Green shoots in Thanet

Almost 6 months have passed since I spent a night away from home. It was a difficult winter with a long lockdown and there's no certainty of it being the final one. However in early June, summer has burst upon us and I choose to make my first escape revisiting Ramsgate, on the Isle of Thanet.

It's an unpretentious place to the extent of being sadly neglected with too many empty shop fronts in the town centre. With booming resorts like Brighton and Southwold in their different ways, there's not enough to go round and Ramsgate could do with a lift, especially since the ferry services to France were discontinued. Which isn't to say Ramsgate lacks charm. On the contrary; the harbour is scenic, especially when viewed from above, and there's an air of a place waiting to be discovered. Best savoured now, before this happens.

Besides the harbour views, there's an arcade beneath the road sweeping up to the west, hosting cafes and chandlers for yachties. Ramsgate being a hilly place, there's a Continental-looking flight of steps leading from one level to the next. And an abandoned Art Deco lift shaft hosting some creative street art.

Along with the harbour came the creation of some wonderful terraces dating from around 1800 which wouldn't be out of place in parts of London. One of them, the quaintly-named Liverpool Lawn, is an echo of the road of the same name and period in Islington, London and named after Lord Liverpool.Read more