nature, not all have been finds as some are a result of house clearances or auctions. However, I do view the Margate sea defence work an ideal opportunity to find some personalized coins with a Margate provenance.

Support for tourism or not.

2012-01-13T17:27:00.003+01:00

Apart from cauliflowers, tourism is the only remaining industry in Thanet . So the big political question has to be does Thanet District Council support it or not ?

Over the years the tourism strategy has changed to the more cultural side plus the events programme has attracted thousands of visitors into Thanet all spending money. However none of this is possible unless TDC puts in an input with the support of stake holders and town councils. The same applies to making Thanet looking appealing it all needs TDC support which in reality is our money. Following Cllr Ian Driver's resignation from the Labour group over expenditure of £165K for events and £20K on flowers the question we must ask ourselves do we support tourism or follow Ian and not bother.

Well personally I think that every pound TDC spends wisely on actively making Thanet's tourist product more attractive is money well spent, so I applaud the Labour Group and other Councillor's for doing so.

Margate sea defence works - what to lookout for

2012-01-12T19:45:00.005+01:00

Peoples habits never change and one habit in particular of drinking from a bottle and throwing it in Margate Harbour is something that I am sure that has gone on for two hundred years or more and will never change. There is also further evidence of this practice along the main sands by the abundance of the shards of green glass, worn smooth by the sea and sand accompanied by pieces of earthenware that can be found after every tide.

Between Margate harbour and the main sands there is this boundary where the shifting sands end and the silt of the harbour begins where everything that is found in the silted area has suffered less for the abrasive elements of the main sands. So there is every possibility that glass or earthenware bottles from the Victorian era will be found, complete or partially complete. The chances are the find will be something produced by the big three Margate mineral water companies of M J Harlow, Barret & Co or Reeve & Co or even a Cobbs brewery find. Then on the other hand the find could be something brought down from London on a paddle steamer of which there is plenty of evidence of that, judging by previous finds. However there is one prize or trophy I am hoping to find and that is something produced by a small independent trader or back street producer of mineral water, ginger beer and ale.

During the heyday of Victorian and Edwardian tourism and the high volume of visitor numbers there was every plenty of business opportunity to sell thirst quenching beverage on a hot summers day. Even with the iron grip of the big three mineral water companies on the market and the dominance of the Cobbs Margate brewery many small producers sprang up in Margate and Thanet in general with Ramsgate having the most. Even Chemists got in on the game and one chemist in particular, a Edwin Bing of Canterbury became so successful he gave up being a chemist producing mineral water in the back room of his shop and went onto to run a successful mineral water company. Not all of the small producers were as successful, even though they made money the pressure from the big three meant that many only lasted a few years which makes finding their bottles that more interesting. For example a George Kirby of 2 Church Street Margate was a baker and in 1897 produced his own mineral water to sell in his shop in earthenware bottles bearing his name , by 1900 he ceased production and concentrated purely on baking. Only fragments of George Kirby bottles are known to exist.

As we all well know, size does not mean anything and some of the earlier bottles produced by the Cobbs Margate brewery are really scarce which was more due to the strict accounting regime of the bottles by Cobbs than anything else , even a find of a broken remain of a early bottle would be a result.

At present due to the pace of the sea defence works it still is a case watching and waiting as things unfold. Since the end of the summer I have been picking my way through the harbour and main sands picking up anything of interest with a fanaticism only surpassed by the Taliban.

So what is the tally so far?

Taking into consideration earlier finds, the oldest glass find is about 1790's and I am gradually piecing together something that is representative of every decade from the 1790's which is one hell of a task. I also have a growing collection of bottle stoppers including a internal stopper from a 1880's bottle. So far it does not look impressive but once I have a mass of items it will look good.

Margate sea defence works a ramble

2012-01-02T12:24:00.003+01:00

Today I got my kit together for the start of six months intense digging in the Margate Harbour area. I even dug out my metal detector from the mass of junk we keep in the loft, I dusted it down and gave it test run which is a sure sign I mean business as I haven't used a metal detector in years. It may sound a bit cocky but I have never felt the need to use a metal detector, simply because I know where to find things and always relied on experience, patience and graft. This time things are so much different as there will be so much going digging going on that it will be a case of picking up everything as quickly as possible and sorting it out later.

One of the reason of the under pinning of the stone pier is not to complement the Turner Centre or create a work of art it is about strengthening the stone pier itself. The stone pier was constructed to replace the pier that was destroyed in the storm of 1808 that also flooded Tivoli. Part of the stone pier is constructed on chalk bedrock and the other part including the square head is constructed in sections on wooden piling over the old creek, the reason for the underpinning work.

Before the arrival of the railways the stone pier was the lifeblood of the town along with other constructions that previously stood in the same vicinity. The three main trades being agriculture going out and coal and visitors to the town coming in , not forgetting all the maritime trades that also worked the harbour. It will be from this activity that I will focus most of my finds.

So far I have mentioned the rich finds of the more generic items that are going to turn up and these finds are starting to mount up.

One subject I haven't touched on is the evidence of wartime activity and the results of storms that have hit the harbour. During the second world war the defended area was bombed , the original droit house was destroyed and then there was the Dunkirk arrivals. All offering a great potential for some great finds.

Over the years storms have hit the harbour with devastating effect and as I write there is a small boat all bashed up against the sea wall by Manning's shellfish stall. This small boat is made of fibre glass with stainless steel fittings a far cry from when boats were made of wood by craftsmen and the fittings were hand worked copper. However, buried under the sand there are many remains of wooden boats and recently I came across part of a wrecked boat and I was even able to identify it.

During the 1970's there was a Margate fisherman who I won't mention by name who would buy cheap floating wrecks for fishing. One boat he bought was a clinker built double ender about twenty foot long, this boat was built in 1910 and was the first fishing boat that former Margate life boatman Alf Manning fished from as a boy. The boat was lost in a SW gale in the 1970's moored by the slipway and a piece of it still lies buried there today.

Many years ago at margate after a storm weather bound fishermen would gather up boat wreckage flotsam and burn it in piles to retrieve the copper fittings to sell as scrap, so for anyone digging the harbour this could well be the source of copper nails that will be found concentrated in some areas.

In fact the whole harbour area will be a mine of scrap metal of maritime origin for anyone looking to make a bob or two. There are boat engines, lead, copper, brass , phosphorus and stainless steel that can be found. Maybe not in large quantities by at today's current scrap prices it is something that cannot be ignored

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T23:13:00.002+01:00

Happy new Year to everyone of you, especially to all you diggers out there waiting and watching the sea defence digging, hope to meet up with you all sometime.

As for myself 2012 is looking promising for some blinding finds in the Margate area and should produce some good results.

The sea defence diaries 28/12/11

2011-12-29T13:27:00.007+01:00

Work on the sea defence works has stopped for obvious reasons due the Christmas period and the mild weather has had very little impact on shape of the main sands where the demolition of the old boating pool by the clock tower has has taken place. All that remains of the boating pool is one wall that is built around the pipe that drains Tivoli Brookes.

I was fortunate that the tide had gone out far enough to allow me to have a good root around the end of the square head of the stone pier and take a few photographs. From the photograph the underpinning of the square head is well underway and is a continuation of the work that that took place after the storm of February 1953 when the sea ward side of the square head was underpinned to strengthen the foundation of the newly reconstructed lighthouse .

On this occasion my interest was centered of the spoil heap that remained from the digging and pile driving that can be clearly seen in the photograph. Even though the site looks a mess there are plenty of good finds to be made and data to collect.

The entrance to the harbour like any other harbour is where most of the main activity of harbour life took place and there was plenty of evidence to prove that. The spoil heap was a mixture of historical layers all mixed into one, as this area is well known for badly worn copper coins from the William III to the George IV period I was hoping to find some. On this occasion I did not find any, but I had a good mix of everything else ranging from clay pipe stems and bowls, shards and glass. As mentioned many times previously I found cannal coal from the thriving coal trade the harbour once had supplying the King Street gas works. On the modern side of life I found copper and brass boat fittings and pieces of stainless steel.

Like a magpie I pick up everything , store it in my back garden and then sort through it at my own leisure like in the photograph above.

Reopen the Maritime Museum ?

2011-12-23T20:24:00.003+01:00

This is entirely my own point of view and understanding and is not Ramsgate Town Council or Labour Party policy, so I would appreciate any point of view.

There remain many unanswered questions over the continued closure of the Ramsgate Maritime Museum and over the past year even before I was elected to Ramsgate Town Council I have thought in the back of my mind that perhaps Thanet District Council does not want the Steam Museum Trust to operate a Museum from the building. Bearing in mind all the controversy and the legalities of the previous East Kent Maritime Trust running the venue plus all the problems and cost involved does TDC really want to follow the same path again ?

Over at Margate for example the Museum has reopened with the use of volunteers overseen by one council officer. This has been an outstanding success and this is not due to TDC favouring Margate over Ramsgate. It is due to the fact that at Margate, TDC owns all the artefacts and the building so it is just a case of opening the doors. There is nothing political about any of this because all TDC did at Margate was to foster goodwill and now they have a flexible museum service run by volunteers which in all honesty could be a model for struggling local authority Museums throughout the country.

Now if the Steam Museum Trust was to vacate the Maritime Museum would it be a disaster, well the answer would probably be no if the TDC model at Margate was applied to Ramsgate. For example TDC owns the Ramsgate clockhouse building and there is enough goodwill in Ramsgate to form a volunteer group as the magnificent Ramsgate Tunnels project has proved that.

The next question would be what do we put in it? My research over the past six months does point to the fact that TDC owns a substantial collection of Ramsgate items. Which would then put Maritime Museum in the same position as Margate, a TDC building with TDC items that could be run by volunteers. Also it must be also taking into consideration that some of the items locked away in the Maritime Museum are owned by TDC anyway plus there many items that are still loans from Ramsgate people. If push comes to shove the SMT could loans items to the new volunteerMuseum group.

Finally, all it would need is the visitor information centre to move into the Museum and I would say it would be game, set and match.

Margate beach coins

2011-12-23T16:48:00.004+01:00

To date I haven't found much as a result of the Margate sea defence works , but then it is early days and there will be plenty of opportunity this Christmas holiday to find something and this opportunity will continue well into 2012 and beyond. To give some idea what to expect I have scanned a few coins that I have found over the years around the Margate Harbour and Jetty area. As you can see the condition is not great and they are typical beach finds from old Margate when deep digging takes place. This is evident when clay from the old creek and deep black sand mixed with shingle and shards start appearing as a result of the digging. In fact the more smelly the sand is the better chance of an old find.

Somehow this dark black sand has an effect on coins. Copper and bronze coins do seem to do well and retain this distinctive colour that can be seen on three of the coins. Silver on the other hand suffers badly and most of silver coins I have found in the Margate Harbour basin around the Georgian period are so badly pitted and are wafer thin due to the reaction of the sand. Overall almost every beach coin will have no value except historically as each coin has been found in Margate and are a representation of old Margate.

The coin on the top left is a George III halfpenny found where the entrance to the Jetty was before the breakwater was built, the coin to the right of it was found near the square head of the stone pier where digging is taking place at present and is a William III halfpenny, the large coin is a 1797 cartwheel penny found many years ago where the north wall works will commence later in 2012 , the coin to the right of the cartwheel penny was found in the cut. The cut for those who do not know is where the original Jarvis Jetty of 1824 was built through a clearing in the rocks and then followed by Margate Jetty. Today a landing stage can still be seen at low water.

After the storm of January 1978 that completely destroyed the jetty. The cut was completely scoured out of sand and many coins from the George IV period where found just laying on the chalk including the one pictured.

Sea defence diaries 14/12/11 part 2

2011-12-15T12:09:00.002+01:00

I took this photograph to give some idea of what lays underneath the layers of sand just inside the entrance of Margate harbour. As you can see it is a mixture clay and shingle from the bed of the old creek and it is probably many decades since there has been any digging to such a depth that has taken place in that part of the harbour. In fact, the enrance of the harbour does have a history of dredging and it is a well known fact that steamers and coasters would turn their props while at berth to loosen the silt to keep a channel clear. Therefore the layers of history will be mixed with old tiling, mixed shards, Victorian glass, clay pipe stems and modern brick appearing side by side. Even though I found two Victorian pennies it is still nothing to get excited about as Victorian coins were still circulating in the 1950's and 60's. So at present I think it will take time before anything in the way of artifact from the 1690's to 1808 when the previous pier was destroyed in a storm comes to light.

On the other hand now that the north wall of the boating pool is no longer with us, I expect once the rubble is cleared there will be enough current running through that will bring up some Victorian shards.

The sea defence diaries 14/12/11

2011-12-14T14:07:00.005+01:00

It is over a week since my last posting and even through the gale force weather the work has been continuing at a cracking pace.

I suppose the first piece of nostalgia to go in the way of progress is the boating pool and the north wall of the pool has been demolished. The pool was constructed in 1910 and during its lifetime has gone through many repairs and modifications, like many local people who have fond memories as a child of the pool it is still sad to see it go.

Over by the harbour the shuttering was being pile driven and there was evidence of a lot of mechanical digging with clay from the old creek present on the surface. As work was in progress I kept my activities to around the inside of the square head of the stone pier where digging had taken place and the tide was coming in. There I found the ground beneath my feet had a strong smell and consisted of soft black sand, clay and shingle. It was impossible to metal detect, but then I knew that because I didn't bring my metal detector with me. So I relied entirely on picking up what I could on the surface.

Finds were very much as I expected with shards, clay pipe stems and old glass. I found two coins both Victorian and both pennies dated 1874 and 1892. Both having this very distinct pink colour as a result of laying in the black sand for many years. The shards and glass were very average but I did find a base of a Victorian gin bottle.

Shortly afterwards I went into the Margate Museum to have a look at the 1827 Christmas exhibition and to be honest it is perhaps the best display I have ever seen at the Museum. They even have a portrait of Turner one of four in existence in the country. The Margate Museum is going from strength to strength and judging by the quality of some of the loan items on display the Museum is now gaining influence with other museums and collectors. Something I put down to the influence of the Tuner Center, a strong volunteer base and TDC support.

My next thought being how can this be repeated in Ramsgate ?

A little history of parking in Birchington.

2011-12-12T12:26:00.005+01:00

When parking charges were first introduced in Birchington there was total uproar. The proposal was to charge 20 pence for half hour parking, the idea being to free up parking spaces and prevent people leaving cars parked all day in prime parking positions during the peak shopping periods.

At the time I was a Labour councillor on TDC representing a Margate ward and at the time I more or less got the picture of what was going on and just left it at that until it appears on an agenda.

A few weeks after this became public knowledge there was was full council meeting and this item was not on the agenda. So I as I turned up to this meeting I could see a crowd outside the main doors and noticed some of the other councilors were entering the building via the car park entrance. So I just carried on walking through the crowd not realising the local Tories had organised a protest against the parking charges. I was right in the middle of the crowd when someone spotted my agenda for the meeting which was under my arm. Catching me unawares he shouted "are you a councillor!" and like a mug I replied "yes". There was this deadly silence as he asked me what I thought about the parking charges in Birchington and like an idiot I told him I didn't know much about it. That was it, they went mad. Some old lady hit me over the back of the head with a placard, some were shouting and this bloke who was doing most of the shouting squared up to me with his nose almost touching mine, I thought it was hilarious.

However the moral of this story is, as I have found out, is that people in Birchington can be very passionate about their parking.

A Margate mystery ?

2011-12-11T00:50:00.002+01:00

I have been approached by email by someone who wishes to donate this sampler to the Margate museum. It is incomplete and it is mid nineteenth century and could be older. Any ideas ?

Christmas Tree removal and recycling

2011-12-08T23:45:00.001+01:00

Thinking of disposing of your Christmas tree after Christmas well this guy seems to have the right idea.

Christmas Tree removal and recycling: Love your Christmas tree:

The sea defence diaries. 05/12/11

2011-12-05T19:39:00.005+01:00

Following all the publicity the construction of the Margate sea defence has finally started. So as from today I have started logging finds from the harbour area found as a result of the activity from the construction works, plus I am keeping keeping a photographic archive. As you can see from the photograph the steel piling has begun which is not having much of an effect in the revetment area in the way of digging at the moment. However, some digging activity is happening around the square head of the stone pier. This has resulted in lumps of clay from the old creek appearing in the small spoil heaps. They have also been driving piling around the entrance to the harbour. Today's finds were limited mainly due to the tide and the fact I didn't want to get run over by a mechanical digger. Today's find were a few shards with one piece unidentifiable to "The new palace steamers limited" and I found a old metal spoon.

