Ramsgate Recorder Spring 2023

RAMSGATE RECORDER

GREAT WOMEN 23 of Ramsgate’s historic leading ladies for 2023

Editorial

Editor

Lila Allen

Sub-editor

John Murphy

Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Clare Freeman

Co-founder & Advertising director

Jen Brammer

Design director

Lizzy Tweedale

Account manager

Esther Ellard

Social media manager

Emily Hebe

Contributors

Writers

Russell Chater

Gemma Dempsey

Andrew Flood

Gabriella Griffith

Helen Pipins

Keith Ross

Christabel Smith

Georgia Timpson

Nicola Wren

Stylist

Katy Lassen

Photographers

Jaron James

Luke Ogden

Storme Sabine

Ed Thompson

Illustrators

Molly Pickle

Jade Spranklen

cover image

Ramsgate Music Hall by Luke Ogden

Printers

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Welcome to our spring issue!

forward to as plans start to be unveiled for a year of gigs marking a decade of live music in Ramsgate. Happy birthday RMH and may the party long continue! Significant birthdays seem to be a theme in this issue, with St George’s Church looking ahead to its 200th year in 2027. With the renovation of the building come exciting plans to make it more of a central community venue, serving different needs and offering new opportunities in the arts and music right in the heart of the town, and helping to ensure its position for the next 200 years.

And while we’re at it, it’s 100 years since Ramsgate had its first female Mayor, Dame Janet StancombWills. To mark the occasion a local history group is celebrating 23 of Ramsgate’s extraordinary women for 2023. We share just some of their achievements here. Inspiring stuff!

This issue celebrates Ramsgate Music Hall’s big birthday, as it marks its ten-year anniversary. For such a small venue it really has made a lot of noise, putting Ramsgate on the UK touring map, attracting leading artists and supporting homegrown talent too, and most recently playing host to BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamcacq who broadcast his show live from the green room as part of Independent Venue Week.

There is lots to be grateful for at this significant milestone and more to look

But we’re also on the trail of new happenings in town, meeting the new apprentices starting work at the newly housed Modern Boulangerie, ensuring the art of bakery stays fresh for the future. We meet the jewellers of Ramsgate creating all manor of bling adorning the hands, wrists and necks of not just locals but many a celebrity too. And our fashion pages offer a glorious dose of contemporary colour, brightening up even the dullest of these early spring days. It won’t be long until summer. Until then, happy reading!

5 New in town – introducing the latest businesses opening their doors in Ramsgate Gemma’s Jaunts – our columnist offers some choice advice for the year ahead

6 The Scoop – your need to know roundup of Ramsgate news

8 The Hotlist – the list of happenings to sync your diary to

10 Hallelujah! Ramsgate’s music venue makes it a perfect ten – we celebrate a decade of Ramsgate Music Hall

13 Beaconing the future – as St George’s approaches its bicentenary, the church reveals its new plan for the community

17 Great Ramsgate women – Twenty-three of Ramsgate’s historic leading women for 2023

20 Meet the musician – Al Wootton

21 On Record: Whenyoung

22 Style on the street – all things bright and beautiful for this spring’s fashion spread

25 Future proofing – settled into its new Harbour Street home, we find out more about The Modern Boulangerie’s new apprentices

29 All that glitters – meet the jewellers bringing their sparkle to Ramsgate

33 The green room – a garden meeting with Ramsgate-based visual artist Christopher Tipping

36 Creative writing – your entries on the theme of “the sands of time”

37 Bird Watch – looking out for the swifts returning to Ramsgate

38 Unsung hero – Jacqueline Freeston, volunteer at the Salvation Army

sister publications

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New in town

GRIND

A new year and a new offering for coffee enthusiasts in Ramsgate, with Grind coffee shop opening its doors in January. Taking on the former premises of Altered Image Hairdressers, Grind came into being almost on a whim when the lease there came up. The owners have 15 years experience running Sinatra’s Café Bar in Broadstairs, and wanted to try something in Ramsgate. They have developed a healthy breakfast/brunch menu offering granola bowls, toasties and sandwiches, and a signature dish of sourdough toast with marmite avocado poached eggs and salsa. And if it is coffee you are after, the café is using beans from Somerset all-female roasters Girls Who Grind Coffee (unashamedly procoffee and anti-patriarchy). There are plans to host monthly events, including a jazz night, as well as charity events, with Narcolepsy UK hosting a safe space for sufferers of narcolepsy on 11 March. Meanwhile, in Broadstairs, Sinatra’s will be opening again soon as a barbecue smokehouse. Grind is open 8.30am to 3pm Tuesday to Saturday.

163 King Street

@grind_ramsgate grindramsgate.co.uk

POLISH BISTRO

From Kielce in Poland to Harbour Street in Ramsgate comes the latest new restaurant to join what is fast becoming a busy old street. Polish Bistro is run by son and mum team Lukasz and Renata, with Lukasz running front of house and his mother creating traditional Polish home-cooked dishes in the kitchen, with help from her best friend Mariusz. Hunter’s stew (bigos) is a staple on the menu, a hearty combination of cabbage and sausage, as well as pierogi, Polish dumplings, which come as both meat and vegetarian offerings. Other than that, the menu changes every couple of days, reflecting Lukasz and his mother’s passion for cooking, with homemade cakes for dessert. In Lukasz’s previous life, working as a car mechanic and in the metalwork business, cooking had been a hobby. But now it’s a full-time business, with the restaurant open six days a week. Opening in November, it has already built up a regular clientele who come to sample a range of Polish dishes, some for the very first time. A takeaway option is available for collection and the restaurant is BYO with no corkage fee.

@polishbistro16

Search Polish Bistro on Facebook Groups

SUNSHINE TATTOO

Friends Toby Gawler and Rose Harley opened Sunshine Tattoo in December, having met in London on the job. Together they had over 25 years combined experience working in tattoo studios around the world, when the moment came to create a space of their own. “We have worked in some of the best studios around the globe and really want to provide Ramsgate with the quality of tattooing that any good shop in London or other big cities can offer,” explains Toby, originally from Sydney, whose move to Ramsgate was a return to coastal living. Toby specialises in neo-traditional and traditional tattooing with imagery based on the “old school” sailor imagery of the early 20th

and taxes” (unless you’ve discovered the elixir of life or are a mega wealthy corporation) and after the last three years it’s impossible to predict anything. In order to balance this constant state of permacrisis, I’m going to “accentuate the positive” as the Andrews Sisters would sing, and share with you some reasons to be cheerful…

century, albeit with a more illustrative look. Rose, who has a degree in graphic design, is best known for geometric and ornamental pattern work. Her love of tattooing began as a teenager when she became friends with a tattooist while working in Greece for a summer. “You learn so much just from meeting new people each day and spending time getting to know them while they get tattooed,” says Toby. “Sometimes you hear everything from the deeply personal to weird and wonderful,” adds Rose, who recalls two standout tattoos clients have requested. “I once tattooed a plastic bag on a customer. Another wanted a tree made of pigs,” she says.

@sunshinetattooramsgate Website: sunshinetattooramsgate.com

here in Ramsgate. Sometimes group participation, such as attending a match or a concert, can result in “collective effervescence”, a term attributed to the French sociologist Emile Durkheim to describe a form of synchrony for communally shared experiences – we physiologically become as one, propelled by a generosity of spirit. The new year's day dip on the Main Sands is one such example. I’m never 100% sure whether I’ll go in until I get down to the beach. Once I see some familiar faces stripping off their clothes and sharing salutations, my decision is made. Next thing I’m running into the sea like a wailing banshee alongside hundreds of others, united in the exhilaration of starting the year afresh with the added bonus of raising money for charity. Being given a medal and a cup of hot soup afterwards is the icing on the sandcastle.

A dose of Ramsgate life from a lady about town

“It’s not unusual”, to quote Tom Jones, for my first column of the year to consider what lies ahead in the coming months. Benjamin Franklin said there is nothing we can be sure of “except death

1. Community can help us all through the next topsy-turvy twelve months. Whether you’re involved in a sea swimming group, gardening club, choir, yoga, open mic night or campaigning for any number of worthwhile causes (Southern Water, I’m looking at YOU)… being part of one of these activities gives one a sense of agency and satisfaction while being faced with a tsunami of global crap. We may not singlehandedly be able to change the world, but at least we can do something enjoyable for ourselves and contribute to the place we call home. For 2023 I’d like to join a choir, do pilates (not the torture rack type) attend the collage club at Hold Creative Spaces and get cracking on producing Ramsgate Through the Senses (a festival of feasting and music) and the Festival of Sound, each of which has community at its core.

2. Generosity. I regularly see social media posts offering all kinds of free stuff from furniture to professional advice, as well as people seeking help and being answered within a few clicks. All of this goes to show what a generous bunch of people we have

3. Location location location! I was very lucky to have gone away on holiday last year, but returning from afar is always special. As I drive around that roundabout with the huge, sad looking succulents on it, a big smile spreads across my face as I catch a glimpse of the sea. I’m home. While Ramsgate and its Thanetian neighbors have their shortcomings, there is so much joy to be had by taking a stroll or a swim on any one of our lovely beaches, walking in the nature reserves or around the town, admiring our gorgeous Georgian architecture. Chances are you’ll bump into somebody you met at a class, in the sea or at a demonstration. Result!

Arts Barge update

The Ramsgate Arts Barge has made it onto the historic Ramsgate Slipway for the first phase of capital works to begin (hull repair and painting). The 50-metre, 133-yearold Dutch vessel is being transformed to create an arts, cultural and dining space in the heart of Ramsgate Harbour.

To find out more, lend support, and become a founding member, visit ramsgateartsbarge.org

Stage Door Arts needs your help!

