Wonderwoman comes to Town

A scurrilous rag is apparently being circulated in Ramsgate outlining the so called acheivments of wannabe MP Laura Sandys. Sadly one has yet to drop through Observers door so I have had to rely on second hand copies. Apart from claiming to have sorted out just about everything thats wrong in Thanet generally she has also claimed credit for one or two specific things. One of these has provoked the ire of Labours Mike Harrison and Richard Nicholson. These two worthies have been campaigning for months to get CCTV cameras installed on the Newington Estate and it now seems that the lovely Laura is claiming credit for this. I am told that there have been a series of about twenty different meetings to discuss this and at no point has she been involved at all. Of course this is a well known Politico's trick to claim credit for someone elses deeds but normally you wait until after you are actually elected to something.
During my break from blogging Observer has been digging around in the bowels of TDC for interesting snippets and readers wont be suprised to learn that this much needed and widely supported CCTV scheme had apparently been put on hold by a very Senior Officer of our esteemed Council. How will the lovely Laura react when she discovers that one of her 'triumphs' has been scuppered by her Tory cronies at TDC?
Fortunatly all is not lost as Labour insiders tell me that Councillors Nicholson and Harrison have been making some very loud and uncomfortable noises at the very highest level including to Chief Inspector Peter West from the local Old Bill who's idea this was originally, indeed he even put some Police money into it to make sure it went ahead as speedily as possible.
More information as I get it.

Observing Thanet and Thanet Observer

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but I am not so sure about the idea of spinning a name around and using it as your own, but hey thats the Internet for you. Good luck to the new Blogger whoever he/she may be, shame he/she has banned political in fighting,,,,,,,,,,,thats half the fun of Blogging,,,,,,,

Jolly Boys Outing

It seems that our local worthies are going on a coach tour of Thanet tommorrow. The purpose of this outing is to introduce Councillors to Thanet. Now I am probably a bit niave but surely our local Councillors should know a bit about where they live already without having a guided tour and a nice lunch no doubt, paid for by the proletariat?
Presumably they will be shown the blank space where the never to be built Turner Contempt is proposed, then its quickly up the High street to veiw the 'major regeneration project' the old Marks and Spencer building, (soon to be a Primark,oops, cat out of bag again? )
Then it will be on to Christchurch University so that Sandy and co. can claim credit for that then if they can get through the traffic on to claim credit for Westwood Cross, ( conveniently forgetting to mention that they shelved the Labour plans for road improvments in May 2003 )
I suppose a quick visit to some empty Business Parks will be on the Agenda and the rest of the day will be spent pointing out to some Tories exactly where their Ward is, while proudly telling these gullible folks how 'we are going to create an Economic Development Unit' (conveniently forgetting to mention that they scrapped the last one.) So if you see this Grand Tour passing be sure and give them a quick wave as it may well be the first and last time you see your Tory Councillor

Down the pan , up the Swannee

So, Margate football club have finally been given their come uppance from the 'Authority'. Keith Piper has a long and distinguished history of making public statements that turn out not be 'not quite what I meant' or 'you obviously misunderstood me'.
Margate have tried several time to 'redevelope' their ground, only to change the plans at the last minute presumably hoping that no-one will notice the flats/houses/night club that have been slipped in.
The main trouble is that they have tried to run before they could walk, small wonder that there have been many transfer requests since the end of the season.
True Margate fans will be truly disappointed at the news of their clubs apparent demise.

Turmoil and Defections

Observer was reliably informed as far back as last Thursday from three separate and usually reliable sources that all was not well with the Ramsgate First Boys and Girls.
Apparently there had been a big falling out followed by resignations galore, this has been confirmed in todays Gazette.
All this may have something to do with the rumours that are circulating Ramsgate that Ramsgate First’s Cllr Mike Taylor is about to ‘cross the floor’ and join his old chums the Tories. For those that don’t know he used to be the Chairman of what was the Westcliff branch of the Conservative Party, he then defected to UKIP as the Conservatives “ weren’t right wing enough for me “. He is as far as I know still a member of UKIP, indeed he stood as a UKIP candidate in the Sir Moses Montifiore by election caused by the sad demise of Labours Dick Dickinson.
Now you have to understand that I am a bit thick but how can you be a member of one Party, get elected on the ticket of a second Party and then represent another in a public forum,,???
Allegedly one of his reasons for defecting to the Tories is financial, apparently he seems to think he hasn’t got enough Committee’s as a member of a small ‘Group’ ( oh yes, the err, Independents have formed a Group) so by being a member of the Tory Group he will get more committee’s and so increase his income. He obviously doesn’t know that Councillors Allowances are not determined by how many committee’s a member sits on, they get a standard allowance, maybe the Tories answer to Marta Hari who was apparently seen deep in conversation with said turncoat at a recent meeting should have explained that to him.
All of the foregoing doesn’t take into account the fact that he was elected as a Ramsgate First Councillor and the good voters of Central Harbour rejected three Conservative candidates in favour of alternative policies. When this becomes public knowledge (oh dear, have I let the cat out of the bag?) there will inevitably be a public outcry and calls for him to resign and refight the Central Harbour seat under his true blue colours.
If he has an ounce of honour or decency he will, but don’t try holding your breath until that time.