This photograph gives some idea how far out from the North Wall the piling is taking place. As you can see from the photograph Ale-piling.com are undertaking the work.

They're off !

2011-11-25T21:25:00.006+01:00

Thanet District Council has now released details of the forthcoming sea defence works that are to start with immediate effect. Full details of the works programme can be found on the TDC website.

At present I have now have a collection of 42 items from the main sands area that have some form of historical and local interest, and that is before the work has started.

Looking at the plan I see the works are in four sections which is very convenient as each section does have its own individual history and it will make it easier to put a location to the items as they are found. Historically it will be the area of the North Wall and Revetment that has the most potential. This can be further backed up by studying prints and the maps on the margate local history website on my side bar and even for the amatuer historian this is not rocket science. In a way Tony Lee has provided us with all the information we need so it is really up to us to go out there and see what we can find. Personally, I am not really interested in the gold, jewellery and money that can found around the south wall area. My interests will be to find of historic items from the 1690's to the early Victorian era for the Margate Museum which we have very little of, if any. So I really do hope that if people do find things that they are recorded and shared with the museum even if they are going to keep them.

During the digging the Margate Museum will be open at the weekends and I am sure that as things unfold this will be a local interest attraction on top of what is going on at moment in Margate at present.

Cash for coins

2011-11-20T20:36:00.004+01:00

A few days ago I had by chance a conversation with someone who owns five crates of coins, with each crate full to such a degree that it takes two people to lift each one an inch off the ground. I dread to think how many coins there are in each crate and what denominations they are, but one thing is for sure they are certainly sitting on a lot of money.

We have all heard of cash for gold well the latest little wheeze for those on the make is cash for coins and what a clever idea that is. Even the Royal Mint is in on the act and all those pre decimal coins and large size decimal coins that went out a few years ago can now be redeemed at face value at the Royal Mint. The banks are also in on the act and if the write ups on google are true the banks will redeem pre decimal coins and withdrawn decimal currency for some of the new stuff. However, it is the cash for coins that has attracted my attention because every single coin regardless of country, condition, age or denomination has some form of value even if it is scrap. Some coin websites now quote the metal value of each coin as well as the collector value which is a indicator of the investment potential of coins in this world of uncertain economic conditions we live in. At present a one pound coin has about 6 pence of metal in it but the copper in a bronze penny and bronze two pence is now worth more than the denominational value of each coin, this is something that has capabilities .

Pre decimal coins are a real premium because compared to their decimal value the metal value is worth far more. Considering the Royal Mint sets the rules who can and cannot melt down British coins they have set themselves up for a source of metal by buying the pre decimal coins at denominational value. Which does highlight the point that all British coins on British soil are still subject to British law.

The cash for coins people are even eyeing up foreign coins mostly for exchange which certainly is in the national interest. However there is a market for the scrap value of foreign coins especially all the pre euro ones which in this country we can do whatever we like like with them.

Anyway I think I have said enough so try cash for coins websites for further info.

A Ramsgate pot lid

2011-11-09T08:21:00.002+01:00

This pot lid is currently on ebay as a " Royal Harbour Staffordshire pot lid c 1870's " and judging by the bidding it is going to be hot property.

Before the fire at the Ramsgate library in 2004 the library held a collection of pot lids similar to this one that was once a private collection donated to the town. Like most items held in local government collections you will find that the vast majority were given to the town collection by a benefactor.

Some Town's , like Margate have had generous benefactors in the past like Dr Arthur Rowe whose bequest built the basis of the fine collection we see today. In 1933 the Borough of Margate collection of art, prints and illustrations stood at 9,539 . Ramsgate has never been a recipient of such generosity and this explains why Ramsgate has very little in the way of art, prints and illustrations in local government collections.

Ramsgate remembers

2011-11-04T23:16:00.002+01:00

Ralph Hoult has sent me this for anybody who is interested.

“If you love the past then you should come to the KING'S of Ramsgate for Ramsgate Remembers a two hour Variety Show and remembrance ceremony Friday 11th Nov from 7.15pm or my Ramsgate at War Slide show on the 17th Nov at 7.30pm both will bring back memories of those great bygone days.”

Ralph Hoult

Something for Ramsgate - a Town Collection

2011-11-03T08:23:00.008+01:00

At last nights (02/11/11) meeting, Ramsgate Town Council agreed to start a Ramsgate Town Council collection of art and artefact's as a long term objective. Something I have been working on ever since I was elected to the Council in May. This followed a report I submitted to the Town Council on the dire situation of Ramsgate art and artefact's . Such as closed museums, items lost in the fire at the library, items belonging to Ramsgate stored or displayed elsewhere etc.,

I always think there is a practical solution to everything and it is always down to how hard you are prepared to work to achieve it. So last night, members agreed to set up a working party and I will chair with the purpose of rebuilding a Town Collection. The collection will be separate from the civic collection that goes with the office of Mayor and the new collection will start a new beggining from blank. The objective to pass an aquisition and disposal policy that was passed last night which is our rule book, mindful that this whole project is to have no impact on the budget and will all be down to dedicated work by RTC councillors who will sit on the working party to make this work.

Starting from blank is not such a bad thing as we will have the benefit of hindsight of other past failures. So the first objective is to educate ourselves and form a data base of Ramsgate art and artefcats , especially items that were former assets of the former Borough of Ramsgate. We will then decide on repatriation on some items or not.

Second objective, to put ourselves in a position to accept donations or bequests into the collection from members of the public.

Below is the Aquisition and Disposal policy passed last night.

Information

1. The purpose of the Ramsgate town collection is to acquire, preserve and interpret art and artefacts and associated information relating to the historic borough of Ramsgate and present town of Ramsgate.

2. The current collection of framed prints and paintings were the property of the borough of Ramsgate and became the property of the Ramsgate charter trustees in 1974 due to local government reforms. In 2009 when the Ramsgate charter trustees ceased to be, the collection became the property of the Ramsgate town council.

3. The acquisition policy will be to acquire art and artefacts associated with the borough of Ramsgate and the geographical area of the current town of Ramsgate. With the inclusion of acquiring art and artefacts that were once the property of the historic borough of Ramsgate 1884 to 1874.

4. The town council will compile a data base of all the art and artefacts that were once the property of the historic borough of Ramsgate 1884 to 1874 and will compile a data base on past Ramsgate civic history.

5. The town council recognises its responsibility, in acquiring additions to its collections, to ensure that care of collections, documentation arrangements and use of collections will meet the requirements of an accredited standard. It will take into account limitations on collecting imposed by such factors as incurring cost, storage and care of collection arrangements.

6. The town council will take account of the collecting policies of other museums and other organisations collecting in the same or related areas or subject fields. It will consult with these organisations where conflicts of interest may arise in order to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of resources.

Acquisition and Disposal Policy

1. The acquisition and disposal policy will be published and reviewed from time to time, at least once every four years.

2. The town council will exercise due diligence and make every effort not to acquire, whether by purchase, gift, bequest or exchange, any object , unless the town council or responsible officer is satisfied that the town council can acquire a valid title to the item in question.

3. The town council will not acquire any biological, geological material, archaeological and human remains.

Disposal policy.

1. By definition, the Ramsgate town council has a long-term purpose and holds collections in trust for society in relation to its stated objectives. The town council therefore accepts the principle that sound reasons for disposal must be established before consideration is given to the disposal of any items in the town council collection. The town council or responsible officer will confirm that it is legally free to dispose of an item and agreements on disposal made with any donors as applicable will be taken into account.

2. The town council or responsible officer will ensure that the disposal process is carried out openly and with transparency. The method of disposal will be by sale or exchange.

3. Ramsgate town council or the responsible officer will not undertake disposal motivated principally by financial reasons.

Autumn beach shards - a new hobby for some ?

2011-11-02T17:04:00.009+01:00

November is always my favourite time of year just walking along the main sands at Margate picking up shards and pieces of worn beach glass. This autumn the beach is sloping well as it generally does when we experience still autumn weather. This morning I walked the beach below the high water line walking from one end of the beach to the other gradually working my way down.

In total I picked up 147 shards of earthenware, china and pottery excluding glass.

As mentioned earlier three pieces were of special interest. However, the main interest and enjoyment is dating finds. There is no monetary value attached to anything as the value is entirely historical and each piece is authentic Margate and represents our seaside history. With the recent planned sea defence works I have upped my game collecting beach shards because I know the beach will change and this is the time to record finds before the event, then during and then after. The potential to build a meaningful substantial collection is there and it is all free. My collection will eventually be on public display. This Alfred Meakin piece from today's little haul is dated around 1907 to 1914, thanks to google.

For anyone looking for a new hobby ( or something to do with bored kids) there is no better time than to start now, and if anyone does find a piece of interest please email me or contact the Margate Museum.

Doric Star - a mystery

2011-11-02T13:19:00.005+01:00

At daybreak this morning I carried out a thorough search of Margate main sands as the tide went out. Starting from the high water mark I walked the sands end to end following the tide as it went out. The purpose being to pick up as many ceramic shards before the sea defence work start, just to keep my finds list up to date.

Overall I spent just over two hours on the beach and half filled a large bucket with everything imaginable from pieces of ginger beer bottles to pieces of someones best china.

Everything was most or less what I expected to find except three pieces of broken plate. Two pieces of broken plate bore part of the motif of the GSNC, the General Steam Navigational Company which ran paddle steamer from the Jetty and the Stone Pier which is a unusual find. However, one piece is really interesting as it bears the name "DORIC star CM" and this piece has really got me thinking. Could this be a piece of plate from the Blue Star Line liner Doric Star which met its fate in 1939 at the hands of the Graf Spee in the South Atlantic or could it be part of piece made by the Doric China company.

The jury is out.

The Square Head.

2011-10-30T20:32:00.006+01:00

Fifteen years ago we had a series of storms during January and February that certainly gave the local papers plenty to report, like the loss of the Tongue Fort, remains of the decaying Margate Jetty coming ashore and remains of a wooden shipwreck on the tide line at Foreness Point. This was no typical winter as the wind direction was almost permanently North East over a four week period battering into the stone pier (harbour arm) day after day.

Just by watching as each wave hits the wall of the stone pier it is easy to work out the wave action as it ran the full length of the wall until it reached the square head and producing this huge wash as it levels out into the shelter of the harbour. Continuous wave action like this picks up shingle and other debris and over a period of time a shingle bank is formed in the entrance of the harbour. At the same time the foundations of the stone pier are also washed out leaving ideal conditions for a dig.

One particular morning I picked a suitable low water and set about to dig a trench about a meter out from the base of the wall of the square head and worked in, with the intention to see what I could find. In theory it all sounds easy , but I was digging in a gale and the chill factor was around minus sixteen. The shingle was impacted where the fishing boats had rested on it and as I dug I was releasing this terrible smell as I dug deeper into this black mass. As I dug I soon found some copper coins, the unfortunate thing was that they were completely worn and they were more like copper discs. As I dug even deeper I started to find lumps of lead which instead of being grey were black due to the effects of ground they were laying in. Eventually I reached stonework of the remains of the square head from the 1953 storm which was from the original 1815 structure. As I dug closer to the wall I came across a piece of timber riddled with worm, the unusual thing was that the timber went under the stone pier and I had came across a piece of the timber piling of which the stone pier was originally built on. It was this timber piling that collapsed in the 1953 storm causing the lighthouse and square head to collapse.

Once I reached these timbers I stopped digging and decided to walk around the rest of the square head where more stone work had been exposed by the tide to see what else I could find. It was amongst this stone work I found this crude block of lead about the size of a small car battery which was very heavy which I believe is had something to do with the original stonework.

I didn't find any artefact's but then I didn't expect to. However, on this occasion I learnt more about the construction of square head and the storm of 1953. Plus I made a bit on the lump of lead at the local scrapyard.

I have attached an article by Mick Twyman on the subject of the 1953 storm and the collapse of the lighthouse.

Margate Jetty remembered.

2011-10-30T17:44:00.003+01:00

Anything regarding Margate Jetty always interests me, and when artist Jean Lloyd wanted to know the colour scheme for the Jetty in 1960 I was happy to oblige. The black and white photograph is of her sitting on the jetty in 1960 and the painting is a present to her sister.

The photograph is also interesting as the heavy riveting of the Jetty can be seen clearly, a barge can be seen in the background and finally I like the fashion statement.

The proposed Margate marina bore holes

2011-10-27T16:50:00.003+02:00

Following on from yesterdays posting, there is only one other occasion I can remember when deep digging took place within the Margate harbour area. That took place sometime in the 1980’s, I am not sure of the exact date, however I do remember the event well.

During the 1980’s there was a proposal to construct a marina at Margate Harbour only to reach no further than the drawing board. A number of surveys did take place resulting in a number of bore holes in the harbour. Once the data had been collected and the equipment moved all that remained after the survey were small dark mounds of dark sand dotted around the harbour. Like the Parade dig the makeup of the freshly dug mounds of sand was a dark smelly mixture of coarse sand and clay.

Using a metal detector I only found one metal item and that was a small lead round disc with the number seven hand cut in the old style. Other non metal finds were typical of the sort of finds you expect to find on the banks of the river Thames such as shards of salt glaze pottery, broken clay pipe bowls, stems and pieces of broken smooth glass of different thickness. There was only one significant find and that was a shard of a Bellarmine flagon bearing part of the face of the effigy. I did show this find to a number of people who were familiar with Bellarmine flagons and it was agreed that the shard had been deliberately shaped and the piece probably dated from the 1690’s. Bellarmine flagons were often used in witchcraft rituals but it was impossible to tell if the shard had been fashioned for that purpose. I did keep it for a number of years and eventually I gave the shard to Sarah at the Grotto for their collection.

The Parade dig - Margate early 1980's

2011-10-26T18:16:00.001+02:00

When the metal detecting hobby first took off in the 1970’s I doubt if many people kept records of finds and I suppose I was just as guilty as everyone else. Prompted by the new sea defence works I have recently been compiling records of pre First World War finds from the Old Margate area, mostly from memory and from the notes taken at the time. Most of my finds and other peoples finds are not what I call spectacular but they are authentic Margate and do tell the story of Margate as a resort from 1735 to the outbreak of the first world war in 1914. Out of the three Thanet towns Margate does have the largest archive that is being constantly being researched and updated by local historians and a up and running Museum manned by enthusiastic volunteers which is a blessing. However, such research needs items and artefacts and this is the line of local history I have now taken up as a friend of the Margate Museum.

Recently I have been researching the area where the Margate sea defence works are to be constructed as most readers of my Blog will know. Going through my notes and an old article I wrote for the Margate Historical Society I came across some information from when sea defence repair works that took place in the early 1980’s from Margate Harbour slipway to the Kings Steps.

At the time it was not the coins that I found that was of interest but it was the makeup of the ground they were digging up and the content. At the time I never realised that the area that was being dug up was where the town drain once spilled its contents from King Street into the harbour. When the repair works commenced the diggers dug at the base of the internal wall at the Parade near the Harbour slipway dragging up this smelly silt consisting of layers of coarse sand that looked like a mixture of grit, black sand and clay. The grit being small stones, crushed shells, coal dust and bone fragments. Amongst this mixture I found many small shards of pottery and glass, pieces of clay pipe and animal bone. The shards were diverse with some being reddish colour and unglazed, some were thicker covered in a brown speckled glaze and then there was the more obvious Victorian China. The glass pieces were worn smooth and the clay pipes were all broken with all different bowl designs. As for the bone finds, sometime after the works had finished I did find an animal jawbone with teeth and I also picked up some random animal teeth when the spoil heaps washed down.

At the time I was not the only person with a metal detector as often happens in Margate. Therefore the entire area was metal detected many times over and even to this day I have no idea what other people found.

I did find two 1797 Cartwheel Pennies in a well preserved state, one I donated to the Margate Museum and the other I kept and surprisingly I still have. Other finds included some badly worn lead tokens and a badly pitted South African Republic florin from the 1890’s featuring the head of Paul Kruger which was a strange find.