A community performing arts school is crowdfunding to help save itself from closure after its space on the High Street has been sold off for a development of 40 flats. Stage Door Arts, a community interest company, opened its current doors in 2020, creating Sugar Rush café, complete with studio space for classes teaching toddlers to adults. The team have found a new venue, but need to raise £15,000 to secure the lease and refurbish the new building. “We understand that people may not have a lot at the moment,” says Heidi Moran, SDA academy director. “But honestly, anything anybody can offer will be such a help. We offer inclusive, accessible performing arts classes, social groups, a space for local crafters and artists to sell their wares, and we hold music, comedy, poetry events, and run a social singing community choir. We are a LGBTQ+, neuro-diverse-friendly venue, and host many local events, including the Ramsgate International Film and TV Festival, as well as the Ramsgate Festival of Sound. We want to continue offering this, plus lots more.”

Go to justgiving.com and search Stage Door Arts to donate

Harbour Active

From harbour side to Harbour Street, Harbour Active have opened in new premises. Stocking quality outdoor and seasonal clothing, from brands including Saint James and Rains, they also sell wetsuits and paddleboards to keep you kitted out on land and sea. Be sure to pop by 20 Harbour Street to see for yourself.

Charlotte Court monthly market

Brought to you by local artist Molly Pickle, with the support of Ramsgate town promoter Rebekah Smith, a new monthly market opens in Ramsgate Town Council-owned Charlotte Court (just behind the Horse and Groom). The market will be popping up on the last Saturday of every month, from 10am to 4pm, from 25 March until November. Visitors can expect a mix of hand-crafted art, jewellery, vintage, food and curated goods. Alongside a staple selection of food and craft traders, there will also be different revolving traders every month.

Anyone interested in a stall is invited to contact mollypickle@hotmail.co.uk or pop in to find out more at her Queen Street shop

Plastic Free Thanet

Shops and restaurants in Thanet are being offered support to remove single-use plastic following Thanet District Council’s vote to make Thanet a Plastic Free Community, working with local volunteer-run group Plastic Free Thanet (made up of Plastic Free Margate, Plastic Free Minster, Plastic Free Broadstairs and Plastic Free Ramsgate). The group formed in July as part of a nationwide Surfers Against Sewage movement, and are working towards Thanet becoming a Plastic Free Community, by getting local government, businesses, schools and community groups to do away with unnecessary single-use plastic.

The council’s support for the campaign coincides with funding from marine conservation charity SeaChangers for Plastic Free Thanet to work with 60 businesses over the next six months to help remove at least three items of single-use plastic per business. Becky Wing is Central Harbour Green councillor, and Ramsgate’s lead on Plastic Free Thanet. “It’s a massive step in the right direction for Thanet District Council to follow in the footsteps of Broadstairs and Ramsgate Town Councils in tackling the issue of plastics, which find their way into our communities, waterways, along our coast and into the sea,” she says. co-relate.co.uk/plastic-free-thanet plasticfree.org.uk Sea-changers.org.uk

Salt House launch party

Save the date for the launch of the newly named Salt House Ramsgate: 25 February. Situated at the Honeysuckle Inn, there will be live music from singer turned barber and owner of Salt House Alex Gillings (the Great Malarkey), alongside Gabriel Moreno and local music legend Josh Flowers. There will also be an exhibition of local artist Joni B’s work.

Salt Barbers opened in February last year, and its popularity “has surpassed all my expectations,” Alex says. “The relaunch comes after a year of learning more about my clientele and the community within and around Ramsgate and quite frankly how brilliant a town we share.” Along with the new name of Salt House Ramsgate, the shop will be championing local artists and musicians, and selling vinyls and artwork from Ramsgate and Thanet. “The Honeysuckle Inn and the barbershop share an ethos of inclusivity and community,” says Alex. “I hope the shop will continue to provide a relaxing environment for anyone to come and have a barbered trim and a cheeky pint.”

gabrielmoreno.co.uk

On Instagram hijoshflowers

Jonibelaruski.com

@salthouseramsgate

facebook.com/SaltHouseRamsgate salthousebarbers.com

Ramsgate Through the Senses returns

Aligning itself with World Earth Day, Ramsgate Through the Senses will be back from 21 to 23 April with a programme of events that will once again tap into the five main senses to inspire the mind, body and spirit.

With a nod to World Earth Day’s theme “Invest in our Planet”, RTTS will feature delicious and immersive wild food experiences, guided nature walks, illuminating workshops and rejuvenating therapies. Festival collaborators include Bruce Stratford (Nomada chef), Nick Robinson of the Oast Smokehouse, Gadds’ The Ramsgate Brewery, Discovery Planet, the Fifth Sense, Jessica Leah Catering, Moon Lane, Kent Wildlife Trust and St George’s Church.

For more details be sure to check out the website ramsgatethroughthesenses.org

Community event space at the Ice House

Work on the home of the 6th Ramsgate Royal Harbour Sea Scouts continues apace, with the building now watertight thanks to a new roof and new fascia boards courtesy of AU Roofing. A new fire escape and bridge have been installed, giving safe access to the upper floor, and making it possible for work to start on the inside. With funding secured from the Tudor Trust, the top floor of the Ice House is being renovated this spring. Kent Community Foundation Trust has offered a grant to fit out the kitchen, and Ramsgate Town Council is contributing to the new alarm and CCTV system. Once the upper floor is complete, a community activity programme will be developed.

Anyone interested in getting involved with community events is invited to contact Shirley Appleby gsl@6thramsgateseascouts.org.uk

The Sea Scouts continue to fundraise towards the renovations, and donations can be made via the PayPal button on their website 6thramsgateseascouts.org.uk or directly to the group

Mussels and Margaritas

In the season of pairings (we’re thinking Valentine’s Day) this caught our eye as quite the coupling. Thursday nights at the Dining Rooms, Albion House, have been renamed Mussels and Margarita nights, a weekly event that runs until the end of spring. Enjoy a mussels dish, margarita and fries for £25 per person, with a twist on the recipe each week. No date required to go and sample that.

A design-led lifestyle store and cafe offering a fresh approach to eating, drinking and shopping. Find us in one of the Military Road Arches, overlooking Ramsgate’s Harbour.

Available for events & private hire.

17 Military Road Ramsgate CT11 9LG Tel. 01843 580666

archiveramsgate

HOMEWARES | TEXTILES CERAMICS

GIFTS | PLANTS

23 queen st ramsgate CT11 9DZ

pottersramsgate.com

@pottersramsgate

72 HIGH STREET, RAMSGATE WWW.SUNSHINETATTOORAMSGATE.COM

Spring Hotlist Spring Hotlist

FEBRUARY

Photography exhibition

Local artists Jane White, Pippa Howard and Greg Edwards show their work.

5-21 February

Turner Rowe Gallery 19-21 Harbour St turnerroweartcentre.com

CR Jewellery

Presents at the Mascot Gallery

Three events over three weekends celebrating love, women and mothers, alongside International Women’s Day and POW! Thanet Festival.

11 February, 4 and 11 March

11-4pm

The Mascot Gallery 7 Chatham Street @claudiarice @rgm_themascotgallery

Great Kent Coastal Birdwatch

Birdwise East Kent is holding its first ever Great Kent Coastal Birdwatch, identifying the birds on the Thanet coast. Anyone can get involved either as individuals or in groups. You can also take part in an organised survey for help with identifying the birds.

12-20 February

eastkent.birdwise.org.uk/the-greatkent-coastal-birdwatch/

Pupcakes

A furry friend social every Wednesday 10-11am. Free entry with the purchase of a hot or cold drink from Sugar Rush. Free puppaccino and dog treats for the four-legged kind. Friendly dogs of all ages welcome.

15 February and weekly Sugar Rush, 66 High Street @sugar_rush_ramsgate facebook.com/sugarrushramsgate

Dolly Mixtures

An inclusive weekly parent and baby/toddler group every Thursday from 10am to midday during term time. Free entry with the purchase of a hot or cold drink from Sugar Rush, offering varied activities including song time, arts and crafts and a free drink and small snack for every child.

16 February and weekly Sugar Rush, 66 High Street @sugar_rush_ramsgate facebook.com/sugarrushramsgate

Mental Health

Swims

Mental Health Swims is a community that welcomes and empowers people of all body shapes, skin colours, ages, backgrounds, genders, sexualities and abilities to enjoy the healing power of cold water and community. Meet at Western Undercliff for a dip and chat. Register via the website.

19 February, 11am Find Lisa and Vanessa on Instagram @ramsgatewesternundercliff_mhs

Art <100

A collection of local artists exhibit paintings, photographs, prints and sculpture.

22 February – 15 March

Turner Rowe Gallery 19-21 Harbour St turnerroweartcentre.com

MARCH

Wellbeing event

Boost your health and wellbeing at this pop-up event from Kent Coast Volunteering offering free NHS health checks. With hints and tips for prioritising your wellbeing, exploring new activities, meeting new people and finding volunteering opportunities with charity and community groups.

1 March, 12-2pm

Discovery Planet, 47 High Street

POW! Festival

Addressing gender inequality through the arts, the Power of Women (POW!) Festival is back with a varied programme of events including workshops, exhibitions, performances, music, comedy, film, panel talks, theatre and dance. Taking place in locations across Thanet to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March. See the website for full listings.

9-15 March powthanet.com

Power of Women pop-up market

Offering artisan craft and local produce as part of the POW! Thanet festival.

11 March, 11am-4pm

Ellington Park (in front of the café) @picklepopups

Mental Health Swims

The inclusive community group hosts its March swim. Meet at Western Undercliff for a dip and chat. Register via the website.

19 March, 10am

Find Lisa and Vanessa on Instagram @ramsgatewesternundercliff_mhs

Become a volunteer

Interested in volunteering?

