# Strange Tourist > Culture and lifestyle newsletter Strange Tourist looks at creative Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate, and beyond along the East Kent coast and into London too. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About Strange Tourist URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/about/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T14:46:49.000Z Strange Tourist is your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet and beyond. **“It's my favourite local what's-on source.”* Launched in May 2024, our weekly newsletter rounds up everything you need to know, whether you live in Thanet or you're just visiting. We help you get the most out of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs. We also find the best things to do when you want to get out and explore the rest of East Kent or up to London. **"It's saved my weekend on multiple occasions."* It's the only place to get the lowdown on the latest creative and cultural news, new openings, things to do, places to see and much more across the whole of Thanet and beyond. [Subscribe now](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/). **"This site is amazing! So many things we would not have found."* ### Get in touch. Drop us a line at [hello@strangetourist.co.uk](mailto:hello@strangetourist.co.uk) and find us on Instagram at [@strangetouristmag](https://www.instagram.com/strangetouristmag?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### ### Sign up for the Strange Tourist newsletter URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/newsletter/ Last updated: 2025-12-01T18:21:52.000Z Focused on Thanet’s creative buzz, good life and fun stuff, the Strange Tourist newsletter is delivered every Saturday at 8am, rounding up our picks of upcoming events in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, the wider East Kent area and London. It also includes interviews, festival guides, restaurant reviews and more, giving you a more in depth look at everything the Kent coast has to offer. Sign up now to ensure you always know what's going on in Thanet and beyond - let us battle the algorithms so that you don't have to. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist A weekly newsletter on cultural Thanet, the East Kent coast and beyond. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## What readers say "It's written in the language of the people who use it in a way that's really satisfying." “Strange Tourist is ace! Exactly what we need and it covers soooo much. It’s so well written and well presented and is so inclusive and wide ranging. Bravo!” “It's my favourite local what's-on source.” "It's saved my weekend on multiple occasions." "I love it. My Saturday morning newsletter and coffee routine as well as spotting brilliant things you post in the week." "Love love LOVE your newsletter." "Praise f\*\*\*ing be to Strange Tourist." ### Subscribe to our newsletter URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T18:25:57.000Z Focused on Thanet’s creative buzz, good life and fun stuff, the Strange Tourist newsletter is delivered every Saturday at 8am, rounding up our picks of upcoming events in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, the wider East Kent area and London. It also includes interviews, festival guides, restaurant reviews and more, giving you a more in depth look at everything the East Kent coast has to offer. Sign up now to ensure you always know what's going on in Thanet and beyond - let us battle the algorithms so that you don't have to. [Read past editions of the newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/tag/newsletter/) ## What readers say “Strange Tourist is ace! Exactly what we need and it covers soooo much. It’s so well written and well presented and is so inclusive and wide ranging. Bravo!” “It's my favourite local what's-on source.” "It's saved my weekend on multiple occasions." "I love it. My Saturday morning newsletter and coffee routine as well as spotting brilliant things you post in the week." "Love love LOVE your newsletter." "This site is amazing! So many things we would not have found." "Thanks for another great newsletter. The writing quality is always superb." "Praise f\*\*\*ing be to Strange Tourist." ### Archive URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/archive/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T10:31:58.000Z _No content available._ ## Posts ### Strange Tourist #120: Margate's Social Singing Choir sing for Oasis documentary URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-120-margates-social-singing-choir-sing-for-oasis-doco/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T07:00:35.000Z The new Oasis documentary has just been released. While it will be able to be streamed on Disney+, you can catch it - and the glorious Margate Social Singing Choir which performed on the film's soundtrack - in cinemas now. This week Strange Tourist caught up with Choir Director and composer Hughie Gavin, who explains how the amateur choir got involved. Also in this newsletter, if ever there was a sign that evenings are drawing in and autumn is nigh, quizzes, meal deals and roasts are returning. Among the things to keep you entertained and cosy, look out for an illustration festival and The Garden Gate Project's lovely Falling Leaves Festival. For those of you looking to get stuck into a project, two upcoming events by Margate Pride and Seaside CEO might just help you get things off the ground. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Oasis roll with Margate community choir for documentary soundtrack URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/oasis-roll-with-margate-community-choir-for-dont-look-back-in-anger-soundtrack/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T11:35:27.000Z Disney’s new Oasis documentary Don’t Look Back in Anger was released in cinemas this week, following the band as they head out on their 2025 reunion tour. If you’re experiencing it on a big screen sound system you’re going to hear a lot of songs featuring the Gallagher brothers. But they’re not the only group you’ll hear in the film. Nestled in between those Oasis classics, you’ll hear the voices of Margate’s Social Singing Choir on the score for the film. Composer Zebedee C. Budworth worked with choral director and Social Singing Choir founder Hughie Gavin on bringing the choir’s voices to the soundtrack. Asked about the finished music, Hughie says, “It's quietly beautiful in places, while epic and orchestral in others. There are hints of 60s nostalgia, and Zeb manages to create space for the music of Oasis, whilst also highlighting the emotion of the reunion shows.” Clearly this is not a normal gig for a non-professional choir that meets for an hour a week and doesn’t require members to audition. However, this is no normal community choir. To date, the 120-strong group has supported Haim and Self Esteem, headlined Margate Pride, played the opening of Tracey Emin’s TKE Studios, appeared on several award-winning recordings and much more. However, despite this list of accolades, being hired by Disney to help tell the story of one of the world’s biggest bands coming back together is certainly an unexpected turn. Hughie Gavin explains how it all came together. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/09/PXL_20260726_112721418-Lauren-Alonso.jpg) Social Singing Choir members recording at Big Jelly Studios. **Photo: Lauren Alonso* **How did your involvement with the Oasis documentary come about?** Zeb and I have the same agent, but we hadn't met before the recording. I think the job came about after a conversation with another composer, Oli Julian, who we’d just finished working with on a BBC series. He thankfully said nice things about the choir and the work I did on that score, and that started a conversation about being part of this amazing project. **Was it the plan from the outset to involve the choir?** The score was quite late in the post-production process, with there being so much live music in the film. But I think Zeb had a clear vision for it. And for it to include choir. It was more the question of whether it was logistically and musically feasible within the timeframe. **What was the process in creating the choir’s parts?** Zeb had composed all the music for cues. My job was to translate and recreate that accurately with the choir. So that means the creation of scores from project files, then splitting parts and deciding how best to realise that - who’s singing what - so the music matches the choir in the best way possible. However, there were a couple of cues where we took a more experimental approach and created a series of drones and articulations rising in pitch on the spot. That was epic. So much fun! The other element is planning, organising and rehearsing the choir. Some of the choral sections had 10-12 part harmony. So we worked out the best way to record that. In all of this, I had amazing help from the team at \[publishing company\] Manners \[McDade\], including Ruby, Laura and Anna, Phil Self and Mike at \[recording studio\] Big Jelly. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/09/Hughie-31.jpg) Hughie Gavin at his studio. **Photo: Harri Bentley Photography* **This isn’t a normal gig for a community choir. Was there any trepidation about involving non-professional singers in the recording?** In all honesty, I think only for me, as I knew it was such a short turnaround. And what I would need to do to really prepare the singers. I also wanted it to be a fun experience. But from the production side, I’m not aware of any nervousness about the choir. I think Zeb wanted the sound our choir creates - free, full, and honest. So it was a match made in heaven. The fact that the previous project for the Beeb had been such a success meant that it was pretty plain sailing. Often I find I have to remind production that the SSC aren’t a professional ensemble. It’s a testament to their amazing energy and hard work. **Has there been any response from the Oasis camp to the music?** I haven’t heard. But seeing how emotional the Gallagher brothers were after the premiere really brought home how amazing it was for us to be involved in this project. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/09/oasisstill_a4647534--1-.jpeg) Noel and Liam Gallagher in Don't Look Back in Anger. **Photo: Disney* **How did it feel seeing the film on the big screen and hearing the choir?** It was so amazing. It’s a brilliant film. Zeb’s score is stunning, and I was sitting there enjoying how uplifting and positive it was, but also how the choir absolutely smashed it. I couldn’t have been prouder. **When did you set up the choir and why?** It’s 10 years next year. We’d moved to Margate. I didn’t really know anyone. I’d taken on a studio at the old Printworks as I spent most of my time working alone. I wanted to use those skills locally and with other people. So I hired the yoga studio next door, put a couple of messages on local groups about starting a choir. About 30 people turned up for that first one, and it quickly grew to about 60, and we’ve been at a capacity of 120 for about three years now. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/09/2025-Choir-Pride-IMG_9919.jpg) Social Singing Choir on stage at Margate Pride. **Photo: Joe & Charlotte* **When you started out, did you ever imagine it would lead you to where it has now?** I don’t know if I had this on our bingo card. But I did start with an ambition of it being a really shit hot community choir. I was a choral scholar as a kid, and that gave me the tools to do what I do for a living. I’ll forever be grateful for that. And I try to bring that attention and dedication into what we do. But without some of the intensity - without the Whiplash-style hairdryer treatment that we were given all the time. My focus is on people having a good time. Having a good time, and also improving and finding a deeper connection to their voices and hopefully others. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **The choir has also supported Haim, headlined Margate Pride and appeared on award-winning recordings. What have been your highlights of leading the choir to date?** I have a few. I had a moment after we supported Haim on the VIP area at the top of Dreamland. I was with choir members. And I walked up onto the highest point of that section and looked down on all the choir members and then further on to the six thousand or so people we’d just performed to, and allowed myself a moment to think how absolutely nuts that was. After the Oasis session, it was the early hours of Tuesday, and I was sending everything across to Zeb. I listened to the choir parts on full pelt in my studio. I was struck by how amazing it sounded, and even more so that all these choir members had come together and put their time, energy, and emotion into making it. It really hit me. In a good way. **What’s next for the Social Singing Choir after this?** The dreaded question. There are lot of exciting things on the horizon. But I can't say too much on that yet… *Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger is screening in IMAX and cinemas now. It will be available to stream on Disney+ later this year.* [*Find out more about the Social Singing Choir*](https://www.institutestudios.com/choirs-1?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Lead image: StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited ### Incoming: Live music, mummymania, bingo rave URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-live-music-mummymania-bingo-rave/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T08:39:59.000Z **Brilliant singer-songwriter Sheherazaad is set to perform at ARK in Cliftonville on Thursday, January 28**. Blending folk-noir, experimental pop, and South Asian musical, this is one not to miss. [**Tickets £15.97**](https://www.gigantic.com/sheherazaad-tickets/margate-ark/2027-01-28-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Recently added to the Michelin Guide, **Broadstairs vegan restaurant Aster will be putting on a charity roast on Sunday, September 27**. Raising money for Coppershell Animal Rescue in Wiltshire, you’ll get a three course email with mushroom wellington as your main. [**Places £35 per person**](https://www.asterbroadstairs.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Winner of Time Out's Most Original Night Award, the “original bingo rave” **Bongo’s Bingo has announced a new regular night at the Drill Shed in Margate**. The first on Friday, October 2 is already sold out, but you can still grab tickets for a **Halloween special on October 30**. The night will be in town twice a month, including a big NYE blow out. [**Tickets £20**](https://bongosbingo.co.uk/locations/margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Emergent hosts a collage-making workshop at Turner Rowe Arts Centre on Tuesday, September 15**. Bring your own ideas and materials or work from a design brief. The winning artwork on the day will have their entry fee refunded and also get the chance to turn their design into merch. **Places £28\. Email** [**ramsgateemergent@gmail.com**](mailto:ramsgateemergent@gmail.com) **to book**. **Margate Electronics returns to Margate Arts Club on Friday, October 9** with an evening of experimental live music themed on nature. Live performances from Pond and Kodama - the latter celebrating the release of their new EP koke no ne こけのね. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/39153/margate-electronics-13-ambient-garden?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). There’s another chance to catch climate change documentary **The People’s Emergency Briefing at ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday, October 24**. There will be a screening of the film, options lunch of daal, and then small group discussions about the issues raised in the documentary. [**Tickets £6**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/national-emergency-briefing-community-screening-with-discussion-lunch-tickets-1999483045614?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Deep house producer Jimpster** will be playing **Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Friday, September 18**. Also on the bill are Ali O'Mara and Randy Watson. [**Tickets £16.50**](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/jimpster-2026-09-18?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Love dancing but also bedtime? **Indie Afternoon returns to Ramsgate Small Boat Owners Club on Saturday, September 19**. Playing a range of indie and alternative tunes from bands like The Cure, Blondie, Pixies, Wet Leg and Talking Heads, it starts at 3pm and will be done by 7pm. [**Tickets £7.50**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/indieafternoonramsgate/1989482?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Santa Carla in Margate** **will be hosting a talk on the history of ‘mummymania’**, with historian Jay Sullivan leading you back to a time when wealthy elites hosted exclusive mummy unwrapping parties, casual tourists brought stolen human heads back as souvenirs, and magical secret cults formed in the reading rooms of the British Museum. [**Tickets £11.55**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mummymania-unwrapping-a-victorian-obsession-with-dr-jay-jullivan-tickets-1999356221279?utm%5Fexperiment=test%5Fshare%5Flisting&aff=ebdsshios&sg=bc7080e8e7ffa766a8ac47f348da86db552d58b023cbf0c6cc8d5d48583e174784dd98e6c587fa0d866c4889ffa843d093a0cae2d712ac4796a287f2f2ef5959514aff1871a176a9a3df35aed9ec&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Join a one day multi-colour linocut printmaking workshop at The Studio in Ramsgate on Saturday, September 26**. Experiment with the process, try out collage techniques, and make your own set of limited edition prints. No experience necessary. All materials provided. **Email** [**fionadebulat@gmail.com**](mailto:fionadebulat@gmail.com) **to book**. **The Reds, Pinks & Purples return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, March 20**. A way off, yes. But this is one that’s going to be popular, so down hang about. [**Tickets £17.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/the-reds-pinks-purples/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Violet’s in St Lawrence will host a craft market on Saturday, September 26**. Head down to meet local crafters and makers. **Free entry**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (September 7-13) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-september-7-13/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T10:09:58.000Z Margate Coffee Week runs from Monday to Sunday, leading you on a trail around the town’s many coffee spots. [Follow on Instagram for updates](https://www.instagram.com/margatecoffeeweek/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Authors Adam Weymouth and Zoe Gilbert will be discussing their work exploring and writing about nature at the Best of Times book shop in Broadstairs on Tuesday. [Tickets £9](https://www.bestoftimesbooks.com/shop/p/tue-8th-sept-rewilding-lone-wolves-and-bringing-nature-back-with-adam-weymouth-zoe-gilbert?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Mr Teds will be back with his excellent quiz night all around Thanet next month. Catch him at Margate Beach Club on Wednesday, Neptune’s Hall in Broadstairs on Thursday. DJ TBX has announced a beginner DJ class for women over 30 at HOFFS in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £100](https://dj-tbx.com/the-beat-retreat-academy/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Classical open mic night Totally Classical is back at Rosslyn Court in Cliftonville on Wednesday. Free Entry. Ramsgate Festival of Sound takes place from Thursday to Sunday with a programme including the annual sonic trail and Busk Until Dusk, a family fun day and a live performance from Look Mum No Computer. [Full schedule and tickets](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Ramsgate Festival of Sound’s impact resonates around the townRamsgate Festival of Sound invites visitors to explore the town through sound, celebrate local talent and discover new ways of engaging with what surrounds them![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-de8d08e9-f4fa-4d33-9c55-c43b08e22592.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/208-240825-937-ef053add-af63-46d9-91ab-6139caac46bf.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/) Turner Contemporary in Margate hosts an evening of music, poetry, food and more, themed around Hulda Guzmán’s amazing 'Please awake – asked nature kindly on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/turner-lates-hulda-guzm%C3%A1n?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Hulda Guzmán’s world of wonder and exploration at Turner ContemporaryDominican artist Hulda Guzmán’s first European exhibition tracks her evolution across a decade work![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-8a84b65d-8919-4d18-bd55-c8336ed820f2.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_1670--1--997080dd-89d2-44b4-a655-76ba60f0b34f.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-hulda-guzmans-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly-at-turner-contemporary/) Bimba Champion, Rupert Willard and Death Row Ceramics are teaming up for The Garden of Earthly Delights, a group art show featuring ceramics, prints and drawings at the Italianate Glasshouse in Ramsgate from Friday to Sunday. More than 25 buildings and other locations around Thanet will take part in this year’s nationwide Heritage Open Days, which runs from Friday until September 20\. Venues include the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs, The Italianate Greenhouse in Ramsgate, and Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate. [Find out more](https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/whats-on/search-2026-events.html?view=list&searchQuery=&locationQuery=thanet&distance=&startDate=&endDate=&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Snake Oil Barbecue will be popping up at Staples in Ramsgate on Friday, for a night of fire-cooked meat and wine. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/snakeoilbarbecue/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Shell Grotto in Cliftonville will be giving a behind-the-scenes tour of the conversation work taking place at the tourist attraction on Friday. [Tickets £36.50](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/shellgrottoltd/2118778?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folk-electronica act Lunatraktors perform an experimental cabaret version of their show Mists of Time at The Alley Bay in Ramsgate on Friday. [Tickets from £20](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/lunatraktors-present-timeweavers?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. For Roald Dahl Day, Little Ravens in Ramsgate is putting on a magic potion making workshop on Saturday. Suitable for children 5+. [Tickets £16](https://www.littleravens.co.uk/event-details-registration/roald-dahls-magical-potion-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Song in a Day returns to ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday, with attendees spending the day learning Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. [Tickets £25](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/song-in-a-day-running-up-that-hill-tickets-1989228035603?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Free Association is running an improv comedy taster session at Cloud Zen in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £20](https://thefreeassociation.arlo.co/w/courses/147-improv-dropin-taster-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Irish duo Morrissey and Marshall perform at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £20](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/morrissey-and-marshall/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Junkoactive Wasteman brings his particular brand of EBM (electronic bean music) to Where Else in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £12](https://www.gigantic.com/the-junkoactive-wasteman-the-tin-can-twins-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-09-12-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The 2026 Walpole Aquathon is set to take place on Sunday. There are two races - 750km swim and 5km run or 1500km swim and 10 run. [Entry £25](https://www.walpoleaquathlon.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cookie Man is holding the business’s fifth birthday party at Lowlife on Sunday with treats including a giant birthday cake cookie. Look Mum No Computer closes Ramsgate Festival of Sound with a special homecoming show at the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate on Sunday. [Tickets £21.70](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ramsgatefestivalofsound1/2305154?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Look Mum No Computer: “Eurovision was like a life check up”Four months on from representing the UK at Eurovision, Look Mum No Computer returns with a homecoming show as part of this year’s Ramsgate Festival of Sound![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-33074ca0-384a-4f35-86d2-e5050e28ea88.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/look_mum_no_computer_main-11f02e94-a24a-4277-898f-08cce0ea28da.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/eurovision-was-like-a-life-check-up-look-mum-no-computer-prepares-for-ramsgate-homecoming-show/) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Masterchef finalist to open new Margate restaurant and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-masterchef-the-professionals-finalist-to-open-new-margate-restaurant/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T07:00:24.000Z **Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Mark O’Brien is set to open new restaurant Flint Chophouse at The Centre in Margate**. The “destination chophouse restaurant” will take over what was formerly the Messiah Riff Audio recording studio. In a planning application, Mark says the venue will be a **“a high end fit out” that will “encourage a new audience to this part of The Centre.”** Mark was previously head chef at Willy’s in Cliftonville before stepping down in June. **He will revive his Snake Oil BBQ pop-up at Staples in Ramsgate this Friday**. [Behind the scenes of MasterChef: The Professionals with finalist Mark O’BrienExposing and exhausting but a real honour; Margate chef Mark O’Brien recounts the road to becoming a Masterchef: The Professionals finalist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-6044b8f9-db91-4d1f-894d-18b738c5d207.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/ME9B5399-5bc66c16-d808-4cc4-af77-549cebf47a65.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/its-very-exposing-says-margates-masterchef-the-professionals-finalist/) **Little Wave deli in Broadstairs has made it to the final three in the Independent Retailer category at this year’s Taste of Kent Awards**. “An absolutely mind blowing result for us, as a tiny shop in a beautiful seaside town, still in its first year,” say the shop’s owners. “We work so hard to support local suppliers and we're extremely lucky to have such brilliant products to fill our shelves.” **The overall winner will be announced in October**. **Broadstairs restaurant 27 Harbour Street has announced its closure**. “After a great deal of thought we have made the difficult decision to close our doors,” says owners Jan and Katherine Wyatt in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcy8pb9jcAV/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). “As some of you will know, this past year has been a particularly difficult one for us personally and as a family.” **Formerly known as Wyatt & Jones, the popular restaurant was renamed in 2023 and has operated for nearly 15 years**. **Another closure in Broadstairs, Twist’s pizzeria will shut its doors permanently this weekend**. Opened last year, the restaurant’s owner Neal Parton said in a statement last month that “increased costs driven by government policy” and “the continued negative publicity surrounding anti-social behaviour in and around Broadstairs” were to blame for the decision. **Felicity’s cafe in Quex Park is set to close at the end of October** due to issues with the building’s planning permission. Owners Laura Newbery and Molly Stephens say that when they took on the cafe in 2020, they were not made aware that its temporary planning permission had expired in 2018\. Only discovering this in 2023, they have been trying to secure the venue’s long term future since. “While we are devastated, we are also incredibly proud,” they say in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/DcrLSz8jGaJ/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Their other cafe, Flowers & Felicity’s in Broadstairs, is unaffected**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **New Broadstairs brunch and dinner destination No 23 has opened its doors**. It offers a menu of all day breakfast items and amazing looking burgers. **Find it at 23 Albion Street**. **The Foxling’s Den play den** for children up to three and a half years old opens at its **new location in Paragon Works in Ramsgate today.** [**Book a session**](https://thefoxlingsden.setmore.