The Marine Palace and Margate Jetty tally.

2011-10-25T21:05:00.007+02:00

This collection represents what remains of the collection of items I found from the period 1978 to 1993 following the aftermath of the 1978 storm and the following sea defence works that took place at the Margate Jetty entrance and along the rendezvous car park promenade. These coastal changes brought about erosion that took place along the coastline from Fort Point to the former Margate Jetty entrance and out towards the area where the 1824 Jarvis Jetty once stood in the cut, on the same site stood the 1853 Jetty that was destroyed in the January 1978 storm. Erosion was not a permanent feature and only occurred after a series of northerly storms. The rendezvous site is also the site where the Marine Palace was destroyed on 29^th November 1897 when the sea wall was breached; today the Turner Centre occupies part of the site.

During the digging many features from the Marine Palace were found plus pieces of Margate Jetty and these were left as found. I found some items from the late 1690’s period right up to the start of the First World War, overall I must have found about 150 items of relevance to the site and the time period specified. Many ended up as donations to the Margate Museum and private collections. The remaining items I have listed below are the part of the pre 1914 collection that I still have.

Fort Point

· 1876H Penny

Marine Palace site

· 1873 half penny

· One penny token Priestfield furnaces 1811

· Worn 1799 halfpenny

· Worn George III halfpenny

· 1897 Victoria diamond jubilee medal

· 1879 farthing

· 1872 badly worn gothic design florin

· 1887 sixpence

· 1894 three pence

· Six balls of lead shot ( a quantity donated to the Margate Museum)

· 2 piano weights believed to belong to the Marine Palace grand piano that was washed over and smashed against the sea wall.

· Lead toy baby

· Lead toy lioness

· Lead toy horse with rider

· Lead toy cannon

· Lead seal embossed Aleney Dover

· Complete Mineral Water bottle M J Harlow Margate flat bottom Hamilton design with crown cap. post 1892

· Two bottlenecks string neck design black thick glass circa 1790 to 1820

Jetty entrance and cut

· Complete Bottle J M Taylor Camberwell rounded bottom Hamilton green aqua with blob top.

· Worn George III penny

Some of the pre 1914 items were donated to the Margate Museum as listed below

· Marine Palace brass token “weekly ticket” “F Piaggio” “Princess Rooms”

· Lead shot still with moulding tabs

· Small handmade copper boat fitting

· Old copper boat nails

· Handmade brass nails/tacks

· 1891,1892,1893 pennies

· 1867 half penny

· 1843 sixpence

· 1845 copper halfpenny counter stamped “W”

· 1799 Cartwheel penny

· Lead dress weight

· Lead stud

· Minton Tile from the Marine Palace

· Decorative Victorian brass button

· Hovis Token

Other finds donated elsewhere

· Neck of a Bellarmine Flagon with effigy (1690’s)

· Two lead tokens with a cross and four pellets on in each corner

· Complete Reeve & Co Margate mineral water bottle green aqua internal screw top cylinder

Large handmade bronze nail

Other items I either sold or cannot trace.

· Margate Pier and Harbour Company button

· 9 ct gold ring

· 1908 Territorial Medal

· George III and George IV copper coins

· A collection of about 20 Victorian bronze Farthings and Halfpennies all around the 1860’s period.

It is very difficult to estimate how many items I found that were post first world as no records were kept and this total also includes large amounts of ammunition, bullets and cartridge cases from the Second World War. Also there is a unrecorded total of pre decimal currency found in the area lost from the Margate Jetty .

The Kingsgate cave dig, a final tally

2011-10-25T16:56:00.000+02:00

This past week I have been going through my final tallies of the items worth noting that I have found on the beaches in the Old Margate area in preparation for an exhibition to coincide with the sea defence works taking place in Margate. The purpose being to list what remaining items I still have identified as pre first world war. Rummaging through old notes I came across a list of finds, found in the Kingsgate area in 1998 which I never realised I still had. The finds were old bottles that I had found as a result of a roof collapse in the back of the cave in Kingsgate Bay. This incident happened in the spring of 1998 and resulted in a hole in the Captain Digby car park.

Of all the items I found I only kept three for my collection and the rest were either donated to other collections or left as found. The list of items worth mentioning reads as follows.

· 20 “M J Harlow Margate” Codd bottles all necked, 18 at 8 ounce, 2 at 12 ounce (left as found) probably necked by schoolboys for the marble stopper.

· 3 small “M J Harlow Hamilton” bottles all necked (left as found) one acid etched M J Harlow.

· 8 ounce Codd bottle “M J Harlow Margate” complete in green aqua (donated to the Margate Museum).

· 12 ounce Codd bottle green aqua plain with no embossment (donated to the Margate Museum).

· “Eliman’s for horses” green aqua bottle (donated to the Drapers windmill trust Margate).

· Plumtree Southport meat ceramic pot (donated to the Margate Museum).

· “Bead and Bendicott poor man’s friend” ceramic pot (donated to Dickens House Broadstairs).

· 2 Earthenware blacking bottles (donated to the Drapers Mill windmill trust Margate)

· 1888 “Philpott” Ramsgate mineral water bottle ( donated to the Terry Wheeler Ramsgate Collection)

· 2 Earthenware small ink bottles ( donated to the Margate Museum)

· “Reeve & Co Margate” Mineral water olive green bottle internal screw top cylinder complete with stopper maker JK. (Still in my collection).

· Pot lid base. (Still in my collection).

· Flat glass stopper diameter approx 60mm embossed “Cannington Shaw St Helens”. (Still in my collection).

· Also found and left in situ, a Victorian girl’s shoe decomposed and various butchered animal bones.

Bottlenecks

2011-10-23T15:53:00.005+02:00

Today I have been looking at the pieces of broken glass from Margate main sands that I have picked up this year and from last year. Throughout this summer and like the previous summer, for some unexplained reason the tide uncovered an abundance of old glass on certain areas of the wet sand. The glass even though it looked unsightly and threatening was totally inert and blunted. Most of the glass in general was this worn smooth green aqua glass often found on most old beaches along with worn broken bases of wine and ale bottles. Amongst the glass there were many bottle necks with many hand finishing styles from different time periods. After a thorough examination I discarded most of the glass at the local bottle bank keeping only the hand finished bottlenecks for dating.

Dating bottles is always a tricky subject as styles did not change overnight and many bottle makers often kept to the techniques they were apprenticed to. In manufacturing glass bottles there were three great leap forwards in manufacturing from the 1600’s to the dawn of the 20^th century. There was the production method of changing from wood fires to coal fires allowing the use of a greater furnace temperature allowing the use of thicker glass, there was the use of mould and the innovation that came with it and finally mechanisation. Also in each case this led to many design changes.

I started researching bottle neck finishing styles from around the 1730’s period onwards as 1735 is the date considered to be when Margate started as a seaside resort. It seem as a bit of a coincidence but 1735 is also the year when it was considered that English wine and ale bottles finally became cylindrical as a opposed to the previously free blown onion shape. However, the “string rim” remained, with the more flattened string rim being the older which is shown quite clearly in the photograph of some onion bottles I took at the Hastings shipwreck heritage museum. The broader and thicker glass string rim “V” is dated 1790’s to 1820’s. From the 1820’s to 1890’s a more broader and clean cut string rim then appeared on most corked bottles.

Of the finds I have at present from the upper layers of the main sands at Margate. I have unidentified 2 bottle necks from the 1730’s, 1 bottle neck from 1790’s to 1820’s and five from 1870’s to 1890’s all are wines or spirits. In my other collection I have 2 from the Marine Palace site dating around 1790’s to 1820’s found in the 1990’s. It may not be the greatest discovery of all time but it is something that is authentic seaside Margate and with the forth coming sea defence works due old bottles is one area that needs researching with the windfall of finds due.

A Ramsgate situation

2011-10-22T21:59:00.005+02:00

Today I had a look at the Shipwreck Heritage Museum at Hastings mostly out of interest and perhaps to get an idea on layout for my forthcoming Margate sands project which is coinciding with the sea defence works due to take place there soon. Going through the artefact's I was surprised to see a cannon recovered off the coast of Ramsgate on display in the Hastings Shipwreck Museum. Obviously it is up to the owner of the cannon to decide where he would like to display his find, and I respect that. However I thought I would never see the day when a recent find from Ramsgate would be on display at another seaside town other than Margate. In a way it just about sums how the heritage side of things is going in Ramsgate .

I know there is the forthcoming tunnels project, but this project is still very much in its infancy and deep down I think more still needs to be done to conserve Ramsgate's other history which we have already got. I am sure as I speak there are active people out there with the same concerns actually doing something about it. So what am I prepared to do you may ask ?

Some readers of the my blog probably think that I live in Margate because of the Margate content. Well actually I live in Ramsgate and I have been a Labour town councillor for almost six months.

During this past six months I have been learning all I can about Ramsgate artwork and artefacts. It has not been easy as I have started from bare bones however I do have experience in this subject regarding Thanet overall. In the next few weeks I am hoping to get something I have written up on the next Ramsgate Town Council meeting to commit the RTC to play an active role in conserving Ramgate's forgotten heritage by having a long term objective to hold a collection of art and artefacts on behalf of the people of Ramsgate. This is something that will not happen overnight, nor will it commit the council to finance someone's hobby, it is about being in a position to accept donation and bequests of meaningful and relevant art and artefacts for the town and stop them going elsewhere. It will also could mean laying claim to former asset's of the historic Borough of Ramsgate.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing as RTC can learn from other mistakes in the past, and is in no hurry so everything could be carefully planned and thought out which is a bit of luxury for local government these days.

Metal detecting Margate a ramble

2011-10-21T19:16:00.002+02:00

I first started metal detecting the Margate coastline in 1976 and at the time it was the equivalent to giving a folk guitarist an electric guitar as it did become a case of lets Rock ‘n’ Roll. Thirty five years later, half a lifetime in some cases, I am able to reflect on all the finds that have be made and from experience and research, and I am able to map out what to expect in the future.

Metal detecting Margate falls into three categories. First there are the Clintonville Bays taking in the Lido, Newgate Gap, Walpole Bay and Palm Bay. Then there is the second area I call old Margate from Fort Point groyne near the Winter Gardens, along to where the Turner Centre is, round to the outside of the Harbour Wall, inside the Harbour along the Parade, across the main sands through to the back of the Nayland Rock Hotel and ending behind the Sea Bathing. Finally there is the third area of the West Bays, namely Westbrook, St Mildred’s and Westgate Bay‘s.

Most of my finds and experiences have been the Cliftonville Bays and Old Margate. At their peak the finds at the Cliftonville bays were amazing as the area was perfect for metal detecting with the shallow sand covering over a solid chalk base. Overall the finds did not come into hundreds but thousands upon thousands of individual items. Almost every item was 20^th century and was either war debris like bullets, bullet cases or shrapnel or items lost by visitors like personal items like coins and jewellery. At the time as everything found was still in living memory very little was recorded or collected as most items were mass produced or unrelated to an event or had no provenance and barely anything was older than the 1860’s. However, out of the many items found there were still some very interesting finds that should not be disregarded. Eventually after twenty years of constant metal detecting and the construction of groynes and sea defences that have created silting, today as it stands there is very little to be found at the Cliftonville Bays except in a few cases where the sand is deep.

Old Margate there is a different picture because I know that most of the items lost in the mid 1960’s going right back though to the 1800’s, 1600’s and beyond have never been recovered. This is because over the centuries Margate has suffered from silting since the final construction in 1815 of the harbour wall, this in turn has led to layers of history being time locked by continuous silting

Margate during the summer months is constantly metal detected with metal detectors users chasing items lost by visitors. However, in the past thirty odd years there has be very little found on the upper surfaces of the sands that can be regarded as historical except when we get these windows of opportunity. These are caused by nature or by manmade excavations. In each case whenever there been a case over two to three meters of sand being removed from the wet sand in the harbour area there has been evidence of finds dating back to the pre 1860 period and in some cases items from the late 1600’s. There has also been some natural occurrences when for some unexplained reason there will be a small area of the beach that will erode unearthing shards dating back to the late 1790’s plus some old coins. In most cases I have been in on the act.

The finds from repair works and natural occurances during the 1970’s and 1980’s have not been vast running to about less than two hundred but they do point to greater things to come if they are regarded as samples taken from such a small area where work has taken place. Finds have included leads tokens, shards of bellarmine flagon, clay pipes, fragments of onion bottles, Nuremburg tokens, Cartwheel pennies, George III coinage, early Victorian Coinage to name a few.

In the coming months the Margate sea defence works will begin and I am absolutely sure there are going to be some very interesting finds based on all the sampling I have come across. This summer was also very interesting as we had some erosion on the beach that unearthed evidence of Victorian sea side activity which is unique. So on the back of this , Margate this winter is going to experience something very special.

Pret a manger shellfish.

2011-10-19T14:50:00.008+02:00

Following on from my previous postings regarding shellfish and the Margate sea defence works. I have set about to put a few facts together and this morning's North Westerly wind full on to the Northern Coastline of Thanet certainly put me in the right frame of mind as I walked Margate Beach to think things out.

As mentioned in the previous posting the Pacific Oyster which is an invasive species to our coast can now be found in abundance

and I reckon there must be at least 250,000 on the rocks and in the bays from Minnis Bay to the Walpole Bay tidal pool at Cliftonville. On top of this I have found on the web that a Oyster sold wholesale is worth 40 pence therefore as it stands at present there is a substantial amount of money lying on the rocks between Birchington and Clftonville. As I walked around the tidal pool at Margate I even found a dozen that have come in on the tide in a Pret a Manger condition as in the photograph. Like all Oysters I found beached, I always put them in either the Margate or Walpole Bay tidal pool's something I have done ever since they first appeared on the shoreline 20 years ago.

Many years ago I used to do exactly the same with cockles and when the tidal pools were drained in the spring and autumn the cockles could be retrieved in bulk providing a nice little harvest. With this abundance of the Pacific Oyster perhaps the same could work with Oysters and I have hit on the idea that perhaps annually stocking the Walpole Bay tidal pool with 5,000 small Oysters from along the coast elsewhere . They could be harvested at a later date when the tidal pool is drained annually in the spring and autumn, this could then be a managed harvest and if so think of the dividend. In turn this could be answer to the free for all that is going on at present or even a commercial enterprise.

However, it is not really the Oyster that there is a real concern, it is the harvesting of Limpets. On our coastline we have two types the common Limpet and the Slipper Limpet. In Chinese cooking the common Limpet is a delicacy and looking on the internet it works out that a 15 oz tin is worth $16.99, there is also an Irish company that sells them wholesale. It appears the rubbery bit that adheres to the rock under the conical shell is the part eaten. The Slipper Limpet which is more common in Minnis Bay can also be eaten. Like the Pacific Oyster the Slipper Limpet is an invasive species from America and has been with us since the 1840's. The Slipper Limpet causes havoc in Mussel beds and is partialy to blame for the decline of Mussels in Minnis Bay.

Meanwhile back at Margate the construction of the home made sea defences has begun and I must admit it does look impressive. As usual there is no shortage of sand and looking over towards where the permanent sea defences are to be constructed the sand seems to have banked up in the past few weeks, which has set me back a bit in my search of items over a 100 years old from that area. However, I did manage this morning to find a few bits of clay pipe further along the beach to add to my collection.

Shell Harvesting the myth.

2011-10-17T13:16:00.002+02:00

For some reason people shellfish harvesting from our coastline has now become an issue something that puzzles me as harvesting from our coastline has been an activity for centuries. Then I think back to all the severe storms and harsh winters that have tore into the shellfish population with devastating effect, plus the activity from commercial operations off shore. In each case the populations have recovered in fact a severe winter can kill off more shellfish than shore harvesters can harvest in a year. The pacific oyster which 20 years ago was an unusual find has exploded to such proportions that in some areas there are over 50 plus oysters to the square meter in some areas of the Thanet coastline. Years ago such a bounty would have been a bonus for the white English only Anglo Saxon population which would not have been an issue, however because so called migrants are having a few this is now become an issue because they are taking a few. The strange thing is I am a coastal warden and I have my patch which is perhaps one of the densest populations of shellfish in Thanet and the main harvesters are sea birds and to be honest there is absolutely no evidence of excessive harvesting by people.