Pop along to this event by Kent Coast Volunteering and meet 15 organisations who offer lots of opportunities to get involved with local charities and community groups.

25 March, 1-3pm

Ramsgate Football Club Price’s Avenue

He’s back again

A selection of Steve McGuinness’s unique works depicting local scenes.

28 March – 22 April

Turner Rowe Gallery 19-21 Harbour St turnerroweartcentre.com @macthree_s

Ramsgate monthly market

Offering a mix of hand-crafted art, jewellery, vintage, food and curated goods – find the market in Charlotte Court, just behind the Horse & Groom pub. 25 March, 10am-4pm @picklepopups

Gordon Lewns

Gordon is a well known oil painter and member of Canterbury Art Society.

29 September to 5 October

York Street Gallery 22 York Street yorkstreetgallery.co.uk

APRIL Festival: Ramsgate Through the Senses

Aligning itself with World Earth Day, Ramsgate Through the Senses is returning with a programme of events that will once again tap into the five main senses to inspire the mind, body and spirit.

21-23 April, various locations around Ramsgate ramsgatethroughthesenses.org

Painting classes

Saturday morning painting classes in the studios of artists Joe Allen and Christine Henn, for all levels of experience. Silverland Studios, Arch 18 Military Rd 22 and 29 April facebook.com/silverlandstudios

Ramsgate monthly market

Find the market at its usual location in Charlotte Court, just behind the Horse & Groom pub.

29 April, 10am-4pm @picklepopups

HALLELUJAH! RAMSGATE’S MUSIC VENUE MAKES IT A PERFECT TEN

After a decade of live music, and unforgettable gigs, Ramsgate Music Hall is turning ten! We talk to the people running the show, whose passion and dedication has put Ramsgate on the map as one of the UK’s best small venues

Adecade is a milestone for any business, but to be celebrating a decade as an independent music venue is monumental. This year Ramsgate Music Hall is doing just that. Its survival flies in the face of more frequent news of venue closures, and the anniversary marks it becoming a creative and cultural cornerstone in an area once overlooked on the touring circuit. “There was a big missing area within which bands were travelling between Paris and London on tour all the time,” explains Al Harle, Ramsgate Music Hall’s in-house sound engineer, “there was very little in this whole south-east corner, venues were rare.”

André Dack is the venue general manager and grew up in Ramsgate. “In 2013, when this space opened, I was 21 and I was desperate to see gigs in the area. I had nowhere to go. It was either London or Brighton,” he says. Al had just moved down from London and got involved with the original founders.

Jules Bigg, Tim Baines and Robin Hyman had bought the building at auction and Al began helping out with the setup and the live sound while also establishing Big Jelly Studios up the road. The local demand was clear once the doors opened. Within two years, the NME voted it the country’s best small venue. “We treated every gig like it was very special and still do, which makes a big difference,” says Al. “There was a need for it and an audience who wanted to come to gigs.”

André never intended to run the venue. After studying music, he began working the bar upstairs. But in 2018, when the venue was in financial crisis, he and Al decided to take the reins. It was a brave decision when just breaking even is a struggle. With such a small venue, it is incredibly hard to generate revenue while keeping ticket prices affordable. “We keep them as low as we can,” says Al. “You can come and see a high-quality American touring band for £12 – with two support bands for the price of two pints and a bag of crisps. It’s

insane. You go to the O2 and there aren’t tickets under £100.”

No artist that plays the likes of the O2 would be where they are without grassroots venues and local support. “You can’t tell me what we’re doing is not worth it,” says André.

Last year was encouraging. Average attendance increased and a membership scheme providing a vital regular monthly income is growing. “It’s £10 a month and we have just over 100 members now. Without them we would close,” says André.

The quality of the space and the care and dedication of André and Al is reflected in bigger acts and bands returning to play or offering support. In the early days of the pandemic, Bristol rock-band Idles saved the venue from immediate closure. “We told Idles we had a live recording from their show in 2018 and that we’d like to release it on Bandcamp,” explains André, referring to the streaming platform that directly supports artists with the majority of revenue going to them. “They got back immediately and said, ‘Of course! Put it out now and take the money. We’ll deal with all the rest.’”

During this year’s Independent Venue Week (in January) Steve Lamacq live-

broadcast his BBC 6 Music radio show from the dressing room, and there were four nights of music with acts including Sprints, Maja Lena, Yumi and the Weather, and Holding Absence.

But in the end it’s not these bumper gig weeks or sell-out shows with the likes of Stereolab, Neneh Cherry or even Jarvis Cocker that are the most rewarding for Al or André. “It’s the ones that take you by surprise,” says Al. “A Sunday night with 30 people downstairs and everybody in the room is transfixed.” André agrees. “It’s the smaller, more obscure shows where you don’t know what to expect that blow you away. Everyone in the room might remember that show for the rest of their lives.”

Importantly, the venue also offers a space for young bands to cut their teeth. “If somebody says, ‘I’m 16, I’m in my first band and we want to play a gig,’ we’re like, ‘Right, who do you want to support?’” says Al. “Malpractice,

Debdepan and Evan Williams are three brilliant local young acts, but we are desperate for more,” adds André.

They are aware of the limited capacity of the space but know it is part of the charm. After trialling shows at Ramsgate’s St George’s Church and the Gulbenkian in Canterbury, there are plans to bring music to larger audiences in other spaces from time to time. “We’d never want to move from this place, it’s perfect as it is,” says André. “But if the right show comes along that we can’t do here, then we will try and find somewhere else with a bit more room to do it.”

It’s a labour of love and admirable how both Al and André are willing to move mountains to make the best experience possible for both the artist and the audience. There are very few people, arguably nobody, who would bother putting the work into such a difficult project. “I’ve lived in Ramsgate my whole life and there’s nothing else like this here. We’re lucky to have it,” says André. “For many of our regulars, this is their release, their time away from work or stress. They leave their problems behind when they immerse themselves in cutting-edge, world-class music.”

October is the official big birthday,

and a number of special shows, including some high-profile alumni, are being booked to celebrate the decade. The headline act will see the band who started it all reforming, and coming back to play the official anniversary show. “Allo Darlin’ were the first ever band to play here,” says Al. “They broke up eight years ago but are getting back together to play for the anniversary on the same weekend, ten years later.”

And it is that very coming together that is at the heart of what the Music Hall has been doing for the last ten years for Ramsgate and its community of regular gig-goers. As it steps into the next decade it might be a good idea to get down to Turner Street and book your tickets early for a party to remember. You might just be talking about it for decades to come.

Head to ramsgatemusichall.com for gig listings, tickets, merchandise and private hire info. You can also listen to the RMH Podcast on streaming platforms

To listen to BBC Radio 6 Music Steve Lamacq's live show from Ramsgate Music Hall go to bbc.co.uk/sounds/ play/m001hbq8

“We treated every gig like it was very special and still do, which makes a big difference”

BEACONING THE FUTURE

Built in 1827, and visible from every corner of Ramsgate, St George’s church has been a beacon of the town for centuries. Now with its 200-year anniversary looming, a new project is underway to bring the church up to date and back at the heart of community life in the 21st century

At the centre of Ramsgate sits the prominent civic church St George’s, an important landmark that’s hard to miss but which is in need of something like a resurrection. With just four years to go before its 200th birthday, the Grade 1 listed, gothic-style building, with its impressive Lantern Tower visible throughout Ramsgate and out at sea, is currently deemed “at risk” by Historic England. But there is hope. Project200 is an exciting fiveyear regeneration project. Recently appointed regeneration officer Jemima Brown (a Broadstairs-based artist) hopes that St George’s will be a safe and multi-functional site that will serve as an even brighter beacon of light for the community by the church’s bicentenary in 2027.

Meeting Jemima at St George’s on a particularly cold January afternoon, it is warming to hear about how she, and a small team, are aiming to involve the wider community in the regeneration of the church, so that it may meet the needs of Ramsgate’s residents and develop as a social and scenic asset to the town.

What is striking, when you enter through the great wooden doors into the main body of the church, is its vastness and simplicity. Light streams through the large, stained-glass windows and bounces off the white walls, making it feel more inspiring than intimidating.

The last time I was here the wooden pews were full of people, the lighting was soft and low, and the excitable buzz of Ramsgate’s music lovers

dampened the echo, as they came in their droves for the final performances of the Ramsgate Festival of Sound. This afternoon there is only one other person in the building. Sue Martin, one of St George’s two voluntary wardens, has been busy working through what seems to be an endless list of postChristmas tasks, including arranging the collection of 32 Christmas trees that were on display over the festive period during Ramsgate’s popular Christmas Tree Festival. The annual festival (organised by the Friends of St George’s) features a display of trees that have been bought and decorated by local groups and businesses. It feels significant that many of the church’s most popular events are not necessarily of a religious nature, and Sue affirms that St George’s

warmly welcomes people from any and all religious, spiritual and cultural backgrounds. While the church will be led by its Christian ethos, the regeneration project is “about meeting peoples’ needs and being inclusive, and not stuffy about things,” she explains.

“It is such a big, beautiful building that can accommodate so many people,” adds Jemima, as she searches a cupboard of multiple light switches, “which means there’s a lot of potential for it to be a really important venue for Thanet.” Finding the switch she was after, she turns my attention to a sizeable painting in the west gallery. The Victorian mural, “From Darkness Into Light” by Henry Weigall, is dramatic and bold. Alongside hosting more music events, with seating

available for up to 1,200 people, one of the main possibilities the regeneration team are exploring is utilising part of the building as a gallery space and arts centre, which, with its spacious white walls and stunning natural light, seems like a brilliant idea.

Moving towards the vestry, beautiful artefacts are plentiful, but sadly too are windows and patches of ceiling in 

need of repair. While Jemima is currently seeking funding for the restoration of the building, it’s imperative that it has purpose, she stresses. “There’s no sense in only fixing it because it’s a beautiful, important building,” she explains. “We need to save it in order to bring people in and activate it for everyone.”