Olive Branch

I have changed the title back to Observing Thanet to please Tony Flaig.
I shall also be taking issue with him, politly of course, on his assertions about 'false science' in relation to global warming, if I can ever find the post again!!!
*************************************************************
He has also accused me of erupting "in a rather venomous and bitter way", well, yes guilty as charged.
My venom and bile was directed at the Tories as usual but was charged by the devious, blustering and spin ridden way they have conned the good people of Thanet into returning them to power again locally, although good sense prevailed in Ramsgate, I am unable to comprehend how certain areas returned Tory Councillors.
Listening to them sometimes I think they are actually starting to believe their own publicity.
The plain fact is that underneath all the touchy feely, huggy, huggy hype of David Cameron if you peel back the mask underneath you will find the same unpleasant, selfish I'm all right Jack Tory party and if you dont believe me follow the postings on Simon ( I'm Gods gift to everything) Moores Blog.

Whatever next !

from Tuesdays paper I glean the the new Tory Housing chief Zita Wiltshire has been guilty of kerb crawling and offering young children large sums of money to grass up whoever is doing the graffiti in Millmead.
I understand that there is a database of 'tags' available to Officers to indentify perpetrators.
Why then this desperate effort to get a small boy to give information?

Any Old Iron Guv ?

Oh dear, oh dear, it seems that Labour turncoat Ted Watt-Ruffell who now sits as a Tory on TDC has been slacking off at work as Thanets enterprising villians have been nicking stuff from under his nose.
It seems that our Ted is a security officer at the old dreamland site and is supposed to stop things like this happening, not content with stripping most of the site of precious metals they have stolen the power supply to the security hut !!!
It appears that the security staff thought there had been a power cut, presumably when they woke from their slumbers although they must be heavy sleepers not to hear toilets and sinks being ripped from walls.
I am probably casting aspertions on Mr Watt-Ruffells character when I say that maybe if there had been one or two foot patrols around the site these audacious theives would have had far less chance to make off with their booty!

No , my first thought was right,.

If you cant do the Time,,,,

Plenty to get our teeth into in what passes for Tuesday's 'newspaper'

It seems from reading the front page and talking to one or two people this poor chap was quietly catalouging his collection of pressed flowers or collating his collection of used postage stamps that had apparently come from a Post Office mail bag that was later removed from the scene, when Plod unceremoniously burst in the front door. The poor fellow was so suprised he leapt up and flung himself from his fourth floor window coming to a sudden stop when he hit the ground.
According to Chantelle 'The Chav' Webster who is pictured smiling inanley into the camera, about 30 police were in attendance plus ambulance and other assorted Agencies.

A message to all Thanet scroates:-

If you cant do the time, dont do the crime.

Now the dust has settled and election fever has subsided it is time to stand back and take a look at some of our new Councillors.
Where to start ?
Lets begin with the so called Ramsgate First Councillor who has covered himself with glory already, Mike Taylor has tried several times under different guises to get himself elected, having finally succeeded he now represent an organisation that wants to abolish the Ramsgate Charter Trustee’s.
One of his first acts was to dress himself up in the Trumpton like fancy costume that passes for ‘The Robes of Office’ and parade himself in front of the assembled multitudes at the annual Mayor making.

Hypocrisy of the first order methinks !!

While on the subject of Ramsgate First, it’s nice to see that their website is kept up to date, (NOT) it currently looks like they have forgotten to take the Christmas deccies down!!!

Another new boy is also in Central Harbour Ward, Westcliff to you and me, is Labour’s Peter Campbell. Cllr Campbell worked hard during the election and knocked on every door in his Ward. It remains to be seen if he walks the walk having talked the talk to good effect during the election.

Over in Eastcliff Labours Dave Green and Steve Ward are joined by new girl Kerry Harker. Kerry is apparently a nurse so has probably had plenty of experience of daft old duffers who have seen it and done it all. No doubt she will benefit from some sage guidance from the two senior Labour members.