The big Margate dig - Margate mudlarks ? a new project ?

2011-10-13T09:10:00.004+02:00

Nothing has been set in stone yet but the friends of Margate Museum are looking into covering the Margate sea defence works with a new project. Based on the same principles as the London Mudlark projects, the objective is to collect, display and record all items found during and after the sea defence works. This exhibition will also include other historical items previously found along the coast with special interest dedicated to any expected finds from the harbour and main sands area found as a result of the sea defence works and the work done on the stone pier. Which from my experience will have and effect on the entire area.

The museum is hoping to acquire two cabinets for display backed up with all the information, prints etc., for the exhibition manned by the ever growing army of volunteers. It is hoped that anyone who finds anything around the Margate area on the foreshore during the winter months will bring it into the museum so it can be recorded and with with the finders permission, displayed.

This project is not just for historians but for everyone aged from two to ninety two and older. The name Margate Mudlarks has been banded about and I would like to think that anyone who finds anything over 100 years old from this area of Margate and records or donates it to the Margate Museum can be called a Margate Mudlark. Or even better join the volunteer Friends of the Margate Museum group.

Margate sea defence works - research and theories

2011-10-11T17:06:00.002+02:00

The Autumn changes of the wind and tide are now starting to have an impact on the eastern part on Margate sands with some noticeable changes. Which is enough to prompt me to walk the areas I have designated in preparation for the forthcoming sea Margate defence works. My objective to pick up anything that is over 100 years.

So far I have found pieces of mineral water bottle and shards of pottery dating no older than the 1880's. Which is hardly surprising because finding anything older than that around the Margate Harbour area both inside and outside the harbour basin is rare, simply because anything of interest dating back beyond the mid Victorian ear is buried deep beneath the sand. In fact over the past 30 years the incidences where items can be found beyond that era due to excavation can be counted on one hand and on each occasion I have managed to be there.

My experiences do lead me to believe that there is going to be some good finds when work starts, so what do we know on the research side ?

Shortly before he died last year local historian Mick Twyman produced an article on Hazard Row in great detail. Written by an historian for historians it does run into pages, however I have been able to break it down into lesser detail for those interested in the forthcoming sea defence works and potential finds.

Hazardous row spanned from the Imperial at the bottom of the High Street to St Andrews Place which is Henry's alley to us local's. Before the construction of Marine Drive in the 1880's the rear buildings at the at the lower High Street fronted the sea and access to the sea could be made from these buildings by wooden steps to the sea and this can be clearly seen in old prints.

In 1623 the area where the Imperial stands was known as Horn corner and from Horn corner to where Mannings stall is today was the entrance to the creek. To cut a long story short there were wooden Jetty revetments constructed around the creek entrance and Hazardous row from there Maritime trade took place during the 1600's.

With the popularity of sea bathing in the 1700's the lower high street became bathing rooms and access to the sea was by steps from a wooden Jetty at the rear of the buildings. From here the likes of Benjamin Beale operated the bathing machine. However, Hazardous row suffered in heavy storms and there are many recorded accounts throughout the 18th Century of loss and damage with the years 1755, 1763, 1767 and 1779 suffering the most damage. In fact the storm of 1767 caused so much damage it almost bankrupted Benjamin Beale at the loss of his bathing station.

After the storm of 1797 a stone construction was built from Horn Corner to the Harbour in 1803 to protect the old town this was was known as the Parade, leaving an arched opening opposite where King Street is today to act as a town drain.

On 15th January 1808 Margate was hit by a fierce North Westerly gale , the predecessor to the current stone Pier was almost destroyed and Hazardous Row was almost completely washed away with many buildings disappearing into the sea.

Following the 1808 storm the current Stone Pier was constructed and a sea wall constructed from where the Clock tower is today to the Nayland. Years later in the 1880's Marine Drive was constructed protecting Hazardous row forever.

Over the years Margate has silted up burying evidence from bathing machine operations, maritime trade, the town drain, the creek and the effects damage by severe storms and from some of these facts the excavation for the sea defence works does look interesting.

All hands to the pump.

2011-10-08T16:16:00.004+02:00

Considering that this summer hasn't been all that wonderful visitor numbers to the Margate Museum are the highest on record which is an endorsement for all the efforts that have been made to revive the Old Town. Love it or loathe it the Turner Center as predicted is the catalyst to this gradual renaissance of everything cultural and artistic Margate has to offer.

The Mods and Rockers at the Museum does appear to be the reason some visitors are there. Even though I am a bit touchy on the subject history is history and as long as it goes along with the truth I will go along with it.

Last weekend a pistol was stolen from a cabinet in the war room which was forced open. The deactivated weapon was a Webley pre war issue and the police are dealing with the matter. The number of volunteers are growing with many pledging a minimum of 30 hours a year to the Museum so it is a case of all hands to the pump. On my part I have been searching far and wide for artefact's for the Museum collection of which I donate. This morning I deposited a 1961 Margate Butlins badge and some Nazi coins for the wartime cabinet into the collection. Above is a scan of more items I intend to donate to the Museum.

The Museum is now collating a library of history books and once numbering is complete the museum will have its own reference library all manned by volunteers. As mentioned in early postings the volunteer base built up by TDC to run the Museum is working very well. With more regular openings it is anticipated that there will be a flow of artefact's donated to the Museum and for anyone thinking of donating items to the Museum it must remembered that once donated the items are the property of the Margate Museum collection owned on behalf of the people by Thanet District Council.

Last night I went to the monthly first Friday event at the Marine Studios Margate to loan out for display the remaining eleven pieces of Sperm Whale bone I am licensed to own , the other forty one licensed pieces are now the property of the Monkton Natural History Museum. As many readers of my blog will know, everything I find of interest from the beaches is now held at the Marine Studios. I expect this collection to grow considerably once the Margate sea defence works get under way.

This weekend the weather is favourable for a walk to look for items over 100 years old around the designated area, all finds will be posted later in the week.

Margate, Mods and Rockers my view

2011-10-07T14:41:00.010+02:00

It is a well known fact that nostalgia will always out perform history and the latest exhibition of Mods and Rockers in Margate is doing exactly that. As being someone who is part of a group that studies the history of Margate I do find it hard to view the subject of Mods and Rockers as nostalgic. In fact I believe that these gangs that descended on Margate during the sixties and seventies on bank holidays played a major contribution to the decline of Margate as a tourist resort.

The tourism product in Thanet has always been a very finite business as there is no reliance on the weather, therefore investment in the tourist industry relies more on bank holidays and events to coincide with nice weather more than anything else. In the past when there were good visitor numbers throughout the season but it was always the bank holidays, attractions and events that brought this huge surge of people into the town that made the real money. Just imagine if Folk Week, Dickens Week was to disappear from Broadstairs it would be a disaster. The same applied to Margate in the past, losing disrupted bank holiday weekends proved to be a tipping point when the Mods and Rockers descended on the town in 1964. This set a format for groups of youth gangs as they started to descend on the town throughout the sixties and seventies on bank holiday weekends looking for trouble and bragging rights.

Margate was soon to gain a terrible reputation for gang violence even egged on by national media in one case and families steered well clear of the place on bank holiday weekends. Which hardly inspires business confidence to invest.

I have many accounts of bank holiday violence in my archive and one from the early eighties is an article on a large gang of skinheads running from Margate station and along the seafront shouting racists slogan looking for coloured people, I suppose to beat up. Eye witnesses are reported as seeing some skinheads carry sticks with nails in them which is not a great advert for a tourist resort.

Living in Margate since I was born in1957 up until I moved a few years ago to Ramsgate, I have seen it all at Margate like most who read this blog. Somehow I just cannot warm up to the subject of Mods and Rockers, Skinhead, Punks, Teddy Boys, Soul Boys etc.,,

Walpole Bay pool autumn draining

2011-09-23T20:19:00.002+02:00

On Wednesday 28th September the tidal pool at Walpole Bay will be drained for routine maintenance. There will be a number of marine experts on hand.

www.thanetcoast.org.uk/research/non_native_species.aspx

7.06am Low Tide in Margate - Sunrise  at 6:56am

Predictions

2011-09-21T16:21:00.005+02:00

I always find September 21st a turning point on the coastal calender now that the big tides have now passed and as we enter in Autumn the real beach combing begins.

It is this moment in time I think through my approach to the coming winter and work to my predictions. If the long range weather forecast is to be believed this winter should be as good as the last one with plenty of gales, snow and rough seas. So what are my predictions and approach ?

Well top of the wish list is a great storm along the lines of 1897, 1953 and 1978 which if repeated would shift the sands so I can access areas where I know things are buried. However, storms are not booked to order so instead of dreaming I will have to settle for what I know and that has to be the potential of the forthcoming Margate sea defence works and the effect on the main sands at Margate throughout the winter months. My objective being to find and build as big collection of as many items as possible to reflect the seaside history of Margate from the 1730's period to the present day. The good thing about this type of collection is that the collection does not have to be perfect because the age of each item will tell a story and considering that all things Margate are now being seen through artistic eyes I sure it will be appealing. The sea defence works are not due to start until October but now is the time for me to walk the entire area like Archaeologists do a field walk before a dig, picking up any item I believe to be over 100 years old to start of the collection. As things stand at present this is going to be easy as there has been some erosion on that area of the main sands uncovering many bits and pieces. Since the summer the main sands have been a goldmine of small bits and pieces and the shipwreck remains are still in situ as mentioned in previous postings.

A few days ago I donated a a pre 1914 pipe bowl to the Margate Museum bearing a image of the main sands and bathing machines. As John Williams was putting the pipe bowl into the smoking cabinet I noticed the many clay pipe bowls on display in the cabinet and couldn't help admiring them. It then suddenly dawned on me that I actually found a large proportion of them and donated them to the Museum as I found them many years ago. The interesting point is that that they all came from the Margate main sands and Margate harbour area which is a indicator of what can be found when the sea defence works get going.

While on the subject of the Margate Museum it was so refreshing to see the progress that has made the Museum fully functional due to the volunteer friends group working under the supervision of Chris Tull a TDC officer who has given up a lot of his own time working with the volunteers to get the museum up and running. The idea of opening the museum using volunteers at the same time as other events going on in the town seems to be working well and visitor numbers have easily beaten all past statistics when working a ratio of days open to visitors attended. From a TDC point of view I guess this is plus for them as they have provided a Museum service and a fully functional visitor attraction that has played a part in the business regeneration of the old town without having to pump buckets of our money into it like they have done in the past.

The Big Margate Dig

2011-09-17T16:30:00.007+02:00

This autumn through to the late spring of 2012 promises to be a year of discovery following the announcement that sea defence works at Margate are to begin. To many it may be a inconvenience and others it will be something to moan about. But for those of us with the knowledge this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a insight into the early history of maritime Margate and early seaside history as the digging for the defence works will cut through layers of anaerobic silt that has built up over centuries.

The area of where the works are to take place around the Marine Drive area is of special importance because this is where the bathing machine first operated in the 1730's from the area known as Hazardous row and also where the bathing rooms from the lower high street entered the sea by steps. It is unfortunate that Marine Drive constructed in the late 1880's has probably sealed in most of this history. However, I am still sure there is still plenty of opportunity to make some interesting discoveries outside the sea wall as some of the silt does date back centuries.

So what is the evidence ?

Well in the past I have known of three cases where diggers have dug up the black silt/mud/clay that I cherish on such digs. One time being when the boating pool was dug out in the seventies, another being repair works to the Kings Steps and repair works to the sea wall side of the Parade. In each case vast quantities of coins and artefact's dating back to the 1700's were found from what is a relatively small area in comparison compared to the new sea defence works. I must stress that at the time many people with metal detectors dug in these areas and hardly any finds were recorded at the time and previous finds are either based on my personal experience and word of mouth.

This time I do hope with internet forums, blogs, and facebook etc., that as many finds as possible will be recorded. I often think wouldn't it be amazing if a Margate dig project could be set up to record all finds from Margate sands and Harbour area from the start of the sea defences work to the late spring 2012 with the intention of forming some sort of a display for the summer. Or is that me being too much of an idealist.

Changing tides

2011-08-24T08:51:00.002+02:00

It will only be a matter of weeks and it will be the start of autumn and the beachcombing season as I know it will begin. Summers generally are flat when in comparison to winter and even though we had some unsettled weather during the summer, finds along the coast were very much as predicted including the annual heaps of smelly seaweed on the North Thanet coast.

Late autumn, winter and early spring on the Thanet coast is always a completely different ball game compared to the summer and the sea has the capability of turning up the weird, wonderful and unique. Last season we had the mass death of Velvet swimmer crabs and the stranding of the Sperm Whale at Pegwell bay that attracted media attention to our part of the coast. As regular readers of my blog will know I managed to get some remains of the Sperm Whale which is now part of the Monkton Natural History collection.

Recently I donated most of my collection of natural history finds from the past three years to the Marine Studios Albert Terrace Margate for them to exhibit and utilise in an artistic way. So this season I am looking forward to building another collection concentrating on the unique rather than the norm and I am very confident there is going to be some good finds.

Every Autumn I always plan for a great storm on the scale of the storms of 1953 and 1978 ensuring I have all the right equipment to do the job and review my plan of the areas along the coast I need to target. With all the turmoil going on in the world at present and the effect it has on the price of gold and silver a great storm of a 1978 magnitude will be a nice little earner for the beachcombing fraternity along the Thanet coast. I suppose with the price of fuel as it is there will be more driftwood collectors and sea coal collectors than usual taking advantage of the lesser but tempestuous storms. While on the subject of gold, I cast my mind back to the aftermath of the 1978 storm and recall the amount of gold and silver that was found then by metal detector users. I can recall digging deep holes in one of the Cliftonville bays looking for gold which is hard graft in wet sand in sub zero temperatures in gale force winds and on one occasion I found a battered 22 carat Victorian ring weighing 14.2 grammes which at today’s prices would fetch £440.00 scrap.

Channel Four tonight 21:00 hrs

2011-08-07T18:06:00.002+02:00

Just a reminder, "Inside natures giant special" on Channel 4 tonight at 21:00 hrs features the dissection of the Sperm Whale that died in Pegwell Bay in March this year.

Legends, myths and superstitions

2011-08-06T13:42:00.004+02:00

Like Thanetonline I have received the same press release regarding the cancellation of the Monster Bass festival at Ramsgate, which I have copied in its original format and reads as follows.

"Ramsgate Town Council has found it unable to come to an agreement with the organiser of the Monster Bass this year on financial and logistical grounds.

The decision to terminate the negotiations with the Monster Bass organiser came about because of pressing time constraints.

Fortunately another local organiser has stepped into the breach to organise an alternative event, planned for the middle of September.

Ramsgate Town Council very much regrets the need to end its support for the Monster Bass this year and has offered instead to consider a revamped Monster Bass event for next year, if the resources are available.

Ramsgate Town Council has put £30,000 into the Ramsgate Events budget this year and has just received £30,000 from Thanet District Council making a grand total of £60,000. Even with such a modest budget, several successful events have already taken place, with others due to be staged within the coming months. All are on target financially and logistically and it is therefore unfortunate that the Monster Bass failed to surmount its difficulties. "

So it appears that the annual usual format of entertainment at Ramsgate will be temporary on hold and perhaps will reappear under a different name. It is not that I am opposed to such events, I think they are great. However, I am rather intrigued as to what the Monster Bass festival is all about and what it represents and what it is all about. Taking away the drinking, music, open air stalls and fireworks what exactly is Monster Bass ?

To be honest I am not to sure and a brief look at the Monster Bass website does give the impression that it is a new age resurrection of myths and legends of the Goodwin Sands , throwing in the ancient land of Lomea with a bit of spin. Myths and legends are a strange thing as it does give a licence to make anything up and wrap it up in a neat little package and present it as a form of culture, especially the subject of the sea , the coast and the new age theories.

So how sound is all of this, this in my view was put to the test in March this year when the Sperm Whale came ashore in Pegwell Bay. Considering in all ancient cultures including ours, a Whale stranding was considered a gift from the gods this was something special. So I was rather intrigued at the reaction of those with the new age knowledge and how they would react to such an event, as predicted absolutely nothing . However, I am impressed that the stranding did appear in a mural of the great wall of Ramsgate. Anyway, the Pegwell Bay Sperm Whale is featured on a channel four documentary Inside Natures Giants at 21:00 hrs on Sunday 7 th August.

