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  • Day 71

    Club with a view

    April 4, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    For the third time since the pandemic started, I am in Ramsgate and with a friend this time, Louise, for the first two days. This time lodgings are at the Royal Temple Yacht Club, a place oozing with character that I would have stayed at before, had I known it was open to non-yachties. Actually decades ago our family was yachty too, and we often used to put in at Ramsgate harbour, a long day's sail from the Essex coast where we kept the boat. Although we always stayed on board, we must have used the RTYC bar at times. The view from the balcony is matchless and the sumptuous bar attests to a long history of doing battle in the south North Sea.

    Like other south coast resort towns, Ramsgate struggles to keep up with those in the more fashionable Devon and Cornwall, but puts a brave face on it. Various craft shops have drifted into the town and the seaside stalwarts, fish & chips and ice cream, are abundant. The sculptures on St. George's church could do with cheering up, however.

    Needless to say, the drinking options are plentiful. The "Sorry no Whitbread" sign at the Churchill Tavern refers to the dark days when keg beers of this ilk almost pushed decent beers like Gadd's to extinction. The stained glass comes from another fine old-fashioned pub, the Artillery Arms.
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