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Community Gallery** has put out a **call for artists to submit to its upcoming first exhibition A Postcard From Ramsgate** at Plunder Books. Submissions must be A5 size and made available for sale. £5 entry fee per work. **Email** [**communitygalleryramsgate@gmail.com**](mailto:communitygalleryramsgate@gmail.com) **for full details. Entry deadline September 21**. While your mind’s on Ramsgate, the **Thanet Trust is asking people to create a repeating pattern that makes them think of the town**. Put it on fabric, wallpaper, mugs, anything you like. The best will be included in the upcoming Ramsgate New History Exhibition in November. **Email** [**admin@tcdt.org.uk**](mailto:admin@tcdt.org.uk) **for more information and to submit**. *Image credit: BBC/Shine TV* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #119: Look Mum No Computer, new restaurants, bingo raves URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-119-look-mum-no-computer-new-restaurants-bingo-raves/ Last updated: 2026-09-05T14:01:34.000Z How was your bank holiday weekend? Ours consisted of a glorious few days at Smugglers Festival. Well, glorious aside from the downpour on Saturday morning when we learned that our tent was not, in fact, waterproof. It’s such a magical little festival with so many chapters. Musical highlights included headline sets from Bub L’Buz and Mermaid Chunky, a frantic midnight show by University, beautiful layered loops of violins from Anna Phoebe, a 5am trad folk session, and an unexpected collaboration from Jack Goldstein and Fruit Band. Also, special mention has to go to the amazing performance of Rage Against The Machine’s second album Evil Empire that closed out the weekend. There was also an incredible grilled mackerel dinner that I’m not going to forget in a hurry, hours spent watching a professional fire builder at work, and the always entertaining sock wrestling tournament. If you’ve never made it to Smugglers, put it on your bucket list now. It’s so much fun, and is filled with so many familiar Thanet faces that it feels like a big end of summer party surrounded by friends. There’s more strange and intriguing music coming our way next weekend at this year’s Ramsgate Festival of Sound. Ahead of that, for this week’s feature we spoke to Look Mum No Computer, who will be headlining the closing show of the weekend at the Granville Theatre. He chatted to us about his plans for the performance and his experience of representing the UK at Eurovision. We’ve also got lots of news from across Thanet - including, sadly, the closures of some popular venues - and a whole load of upcoming things to do, including live music, art workshops, and the “original bingo rave”. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From Eurovision to Ramsgate: Look Mum No Computer's homecoming show URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/eurovision-was-like-a-life-check-up-look-mum-no-computer-prepares-for-ramsgate-homecoming-show/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T10:09:47.000Z With the dust now settled on his stellar performance at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Sam Battle - better known as Look Mum No Computer - is set to play a triumphant homecoming show when he closes this year’s Ramsgate Festival of Sound. Already popular on YouTube for his experiments building wild and wonderful musical instruments, Sam captured the hearts (if not the points) of millions of people around the world in May this year. As the UK’s Eurovision entrant, his song Eins Zwei Drei and the accompanying performance put forward a big budget version of his ongoing work without distilling the joy and enthusiasm at the heart of it. Back home, he is heavily involved with Ramsgate’s vibrant experimental music scene and is the owner of the treasure trove of old tech that is This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete. He also has an interesting history with Ramsgate Festival of Sound, which returns for its ninth edition of September 10-13. In 2021, he created the [Teletubby Tidal Wave](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ18ZpM1yfM&ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a pulsating army of 90s toys that formed part of the festival’s annual Sonic Trail. Then in 2024, he composed [a mini-album of songs inspired by Ramsgate](https://lookmumnocomputer.bandcamp.com/album/portakosmo-20?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) over the course of a week, before performing them live at the festival’s opening concert. As he prepares for the Granville Theatre show, he explains how Eurovision fits into his ever growing list of projects and what effect performing in front of an audience of millions has had on his life. **How was your Eurovision experience? Would you do anything differently?** The Eurovision experience was… well, an experience! It taught me a lot of things and was also exceptionally enjoyable. It was like a life check up. I have spent so many years out of the loop and working a lot by myself with music and making things. Being thrust back into such a world was actually quite refreshing. It reminded me of how the world worked out of my odd box of making videos and music and machines. I look back at it as a big checkpoint in my life that I am proud of doing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/09/sam_battle_landscape_1.jpeg) Sam back at This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete. **Photo: Strange Tourist* **Has life changed for you since the contest?** Not really! Not for better or worse. Which is great. I intended to go and do it for the experience of seeing what it was like and that's exactly what I did. It was another project for me. Like making a large music machine, it was something I sunk my teeth into. Then I got home and started working on the next project and plan. People stop me every couple of days with a smile on their faces, which is nice. Especially the kids. They seemed to like the song and it makes me happy that I made them happy! [Interview: UK Eurovision star Look Mum No Computer’s music and sound tech museumEver had the urge to push a mystery button? Strange Tourist visits This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, where visitors are invited to do just that. Visitors are encouraged to make music and sound with old tech (whether it was designed to or not) and in the process learn about how it works![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-6af7d149-4b09-48a3-894d-dce7c032c458.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/sam_battle_landscape_1-5-f576268c-22fe-4d77-a804-df66f903f457.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/) **How does it feel coming back to perform in Ramsgate after Eurovision?** Yeah, cool! The folk of Ramsgate seemed to really enjoy my involvement in the Eurovision. A lot of folk were proper enthusiastic, so it’s nice to play a show after the fact. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/09/30-240822-800.jpg) Sam at Ramsgate Festival of Sound 2024\. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* **What have you got planned for your Ramsgate Festival of Sound show at the Granville?** Still working out exactly what to do. But people I think are expecting Eins Zwei Drei, so likely a set with a few extra bits and bobs! **You’ve been involved in several editions of RFoS with different projects. What makes the festival special and what have been your highlights?** It’s a good focus point for an excuse to work on a project. It was the impetus to finish the Teletubby Tidal Wave, which I had been collecting Teletubbies for for a couple of years. And making an EP inspired by a week looking about Ramsgate. It's always a kick in the posterior to get some things done you wouldn’t usually do! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/09/teletubbies_landscape.jpeg) The Teletubby Tidal Wave at This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete. **Photo: Strange Tourist* **What else are you looking forward to seeing at RFoS this year?** I'm on at the end of it. So sod’s law I’ll be fussing and being anxious about getting ready for it. I'll be on work mode until I finish playing - been asked to do something so I gotta do it proper! But I’ll definitely be looking around. Even if my mind will be racing, ha! There is always a silver lining to performing or being programmed at the start of an event. Haha. [Ramsgate Festival of Sound’s impact resonates around the townRamsgate Festival of Sound invites visitors to explore the town through sound, celebrate local talent and discover new ways of engaging with what surrounds them![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-e7fb0487-b52d-4691-9aa8-05ac84fffd25.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/208-240825-937-b3911315-55f9-4e43-b4ad-fa3fe0a78b26.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/) **Outside of Ramsgate Festival of Sound, Ramsgate seems to have a vibrant experimental music scene. Is it a good place to try things out?** Yes, there are lots of folk who are involved in doing things and making sounds and sound pieces. The electronic night \[Ramsgate Noise Institute\] that is on every month and the Synth Club at the museum every month is cool. Nice to see folk getting involved and playing! *Look Mum No Computer closes this year’s Ramsgate Festival of Sound with a headline show at the Granville Theatre on Sunday, September 13\.* *Support comes from Big Woes, who we* [*interviewed last year*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-band-big-woes-on-the-towns-personal-and-human-music-scene/)*. See the full line up for this year’s festival and book tickets at* [*https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/*](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *Sam will also be touring the UK in November, with European dates set to follow in February.* [*Find out more*](https://www.lookmumnocomputer.com/oldwelcome?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Lead image credit: Melanie King ### Incoming: Margate Bookie, Dolly Parton tribute, wine tour and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-margate-bookie-dolly-parton-tribute-wine-tour-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T07:00:51.000Z ## Dates for your diary **The Margate Bookie literary festival has announced the full programme for this year**. Taking place on **17-18 October**, there will be talks from authors Booker longlisted Rebecca Perry, broadcaster Gemma Cairney, music journalist Sylvia Patterson and Michael Sheen-backed Maya Jordan, plus workshops covering life writing, comedy, graphic novels and reinvigorating your creativity. [**See the full programme and book tickets**](https://www.margatebookie.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Queer Cxntry is putting on a special night in tribute to Dolly Parton**, following her death this week. Taking place at **Olby’s in Margate on Thursday, September 17**, there will be a cabaret singalong, Dolly lookalike competition, and live covers set from Pink Suits & The Northdown Rodeo. [**Tickets £12.50**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/39061/queer-cxntry-dolly-parton-tribute?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Offvine’s final Kent wine tour of the year setting off from Margate takes place on Sunday, September 19**. Picking up from Margate station, you’ll spend the day visiting independent vineyards and tasting their still and sparkling wines. [**Places £125**](https://www.offvine.co.uk/tours/p/margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Kent’s best vineyards to visit for wine and toursBritain’s growing wine industry is becoming ever more significant as the climate changes. With more than 150 vineyards in Kent, here are some of our favourites that you can visit![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-cfd162a0-0c24-40d6-8eb1-185b61f9be7d.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/matthieu-joannon-6ciLddToTgM-unsplash-d6a26861-d79b-45e2-94db-f801c67f841e.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/11-vineyards-in-kent-for-you-to-swill-and-swish-at/) **Finnish author Lottie Saahko** will be celebrating the release of her first novel in English, Lumi and the Wolf, at the **Best of Times bookshop in Broadstairs on Saturday, September 26**. Taking inspiration from the diary kept by Lumi in the story, Lottie will lead children in a workshop to create their own forest diaries, using writing and craft. Suitable for ages 9+. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.bestoftimesbooks.com/shop/p/lotte-saahko-forest-diary-workshop-ages-9?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet Alive is coming back for a second year**, putting on an exhibition showcasing the district’s best emerging artists. **Catch it at the Margate School of Art on September 23-25**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Vaults Comedy returns to Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday, October 8** with Patrick Monahan, Joe Bor, Father JC and Madeleine Brettingham. [**Tickets £18**](https://www.ramsgatearts.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Turner Contemporary in Margate has announced an evening of music, poetry, food and more**, themed around Hulda Guzmán’s amazing 'Please awake – asked nature kindly at the gallery. Taking place on **Thursday, September 10**, the gallery will be open after hours with a programme of events going on until late. [**Free tickets**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/turner-lates-hulda-guzm%C3%A1n?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Hulda Guzmán’s world of wonder and exploration at Turner ContemporaryDominican artist Hulda Guzmán’s first European exhibition tracks her evolution across a decade work![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-14ccb96f-c870-4184-b412-fe1deba647c6.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_1670--1--15c77808-1f41-4cfc-b13a-29b148808523.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-hulda-guzmans-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly-at-turner-contemporary/) **For Roald Dahl Day this year, Little Ravens in Ramsgate is putting on a magic potion making workshop on Saturday, September 12**. Head down to make the BFG’s dream potions, Fizzy Lifting Drinks from Willy Wonker’s factory, and George’s Marvellous Medicine. Suitable for children 5+. [**Tickets £16**](https://www.littleravens.co.uk/event-details-registration/roald-dahls-magical-potion-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Classical open mic night Totally Classical is back at Rosslyn Court in Cliftonville on Wednesday, September 9**. Grab an instrument and head down to perform (a piano is provided), or just sit in the audience and listen. **Free Entry**. **The Little Brick House Lego building cafe in Ramsgate will be putting on an adults-only evening on Saturday, September 26**. Delve into the venue’s vast selection of sets without any little people running around. **Tickets £12\.** [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/thelittlebrickhousecafe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Shell Grotto in Cliftonville will be giving a behind-the-scenes tour of the conversation work taking place at the tourist attraction on Friday, September 11**. Award-winning conservator Rob Smith will be giving live demonstrations and lead a workshop for attendees to create their own shell mosaics. Your entry fee includes the tour, materials and prosecco. [**Tickets £36.50**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/shellgrottoltd/2118778?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (August 31 - September 6) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-august-31-september-6/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T07:00:46.000Z Check out our guide to what’s on this bank holiday Monday: [Things to do this August bank holiday around ThanetHere’s how to spend your August bank holiday in Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs and further afield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-9c2a4166-cd19-4772-81af-00ac27a2266e.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/oleksii-tsaryuk-Yh88Ag5d98M-unsplash-2d4b8a50-fb6d-4b8d-bbee-55c480af1ac5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-this-august-bank-holiday-weekend-in-thanet/) Nish Kumar will play two tour warm up shows at Where Else in Margate on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sold out, of course. [But try your luck on the waiting list](https://dice.fm/venue/where-else-r76q?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Good Good Film Club will be showing “a moody New York lesbian drama” as its next secret film screening at Margate Arts Club on Wednesday. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38607/good-good-film-club-10?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (or £15 with pizza). The London Podcast Festival returns to King’s Place in London from Thursday to September 13\. [See the full programme](https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/london-podcast-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Dream-folk four-piece Something Sleeps perform at Rosslyn Court in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Tickets £13.20](https://www.rosslyncourt.com/events/something-sleeps?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Blues duo Robin Bibi & David Raphael play The Honeysuckle Inn in Ramsgate on Thursday. Free entry and 20% off bottles of wine. Neptunes Choir are putting on a summer festival at the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs on Friday with various other musical performers. [Tickets £15](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neptunes-summer-festival-tickets-1988898493935?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pro Wrestling Colossus celebrates its second birthday with Coastal Clash 3 at St John’s Community Centre on Saturday. [Tickets £15](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/prowrestlingcolossus/1980888?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Pro Wrestling Colossus is bodyslamming the drama to MargateAhead of its biggest show to date, Pro Wrestling Colossus co-founder TK Cooper discusses the creativity of pro wrestling and the rapid growth of the Margate scene![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-e4c9e017-8717-4787-9643-c43ee233d57e.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/tk_cooper-1-e2a4a0a9-2421-4897-831f-5b580279f921.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pro-wrestling-colossus-is-bodyslamming-the-drama-to-margate/) Elevate Sound will be hosting a sound bath at The Falstaff in Ramsgate on Sunday. [Tickets £25](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/relaxing-sound-bath-a-golden-hour-just-for-you-in-ramsgate-tickets-1990168644991?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bookshare by the Sea takes place at the Garden Gate Project in Cliftonville on Sunday, 2-4pm. [Join the WhatsApp group](https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fchat.whatsapp.com%2FBAFL4IAL9kWJ3X1IjMJJeW%3Fmode%3Dgi%5Ft%26utm%5Fsource%3Dig%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial%26utm%5Fcontent%3Dlink%5Fin%5Fbio%26fbclid%3DPAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAae782JeNnJ-K2UIweCcdLB5F3a-zsSHeV8hDfcFfNvoT7d3m5LC7id3eJ5uHA%5Faem%5FSLBBGaixPkDE98trkg8AUQ&e=AUDr7xHFfPaecmOUSMylQjFSHQbukeHHy76EZxnP0FiawcxazjDirkbn0AzaossAjQJVmFktaaDK8e2ZVmk5kwyL%5F6gW4mqet3wqPvrMByqJ7Cxq3KSr0yPoKasoVC20d4mklnz%5F5IosJsW2vE7CZq7khy5G&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Community Dips will be putting on its last sea swim social of the summer on Sunday at Walpole Bay tidal pool. Enjoy a dip, barbecue and the sunset from 5.30pm. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Pierremont Park depot buyer withdraws from sale and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-pierremont-park-depot-buyer-withdraws-from-sale-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T07:00:06.000Z **The sale of the Pierremont Park depot in Broadstairs has fallen through after its buyer withdrew**. Thanet District Council announced the sale to an unnamed buyer earlier this month. **Broadstairs Town Council also bid on the building, hoping to keep it for community use**. “We are hopeful that this means TDC will reconsider our bid which demonstrates the value of keeping the site in public possession,” says Broadstairs & St Peters Mayor George Rusiecki. [**View the Broadstairs & St Peters bid**](https://www.broadstairs.gov.uk/town-council-publish-the-unsuccessful-bid-to-acquire-pierremont-depot-from-tdc/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Community Cinema has been longlisted for BIFA’s Cinema of the Year award**. The winner will be chosen via a public vote. You have until September 21 to cast yours. The winner will be revealed at a ceremony on December 6\. [**Vote now**](https://www.bifa.film/coty-vote/?cinema=ramsgate-community-cinema&utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAafBlmZ94plmhIawqx8pHjr7-ybS8PN9toB09lgxmIWXBegFOBb5cFwJAyB2Mg%5Faem%5F5ucNRSTD6WWOL1-UZp8D9Q). **The Instagram account of the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville has vanished** without a trace, taking its 8000 followers with it. If you were one of them (or even if you weren’t), you can [**follow the venue’s new account**](https://www.instagram.com/tomthumbtheatre.margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to stay up to date with what’s going on there. **The planning permission application for the long-awaited new skatepark on the former putting green at Ethelbert Crescent in Cliftonville has been submitted**. Documents show the proposed design for the park, along with other information. “The space has been designed as a meeting point for the entire community, promoting physical and social activity,” says a statement. [**See the application**](https://planningandbuildingcontrol.thanet.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=219992&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **New restaurant Little Kraken in Ramsgate opens its bar today at 5pm**. Situated on York Street, it will be selling discounted drinks and food samples until 9pm. **The kitchen is set to open on September 10, with a menu including seafood, steak and oysters**. **Turner Contemporary in Margate has partnered with Circular Margate and Arts Council England** for a long-term project looking at **how the gallery can develop a circular system for using materials**. Over two years, the project intends to map and make visible the material flows associated with its exhibitions programme, to intercept and redirect materials to projects within the galleries, and to significantly reduce its material waste and associated carbon emissions. **The wider aim is to develop a blueprint for circular systems in galleries and museums**. **New Margate Old Town bar Bohemia will be opening up this weekend and bank holiday Monday** to give a sneak peak at the new venue. **Its official opening is set to take place in September**. **Walpole Aquathon has put a call out for volunteers** to help monitor the beach and pool alongside the RNLI team. You will help to ensure the safety of people competing in the event and spectators. [**Sign up**](https://www.walpoleaquathlon.co.uk/volunteer?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #118: Even more bank holiday things to do URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-11-even-more-bank-holiday-things-to-do/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T10:59:04.000Z We had the pleasure of hosting some friends who haven’t been down this way for five years last weekend. They’ve always enjoyed coming here but kept enthusing about how much Thanet has changed since they were last here. That is one of the things that makes writing this newsletter so exciting. This place is ever changing, and continues to punch above its weight when it comes to its cultural offerings. For a weekend visitor, the choice isn’t what to do but what to leave out. The same is true for people who live here, of course, as new and exciting things continue to land on our doorsteps. Now, while the weather's gone a little bit will it/won’t it, that doesn’t change the fact that the bank holiday weekend is here. And speaking of potential choice paralysis, there is a heck of a lot going on if you’re looking for things to do. So much choice is there, in fact, that we’re re-running our guide to what’s on over this weekend and into the bank holiday Monday. We added so much to the list over the last week, it seemed appropriate to highlight it once again. As well as that, we’ve got even more things to do in the days following the bank holiday and through the coming months, including a new seafood restaurant opening for Ramsgate, an update on Cliftonville’s massive new skatepark, this year’s Margate Bookie literary festival and more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Things to do this August bank holiday weekend in Thanet and beyond URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-this-august-bank-holiday-weekend-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T12:37:55.000Z We’ve got three days of no work coming up. How are you going to spend August bank holiday? We’ve rounded up the best things to do in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate this August bank holiday to make your long weekend a breeze, whether you’re looking for club nights, gigs, galleries or a new pop up restaurant to try. Break days up at the beach with exhibitions, a meal out, puppets and nights out. Catch a film, relax at a gong bath, take the family to see some art or even have a go at improv comedy - find something to do with our guide of the best events and shows this long weekend. We’ll continue to update this guide, so keep checking back in. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/CarlFreedman_LMG1install-1920x1440-1.jpg) Lindsey Mendick’s Where You And I Begin exhibition closes this weekend. **Photo: Carl Freedman Gallery* ### **Chilled things** **Kate Malyon and Margate Queer Library and Archive founder Dr Sé M. Nomyo** host a **sea swim-led writing workshop, Sunday, August 3o**. Gathering at **Flints Project Space** and open to all writing abilities, **Negate Gap at 10am, the two hour session** will start by watching Return to Water, a short film co-created by Sé and Kate, before the pair guide participants through a series of writing prompts and incorporate a swim into the session. [**Tickets**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38718/return-to-water-sea-swim-and-writing-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **are Pay What You Can**, and you'll need to bring swimming kit, something warm to change into afterwards, and preferred writing tools - notebook or laptop. **Cliftonville's Quench gallery** hosts **How Do You Keep Making?,** a **conversation about juggling creative practice with mental health and raising children**. On **Saturday, August 29, from 2pm-3pm**, artists Hannah Perry, Nicky Petrie and Rhys Coren delve into the issue, in a panel chaired by Rosie Reed held before the opening of the **group exhibition Where Is My Mind?** which runs until October 11\. [**Ticketed**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-do-you-keep-making-tickets-1998412165583?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Margate sculptor **Lindsey Mendick’s Where You And I Begin** wraps up at **Carl Freedman Gallery on Sunday.** Head over to have a look at times unsettling ceramics and an exhibition that looks at intimacy and co-dependency. It’s your last chance to catch the **final show** by the latest cohort of **Tracey Emin Artist Residency** artists. Representing 15 months of studio practice and artistic development at TKE Studios, the exhibition features work by nine artists. **Finishes Monday**. **Margate’s Pie Factory** hosts **Louise Reiger** and her exhibition **Anemoia, Thursday to Monday**. Taking inspiration from the 60s, 70s and 80s, the exhibition looks at memory and nostalgia for times one has never actually known. Another **exhibition closing on Monday,** this one at **The House Hotel** in Ramsgate. Artist **Caroline List** presents **Light Puzzle**, an exhibition that explores the emotional and spatial effects of colour and light. Exhibited works draw on colour theory, light contrasts and optical depth and explores abstraction through compositions and colour horizons. **Broadstairs Bandstand** puts on three afternoons of free music over the bank holiday. **Pulse 89, 3sT and Twice the Spice 35 on Saturday to Monday 2pm-4pm**. Little information is available for these, so the gigs are pot luck. **The Free Association** is running an **improv comedy** taster sessions at **Cloud Zen in Margate on Saturday**. The two hour workshops will be relaxed with no being put on the spot and no performance to an audience. It’ll give you an introduction to the skills developed in the company’s longer courses. [**Tickets £20**](https://thefreeassociation.arlo.co/w/courses/147-improv-dropin-taster-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Palace cinema** in Broadstairs screens **Lady**, featuring Fleabag’s Sian Clifford as a lunatic narcissistic aristocrat, Lady Isabella. She hires a struggling filmmaker to create a documentary about her, and things get weird as Lady Isabella searches for human connection and seeks to be seen. It’s on **Friday at 4.30pm, Saturday at 4.30pm and 7.30pm, and Sunday at 7pm.** [**Tickets £9**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/lady/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-8fdf8e0c-443d-46a6-8427-94a299e46626.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-36d57b97-c1e0-4c04-8f04-c0f9ac1155b6.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) **Floating Frequencies Soundbath** sets up its prayer bowls, tuning forks, crystals and gongs at **Bleak House**, for a restorative **bank holiday Monday gong bath**. Relax, heal, reenergise and potentially sleep through this immersive experience that strictly starts at 10am - no latecomers. Two spaces remain. Snap them up for[**£25 each**](https://www.eleanoryankah.com/event-details/floating-frequencies-at-bleak-house-31st-august-10am?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/hpps-1.jpg) Tiny Daniel Radcliffe returns to the big screen. **Image: Warner Bros. Pictures* ### **Family things** To mark the **25th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone**, the **Carlton cinema** in Westgate will be screening the movie from **Friday to Sunday.** [**Tickets from £4.35**](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/event/113160?