London-on-sea

As noted before, the empty shop fronts in the town centres of these southern seaside towns are a shame. There are three causes: internet shopping, Covid (blamed for so many things) and out of town shopping centres. On the bus ride from Ramsgate this morning, I pass a monstrous one half-way between the two towns, featuring the usual suspects. I won't give them free publicity by naming them but we know who they are.

One solution could be the use of these towns for commuting to and from London and while the trains are not particularly fast, they're frequent and residents can enjoy the fresh North Sea air for half of London prices. In Margate some artistic pioneers seem to have moved in---it is after all, home of J.M.W. Turner and Tracey Emin. Traditional beachside pursuits however, have still to wake up from the long winter.

I'm taking the 7-mile walk round the North Foreland, a repeat of last June. There's no heatwave like then but a cruel Gale 8 westerly; however it does wonders to clear the air (if you look closely at the 6th image of the stone bollards on the foreshore, you can see a massive wind farm on the horizon). The Viking Coastal Trail mostly follows the cliff top but with periodic drops to Botany Bay, Joss Bay and others. Later comes Broadstairs, more genteel than the rough and ready Margate, and finally another climb for the home stretch. A good bracing walk!Read more