This is, unsurprisingly, not the first time that St George’s has needed some serious TLC. During the air attacks on Ramsgate in the second world war, the building suffered bomb destruction that saw most of its windows blown out. Although the problems it faces

today have predominantly been caused by wind and water damage, you don’t have to look far back to see how this project provides an opportunity to tell stories about the history and ethos of the town. This is obvious in one stained-glass window, restored in 1961, that illustrates the poignant story of Ramsgate’s Little Ships returning from Dunkirk with stranded soldiers in 1940. “There’s something beautiful about the positioning of this window looking out in the direction of the sea,” says Jemima. “I think it’s pertinent to what’s happening now with people coming here as refugees in small boats. There’s something about the lighthouse church and the lighthouse of Ramsgate, with the message of welcoming people who are in desperate states.”

This message of social justice rings loud and clear through the church and into the church hall, a cosier building with a couple of bookable meeting rooms and a main hall, currently set up as a social supermarket. Initiated by Our Kitchen (a Thanet-based food charity), the supermarket is now run by Social Enterprise Kent, and sells fresh food, meal kits and everyday items at drastically reduced prices. There is also a kitchen, in which a community meal is prepared every Tuesday. Those in need can enjoy free home-cooked food in a safe, warm and friendly environment. A significant part of the

regeneration project is also to expand these important services in order to tackle local deprivation.

The possibilities for the church are endless. Jemima and the team at St George’s are only just getting started and want your help. “We really are just at the beginning of developing what the other future projects are,” she says. “We are reaching out to the wider community because we want to include everyone in deciding what the church does.”

Your ideas are encouraged and welcomed via a contact form on St George’s website. There you can also read more about the church and Project200

stgeorgechurchramsgate.uk/ project-200/ @saint_george_church_ramsgate

“What is striking, when you enter through the great wooden doors into the main body of the church, is its vastness and simplicity”

GREAT WOMEN OF RAMSGATE

This year marks the centenary of the appointment of the first female mayor of Ramsgate, Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills, one of the town’s greatest benefactors. But Dame Janet is just one of many inspiring women who have lived or stayed in Ramsgate throughout its long history. Now, thanks to a local history group, twenty-three of these remarkable women have been identified to celebrate this important year for Ramsgate. Here are their stories

1 Mary Townley Architect

She is one of England’s earliest female architects and a pupil of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Several buildings in Ramsgate can be attributed to her vision, including the Royal Crescent and Townley House. She played a prominent role in local society, entertaining nobility and royalty including William IV and Princess Victoria. Lived at Townley House, Chatham Street, from the 1770s to 1839 (Blue Plaque)

2

The original Duchess of Sussex, Lady Augusta de Ameland secretly married the sixth son of George III, Prince Augustus Frederick, in 1793. She established an estate on the East Cliff and is buried in the D’Este mausoleum in the St Laurence-in-Thanet churchyard. Lived in Ramsgate from 1806 to 1830, close to Augusta Villa, 25 Bellevue Road

3 Jane

Her brother Francis Austen (later Admiral of the Fleet) was stationed in Ramsgate and married Mary Gibson, a local woman. Jane was recorded as being seen in the town in 1803, but it is likely she visited again. It is believed that the fictional town of Sanditon, the eponymous setting of her last unfinished novel, was based on Ramsgate. Visited 14 Albion Place and East Cliff Lodge (now demolished) from 1803 to 1808

4 Sarah Garrow (née Dore) Campaigner

An advocate for women’s and children’s rights. Having had a child with Sir Arthur Hill out of wedlock, she began a relationship with William Garrow, a barrister at the Old Bailey. They married in 1793, having already had two children together. Lived at Pegwell Lodge, Pegwell Road, from 1790 to 1808 (Blue Plaque for William Garrow)

5

After seeing the horrendous conditions for both women and children in Newgate Prison, she lobbied Parliament until reform legislation was introduced in 1823. She was instrumental in introducing better conditions for nurses, and is said to have influenced her distant cousin, Florence Nightingale. In 1845 lived at Arklow House (now demolished), Mildmay Court, Bellevue Road (Blue Plaque)

6 Lady Judith Montefiore Writer and philanthropist

She married Sir Moses Montefiore in 1812 and managed many of her husband’s charitable endeavours. A brilliant linguist, Judith went on to write the first Jewish cookbook in English. The couple moved to East Cliff Lodge in 1831 and are buried at the Montefiore Mausoleum. Lived at East Cliff Lodge (now demolished) from1831 to 1862

8 Mary Shelley Writer

Known worldwide as the writer of Frankenstein one of the earliest works of science fiction. At thirteen she suffered an outbreak of eczema and was prescribed six months of a sea-bathing cure as a boarder at Caroline Petman’s School for the Daughters of Dissenters in Ramsgate. Stayed at 92 High Street (location of school) in 1811

7 Elizabeth Horsell Campaigner

An early advocate for plant-based diets and natural beverages, she gave lectures and wrote articles as well as vegetarian and vegan cookbooks with her husband William. They founded the Vegetarian Society at their home in Ramsgate in 1847. Lived at Northwood Villa (now demolished) from 1846 to 1848, close to Hare & Hounds, 348 Margate Road

9 Elizabeth Gould Artist and illustrator

Trained by Edward Lear, she produced many illustrated ornithological works.

Moving to London after her marriage to John Gould, a curator at the Zoological Society in London, she created lithographs for the book Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle, edited by Charles Darwin. Lived in the vicinity of St Laurence Church in Ramsgate from 1804 to 1824

10 Harriet Tomson Brewer

After her husband died in 1867, Harriet successfully ran the Tomson & Wotton Brewery, believed to be the UK’s oldest brewery, until 1892. After nine generations of family ownership, Whitbread bought the company in 1969. Lived at 18-20 Effingham Street (by Radford House) from 1835 to 1905 (Blue Plaque by the entrance of Waitrose in Queen Street marks the site of the brewery) 

11 HRH Princess Victoria

Princess Victoria spent three months at Albion House recuperating from typhoid before succeeding her father to become Queen in 1837. Her long reign covered a period of great industrial, political, scientific and military change. Stayed at Albion House, Albion Place, from 1835 to 1836 (Blue Plaque)

12 Jane Knill Pugin Philanthropist

Jane became architect and designer Augustus Pugin’s third wife and first came to live at the Grange in 1848. In her later years she became known locally as “the Grand Old Lady of Ramsgate” for her sponsorship of many charitable works, including for hospitals and schools in the town. Lived at the Grange, St Augustine’s Road, from 1848 to 1853 and 1865 to 1904

13 Jenny Marx Longuet Teacher and campaigner

The eldest daughter of Karl Marx and Jenny Von Westphalen (Prussian social activist), she wrote articles on social justice under the pen name J Williams. She married Charles Longuet, a French journalist, in 1871. They had six children before her death at 38 from cancer. Lived at 6 Artillery Road from 1876 to 1881 (Blue Plaque)

14 Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills Philanthropist and politician

Creating parks, building schools and homes for nurses, as well as providing motorised fire engines and X-ray machines, her generosity was as deep as her love for the town. As a local councillor during the first world war, she introduced many progressive policies, such as putting women police officers on the beat. She was elected mayor of Ramsgate in 1923. Lived at East Court, Brockenhurst Road, from 1911 to 1932

15

Born in Ramsgate, she met her husband George Smith when they worked together as performers in Brighton. The couple became part of the Brighton School of filmmaking (18961910), making short films and pioneering screenacting and film-production techniques. Lived at 89 High Street from 1862 to 1888

16

Born in Ramsgate, she went to school in London and later became part of Oscar Wilde’s inner circle. During her lifetime she wrote numerous stories, books and plays, and today is considered as one of the most important first-wave feminists. Her novel Portrait of a Rebel was adapted for the 1936 film A Woman Rebels starring Katherine Hepburn. Lived at 23 Harbour Street from 1865 to 1890

17 Dame Lilian Braithwaite

Actor Lilian played alongside Noel Coward in his play

The Vortex, as the alcoholic mother, winning her accolades on both sides of the pond. She often chose more challenging roles in order to gain experience rather than applause on the West End stage. Lived at 1 North Avenue (now demolished) from 1873 to 1886

18 Margaret Sale Campaigner

Margaret was the first to organise the town’s involvement in the suffragette movement by establishing a branch of the National Union of Women’s Societies in 1908. In January 1910 she opened a committee room in King Street, holding numerous well-attended meetings. In 1913 the branch had 160 members. Lived all her life in Ramsgate, at 8 and 19 Royal Crescent, from 1886 to the 1930s

19 Winifred Austen Artist

A member of many royal societies, including the Royal Zoological Society from 1903, she created some two hundred plates of wildlife during her lifetime. Conservationist Sir Peter Scott was quoted as calling her “the best bird-etcher of this [20th] century”. Lived at 70 High Street from 1876 to 1892

20

Miriam Gladwell Poet

Her works are archived in the Imperial War Museum. She managed the Wellington Hotel, and was a popular entertainer in Ramsgate for many years, singing her own songs and reciting her monologues. Lived in Ramsgate all her life from around the 1880s to the late 1940s (74 High Street was the location of the Wellington Hotel)

21 Blanche Littler Impresario

Together with her brothers, Emile and Prince, she commanded the world of West End and provincial theatre, with almost a total monopoly in producing musicals and pantomime in the United Kingdom for over forty years until the late 1960s. Lived at 34 York Street from 1899 to 1915 (Blue Plaque)

22 Florence Sutton MBE Home Front leader and teacher

As Borough Organiser of Ramsgate Women’s Voluntary Services for Civil Defence, Florence had overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Ramsgate Tunnels during the second world war. Awarded the MBE in 1941, she is still remembered today by Ramsgatonians who attended her dance classes as children. Lived in Ramsgate all her life from the early 1900s until the 1980s

23 Sybil Burr Writer

As a children’s author in the 1950s and 1960s, Sybil wrote two books set in Bladsole – a thinly disguised Ramsgate. The first, Life With Lisa (1958), was hugely popular: it was reprinted by Puffin Books in 1976, and in 2003 was serialised on BBC Radio 4. Lived at 16 South Eastern Road from 1955 1960 (Blue Plaque)

A walking trail Leading Ramsgate Women 23 for 23 will be available later in the spring. Please look on the Ramsgate23for23 Facebook page for details and events throughout the year

COMEDY AT QUARTERHOUSE

Lucy Porter: Wake-Up Call

A brand-new stand-up show from the TV and radio favourite Lucy Porter. As heard on Radio 4’s The News Quiz and The Now Show and seen on Would I Lie to You, QI and Live at the Apollo

Ivo Graham: My Future My Clutter

Bumbling wordsmith Ivo Graham returns to Quarterhouse to discuss three years of heavy-duty pranking, parenting and procrastinating since Dave’s 2019 nominations for Best Comedy Show and Joke of the Fringe.