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The bOing! Family Arts Festival** returns to **Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre on Saturday and Sunday**. Free to enter, many of the performances and activities are also free. Ticket prices for paid events are capped at £7.50\. [**See the full programme**](https://boingfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Problematic puppets **Punch and Judy** bring their domestic issues to **Viking Bay,** with the final two days of show **Saturday and Sunday, August 29-30\. Shows are free, and are at 11am, 12pm and 1pm.** ### **Food things** **Ramsgate's Royal Temple Yacht Club** will be cooking up a **barbecue on its sun terrace on Saturday and Sunday from 2.30pm**. A perfect opportunity to check out the venue's amazing views across the harbour. There will be **live music from Souther Country Rocks on Saturday**. **POM on the Pier** is gearing up for a party this weekend. **Open late on Saturday and Sunday**, head down to Margate's Harbour Arm for a **BBQ and Bank Holiday specials**, including **bottles of wine at happy hour prices**. Ahead of it's offical opening, new Ramsgate restaurant **Little Kraken** will opens its **bar today at 5pm**. Find it on York Street, for **discounted drinks and food samples until 9pm**. The kitchen is set to open on September 10, with a menu including seafood, steak and oysters. Another **end-of-summer BBQ**, brought to you by **Big Plates Forever** and hosted at Cliftonville's newest local boozer, **The Last Light**. Meat, veggie and vegan skewers and flatbreads are on the grill, which you can wash down with a cold pint or two. It's on **Sunday, August 3o, from 2pm**. **PomUS at Fort Road Hotel** hold a late dinner service on **Sunday, August 30,** and is open for **brunch on Monday, August 31, 11am-3pm**. [**Booking**](https://www.pomus.co.uk/pomusfortroad.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)recommended. **Friends of Foe and Komorebi Kitchen** will be teaming up for a special food **pop-up** at **HOFFS in Margate on Saturday and Sunday**. Fusing their Sri Lankan and Japanese cooking into one full-flavoured menu, they’ll be offering **three courses for £37\.** [**DM on Instagram to book**](https://www.instagram.com/friends%5Fof%5Ffoe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/Smugglers22-174.jpg) Grab last minute tickets for Smugglers. **Photo: Tilly May* ### **Going out things** The **George & Heart in Margate** is having a **Sunday Summer Closing Party** on **Sunday, August 30**. Running **5pm-9pm**, the grill will be fired up, and the tunes will be playing. Hospitality workers get a discount to say thanks for the summer season graft. Margate High Street sometimes-open bar, **Bar Bohemia opens on Friday, August 28 from 12pm**. From **9.15pm to 11.30pm,** the bar is throwing an **AfroLatino bash** for those who would like to get their boogie on. Ramsgate pub **Ravensgate** is opening on **Monday, August 30** so the crew can see off summer **Notting Hill Carnival style**. There will be rum cocktails and reggae, calypso, dancehall, rock steady, ska and dub from the speakers, when DJ Katmandude gets behind the decks 4pm-6pm. **Smugglers Festival** returns for woodland fun and late night lemon and spoon offs from Thursday to Sunday. The final few tickets remain, with weekend and family day tickets still available, [**from £92.70**](https://smugglersfestival.com/products/smugglers-festival-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Smugglers Festival’s journey to become a magical and mysterious summer highlightWith most of its stages hidden in woodland, Kent’s Smugglers Festival is an “inspiring and magical” experience, says programmer Stewart Hughes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-26873c97-116a-4568-b37c-3449187ad1e1.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Smugglers22-252-1-a0f666a3-91fb-40b9-b837-da605a7d83f5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/) Kick the long weekend off by reviving your teenage dance moves when **Fatboy Slim** plays **Dreamland on Friday**. It’s **sold out,** but check the various social, WhatsApp groups and [Twickets](https://www.twickets.live/en/event/2032137455229997056?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for last minute spare tickets. **Ramsgate Arts Club** will be **open from 7pm until 3am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday**. On Saturday night, **Lol Hammond** will be DJing funky house, beats and curve balls. Over in **Olby’s Soul Cafe**, alt karaoke night, **I’m Not Kara-okay** returns for the bank holiday for all the emo, punk and metal fans on **Friday. Doors at 8pm,** [**tickets £1**](https://www.seetickets.com/event/i-m-not-kara-okay-/olby-s-creative-hub/3677939?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**1**. Head to **Ramsgate** bar **Penelope** on **Saturday**, for **Ibiza DJs, small plates and wine**. **Summer’ween** is coming to **Where Else in Margate on Saturday**. It’s like Halloween but in the summer. Rock, punk, emo and metal club night Can’t Stop will be putting on a fancy dress party. Rock up in your best heat appropriate scary costume. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.gigantic.com/can-t-stop-summer-ween-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-08-29-21-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Balearic Boutique** will be taking over the **Sun Deck on Margate on Saturday** with **DJ Jo Mills** headlining the day. Drop in between **2pm and 10pm.** **Free entry**. **Queer cabaret** night **The Plague** is on at **Where Else** in Margate on **Saturday**. Hosted by **Freeda Nip and ELZ**, the event will raise money for Trans Club. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37677/margplague-queer-cabaret-night?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Soul Weekender** is bringing a taste of the festival to **Broadstairs on Sunday at The Pavilion, Harbour Street. Running 7pm-12am, Super Soul Sunday** sees classic soul, funk and rare grooves and a festival vibe fill the air and invites you to boogie along. [**Tickets £5.50**](https://www.seetickets.com/event/super-soul-sunday/the-pavilion/3708129?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Faith in Strangers** puts on a drum n bass night, with **Goldie** and his **Metalheadz Blue Note Sessions**. Featuring **Ed Rush and Bailey** also, this day party kicks off at **4pm on Sunday**, with[ **tickets £27.72**](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/metalheadz-dayparty-2026-08-30?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Once Metalheadz Blue Note Sessions is done and dusted, **Faith in Strangers** hosts 80s snooker champ **Steve Davis** and composer **Kavus Torabi** from **10pm on the Sunday,** [**Tickets £12.10**](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/steve-davis-kavus-torabi-dj-set-2026-08-30?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s **Neptune’s Fest** over at **Neptune’s Hall in Broadstairs on Sunday**. **DJs Rosy Ross, and Jonny Henfre**y will be spinning vinyl in the garden all afternoon, then **Briain Not Brian** will take to the decks in an after hours tent later. **Pizza and rotisserie chicken served 1-8pm. Free entry.** **Babyshambles** will be performing on Dreamland’s Scenic Stage on **Sunday**. Support from Big Special, Warm Duscher, Gans, and Pregoblin. [**Tickets £49.50**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/babyshambles/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Harry Baker, Cookie Man, Billy Wilder URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-harry-baker-cookie-man-billy-wilder/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T06:59:59.000Z **Harry Baker** **will be joined by fellow poet David Larbi** for the live recording of the season finale of his **Something Borrowed podcast at ARK in Cliftonville on Wednesday, October 28\.** [**Tickets £12**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/something-borrowed-season-finale-ft-david-larbi-tickets-1992425935608?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You can also catch Harry Baker on **We Are Here Coffee’s next Tiny Roastery Concert livestream on Saturday, September 26\.** [**Tickets £1**2](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35932/tiny-roastery-concert-harry-baker?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), raising money for Scope. **New poetry night WOSAPPNIN?! is set to launch at ARK in Cliftonville on Thursday, September 17**. Hosted by Curly Wordy and Kareem Parkins-Brown, it will then take place on every third Thursday of the month. **Free entry**. **M2C** \- the new solo guise of award-winning composer Raven Bush - will perform live at **Ramsgate Arts Club on Sunday, October 25**. Expect an exciting mix of strings and modular synths. Also performing will be COMB - aka Ollie Briggs and Django Django’s Jim Dixon - and Richard Pike. [**Tickets £7**](https://salmonuniverse.sumupstore.com/product/resonant-coast-7?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Fashion stylist Katy England and Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie will be the guests at the next Sound Values**. Taking place at **Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Sunday, October 4**, they will discuss the music that has shaped their careers and their life as a couple. [**Tickets £22**](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/sound-values-w-bobby-gillespie-katy-england-2026-10-04?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Palace Cinema in Broadstairs has announced a season of Billy Wilder films**, running until October. Classics to be shown including The Apartment, Double Indemnity, and Some Like It Hot. [**See the full programme**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/nobodys-perfect-the-films-of-billy-wilder/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-d797ffb4-1d04-47c3-b967-a3d8d476d352.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-2d0118ad-61fa-434c-afcd-0ed9cf87ac75.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) **Cookie Man is celebrating five years** of serving up the world’s best cookies this year and he’s having a party to mark the occasion. Taking place at **Lowlife in Cliftonville on Sunday, September 13**, you’ll have the chance to grab a slice of a giant birthday cake cookie. There’ll also be a raffle with prizes including the **chance to have Cookie Man himself come to your house and bake for you**. **Actual living legend David Rodigan is coming to the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday, December 12**. Before a full DJ set, he will start the night talking through the stories behind the music and his almost 50 year career with an audience Q&A. [**Tickets £19.83**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/7dxw8v-david-rodigan-decks-dialogue-dj-set-qa-12th-dec-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=10201174&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1593583995267251096&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1Xc1SUszTzVNMTMxSbavK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBADofCEWOwAAAA%3D%3D). **Mr Teds will be back with his excellent quiz night all around Thanet next month**. Catch him at Margate Beach Club on Wednesday, September 9, Neptune’s Hall in Broadstairs on Thursday, September 10, and the Honeysuckle Inn in Ramsgate on Thursday, September 17\. **Award-winning folk duo The Woodgies** will be performing an intimate show at **Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, February 13**. Currently preparing for the release of their new EP, their latest single Caught in a Wave came out last month. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/the-woodgies/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you fancy some folk sooner than that, **dream-folk four-piece Something Sleeps** will be performing at **Rosslyn Court in Cliftonville on Thursday, September 3.** Expect lush vocal harmonies and soulful strings. [**Tickets £13.20**](https://www.rosslyncourt.com/events/something-sleeps?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Irish duo Morrissey and Marshall** are set to return to the stage for the first time in six years at **Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, September 12**. Following two acclaimed albums, they went on hiatus in 2019\. Now they’re back with new songs, which they’ll be testing out at this intimate show. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/morrissey-and-marshall/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **DJ TBX has announced a beginner DJ class for women over 30**. Taking place in the basement at **HOFFS in Margate on Wednesday, September 9**, she’ll guide you through the basics of mixing and curating music. Everything you need will be provided. [**Tickets £100**](https://dj-tbx.com/the-beat-retreat-academy/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (August 24-30) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-august-24-30/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T15:36:06.000Z Check out our full guide to what's on over the bank holiday weekend: [Things to do this August bank holiday around ThanetHere’s how to spend your August bank holiday in Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs and further afield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-e6cfd6a9-26e2-41c9-824c-b406e5779e57.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/oleksii-tsaryuk-Yh88Ag5d98M-unsplash-d218e77f-ebaf-4d47-86f4-4318f1303e2a.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-this-august-bank-holiday-weekend-in-thanet/) DJ Joe Corbani is offering free DJ lessons for kids in Broadstairs on Wednesday. Aimed at children aged 8-14, they’ll get hands-on experience with real DJ equipment and learn the basics of mixing. No prior experience necessary. [DM Joe for more info](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMuzLYeg4vg/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Delve into Cliftonville West’s Jewish history on a Jewish Thanet walking tour on Wednesday evening. [Tickets £23](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-jewish-history-of-cliftonville-west-evening-walking-tour-tickets-1994606604046?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Belair Lip Bombs are playing Where Else on Wednesday. A great band that will scratch an itch for you if you missed fellow Melbournian Courtney Barnett at the venue earlier this year. [Tickets £14.91](https://www.gigantic.com/the-belair-lip-bombs-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-08-26-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Children’s author Lucy Strange will be celebrating the publication of her debut YA novel Cut Him Out in Little Stars with an event at the Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop in Broadstairs on Thursday. [Tickets £5](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cut-him-out-in-little-stars-publication-day-author-event-with-lucy-strange-tickets-1993547501241?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Author Jacqueline Crooks will be discussing her new novel Sky City at the Fort Road Hotel on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sky-city-with-jacqueline-crooks-tickets-1996797188142?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). To mark the 25th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the Carlton cinema in Westgate will be screening the movie Friday to Sunday. [Tickets from £4.35](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/event/113160?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Fatboy Slim will DJ on Dreamland’s Scenic Stage on Friday. [Tickets £64.10](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/fatboy-slim/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Community Cinema is screening Moana and My Octopus Teacher on Dumpton Gap beach in Broadstairs on Friday. [Suggested donation £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-beach-screenings-august-28th-dumpton-gap-tickets-1995902482052?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Alt karaoke night I’m Not Kara-okay heads to Olby’s in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £10](https://dice.fm/event/pydqlw-im-not-kara-okay-alt-karaoke-28th-aug-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Brogdale Cider Festival takes place at Brogdale Farm in Faversham on Saturday and Sunday. [Adult tickets £15](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/brogdale-cider-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. The bOing! Family Arts Festival returns to Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre on Saturday and Sunday. [See the full programme](https://boingfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Friends of Foe and Komorebi Kitchen will cooking a Sri Lankan and Japanese fusion menu at HOFFS in Margate on Saturday and Sunday. Three courses for £37\. [DM on Instagram to book](https://www.instagram.com/friends%5Fof%5Ffoe/?e=384e8677-daeb-4e6d-92c0-b784de0e4a46&g=5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first Kent Radical Pride is set to take place in Dover on Saturday. [Full info on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/kent.radical.pride/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Free Association is running an introductory improv comedy class at Cloud Zen in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £20](https://thefreeassociation.arlo.co/w/courses/147-improv-dropin-taster-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Balearic Boutique will be taking over the Sun Deck in Margate on Saturday from 2-10pm with DJ Jo Mills headlining the day. Free entry. Queer cabaret night The Plague is on at Where Else in Margate on Saturday. Hosted by Freeda Nip and ELZ, the event will raise money for Trans Club. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37677/margplague-queer-cabaret-night?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rock, punk, emo and metal club night Can’t Stop is putting on a summer’ween fancy dress party at Where Else in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £7](https://www.gigantic.com/can-t-stop-summer-ween-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-08-29-21-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Kate Malyon and Sé Nomyo will screen their film Return To Water and lead a writing workshop at Flints Project Space in Newgate Gap on Sunday. Bring your swimming gear for a dip too. [Pay-what-you-can tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38718/return-to-water-sea-swim-and-writing-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s Neptune’s Fest over at Neptune’s Hall in Broadstairs on Sunday. DJs Rosy Ross, and Jonny Henfrey will be spinning vinyl in the garden all afternoon, then Brian Not Brian will take to the decks in an after hours tent later. Pizza and rotisserie chicken served 1-8pm. Free entry. Babyshambles play Dreamland on Sunday with support from Big Special, Warmduscher, Gans, and Pregoblin. [Tickets £49.50](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/babyshambles/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Knocking down an Argos, sweaty sea water and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-knocking-down-an-argos-sweaty-sea-water-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T10:17:49.000Z **A planning application** has been submitted proposing to **demolish the former Argos on Ramsgate High Street to replace it with a new building inspired by the Sangers Hotel** that previously stood on the site. “The design of the new building draws direct inspiration from the massing, scale, character and appearance of the historic Victorian façade of the former ‘Sanger's Amphitheatre’ and ‘Royal Palace Theatre’ that once occupied this prominent town centre site,” says a statement. **If approved, the new building will contain 28 flats and a ground floor gym.** [**See the application**](https://planningandbuildingcontrol.thanet.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=219981&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Sea Scrub Sauna’s next location has been approved**. The company plans to install a sauna on **Walmer beach, near Deal**. First announced in April, planning permission was granted by Dover District Council earlier this week. Not without a fight, however. Labour councillor Helen Williams expressed **concern that “people sweating in the sauna then washing the sweat off in the sea” would affect water quality and so opposed the move**. **Two restaurants in Thanet have been added to the Michelin Guide**. Plant-based restaurant [**The Aster in Broadstairs**](https://guide.michelin.com/th/en/kent/broadstairs/restaurant/aster-1245440?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) was opened by chef Luke Crittenden last November, and is newly included in the guide. Also making the cut is [**The Wellington in Margate**](https://guide.michelin.com/th/en/kent/margate/restaurant/the-wellington?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), which was opened last December by chef Billy Stock and his partner Ellie Topham. **Cliftonville’s Quench art gallery has reopened following a five month closure to carry out emergency building work**. In a statement last month, owners explained, “Back in March we had a major leak, and we’ve been working with our landlord and builders ever since to replace the gallery floor. It turns out that even with a few very spicy heatwaves, concrete takes a long time to dry!” **The first exhibition back will open on August 29\.** Titled Where Is My Mind?, the group show features work created by artists with experience of mental health challenges. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Children’s television memorabilia created by former Broadstairs resident Oliver Postgate and his colleague Peter Firmin raised over £400,000 at auction** earlier this month. The duo were the creators of programmes including Bagpuss, The Clangers, and Ivor the Engine through their company Smallfilms. Around 750 fans turned up to the auction at The Can­ter­bury Auc­tion Gal­ler­ies, as well as hundreds more online. [**Over 500 lots were sold**](https://www.thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com/auction-calender/902?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**, many far above their estimates**. The items were taken from Firmin’s personal archives, stored at his house in Blean. If you’ve ever fancied moving into beer-making, **the former Four Candles micro-brewery in St Peters is selling off its equipment, recipes and name**. Closed in December, Four Candles was officially Britain’s smallest brewpub. The pub itself has now been reopened under the name Trigger’s Broom, but is not brewing its own beer. **Anyone interested should email** [**mike@beaumontfamily.co.uk**](mailto:mike@beaumontfamily.co.uk). **Margate-based professional choir the Institute Collective is auditioning for tenors**. Applicants should have professional experience in contemporary and/or classical music and the ability to sight read. The deadline to apply is Monday, September 9\. [**Fill out this form**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qmhLyivddJq9QYrModqIW77QyN4Q4r5LSB6hJf%5FC7QE/viewform?edit%5Frequested=true&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #117: Bank holiday weekend, sweaty sea water, knocking down an Argos URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-117-bank-holiday-weekend-sweaty-sea-water-knocking-down-an-argos/ Last updated: 2026-08-22T07:00:20.000Z We went away camping last week, which was lovely, although it was almost too hot to function a lot of the time. So back in Thanet, we've quite been enjoying the stormy weather. Last night, the view out to sea was particularly dramatic. Maybe a good setting for a Scandi-noir. There is quite a lot of stuff coming up that's outside though, so maybe some balance can be struck over the next week or so. I don't know who to write to about that. We're rapidly heading towards the bank holiday weekend. And with such a bumper number of events going on, we've put together a guide to what's happening around Thanet from the Friday night all the way through to Monday. As well as that, we have, of course, rounded up all the latest news and things to do from around Thanet and beyond. I'm particularly excited about the Billy Wilder season at the Palace cinema, but there's lots more to ensure your diary is full this week and over the next few months. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Improv comedy classes, magic, book talks URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-improv-comedy-classes-magic-book-talks/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T07:00:50.000Z Fancy giving improv comedy a go? **The Free Association is running two taster sessions at Cloud Zen in Margate on August 29 and September 12**. Both two hour workshops will be relaxed with no being put on the spot and no performance to an audience. It’ll give you an introduction to the skills developed in the company’s longer courses. [**Tickets £20**](https://thefreeassociation.arlo.co/w/courses/147-improv-dropin-taster-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you like magic, **magician and mindreader Ian ‘Savvy’ Saville has two shows coming up in Thanet**. He will be hosting an afternoon tea at **The House in Ramsgate on Sunday, August 23\.** [**Tickets from £35**](https://thehouseatramsgate.co.uk/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). He will then perform his show The Deceptionist at **Santa Clara in Margate on Sunday, September 27\.** [**Tickets £22.38**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deceptionist-magic-mystery-and-mirth-tickets-1997438158301?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Also at The House in Ramsgate, Kent-based vineyard Chapel Down will be leading a wine tasting evening on Thursday, September 24**. You’ll get to sample a selection of its still and sparkling wines, as well as learning about the stories and craftsmanship behind them. [**Tickets £45**](https://thehouseatramsgate.co.uk/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Authors Adam Weymouth and Zoe Gilbert** will be discussing their work exploring and writing about nature at **the Best of Times book shop in Broadstairs on Tuesday, September 8**. Adam’s latest book Lone Wolf is the true story of tracking the route of a wolf across the Alps from Slovenia to Italy, while Zoe is a novelist whose work explores British folklore and its connection to the 21st century. [**Tickets £9**](https://www.bestoftimesbooks.com/shop/p/tue-8th-sept-rewilding-lone-wolves-and-bringing-nature-back-with-adam-weymouth-zoe-gilbert?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Queer cabaret night The Plague is on at Where Else in Margate on Saturday, August 29**. Hosted by Freeda Nip and ELZ, the event will raise money for Trans Club. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37677/margplague-queer-cabaret-night?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Author Jacqueline Crooks** will be discussing her new novel Sky City at the **Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, August 27**. Set in 1990s London, the book is a fateful story of friendship and redemption. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sky-city-with-jacqueline-crooks-tickets-1996797188142?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Adam Coney & Richard Pike** will be recording the follow-up to their 2025 improvised guitar and piano improv album Driftingland in a **live studio session at Big Jelly Studios in Ramsgate on Friday, September 25**. The duo invite the audience to be part of the recording. [**Tickets £7**](https://salmonuniverse.sumupstore.com/product/resonant-coast-7?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **(free for under 21s)**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. The next **Bookshare by the Sea** will take place at the **Garden Gate Project in Cliftonville on Sunday, September 6 from 2-4pm**. A book group with a difference, there is no set text. Just bring along a book you’ve loved (or loathed) recently to discuss with a friendly group of fellow readers. **Free**. **Club night Different Directions returns to Margate Arts Club in Cliftonville on Friday, September 25**. There will be DJ sets from Triangulator, DJ Lujoso, and J-Felix. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/38638?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **More than 25 buildings and other locations around Thanet will take part in this year’s nationwide Heritage Open Days**, which runs from **September 11-20**. The venues opening up to the public include the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs, The Italianate Greenhouse in Ramsgate, and Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate. [**Find out more**](https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/whats-on/search-2026-events.html?view=list&searchQuery=&locationQuery=thanet&distance=&startDate=&endDate=&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). To mark the 25th anniversary of the release of **Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone**, the **Carlton cinema in Westgate** will be screening the movie on **August 28-30\.** [**Tickets from £4.35**](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/event/113160?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Giant Coffee and Form Nutrition will be leading a guided walk along the Viking Coast on Sunday, August 23**. Starting in Margate, it will make stops in Broadstairs and Ramsgate, offering great views and conversation along the way. Starting at 9am, it will finish around 4pm. [**Places £20**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38640/fuelled-by-form-giant-x-the-laundrette-summer-hike?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Historian Dr Julia Phillips** will be giving her talk **The History of Witchcraft & Women: Magic, Rituals and the Patriarchy** twice at the **South Quay Shed in Whitstable on Thursday, September 24**. She will discuss the historical roots of witchcraft, how women were portrayed as dangerous and disruptive throughout history, and the rise of modern Pagan witchcraft. **Tickets £18\. Catch it at** [**5.30pm**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-history-of-witchcraft-women-magic-rituals-and-the-patriarchy-tickets-1993454438889?