Finally, getting back to superstitions, a Finnish sailor was treated with respect of born fear, since all Finns were supposed to be descendants and past masters in everything relating to wizardry and magic. It was believed that a Finn had the ability to avenge himself for any slight or injury and could have mysterious power over the elements. Thankfully for the locals in ancient times there are no records of Finnish shipwrecks on the Goodwins.

Margate and Ramsgate and comic postcards.

2011-07-25T16:23:00.006+02:00

On Sunday I visited the "I wish I could see my little Willy" exhibition of comic postcards at the Pie Factory , Broad Street , Margate in the old town, a subject of which I have considerable knowledge. For anyone who has an interest in post war seaside history and comic postcards this really is a must.

Even before I entered the building I knew many of the postcards that would be on display and to see them again was like being reunited with old friends. However, I was really impressed at the quality of the research and the fact that all the exhibits were original material. Perhaps the lasting memory I have of the exhibition is the fact that at the time some postcards that were considered too vulgar in Margate by magistrates were acceptable in Ramsgate.

The exhibition runs until 2nd August and there will be a talk on the subject of comic postcards and the law held at the Margate Museum on Saturday 30th July at 14:00 hrs.

On Saturday I did a little bit at the Margate Museum and it is very much a case of all hands to the pump. The volunteers of the Friends of the Margate Museum have been very industrious cleaning, tidying and just organising and rearranging at the Museum. On my part I returned a spoon from a paddle steamer company that was in the Maritime cabinet that was given back to me when the Museum closed a few years back. I have managed to lay my hands on some crowns for the Friends Group to sell as souvenirs in the shop once it is up and running. Plus I have some exhibits to add to the displays.

On the Ramsgate side of things where I a town councillor, my research continues on art and artefact's and on Saturday I came across a water colour of the West Pier from the East Pier on display at the Margate Museum by John Richard Davies dated 1981. Also on Saturday I came across linen backed Ordnance survey maps of Ramsgate at the Margate Museum of which I am going to supply document tubes so they can be stored properly. Finally, I have managed to get hold of an original copy

of the 1922 Ramsgate Corporation act which I will donate to the town council archives once I have read it. However, I am beginning to find that trying to obtain Ramsgate items is far harder than trying to find than anything related to Margate but I am working away slowly but surely.

The bone collector

2011-07-21T13:56:00.002+02:00

This morning I donated a large part of my collection of bone pieces I recovered from the Sperm Whale that was stranded at Pegwell Bay in March this year to the Monkton Natural History collection. This perhaps the only tangible evidence we have in Thanet of the stranding and it now on public display along with display material of the event. The collection was salvaged from bone fragments when the whale was cut up with chainsaws on the Pegwell Bay hoverport slipway. Some parts I have managed to identify within reason, some I have cut and shaped to emphasise the bone structure. The smaller pieces I have made into arrowheads, needles and trinkets similar to how our ancestors who have done when everything would have been utilised from a stranding in the past.

The collection is licensed with Natural England and subject to regulations as whalebone is under the same legislation as wild Elephant ivory.

Grains of sand.

2011-07-08T22:56:00.003+02:00

This interesting article appeared in the Metro on page eleven of the 6th July edition and features grains of sand magnified 250 times which is a fascinating in sight of what the microscopic world must be like around the Thanet coast. The photography is excellent as the grains have been separated and the photographer has created a work of art.

TDC and the Friends of the Margate Museum

2011-07-05T19:54:00.004+02:00

It is always a nice feeling to see something fall firmly into place, and last night’s meeting of the Friends of the Margate Museum did just that. Under the guidance of two TDC officers and the Mayor of Margate, the thirty two members of the friends group that attended elected a committee for the forthcoming year.

Even though these are early days I really do think that TDC has struck the right chord with this one. The volunteer friends group now includes a mixture of business, educational and museum experience including a youth input. TDC will be overseeing the running of the museum and will assist in the development of volunteers. Following on from the success of the recent opening’s of the Museum. The Museum will be manned by volunteers every Saturday from July through to September including special openings to coincide with other events in the town. By adopting a flexible approach with targeted openings with the use of volunteers, I think this is the only way forward in terms of low cost and sustainability to keep a museum presence in what is seen as the cultural part of the town for now and perhaps into the future.

Margate Museum opening 25th June 2011

2011-06-25T23:27:00.009+02:00

Today I did my bit as a volunteer for todays opening at the Margate Museum which was also a great opportunity to have a good look around with the intention of seeing what was there from Ramsgate in the Museum archive. It has been four years since I last looked at the archive and it was a bit of a surprise that nothing was dusty and everything was in its place. However, it did take me a while to familiarise myself with the files. It was no surprise the vast majority of the files were Margate related, from Ramsgate there were five main files on Ramsgate in general, two files on Ramsgate pubs, one file on Ramsgate Mayors with research notes and smaller files on subjects like Sally ferries etc., Most of the Ramsgate archive were copy documents all neatly filed with a few photographs and some original material which are all ideal for scanning. Looking at all the files it is clear that the vast majority can be scanned which would easily reduce the storage space by about seventy five per cent or more. The most refreshing thing about the archive being that every part of Thanet is well represented and it all can be scanned and stored on a data base.

There is not much Museum gossip to write about other than that the loans from the Medway Steam Preservation Society are to be returned as the loan period is near the end, which will make some space available in the maritime room.

Overall, the day did go well and considering the economic climate and the pressures on local government finances, I think it is a good idea by TDC to open the Museum to coincide with events using the volunteer base from the Friends of the Margate Museum until firm decisions about the Museum are made.

On July 4th the Friends of the Margate Museum will be having a meeting at the Old Town Hall at 19:30 hrs for those that are interested.

Finally, some time ago I had and enquiry about a "trophy of war" in the Margate Museum , a copper shield taken from the gates of the Italian Naval base at Tobruk Libya during the Second World War that hangs on the wall in the Margate Museum. All I can say, there is no need to worry it is still there.

Starting out again.

2011-06-23T23:36:00.002+02:00

Following the disastrous fire a few years ago at the Ramsgate library the question that went through the minds of Margate historians was what would we do if the Margate Museum suffered the same fate and how would we react. This led to a great rethink within the Margate Historical Society which by then had become fully independent from the Margate Museum. The decision was to research and publish quality articles and distribute the findings as far and wide as possible. Very much the same as what the Margate Civic Society is doing at present, producing and distributing quality items. So if the hub of information is affected by a disaster then information can be pulled back in and it can be business as usual. A fine example of Margates history stored outside the recognised hub of the Margate Museum and library and how it can be achieved has to be Tony Lee's Margate history website which is featured on my favourites side bar.

However, this does not resolve the problem of replacing artefact's which does sound a daunting task. A key to this is how the Margate Museum developed in the past ten years and how easy it is thanks to the Internet to acquire historical artefact's. In fact it is now possible to set up a Museum on a relatively low budget and with public donations of items the possibility of setting up a collection within a year or so is achievable.

I could never understand why after the fire at the Ramsgate library that the history of Ramsgate as told in artefact's and exhibits sort of died, and when the Maritime Museum closed it seems as if everyone sort of gave up. Exceptions being, Ralph Hoult who happens to have his own private museum, Terry Wheelers fledgling Ramsgate Historical Society and the Ramsgate History forum on the net.

Now that I have settled in as a Ramsgate Town Councillor, I have been slowly but surely going through every single print of Ramsgate on the Internet, looking at where I can source items should I need to, I have also started a database on Ramsgate artefact's, I have started buying in items and I am researching into Ramsgate items in local authority ownership. In fact I am using everything I learnt through experience at the Margate Museum as a Margate Historian and I am now applying it to Ramsgate. I doubt if I will ever be an "expert" on the history of Ramsgate but I do know I have the minerals to do something about its sad decline.

I came across this excellent engraving from the Illustrated London news which is going through ebay at the moment for £18.50, it is so tempting.

South East view of Ramsgate at the Margate Museum

2011-06-19T19:25:00.015+02:00

I know I have posted this print before, however a few things have changed since the last posting. One of them being my election to Ramsgate Town Council and my remit by RTC to look into and compile data of the whereabouts of Ramsgate art and artefact's in local government ownership that may have been once the property of the Borough of Ramsgate before local government organisation .
This print titled "South East view of Ramsgate from Mount Albion" spent about twenty years of it's life hanging up at the Judges lodgings at Stone House in Maidstone and was returned to the Margate Museum sometime in 2006. The lodgings were sold off in March 2007 , the main complaint about the Maidstone lodgings was about the furniture and style of decoration. 'They are a bit vulgar and naff. Not really to the taste of an elderly gentleman - or anyone for that matter,' said one former High Court judge. "Independent on Sunday".
Amongst the "vulgar and naff" were twenty loan items from the Thanet District Council art collection loaned out some time in the 1980's (not sure of the date). When the loaned prints were returned back to the Margate Museum most of them were hung up in a line above the seating of the upstairs former magistrates court at the museum and can be seen today when the museum is open . Amongst the collection is a modern Broadstairs print and the Ramsgate print which have never been on public display since local government reorganisation in 1974 until 2007.
Today, I had a look at the Ramsgate print in the Margate Museum to glean some further details , the text below the print reads as follows "South East view of Ramsgate from Mount Albion" "As it appears on the morning of July 23rd 1840" "When a beautiful water spout crossed the sky from S.W to N.N.E thirty eight before twelve at noon continuing about ten minutes". To the right of this text is a poem and to the left there is seventeen references to parts of Ramsgate. The artist or engraver was difficult to read but I will return with a jewellers loup to carry out further examination.
On the Margate side of things there are two small oil paintings that caught my eye one on the far right and one on the far left of the line of prints above the seating. The one on the far right I found especially interesting as it is of the stone pier and shows the first lighthouse (pre 1828) and there is no Jarvis Jetty (1824), the cliffs at Fort Point are visible. These three features pre date the painting.
All this line of prints and paintings that have been out of public view for thirty years until 2007 and then that has been for about a year as the Museum closed on a permanet basis except for one offs manned by volunteers. So for any visitor to the Turner center, if the Margate Museum is open I suggest give it a quick look at this line of prints especially the two oils and also the painting by Alfred Clint above the stairs.

A View of Ramsgate

2011-06-17T20:33:00.009+02:00

This not the best of photographs but it suits my archive just fine as it is another Ramsgate print in local Government ownership. This print is titled "View of Ramsgate " and is one of the few actually owned by Ramsgate Town Council, the original is painted by William John Huggins marine artist (1781 - 1845 ) and this is an engraving by E . Duncan.
Easily dated by the lighthouse (pre 1842) the print is one of a series of works by various artists of the entrance to Ramsgate harbour in gale force conditions. Judging by the works of the likes of Turner, Cooke and de Loutherbourg, Ramsgate harbour must have been a difficult harbour to enter if the wind was not in your favour in the days of sail.
In a edition of bygonne Kent volume one number four page 229 there is a article on the three cannons found by the East Pier on 21st February 1980. Written by Bill Lapthorne it details the discovery of the three cannons and mentions the amount of vessels that sunk after missing the entrance to the Harbour and ended up hitting either the East or West pier wall.Bill quotes "On 22nd December 1822, seven vessels were wrecked on this spot and fifteen men drowned. Due to this Admiral Spranger published a booklet "Remarks on Ramsgate Harbour".
In Richard Larne's shipwreck index of the United Kingdom volume section two there are many accounts of sinking's at the entrance to the harbour. For example the "Hazard" on 23rd November 1820, " in going into the harbour, struck the West Pier, carried away her bowsprit and part of the bow, filled and sank in the harbour". Reading through further Ramsgate shipwreck accounts , in some cases the vessels were colliers bring in cargoes of coal from the North East which were full to capacity bringing down their cargoes regardless of the weather in what is a lucrative trade keeping Ramsgate warm in the winter months. Mick Twyman of the Margate Historical Society who researched the coal trade into Margate actually found evidence that on these hazardous journeys it was only the cargoes that was insured and not the crew or vessels.
On another point this could also give some arguement to the origin of the sea coal that occasionaly turns up on the Ramsgate and Pegwell Bay coastline.
Last week I was on the end of the West Pier looking across to the East Pier, just thinking how much history could be laying under the sand on the sea bed in the harbour entrance and out side walls, perhaps something we will never know.

Finally, a photograph of one of the Ramsgate cannons found 21/02/1980 outside the East Pier wall. This cannon a carronade is now situated on the terrace of Bleak House Broadstairs.

Parish relief

2011-06-17T15:45:00.007+02:00

Like most history leaning blogs in Thanet, I receive enquiries related to Thanet's history. On most occasions I deal with them fairly easily, however on occasions I receive a few that to be honest do leave me scratching my head. This little gem relating to rural Thanet in the mid 19th century is one that falls into that category and is described as follows and will be up for sale "a fantastic old document relating to the Isle of Thanet Agricultural Association est 1836. The document was presented to a "John Gregg" and dated 1848 for"bringing up six children receiving only 8 shillings parochial relief".

The enquiry is from a presenter of a BBC television programme and if anyone can help with information or is interested in the item I will forward you the programme and other details.

A TDC asset

2011-06-15T21:14:00.009+02:00

Amongst the items of artwork loaned to the Ramsgate Town Council by Thanet District Council that was formerly owned by the Borough of Ramsgate, is this gem.

Even though it has no TDC reference number for their artefact's list ,the description is "Ramsgate engraved by F. Jukes " with no detail, the print has slipped with the backing of the frame hanging off . So I do get this impression Ramsgate artwork in TDC possession maybe in a bit of a disarray.

However, mustn't grumble as it was decent of TDC to loan the print to Ramsgate Town Council in the first place.

Getting down to brass tacks and a quick search on google and asking around a bit this gem is "Ramsgate from the West Pier" drawn and engraved by Francis Jukes (1745 to 1812) Howland Street, Bryden, Charing Cross , London , circa 1790's with the date to be established.

The work of Francis Jukes is highly collectible and there are many versions of this print including Victorian re strikes. However, this print has been coloured in by a water colour artist and a identical print on a auction site identifies the print as a "Engraving, further inscribed with topographical details of the harbour in pen and ink then executed in watercolour." Francis Jukes produced his own prints and judging by details on him on the net if they are correct it appears he worked with a water colour artist. So there is every suggestion that this print was produced when Francis Jukes was alive. Therefore a closer examination is necessary as this print will be dated. As for value, a identical print badly damaged is up for sale at $200 on a American site and one went for £400 on a British auction site. Which is not bad for a print that has no registration number in the TDC collection. poor identity and was delivered in a pile of other prints in a back of van.

Finally, Ramsgate Town Council will give this print the status it deserves in the history of Ramsgate taking pride of place in the Customs House. On another positive point, Ramsgate Town Council are setting up a working party of which I will be chairing, to look into the status of Ramsgate artwork in local government collections to establish their whereabouts. Especially the items that were once the property of the Borough of Ramsgate and judging by this example I think we can agree there is going to be a lot of work done.

This tatty version of the same print is up for sale for £91.00 on ebay.

Item 7095 Eastcliff Lodge

2011-06-09T23:00:00.008+02:00

A few years ago I came into possession of a number list of the art collection in Albion House that belonged to the Borough of Ramsgate that assended to Thanet District Council on 1st April 1974. Dated 12/12/87 it was the audit sheet of the the TDC museums officer who would audit the collection periodicaly up until 1994 when the EKMT took the job on. Numbering 82 items the list is in the order of display in Albion house has no references except a list of numbers. Judging by the loans received by the Ramsgate Town Council from TDC there does not seem to be much supporting information if any to the Ramsgate art collection TDC own, which is an observation and not a critism. This line drawing is currently in the Custom's House and in possession of the Ramsgate Town Council and is numbered 7095 which tallies with the Albion House list. Most of the details of this one are readable, drawn by Vernon K Hood December 1805 "for the beauties of England and Wales", engraved by W.Cooke.

This is the first item I can put to that list with a reference so there is now 81 to go which hopefully one day the collection will be owned by Ramsgate Town Council.

