Turkeys voting for Xmas...

Like turkeys voting against Christmas

Like turkeys voting against Christmas, the Marine Parade Residents Association decided it was fine to let a fine piece of our Tankerton heritage be demolished.

No doubt the nod for plans to remove the quirky Peggotty House with its spacious gardens will send home prices rocketing as another slice of green turns to concrete.

I don't expect much dissent from the council - after all this development is good for the tax revenue. 

All of the people who might stop, admire, pass the time of the day over Peggotty - well we’re the disenfranchised, unrepresented.

And so it is with Manston Airport. All of the people and businesses that used the airport - and would have liked to do so a lot more with a constructive operator - are struggling to be heard.

According to reports sent to me, Thanet council released a paper that infers it already decided against the bid to revive the airport. Its report calls the Compulsory Purchase Order a “high risk option” and questions whether the American company behind the bid, RiverOak, has enough money to ensure Manston as a “viable” airport.

Stephen DeNardo, the chief executive of RiverOak, was rightly furious, complaining that the council report doesn't provide a fair analysis of the information presented.

It seems in local democracy, the turkeys rule the roost.

Jules Serkin.

What do you think?  Tweet me @julesserkin .Tune in to my shows @SCOFFQUAFF food & drink show for Kent every Tuesday live 11-12 & 1pm @businessbunker with me & @vanillaweb  on www.channelradio.co.uk

 

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Supermarket Sweep...

Just as Whitstable is welcoming Morrisons to the High Street and planning a third supermarket for the Thanet Way, we consumers are apparently turning our backs on the weekly trolley dash.

Waitrose Chief Executive Mark Price told the Sunday Telegraph that a change as fundamental as supermarkets coming to the UK in the 1950s is sweeping the nation as people are increasingly buying their food for today. The notion of people going and pushing a trolley around for the week for a huge shop is a thing of the past, he said.

While we appear to be cramming more and more supermarkets into our own community, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have been pulling larger supermarket plans, including one in Margate, according to the Mail Online.

It must be said that Tesco is doing its level best locally to keep with the times and create a homely, community feel. For the re-launch of the store off Millstrood Road it’s created a community room where charities and local groups can meet for free and it donated welcome funds to the Whitstable RNLI on reopening.

As they say, every little helps. But to my mind no amount of catering to the community by the supermarkets can replace the feeling of wholeness that shopping locally gives. Going to my local butcher, (Surmans of Tankerton) knowing where the meat is sourced, having a good natter with Brian,(the dishy one) getting cooking times for the beef and then popping to the market for my eggs from lovely June, who always asks how my Mum is doing, and coming home to my home-delivered Riverford organic veg box & my Herne Bay Hudson's Fish certainly for me beats pushing a trolley around for an hour and then feeling miserable at the price, the queues & the experience.

Jules Serkin

Tell me your favourite local shop & why?  Tweet me @julesserkin Tune in to my shows @SCOFFQUAFF food & drink show for Kent every Tuesday live 11-12 & 1pm @businessbunker with me & @vanillaweb  on www.channelradio.co.uk

 

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