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **or** [**8pm**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-history-of-witchcraft-women-magic-rituals-and-the-patriarchy-tickets-1993527800315?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (August 17-23) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-august-17-23/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T10:18:15.000Z Lou Sanders and Stevie Martin will be performing a double bill of work-in-progress shows at Cliftonville’s Faith in Strangers on Monday. Both will perform 30 minutes of new material each. [Tickets £17.06](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/6do332-lou-sanders-stevie-martin-wip-17th-aug-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Queers will be heading out on an ecology walk around Dane Park on Tuesday evening, 6-7.30pm. All welcome. [Pay-what-you-can tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38478/wild-queers-queer-ecology-walkwheel?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). DJ Joe Corbani is offering free DJ lessons for children aged 8-14 in Broadstairs on Wednesday. [DM Joe for more info](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMuzLYeg4vg/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [School summer holidays: Things to do in Thanet and East KentYour guide to keeping the kids busy through the school holidays this July and August in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-b22304ab-e28d-473e-baab-d3b0ce209d72.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/ashton-bingham-SAHBl2UpXco-unsplash-d04a01ae-1911-49e3-984c-2d109dba8460.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-broadstairs-ramsgate-kent-london-summer-holiday-survival-guide/) Find out everything you ever wanted to know about seaweed on a walk around Dumpton Gap in Broadstairs with Thanet Coast Project from 10.30am on Thursday. [Suggested donation £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seaweed-their-secrets-dumpton-gap-2026-tickets-1992827199800?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Clare Evans will be showing her new exhibition Stepmothers at The Romantic in Cliftonville From Friday until Wednesday, celebrating stepmothers and blended families. [Find out more](https://www.clareevansartist.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Margate Winter Gardens will be opening up its gardens on Saturday and Sunday for a weekend of fun. On Saturday, there will be live music, DJs, performances, food and pop-up bars. Sunday will be family focussed, with giant bubbles, balloon modelling, puppets, storytellings, martial arts, yoga and more. Free entry. The Palace cinema in Broadstairs will be screening David Byrne’s incredible American Utopia on Saturday and Sunday. [Tickets £9](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/david-byrnes-american-utopia/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-f8bba55f-a141-403b-81d9-ead4862b405a.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-ea41117c-301e-4b9a-aa22-33b45693683b.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) Bastille perform at Dreamland in Margate on Saturday night. [Tickets £60.95](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/bastille-2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Tideline is putting on a free coastal walk for young people aged 16-29 at Stone Bay in Broadstairs on Sunday at 11am. [Free tickets](https://luma.com/calendar/cal-F4uz896jreIsABG?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Small World Cinema will be putting on a day of film screenings and workshops for children at Turner Contemporary on Sunday. [Tickets from £3.50](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/family-film-day-small-world--august-cinema?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Image credit: Shervin Lainez* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Proposals to rebuild Ramsgate's Marina Bathing Pool get national exposure, and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-proposals-to-rebuild-ramsgates-marina-bathing-pool-get-national-exposure-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-16T07:00:28.000Z **Heritage Lab Ramsgate’s proposals to rebuild the Marina Bathing Pool in Ramsgate are** [**featured in the latest issue of Country Life Magazine**](https://www.countrylife.co.uk/countryside/riding-a-wave-is-the-tide-turning-for-seaside-heritage?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The article discusses the role historic seaside places can play in shaping thriving coastal communities, and also confirms that **discussions about the project with Thanet District Council and a developer are ongoing**. The bathing pool was demolished and replaced with a car park in the 1970s. “It is our responsibility not only to value seaside heritage because it tells us where we’ve come from, but because it can tell us where we’re going,” says CEO Rob Kenyon. [Heritage Lab’s plans to revitalise Ramsgate’s historic buildings and boost local prideRob Kenyon, CEO of Heritage Lab Ramsgate, discusses the organisation’s work to boost Ramsgate’s economy and pride in place by bringing derelict buildings![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-76ec43d0-f0c4-4dac-a6fe-37465d867d66.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Rob-Kenyon-Heritage-Lab-Ramsgate-11e07a2b-61e8-406d-89b4-2ca6abeeaab9.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/heritage-labs-plans-to-revitalise-ramsgates-historic-buildings-and-boost-local-pride/) **Thanet District Council has agreed the sale of the Pierremont Park depot in Broadstairs to an unknown commercial bidder**. This follows a campaign calling for Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Council to be allowed to take ownership of the plot for community use. **Campaign group Friends of Pierremont Park criticised the decision and said that it would continue to “fight this tooth and nail.”** **Dane Valley Woods is calling for volunteers to assist in clearing and replanting the acre of vegetation lost to a wildfire** \- now believed to be arson - earlier this month. August 16 and 30 will be taken up with clearance and preparation of the area. Then September 27 and October 25 will be given over to maintenance and replanting. [**Find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/p/Db3gAHNDDUK/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate’s in-house record label Wantsum Music has released the debut tracks by three Thanet-based musicians** aged between 15 and 18\. Collected together as an EP titled Chasing Stars, the songs are Appetite for Summer by soulful duo mood, Don't Need You by singer-songwriter Lois French, and Constellations by pianist and vocalist AZZA. [**Listen now on Bandcamp**](https://wantsummusic.bandcamp.com/album/chasing-stars?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Electronics has put out two new releases on cassette and download**. They are [The Joanne Duo by Yuku & Danny](https://margate-electronics.bandcamp.com/album/the-joanne-duo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), recorded live at Cafe Oto in London, and [(Ne)Žmogus by Tomas Jefanovas](https://margate-electronics.bandcamp.com/album/ne-mogus?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Neither release is available on streaming platforms**. **Filmmaker Sidonie Carey-Green has published her first book, Surveillance Technologies in Performance and Migration**. Based on her the Body as Data project, which transposed stories of migration into movement and dance along the East Kent coast, it’s out now via Bloomsbury. [**Find out more**](https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/surveillance-technologies-in-performance-and-migration-9781350556997/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: The Body As Data director Sidonie Carey-GreenStrange Tourist speaks to Sidonie Carey-Green about The Body As Data, a new film documenting real life stories of forced migration through dance and spoken word![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-ecf6927e-ec65-4956-b59a-2d63942bb566.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/BodyAsDataPinesCalyx-315-1-296a71cc-9779-459a-8305-096d3d051194.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-body-as-data-we-are-all-human-we-all-have-a-right-to-connection-expression-and-safety/) **101 Social’s Cliftonville Community Kitchen is currently raising funds** to keep it going while it awaits the outcome of several grant applications. **Every Sunday, the volunteer-run initiative provides freshly cooked meals to around 100 people**, using surplus ingredients donated by local organisations, traders and residents. Money raised will go towards takeaway boxes, extra ingredients, energy costs, equipment, repairs and maintenance. [**Donate now**](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-cliftonville-community-whilst-awaiting-grants/cl/o?cp%5Fsrc=d&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The White Room Meditation on Broadstairs High Street is set to close on Saturday, August 29**. However, it’s not the end. **Owner Michelle will continue to offer services online, and her workshops and classes will be mobile**. In a [recent statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbFwJfkyCQV/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), she said, “I felt the niggle at the beginning of the year and started to feel a little stuck in the shop. This grew to a need to expand and rediscover my freedom and creativity again. No one knows what’s coming and sometimes that’s the exciting part of starting a new chapter.” Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### 11 vineyards in Kent for you to swill and swish at URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/11-vineyards-in-kent-for-you-to-swill-and-swish-at/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T07:00:53.000Z Kentish wine is having its time in the sun. Literally. With more than 1,300 hectares covered in vines, the county is now home to around 25% of the UK’s vineyards and produced more than five million bottles of wine last year. Thanks to our mild, and increasingly warmer, climate and chalky and clay heavy soil, Kent has now become a premier wine growing region - not just for Britain, but for Europe too. While the changing climate has led to a huge drop in grape yields in other European wine growing regions, the hotter, dryer summers are doing wonders for British wine. Blighty’s wine production is up year-on-year, including a 77% increase from 2022 to 2023\. And it’s expected this year’s endless heatwave will produce yet another huge yield. Kent’s success is also down to its grape type and the style of wine produced here - Bacchus and Pinot grapes are hardy while sparkling wine is less fussy than still. So good is The Garden of England’s wine list, Produced in Kent has just announced its launch of The Kent Wine Way, a tourism initiative designed to link up vineyards so that visitors can test out a few in a day or weekend. Although it’s unclear how the Kent Wine Way will roll out, in theory, the initiative brings together 30 vineyards across the county for you to try out. With more than 150 commercial vineyards, including 50 independent estates, dotted around the county we have everything from small, family run vineyards making small batch biodynamic pet nats, to the big guns of British wine making; we’re spoilt for choice. With that in mind, here are 11 vineyards to try out, just to get you started. ![Grape crops in vineyard](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/lukas-kulla-zdbbjqfE-ZI-unsplash.jpg) Kent has more than 150 vineyards. **Photo: Lukas Kulla* ### Gusbourne Estate With an open air bar and tables under white canopies in front of an expanse of grapevines, walking into the estate feels like you’ve gatecrashed someone's wedding. Best known for its traditional sparkling wines, Gusbourne is probably Kent’s shiniest vineyard gem. Polished yet relaxed, expect the bar to be filled with packs of MAMILS, polo shirts and crisp linen shirts. Folk can go on a self-guided walk around the vineyard, and there’s several wine+tour, wine tasting packages you can go for, or just pop by for a glass or bottle. The basic tour and tasting package is £50, with prices rising steeply pretty quickly. **Address:* Kenardington Road, Appledore, Ashford, TN26 2BE* **Website:** [*gusbourne.com*](https://www.gusbourne.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Chapel Down Chapel Down is every bit as splendid and polished as Gusbourne, but a little more casual. There’s a pizza truck and a cellar door, and a well stocked bottle shop, where you can splash out, or grab a few bottles for around £15 each. While there is some outdoor seating, you’ll also find people relaxing on the lawn too. A lovely little walled garden is great for a meander, and you can book yourself in for a meal at the restaurant if you fancy. Tours and tastings start at £30, with prices also quickly escalating. UK’s biggest wine producer, Chapel Down’s signature drops are its traditional-method sparklings and its dry, crisp whites and rosé. **Address:* Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe Road, Tenterden, TN30 7NG* **Website:** [*chapeldown.com*](https://chapeldown.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Simpsons Wine Estate Just outside Canterbury, tucked into the North Downs at Barham, the family-run and owned Simpsons Estate is not quite the massive tourist operation Chapel Down or Gusborne Estate are. The vineyard favours low intervention wine-making processes, with its hero drop, the Roman Road Chardonnay, winning Best in Show at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards. Visits to the estate are on selected days only, with tastings + tours (starting from £25), and sunset sessions - walks, tastings and Macknade platters. If there’s a group of you, you can get in touch for something bespoke. **Address:* The Barns, Church Lane, Barham, Canterbury, CT4 6PB* **Website:** [*simpsonswine.com*](https://simpsonswine.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Black grapes hanging on the vine.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/david-kohler-gBdG886bLDY-unsplash.jpg) Kent's grapes are going gangbusters in the warmer weather. **Photo: David Kohler* ### Domaine Evremond Found in Chilham, in an AONB near Canterbury, Domaine Evermond is part of the Taittinger empire. A relatively new venture, the champagne house acquired the land circa 2015, and set out to produce a similar style of sparkling to France. After planting vines in 2017, the first Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvée was released last year. The winery and cellar door opened in 2022\. In addition to the tours and the tastings (tour + tasting from £50), and various food and wine deals, during summer there is live music on Saturdays and a monthly oyster and live music night. The village is also ridiculously pretty, so don’t forget to take a wander around. **Address:* Chalk Hill, New Cut Road, Chilham, Canterbury, CT4 8DT* **Website:** [*domaineevremond.com*](https://www.domaineevremond.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Biddenden Vineyards Operating since 1969, Biddenden is Kent’s oldest vineyard. Still family-run, Biddenden has a larger range of wines than other vineyards - Ortega, Bacchus, rosé, and several sparklings - and it makes cider too. Tours run May to September, with a self-guided tour £15, and a tour and tasting starting from £30\. You can finish your visit off with a platter and a bottle - bought from the vineyard shop, or stay at the vineyard’s private cottage. **Address:* Gribble Bridge Lane, Biddenden, Ashford, TN27 8DF* **Website:** [*biddendenvineyards.com*](https://biddendenvineyards.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Westwell Wine Estates Family-run and with a focus on low intervention, independent vineyard Westwell's output centres on unfiltered, pet nat and pet nat adjacent drops - although it does produce traditional-method sparkling too. The small estate found near Charing, Ashford, has a cellar door, bar tours and tastings (tour + tasting from £28), and picnics where you can wander off into the vineyard on a self-guided tour and park yourself somewhere lovely with a hamper and a bottle of wine (from £80). There are also Friday pizza nights, occasional supper clubs and an annual Pilgrims Walk wine and walk, led by writer Gemma Purkiss. **Address:* The Vyneyarde, Westwell Lane, Charing, Ashford, TN27 0BW* **Website:** [*westwellwines.com*](https://www.westwellwines.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Ham Street Wines This small vineyard run by a husband and wife duo is a fairly closed shop when it comes to visiting. Opening one day a month for walk-ins from May to August, the vineyard will also occasionally put on a family open day too. You can, however, get in touch if you want to organise a tour. These are £25 a head, with a minimum of four people on a tour. A new vineyard, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Bacchus and Pinot Gris grapes were planted in 2019 and harvested for the first time in 2021\. Ham Street is also certified organic, biodynamic and regenerative, and uses holistic farming processes. Bottles are natural and small-batch, with styles coming and going depending on the harvest. **Address:* Warehorne Road, Hamstreet, Ashford, TN26 2JT* **Website:** [*hamstreetwines.co.uk*](https://hamstreetwines.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![A vinyard with a sunset in the background](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/boudewijn-boer-qT515JdZNy8-unsplash.jpg) The Kent Wine Way brings together 30 vineyards. **Photo: Boudewijn Boer* ### Woodchurch Wine Founded by a family, now run by four friends, Woodchurch Wine is set on south-facing hills near Romney Marsh, overlooking the English Channel. Making the most of the area’s clay soil and microclimate, the vineyard produces Chardonnay, brut and rosé. A tour and tasting will set you back £25, after which you can stay on for drinks or food at the restaurant, which serves pizza on Fridays, Saturday and Sundays alongside the regular menu. **Address:* Susan's Hill, Woodchurch, Ashford, TN26 3RE* **Website:** [*woodchurchwine.co.uk*](https://woodchurchwine.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Barnsole Vineyard Perhaps the closest vineyard to Thanet, Barnsole is only about a 25 minute drive towards Sandwich. One of Kent’s oldest vineyards, it produces low intervention, traditional-method sparkling. A casual affair, you can drop in for a free tasting without an appointment, but tours with tastings must be booked and cost £20 - which is pretty good, considering a bottle of Barnsole fizz will set you back around £80\. You’re more than welcome to buy a bottle when you visit, which you can enjoy in the vineyard for a £10 corkage fee. **Address:* Barnsole Vineyard, Fleming Road, Staple, Canterbury, CT3 1LG* **Website:** [*barnsole.co.uk*](https://www.barnsole.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Terlingham Vinyard Certified by Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, Terlingham is a carbon zero vineyard. Found near Folkestone, it is family-run and independent, and produces Bacchus, rose and cuvée - and gin. Terlingham has a Tasting Barn which overlooks the channel. Open Friday and Saturday, it has sittings usually at 11am and 3pm. Tours and tastings start from £40. **Address:* Terlingham Lane, Hawkinge, Folkestone, CT18 7AE* **Website:** [*terlinghamvineyard.co.uk*](https://terlinghamvineyard.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Harbourne Vineyard A regular at Broadstairs Food Festival, this very small, family-owned vineyard has been quietly chugging away for 40 years or so. Using minimal intervention and traditional methods, wine is made and bottled in the vineyard, using handpicking and basket-pressing only. You can try getting in touch for a tour around the vineyard, however, if you’re pootling around Ashford (perhaps on your way to Chapel Down) stop off at the vineyard shop. What could be the front room of a home, the shop stocks all the vineyard’s wines, which you can try and buy for later. **Address:* Harbourne Vineyard, Wittersham, Tenterden, Ashford, TN30 7NP* **Website:** [*harbournevineyard.co.uk*](http://www.harbournevineyard.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #116: Kent's best vineyards to visit, Marina Bathing Pool, improv comedy classes URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-116-kents-best-vineyards-to-visit-marina-bathing-pool-improv-comedy-classes/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T07:00:32.000Z Last weekend's Margate Pride tenth anniversary really went off with a bang. It's always a breathtaking experience to come down Fort Hill past the Turner and see the sheer number of people out on Marine Drive. This year felt bigger than ever. With a party atmosphere spreading across the town, speeches at Dreamland helped to remind us why Pride is still so important. Although the thing I most enjoyed hearing all day were everyone's theories on where Madonna's secret performance was going to be. She was - as I think everyone knew would be the case, really - a no show in the end. I hear she actually played a house party in Ramsgate. As things die down, there's still plenty of Pride activity around Margate throughout the rest of this month, not least the annual Pride Art Trail. And don't forget that we still have Ramsgate and Broadstairs Prides coming up in September. This week, we've been thinking about wine. Specifically Kentish wine, which is having a bit of a moment. Once considered a punchline, British wine generally is becoming more significant as the climate changes and growing conditions improve. Kent now has more than 150 commercial vineyards, many of which you can visit. That's a lot though. For this week's feature, we've narrowed it down to our 11 favourites, where you can go to sample some want and wander among the vines. As well as that, of course, we have the latest cultural news and things to do from across Thanet and beyond. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Lunatrakors, Margate Winter Gardens, Emily Peasgood URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-lunatrakors-margate-winter-gardens-emily-peasgood/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T07:00:35.000Z **Ramsgate’s Alley Bar is taking a little break for the summer**. It will **reopen on September 11**, when it hosts the Ramsgate Festival of Sound Late with **Lunatraktors** at 10pm. The folk-electronica act will perform an experimental cabaret version of Timeweavers, an accessible theatre piece that is currently in development. [**Tickets from £20**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/lunatraktors-present-timeweavers?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Winter Gardens will be opening up its gardens on August 22-23** for a weekend of fun. On the Saturday, there will be live music, DJs, performances, food and pop-up bars. The Sunday will be family focussed, with giant bubbles, balloon modelling, puppets, storytellings, martial arts, family yoga and more. **Full details to be announced soon. Free entry**. **Artist Emily Peasgood is showing community artwork This is England at St George’s Church in Ramsgate until Saturday, August 22**. The 20 feet wide, 12 feet tall piece made from reclaimed flags was created by 72 volunteers at a series of workshops earlier this year. The aim was to see if the English flag could be transformed from what has become a devise symbol into something that represents everyone who lives here. **Emily is currently** [**crowdfunding to take This is England on tour**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/this-is-england-flag-project?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **around the country**. **The Junkoactive Wasteman** is set to bring his particular brand of EBM (electronic bean music) to **Where Else in Margate on Saturday, September 12**. The rubbish-clad singer and his trash-adorned bandmates The Tin Can Twins will be enthusing about baked beans for your pleasure. If this has left you feeling confused and unsettled, perhaps listen to new single [I Eat Baked Beans Every Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX5KWJ25RQA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will help. Perhaps not. [**Tickets £12**](https://www.gigantic.com/the-junkoactive-wasteman-the-tin-can-twins-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-09-12-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. The dust has barely settled on last week’s **Margate Soul Weekender** but **super early bird tickets for 2027 have already gone on sale**. The dates for next year’s festival are August 6-8, if you want to check your diary. [**Tickets £110**](https://margatesoulweekender.co.uk/tickets/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Balearic Boutique will be taking over the Sun Deck on Margate on Saturday, August 29** with DJ Jo Mills headlining the day. Drop in between 2pm and 10pm. **Free entry**. **Summer’ween is coming to Where Else in Margate on Saturday, August 29**. What is summer’ween? It’s like Halloween but in the summer. Not weening yourself off summer, which I refuse to do. Anyway, rock, punk, emo and metal club night Can’t Stop will be putting on a fancy dress party. Rock up in your best heatwave appropriate scary costume. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.gigantic.com/can-t-stop-summer-ween-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-08-29-21-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Elevate Sound will be hosting a sound bath at The Falstaff in Ramsgate on Sunday, September 6**. The one hour session begins at 11am. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/relaxing-sound-bath-a-golden-hour-just-for-you-in-ramsgate-tickets-1990168644991?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (August 10-16) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-august-10-16/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T11:59:37.000Z Wild Queers will be heading out on an ecology walk around Palm Bay meadows on Tuesday evening, 6-7.30pm. All welcome. [Pay-what-you-can tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38478/wild-queers-queer-ecology-walkwheel?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Xanthe’s World will be leading a Yayoi Kusami-themed children’s art workshop at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Tuesday. Artwork created in the session will be displayed in an exhibition next month. [Tickets £12.50](https://billetto.co.uk/e/xanthe-s-world-yayoi-kusama-tickets-1974659?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sandra Art4All opens its annual summer exhibition of art created by deaf, neurodivergent and autistic artists at Margate School of Art on Wednesday until Saturday, August 29\. Launch event 4-8pm on Wednesday. Free entry. [Thanet art studio adapting creative processes for artists with additional needs“I just like to get to know the person in front of me,” says Sandra Hampton from Sandra Art4All studio on working with artists with special needs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-3992d4ae-2d70-4086-b6c4-a32e2e9de962.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_3768-2-1-145bb1cd-4599-418a-a91f-19f95ea81fb3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/acol-art-studio-adapting-creative-processes-for-artists-with-additional-needs/) Artist Krishna Shanthi will be showing new exhibition The Blue Garden at Limbo in Margate from Thursday to Tuesday. There will be a drinks reception on Saturday from 5-8pm. Artist Dawn Cole opens new exhibition Artifcaceae at the Joseph Wales gallery in Cliftonville on Thursday until Monday, August 24\. Features prints made using dissected artificial flowers. Free entry. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Bright side looking club night Optimissimo will take over the Sun Deck in Margate on Friday with DJs Milski, Orac808 and DJ Leepy. Free entry. For Ramsgate Day on Saturday, the town will be turning into a circus with a programme of free family-friendly activities, performances and workshops across the town centre. [More details](https://www.visitramsgate.co.uk/ramsgate-day-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Queer Walks will be hosting a six mile walk from Margate Train station to Botany Bay and back to the Crab Museum in Margate on Saturday. [Join the WhatsApp group for further details](https://chat.whatsapp.com/If2qUIEZj7PJ5TdydbPch9?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [LGBTQ+ social meet up groups in Margate and RamsgateIf you are LGBTQ+ and living in Thanet and want to get social with your interests and hobbies, then there’s a meetup group for you![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-7e6f878a-fc56-47ab-885a-9aeee5c4fe89.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/kirill-zharkiy-ItKtQ-OaIzQ-unsplash-3fc45979-d5d7-4c88-85ab-7fa984c29efc.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/meetups-in-thanet-for-queer-folk-who-like-to-do-stuff/) Cliftonville Art Garden is opening up for volunteers to help tend to the garden on Sunday, 10am to 2pm. Meet outside Sarns on Northdown Road. [DM on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/fineanddandelion?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to join the WhatsApp group. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Plans for Tracey Emin's Westbrook Loggia considered, and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-plans-for-tracey-emins-westbrook-loggio-considered-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T11:07:45.000Z Thanet District Council is considering **plans submitted by The Tracey Emin Foundation** for changes to the **Westbrook Loggia building at Westbrook Bay**. It proposes the creation of a cafe, restaurant, roof terrace, gallery and event space, artist studio, sauna, and changing facilities. **The building’s original towers are also planned to be reinstated**. **A section of Dane Valley Woods was destroyed by a wildfire earlier this week**. One acre of the 12 acre site was damaged. No humans were harmed but a large area of bramble was burned away, affecting a large amount of wildlife. **“This is a stark reminder that in the current drought conditions, wildfires can spread very quickly**, and everyone should be extra vigilant and keep fingers crossed for rain,” says Dane Valley Woods in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbqz9kKDANW/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fcopy%5Flink&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==). **The Captain Digby pub in Broadstairs has temporarily closed following an electrical fire last weekend**. Fire fighters were called to the venue just before 2am on August 1\. “We would like to thank the emergency services for their incredible and fast work helping us,” says the pubs in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbfQEWJNgPx/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). “We will be closed for the foreseeable. Please bear with us while we work our way through this challenging time.” **No one was injured in the blaze**. **Thanet’s first Lego building cafe has opened on Queen Street in Ramsgate**. Open seven days a week, it offers a vast array of sets to build in one, two or three hour sessions. There are also SEN sessions and adults only evenings. [**Find out more and book a session**](https://thelittlebrickhousecafe.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **The Circular Margate Materials Hub** has moved into a **temporary home at the Margate Creative Land Trust in Cliftonville** to run a pilot programme. Over the next three months, it will be running carpentry workshops, creating a showroom for reclaimed materials that you can buy, and hosting talks and events exploring how to grow the circular economy across Thanet and East Kent. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/circularmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Tunnels has put out a call for volunteers to join its team**. There are positions for greeting visitors, supporting events and helping behind the scenes. No experience necessary. **Email** [**admin@ramsgatetunnels.org**](mailto:admin@ramsgatetunnels.org) **or call 01843 588123 for more info**. **New fish and chip shop Blue Dolphin has opening on the piazza in Margate**. Can it challenge Peter’s for the seaside takeaway crown? Time will tell. *Image credit: Waugh Thistleton* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #115: Patrick Wolf, Margate Pride, Tracey Emin Foundation URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-115-patrick-wolf-margate-pride-tracey-emin-foundation/ Last updated: 2026-08-08T07:00:06.000Z It’s a busy day (and weekend) across Thanet, with Margate Pride, Broadstairs Folk Week, and Joe Goddard kicking things off at the newly opened Blackbird, once Seabird, from 8pm. For Broadstairs Folk Week punters, if you want Morris dancers, make sure you go to the festival’s parade, which will feature more than 27 Morris sides. The parade starts at Pierremont Avenue at 5.30pm before snaking its way through the High Street to the Bandstand. There’s a host of events today - many free. [Take a look at what’s on](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/broadstairsfolkweek?date=Sat+8+Aug+2026&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). For Margate Pride priders, the parade starts at 1pm, and ends in Dreamland for the main programme. Once everything wraps up there and you’re wondering where’s the party at, well… [The Biggest Gayest Party in the World Ever](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36021/the-biggest-gayest-party-in-the-world?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will now be in Dreamland’s Hall by the Sea, running from 9pm-2am. [Meat Raffle](https://www.seetickets.com/event/meat-raffle-pride-special/olby-s-creative-hub/3698256?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will take over Olby’s, starting from 10pm. With a 3am close time, it’s the latest after party in town. [The George and Heart](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbTDDzKoM8P/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will have DJs going until 9.30pm (although its doors will remain open until 1am), [CAMP is going out with a bang](https://www.instagram.com/p/DblVA6gI0Gb/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), with the venue’s closing party running from 3pm to late. La!, which [takes over the Lighthouse Bar](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbqV0ccDDYR/?img%5Findex=1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) during the day and evening, will also [bring the party to its High Street venue](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbqV0ccDDYR/?img%5Findex=2&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) from 9pm. [Margate Arts Club](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/36988?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) plays global sounds including Afrobeat, disco, Desi, and Italio, in its after party, which runs 6pm-2am. [HOFFS](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dblrk5CjekN/?img%5Findex=1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) also has DJs into the evening, [Punk Rock Pride](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37680/punk-rock-pride-floralis-angrygynophiles-lunacy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will be taking over Where Else, [Double D’s](https://www.instagram.com/p/Da5%5FevkICDe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will be putting on a pop party in the basement at Cinque Ports, and Justine’s has a free cabaret and DJ set from Ru Paul queen Just May (6pm-9.30pm) before [Pink Pony Club](https://www.justines.co.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) until 3am. For people looking for a different pace, Ramsgate musician Patrick Wolf will perform [two unplugged sets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36550/patrick-wolf-and-sophie-crawford-present-invert-folk-club-with-selkies-kiss-for-margate-pride?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) at ARK in Cliftonville at 3pm and 8pm. You can find out more about the show - including why this is his first show in Thanet, despite living down here for six years, in this week’s feature. Whatever you’re doing, have a great weekend. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Reece Shearsmith, Eco Fair, American Utopia URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-reece-shearsmith-eco-fair-american-utopia/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T07:00:07.000Z **Reece Shearsmith will be at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Sunday, October 4**. The League of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9 co-creator will be showing off some of the gruesome objects he keeps in his private collection, which feature in his new illustrated memoir Things I Took from the Dark: The Museum of Me. [**Tickets from £34**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/things-i-took-from-the-dark-as-told-by-reece-shearsmith/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), booking opens to the general public on Monday. **The Sunken Garden Eco Fair 2026 is set to take place on Sunday, September 20**. A day of workshops, talks and ideas for living in a more environmentally friendly way, **this year’s focus will be on wildlife, ecology, gardening in dry conditions and sustainability**. Speakers include Quex Farms, Get Wild, Paul Twyman and Steve Edney. On from 11am to 4pm at the Sunken Garden in Westbrook. [**See the full programme and book tickets**](https://thesunkengarden.co.uk/sunken-garden-eco-fair-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **DJ Joe Corbani is offering free DJ lessons for kids in Broadstairs on August 19 and 26**. Aimed at children aged 8-14, they’ll get hands-on experience with real DJ equipment and learn the basics of mixing. No prior experience necessary. [**DM Joe for more info**](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMuzLYeg4vg/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Artist Clare Evans will be showing her new exhibition Stepmothers at The Romantic in Cliftonville on August 21-26**, celebrating stepmothers and blended families. There will also be a number of events alongside it, including a drop-in portrait session for stepmothers who'd like to be added to the collection, life drawing, and a book talk from Claire Asherson Bartram. [**Find out more**](https://www.clareevansartist.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Crazy P’s James Barron** will be performing live in his **solo guise JIM at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Friday, October 16**. He'll perform songs from his 2023 debut Love Makes Magic as well as new material. [**Tickets £17.10**](https://dice.fm/event/2wqrqo-jim-live-16th-oct-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Song in a Day returns to ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday, September 12**. This time around, attendees will spend the day learning Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush with musicians Hughie Gavin and Steph Dickinson. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/song-in-a-day-running-up-that-hill-tickets-1989228035603?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Palace cinema in Broadstairs** will be screening **David Byrne’s incredible American Utopia on August 22-23**. Directed by Spike Lee, the concert film captures the former Talking Heads frontman’s 2019 Broadway show. [**Tickets £9**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/david-byrnes-american-utopia/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-3b46b0c3-f3c8-4aa7-9a95-5d1c422e976c.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-f713ff82-93ae-42b9-8616-7a194ec7d6e5.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) **Friends of Foe and Komorebi Kitchen** will be teaming up for a special food **pop-up at HOFFS in Margate on August 29-30**. Fusing their Sri Lankan and Japanese cooking into one full-flavoured menu, they’ll be offering **three courses for £37\.** [**DM on Instagram to book**](https://www.instagram.com/friends%5Fof%5Ffoe/?e=384e8677-daeb-4e6d-92c0-b784de0e4a46&g=5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The first Kent Radical Pride is set to take place in Dover on Saturday, August 29**. Leaning into the protest side of Pride, the event aims to take place in a different Kent town each year. Dover has been chosen for the initial event, as it will be the only Pride event in the whole of the Dover district this year. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/kent.radical.pride/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Lemonheads are set to play Dreamland in Margate on Monday, September 28**. Appropriate, following the release of their compilation The Lemonheads In Dreamland last year. Support will come from Willy Mason. [**Tickets £40**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/the-lemonheads/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Free Association and Chump’s Comedy** will be putting on an **eight week improv comedy course at Margate’s Turner Contemporary** this autumn. **Starting on Sunday, September 27**, the course is aimed at people who have some experience with improv already. [**Places £275**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/level-2-free-association-improv-course-2?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Patrick Wolf brings “counter-culture” to Margate Pride URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/patrick-wolf-brings-counter-culture-event-to-margate-pride-with-first-thanet-show/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T10:39:54.000Z Patrick Wolf relocated to Ramsgate from London six years ago but until now has never performed live anywhere in Thanet. That changes this weekend when he will perform twice at ARK Cliftonville as part of the wider Margate Pride programme. Asked why it’s taken until now, he says, “There is a phrase ‘don’t shit on your own doorstep’ that comes to mind!” “I really have never wanted my home to be my colleague,” he goes on, saying that London “worked me till I was sick and I never wanted to develop the same relationship when I moved here.” His 2025 album Crying the Neck was partly inspired by the folklore of East Kent, and so, he says, “it’s only right to have some homecoming moments for it and do some work in Margate.” Whether it ever happens again remains to be seen, with Patrick saying that he still has a rule for himself not to play in Ramsgate, opting to keep it “the place where I garden, wonder, parent my cats, write, daydream, swim in the sea, go to the bakery, the cinema.” “I have my studio here and I only call it work in there to be left alone,” he continues. “I hope Ramsgate and I never become colleagues, it might ruin it all.” Whether the Pride show is a one off or not, it’s an exciting addition to this year’s programme. Originally billed at The Invert Folk Club, it was to be a joint performance with his bandmate Sophie Crawford. Sadly, Sophie has had to pull out due to illness. Instead, the audience will be treated to a North Sea Song Cycle, with Patrick performing an unplugged setlist of songs set on the shore and sea from across his career. This includes everything from 2005’s Wind in the Wires, inspired by the Cornish coast, to Reculver and Foreland from Crying the Neck. The show will offer something for people to “identify with other ways of being LGBT, be it in music, aesthetic or spirit. I think that space is lacking at most \[at Pride events\], whether it’s a literary space, a goth space, a crafting space, an introvert’s space, a sober space,” Patrick explains. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/Prince-of-The-Rose-_-2.jpg) Patrick Wolf relocated to Ramsgate from London six years ago. **Photo: Emma Moss* **Strange Tourist: It feels like you’re bringing something very different to the wider Margate Pride day programme. Did you conceive the show specifically for Margate Pride?** Patrick Wolf: I receive yearly requests to play different Prides across the country and Europe and 99.9% of the time I don’t think it’s the right fit for my music or aesthetic so turn it down. On this occasion, with it being Pride so close to home, I’m well aware that Thanet has a certain “turn the wrong corner” vintage homophobic and transphobic streak to it. That makes me certain, the notion of Pride as a weapon against shame is important here to pass on to others. As long as Pride holds at its core a purpose of equality, empowerment and protest, I think it is quite a crucial movement in 2026 to make in provincial, coastal or rural towns. I think a folk music event is \[a\] counter-culture event within Pride, which is most likely to be a mainstream pop culture party. Margate Pride specifically has always had the multitudes and want for subversion for far more types of LGBT folk to find themselves in. So, it’s the only one in recent years I’ve said “yes and what can we do together to make something special and purposeful in?” **ST: You’ve also got Selkie’s Kiss opening the show. How do you know them and why did you want them on the bill?** PW: Originally this event was a folk club with the wonderful Sophie Crawford, who has had to pull out for health reasons. She is co-organiser of an event called Queer Folk that is part of a huge, wonderful wave of folk revivalism happening in this country. Sophie put forward the group to me as a wild and brilliant act to open our club with and I agreed. I’ve become quite obsessed with their sound since then. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/NORTHSEACYCLE3.jpg) **ST: Moving to Ramsgate seemed to bring new inspiration and at least in part what brought you back to releasing music. What is so special about Thanet?** PW: I think it’s a feeling, those who settled here have - especially in Ramsgate - of something going still inside and a sense of “oh... I'm home” coming over you. For me it came when I was still a runner and ran one morning from the Royal Harbour Hotel, where I had woken up with a view of the lighthouse in the harbour, to Pegwell bay and the Old Hoverport. It was in one of those weeks we were all allowed to leave home during the lockdown and I was testing my new sobriety by going on a writing trip alone, which would normally entail four bottles of warm gin in a hotel room. I never thought about drinking once and in my brief two days swimming and exploring in and around the harbour. I was given by the town and its nature so much promise, of new work, ideas, relationships with land and sea and chance of a new life out here. I went back to Lewisham and put my flat on sale the next day. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/Dulcimer-Beast-1-1.jpg) Crying the Neck was partly inspired by Thanet and East Kent folklore. **Photo: Emma Moss* **ST: Crying the Neck covered some dark topics but overall feels to me like a cathartic and affirming album. How do you feel about it a year on from its release?** PW: I was so happy when I played the final show for it at the Union Chapel. It was a heavy record to carry in public for a year. Thematically, death, bankruptcy, and addiction, were the talking points of all interviews for that year. I know it ended up being a healing record for a lot of people and a catharsis for me to make, but I wasn’t able to move onto the next stage of grieving my mother until I could move on from the album. Next came a process of gleaning, as I went straight onto a USA tour, where I discovered which songs had resonated most with its listeners there and more and more songs from it crept back on the setlist, which I still play. Touring songs like Reculver and telling the story of the towers and how they stand geographically and the history of the Wantsum silting up in places like Texas and New Orleans, is so wild to me. Or describing a cliff fall and the tides at Stone Bay when I sing Foreland in somewhere like Nashville or North Carolina. It’s really quite surreal and like a psychic hotline home when I do. **ST: You spent June touring the US and you'll return again this autumn. At a time while a lot of people are quite fearful of going there, what was your experience of the country at this moment in time?** PW: I think in the same way the popular thing to say and read on the internet will be “don’t go to Margate, you’ll be get cholera from swimming and get caught in a 13-year-old TikTok riot trying to leave.” We all know as residents, the lived reality vs the internet hysteria. I think we allow our fears to be exploited too easily, and rarely do we question what or who is making us "fearful" and why. I feel a responsibility to constantly put my fears in balance or life becomes smaller and my approach to the world more isolated. I toured in Russia on and off for a decade and even after the enactment of the Putin's gay propaganda law in 2013\. I took precautions to protect my audience and offer them changing rooms at the venue so they could dress how they wanted and go home safely from my shows. As an artist, you show up where you and your work are needed. You show up for human beings, not their country, your audience and not its government, good or bad. With my touring it’s very simple, the way it's always worked; I go where I am asked, where I am wanted and where I can earn a living. I now have 23 years of songs written to create a show for the spirit of the night in question, in hopes to give the audience solace, escape or empowerment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/Prince-of-The-Rose-_-1-1.jpg) Patrick has recently released two new singles. **Photo: Emma Moss* **ST: You’ve released two new singles recently, are you working towards a new album?** PW: I knew with my touring schedule this year that my next album won’t be released til 2027, so I decided I needed to give 2026 two songs and statements I thought helpful. So The Beast and The Laughing Dove are those two songs. Crying The Neck was the first album in an album series to work its way round the Celtic wheel of the year, so I am just deciding whether to move forward from Lammas and Mabon or backwards. I have two albums currently up on my writing boards in my Ramsgate studio, so, just letting the summer take its course here and seeing which album raises its hand first to be finished. I also have just got keys to an allotment, so I have fledgeling pumpkins and Brussel sprouts on my mind. *Patrick Wolf will perform two shows at ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday, August 8 - a 3pm matinee and an 8pm evening show.* [*Tickets £30*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36550/patrick-wolf-and-sophie-crawford-present-invert-folk-club-with-selkies-kiss-for-margate-pride?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAafZxVcKcBJ5XAEJmOe-C71frhyjmynYsYXScSick7QLekoG9TJOY-5hAwUHmg%5Faem%5F%5FAq54QSSXzZqO3To%5Fm-fCQ) *with 25% donated to Margate Pride.* ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (August 3-9) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-august-3-9/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T14:03:39.000Z Hot Coals Productions is running a five week series of workshops for professional actors on how to better understand and perform during the casting process at Screen South in Folkestone. Starts on Tuesday. [Places £195](https://www.hotcoalsproductions.co.uk/castingdirectorworkshops?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Queer Fight Margate launches a newly expanded timetable of classes for trans and queer people on Tuesday. [Find out more](https://www.instagram.com/queerfightmargate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [LGBTQ+ social meet up groups in Margate and RamsgateIf you are LGBTQ+ and living in Thanet and want to get social with your interests and hobbies, then there’s a meetup group for you![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-629db228-e83f-4c78-a586-44de3ea3b82e.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/kirill-zharkiy-ItKtQ-OaIzQ-unsplash-52429036-1ed4-4bad-b311-3409ff510508.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/meetups-in-thanet-for-queer-folk-who-like-to-do-stuff/) Dame Jame and Elz will be putting on a production of Mamma Mia at CAMP in Cliftonville on Wednesday, splitting all of the parts between them. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37898/elz-and-dame-jame-do-mamma-mia-the-party-pride-special?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Culty Film Club will be screening John Waters’ Polyester at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Wednesday, complete with scratch and sniff cards. There will also be a meal themed on the movie and a quiz. [Tickets £55](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/culty-film-club-2026-08-05?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pink Suits perform Pansies (in Summer), their first full work as part of their artist fellowship at TKE Studios, in the gallery’s garden on Thursday. [Tickets £15](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37766/pansies-in-summer?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Missed the amazing Revel Puck Circus in Ramsgate? The troupe will be bringing their big top to Victoria Park in Deal from Thursday until August 16\. [Tickets from £10](https://www.revelpuckcircus.com/a-glimmer-daze-gambit?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Revel Puck intends to “redefine” how people think about circusRevel Puck Circus comes to Ramsgate this month with its new show. Artistic director Luke Hallgarten explain what makes the company different.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-46035b9e-0439-435e-9724-84c39f0e6474.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/260403_RevelPucks_619-f29424db-8e70-4785-92d8-893bdc760dd5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/revel-pucks-goal-to-revolutionise-how-people-think-about-circus/) Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre will play an intimate show at Queens Road Baptist Church in Broadstairs on Thursday. [Tickets £40](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/broadstairsfolkweek/2113096?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Grace Cambell will be performing a new work in progress show at Where Else on Thursday. [Tickets £15](https://dice.fm/event/ry8r25-grace-campbell-work-in-progress-extra-show-6th-aug-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thandii launch their new album Coco Okayo at Margate Arts Club on Thursday. [Tickets £9](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/38104/coco-okayo-launch-party?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New music festival Canterbury Live takes place at St Lawrence Cricket Ground from Friday to Sunday with headline performances from JLS, Becky Hill and Madness. [Tickets from £45](https://canterburylive.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Broadstairs Folk Week kicks off on Friday, running through to August 14\. As well as music in venues all over town, there will also be family friendly activity, craft fair and more. [See the full programme](https://broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Sabina Pieper is showing her new exhibition Arriving at the Beginning at Hold Creative Spaces on Saturday and Sunday. Drinks reception from 6pm on Saturday. Margate Pride takes place on Saturday, taking over the whole town with a parade, talks, performances, after parties and more. [See the full programme](https://www.margatepride.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate Pride co-founder Amy Zing on the event’s growth from short protest to month-long festivalMargate Pride co-founder Amy Zing on growing the grassroots festival from a three-minute walk into a whole town takeover![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-d7c9f71f-a606-4b36-a803-5d022929a2b6.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Amy-Zing-Margate-Pride-2023-1-0c509d5f-52b3-4535-883b-84a9f4391d13.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-amy-zing-interview/) Patrick Wolf performs at ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday, as part of Margate Pride. [Tickets £30](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36550/patrick-wolf-and-sophie-crawford-present-invert-folk-club-with-selkies-kiss-for-margate-pride?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard will be christening new Ramsgate pub Blackbird with an intimate DJ set on Saturday. Katie Evans returns to Santa Clara in Margate with another talk on the psychology of horror movies on Sunday. [Tickets £11.55](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unmasking-fear-ii-the-psychology-of-vampires-tickets-1993331223348?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Photo credit: Stephen Daly* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Broadstairs Folk Week turns the town into a "living stage" URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/broadstairs-folk-week-turns-the-town-into-a-living-stage/ Last updated: 2026-08-01T07:00:42.000Z With around 400 events, Broadstairs Folk Week packs a lot in. Running August 7-14, the festival floods the town, taking over venues, pubs, stages, and outdoor spaces with performances, Morris dancers, ceilidhs, poets, camping, drinking, Bollywood dancing, Tai Chi, craft sessions, circus skills workshops and, of course, music. The line up is overwhelmingly extensive, and covers the full breadth of every corner of the genre. Folk stalwarts like Martin Barre, Jethro Tull’s guitarist of over 43 years, and 60s folk legend Bridget St John appear alongside contemporary artists of the likes of Micheal McGovern and Scottish band Elephant Sessions. Zimbabwean musician Edith We-Utonga, and London arist Ajay Srivastav are among the musicians bringing a global outlook to folk. There are also more than 27 Morris teams taking part in the festival, at least one ceilidh a day, including jigs for families and a dementia-friendly one too, and a programme of buskers as part of the Busk Stop. And there’s still more. Powered by three part-time staff and an army of volunteers - some who have been coming since the festival started 61 years ago - Broadstairs Folk Week embodies community spirit and speaks to the diversity within the genre, as Festival Director Kai Hoffman explains. ![People dressed in black and yellow smocks and green tassled vests sit on the grass around a band stand](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/bandstand-morris-photo-2024.JPG) Morris dancers at the Bandstand. **Photo: BFW* **Strange Tourist: Thinking about the scale of the programme, how much is programmed by the festival and how much of it is letting venues be affiliated with Broadstairs Folk Week (BFW) and letting them do what they want?** Kai Hoffman: Everything that's in our printed brochure and up on our website is programmed by us. However, one of the things that's really amazing and something that we want to embrace more and more over the coming years is the fact that all of the community wants to be a part of Folk Week in their own way. We have a growing fringe community as well that put on various gigs to provide a party atmosphere around the town; in pubs and restaurants, musicians will come down and busk wherever they want on the streets. **ST: You’ve got ceilidhs every day, there’s even Tai Chi and knitting - the festival isn’t just folk music. How important are these events to the festival?** KH: Folk can mean different things to different people. From my perspective, it's about bringing in pieces of that from all over the community and all over the UK, and we've got a lovely global offering as well this year with everything from Bollywood dance to Suntou Susso & The Gambian Superstars. We try to make sure that we get little bits from right across the genre, so there's everything from Americana and country influenced sounds all the way through to traditional sounds like our unaccompanied a capella singing. ![A woman with curly hair wearing round sunglasses, smiling. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/Bridget-St-John-by-CSJ-union-pool--1--1.jpg) Bridget St John by CSJ Union Pool. **Photo: BFW* **ST: The festival is a broad church of folk that covers a lot of bases. Do you see younger audiences coming to the festival and do you actively try to engage with them?