Through the Aperture (on The Promenade…) British Seaside – Part 3

September 2, 2013

Margate

In my penultimate instalment of seaside visits I give you Margate, a town which up until a few years ago may have been best summed up by the Morrissey lyric ‘The coastal town that they forgot to close down’. It has been in decline for decades, overlooked next to its experienced swisher sisters in Whitstable & Broadstairs, it has arcades, a dilapidated pleasure beach and not much else to recommend it to the passing train passenger. But with the opening of the Turner gallery in 2010 and a trickling influx of ex-Hackney-hipsters the town is beginning to show signs of a renaissance. There are shoots of gentrification in the form of retro tea rooms, boutiques and over-priced jumble sales. However there is still something very wistful and maudlin about Margate.

In my penultimate instalment of seaside visits I give you Margate, a town which up until a few years ago may have been best summed up by the Morrissey lyric ‘The coastal town that they forgot to close down’. It has been in decline for decades, overlooked next to its experienced swisher sisters in Whitstable & Broadstairs, it has arcades, a dilapidated pleasure beach and not much else to recommend it to the passing train passenger. But with the opening of the Turner gallery in 2010 and a trickling influx of ex-Hackney-hipsters the town is beginning to show signs of a renaissance. There are shoots of gentrification in the form of retro tea rooms, boutiques and over-priced jumble sales. However there is still something very wistful and maudlin about Margate.

I went with my two bestest friends Kathryn & Lizzie, partly to see the Curiosity exhibition at the Turner gallery, and partly as a final hurrah before one of my dearests goes travelling, here’s my photo diary of a gloriously fun and incessantly rain soaked day:

Margate Beach Huts

Two solitary beach huts on the sea front.
Margate remnants of the pleasure beach

Remnants of the Pleasure beach, set to return in 2015 complete with
 Ferris Wheel attraction!
Margate Ice Cream cone Railing

Ice-Cream Cone Railing.
Margate Shell lady of Mar

Lady of Mar - Shell lady looking out to sea.
Margate Dreamlands

Margate Dreamlands - closed down but recently awarded heritage status.
Margate Mad Hatters Tearooms

The Mad Hatters Tearoom - closed every day except Saturday!
Shaving Brush Badger taxidermy

Shaving Brush Badger taxidermy in one of Margate's new trendy
 junk shops Hunky Dory.
Derelict Store Margate

Post-halcyon W.Shaw.
Margate out to sea

Sea Mizzle.
Turner Gallery Curiosity Exhibition Peacock Penguin Taxidermy

One of my favourite curiosities at the traveling Hayward exhibition.
Margate Deck Chairs
Optimistically placed deck chair in the drizzle.
Margate Derelict Hotel

The view from a dilapidated hotel.
Margate shell grotto
Martgate's magnificent shell grotto bequeathed anonymously in 1835.
Margate shell grotto ceiling IMG_6134

Tudor House restoration challenge.
Margate fishing boat

Catch of the day - river boat and pastel Georgian Houses.
Margate Shore

Desolate coastline reminiscent of Dungeness.
Display of Shells

Souvenirs of a day-trip.

Final mention to the work of artist Ann Carrington whose resplendently surreal work I came across when trying to find out the name of the shell lady looking out to see:shell-ladies-9

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2 thoughts on “Through the Aperture (on The Promenade…) British Seaside – Part 3

  1. Rachel

    Love Margate- did you see the sunset- skies amazing in Thanet, Turner (who lived and painted in Margate) called them the loveliest in all of Europe?
    x

    Reply
    1. godardgirl

      Wow, sounds like I missed something, we got the train back to London just before sunset 🙁 I liked one of your pics on Instagram – Love Lane – then the next day I saw where you took it in Margate! We must do coffee soon, feels like an age since we last had a catch up… Xxx

      Reply

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