In the meanwhile I came across this factual information on the Ramsgate History Forum on Eastcliff Lodge which I am sure they will not mind me quoting, it reads as follows ,

"East Cliff Lodge was built around 1800 and was used in 1803 as a summer residence of Queen Caroline, then Princess of Wales. It later became the home of Admiral Lord Keith and in 1815 it was sold to a Russian merchant Patrick Cummings. Cummings later leased it to Marquis Wellesley who was the brother of the Duke of Wellington.In 1882 Sir Moses Montefiore rented the estate from Cummings, and after Cummings death in 1830, Sir Moses purchased it for £5,500. During Princess Victoria's visit to Ramsgate with her mother in 1835 Sir Moses opened the grounds to her and presented her with a golden key to a private door of the grounds.Sir Moses lived at the Lodge until his death on 1885 at the age of 101. Sir Moses and his wife are laid to rest in a Mausoleum next to the Synagogue at nearby Hereson.

(http://www.ramsgatehistory.com/album/East%20Side%20of%20Town/slides/ramsgate_remembered_095.jpg)

The final demise of the Lodge follows an all too familiar pattern. The estate was sold to the Borough of Ramsgate around 1952, and the Lodge was demolished in 1954. All that remains today is a new building housing a firm of architects which incorporates parts of the original structure. There are also some outbuildings and the Italianate Greenhouse has been restored to its former glory in recent years."

Ramsgate from the East Pier

2011-06-09T00:01:00.004+02:00

I was very fortunate this morning to look at the civic collection of artwork held by Ramsgate Town Council. Even though it is small and I mean small and I know the reason why.
I was taken by this print drawn by J Styles surveyor , 61 High street , Ramsgate, dated 24th September 1830. It reads as follows "Dedicated by permission to the Chairman & Deputy Chairman of the board of directors, of the Royal Harbour & Commissioners of the town as Faithful representation of the same in the year 1830",The printed is engraved by R.G Reeve, 3 Gough Square. coloured by Baldwin and printed by P.R. Tomkins.
Some time ago I made a rough DVD of the collection at the maritime museum held in the clock house on the harbour. In it are 11 prints and water colours loaned to the museum by TDC, this print is also featured in that collection and the only difference is that the TDC one is coloured. It be noted that once upon a time all these prints were the property of the Borough of Ramsgate until 1974 when they were transferred to TDC. However, it does appear that items that once belonged to Ramsgate and transferred to TDC have not been very well looked after and as I mentioned in a previous posting the items loaned recently by TDC to RTC do have that look as if they have been hanging up in a garden shed . I have even found out that when the artwork was delivered to RTC by TDC they were stacked in a heap the back of a van without being wrapped in bubble wrap. Since being elected to the Ramsgate Town Council I have not been hanging about on this issue of Ramsgate art and artefact's and I have been pulling research items off the Internet and from my researched archive to take this issue forward.
On this point I should mention how I am impressed by the Ramsgate history Forum.As a Ramsgate town councillor I will take this issue of Ramsgate's art and artefact's forward preferably working with interested parties, however if I have to do this alone then so be it.

A artefact's committee ?

2011-06-08T19:07:00.001+02:00

It is a sad fact of life that in Ramsgate the best exhibition of prints and photographs of Ramsgate's past are not in a Library, or a Museum but in a shop called Farley's that sells beds in Chatham Street. Which really is a sad epitaph for the old Borough of Ramsgate (1884 to 1974) and Ramsgate's maritime past. I suppose the fire at the library and the loses there didn't help matters. However, I still stand by theories that local government reorganisation scattered the civic collections of Margate and Ramsgate like the lost tribes of Israel to the extent that even if Ramsgate was in a position to open a town museum it wouldn't have anything to put in it.Ramsgate does a have a maritime museum which is a centre of excellence built up by the East Kent Maritime Trust which is unfortunately closed. Then there is KCC archives another center of excellence, but when it comes to art and artifacts at local government level it all seems to fall down. The current trend for Museums is now about exhibition of quality exhibits, so when I was invited by the Mayor of Ramsgate Dave Green to look at the art and print collection held by the Ramsgate Town Council I accepted the opportunity.Dave told me that they didn't have much and he wasn't joking either, I was just so glad I didn't bring a flask and sandwiches because the entire collection of artwork is less 24 items and that does include the duplicates and the loans from the TDC collection inherited in 1974. The condition of almost everything is not quality in fact the condition of the frames and condition of the items loaned by TDC look as if they have been stored in a garden shed. The artwork owned by the Town Council is not much better either.I did take down as much info as possible to research what the Town Council owns and also took a few photographs of which I will post in the coming weeks. Compared to the Margate collection this is not good in fact it reflects very badly on Ramsgate it is almost as if we do not care about our past.So what is the way forward ? well trying to pin blame is stupid and pointless. However, as Dave Green quite rightly said to me "we need to form a artefact's committee". So this afternoon I have been working on a plan and I will keep you all posted.

Support the Ramsgate Tunnels

2011-06-06T23:45:00.002+02:00

I have received this flyer from the campaign to open the wartime Ramsgate tunnels a campaign supported by Ramsgate Town Council :

"Lets Re-open Ramsgate Tunnels
There are over 3 miles of tunnels under
Ramsgate which became an underground city
and saved the lives of hundreds of Ramsgate
residents during the Blitz in World War II.
They are still there and could become a
fantastic Venue, Tourist Attraction and
Heritage Resource.
WATCH MERIDIAN TONIGHT
6 pm on Monday 27th June and
VOTE FOR RAMSGATE
TUNNELS
Your vote can win us the money to get
started on this exciting project"

www.ramsgatetunnels.org
Ramsgate Town Council, Ramsgate (Heritage Regeneration) Trust Ltd, Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group,
Big Lottery Fund - The Jubilee Peoples Millions

Tip and run - the Margate Sands bomb crater

2011-06-04T18:59:00.003+02:00

I have received a reply from John Williams aviation archivist for the Margate Historical Society and he informs me that the prime suspect for the bomb crater could be the raid of 1st June 1943 which was a quick tip and run. Which was Simon's theory when Alisdair said it is a bomb crater and when I questioned what may have been the target.

John's reply is as follows;

"This may well be a left-over from the air-raid of 1st June,1943. The aircraft taking part were Focke-Wulf Fw190fighter-bombers of 11/SKG10. If it had been dropped by a Junkers Ju88 or a Heinkel He111 you would have a stick of bombs,i.e. quite a few craters in a line across the beach and lower town area.The lower part of the High Street received a 500 kg bomb from one of the twelve aircraft taking part (Messrs Tumbersand White Fuller's destroyed). The raid took place at 13.00hrs on Tuesday,1st June,1943. Bombs fell at the following locations;-St.Peter's Road, Thanet Road, Northdown Road, Laleham Road, Dalby Square, St.Mildred Road, St.Pauls Road, Milton Square, Warwick Road, Cornwall Gardens, Approach Road,High Street, Athelstone Road, Dane Park and Lower Fort Promenade. One 500kg bomb failed to explode. One bomb (500kg) destroyed Holy Trinity Church. Total casualties;-sixteen killed, thirteen seriously injured and fifty-seven slightly injured (War Graves Commission lists nine civilians dead.)."

I should also add this very same raid caused the Tudor House to list sligthly and caused the collapse of the north wall in the Grotto alter chamber. However, I am not sure the impact it had on the Margate caves.

It's a bomb crater.

2011-06-04T15:13:00.003+02:00

At 19:00 hrs (03/06/11) an hour before low water I carried out a complete search on the site of the ship wreckage and the mysterious hole on Margate main sands. I was soon joined by Simon Moores who recorded the event, Alisdair Bruce local geologist , his partner Kim and Fiona Sherriff who acted as an observer.

My role was to seek out as much historical evidence from the site as possible. Alisdair did a geological survey taking samples and was quick to confirm that the mysterious hole was in fact a bomb crater. Like myself , Alisdair agreed that the wreck was oak and the construction was from the bottom of the vessel , however there was an absence of a Keel that maybe buried. The timbers of the wreckage are in remarkable condition and they are free of worm and I am still content to stick to my 1877 storm theory as mentioned earlier.

Around both the wreckage and the hole the area is littered with shards of china and broken glass which all present started collecting and examining. Considering that metal detector users have already been over the site there was a absence of coins and other non ferrous metals. However, I was lucky enough to find a 1855 penny which I have scanned in. Amongst the broken china and glass was everything I would expect to find associated with Margate's seaside past. There were pieces of Victorian glass from bottles of local mineral water companies, pieces of china from steamer companies that even though there were no motives on the china I knew the company designs like General Steam and Navigation Company. Also I came across pieces of quality china from the Victorian restaurants and caterers from Marine Terrace.

All the finds for that search that I found are are now with the Marine Studios Albert Terrace as they now have first refusal on everything I find in the Margate area plus they now hold all my Margate recent finds. I did find two items associated with Ramsgate which I have at home to accompany my Ramsgate historical research.

Finaly, I have emailed John Williams of the Margate Historical Society on his opinion of the bomb crater which will be informative.

A fresh water spring maybe on Margate Sands ?

2011-06-03T15:44:00.003+02:00

Following on from the previous posting about the mysterious clay hole on Margate Sands I also came across water rising up from under the sand about 100 metres east from the clay hole. The water is exceptionally cold and it is drinkable, which does lead me to think maybe it is a fresh water spring. If I am right it could be of some significance as in ancient times human habitation was never far from a source of water supply. About 19:30 hrs (03/06/11) tonight the tide will be out far enough to work on the site, if you are interested I will see you down there.

Mysterious hole on Margate sands

2011-06-02T21:08:00.003+02:00

This picture I am sure is for the Archaeologists amongst us, it is a perfectly round hole in a bed of clay that has uncovered on Margate main sands . The last time I saw something like this was when there was erosion at St Mildred's Bay, Westgate in 1988, at the time a middle bronze age hoard was found.

Standing in the hole is solid sand which is a indictor that the actualy dug depth of the hole in the clay could be deeper.

The Redcar Whale - lessons to be learnt

2011-05-31T21:41:00.004+02:00

Almost three months after the stranding of the Sperm Whale at Pegwell Bay Ramsgate another male Sperm Whale , a 44ft long male Sperm Whale whale has died three hours after becoming stranded on a beach on Redcar Beach Teesside.

The BBC reported ;

"RSPCA officers were involved in the rescue attempt, along with those from the Coastguard and Cleveland Fire Brigade, while RSPCA vets assessed the mammal's condition."

"A rescue bid started which involved trying to keep the adult sperm whale wet until high tide but it died."

"A post mortem will be carried out on the whale and then it will be up to the local council to dispose of it."

I really hope that something positive will happen with the Whale remains unlike the Pegwell Bay Whale which was cut up and disposed in landfill. Like the Pegwell Bay Whale there will be a autopsy and the Institute of Zoology sponsored by DEFRA will carry out a investigation taking away organs, the Jaw and other samples. Then it will be up to the local authority to dispose of the remains. In Thanet the the Sperm Whale stranded there as mentioned earlier was disposed of in landfill. This prevented any local samples or remains being retained localy for museums etc.,, however in some countries a stranding like this is buried to allow nature to take its course and the bones are then dug up years later as a project, these projects can be googled.
As the Pegwell Bay Whale was cut up this left Whale fat on the strandline which after three months is still present at Pegwell Bay and is decaying and smelly. Also in the days after the disposal balls of spermaceti oil also appeared on the strandline, when cold it is solid and white and when it is warm it will become liquid. I do have a small amount in a container collected from Pegwell Bay.
If the Whale is cut up there will be splinters because once the Jaw is removed the head will be removed and behind the jaw there is a mass of bone that will splinter if cut with a chainsaw. If the same technique is used as in Pegwell Bay there will be pieces of bone to be found on the site days or even weeks after the clearance. The small splinters are okay to clean and the best method is to boil the pieces for about ten minutes to remove some of the fat within in bone, then leave it outside for a few days and then store in dry conditions on a piece of kitchen roll to absorb any oil that may secrete. The large pieces that are porous will be a challenge as they will smell and will drip oil for weeks. I tried many ideas to work out a way to preserve the large pieces as exhibits only to come up with the idea that the large pieces are best left for the natural process. So I have bought a plastic dustbin filled it up with compost and buried the large pieces in it, inspecting the bone every month.
I collected 51 bone fragments and samples from Pegwell Bay, of which I had to inform the Receiver of Wrecks, notify DEFRA and then apply to English Nature the regulatory authority to possess them. Except for the two large pieces in the compost bin I have donated 41 pieces to a local natural history museum at the Monkton nature reserve pending a decision by English Nature.

A visit to Monkton

2011-05-30T19:51:00.003+02:00

Yesterday (Sunday) I visited the Monkton Nature Reserve to deliver 49 pieces of Whalebone for their collection. Which hopefully once legal ownership is determined I will be able to gift my entire collection to their natural history museum. It is also fortunate that they are having some school field trips coming up of which my collection will be a welcome addition. However, I decided to keep two large pieces which are being left to nature at present in my compost bin until they are in a suitable condition to be exhibited.
I found the Monkton natural history collection interesting, taking a interest in the marine collection. Even though the marine collection was small it was still impressive with items like Sperm Whale teeth, Whale vertebrae, bottle nose Dolphin vertebrae and a flipper of a bottle nose Dolphin recovered from Folkestone on display. I should point out that the flipper did not come from "Dave" the missing friendly bottle nose Dolphin who lived in the waters off the Folkestone inshore coast a few years back.

More on the Margate Shipwreck

2011-05-26T22:05:00.003+02:00

From Tuesday evening onwards the chances are that the wooden (oak) ship wreckage recently exposed this year on the low water mark opposite Godden's Gap Marine Terrace Margate will be seen. This should be around 17:45 depending on the wind holding the tide. However, the evening of Wednesday to Friday should be even better.
I have come across this image on the web at njscuba.net/artifacts/obj_hull_wood.html which is a excellent guide to the parts that can be found laying in the sand. Hopefully I should remember to bring my camera this time.
The area around the wreck is a littered with remains of bottles over 100 years old, the Thanet Coast project is now aware of this and so is TDC. Even though the glass is inert and blunted it does not give a good impression for a tourist beach. So if everyone who visits the wreck brings a carrier bag and takes away at least a dozen pieces I sure the area will be clear in time for the warmer weather.
There is every chance that complete Victorian bottles can be found , also some interesting embossed fragments of glass can be picked up. On thing to also look out for is pieces of plate that bear the names of the paddle steamer companies that used the Jetty and the Harbour Arm.

Midweek coastal ramble.

2011-05-24T16:04:00.003+02:00

This morning's low water I set myself two tasks, one was to clear the Pegwell Bay Hoverport site of every piece of Whale Bone to assure the Receiver of Wrecks, DEFRA and English Nature that there are no remains of the Sperm Whale left on the Pegwell site. This should finalise my application to keep my collection of Whale Bone samples with English Nature which in turn would allow me to donate the entire collection to a local museum. I have notified the Monkton Nature Reserve who collect natural history that the collection is available pending a decision by English Nature. So I am waiting on replies.

Then it was off over to Margate to photograph the ship wreck remains on the low water mark opposite Godden's gap. Unfortunately, the wind had changed direction overnight and was holding the tide so there was no chance of even seeing the wreckage in such wind and tidal conditions. In order not waste the latter part of the morning I surveyed some of the areas where the sand had eroded between the high and low water mark these past few weeks. Summer erosion on Margate main sands does some strange things on the sands below the high tide mark as it brings all the old Victorian and Edwardian debris to the surface, mostly pieces of china, glass and clay pipe stems. The presence of glass on the beach looks horrendous and even though it is pretty inert and blunted it does give a very bad impression of a tourist beach. On this occasion I just happened to have a sturdy plastic sack so I set about collecting all the beach glass and record some data.

Victorian bottles is a subject I have a certain expertise in, so it was pretty easy to date everything I found. Once again most of the finds as on previous occasions fell into the golden age of seaside history of the late Victorian period up to the First world war that led to rapid development in Margate. I have pictured this mornings haul for anyone interested.

As for the ship wreck remains it does look as if next Tuesday evening will be the next available sighting depending on wind and tide.

A Margate Shipwreck from 1877 ?