Josie Long: Re-Enchantment

‘After defeat, re-enchantment is necessary’, said Lola Olufemi. This thought inspires Josie Long’s brand new show of stand-up infused with humanity, compassion and some brief political rants. The triple Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, underdog Fringe hero and delirious new mother returns with a show about the changes wrought by time, passion, moving to Scotland, and loving the world under – let’s face it – difficult circumstances

Josie has set some tickets aside as Pay What You Can for people who feel unable to buy full price tickets due to financial worries.

Speaky Blinder

16+

Star of the Royal Variety Performance, Would I Lie to You?, Have I Got News for You, QI, and Live at the Apollo Chris McCausland is on tour with a stand-up show about life, family, and loads of other nonsense as well!

Geoff Norcott: BASIC

On his sixth UK tour, the star of Have I Got News For You and A League Of Their Own Geoff Norcott will be trying to make sense of the current cultural and political scene with his playfully provocative brand of humour.

MEET THE MUSICIAN

al wootton

Writer Andrew Flood

Image courtesy of Elise Carter

Ramsgate’s Al Wootton is a dub-influenced music producer who has spent the last year releasing huge amounts of music through his own Trule Records label, touring as far as New Zealand and controlling the Saturday night decks on Rinse FM

You originally went by the moniker of Deadboy up until a few years ago. How did Deadboy and your musical career start out and what brought about the change?

I started making music as Deadboy almost 20 years ago now. I was tired of the name and all the associated attachments that went with it. I didn’t feel at all like I was the same person any more, my direction had evolved over the years, and so I decided to drop the moniker and just use my real name. It’s been the best thing to just completely destroy and rebuild and start again.

What drew you to Ramsgate and how do you find it as a place to live and work?

I first came to Ramsgate a few years ago for Contra Pop festival. I had just moved back from Montreal and was staying in Folkestone at the time so I jumped on the train. I had a great weekend. About a year later I was viewing places in Margate with my wife to potentially move there, but we had tickets for African Head Charge at the Ramsgate Music Hall with Adrian Sherwood at the controls, so we went there afterwards. We had a great night and ended up finding a nice place here instead.

I’m very lucky to have a studio in my basement I can work from, but I think Ramsgate would really benefit from

having some kind of studio complex for musicians. A little investment in cultural infrastructure would pay for itself with studio rents and advance the place culturally and economically. It’s an hour from London on the train and it’s on the coast – it’s just crying out for a little bit of investment in the way that Folkestone and Margate have had.

Your percussive, textural electronic music sounds incredibly complex yet immediately accessible, despite the absence of traditional instrumentation in the final product. How do you go about actually making it?

Thanks! I try to make music in a way that is organic and natural, I don’t like doing a lot of clicking around on screens so I use a few bits of hardware that I know very well, a small modular setup, some outboard delays, a couple of synthesisers, and I do live takes of each element and edit a bit afterwards. I use some traditional dub mixing techniques, using a mixing desk and outboard effects. I incorporate field recordings and foley sounds among the drums, and I do some stuff with random chance: chance sonic events that trigger with a certain percent of possibility. It sounds complicated, but really it’s all about making a simple and, most importantly, enjoyable process.

You’ve had an incredibly productive 2022, releasing four EPs and touring as far as Australia and New Zealand. Were these new experiences?

Now I have my own record label I can avoid many of the frustrations around releasing music and get a lot more out. I toured all over the world as Deadboy but it has been great to get back out now being a bit older and wiser. I was invited to Australia and New Zealand by a really great crew in Sydney who put some shows together for me.

You released the Alandazu EP, collaborating with French Tunisian artist Azu Tiwaline. This was a filesharing process over lockdown. How did that come about?

I heard her album Draw Me a Silence and loved it, so when I went to look her up online I saw she was releasing on Livity Sound who I also had a release with. We got in touch and expressed a mutual appreciation. I thought it would be great to work with her on something, and in the end somebody commented on one of our Instagrams that we should collaborate and we were both like, “OK!” So props to that guy. She is a very unique musician and producer and a lovely person.

The three other EPs (Wyre, Callers Spring and Maenads) form the compilation album Forest Trilogy. Was the intention always to create a triptych work?

Not initially. I made the first EP, Maenads, and then I continued to make music in a similar style that resulted in the following two EPs. It made sense to have the artwork match up as they all had this sparse, textural, organic/ synthetic feel. After the third EP, I felt I had kind of resolved the idea and so I compiled them into a trilogy with an accompanying book of photographs so that people could listen to the whole thing in one place.

You are also one-third of the experimental Holy Tongue trio. How did you get together?

I’ve known Valentina Magaletti for a long time. She was in a band with a good friend of mine. I had had this idea for a while to do a studio dub project with live drums, percussion and bass guitar, and Valentina was the obvious person to ask, as she is an incredible drummer and percussionist. She was up for it and so we recorded the first EP. People really liked it and wanted to book us to play live, so we had to work out how to do this studio project live. We brought in Susumu Mukai, who makes excellent music as Zongamin and also plays with Valentina in the band Vanishing Twin, to play bass, and now we are a trio.

The Holy Tongue live shows look incredibly entertaining. Do you stick to a setlist or are these shows as freeform as they seem?

Yeah, it’s really fun and live and energetic. The thing we wanted was to make people move. I have an extremely low tolerance for music. I get bored so quickly, standing there watching people do a song. We want to bring people in and allow people to move, not just perform outwardly to an audience. We have a very basic set list which

acts as a starting point but everything is improvised. The records are all improvised and the live shows are too. No two performances are ever the same. Valentina and Susumu are such great musicians who play together regularly that there is total confidence and faith between all of us that it will work.

You’ve moved on from your Balami radio slot and now do a monthly Rinse FM show. Do you use this as a way to inform and inspire your own work?

Yes, I love doing radio, it keeps me digging for music and I’m constantly discovering things, which in turn informs and inspires my own music. Having a Saturday evening slot on Rinse at the moment is fun because there is a certain energy on Saturday evening that must be respected. So although I can get a little weird at times I have to be conscious of maintaining that energy.

How do you feel about the saturation of music these days and the evergrowing library we have unrestricted access to?

To be honest, I think it’s great. I discover so much music every week that genuinely excites me, and that can only be a good thing. Obviously, there are problems around pay structures with things like streaming, but I spend hundreds of pounds every month on downloading music and buying vinyl, and so do many others. There are lots of really great well-curated record stores which help to filter through all of the good stuff. Lots of people purchase music through our Bandcamp which really helps, especially during the pandemic. I hope that people will continue to buy music as technology continues its merciless march.

How do you see your music progressing and evolving and what is in store for this year?

I have an album out this year. It’s a bit more industrial sounding than the trilogy. There is a Holy Tongue album very soon. I’ve also just finished a collaboration with a good friend of mine, Priori from Montreal. I’m also just finishing off a disco record. At the moment my music seems to be slowing down and incorporating more acoustic percussion, much more psychedelic, dubby and dare I say disco-y influences from South American, African and Middle Eastern music. No Ramsgate news at the moment but watch this space, I’m hoping to do something in the area this year.

Al’s latest release Artefacts is available to hear on all streaming platforms. You can find out more about Al’s music at alwootton. bandcamp.com/ and keep up to date on Instagram @al_wootton

on record WHENYOUNG

Aoife Power and Andrew Flood are the Irish duo Whenyoung. Relocating to Ramsgate three years ago gave them the inspiration for their second album Paragon Songs, which is out 7 April on New York label Antifragile Music. To celebrate the release there will be an album launch show at the Ramsgate Music Hall on release day. The album is an exploratory journey through the dark depths of self-criticism, rising into an ambition for change and a desire to welcome healing and self-love.

SHAME TRAIN

Whenyoung

This song came about when I was deep in songwriting and selfdevelopment, trying to overcome anxieties and complexes, and I began to understand shame as a traumatic emotion which affects everyone. This is the first song we recorded for the album and the theme of selflove and respect, evident throughout the tracks, really evolved from this song. We filmed the music video on the Arts Barge down in the harbour with local director Luke Ogden. Check it out.

WELCOME TO MY ISLAND Caroline Polachek

We’ve been fans of Caroline Polachek’s alternative pop sound and her many different artistic outlets for a while, but this new track is just so catchy and uplifting it’s hard to look past. A good one for playing through your earphones while running around on the main sands when nobody’s looking. That kind of vibe.