** KH: When I took on the role we created an Introducing stage last year. Obviously, over the decades the festival has run various different programmes, but the fact is that this part of Kent doesn't have those folk families who grow up in the tradition in the same way that other parts of the country do. So one of the main things we're trying to do is encourage young performers to see other performers who are doing folk music in all of its guises as part of their daily lives as young teenagers or 20-somethings. I think it's really important when you're growing up to see people like you performing. There is a huge variety in what \[folk\] means. And people care a lot about folk. Folk traditions come from back gardens and people's living rooms, and things that have been passed on through an oral tradition rather than being taught in a school. People care about it in a way that maybe you don't get with other genres. **ST: So to that extent, do you think the festival is also preserving folk culture and heritage as well?** When I took on the role it was very important for me to preserve the essence of this festival because it has been going on for six decades and there are people who know what they want and they want to hear from the traditional side of things. But also, I’ve created a new programme at the Pavilion on the Sands. Our Later at the Pav shows are all with younger, modern bands. They're on the edge of folk; there's folk punk or sea shanties, but with an edge. There's folk rock, electro folk like Elephant Sessions and we have Tankus who are kind of undefinable. We've got some incredible new sounds, it's not just traditional. There’s been a real conscious effort to select things from across folk. ![In a crowd a man in a white shirt claps his hands while dancing.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/hand-clap-pic-1.jpg) There's music from all niches of folk at the festival. **Photo: BFW* **ST: A lot of the performers are not necessarily household names. How would you recommend someone who is not part of the folk scene approach the festival?** KH: People can go onto the Broadstairs Folk Week Spotify. I would definitely recommend putting Spotify on in the background while you're doing something else and just see what catches your ear. This festival is so huge, sometimes it feels a little bit overwhelming. It's like looking at a wall of yogurts and trying to decide which one to buy… that's a terrible analogy, but there's a lot to choose from, so I would recommend doing a little research. Or you can just rock up. You can just wander up and down the streets and see what takes your ear’s fancy and go in and check it out. As a multi-venue festival, you can literally go to Broadstairs train station, hear some sounds and walk towards it. The whole town turns into this living stage. **ST: It is quite an interactive festival, not just in the way it takes over the town but there are events that people can be active participants in. How important is this interactivity and putting performances on outside usual gig environments?** KH: We're a registered charity and part of our ethos is to spread the word about folk music and educate people in the different styles of folk and how you can join in yourselves. We have interactive singing sessions, there are workshops across singing, dancing, playing. This year, we have a new Relax and Create area up at Bleak House which has a few really special folk art workshops. ![Four men dressed in black posing on a subway platform.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/Elephant-Sessions-New-1.jpg) Elephant Sessions. **Photo BFW* **ST: Where are some of the more unusual performances locations this year**? Our campsite has late-night sessions that happen where you can buy a drink and hang out. You'll get a folk musician playing a tune, and then someone else will go, oh, I know that tune, and they'll join in, and you'll get like 30 or 40 of them all playing together. There's another really special event, Shanties on the Jetty. It's been going since the beginning of the festival and with people who have been singing these songs their entire lives. A lot of them are dressed in their Morris gear and they're singing, it's right in the sea practically. There's the restaurant and there's also the spit of land that goes out around the harbour and you're surrounded by the sea and the sand and hearing these shanties. It's really quite special. **ST: You say the jetty shanties have been happening since the start of the festival. Has the festival changed that much in its time?** KH: I would say this festival has grown organically. If you think of like an old Victorian house out in the countryside, it might have had extra rooms added or extensions built and you end up with this sort of crazy, five different tiers of roof going around. This festival has had some poets turn up and say, Hey, can we do some poetry? And some other people said, oh, well, we'd like to do this session. And someone else said, we'd like to do this kind of dancing. And it's grown kind of naturally over time. The festival started out as a few folk shows offered per day and it has evolved into having very distinct sections like the Morris dancing, the concerts and the family festival. ![Seven band members posing in front of a body of water wearing white and holding traditional African instruments.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/08/Suntou-Susso-and-the-Gambian-Superstars-2-1.jpg) Suntou Susso and the Gambian Superstars. Photo: BFW **ST: Do people come to you with an idea to do, or do you approach people and say would you like to do this kind of event?** KH: It's a bit of both. I have to be quite cautious because I'm an ideas person but you do have to think of the long term, like what is actually going to be involved in making it happen. We love to try out new things within the festival, but we also want to keep the traditional elements. There is scope for new events, but it's important to keep the essential elements. **ST: Is there anything else that you wanted to add?** KH: In this day and age of giant corporations, the fact that this particular festival is still operating independently along with a handful of other festivals in Kent; I think it's really important to know that and support that. A lot of events are put on by multinational promoters so the funds that are created get dispersed all over the world. We bring between 80,000 and 120,000 people a year into the local community, which brings an actual benefit to this town of over £9 million in the course of the week. I think it's important to recognise that this independent charity is working really hard to help keep this community prosperous and happy. *Broadstairs Folk Week runs August 7-14 all across Broadstairs. Events start from free or donation. Visit* [*broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk*](https://broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *for more information.* ### Strange Tourist #114: Broadstairs Folk Festival, Reece Shearsmith, Sunken Garden Eco Fair URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-114-broadstairs-folk-festival-reece-shearsmith-sunken-garden-eco-fair/ Last updated: 2026-08-01T07:00:29.000Z Last Saturday was a busy one. We started the day (after hitting send on the newsletter) with a jaunt to the Northdown Road Block Party. With people out to make the most of the scorching hot day, as live music rang down the street, there was a real party vibe. The same was true over at day one of Ramsgate Carnival, where the fair was in full swing on Government Acre. While I wasn't able to watch the full parade on Sunday, it was great to see one of the large scale puppets wander around the field. There was more music from Harmony Bo and Crabs (who shot over from a show on the NDR), which drew a sizeablele crowd. Back in Cliftonville, I managed to catch a bit of Melinda Bronstein performing a brilliant set in Ghost Papa before rushing over the road to enjoy a meal served up by MOP. So full of flavour, their menu is always a delight. It was tough not to order everything twice. The oily paratha and two sets of dumplings were particular highlights. Then we closed the night with a trip to Margate's newest pub, the Cockle & Hen. Beautifully done out, it has a very different feel to any other bar on Marine Drive. It was a lovely spot for a couple of quiet drinks. In this week's newsletter, we have an interview withKai Hoffman, director of Broadstairs Folk Week, which begins next Friday, plus all the latest news and things to do around Thanet and beyond. Thanks for reading. We'll see you back here again next week. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### News Blast: Government tours Thanet high street revival efforts, and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-government-tours-thanet-high-street-revival-efforts-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-08-01T07:00:07.000Z **Senior government officials were this week given a tour of Ramsgate and Margate high streets** to see Thanet District Council’s work to bring vacant shops back into use. Launched earlier this year, the **High Street Rental Auctions initiative gives the council powers to auction leases on long term empty commercial properties**. “I am delighted that we had the opportunity to showcase to central government the vital work happening to revitalise Margate, Ramsgate and Cliftonville,” says Councillor Ruth Duckworth. “Persistent shop vacancies have impacted our high streets for too long.” So far, the council has issued **nine formal statutory notices under the scheme**, with auctions still to take place. **The play area at Folkestone’s Lower Leas Coastal Park has reopened** following a £750,000 revamp. Closed since the end of last year, the project was delayed by cliff stabilisation work to make the area safe after a landslip in 2024\. **An official launch event is set to take place on Tuesday**. **The former Seabird restaurant in Ramsgate** has now been **officially unveiled in its new form as a pub called Blackbird**. Billing itself as a “proper neighbourhood boozer”, it’ll have a well-stocked bar with its own house lager and IPA. You’ll have your choice of a booth or a stool at the bar, and there’s talk of a jukebox. Open Wednesday to Sunday from August 5, it will hold its **official launch next Saturday with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard playing some records**. [margate old town welcomes new cafe bar restaurant seabirdSeabird Margate keeps many of the elements of the popular Ramsgate restaurant and bar.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-a608017c-90c7-4113-8e4e-a943df72466e.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Seabird-Margate_02--1--1-dc069cc4-e1c9-4b2f-85fd-5c1f9affab1e.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-old-town-welcomes-new-cafe-bar-restaurant-seabird/) **The Jetty in Broadstairs has opened The Crab Shack**, a new takeaway option for the restaurant and bar. From a hatch on the terrace, it is serving soft shell crab burgers, seafood brioche buns, French fries with seaweed salt, and more. **Open Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm-6.30pm**. **New art gallery Frost Editions is set to open on Fort Hill in Margate**, taking over the space recently left vacant by Harbour & Tide when it moved to a new shop in the Old Town. An opening date will be announced soon. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/frosteditions/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **New pizza restaurant The Base Pizzeria is set to open in Broadstairs on Wednesda**y. You’ll find it at 28 High Street in the unit previously occupied by Coastal Creatives. It will be **open every day from 12pm to 10.30pm**. **Oast bakery in Cliftonville has announced that it will now open on Wednesdays**, meaning you can grab your bread, coffee and other baked goods six days a week. It is also going to start **opening slightly earlier at 8am**. **Margate’s decadent bun shop Rise & Bun has opened a second branch**. They’re going up from Margate (UFM, is that a thing?) to London to **set up shop on Golden Square in Soho**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Ramsgate Festival of Sound, Tatty Mcleod, Queer Fight Club URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-ramsgate-festival-of-sound-tatty-mcleod-queer-fight-club/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T07:00:54.000Z **The programme for this year’s Ramsgate Festival of Sound has been unveiled**. Ramsgate Noise Institute will host the official **opening party on Thursday, September 10**. Other events include the annual sonic trail and Busk Until Dusk, a family fun day hosted by Modulus Quartet, and a live performance from Eurovision star Look Mum No Computer. [**Full schedule and tickets**](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Ramsgate Festival of Sound’s impact resonates around the townRamsgate Festival of Sound invites visitors to explore the town through sound, celebrate local talent and discover new ways of engaging with what surrounds them![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-2c9abedf-b641-4d27-a3a3-c266abb3b103.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/208-240825-937-cf5bc531-6933-4eb1-a05c-fc7d911ed68c.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/) **Stand up comedian Tatty Mcleod** brings a work in progress version of her new show Things My Mother Did to **Where Else in Margate on Monday, September 14**. [**Tickets £15**](https://dice.fm/event/8eqdor-tatty-macleod-things-my-mother-did-wip-14th-sep-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Hot Coals Productions** is running a series of **workshops for professional actors** on how to better understand and perform during the casting process. Spread over **five weeks at Screen South in Folkestone from August 4 to September 1**, attendees will hear from and work with a different casting director in each session. [**Places £195**](https://www.hotcoalsproductions.co.uk/castingdirectorworkshops?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pro Wrestling Colossus** celebrates its second birthday with **Coastal Clash 3 at St John’s Community Centre on Saturday, September 5**. Their recent show at the Drill Shed was so much fun, it’ll be great to see them back where it all started. Show starts at 4.30pm. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/prowrestlingcolossus/1980888?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Pro Wrestling Colossus is bodyslamming the drama to MargateAhead of its biggest show to date, Pro Wrestling Colossus co-founder TK Cooper discusses the creativity of pro wrestling and the rapid growth of the Margate scene![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-c3907099-16be-47de-9b7c-18808b34803e.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/tk_cooper-1-46ed62d2-b8b5-4faf-9ffd-4ece1056e49a.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pro-wrestling-colossus-is-bodyslamming-the-drama-to-margate/) **Queer Fight Club returns in August** with a newly expanded timetable of classes for trans and queer people. Various classes run daily (except Monday and Saturday) **from Tuesday, August 4** covering all levels of experience. There are also women only and functional fitness classes. [**Find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/queerfightmargate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The 2026 Walpole Aquathon is set to take place on Sunday, September 13**. There are two races - **750km swim and 5km run or 1500km swim and 10km run** \- which you can do all by yourself or split with a partner. The event will raise money for Rise Up Clean Up, People Dem Collective, and Margate Pride. [**Entry £25**](https://www.walpoleaquathlon.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Cliftonville Art Garden has added two more community gardening days** to the calendar. Volunteers can get digging on **Sunday, August 16 and 23**, 10am to 2pm. Meet outside Sarns on Northdown Road. [**DM on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/fineanddandelion?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to join the WhatsApp group**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Artist Sabrina Pieper** has announced **her new exhibition** Arriving at the Beginning at **Hold Creative Spaces on August 9-10**. There will be a **drinks reception from 6pm on Saturday, August 9**. **Delve into Cliftonville West’s Jewish history on a Jewish Thanet walking tour**. Find out about the stories, characters and mishpochehs that shaped the neighbourhood. August dates are **Sunday August 9 and 23, and Wednesday, August 26** for an evening stroll. [**Tickets £23**](https://www.eventbrite.com/o/jewish-thanet-history-walks-106892166861?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **More batwalks through Dane Valley Woods** have been announced with Margate Bat Walks. Upcoming walks are **August 2, August 28, September 25 and October 25**. Meeting time is at dusk, around 20 minutes after sunset. [**DM on Instagram to be added to the WhatsApp group**](https://www.instagram.com/margatebatwalks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Image credit: Mike Goldwater* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (July 27-August 2) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-july-27-august-2/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T15:06:41.000Z New stand up comedy festival Laughterama takes place at Somerset House in London from Wednesday until August 2\. Performers include Sara Pascoe, Ed Gamble, Chloe Petts, Phil Wang, Tom Rosenthal and Lou Sanders. [See the full programme](https://somersethouse.laughterama.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Thanet Games returns with a programme of family-friendly sports and fitness activities on Wednesday at the Memorial Recreation Ground in Broadstairs. Free entry. Broadstairs Water Gala takes place on Wednesday at Viking Bay (pictured), with all sorts of beach and water-based activities laid on. There will also be a free fireworks display. The Bottleneck in Broadstairs hosts a tasting with Portuguese winemaker Esporão on Wednesday. Tickets include sharing platters that come with Esporão’s own extra virgin olive oil. [Tickets £55](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/products/esporao-portugese-tasting-17-06?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New Mayor of Margate Leo Britcher will be leading a guided tour of the town on Wednesday to celebrate Margate Charter Day. [Tickets £20](https://www.ticketsource.com/margate-charter-trustees/guided-tour-of-margate-with-the-mayor/e-rpqyxj?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Elias Høve has announced his new exhibition Yawn, You Look Tired at Scrap in Margate Old Town from Wednesday to Saturday. There will be a launch party from 6pm on Wednesday. Work in progress writing performance night Writing in Progress will be back at Penelope in Ramsgate on Wednesday. Free entry. Business discussion and networking event Seaside CEO returns to the Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate on Thursday, looking at selling on and offline. [Tickets £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-sell-well-online-off-tickets-1990819596003?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New fortnightly meet up Margate Writers Circle launches on Thursday at the Shakespeare in Margate offering time to write, share and chat. Starts at 6.30pm. Free. New York trio Say She She will be coming to The Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Tickets £30.03](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/nvn938-say-she-she-30th-jul-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Soul Weekender returns with a massive programme from Friday to Sunday, as the event celebrates its 25th anniversary. [Tickets from £77](https://margatesoulweekender.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This year’s Margate Pride Festival officially gets underway on Friday with the launch of this year’s Pride Art Map at Pie Factory in Margate. Exhibition by queer artists will be on display in over 30 venues around the town throughout August. The Ravensgate pub in Ramsgate officially reopens its doors on Friday. Prime Eats will be taking over HOFFS in Margate for a three-course Afro Caribbean supper club on Friday. [Tickets £45](https://pay.tide.co/products/belly-full-S2vY7Utg/landing?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). East London Shakespeare Festival is bringing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Broadstairs Bandstand on Friday. Free entry. [More info](https://www.broadstairs.gov.uk/event/a-midsummer-nights-dream-outdoor-shakespeare-at-broadstairs-bandstand/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Belle & Sebastian are coming to Dreamland on Friday. The band will perform their album If You're Feeling Sinister in full, followed by a greatest hits set. [Tickets £64.10](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/belle-and-sebastian?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Punk Rock Pride will be holding an alt clothes swap at the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs on Saturday from 11am to 3pm. Ramsgate wine bar Penelope has announced a party to celebrate its third birthday on Saturday, with DJs Andy Norman and Jim Breese. Open from 1pm, DJs from 6pm. Free entry. *Image credit: Anna Isola Crolla* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Hat Trick taps Margate's Chump's for comedy touring arm, and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-tv-company-hat-trick-taps-margates-comedy-promoter-chumps-for-touring-arm-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-07-26T07:00:21.000Z **TV comedy production company Hat Trick has teamed up with Margate-based stand up promoter Chump’s** to launch a new live comedy touring division. Pictured above, Simon Morley and Becca Thomason of Chump’s will work with Hat Trick scripted comedy producer Queenie Miller on the new operation. “We are at heart a comedy company and want to produce comedy wherever people want to watch it - television, YouTube and in theatres,” says Hat Trick founder Jimmy Mulville. **At launch, they have a roster including Freya Parker, Ada & Bron, and Kimberley Hart-Simpson**. Hat Trick is known for shows such as Have I Got News For You, Derry Girls, and Father Ted. [Chump’s Comedy: How did Margate get so funny so fast?From an idea shared on a train home to sell-out shows featuring the likes of Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, Andy Malt speaks to Margate’s Chump’s Comedy about how it all came together so successfully, so quickly![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-cfc9e471-f49f-4ca4-87ce-615afa3f2806.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chumps-team-a888c764-8307-418d-bc70-82acef773230.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) **Thanet District Council’s planning committee has approved renovation plans for the Theatre Royal in Margate**. A contractor can now be appointed to carry out the work on the venue, which has been closed since 2022\. “This project is about far more than preserving a building and undertaking structural repairs. Our aim is to make the theatre accessible to all and a welcoming and inclusive space,” says Councillor Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property. “We are modernising our services and integrating sustainable energy, securing the theatre’s operation for generations to come.” It is hoped that the theatre will reopen its doors for the 2027 panto season. [**Find out more**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/theatre-royal/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Southern Water has been fined more than £7 million for illegally dumping sewage off the coast at Margate and Broadstairs** between 2019 and 2021\. The company pleaded guilty to 13 charges back in April. The company has received almost 175 convictions for illegal discharges since 1999\. Meanwhile, Southern Water’s former CEO Matthew Wright and two other former employees have been charged with devising an alleged plan to manipulate water quality tests in order to avoid paying financial penalties. **Cliftonville LGBTQ+ bar CAMP has announced that it is to close**. Its owners say that in April their landlord proposed a 30% rent increase, which they negotiated down to 10%. “After that, our relationship with our landlord became strained, and noise complaints began arriving with a frequency we’d never seen before,” they explain in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/Da7hjmCDpsG/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). They say that a proposed resolution discussed with Thanet District Council “simply isn’t viable” for the business. In addition to this, a temporary events notice for planned Pride celebrations at Neon Ballroom has also been rejected, forcing a cancellation. **The exact date that the bar will close is yet to be announced**. In another Northdown Road closure, after four years **Riding Wine Co., formerly Streets, has announced it too will close its doors**. No reason has been given as to why the venue will close. However, [the team say](https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJNGvaNqZM/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) they are “leaving with hearts completely full”. A **closing down sale is now on**, and will continue until the bar and wine shop shuts **sometime in mid to late August**. **Nestled between Angela’s restaurant and Angela’s bar** on the Parade in Margate Old Town is **new ice cream parlour Angela’s Ices**. Serving scoops made using ingredients that would otherwise go to waste, it is selling a wide array of unusual flavours. These include things like banana, miso and butterscotch; salted pumpkin seed; and white chocolate and blue cheese. More traditional flavours are also available for the less adventurous. **EKC Broadstairs College’s Margate Digital Campus has put out a call** for local artists to submit **proposals for graffiti or mural installations in the building**. The artwork should reflect Margate and its heritage. The winning bid will have a budget of up to £15,000\. **Email** [**media@ekcgroup.ac.uk**](mailto:media@ekcgroup.ac.uk) **for more information**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Grassroots music festival Compass returns to Folkestone on November 27-28**. It is currently **accepting applications from bands keen to play**. The final line up will feature 40 independent acts from the UK, Ireland, France and Belgium. [**Find out more and apply**](https://www.compass-music.com/apply?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Seabird Ramsgate has revealed it will reopen as Blackbird**. Rumour has it, when it opens, it will be more of a bar than a restaurant. **New bar Cockle & Hen has opened on Margate’s seafront**, taking over the space previously occupied by Dory’s. Owned by Northdown Brewery’s Katie and Jonny Spanjar, it aims to be “cosy and inviting with a low lit swagger.” **Modern Love has opened in Cliftonville**, the new bar taking over what was previously Daisy. It is run by Jen Riley and Joseph Boley, the team behind Paris cocktail bar Sister Midnight. Pop in for cocktails, wine, beer and snacks. **New cafe Abigail’s has opened in Margate on Marine Gardens**. Serving tea, coffee, baked goods and a delicious menu of bagels, it’s **open seven days a week from 7am to 3pm**. **Willy’s in Margate is now open for brunch**. Available 9am-2pm daily. Start your day with decadent brunch dishes of the likes of bacon and burrata on toast, potted trout and poached eggs or a classic full English. For something even more lavish, begin your brunch with a maldon oyster with a champagne mignonette. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #113: Seabird, Chump's, Ramsgate Festival of Sound URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-113-seabird-chumps-ramsgate-festival-of-sound/ Last updated: 2026-07-25T07:02:07.000Z Last weekend we were treated to the undeniable spectacle of a Flaming Lips show when the band played Dreamland in Margate. With props and costume changes for every song (rarely with any actual relation to the song), the band rattled through a selection of their greatest hits, filling the air with confetti several times to keep the celebratory atmosphere alive. After that, the Beta Band took to the stage. While that Flaming Lips performance was a tough act to follow, the reformed band turned out 90 minutes of songs from across their career. While they had no confetti or inflatables, band members did often switch instruments mid-song and were impressively tight, as if the 20 year gap in their timeline hadn't happened. In this week's newsletter, we reminisce about a time when you could pop out for lunch on a Thursday afternoon with no kids at all. We did that recently to check out the new Margate iteration of Seabird - a restaurant that was one of favourites in Ramsgate until its move. Did we still love it? Read on to find out. We've also got a whole lot of news and things to do, including a big deal for Margate comedy promoter Chump's, the launch of this year's Ramsgate Festival of Sound and more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Seabird 2.0: Say hello to an old friend URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-old-town-welcomes-new-cafe-bar-restaurant-seabird/ Last updated: 2026-07-25T07:02:07.000Z Once found on Addington Street, Ramsgate, Seabird now lives where the former Coffee Shed once stood in Margate’s Old Town. Quietly popping up on the corner of The Parade and Duke Street at the start of the year, and officially opening in June, the all day dining spot is not a complete transplant of its former self although similar in many ways. There are some familiar faces behind the bar, and not just from the original Seabird - manager Mike previously worked at Ramsgate’s much-loved Archive. It shares an aesthetic with its previous incarnation - it may in fact have the exact same light fittings, even. Handsome with a tinge of mid-century, cosy bench seating runs along the corner sides of the cafe/restaurant/bar as natural light pours in from the wrap of glass walls. It’s also every bit as friendly and relaxed as Seabird 1.0, and still a bit of a treat. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Seabird-Margate_05-1.jpg) Not a bad view. **Photo: Seabird* However, Seabird 2.0 has expanded its kitchen service to run three menus across the day. For the morning, it’s a selection of classic brunch hits, bistro-style dishes for lunch, and small plates and picky bits for the evening - with the steak tartare and sea bass ceviche, also making the move from Ramsgate. We visited Seabird for lunch, when the temperature was roasting. We sat in the piazza under an umbrella and felt quite smug about life. While perhaps not the grandest piazza known to anyone, places like Seabird and the newly opened Angela’s Bar are bringing some pizazz to the piazza, a corner of Margate that can at times feel like a collection of seagulls, sunburn and the queue for Peter’s Fish Factory. On this sunny Thursday afternoon however, the piazza was a vibe. With the sea breeze in our hair and Main Sands and the Harbour Arm in view, tables of lunching ladies lingered over bottles of white, couples dined and friends caught up over coffees as Margate and her dogs walked by in every direction. ![crumbed fish schnitzel on a plate with pickled red cabbage, a wedge of lemon and portion of tartare sauce.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Seabird-Margate_03-1.jpg) The plaice schnitzel was delicious. **Photo: seabird* Lunch was a plaice schnitzel and the bookmakers sandwich. The samphire and smoked salmon served with a poached egg and parmesan crème fraîse, and the wild mushroom crumpet were also contenders. It was a casually stylish meal. The sandwich, which could also work as a late brunch, was made open. A pressed strip of pink-in-the-middle minute steak and a fried egg, sunny side up, sat upon a slice of toasted sourdough. The smear of horseradish - sharp and creamy - and the verdant, briney caper garnish cut through the meal’s heft. The schnitzel was also a hit. Soft, flakey fish encased in a light, dry crumb was served with a pile of crunchy pickled red cabbage, which was simple and fresh. The curried tartare sauce that came with the dish had both piccalilli and coronation energy. ![Cafe interior with wood seats and a pale teal wall with records, speakers and a bar in view.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Seabird-Margate_04.jpg) Seabird 2.0 takes many of its interior cues from Ramsgate. **Photo: Seabird* Seabird’s cocktail game is strong, and many can be made alcohol free. There’s a healthy selection and range enough to find one to go with whatever menu you’re looking at. The Picante Verde, made with mint, cucumber, lime and coriander, tasted like pure, refreshing health. The only give away it wasn’t somebody else’s morning green juice was the smokiness of the tequila and mescal. The Solstice was a warm weather spritz. Light, and made with apricot brandy and a maraschino cherry-like syrup, it slipped down quickly in the afternoon sun. To finish, the gin-based Temeraire looked like a sunset. With creme de peche, passionfruit and lemon in the glass, it also tasted like someone’s morning juice - tropical this time - but with the foaminess of a sour. The Seabird Gibson was a short and punchy martini. Crisp and boozy, and garnished with pickled onions, a second one would have made short work of my afternoon. Unfussy yet well put together, Seabird Margate retains all the elements that made it a hit in Ramsgate. Grab yourself a cocktail and say hello to an old friend. *Seabird Margate, 12-13 The Parade, Margate CT9 1EY,* [*seabirdflyhome.com/*](https://www.seabirdflyhome.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Incoming: Lou Sanders, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Festival of Optimism URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-lou-sanders-a-midsummer-nights-dream-festival-of-optimism/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T13:00:52.000Z **Lou Sanders and Stevie Martin** will be performing a double bill of work-in-progress shows at **Cliftonville’s Faith in Strangers on Monday, August 17**. Both will perform 30 minutes of new material each. [**Tickets £17.06**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/6do332-lou-sanders-stevie-martin-wip-17th-aug-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Lou Sanders on Margate, trampolines and stand upLou Sanders speaks about her memoir, moving to Margate and begrudgingly about trampolines, but not about her stand-up show No Kissing in the Bingo Hall![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-2530fb5d-a483-4250-9d1c-49a72eab525c.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Lou-Sanders--LouS88292-HI-RES-Copyright-Matt-Stronge-1-468bb9b9-4042-4b47-a660-fd24bbde8e3e.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lou-sanders-on-everything-but-her-show-ahead-of-ramsgate-tour-date/) **East London Shakespeare Festival** is bringing a production of **A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Broadstairs Bandstand on Friday, July 31**. The show will be free, courtesy of Broadstairs & St Peter’s Town Council. It will start at 6.30pm. [**More info**](https://www.broadstairs.gov.uk/event/a-midsummer-nights-dream-outdoor-shakespeare-at-broadstairs-bandstand/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Tideline is putting on free coastal walks for young people aged 16-29** over the summer. Aiming to build a greater connection with the coastline, walks will include guided exploration of the shoreline, reefs and rockpools, and information on the ecological challenges found at sea. Walks will begin at **Botany Bay on July 26 and September 29, and at Stone Bay on August 23**. All start at 11am. [**Free tickets**](https://luma.com/calendar/cal-F4uz896jreIsABG?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Kent Whisky Explorers** is branching out for its next event on **Friday, September 25** with a **rum tasting**, Taking place at **Little Swift in Margate**, you’ll get to sample a selection of rums from the Caribbean region. As usual, the event will raise money for men’s health charity Movember, with over £4500 donated so far. **Tickets £30 Email** [**kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com**](mailto:kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com) **to book**. **Find out everything you ever wanted to know about seaweed with Thanet Coast Project** next month. A **two hour walk and talk** will give you a crash course in the plant, including its strange life cycles, historic connections and medicinal uses. Takes place at **Dumpton Gap, Broadstairs from 10.30am on Thursday, August 20\.** [**Suggested donation £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seaweed-their-secrets-dumpton-gap-2026-tickets-1992827199800?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Bright side-looking club night **Optimissimo will take over the Sun Deck in Margate on Friday, August 14** to spread the happy vibes even further. Resident DJs Miski and Orac808 will be joined by DJ Leepy. **Free entry**. Optimissimo adjacent new conference the **Festival of Optimism is set to take place in locations around Thanet on October 1-3**. The event will celebrate the people, places and ideas that give hope for the future. Events will be held at ARK in Cliftonville, Centenary Hall in Ramsgate and other TBA locations around Thanet. [**Sign up to find out more and learn how you can get involved**](https://www.festivalofoptimism.com/signup?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Artist Krishna Shanthi** will be showing new exhibition **The Blue Garden at Limbo in Margate on August 14-18**. The work comprises digital collage, textiles, painting, found imagery and archive material, tracing recurring interests in Hindu iconography, queer visual culture, Sri Lankan histories and the colour blue. **There will be a drinks reception on Saturday, August 15 from 5-8pm**. If your electronic music tastes veer extremely leftfield, then you’re going to love **Shadowlands Festival**, which is set to take place at the **Gulbenkian Centre in Canterbury on July 1-4 2027**. There will be a chamber orchestra performance of some of Foetus' greatest hits, plus live sets from artists including Lustmord, Test Dept, Githead, People Like Us, Sophie Sirota and more. [**Tickets £240**](https://shadowlandsfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The London Podcast Festival** returns to **King’s Place in London on September 3-13**. Catch live recordings of shows including the Beef & Dairy Network, Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil, The Truth (In My Opinion), No Such Thing As A Fish, and more. [**See the full programme**](https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/london-podcast-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate wine bar Penelope** has announced a **party to celebrate its third birthday on Saturday, August 1**. Soundtracking the event will be renowned DJ Andy Norman, best known as one of the original team behind Hed Kandi. Penelope’s own Jim Breese will also be playing tunes. **Open from 1pm, DJs from 6pm. Free entry**. *Image credit: Matt Stronge* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (July 20-26) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-july-20-26/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T10:28:23.000Z The school summer holidays are here! That came around fast, didn’t it? There’s loads for kids to do all around Thanet and we’ve pulled together our highlights in this guide: [School summer holidays: Things to do in Thanet and East KentYour guide to keeping the kids busy through the school holidays this July and August in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-75737bc3-7107-49c9-a700-cf0ce0c7fd04.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/ashton-bingham-SAHBl2UpXco-unsplash-00b1f7d9-529b-4bcf-a590-2d0f9304b777.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-broadstairs-ramsgate-kent-london-summer-holiday-survival-guide/) Ramsgate-based artist Paul Atkins’ new exhibition Lost Celestial Worlds will be showing at Projects Kavel Rafferty in Margate from Wednesday until July 28\. A peer-led space to share and explore grief, bereavement and loss, Margate Death Cafe launches at The Perfect Place to Grow in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/margate-death-cafe-tickets-1993296593770?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Full-flavoured food pop up MOP is back for two nights at Cliffs in Cliftonville on Friday and Saturday. [DM on Instagram to book](https://www.instagram.com/mopmargate/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). First Milk is the first group exhibition at new Cliftonville art space, The Romantic of Margate. Opening on Friday with a launch party 6-9pm and running until August 9. Love a singalong? Rockaoke is coming to Where Else in Margate on Friday. That’s Karaoke with a full live band. [Tickets £9](https://good-show.co.uk/events/3783?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Carnival & Fair is set to take place on Saturday and Sunday. The event will see a parade snake through the town. [More info](https://www.gbcarnival.co.uk/ramsgate-carnival-and-fair.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Broadstairs Summer Fair is set to take place from Saturday to Wednesday, July 29 at Victoria Gardens, featuring a fun fair and local craft stalls. This will act as a precursor to the Broadstairs Water Gala and fireworks display on July 29\. This year’s Northdown Road Shops Block Party takes place on Saturday. There will be discounts, offers, music and more across shops all down the road. Foliage in Broadstairs will be hosting a succulent dish workshop on Saturday. Make your own soil mix and plant a selection of delightfully easy to care for plants in a ceramic dish. Places £45\. Call 07907500611 to book. Changeling Theatre will be staging Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing on Margate Main Sands on Saturday. [Tickets £22](https://www.ticketsource.com/phoenix-community-events-cic/shakespeare-on-the-beach-2026/e-mjoagv?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Bradstow Singers and Bradstow Symphony Orchestra will be performing live at Holy Trinity Church in Broadstairs on Sunday. [Tickets £12](https://www.ticketsource.com/bradstowmusic/summer-concert-adiemus/e-lojaaz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Award-winning writer Caroline Druitt hosts the first of four creative writing workshops themed on the seasons at Turner Contemporary on Sunday. [Tickets £20](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/writing-the-tides-seasonal-workshops-by-the-sea?utm%5Fsource=Turner+Contemporary&utm%5Fcampaign=d502f5fcb3-EMAIL%5FCAMPAIGN%5F2026%5F07%5F02%5F08%5F38&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=0%5F-d502f5fcb3-53570557&mc%5Fcid=d502f5fcb3&mc%5Feid=ff8997948a). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: The four Thanet restaurants named among the UK's best and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-the-four-thanet-restaurants-named-among-the-uks-best/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T21:52:01.000Z **Thanet is well represented in the Good Food Guide**’s list of the UK’s 100 best local restaurants for 2026\. **Margate’s Cantina Caruso came out second in the list overall**, with Mori Mori in Margate and Broadstairs eateries Fifteen Square Metres and Bar Ingo also making the cut. [**See the full list**](https://www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk/best-of/best-local-restaurants/100-best-local-restaurants-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ellington Park has received a Green Flag Award** for the fifth consecutive year. "This recognition is a direct result of the incredible hard work and dedication of our council teams, volunteers, and the Friends of Ellington Park," says Cllr Steve Albon of Thanet District Council. "This park is the heart of the Ramsgate community, and we are proud to maintain it as a beautiful, safe, and historic space for everyone to enjoy." The park also received **Green Heritage Site Accreditation** in recognition of the preservation of its historic features. Following a successful run of shows since officially opening in March, **Cliftonville venue The Drill Shed is to undergo improvement works** ready for its autumn programme. “We want the people that enjoy the space to get the best from the space,” says owner Eli Thompson. “With that in mind, we’re going to spend more money. We’re going to do some internal works to the building to ensure that when you visit it again, no one is complaining about the sound, neither residents or \[customers\].” ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **The Happy Reading Book Shop in Broadstairs has appointed its first reading ambassador**, seven year old Ashley. She receives a specially made badge to show off her esteemed position and each month will receive a book from the shop to review. Her first is Super Happy Magic Forest and the Deep Trouble by Matty Long, which she says made her “feel happy and excited”. More ambassadors will be added in due course. [**Read Ashley’s full review**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaxSfEks8HI/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New bar The Silver Compass has opened on Ramsgate’s Harbour Street**. It takes over the space formerly occupied by Slice, which closed in May. **The pub is run by Charlotte Silver of Silvers Showbar and Royal Oak Hotel owner Stefano Draper**. Here’s something we’ve not seen before. **Margate club night Different Directions has launched a loyalty card scheme**. Take your card to various participating venues and get a stamp when you buy a drink or food. A drink gets you £1 off entry into the club and food gets you in for free. [**Find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DavNESEAtS0/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #112: Summer holidays, Good Food Guide, Lou Sanders URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-112-summer-holidays-good-food-guide-lou-sanders/ Last updated: 2026-07-18T07:00:02.000Z What a week it's been, kept on the edge of our seats wondering if we'd get the outcome we wanted. Glimmers of hope mixed with moments of trepidation. But finally we know - the heatwave has not come to an end just yet. There was something else too, but I forget what it was now. No, of course I remember. England's big showdown. By which I obviously mean this month's Kent Whisky Explorers night at Little Swift in Margate. The intimate, friendly event pitted six English and Indian whiskies against each other, with attendees voting on their favourite at the end of the night. Every dram was excellent and it was tough to pick a favourite. For me though, the East London Liquor Co Islay Single Malt just pipped the Amrut Single Malt. Although the overall vote went the other way. It was looking good for a while, but England just lost out at the last minute. Now, parents reading this will be aware that the summer holidays have arrived. If you're still wondering how you're ever going to fill the next six weeks, don't worry, we're here to help. For this week's feature, we've pulled together a load of ideas of things to do during the school break. As well as that, we've got all the latest news and upcoming events across Thanet and beyond, including the Thanet restaurants that made the Good Food Guide's new list, stand up comedy from Lou Sanders and Stevie Martin, a festival celebrating things to make you hopeful and more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Summer holiday survival guide 2026 URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-broadstairs-ramsgate-kent-london-summer-holiday-survival-guide/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T15:11:04.000Z The summer holidays are upon us once again. You’ve probably got a full itinerary planned for the six weeks already. You planned an itinerary, right? On the off chance you still have a day or two spare, we’ve pulled together a list of ideas of things to do and places to go all around Thanet and beyond. Just because we’re nice like that, and absolutely not because we looked at the calendar and had a little panic. We've tried to find things to cover all interests across a range of budgets. We'll updates this list over the coming weeks, so be sure to check back. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/caspiansstorm.jpg) Caspian's Storm is part of Pierremont Hall's free theatre programme. **Photo: LASTheatre* ### Culture **Kids Band Club (weekly from July 22)** Kids Band Club will be running extended sessions over the summer holidays. Kids can get together, form a band and make music for two hours every Tuesday at 9am and 11am through the holidays (note: the first sessions will take place on Wednesday, July 22). *Bar Nothing, 17 Cliff Terrace, Margate, CT9 1RU. July 22 and August 4, 11, 18 & 25\. Ages 8-12\. £20\.* [*instagram.com/kids\_band\_club/*](https://www.instagram.com/kids%5Fband%5Fclub?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Beach Club (Thursdays in August)** Turner Contemporary will be hosting free, family-friendly creative workshops on Margate Main Sands every Thursday in August. Children will be encouraged to create artworks inspired by the natural environment. Meet in front of The Sands Café and Ice Cream kiosk. *Margate Main Sands. August 6, 13, 20, 27, 10.30am-12pm. Ages 0-12\. Free.* [*More info*](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/beach-club?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Pierremont Park Summer Theatre (various dates)** There will be free outdoor theatre performances at Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs for children and adults throughout the holidays, starting on Tuesday, July 28\. Family-friendly highlights include returning puppet show Caspian’s Storm, dance performance Tractor Time, and pop-up book style show The Ugly Bugs Wingding. *Pierremont Hall, Broadstairs, CT10 1JX. Various dates, various times. All ages. Free.* [*broadstairs.gov.uk*](https://www.broadstairs.gov.uk/community/community-events/summer-theatre/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Happy Reading Bookshop (various dates)** As ever, the Happy Reading Bookshop is laying on a wide range of events throughout the holidays. There will be weekly book club events and sessions with writers and illustrators including Lucy Strange, Ruby Amy Thompson, and Felicity Epps. *Upstairs at Staple, 30a Reading Street, Broadstairs, CT10 3AZ. Various dates. Various ages. £5\.* [*happyreading.uk*](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Kinder Collective (various dates)** Children’s clothes shop Kinder Collective will put on a programme of craft events for primary school age children over the holidays. Sessions include creative workshops, story time, and family beach cleans. *16 York Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1PB. Various dates. Ages 4-10\. £0-28\.* [*kindercollective.co.uk*](https://kindercollective.co.uk/pages/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **DJ lessons (August 19 & 26)** DJ Joe Corbani is offering free DJ lessons for kids in Broadstairs over two sessions in August. Children will get hands on experience with real DJ equipment and learn the basics of mixing. No prior experience necessary. *Broadstairs. August 19 & 26\. Ages 8-14\. Free.* [*DM Joe for more info*](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMuzLYeg4vg/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Crabs inside a diorama at Margate's Crab Museum](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/07/CrabMuseum-2023-34-34.jpg) Margate's Crab Museum's diorama set in the 1926 general strike. **Photo: Joe and Charlotte* ### Museums **Crab Museum (Friday to Sunday)** Whether a local or just a visitor, 96.3% of experts agree that you haven't properly experienced Margate if you haven’t spent some time in the Crab Museum. Come for the crabs, stay for the covert education on climate change and the nature of truth. *9 Broad Street, Margate. Wednesday to Sunday, 11am-5pm (Wed-Sun from July 30). All ages. Free entry.* [*crabmuseum.org*](https://www.crabmuseum.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete (weekends)** Owned by Eurovision star Look Mum No Computer, this museum is filled to bursting with old tech that can be used to make music (whether originally intended for that purpose or not). There’s a heavy emphasis on interactivity, perfect for curious minds. *Church Hill, Ramsgate. Weekends, 1-4pm. All ages. £0-7\.* [*this-museum-is-not-obsolete.com*](http://this-museum-is-not-obsolete.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) [Interview: This Museum Is (Not) ObsoleteEver had the urge to push a mystery button? Strange Tourist visits This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, where visitors are invited to do just that. Visitors are encouraged to make music and sound with old tech (whether it was designed to or not) and in the process learn about how it works![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-11.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/sam_battle_landscape_1-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/oliver-hale-Qse3AFWnc48-unsplash.jpg) Get out into nature. **Photo: Oliver Hale/Unsplash* ### Outdoor activities **Quex Adventure Farm Park (daily)** This place has proven to be a life-saver countless times in recent years. It’ll keep kids occupied for hours with giant bouncing pillows, an adventure playground, toddler area, animal feeding, maize maze and more. This summer sees the addition of two new giant paddling pools too. *Quex Park, Birchington-On-Sea. Daily, 9.30am-5pm. Ages 1-15\. Prices vary.* [*quexadventurefarmpark.com*](https://www.quexadventurefarmpark.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Thanet Open Top Bus (daily)** Stagecoach is bringing back the Thanet open top bus for the summer holidays, which both delights children and is a great way to see the area at its summery finest. An all day ticket will allow you to jump on an off as much as you like. *69 bus route, Ramsgate’s Viking Ship to Minnis Bay. July 18 to August 31, 8.56am-6.24pm. All ages. £2.30-£6\.* [*stagecoachbus.com*](https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-east/thanet-open-top?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Lower Leas Coastal Park (daily)** We love this park that stretches along the coast between Folkestone and Sandgate. As well as just being a lovely spot for a walk, a bike ride or a picnic, there’s plenty more to see and do - including the south east's largest free adventure playground. *Lower Sandgate Road, Folkestone. Daily, 8am-8pm. All ages. Free.* [*folkestone-hythe.gov.uk*](https://www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/parks-beaches-open-spaces/lowerleas-coastal-park?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Super Canoe (daily)** Explore the River Stour in a family-sized canoe. Canoe Wild in Fordwich has a fleet of larger super canoes, allowing groups of 4-6 people to paddle along the river and back, or take a one way trip to Grove Ferry - perfect to jump off for a pint at the Grove Ferry Inn. *Canoe Wild, Fordwich Road, Sturry, CT2 0BW. Daily. All ages. £65-120\.* [*canoewild.co.uk*](https://www.canoewild.co.uk/canoeing?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Betteshanger Country Park (daily)** Another great spot for getting outdoorsy, particularly for families who enjoy cycling - the 3.5km cycling track is great fun. There are lots of events going on over the summer, and kids can also join the park’s forest school. *Sandwich Road, Deal. Daily, 8am-5pm (6.30pm at weekends). All ages.* Prices *vary.* [*betteshanger-park.co.uk*](https://www.betteshanger-park.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Felderland Pick Your Own Farm (Weds, Thursday, Sun)** Nestled in the countryside between Sandwich and Deal, Felderland Farm offers multiple fields of fruits to pick yourself, including strawberries, raspberries and plums. Buy a punnet at the gate and then fill it as high as you can. Afterwards you can grab something from the cafe while the kids run around in the play area. *Deal Road, Worth, CT14 0BJ. Wednesday,* Thursday *& Sunday, 8.30am-4pm (7pm on Wednesdays). All ages.* [*felderland-pyo.co.uk*](https://www.felderland-pyo.co.uk/plan-your-visit?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Monkton Nature Reserve (various dates)** Monkton Nature Reserve is laying on lots of events for kids over the holidays, exploring nature, science, food and more. *Canterbury Road West, Ramsgate, CT12 4LH. Various dates. £5\.* [*monkton-reserve.org*](http://monkton-reserve.org/events/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Broadstairs_beach_landscape_2.jpeg) Fun on the beach. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### On the beach **Thanet Coast Project Seashore Safaris (various dates)** Aimed at primary school age children (and their families), these regular events along the Thanet coastline give a crash course in exploring and understanding the creatures living in rock pools. *Various locations, dates and times throughout the holidays. Ages 4-11\. £2.50pp.* [*thanetcoast.org.uk*](https://www.thanetcoast.org.uk/events-and-activities/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Punch & Judy (Friday to Sunday throughout August)** There will be traditional Punch & Judy shows on the beach at Viking Bay in Broadstairs throughout the summer holidays. You’ll find it at the bottom of the centre staircase. *Viking Bay and Victoria Gardens, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS. Friday, Saturday, Sunday in August, 11am, 12pm and 1pm. All ages. Free.* **Tide & Seek Beach School (various dates)** Giving kids the opportunity to spend a day learning about the natural world, Tide & Seek has announced four sessions over the summer. Pupils can join in with a range of activities from exploring marine habitats to creating beach art. *Stone Bay, Broadstairs. August 10, 19, 21, various times. 5+. Ages 4-11\. £25 per child.* [*DM to book*](https://www.instagram.com/tideandseekbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/54683959246_7faf9f01a1.jpg) Ramsgate Carnival and Fair. **Photo: Vicki Couchman* ### Festivals and fairs **Ramsgate Carnival & Fair (July 25-26)** Ramsgate Carnival & Fair is set to take place on July 25-26\. The event will see a parade snake through the town. There will also be live music, stalls selling food and more. Individuals and groups can apply to take part in the parade now. *Government Acre, CT11 0HE. July 25-26, 10am-8pm. All ages. Free entry.* [*gbcarnival.co.uk*](https://www.gbcarnival.co.uk/ramsgate-carnival-and-fair.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Broadstairs Water Gala (July 29)** Broadstairs Water Gala will take place at Viking Bay and Victoria Gardens on Wednesday, July 29\. There will be beach and water activities, a sandcastle competition, paddle board lessons, children's bandstand, funfair and more. It will then close with a fireworks display. *Viking Bay and Victoria Gardens, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS. July 25-29, 10am-10pm. All ages. Free entry.* [*broadstairswatergala.co.uk*](https://www.broadstairswatergala.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Broadstairs Folk Festival (August 7-14)** This week-long festival bang in the middle of the summer holidays has plenty of family-friendly events throughout, spanning music, dance, theatre, circus skills and craft. *Various venues, Broadstairs. August 7-14, various times. All ages.* Various *prices.* [*broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk*](https://broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/whats-on/family-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Ramsgate Day (August 15)** For Ramsgate Day on Saturday, August 15, the town will be turning into a circus. Inspired by Ramsgate’s connection to Sanger’s Circus, there will be a programme of free family-friendly activities, performances and workshops across the town centre. [More details](https://www.visitramsgate.co.uk/ramsgate-day-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Ramsgate Town Centre. August 15, 10am-5pm. All ages. Free.