Up in Sir Moses Ward Michelle Fenner and Alan Pool both retained their seats no doubt helped by their campaign the stop development of land at the side of King George Park. Observer hears that they continue to poke a sharp stick into the wound that is the Tory fiasco over this site.
More power to their elbow I say.


Meanwhile down in Nethercourt poor old Dennis Hart was unceremoniously dumped in favour of Brenda Rogers who looks like an airheaded bimbo who has never had a political thought in her head, I may well be doing the poor girl an injustice but only time will tell.

In outer Ramsgate all is well in the Labour heartland of Newington and Northwood where despite a furious onslaught from all sides sanity prevailed and the sitting Councillors were all returned with the addition of Labour new boy Mark Nottingham in Northwood.

Further afield Ella Lodge-Pritchard and Harry Scobie swept the board for Labour in Salmestone so poor old James Maskell was consigned to the loser’s enclosure, destined to look on from the sidelines for another four years.

Also elected was Gods answer to just about everything, well according to him anyway, Simon Moores. It seems that good old Simes has now got this Councillor business sussed,
he buggers off to exotic parts Chairing all sorts of obscure conferences leaving his co-Councillor Brian ( not me Guv ) Goodwin to do all the work, I bet that’s not what the good folk of Westgate signed up for when voting for him.

Finally who have the Tories chosen as Chairman of the Council this year?
Well its none other than the incompetent, mumbling, stumbling, incoherent former chief of Planning Disasters John Kirby, who’s performance at the Annual Council led Observer to think that he appeared very tired and emotional. No doubt he was drained from his exertions in Cliffsend during the election period.

Stop Press,

Ooops, I have just taken a look at the Ramsgate First website it seems that having run out of original ideas they are reduced to copy and pasting from the Times website.

Weally Wheelie Wubbish

The much heralded rollout of the current phase of wheelie bins seems to be causing much consternation among the various residents of Thanet who are having these things imposed on them.
Word reaches Observers ears of a mini disaster in Newington/Northwood areas,it seems that the leaflets setting out the new arrangments were missing when the bins were finally delivered, consequently collections were missed and the resultant mess is unbeleivable. It also seems that the contract for collection of waste paper was cancelled BEFORE the wheelies were due to begin, to add insult to injury Observer hears of problems with delivery in Holbrook Drive/ Newington Road areas where Labour dinosaurs Mike Harrison and Wynne Gore live, over to them to continue the story. Mike Harrison says
" When the guys who were delivering came into our road they missed the first house,delivered to the next one, missed the next six, delivered to the next two and then buggered off! I had to phone the depot to ask what was going on as most of one side and all of the other side had been missed out. The new bins duly arrived minus instructions and calender. A neighbour contacted TDC and was told all was well"
Wynne Gore added " For some reason, residents in Newington Road Ramsgate were not informed, in any way, of the change of refuse collection day before it took place - and only discovered the change when they rang TDC to report that their refuse had not been collected.
The call centre told the public that the paper collection day had not been changed. In my case the refuse collectors removed from our refuse bin four weeks supply of paper which had been for re-cycling but had got very wet outside on our previous collection day"

Now Observer is not noted for outstanding brain power but it seems to me that someone would have ensured that in an area where two opposition Councillors live special care would have been taken to get it right!! It appears that the shortfall in Newington is as a result of over enthusiasm in the Westbrook area where Mr Margate himself Mick Tomlinson has taken delivery of SIX wheelie bins.

No doubt Latchford will be in the paper next week proclaiming the whole excercise an outstanding success

Okay Ya !

Plans are apparently afoot to create some kind of artists quarter interspersed with fresh fish shops on Margate peir.
This grandious plan is the brain (sic) child of something called the Margate Renewal Partnership Board, not to be confused with the Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company, both of the august bodies claim to be the ones responsible for a renewed Margate and also claim the involvment of various partners. Strangely missing from BOTH lists is Thanet District Council.

New Year-new start

New Year-new start.
As the title suggests I am back,, I have been rather tardy in publishing of late but have been busy on Biggles blog.
Judging by some of the comments on there it seems his readers get more reactionary by the day, frequent references to Johnny Foreigner abound and one individual refers to 'feral children' in a rather unpleasant post.
It seems that everything is everyone elses fault and poor old Mr.Xenophobe, who apparently lives in a nice square box in a nice square town with nice square points of veiw is always the victim.
Why am I reminded of the Pete Seeger song 'Little Boxes' ?

LITTLE BOXES

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same,
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same
And there's doctors and lawyers
And business executives
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same,
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

Words and music by Malvina Reynolds.
Copyright 1962, Schroder Music Company