IT’S NOT JUST ME, IT’S EVERYBODY Weyes Blood

Weyes Blood is like a modern-day Karen Carpenter with a sprinkling of Joni Mitchell lyricism and Enya etherealness. This is a single from her latest release and it perfectly displays her beautifully complex and unique songwriting skills. Melodies ebb and flow to places you don’t expect, culminating in a soaring climax.

GLASGOW Jockstrap

This London duo’s music is a groundbreaking culmination of several genres and styles. It’s taken from the album I Love You Jennifer B, which is nothing short of astounding. So much so that I wouldn’t listen to it without giving it my absolute full attention. This song is probably one of their most accessible and displays some really beautiful vocals.

ARCHIE Sorcha Richardson

We’re big fans of Dubliner Sorcha Richardson. She makes lovely chill, fuzzy, folky indie music. Perfect for a sunset evening drive home from London on the M2 while eating a roomtemperature Greggs slice from Medway services. This tune is the opener of her second album which was released last year. It’s brilliantly titled Smiling Like An Idiot

Whenyoung’s latest single “Shame Train” is out now, with the album Paragon Songs following on 7 April. Available on all streaming services You can pre-order a vinyl copy of the album and buy gig tickets through their website whenyoungband.com or follow on social media

@whenyoungband

Whenyoung play Ramsgate Music Hall on 7 April followed by a UK and Ireland tour

STYLE ON THE STREET

Styling & words

Katy Lassen @weseafaces

Photographer

Ed Thompson

Model Dani @pushdesignstore

Thanks to Margo in Margate, 35 Addington Street

Let’s be honest, spring has not yet sprung and we remain in the wintry no man’s land of post-Christmas and pre-daffodil. It may be cold and sometimes a bit grey, but we are rallying against the gloom and bringing you all the colour we can for spring 2023.

We are keeping the style on the street, just slightly indoors at beloved local artist Margo in Margate’s beautiful new shop. Having made the short hop across the road, Margo moved into her new store on Addington Street last year, and it provides a light-filled space for her joyful artwork to dazzle. A wander past its traditional shopfront and large windows will brighten any day.

This season we want to celebrate the eclectic in Ramsgate because, even when times are tough, donning a jazzy outfit can do the world of good. Style on the Street favourite A Circular Story continues to make one of a kind garments from vintage quilts, blankets and tablecloths. If you have something lurking in a trunk somewhere and think it would make a good blouse or jacket then now is its moment to shine! Get in touch with Elizabeth for bespoke designs.

Fresh from opening their new store in Margate, home-grown Positive Retail is going from strength to strength and should be top of your list for pre-loved partywear and everyday staples such as

denim and knitwear. Is there anything better than guilt-free shopping?

Alchemy by Saltworks has vibrant hues galore in both of its stores which offer some of the most sophisticated and welcoming boutiques in Thanet. Vintage treasure trove Stories and the Past offers a unique curation of pre-loved clothes and accessories for men and women from decades gone by. I challenge anyone not to find something they love in this cavernous store.

If dressing head to toe in colour and print isn’t your thing but you still want to bring it, then what better than a statement earring? Local designer Margate Bound uses real sand from our beaches in their joyful and artistic earrings made from polymer clay. These designs will brighten up even the most monochrome of looks or moods.

Big thanks to our model, local artist and illustrator Dani, one half of sister duo PUSH Design Store, Ramsgate based textile designers and illustrators.

Future proofing

Writer Christabel Smith

Photographer Jaron James

Baking is as old as time, but the Modern Boulangerie is famed for its contemporary twist on pastry treats and croissant classics, and is now helping the next generation step into a future dough deep in the kitchen

Aglimpse through the window tells you everything you need to know about how Ramsgate has taken the Modern Boulangerie to its heart. The café buzzes with people of all ages and stages, bringing new life to Harbour Street at long last.

Being embedded in the community is of critical importance to the mum and son team who run TMB. As well as creating 20 full and part-time jobs, they are offering work experience to catering students, plus apprenticeships to anyone wanting to experience a kitchen that fires on all cylinders.

Back when he was 23, head chef George Bellamy-Adams was given his first break by a baker who encouraged him to learn the craft. “Without that mentorship, he wouldn’t be where he is today,” says TMB’s finance director Karen Bellamy. “Now he wants to pay it forward.”

Alongside the professional chefs and bakers in the huge basement kitchen are level three and level two catering students from East Kent College in Broadstairs, getting a (buttery) taste of life in a high-pressure environment. “It’s good to experience how busy the industry really is,” says Aimee Reiners, 16 (pictured left). “I’ve learnt a lot, including new recipes and how to bake at a much larger scale than college has taught me.”

George wants students and apprentices to encounter the reality of a restaurant kitchen: “They can be terrifying places at first and it’s hard 

graft. For every nice experience you have eating out, someone behind the scenes has probably been working a 12-hour shift. It’s not like being a celebrity chef in a TV show. You’re more likely to be asked to peel 20 kilos of onions!

“The Boulangerie has been really busy since we opened in our new premises in Harbour Street at the end of last year, which is promising. I’m driven by wanting to create simple food in a quality way and everything’s cooked on site. Things need to keep taking shape, but I have all kinds of thoughts for the future, including developing the takeaway side of the business, with sandwiches in the deli area, and possibly making ice cream in the summer.

“We take anything that doesn’t sell to the local Salvation Army. We feel very connected to Ramsgate and I like that the Boulangerie has a community-centre vibe. At the moment, we close at 4pm, so the space is free in the evenings for all kinds of things, such as supper clubs and meetings. We’re always up for discussing ideas, so I hope people will feel free to contact us with their approaches.”

George would also like to hear from anyone who’s interested in starting an apprenticeship at The Modern Boulangerie. “You need to be over 16, but other than that, I don’t mind what

age you are or your background. You just need to be prepared to work hard and learn the ropes,” he explains.

Meanwhile, up the stairs, there are exciting developments with “upstairs” –see what they did with the name there?! The top floor of the building will be three separate, private offices, complete with harbour view, with the first floor as a hot-desk centre.

“We want upstairs to be about all the Cs,” says Ramsgate resident Deb Shotton, who is behind the venture, along with husband Phil. “Communal, comfy, cosy, convenient, cool, convivial… and, of course, coffee!”

The digital nomad space is light, airy and north-facing (no glare on your screen), with three tables for six people, high desks for sitting/standing, a breakout room and small loo.

Plans include living green partition walls (a home for growing plants) for sound absorption and with highspeed broadband, printer services and coffee, the cost will be £9 per day, with discounts for long-term digital nomads.

Upstairs is due to open at Easter 2023 and you can register your interest at upstairs-at-tmb.space

To apply for a TMB apprenticeship email Karen themodernboulangerie@ gmail.com

Harmony Hills is a small, family-run property management service, specialising in design-led holiday homes.

We only operate in East Kent, where we provide a hands-on, bespoke service in an area we know and love.

We take care of everything for you including:

By marketing to a higher end clientele, we aim to bring respectable and considerate visitors into the area, to benefit local businesses and to help build a sustainable hospitality industry.

If you like the sound of all all we can offer, please get in touch.

Indigo Eight

Indigo Eight

Interior Design and Internal Architectural Design

Interior Design and Internal Architectural Design

Turning ideas and aspirations in to a reality for home renovators, builders and developers in Kent

Turning ideas and aspirations in to a reality for home renovators, builders and developers in Kent

Space Planning

Space Planning

Layout Design & Review

Layout Design & Review

Concept and Detail Design

Concept and Detail Design

Interior Design Developers’ Services

3D Renders

Interior Design Developers’ Services 3D Renders

Home Staging and Styling

Home Staging and Styling

Quantum Mechanics

all that glitters

With winter lingering and Valentine’s Day looming, Russell Chater interviews a handful of local jewellers for some much-needed sparkle

Despite its intimate scale, jewellery holds many connotations: love and romance; creativity and craftsmanship; family and friendship; glitz and glamour; time and place … Collectively, the jewellers below touch on all these elements – revealing that, as precious as their pieces are, the real gems are often the stories behind them.

Silverstones Jewellery

Having moved to Ramsgate from Ireland in 2016, Pat Makinson initially worked as an architect. After having a family, she retrained as a design and technology teacher, which necessitated training in metalwork and led to her discovering a love of silver jewellery. She has been hand-making simple, classic pieces in both silver and acrylic for the past 15 years, often taking inspiration from natural forms such as shells, flowers and feathers.

She can be found most days in Gallery 98 on the High Street, which showcases local creative talent and doubles as her workspace. Her designs are all unique, often responding to a particular brief. Recently she was asked to make a ring “encapsulating the ashes of a loved one” – demonstrating the emotive power of jewellery, and what it can contain.

As well as in the gallery, her work can be found online at @silverstonesjewelleryramsgate @gallery_98 _ramsgate

Loel

Although technically an independent jewellery-selling business, Andrea Flamini’s Loel nonetheless has its roots in a family tradition of making. Nearly 20 years ago, while living in Prague, Andrea’s mother learnt to restring her grandmother’s pearls and ended up making gemstone necklaces that she sold in luxury hotels around Europe.

The business and collection really grew when the family moved to Italy and started working with local artisans and designers. Andrea took over about eight years ago, with the specific aim of “growing the online presence of the brand and focusing the business in the UK and Europe”. The vast majority of the jewellery, however, remains made in Italy and is “ethically made using recycled sterling silver”.

In terms of design, Andrea only buys pieces she would wear herself. It seems others share her taste, as business is booming and celebrities are calling, including Claudia Winkelman, who wore Loel’s popular tassel hoop earrings on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing Andrea loves collaborating with local artists, photographer Jaron James and artist Margo in Margate among them, to create unique collections. The company’s jewellery can be found across Thanet in outlets including Positive Retail, Archive Homestores and Turner Contemporary.