2011-05-23T17:19:00.010+02:00

I seem to be developing this very familiar pattern that every time I forget to take my camera I stumble across something of interest and today was no exception.
This morning I dropped into Marine Studios in Albert Terrace to give the studio my collection of items that I picked up last year and this winter including the Mitten crab samples, about twenty pieces of Amber and a collection of clams. As I looked out of the window across the main sands the tide was out. Directly out from Godden gap on Marine Terrace on the low water mark I could see this gully that the Margate metal detector users have been telling me about. From where I was standing I could see a few timbers from the wreck that had exposed this winter in the same gully.
I had heard about the wreck uncovering a few months ago and this was the first opportunity I have had to give it a good look. By closer examination I estimate the wooden wreckage to be about 25 feet long and between 6 to 8 feet wide and scattered around there are a number of ribs from the wreckage. The condition of the timber is excellent and the ribs are laying loose so they can easily be carried off the beach. Around the wreckage are deposits of clay from the Tivoli Brooks and a mixture of shingle and loose chalk. Amongst the layers of chalk and clay there were shards of plate, clay pipe stems, broken bottles, worn beach glass and all the debris associated with the Victorian / Edwardian seaside up until the 1930's. I carried out a quick search of the area and it was quick with the tide coming in. Finds included a complete lamont pattern mineral water bottle circa 1880's and a part of a M J Harlow mineral water bottle minus a neck probably dated around pre First World War. I also came across a large granite block which may have been ballast from the Wreck.
Dating a wreck like this can be difficult and does take a great deal of research, however I do have a theory.
As soon as I saw the wreckage I was amazed at the amount of timber because being so close to Margate as a single wreck would have been completely salvaged as every available piece would have been used by the local population even if it was used for firewood. Therefore I would assume that the wrecking could have happened at a time when more than one vessel was wrecked. The theory being that rich and easy pickings and financial reward would take priority of firewood. This would then point to the storm of 24th November 1877 when the wind changed dramatically from SSE to NNE severe force gale driving all the shipping anchored in the Margate Roads onto the shore. This events surrounding this storm are well documented in the Margate Historical Society archives by Mick Twyman, John Willaims and Chris Sandwell.
In the Margate area alone seven ships were wrecked during that storm and many were driven ashore damaged. On Michael's Thanetonline, Michael published a postcard some time back of a badly damaged Margate Jetty that was damaged by the " Charles Davenport" that had been driven along the coast by this gale and sliced into the Jetty. In the background of this postcard many sailing ships can be seen aground in the bay and on the Nayland which would have occupied all the available local labour from carpenters , seamen and salvagers. Also taking into consideration all the loses on the North Kent coast I am sure the coastline would have been littered with easy pickings for the local population who would have had the luxury of ignoring such a bounty on Margate main sands.

I stress this is only a plausible theory until further research is carried out

Ramsgate Artwork

2011-05-19T23:47:00.003+02:00

In the Thanet District Council art collection there is some artwork by Philip James de Loutherbourg (1740 to 1812) a English artist of German origin. In the TDC collection there are Loutherbourg prints from Margate and Ramsgate and they can easily be researched on the internet. However, the content of Ramsgate artwork in general in the TDC collection is a bit of a mystery. Last year TDC did loan twelve works of Ramsgate artwork to the Ramsgate Town Council for the Custom House HQ and there were some loans from the TDC collection by Loutherbourg at the Ramsgate Maritme Museum.
As mentioned in the previous posting there is so few Ramsgate works of art in the public domain and this situation realy needs to be addressed. One solution I suppose the Town Council could consider is aquiring restrikes which are not reproductions, but restrikes taken from engraved plates of the original print. This beauty by Loutherbourg titled "Ramsgate Pier" can be purchased for £64.95 from www.easyart.com

First night at the RTC.

2011-05-19T12:37:00.001+02:00

Last night was my first meeting at the Ramsgate Town Council which was a friendly affair as the only thing missing was a cup of tea and a packet of ginger biscuits. Dave Green was elected Mayor , Pat Moore was elected deputy Mayor and Richard Nicholson was elected to look after the purse strings. As for myself I am on the planning committee and on the twinning committee.
Most of the meeting was about elections to committees and accepting committee meeting reports which are formalities as most council business is decided at committee stage. Ralph Hoult stepping down as Deputy Mayor and Councilor gave a report on his civic activities for the past year, rounding off with an I’ll be back theme. Which I thought was a good little piece until I realized that I beat Ralph by only sixty odd votes.
Not all council business is interesting, even for us committed folk, so sometimes I do have the attention span of a gnat. So as the venue was all new to me and I took in the surroundings. Even though the Council Chamber had been restored to perfection there were very few items relating to Ramsgate’s past that have provenance to be seen. The Mayor’s chair that resembled old sparky that was supporting Dave Green was perhaps the oldest item.
I often think that for a town the size of Ramsgate there does not appear to be many historic items anywhere in the public domain. I know that the fire at the library took a terrible toll but there just seems to be so many gaps. On the archive side there is no shortage of information and a tour of Michael’s book shop can confirm that. Prints, paintings, work of art and artifacts are something I will look into as a Town Councilor.
Finally, the meeting passed a resolution opposing the export of live animals through Port Ramsgate and by the tone of the meeting I would think some councilors may join a peaceful demonstration.

Live animal exports at Ramsgate

2011-05-18T12:29:00.001+02:00

So it looks as if live animals for export will be passing through Port Ramsgate, a trade I think is cruel and should be opposed. I will definitely sign up to the against lobby.
This song by Mary Hopkin has parrallels to the victims of the holocaust and a cow being led to slaughter and not knowing the reason why.

Fit & Healthy event on Ramsgate main sands.

2011-05-16T23:07:00.003+02:00

The Thanet Coast project are running a free fit & healthy event on Ramsgate main sands this Saturday 21st May and the events are as follows in this email I received.

"FIT & HEALTHY ON RAMSGATE BEACH: 21 May 2011

Various fun healthy activities, games & information centred around Ramsgate's Main Sands for the day.

10am (3hrs, 5ys+) Green Gym - help on this clean up of the Ramsgate Sea Garden-

12pm (45mins, 16 yrs+) Zumba, with Jeni Dexter-

2pm (2hrs) Skip2bfit with John McCormack-

1pm (3hrs) 'Flag races' & 'Throwing the 'ring' with ThanetLifeguards/TLF-

1pm (4hrs) Beach volley ball and football, with Thanet SportMatters!-

1pm (3 hrs) "Tug of War" & beach games with Groundwork's stars & stripes-

4pm (1hr, 6yrs+) Tai Chi with Barry Phelan

Check your health out with the NHS HEALTH BUS, or find out more about Kent services with the MOBILE GATEWAY, Red Cross, Visitor Information...and other organisations. 'Footprints in the Sand & other partners',

10am-5pm Family & All Ages)· Sat 21 May, 10am-5pm - Ramsgate Main Sands / Promenade · Just turn up & "Sign in" early for an activity on the beach at the Thanet Coast Project Marquee - situated besides the main Ramsgate Sands Cafe on the access slope to the beach. "

The rat and the seagull and a coastal ramble

2011-05-15T21:01:00.005+02:00

I often hear many amazing seagull stories and the latest to interest me was told to me by my neighbour who witnessed a seagull kill a rat and eat it. My neighbour was visiting a friend and through the patio window of her friend's house they could see a rat in the garden cleaning itself. Down flew a seagull who hit the rat on the back of the neck with its beak, the seagull turned the rat around to then swallow it head first and then flew off.

Elsewhere around the coast things have been less dramatic. As mentioned early there is going to be a cockle harvest at Pegwell Bay this year. The Pegwell Bay cockle harvest is sustainable and only happens every few years when the cockles reach a commercial size. Once the harvest is over the population is then left to recover and then harvested a few years later and so on. The cockles are removed from the sea bed by a fishing boat specially adapted for the task. One year the cockle boat took its load up the river to Sandwich where the cockles were unloaded into a waiting lorry in the car park by the Toll bridge.
Judging by reports in the Thanet Gazette it appears the local Oyster population is now being looked into for commercial exploitation. As many people know the Oysters we see around the coastline are the Pacific Oyster a invasive species that has thrived in our inshore waters. The Oysters do look strong and healthy and are subject to tests to see if they are fit for human consumption.
Around the coast people have been taking them off the shore over the past years and have been eating them. There is no restrictions on how many Oysters are taken but there is a concern on how they are removed because the vast majority of Oysters are attached to the chalk reef or are bedded amongst mussels. Those that are bedded amongst the mussels are damaging the mussel beds by crowding out the mussels. For the mussel population it could be a lose lose situation if the Oysters are taken out recklessly.
The Thanet coast project is undertaking a series of studies into the Pacific Oyster population around the coast. On my part I have noticed how the Oysters have different habits depending on where you are around the coast. They seem to adopt different shapes and colours, for example some will attach to groynes adopting a flat shape and almost resembling the fan shape like the native species. In the Walpole Bay tidal pool Oyster's are found to be elongated like a slipper and lacking colour in the shell, yet in Epple Bay the Oyster's have hints of colour that make them look decorative as they attach to each other adopting random shapes something one would expect from somewhere tropical.

A joke for Sunday Morning

2011-05-15T12:12:00.001+02:00

A man goes into the doctors feeling a little ill

The doctor checks him over and says, 'Sorry, I have some bad news,

you have Yellow 24, a really nasty virus.

It's called Yellow 24 because it turns your blood yellow

and you usually only have 24 hours to live.

There's no known cure so just go home and enjoy your final precious
moments on earth.'

So he trudges home to his wife and breaks the news.

Distraught, she asks him to go to the bingo with her that evening as he's
never been there with her before.

They arrive at the bingo and with his first card he gets four corners and
wins £35.

Then, with the same card, he gets a line and wins £320

Then he gets the full house and wins £1000.

Then the National Game comes up and he wins that too getting £380,000.

The bingo caller gets him up on stage and says,

'Son, I've been here 20 years and I've never seen anyone win four corners,
a line, the full-house and the national game on the same card.

You must be the luckiest man on Earth!'

'Lucky?' he screamed. 'Lucky? I'll have you know I've got Yellow 24 .'

'**** me,' says the bingo caller. 'You've won the raffle as well !!

Blue flags

2011-05-13T19:58:00.003+02:00

On the front page of today's Isle of Thanet Gazette I see the three main tourist beaches in Thanet have lost their blue flag awards. Obviously such news is a bitter blow to those who care and probably puts a small dent in the tourism trade. Obviously this is disappointing news but I cannot understand why there should be so much gloom over the issue , because by comparison to the situation in the past, today's Thanet beaches have come a long way.
For decades the sea has been a convenient dustbin and a extension of our sewage system. In the Victorian era we had Typhoid and Cholera outbreaks due to the sudden increase in population over the summer months. I can even think back to 35 years ago when fat from the sewage outfalls would coat flotsam in Northerly winds, I can remember the mass of beach litter on the tide, I can remember sewage slicks and toilet paper at Foreness. Also I can remember mass deaths of crabs from the sudden release of fresh water from storm drains. The list is about as long as my arm.
Today the situation is so much different as the sea and beaches are so much cleaner, we even have thriving oyster and prawn populations. Also the beach litter problems from the tide are greatly reduced.
Scientifically I do believe we still have a problem and we always will until the discharges into the sea stop. The results can be up and down which is far better than constantly bad and that leaves the big question. What would happen if every single discharge into the sea from Thanet was to stop would we still have blue flag failures as there is a frightening prospect it could be yes.

During this past winter I extended my search area as a coastal warden of the Western Undercliff to take in Pegwell Bay, where there is a noticeable pattern that a part of Pegwell Bay is a dumping ground of all the debris picked up by the tide in South Westerly winds. It appears the tidal currents from the Channel that run into the Downs across the Sandwich flats deposit into Pegwell Bay. That probably explains how the beached Sperm Whale appeared there and the deposits of sea coal. Unfortunately it is a vehicle to import pollution but even though at present it can look unsightly there is little visible impact on the marine life as the debris is inert, that is unless something serious happens further down the coast like a discharge.
In Pegwell Bay at present the good news is the Lugworm population is strong and I have been informed that this year there will be a commercial cockle harvest.

Unidentified bone ?

2011-05-12T20:28:00.000+02:00

Other people's finds on the Thanet coast always interests me and this little gem is no exception. It is a piece of unidentified bone found on Westbrook Beach by Timothy Kirby. From the photograph posted it is definitely a piece of vertebrae and the identity of the animal does remain a mystery. I do like the lovely weathered beach look of the bone which does set it of. As mentioned in previous postings I have set myself up a little project to collect bone and teeth from the Thanet coastline this late spring and into the summer. However, I would still love to hear from anyone who has also found similar finds.

Yesterday I received a email from Natural England the body that licenses the ownership of derivatives from European endangered species. My aim is to obtain legal ownership of the pieces of Sperm Whale bone retrieved from Pegwell Bay. I had to give a submission as to why they should granted me a license stating my intentions . I have this awful feeling that I could lose the lot however I have stated that I would like everything to go to a local Thanet museum which has been my intention all along. I do find it strange that every man and his dog has been able to pick up pieces of bone from the site and the clearance of the site has not been exactly thorough. Yet according to Government regulations it is illegal to own Sperm Whale without a licence.

Following the line

2011-05-08T15:15:00.009+02:00

Following the election count on Friday it was a case of going straight home, getting changed. Then off to the Marine Studios to see an Art exhibition by Roy Eastland at the Marine Studios Albert Terrace Margate. I should also add that I was also answering a plea by Kate who runs Marine Studios to collect a Whale Bone exhibit that had turned for the worse in this warm weather. Looking across the bay at the spectacular view from the studios of Margate main sands, I noticed this line of shingle that had developed on the main sands after the recent North Easterly winds. Something I know from the past as this time of year produces some very interesting finds when the weather is unsettled. Most of the finds tend to be fossils and evidence of the Victorian and Edwardian seaside holidays. It doesn't take rocket science to work it out it is just a case of following a line of exposed shingle and walk from one end of the main sands to the other with a bucket picking up anything of interest. An area like the one photographed when exposed like this is alive with fossils like belemnites (fossilized squid), sponges and clam. With the more recent finds from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries consisting of pieces of patterned pottery, bottle stoppers, bottle fragments, worn glass, clay pipe stems and bowls , and so on. On this occasion I picked up half a bucket of the above. After a quick sort out I decided to keep and photograph a few items for this posting. In the top right of the photograph are belemnites and to the left is a clam and some fossilized sponges which are very common . In the centre is a blob top of a Victorian torpedo shaped mineral water bottle and below are the broken bases of the same type of bottle. The marble is of the type used in a Codd mineral water bottle as a internal stopper of which was most like from a bottle smashed by a young boy at the time, only to be lost on the beach. Of the pottery I found, everything was more or less patterned and bore no local logo's and like the clay pipe stems and bowls I left them where I found them.

Getting back to the Marine Studios reception I did meet a Portuguese artist who is collecting Mermaid purses from the Thanet coast to make a work of art, he informs me that he has now got 4,000 mermaid purses and the collection is still growing. I had a lengthy chat with him and he was telling me about his fascination of the Thanet coast and the things that can be found on the strand line, something we do take for granted living on the coast.

On the RTC - a reflection

2011-05-07T07:45:00.007+02:00

It took until 17:oo hrs on Friday afternoon to be confirmed that I am now a Labour member for Central Harbour on Ramsgate Town Council. I am under no illusions, as I feel the only reason I was elected was because I was a Labour candidate and not because my name is Tony Ovenden on the ballot paper. This probably explains explains why I beat Ralph Hoult "Mr Ramsgate" by about 60 votes. It may all sound very political but in reality the people of Ramsgate have voted for change and for a Labour town council with a manifesto for Ramsgate, something I feel very comfortable with.

The need for change in Ramsgate was unidentified years ago years ago when a group under the banner of Ramsgate First petitioned and campaigned for a Town Council and won. Change is always a good thing but in this day and age it is still generally spearheaded by people who have a touch of grey in their hair or going thin on top in places, myself included. Change in my view is more about continuous improvement and in Ramsgate's case it is more about the quality of life issues something the town council is there to deliver. The big question is at what cost ?

