Yes. I’m doing requests. Even for Dave, who just wrote off most of my playlist as “a dirge“.
Where’s best on Thanet (and slightly beyond) ? It’s a good question, and Dave will have plenty of time to plan his trip while sipping East Coast murk in his Minneapolis bar home.
Spoiler : It’s Ramsgate as a base, with day trips everywhere using buses and trains.
Warning : Beware micros.
RAMSGATE
Views & walks 8/10
This photo is from my recommended blog for the day notjustagranny, which does what it says on the tin.
Great walking, unexpected beauty at every turn, a pub on every corner.
The stroll from the Spoons to Pegswell Bay is ideal for exercise, as US Nick can tell ya.
Architecture & Art 7/10
Pubs 9/10
In my Top 3 Pub Towns, even if the beer quality isn’t the highlight (not Mr Gadd’s fault). Plenty of real ale, but it’s the banter you go to the Thorley pubs for.
The Artillery Arms is the classic.
Other – Cheap accommodation, great fish & chips at Peter’s, live music, weirdness, sheepskins.
BROADSTAIRS
Views & Walks 7/10
Architecture 7/10 – Dickens, really
Pubs 6/10 – Ramsgate Lite. The only classic is the Brown Jug. Good if you like craft, apparently.
Other – Good seafood , and a great sweet shop.
MARGATE & CLIFTONVILLE
Views & walks 7/10 – The broad sweep of Margate Bay is still quite something, best enjoyed from the smoking area of the Mechanical Elephant at dusk.
Architecture & Art – 9/10
Better than you’d think. Mostly weird. And the Turner. And the Bass memorabilia.
Pubs 7/10 – a mixed bag. Scruffy Sheps (Northern Belle), some glamorous micros, scary Spoons.
The Fez is the classic, micro or not.
Other – Cheap, good food at the London, pebble dash, cheap (as chips).
Whitstable
Visit Whitstable on the train . Out of season.
And head for the Ship Centurion.
Hope that’s made you yearn for your return.
retiredmartin 
Great blog ššš more of these please…can I request an East and West Midlands one for your next couple…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree and this went right into the travel files. Love it. I should have said I enjoyed the music, but there is a sense of ennui in the songs that can be hard for me to get over initially. Those comments landed with a thud…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mrs RM doesn’t get my music either. She loves the Josienne Clarke, but it still affects her very differently to me. Music is individual.
LikeLiked by 1 person
With all the ebooks on a waiting list at my library, I can count on this blog for reading material. Dave had just mentioned to me about using Ramsgate for a base. He always does consult the experts. And yes, we yearn to return.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the link š much appreciated. Although I currently reside in Ramsgate, Broadstairs is of course my favourite seaside town in Thanet. Best beach ever and some amazing eateries – (when Covid-19 is over): A firm favourite for breakfast is Beaches Cafe, lunch at The Old Bakehouse (or their croissants for mid-morning tea/coffee), and dinner at Aqua 43…superb pie and chips.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the Broadstairs tips. Agree on the beach (in the South, anyway š).
LikeLike
šš
LikeLike
Brilliant! Will you be doing a Bristol one?
LikeLike
Love to!
A Brizzle highlights package from 4 years of this blog is a good one.
LikeLike
https://retiredmartin.com/tag/bristol-pubs/ will do you for a few hours of browsing pleasure(?).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I should be able to produce a highlights package from those !
LikeLike
Now you’ve done it with that photo. We were saving the Tunnocks Caramel bars for Day 17 of lockdown.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is brilliant, looking forward to further instalments! I do like the Harbour Arms on the, er, harbour arm, in Margate, if only because it feels like a micropub, but at sea.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes!
Love the setting of the Harbour Arms. Few years since I went. Can’t wait to go back.
LikeLike
Agree Steve, it feels like being right out at sea.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Broadstairs is our favourite -usually spend a few hours investigating the local hostelries,eat at Possilipos Italian -(.bottle of wine ).We then retreat to the beach (not the popular sandy one -the one on Margate side -don’t know its name )& paddle,lay around & talk rubbish before returning to the station (locked toilet ) usually stopping at the micro near by Finally falling out of the train at Maidstone & into The Society Rooms.A grand day out
LikeLiked by 2 people
So Margate and Whitstable are not fan faves? Streetview made Margate look very appealing. Just curious.
LikeLike
Don’t forget Pauline is posh š±
Mrs RM went to Margate as a child as it had Dreamland funpark, recently reopened.
LikeLike
very funny -I have went to Margate a few weeks ago & tried to like it -the Turner Gallery was closed where I had planned to stop for a coffee & a wee -but I found very little, apart from some little Turnstones running about in the harbour,that was to my liking.I suppose Whitstable is nice but perhaps that is because I am “posh “
LikeLike
Sorry Pauline. I withdraw “posh” and replace it with “discerning” š
LikeLike
There is nothing more annoying than waiting for a wee at a museum/pub/cafe that’s unexpectedly closed.
LikeLike
“There is nothing more annoying than waiting for a wee at a museum/pub/cafe thatās unexpectedly closed.”
Well, I hear bubonic plague is a little irritating (not to mention Covid-19)
LikeLike
I have to agree with you Clive.
LikeLike
This was delightful! Seems a great sort of blogpost you can do until we get to the other side of these dark days, if you’re so inclined.
When I see the name Margate, I always think of how Paul Theroux began his walk around the entire UK coastline there (if memory serves). Mind you I enjoy reading your blog at least 10 times more than I enjoyed reading his book, which felt to me like it was written by someone who has no affection for the UK whatsoever.
Is the Bass “Special Bitter” different from the ordinary Bass?
LikeLike
Many thanks, Mark. Even my local travels are over now so even more incentive to revisit some old posts, though I’m the LEAST likely person to engage in nostalgia š
I think you’re right about Paul Theroux. I read that book, or a bit of it, after your mention. Bill Bryson started down the road in Dover.
I’ve never seen Bass Special, possibly exactly the same! As ever, Paul will know.
LikeLike
In the 1970s Bass Special was the same beer as the dreadful keg Worthington E.
They probably added the ‘Bitter’ in the 1980s.
In the 1970s cask Draught Bass was also sold as (cask) Worthington E.
In the 1970s bottled Bass Blue Triangle and Worthington E were the same brewery conditioned beer.
In the 1970s bottled Bass ( with a red triangle ) and Worthington White Shield were the same bottle conditioned beer.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We knew Paul would know, Mark.
My advice is to wait till you can safely travel to England and join Paul and myself in Bath’s Star for a pint of Bass from the jug.
Then you too can say “Don’t know what the fuss is about” and head across the road to the craft bar.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thinking back to the 1970s and
compare keg Bass Special and cask Draught Bass
compare keg Worthington E and cask Worthington E
compare bottled Bass Blue Triangle bottled Bass ( with a red triangle )
compare bottled Worthington E and bottled Worthington White Shield
and it’s easy to see why CAMRA was so successful.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I appreciate you don’t like the newer keg beer, Paul (I really do), but aside from a bit of carbonation they can be very tasty.
LikeLike