There are also a number of online retail partnerships, although loel.co.uk and @loelandco are obvious first ports of call

Jewellery is a family affair for Claudia Rice. Both her grandparents and her father worked in the trade. Her father built up a business on Marylebone High Street and young Claudia caught the bug, enthralled by the glamorous, celebrity customers and the workshop “where all the magic happened”. She took up jewellery herself in her early thirties, realising that unless she did, “all the family history in jewellery would disappear.”

Although she went on to study at Central Saint Martins, it is the guidance and items received from her father that have most inspired Claudia’s work. She remembers a brifka (a small envelope used to hold gemstones) from her father with Francis Bacon’s name written on it, and realised it was a selection of gems he had shown the artist many moons ago.

“It was a real gem of a find that captures

a moment in time and tells a story,” she recalls. Claudia has inherited not only gems from her father but also a load of “jeweller’s junk”. She has felt a duty to tell their stories, “reworking them to give them a contemporary new life”. Many of her pieces are unique – she often sources items from antiques markets –and she has undertaken commissions for the likes of Ringo Starr (a jacket pin for Ringo and his wife to mark their 35th wedding anniversary) and a group of girlfriends including Kate Moss and Sadie Frost (where she made eight individual chain rings from one long antique-gold pocket-watch chain). Her work can be found at the Mascot Gallery on Chatham Street, a space she runs and uses to collaborate and stage pop-ups with friends, artists and musicians.

The idea for starting a jewellery business came to Victoria Reed after chatting to a shopkeeper in Madeira while on holiday. After initially buying and selling pieces, Victoria felt she could make more interesting jewellery herself. She started by wire-wrapping local sea-glass and “healing” gemstones, before developing her silversmithing skills. She trained at an adult education centre in Margate, having moved to Thanet in her twenties from Dover, then as an apprentice for a local jeweller. Her love of working with local materials has remained. She

says she “especially loves working with Baltic amber”, which can be found on Thanet’s beaches. Although her jewellery is something she fits around her day job in banking and the demands of her two children, as well as singing locally (formerly in the band Hotsy Totsy and now in duos Fusion and Guilty Pleasures), her works are “totally hand-crafted from start to finish”. She is particularly proud of an 18-carat gold and silver wedding band she has recently made for a delighted client.

Her works can be found online @seasidesilveruk and her pieces are also displayed at Westgate Galleria

True Rocks Jewellery

It all started in 2015 when Emily Bradbury’s husband (former drummer for the Specials) played a gig in Ibiza. Wearing a safety pin pendant she had made for herself back in the late 70s, Emily found a fellow punk appreciator in Dawn Hindle, one of the owners of the iconic Pikes hotel where they were staying. And so a collaboration and business began. As the designer and driving force of the company, Emily describes the range as “like a journey through my life, from my punk days through to music and working on films”.

They are known for collaborating with artists, fashionistas and musicians. Their first collaboration, a “bitten biscuit” pendant, was with YBA artist Gavin Turk at the Art Car Boot Fair in London, an event they will take part in again this year. Emily moved to Ramsgate in early 2020 for a fresh start

after her husband passed away. True Rocks have held local pop-ups (including at Eats’n’Beats) and are looking to continue this. Every piece is cast in solid sterling silver and is either 18-carat gold or rose gold-plated.

The combination of craftsmanship and rock’n’roll branding is popular, with celebrities from Idris Elba to Cara Delevingne sporting their jewellery. “What I love most are the ‘drumsticks’ my husband Brad designed just before he passed away. They are engraved with his signature,” says Emily when asked about her favourite piece. “Some of the proceeds go to Nordoff Robins, his favourite music therapy charity,” she adds. The company has been a form of therapy for Emily herself, having thrown herself into it after Brad’s passing: “It kind of saved me!”

truerocks.com

@truerocksjewellery

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the green room

Chris Tipping is a Ramsgate-based visual artist and creative consultant. He has worked on a wide range of public realm projects, the most locally known of which is the Margate Steps, for which he was the lead artist

Chris Tipping’s works are frequently found in the large-scale. Narrative and contextual, they are focused on the public realm, developing a sense of place and identity within the built environment. His practice draws on a history of tactile craft, his beginnings as a ceramics graduate of the Royal College of Art, and throwing pottery on the Isle of Wight. He has a unique understanding of touch as part of the sensory experience of space.

Visiting his townhouse garden in Ramsgate, rolling lavender leaves in our fingers and discussing his “outdoor studio”, Chris explains how his very personal green space affects his often public work. He has been the custodian and “observer” of this garden for the past 16 years.

“First thing in the morning I come out with my coffee and look at things growing. Looking at the texture and colour and the way those things change, that in turn can inform my work”

Although this is the first garden of his own, Chris has always found managing them therapeutic. He describes shaping privet hedges into dragons on the Isle of Wight for passing tourists and managing the allotment of a pair of elderly twins named Bessy and Nell. Though never gardening for money, “just for love”.

The garden is walled on three sides, overlooked by the Victorian house that backs onto it. It is brimming with bold, architectural plants. It feels as if you’re stepping into a botanical curiosity shop, with treasures hidden under each large, structured leaf. Triffid-like giant viper’s bugloss (echium pininana) and monster cardoons (cynara cardunculus) are interspersed with a patchwork of pots, filled with spiny rough horsetail

(equisetum hyemale). Pebbles, ceramics, terrazzo samples and stone work bejewel the free spaces. Chris seems to be a magpie for these sorts of things.

“I have a collection of hundreds and hundreds of pebbles and stones. They’re from the whole of my life, I’ve dragged them round with me,” he says. “I’ve collected fossils and all sorts over the years, most of them from the Isle of Wight.”

This process of collecting fragments is reflected in Chris’s work. When approaching a new project, he often starts with old maps, aerial photographs and historical geologies and 

topographies, “collaging” these together and then distilling the identity of a place. A stack of bricks imprinted with mackerels on one side of the garden tells the tale of the old Bridlington fisheries, from a previous seafront regeneration project 25 years ago.

“I love unpicking the history of places to understand how they tick, it can help inform the design of a new space,” he explains.

He often adds some of that history or story to the elements that you may not immediately consider. Stamped bricks, digitally printed glazing, the shaping of a set of steps (as with the Margate Steps outside the Turner Contemporary).

“I think it’s often about the subtlety of transition… I think a lot about the evocation of a feeling rather than anything too in your face,” says Chris.

The small potting shed on the side of the garden houses hundreds of carefully arranged pottery fragments and geological samples from the last 40 years. Chris turns them over in his hands as he explains where each piece is from, and the story that it holds. It

seems they still offer something new to his process.

“Creativity isn’t linear, it’s cyclical,” he says. “I like to imagine these in some sort of fantastical shape, rather than a plate or something.”

Everything about the garden is a continuous and organic process of collection, reflection and curation, much like Chris’s approach to a new project. It takes time to find the precise elements that make a place feel unique. The plants are given by friends, divided from old plants, rescued from other gardens. Each one has a story that adds to the tapestry of the space.

“I’m much more interested in how the information of the past breathes up through the landscape,” he says.

This outdoor environment is very clearly a reflection of Chris’s internal one, both on a professional and personal level. You can find projects, friends and family nestled into the wild strawberries that peep up through the soil. A magical garden to be in.

Instagram @christophertippingstudio

Creative writing: The Sands of Time

Welcome to a selection to our latest collection of creative writing submissions. We have been blown away by the standard and number of entries we have been receiving. The section seems to be growing from strength to strength and we hope all our readers enjoy these moments of escape into poetry and prose as much as we have. Keep the writing coming

Sands of Time

Sands of time

Hold me dear

I could drown if I stay here

Ocean waves

Change my ways

Tell me darkness can lead us to brighter days

Catch myself

From despair

Feel this curse – and I’ll still say a prayer

To try again

And start anew

Some way – somehow –I know I’ll make it through

The Sands of Time

Fingertips graze the edges of a weathered photograph. Thirty years had passed and he had thought of her every single day. Jonny closed his eyes, letting memories flood his battered mind. The scent of the salty sea air combined with so much noise and chaos. The sensation of being gently taken out with the waves. He could almost smell the fish and chips. It reminded him of a childhood long since gone.

What would she see when she looked at him? In a lot of ways he was the same, his hair still thick and healthy with a strong jaw and bright blue eyes. With jelly legs he stood, hobbled across the room and peered through the window, waiting patiently.

Nerves swam around in his stomach and it was taking everything he had not to pick up the phone and cancel. Jonny bent forward and rubbed his stiff right knee, a sign of age, his ex wife Lauren would say. With each passing year a new ache or pain seemed to appear. He didn’t

like to think that he was actually that old but his body said otherwise

It was just a silly row really. With a hindsight that only maturity could bring. They could have made it work had he reassured her more and that made Jonny feel sick to his stomach. Her tears as he angrily stormed off after being berated. He wasn’t leaving her. He wasn’t abandoning her. He’d been given the most incredible opportunity and of course he should take it. To ask him to choose between her and a once in a lifetime education. It was never a choice, of course he would leave. Yet he’d loved her and the right choice had certainly felt anything but that. So many evenings spent in his university library, head buried in a book. Nights in his lonely student accommodation, Amelia’s picture on the bedside table hidden underneath novels and letters from his sister Helen.

Then there was Lauren, a year his junior and full of excitement about being away from home. They’d fallen in love and over many years built a life so amazing it sometimes didn’t feel real. Then Molly had grown up and all of a sudden things felt flat. It was a mutual decision made of love and respect that still hurt like hell regardless.

But, none of that mattered now as he heard a soft tapping on his front door. Making his way downstairs, Jonny gently grazed the glass fronted frames that hung on the wall. The pretty heart shaped face of a little girl with eyes that matched his own. A deep breath in as he opened the heavy oak door.

Her curls were shorter now and streaked with age. With a shy smile he reached out for her and in that moment he knew. His wildest desires were about to come true, accompanied by the sound of the sea, and the sands of time blowing softly in the wind.