Well the general consensus is pretty clear, there is not a lot of money about and it is a case of spending money wisely , something I am sure most working people in Ramsgate are familiar with. My colleagues on the RTC have got ideas on how this will be achieved something I am sure will be made clear after a few meetings,

The Pegwell Bay Whale - a summary of events

2011-05-02T22:13:00.007+02:00

Following my research into Sperm Whale strandings around the world and how they are dealt with, I came across this manual on how to rebuild a Sperm Whale, which I must admit was a bit of a surprise. This manual was used in conjunction with a school project by the Homer High School in Alaska and the Pratt Museum to rebuild a skeleton of a Sperm Whale. The Whale like the one stranded in Pegwell Bay was dead on the foreshore. Instead of cutting it up with chain saws and pulling it apart with JCB's and then putting in skips to be dumped in landfill like what happened in Thanet. They stripped their one of much flesh as possible and then buried it, only to later dig it up and clean the bones. Then rebuild the skeleton as part of a school project with a local museum. However, I must admit preserving the Whale remains as a school project is probably more to do with Alaskan culture .
On similar web sites in New Zealand they also buried a dead Sperm Whale from a stranding. After the air cleared a bit and nature has done its job, they in New Zealand dug it up and cleaned the bones. The bones either went into exhibition or to make Maori jewellery and scrimshaws etc.
In Thanet things were done differently, firstly the Sperm Whale once it touched shore became a royal fish property of the crown. This involved the Receiver of Wrecks , DEFRA and the Institute of Zoology which is common practice throughout the UK. However, Channel four expressed an interest as they wanted to make a documentary investigating the stranding including the autopsy. A deal was struck on the condition that Channel Four was responsible for the cost of the disposal of the Whale. As soon as the filming was complete and the institute of Zoology had completed their preliminary findings the Whale was taken to the Pegwell Bay disused Hover port slipway for disposal. There it became the responsibility of Thanet District Council to organise the disposal of the Whale with Channel Four picking up the bill. Before the Whale was cut up the Institute of Zoology had the jaw bone and selected other body parts to be removed , these items were then transported away in a refrigerated vehicle for further research.
The carcase of the whale was then cut up with chain saws and then pulled apart with JCB's and then loaded into skips and was removed from the site to be dumped in land fill, nothing was retained for local interest. Fortunatley for me the site was not entirely cleared of Whale remains. After a couple of tides the strand line of the hover port slipway was a mass of congealed whale blood and whale meat. The rocks to the left as you look out to sea were coated in Whale blubber and around the base of the hover port slipway where large lumps of the whales innards oozing out a white waxy fat. Amongst all mess were splinters of bone fragments and at the base of the slipway were section of vertebrae in the mud. Considering nothing had been salvaged or retained for local interest I set about to salvage bone fragments. My intentions were to collect items for natural history purposes, or for artistic purposes (scrimshaw) to commemorate the event.
I collected many pieces which I either kept as found or as in the case of splinters I made into workable shapes. I even shaped some into arrow heads and needles.
I then carried out research into the whole subject of Whales, strandings and scrimshaw to add information to the collection I had amassed. It did not take long to discover that anything related to Whales was regulated by the CITES convention article 10. CITES being the control of international trade in endangered species. As this was the responsibility of DEFRA I then informed them I have Sperm Whale bone in my possession. In no uncertain terms I was told I could not own the bone without permission from the receiver of wrecks. Not being sure if I was acting legally or illegally I contacted my MP Luara Sandys for clarification.
To date, I have been informed by the receiver of wrecks that I can keep the Whale bone and DEFRA are happy for me to own it providing I contact Natural England who are the legal governing body on European species. However, I am now currently subject to restrictions, for example I cannot sell it as the Whale derivatives cannot be exploited for financial gain. This also means that if I donated the Whale bone to a Museum they cannot charge a entrance fee if the Whale bone is on exhibition as this is deemed as exploitation of the Whale for commercial purposes. In other countries that have signed up to CITIES like the USA and New Zealand, Whale bone from strandings can be exhibited in fee paying Museums and it can be crafted and sold within it's own territorial borders but cannot be exported.

The Pegwell Bay whale bone collection

2011-04-24T21:01:00.007+02:00

As many followers of my blog will know that I have been salvaging bone from the Sperm Whale stranding in Pegwell Bay in March of this year. Following six weeks of assessing what can be achieved, I am posting the collection as it stands. Every piece of bone pictured has been salvaged from bone splinters that remained on the Pegwell Bay hoverport slipway after the Whale had been cut up with a chain saw and pulled to pieces by a JCB.
The bone shapes created are not out of choice but are dictated by the splits and fractures in the bone caused by the disposal process. I have made a few arrow heads and a few needles, but the collection will remain as it is until I can get some idea the legal position of owning the bone. In the meanwhile I hope to get the collection on public display in the coming week.

A guide to Thanet beach glass (updated)

2011-04-24T19:23:00.010+02:00

A day on the beach often involves picking up sea shells and the unusual bits and pieces that have become weathered by the sea. One such item is the worn and weathered beach glass that almost resembles a flat pebble which many people do find fascinating.
Beach glass can be found in many colours, shape or size all around the Thanet coastline in every one the Thanet Bays. So what do we know about beach glass and its origins ?
Beach glass comes in many colours and thickness and this helps to determine the date of the piece of Glass. In the majority of cases 99.9% of the beach glass is no older than the 1870's as that was the period when glass manufacturing and the production of mineral water bottles went into mass production. Following the invention of the Codd mineral water bottle and the internal screw top glass bottle in the early 1870's, and the changes to bottle production by Dan Ryland the glass mineral water bottle and other bottles became a disposable item.
Glass from the 1870's up until the first world war was thicker than it is today and in the majority of cases the colour was either light green aqua or light blue aqua. The reason for these colours was because in those days every drink was made from natural ingredients which in turn produced sediment which in turn would make the drink cloudy and could be off putting. So a bit of colour in the glass made the drink more attractive
In hot weather the Victorians would take a drink with them like we do today when we visit the beach and breakages would often lead to glass ending up in the sea. In most cases this is the origin of the thick green aqua or light blue aqua pieces of worn glass we find on beach today.
As time progressed into the 20th Century glass become clearer and thinner and mass production created the disposable society. Glass had also changed in colour with the use of chemicals and additives the range of colours changed with light green, amber and clear becoming abundant.

So there is a basic rule with beach glass the thicker the glass the older the bottle and if it is green of light blue aqua it is pre first world war. However, there are rarities in beach glass in the thicker varieties such as dark blue glass which is created by adding cobalt to the molten glass, then there is thick yellow glass which contains Uranium or Sulphur, then thick amber, dark amber and green glass containing iron and various measures of sulphur, and the rarest of the rare which is Ruby Red which is achieved by adding gold to the molten glass. Any of these colours in thick glass found on the beach I would consider to be a challenge.

So where are the hot spots ? The answer is simple as all three towns Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate each have Victorian beaches with further historical evidence of finds dating to the mid 1700's. Keeping to the Victorian era all three main beaches do turn up smooth thick pebble shaped Victorian glass which can be found below the high water mark .
The beach adjacent to the East Pier at Ramsgate is very volatile and the movement of the coarse beach sand always responds to changing weather conditions, so the beach is always on the move with aggressive action on glass. Therefore all beach glass found on Ramsgate is smooth and weathered and has this sparkle to it when held up to the light. Broadstairs is more or less the same as Ramsgate but it is possible to find pieces of glass with the original embossment and even possible to identify the original type of bottle as the abrasive action of the sand is not as aggressive.
Margate main sands on the other hand does have the same beach glass as Ramsgate and Broadstairs. However, below the high water mark the sand contains silt like sand under the surface which does not easily respond to changing weather conditions and remains very settled. Because of this the action of the sand is not as aggressive on glass so it is possible to find broken Victorian glass in shards which are only slightly worn with a smooth sheen with the original embossments readable. In fact it is possible to find complete Victorian mineral water bottles worn by the action of sand in the same texture as the small pebble shape pieces of glass . This is a unique and in some cases the oxide in the glass has also changed the tone of the bottle which is due to a reation buried under the sand.
Building a collection of beach glass from the Thanet coast is so easy as it abundant and with a seaside history dating back to the 1700's there is so much variety to be found.

In the Photograph above is some beach glass I found this afternoon (24/04/11) with the more later 20th Century glass being more predominant. I did find a thick piece of weathered dark blue which is very attractive when held up to the light, it was this piece that prompted me to write this post.

Tally Ho ! it is election time.

2011-04-23T18:23:00.004+02:00

What is it with some people when it comes to election time. A few days ago I received some literature through my door and to my surprise I saw the word "scum" in reference to opponents used in Independent election literature. Then on page 11 in the Thanet Gazette (22/04/11) there is a Independent quote "other candidates from political parties aren't worth voting for" . Call me old fashioned, but I always thought that all candidates are worth voting for and it is what they stand for and represent and will do if elected is what elections are all about.
Sometime ago the government did some excellent adverts how people behave when under the influence of alcohol quoting that they would not behave like that if they were sober. Well the same behaviour I think does apply to some people and candidates when it comes to politics and election times, they behave badly.
Even blogging has this infection, a fine example being the way Cllrs Clive Hart and Sandy Ezekiel have been personally attacked over the years. Personally, I would love it if the authors of the blogs Bignews and Thanetlife were not elected to TDC. On the other hand I hope blogger Dave Green gets in with a thumping majority, but then I would say that.

Open beaches

2011-04-22T22:46:00.004+02:00

A few months ago I mentioned the unusual and interesting items that can be found on the Thanet coastline this time of year. With this unseasonal warm weather and more people enjoying the coastline I am sure this weekend there is every chance that some good finds will be made on the shore. A few days ago I was emailed this photograph of what maybe a piece of Amber or Copal resin found by Pip Wheelwright on her favourite Thanet beach. Pip is one of the growing band of Thanet Amber hunters who enjoy looking for the elusive pieces of Baltic Amber that appears on our shores. Amber hunting has gone on in Thanet for years and there has been a lot written , however it is not easy stuff to find and I do like it when people take up the challenge and I get to see the results.

If anyone out there has found a piece recently and would like me to put it on my blog I will happily do so, just email me a photograph.

Urgent message for coastal wardens and volunteers

2011-04-21T21:01:00.002+02:00

From the Thanet Coast project

Hello Volunteer Wardens,

"S.O.S " - SAVE OUR SHORECRABS

Sorry this message is late call, but earlier today we were made aware of an urgent call to help save some of our shore life from a neglected fixed net near Epple Bay, Birchington. This email is a call - as we could do with about 3 or 4 volunteers to help with this urgent rescue task! The task is to cut out live crabs and dead fish from the neglected net. Please just turn up at the top of the slope to Epple Bay if you are able to help!

MEET:Top of Slope Epple Bay (park on Epple Bay Road)

TIME:We're moving onto the reef at 9:30am Friday 22 April 2011 (as low tide is around 10:44am; so the task should only last just over one hour!)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:- Bring secateurs ...or sharp scissors!

WEAR- Wellington Boots, as a bit sticky with silt on the shore here.

LOCATION- Fixed net is at lower shore on reef towards West Bay (from Epple)

Attendance

2011-04-20T16:42:00.003+02:00

The opening of the Turner Center certainly attracted a full house at the weekend judging by the figures published in the media (Thanet Times 19/04/11) , was a huge success, going a long way to boost the business confidence and development in the old Town Cultural quarter. Elsewhere the knock on effect did have an impact on the Margate Museum and Tudor House with the Museum pulling in over 900 visitors and the Tudor House pulling in 800 visitors on the Saturday opening. On these figures I would think Thanet District Council should be feeling pleased with itself as the cost of opening the two venues was absolutely minimal thanks to the use of volunteers. Even Councilors contributed to the event with Harry Scobie manning the Museum as a volunteer and a recent cash donation to the Friends of the Margate Museum of £200 from Iris Johnston helping towards the friends group to function.
Politically, I think the opening of the Turner Center has certainly taken negativity out of the debate regarding local history and heritage as something is now being done. Therefore the debate should be how history and heritage can be done better, made to work by whom and how and at what cost. The use of volunteers has definitely proved a point and now that Turner has established a different type of visitor to the town the new TDC administration will have something to think about. I did make general observations in the Margate Museum at the type of people that visited the Margate Museum on the opening day to get some idea of the appeal. I found they fell into two main categories one being interested in Art and the other being nostalgia. The TDC art collection in the Museum is awesome and that alone can form a gallery in its own right and the Arty people did appreciate it. On the nostalgia side the seaside memorabilia was a big hit then it would be as for many people this is a day at the seaside after all.
Finally I should mention the third smaller group, and that was local people whos council tax pays for these venues taking time out enjoying a look at their history and heritage something they do not get to see very often.

The big dig Margate Harbour and the sea defence work

2011-04-18T13:09:00.009+02:00

Standing on the end of Margate Harbour arm looking towards the shore there is this massive expanse of sand that has silted over centuries of Margate's history in the harbour area since the 1920's. Deep down the sand is more like a heavy silt which in its anaerobic state has sealed layers of history in a time capsule. In fact if Margate Harbour was to lose over 3 metres of sand and silt the site would look more like the banks of the River Thames in miniature. It is not very often that these historical layers are ever reached except when mechanical digging has taken place. On rare occasions by some quirk of nature in certain areas items some items from 17th and 18th century do make their way to the surface which is exceptionally rare, this in the past has been the only other indicator apart from mechanical digging as to what lies buried beneath the sand.

At the recent AGM of the Margate Historical Society the proposed sea defence work to protect the old town was a discussion item and to be honest I just could not help rubbing my hands with glee if the project goes ahead. As the works will require deep digging in a area where the history of Margate's sea bathing began in the 1730's .

It will be a bonanza for the metal detector users and on other similar occasions in the past so many items will be found that will go unrecorded. In most cases there is no real value attached to the items except historical . However, I think and hope something could be set up in advance for volunteers to record what is found and the data to be added to the records of Margate's seaside history. Perhaps such items could even be displayed.

Above are items found on the Marine Palace site destroyed on the great storm 29th November 1897 close to where the current day Turner Center now stands.

A day out at the Turner Center

2011-04-16T16:57:00.005+02:00

Today was a day when it was bums on seats as today was the day when the Turner Center opened. Everywhere around the harbour right through to the old town was busy, there was even a 20 minute queue to get in to the Turner Center.

I was really taken by the Turner Center and it was nice to be reunited with a old friend, that being the painting of Margate from the Jetty by James Webb that was once on display in the entrance at Margate Library now on loan from Thanet District Council.

I liked the spaciousness of the Turner Center and I liked most of the art on display especially the work of Ellen Harvey. I took a few photographs of the sea view from inside the Turner Center and in the one pictured the tidal gauge that now occupies the site of the former Margate Jetty can be seen. Out of interest the reading from the tidal gauge can be picked up on the Internet on the Port of London Authority web site.

The old town was vibrant and there was a buzz in the air with shops full of people. The Margate Museum was open and manned by volunteeers and in the morning the attendance had already past 500. It particularly nice to see a former curator John Williams doing what he does best at the Museum.

Overall today was a day when a lot of peoples eyes were opened as to what Margate is really about and long may it last.

Sea bones.

2011-04-15T21:25:00.002+02:00

Now that all remants of the winter are behind us and the May water starts to appear, the strandline around Thanet changes significantly as the weather becomes more settled. As the water temperature rises there are very few deaths of marine life, resulting in really not much to found in way of marinelife. However, there are still other things to be found from the sea such as bone that has come ashore off the sea bed and I am not talking about last weeks KFC thrown off the Margate Harbour Arm. The bone in question could be bone from whales, dolphins or seals. Also from sea birds, humans and mammals that has found its way into the sea and in many cases is many years old. Each winter all around the coast bone comes ashore off the sea bed and is deposited on the beaches only to be buried then uncovered again and so on. This March the stranding of the Sperm Whale in Pegwell and the operation to dispose of it left many Sperm Whale bone fragments around the old Hoverport slipway. I do have some in my possession and for anyone who follows by blog on a regular basis will know that I am awaiting the outcome as to whether I can keep it. This does not mean everything has to come to a halt as I am experimenting carving it and researching old bone carvings. I am now looking into collecting other bone types from the sea to carve and to collect out of interest which is going to be my project for this summer. Perhaps I mat even be lucky enough to find someone who can do something artistic it with it.