Margate

When I took this pic I loved how the turner contemporary and these two beach huts seemed to connect across the stretch of sand ... Looking at it now, the resilience of the hut Inclined yet standing - makes me smile! (Could be me but feels like an appropriate allegory for the current estate of affairs in the UK... )
By the by... This year, the Turner Prize will be exhibited in Margate...starting the 28th... Just saying !

Yesterday I mentioned Fort road and hence I think I could not talk about it or Margate without mentioning the Margate Retro Fort Road Yard (yes,that it the full name)

This place is full of childhood memories and vintage furniture

On our last visit we saw, a bat from a house of horror, bumper cards, a Michael Jordan-like figure, a Fresh Prince metal fascia (one of those which decorate the sides of a ride) , a giant (I should emphasise ...giant) site boot , baskets from a merry go round and quiet a lot of other things which are easier to see than describe.... Hence, if you are around the area... Pop in

Continuing my reflective thoughts on local travelling, I wanted to share a top tip .... a #book
Last weekend the margate book shop our friend Nao (from Rust Jewellery) spotted a book called "how to get out of London without really trying" .

We thoroughly inspected and it is full of great tips (many of which i can vouch for... Not that I am an expert but it was at least reassuring...) So, if you need motivation or ideas to explore beyond the M25... Grab a copy.

Also a top tip...grab a @national_railcards not a car

The Fort Road is a rather unique street in Margate.

This shop is at the bottom of it and just like the junk yard at the top, it is full of reminders of this town's heritage .

As a foreigner I always find seaside town reminders quite charming and imagine them as the backdrop of many brilliant summer stories... As an architect, I have always wondered when and why people stopped travelling to this town and temporarily forgot them because their bones are beautiful and interesting and their buildings were clearly planned when the town had great aspirations to welcome visitors.

This shop is Story. a shop Which is absolutely photogenic -almost like a painting- and most definitely eclectic.

I still have not managed to find the common thread that joins it's objects but to be fair a couple of years ago I found a beautiful wallet many people since have asked me about .... And so, I would say, well worth dropping by.

A weekend, could be any weekend but was last weekend ,in Margate.

For anyone who still has not heard of this amazing place by the sea, picture a small town by the sea, with a beautiful museum, a permanent fun fair, arcades, fish and chips, bookshops, vintage shops.... a shell grotto and a Tudor house all in walking distance .

In the past ten years ,it has become a creative hub which is attracting Londoners who want to escape the big smoke.