Divine Intervention

14.32h low tide, tidal height 0.64m precipitation less than 5% perfect conditions for a coastal walk dazzling sunshine, gleaming chalk cliffs, azure skies, sea glistening turquoise, a day for shades not brollies fragile yellow, pink and orange snail shells nestle in my hand and beckon to be taken off-shore wind turbines their wings aligned, Durga’s arms waving, warning? is she stirring something up? charcoal clouds on the horizon rimmed by shiny tassels of silver rain someone is getting wet, we smirk – still sure it won’t be us the wind picks up, soft sand now needling our faces alas we are the target u-turn, steps quickening,

can we outrun the storm?

sand grains racing ahead fanning out, flints become windbreaks, sand-shadows form around them

fulmars hurl themselves off cliffs –cackling

the sea an angry cauldron brown and foaming pebbles are rattling below the waves and then:

the heavens open, one minute soaked to our core, the next pelted by hail, winded we reach the harbour wall cease fire

Durga’s arms still waving in the distance, her sky now blue, the storm blown over we shiver and rejoice in equal measure humans and dogs bedraggled and relieved gilded rays of sunshine fan out through clouds

we think Turner, Blake and divine intervention below the hermit crab having changed her shell behind a flint forges a path through hail stones back to sea

The Man from the Ministry

As the waves lapped around his ankles, the birds circled brightly overhead. “Ready, we’re ready”, they called. He blinked in the sunshine, his eyes closing a second too long. Because once again he was back there: water at his throat, wild and choking as he thrashed against the waves.

Things seem somewhat surreal in a storm, and he couldn’t remember the cold. If only he couldn’t remember the screams. If only he couldn’t remember the voices as they broke and buckled in the black before vanishing into the night. If only he couldn’t remember seeing the shadows slip away.

He’d only been there to follow the birds: migrating for Winter, as we know they’re wont to do. In a matter of moments, he was the only man left.

He clutched the pin tightly between his fingers – the digits gnarled and knotted with age. How had it been so long ago? How was it all he remembered? Time strips you of so many memories. If only it had stripped him of this.

The skies had felt fierce that day. That fateful day in ‘54. The year Marilyn married Joe, ‘Miss America’ hit the screens and Sports Illustrated landed on shelves. ‘54. The year Boeing 707 took to the skies and a meteorite almost took out a napping woman in Alabama. The year Elvis released his first single: “It’s all right.” If only it had been.

‘54. The year of the first nautical mile. The ill-fated South Goodwin lightship made few of those before the storm hit –ripped aft to stern in a matter of seconds. Torn bow to bridge before you could breathe. A waterlogged wolf, howling hard at the heavens as its skeleton was

stripped bare along the sands. A wreck before the winds had set in.

And then it was just him. Waking wet and weary, washed up upon the shore. Dazed, half blind and blinking in the sunshine – the hysteria of hypothermia still waiting to set in. Water in his lungs. Lead in his limbs. And the pin in his hand. “Take this, ol’ fella. Tell them bleedin’ birds you’re watching we made you one of the crew!” How he’d laughed. Then, on the beach that day, cried until he was all out of tears, while the birds soared serenely overhead. It was almost as if nothing had happened. It was almost as if they’d guided him home. Maybe they had. Funny really, given he’d been posted to follow their tracks. Maybe they were also following his.

And so here they would be together for the winter. He remembered looking around at the strange sands he didn’t know. Wherever ‘here’ was…

Seven crewmen were taken that day. Good men. Men with families, hopes and dreams. Men whose voices he would never forget. Men whose cries he would carry forever. The pin being all that was left. That, that and the birds. You can never know why you were saved. You can only continue your journey. And as the sun broke out over the shore, the man looked up at his winged friends, already in formation, ready to head home.

“I’m ready.”

And so he made his way back along the sand, his joints all the more weary these days. Once again on the path to climb aboard. In place, in honour of them all.

Southbound to follow the birds. Migrating for Winter, as we know they’re wont to do.

“Maybe it’s the last time I make this journey. Maybe, it’s finally over. Maybe, we’re finally home…”

*History: In 1954 the South Goodwin lightship sank in a fierce storm with the loss of all of its seven crew. Only one person – a visitor from the Ministry of Agriculture monitoring migrating birds – was rescued.

RULES FOR ENTRY

We hope this inspires you to give it a go next time round.

Here is a reminder of the rules:

Each issue we will set a Ramsgate-inspired theme and invite your written entries. From prose to poetry, dialogue to journalling, a section of a novel-to-be or a completed short story; if it’s the written word we’ll read it.

Email your submission of up to 500 words info@ ramsgaterecorder.com with Creative Writing in the subject line.

Please include an email address and phone number so we can get in touch.

All submissions should have a Ramsgate connection, however loose – we are a hyper-local publication after all – and our prompt should help.

While we will be reading all submissions, we may not have a chance to reply to everyone. If your work has been selected for publication we will contact you. For our summer issue the prompt is “Restoration in Ramsgate” and the deadline is 3 April 2023.

With thanks to our judges, writer and journalist Christabel Smith, and writer and actor Nicola Wren. Join Nicola for one of her monthly writing workshops at Ramsgate’s Union Café @nicolawrenwriting

Bird Watch THE SWIFT

Every year I look forward to the return of swifts to Ramsgate. Although similar in shape to swallows and house martins, the swift belongs to a completely different family of bird, and amazingly is more closely related to the hummingbird.

Flying swifts appear as black silhouettes, with long, pointed wings and a short forked tail. But they are in fact brown in colour, with a white throat. They arrive in the UK towards the end of April or early May, but spend their winters in Africa, migrating over 3,000 miles twice a year.

The swift is a superb flyer. It does everything on the wing, including

sleeping, eating and even mating. They only ever touch down when they arrive back at their nest sites to breed. They are also the fastest birds in level flight, with an impressive top speed of 69 mph, beating even the mighty peregrine falcon.

Swifts pair for life, returning to the same nest site each year, making their nests in cavities by squeezing into any tiny gaps under the eaves of roofs or brick work. But as more old buildings are renovated and gaps in soffits sealed up, swift nest sites are disappearing fast. Sadly, they have now been added to the Red List of birds at risk.

Two years ago, Nik Mitchell of Wildlife

Conservation in Thanet and the local RSPB installed 21 swift nest boxes around the top of Broadstairs College. Recorded swift calls are played to attract the birds to the boxes so that hopefully one day the birds will take up residence, but it can take years for this to happen.

A more established colony of nest boxes is attached to the house of Dan Richards over in Deal. I visited “Swift Avenue” last year and it was an amazing sight standing in his garden

watching the birds bringing food to their young.

In Ramsgate we have some nesting in buildings on East Cliff, and you can often see flocks of these birds screaming past the old San Clu Hotel, now the Comfort Inn. Swifts need our help, they have declined by more than half in the past twenty years, so maybe you could install your own swift brick or nest box.

If you would like a chance to see the swifts and other arriving birds, I do guided nature walks from Ramsgate to Pegwell Bay. Contact me at keithross1@hotmail.com for more details

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Unsung hero: Jacqueline Freeston

As community manager at Ramsgate’s Salvation Army, Jacqueline has turned her own story of pain into one where she is able to help others

The colder months are always harder on homeless communities and this past winter was no different. “One of the lads came in the other day and told me he’d been out all night,” explains Jacqueline Freeston. “His clothes were frozen and his legs were blue. We gave him hot drink after hot drink, got his clothes into the tumble dryer and eventually he was warm enough to eat some food.”

As community manager at Salvation Army Ramsgate, Jacqueline regularly works with the town’s homeless, serving breakfast Monday to Friday for those who are registered as sleeping on the streets. “We cook up whatever we’ve got in for them – eggs, crumpets, porridge –and try to get some hot food down them and a warm place to sit for a few hours.”

This regular morning refuge is just one part of Jacqueline’s very busy week. In charge of Friday’s regular food bank as well, she knows better than most how the cost of living crisis has impacted the people of Ramsgate. “We have every type of person you could think of using it, people from all walks of life, and there’s no shame in it,” she says. “We all need support sometimes, we need that extra boost to just carry us over and keep us going.”

The Salvation Army food bank relies on donations from a huge range of people. From those who drop in extra bits from their weekly shop, to those who

bring the end-of-shelf-life goods from the town’s supermarkets and restaurants. There’s even a woman who combs the fields after harvest to bring in farm produce. “This wonderful woman and her family go out and glean the fields, bringing us apples and potatoes so we can offer them as part of the weekly bundle,” says Jacqueline.

Jacqueline is in awe of the support the Salvation Army receives from Ramsgate residents. “The real unsung heroes are the community,” she says. “We have such an incredible town with so much generosity. We provide a stepping stone for what the community needs and we

couldn’t do it without the volunteers and people who donate time and goods. I’m uplifted by everyone who comes to our door, even those with huge hurt.”

Jacqueline herself came to the Salvation Army through hurt. When her son took his own life, she says she didn’t know where else to go. “It was very hard and very, very dark,” she recalls. “My father suggested I come to the Salvation Army. I ended up doing the Alpha course again and everything changed. I did more and more volunteering until eventually a job vacancy came up and I got a role here.”

She wrote a book about the loss

of her son and her journey with the Salvation Army, her faith and prayer, called Autism, Love and Neurosis. And it seems that it may not be her last. In between working on the food bank, homeless breakfast, luncheon for older residents, a toddler club and crafting sessions, Jacqueline still wants to find time to write another book. It will be called The Ding Dong Ministry, about the amazing people who come to the door for homeless breakfast and their stories. “I think it’s so great to be able to uplift people with these stories,” she says. “This is an incredible place to be, this community, when we open our eyes.”

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