* [*visitramsgate.co.uk/ramsgate-day-2026/*](https://www.visitramsgate.co.uk/ramsgate-day-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **bOing! Festival (August 29-30)** The bOing! family arts festival marks its tenth anniversary this year. There are performances, workshops, activities, film screenings and more for a range of ages and interests. *Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury. August 29-30\. All ages. Free (some events ticketed).* [*boingfestival.com*](https://boingfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Under-7s-Skateboard.jpg) Fast track your skills at Skate & Scoot Camp. **Photo: Revolution* ### Sport **Revolution Skate & Scoot Camp (various dates)** If your kids are into skateboarding or scooter riding, this is always a great way to keep them entertained. Running Monday to Friday over three separate weeks of the holiday, passes are available for the full week or single days. As well as access to the ramps, there are games, challenges and lots of new friends to be made. *Revolution Skatepark, Oakwood Industrial Estate, Broadstairs. w/c July 27, August 10 & August 24, 10am-4pm. 7+. £30-40 per day or £100-150 per week.* [*revolutionskatepark.co.uk*](https://www.revolutionskatepark.co.uk/skatepark-lessons?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#skate-scoot-camp) **The Thanet Games (July 29)** The Thanet Games returns with a programme of family-friendly sports and fitness activities. There's also mindfulness, self-care and arts & crafts, with taster sessions to get you started. *Memorial Recreation Ground, Broadstairs, CT10 1HZ. July 29, 10am-5pm. Free entry.* [*facebook.com/events/969675966062275/*](https://www.facebook.com/events/969675966062275/) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: NDR Block Party, Lucy Strange, Punch & Judy URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-ndr-block-party-lucy-strange-punch-judy/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T07:00:28.000Z **This year’s Northdown Road Shops Block Party takes place on Saturday, July 25**. There will be discounts, offers, music and more across shops all down the road. This includes record shop **Ghost Papa’s fifth birthday celebrations**, which will include free cake and beer, competitions, DJs, and live music from acts including Big Woes and Crabs. Kent-based bestselling children’s author **Lucy Strange will be celebrating the publication of her debut YA novel Cut Him Out in Little Star**s with an event at the **Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop in Broadstairs on Thursday, August 27**. Following a reading, Lucy will answer audience questions and sign copies of the book. Suitable for readers aged 11+. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cut-him-out-in-little-stars-publication-day-author-event-with-lucy-strange-tickets-1993547501241?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Alt karaoke night I’m Not Kara-okay heads to Olby’s in Margate on Friday, August 28**. Get on stage and sing your favourite indie, emo, pop-punk and rock anthems. [**Tickets £10**](https://dice.fm/event/pydqlw-im-not-kara-okay-alt-karaoke-28th-aug-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Prime Eats will be taking over HOFFS in Margate for a three-course Afro Caribbean support club on Friday, July 31**. You’ll get a welcome drink on arrival and be treated to relaxed music from DJ Blasé. All food is gluten free. [**Tickets £45**](https://pay.tide.co/products/belly-full-S2vY7Utg/landing?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). There will be **traditional Punch & Judy shows on the beach at Viking Bay in Broadstairs throughout the summer holidays**. You can see three free shows per day at **11am, 12pm and 1pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in August**. The run kicks off with a **midweek show on Wednesday, July 29**. You’ll find it at the bottom of the centre staircase. **Artist Jackie Andrews is exhibiting her** [**playful illustrations**](https://www.instagram.com/3%5Fgreen%5Fparrot%5Fhouses/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **of houses and businesses around Margate at The Orchid Room in Cliftonville**. There will be a party and opportunity to **meet the artist herself on Sunday, July 26 from 3-4pm**. **Margate Death Cafe launches at The Perfect Place to Grow in Cliftonville on Wednesday, July 22**. It will offer a peer-led space to share and explore grief, bereavement and loss. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/margate-death-cafe-tickets-1993296593770?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **First Milk is the first group exhibition at new Cliftonville art space, The Romantic of Margate**. Encompassing painting, sculpture, installation and a live performance or two if you’re lucky. **Opening Friday, July 24, with a private view from 6-9pm**. **Kids Band Club will be running extended sessions over the summer holidays**. Kids can get together, form a band and make music for **two hours every Tuesday at 9am and 11am through the holidays** (note: the first sessions will take place on Wednesday, July 22). **Places £20\.** [**DM on Instagram to book**](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dac%5FXkXNj0D/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Bradstow Singers and Bradstow Symphony Orchestra** will be performing live at **Holy Trinity Church in Broadstairs on Sunday, July 26**. They will perform Karl Jenkins’ Adeimus: Songs for Sanctuary and Jacob Bride’s Her Half-Told Tales. [**Tickets £12**](https://www.ticketsource.com/bradstowmusic/summer-concert-adiemus/e-lojaaz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Following her recent sold out event, **Katie Evans returns to Santa Clara in Margate with another talk on the psychology of horror movies** next month. This one will look at vampires and what has made their stories endure over centuries. **Takes place on Sunday, August 9\.** [**Tickets £11.55**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unmasking-fear-ii-the-psychology-of-vampires-tickets-1993331223348?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Elias Høve has announced his new exhibition Yawn, You Look Tired**, a collection of “portraits of people looking like they’d rather be somewhere else.” The series of paintings will be on display at **Scrap in Margate Old Town from Wednesday, July 29 to Saturday, August 1**, with a launch party from 6pm on the Wednesday. **The Thanet Games returns** with a programme of family-friendly sports and fitness activities **on Wednesday, July 29**. This year it will take place at the **Memorial Recreation Ground in Broadstairs. Free entry**. **Magic Numbers frontman Romeo Stodart** will be coming to **Where Else in Margate on Friday, October 23** for a solo show. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.gigantic.com/romeo-stodart-of-the-magic-numbers-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-10-23-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The winners of this year’s East Kent Coast Photography Competition** are going on display in a **new exhibition set to tour the region** **over the summer**. Catch it at the Crab Museum in Margate (July 14-17), Quayside, Whitstable (July 22-27), The Horsebridge, Whitstable (July 29 - August 10), Droit House, Margate (August 12-26). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (July 13-19) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-july-13-19/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T10:57:45.000Z Drag artist Cabbage the Clown brings their acclaimed debut show Cinemadrome to Olby’s in Margate on Monday. [Tickets £15](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/bighead-comedy-presents-cabbage-the-clown-cinemadrome-12th-jun-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rise Up, Clean Up is calling for volunteers to help weed Margate’s promenade on Tuesday in an effort to prevent Kent County Council’s plans to use weedkiller glyphosate in the area. The dangerous chemical is already banned by Thanet District Council. Meet at the clocktower at 8am. [More info](https://www.instagram.com/p/Dai8naFOM6%5F/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Dining Room launches at Ramsgate Space this week. Chef Julian D Brown will be cooking a five course menu on [Wednesday](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ramsgatespacecic/2295797?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and [Thursday](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ramsgatespacecic/2297012?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). £50 per person. Ramsgate Arts Club will be hosting four consecutive nights of double bill previews this week with Tom Houghton and Phil Nichol (Wednesday), Sara Barron and Sophie Duker (Thursday), Hasan Al Habib and Dee Allum (Friday), and Lenny Sherman and Patrick Monahan (Saturday). [Tickets £15 per night](https://www.ramsgatearts.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Pride’s Summer Quiz will take place at Cliftonville Community Centre on Wednesday, raising money for this year’s Pride and celebrating the event’s tenth anniversary. [Tickets £12](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36635/margate-pride-quiz-raffle-summer-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). As part of its fifth birthday celebrations, Cliftonville record shop Ghost Papa will be taking over Margate’s Sun Deck on Friday with Kit Proudfoot from Big Woes and Tim & Shirley from Margate Radio spinning the tunes. As part of the Vestiges: Time, Propriety and Emotion exhibition at Madsen-Sylvester Studio in Ramsgate, there will be a number of creative workshops, film screenings and walks taking place around the town on Saturday and Sunday. [Find out more](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd5ht-hJC6j-u6GHrt5TQppm1L6BFHl6%5F8AsR6umyx4ZzB%5FPQ/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Powell-Cotton Museum at Quex Park in Birchington opens its annual Festival of Archaeology on Saturday until August 2\. Various events for all ages. [Tickets from £7](https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/event/festival-of-archaeology/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Balearic Boutique is back at Louie on Sea in Margate on Saturday evening, with DJs spinning chilled tunes to soundtrack the sunset. Grab and drink and a deckchair, or pop inside for food. The Flaming Lips and the Beta Band play Dreamland on Saturday. [Tickets £58.75](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/the-flaming-lips-the-beta-band/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Melissa Todd will preview her new Edinburgh show Gag Writer, telling stories from her 30 years as a sex worker, at Ramsgate’s Alley Bar on Saturday. [Tickets £25](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/melissa-todd-gag-writer?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Garden Gate Project in Northdown Park puts on its annual Music Day on Saturday with performances from Tom Vek, NOTV, Charlie Don’t Surf and more. [Tickets £16](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/garden-gate-music-day-2026-tickets-1988400426201?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Barefoot Planter hosts three family-friendly mindful planting workshops throughout the day at Turner Contemporary in Margate on Sunday. [Tickets £3.50](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/mindful-roots-corner-with-the-barefoot-planter?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Carlton Cinema assures customers it's not closing and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-carlton-cinema-assures-customers-its-not-closing-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T22:33:08.000Z **The Carlton Cinema in Westgate has assured customers that it has no plans to close down**. There was apparently some confusion after the Curzon Westgate cinema in Canterbury was recently shut down. “We are still very much open for business, and will not be closing our doors anytime soon,” said the Thanet cinema in a statement. **“We would like to assure you that we will remain a part of the Westgate On Sea community for the foreseeable future.”** **New gallery A Stroke of Luck has opened in Margate**. It comes a year after owner Sam d’Amato suffered a stroke and **began painting with his ten year old daughter Daisy to aid his recovery**. Originally [tracking their journey on social media](https://www.instagram.com/a.strokeof.luck/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a successful exhibition at the Pie Factory gallery earlier this year led to the launch of their own gallery. As well as checking out the art on the walls, visitors can also make an optional donation to the Stroke Association. **Find it at 7 Fort Road**. **A new digital Charles Dickens trail has launched in Broadstairs**. QR codes placed in various locations allow visitors to see the town through the eyes of Dickens, Victorian people and other authors. "We've had great fun exploring Dickens's time in Broadstairs, not just in his own words, but also through the memories and responses of Victorian literary tourists and local residents,” says Professor Carolyn Oulton, Professor of Victorian Literature at Canterbury Christ Church University, which was involved in the development of the trail. “One woman remembered being told to keep her children quiet while he was working!” **Start the trail by scanning QR codes at the Dickens Museum and Bleak House**. **New artisan food market Marquette is set to launch in Margate and Ramsgate in August**. Working with local traders and restaurateurs, the markets are set to run fortnightly from April to December on the first and third Saturday and Sunday of the month, in Margate and Ramsgate respectively. Exact locations are set to be announced soon. [**Trader applications are open now**](https://tally.so/r/VLNpQE?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Bus Cafe is now popping up every weekend at Bleak House in Broadstairs**. Through the school holidays they’ll be there Friday to Monday, and then the whole of Broadstairs Folk Week. **Why not head down for this Sunday’s farmers market to check it out?** **Ramsgate Space has announced two new uses of its HQ**. Its new k**itchen and dining space** is available for pop-ups, support clubs and more. Its first event takes place on July 15-16, with chef Julian D Brown cooking up a five course menu. Then from August, it will also be offering **co-working**. Prices will normally be £75 but right now you can get the first month for £50\. **Email** [**hello@ramsgatespace.com**](mailto:hello@ramsgatespace.com) **to find out more about all of this**. **Ramsgate Festival of Sound has partnered with Behind the Bass** to launch a new **stage run entirely by young people from Thanet**. Launched last year, Behind the Bass gives people aged 18-25 real world, paid experience in all aspects of live events. Details of how to apply will be made available soon. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/%5Fbehindthebass%5F/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). After much delay, **Bombo Doughnuts is now back in Margate**, selling its sweet treats out of a **converted ice cream van outside Dreamland**. Having recently opened its Smugglers Experience, **Plunder Books in Ramsgate has now unveiled the Rogues Gallery** \- a new exhibition space **available to artists for £400 a month**. If you’ve been wondering who is going to **take on the former Ramsay & Williams shop space in Margate Old Town**, it has now been revealed that the **Harbour & Tide beach shop is relocating** from its current unit on Fort HIll. The aim is to have it open before schools break up, which (yes) is quite soon. **Thanet Alive has put out an open call for artists** to take part in its 2026 exhibition. Organisers are looking for art that is authentic, has a socio-cultural relevance, and is of high quality. **You have until August 1 to submit.** [**Put yourself forward**](https://form.jotform.com/261302667518054?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Bull’s Head in Margate has announced the launch of The Fire Pit**, a new outdoor **Argentinian grill** that will be **fired up every Friday to Sunday** over the summer. It can also be hired for larger parties and events if you’ve got a gang of steak lovers. **Backyard Birds has launched**. What is it? Well, it’s in the **back yard of the Neptunes Hall pub in Broadstairs and it serves rotisserie chicken**. Seems obvious now I’ve said it, right? You can also grab sweet potato fries, french fries, homemade slaw, veggie pizza and homemade sauces. **Open Friday and Saturday from 4-9pm and Sunday 1-5pm.** Love oysters? Like really love them? Well, **Willy’s in Margate now has £1 oysters every day, all day, Monday to Friday**. The midweek oyster is now a thing. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #111: Thanet's best brunch spots, Carlton Cinema, NDR Block Party URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-111-thanet-best-brunch-spots-carlton-cinema-ndr-block-party/ Last updated: 2026-07-11T07:00:04.000Z This week, the circus is in town. Revel Puck Circus’ big top has been hoisted up on Ramsgate’s Government Acre. The contemporary circus act was full of impressive acrobatics, balances, aerial work and two wannabe clowns with a gentle humour. The tent was a near constant clamour of cheers and claps. I spent much of the show in awe of the strength, agility and acrobatic talent of the performers. Whereas I can’t manage one star jump without the risk of peeing my pants, one performer was spun around from her head by another who was doing circle work on rollerskates. One segment saw one performer flip another repeatedly using his feet, while two more spun around in every direction inside two human-sized hula hoops that were in constant movement. The eight-year-old boy beside me lost his mind over the show. Slow to warm up with the clapping and cheering, he loosened up to start squealing and whooping and clapping at the acts. With each new section he declared the performers were robots, in disbelief of their talents. At the end of the performance I asked if he enjoyed it, to which he replied, “Yes. I’m going to buy some merch.” You have until tomorrow before the tent is packed up and the troupe moves on. Scroll down to find out how to get 15% off tickets. Looking to the week ahead and beyond, we’ve got green-fingered volunteering opportunities, summer holiday activities, new food options, music, exhibitions and more. And speaking of food options, in this week’s feature we’ve got a round up of Thanet’s best brunch spots. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Best brunch spots in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/best-brunch-spots-around-thanet/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T21:12:09.000Z Perhaps the best meal of the week, a good brunch can make you feel like you are winning at life. Luckily, Thanet's brunch game is solid and varied. Whether you want an old school English breakfast, an eggy classic or something a little more unusual, there's a cafe, greasy spoon or hotel serving the brunch you want. With enough choice to paralyze the indecisive, the question is, where do you want to try today? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5363.jpeg) ### Olympia Who doesn’t want a full English breakfast, with fried bread, and a tea or a coffee for £10.95 or thereabouts? There’s no doubt an [Olympia](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057153472392) fry-up is a hefty meal, but you can easily roll yourself to Walpole Bay and into the water from the Ethelbert Crescent caff. Closed Sundays. *Address: Ethelbert Cres, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2DY* ### Kebbells Broadstairs’ seafood restaurant mainstay [Kebbells](https://kebbells.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), offers brunch for a brief window, Friday to Sunday from 10am to midday, the brunch menu is varied and refined. There’s also fancy versions of mushroom or cheese on toast and a choice of breakfast cocktails, for you to live your best brunch life on. *Address: 8 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5256.jpeg) ### The Good Egg Plating up zippy Middle-Easternish flavour punches, come to [The Good Egg](https://www.instagram.com/thegoodegg%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for shakshuka, baba French toast and pitas stuffed with briney aubergine, fudgey eggs, salted beef and crunchy falafel. Generally busy, but you don’t have to book. *Address: 49 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2RN* ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5308.jpeg) ### Curve Roasters Not everyone thinks toasties are a brunch dish, but the funky, filthy kimchi and cheese toastie (vegan option available) at [this cafe](https://www.instagram.com/curveroasters/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is worth a mention for its hangover-curing properties. And also because it might be the best toastie in Thanet, if not the world, regardless. However for brunch purists, you can always also get things like Turkish poached eggs that come in a puddle of spiced yoghurt. Also does good coffee. *Address: 12 The Centre, Margate, CT9 1JG* ### Ellington Park Cafe Not just for dogwalkers, [Ellington Park Cafe](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086939715150) plates up affordable, unfussy breaky dishes like breakfast baps and subs, and full English breakfasts. There’s also toasties and sandwiches too. The drinks selection is also caf fare, with milkshakes and thickshake on offer alongside your standard cafe drinks. *Address: Park Road, Ramsgate, CT11 9TL* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5264.jpeg) ### Forts Popular for a reason, both Margate and Broadstairs' [Forts](https://www.instagram.com/fortscoffee/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) serves up strong coffees, hefty sarnies, and contemporary eggy riffs. The Margate outpost gets super busy at the weekend but you can't book so be prepared to wait. *Address: 8 Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 1RU* *8 Dundonald Road, Broadstairs, CT10 1PE* ### Giant Ramsgate One of three Giant cafes, the [largest of them in Ramsgate](https://www.instagram.com/giant%5Fcoffeeramsgate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) serves up brunch dishes Wednesday to Sunday, 9am-3pm. Expect your classic brunch selection, waffles with berries, breakfast sarnies, smashed avo on toast and various egg, bean, sourdough combinations. *Address: 1 Charlotte Court, Ramsgate, CT11 8HE* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/Sun_Deck_landscape.jpeg) ### Bus Cafe This [high season pop-up](https://www.instagram.com/thebuscafe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) right on Main Sands makes life easy with a short but tempting big plate menu alongside a smattering of smaller dishes, which are ideal if you’re brunching with kids or don’t want to risk a food coma. Comes with some outdoor seating, so you don’t need to eat on the top deck. Booking is recommended for this one. *Address: Royal Cres Promenade, Westbrook, Margate, CT9 5AJ* ### Smiths Town House You don’t have to be staying at this smart-as Broadstairs [boutique hotel](https://smithstownhouse.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to eat in its dining quarters which exudes a quiet drama. Fancy fry-ups are the order of the morning here, from your classic English Breakfast to a veggie-laden vegetarian option. There’s also breakfast toasties and lighter dishes too. *Address: 43 Belvedere Rd, Broadstairs, CT10 1PF* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5325.jpeg) ### Hoffs Not just for hangovers, but the bacon and egg sarnie made with potato waffles and your choice of hair of the dog really does soothe one. With its low slung couches and Home & Away meets Baywatch vibes, brunch could easily turn into drinks at this [all-day eating haunt](https://www.instagram.com/hoffs.margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Brunch menu is served 11am-3pm Friday - Sunday, look out for pop ups. *Address: 18 Marine Drive, Margate CT9 1DH* ### Oast A superb [neighbourhood bakery](https://www.instagram.com/oast%5Fbakery/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with the nicest staff, and home to perhaps one of the best inventions ever - the croissant loaf. On the counter top, find flakey, buttery croissants, vegan morning buns, and a small but rotating selection of pastries. Savory options include sausage rolls, quiche, sandwiches and loaded flatbreads. Has incredible air con. *Address: 68 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2RL* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5413.jpeg) ### Union The new incarnation of [Union Cafe](https://www.instagram.com/hellounioncafe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) focuses on vegetarian and vegan dishes that are wholesome and nourishing. Tuck into hearty plates like smokey beans on toast and miso and maple no-grain granola bowl. While breakfast dishes run all day, a lunch menu runs from 11.45am, which is equally virtuous. *Address: 25-27 Queen Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9DZ* ### Njord Just out of Ramsgate proper, [Njord ](https://www.njordcliffsend.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)is an attractive all-day dining spot in Pegwell Bay. From 9am-2pm, the joint runs a breakfast menu which has all your quintessential avocado, eggy and bap-forward brunch culprits. *Address: 123a Saxon Reach, Sandwich Road, Cliffsend, CT12 5JB* ![A picture of cafe Seabird - a corner venue with glass all round and tables outside.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Seabird-Margate_02-1.jpg) ### Seabird Originally found on Addington Street in Ramsgate, [Seabird](https://www.instagram.com/seabirdmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is now the new kid on Margate’s sea front. Three menus run across the day, with its breakfast menu boasting a full selection of brunch classics - eggs florentine, benedict and royale, buttermilk pancakes, and fry-ups. Grab a breakfast cocktail while you're at it. The lunch menu kicks in at midday, but you can still hit brunch notes with dishes like the wild mushroom crumpet, asparagus and smoked salmon or the bookmaker sandwich. *Address: 12-13 The Parade, Margate, CT9 1EY* ### Old Curiosity Shop A cosy, quirky nook, Broadstairs' [Old Curiosity Shop](https://www.curiosityshopbroadstairs.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has oodles of charm. A cafe with tea house/caf vibes, fare is nostalgic - beans on toast, crumpets, baps and jacket potatoes. You can get a sausage for your dog. *Address: 9 Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1ET* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5447.jpeg) ### The House This charming, high-ceilinged [boutique hotel](https://www.instagram.com/thehouseramsgate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) perched upon East Cliff overlooking the sea serves up classic cafe-style brunch dishes in its elegant yet laidback dining room. Come for a full English, or a light smashed avo on toast. You can also get stuck into eggs on toast, done in a number of ways. *Address: Albion House, Albion Place, Ramsgate, CT11 8HQ* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5468.jpeg) ### Salt This Broadstairs [coffee, açai and wine bar's](https://www.instagram.com/saltbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) morning meal options are wholesome and light, with things like avo and kimchi on toast, green fresh juices, açai bowls and vegan baked goods putting a hop in your step. *Address: 127 High Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1NG* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5492.jpeg) ### Namaka Sister venue to Salt, [Namaka](https://www.instagram.com/namakabroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) offers the same virtuous start to the day, but just on Stone Bay. Head down for a beach-side acai bowl that is loaded with fresh fruit, granola, acai seeds and various other plant-based healthy bits, as well as pastries, smoothies and super food hot drinks. *Address: Stone Bay Kiosk, Eastern Esplanade, Broadstairs, CT10 1DU* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5487.jpeg) ### The Royal Albion Hotel [This hotel](https://www.instagram.com/theroyalalbionhotel/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has a no-stuffing about menu boasting mainly breakfast baps and hollandaise-drizzled muffins, however you can still get a classic English breakfast or American-style pancakes laden with cream and berries if you want a feast. Baps can be made vegan and you can brunch with beach views if you’re lucky. *Address: 6-12 Albion Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1AN* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/DSC_5509.jpeg) ### Staple Stores With locations across Thanet, Westgate and Ramsgate's [Staple Stores](https://www.instagram.com/staple%5Fstores/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) are the roomiest and come with counter tops laden with savoury and sweet pastries and moorish things like focaccia sandwiches, veg and meaty sausage rolls, cruffins, quiche and almond croissants. Staples Ramsgate has outdoor seating in Charlotte Court, and while the Broadstairs outpost is the cosiest, it has all the same baked goods goodness as its sibling bakeries. *Address: 19 St. Mildreds Walk, Westgate-on-Sea, CT8 8FZ* *20 York Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9DS* *30a Reading Street, Broadstairs, CT10 3AZ* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Ramsgate Carnival, Rockaoke, MOP URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-ramsgate-carnival-rockaoke-mop/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T07:00:33.000Z **Ramsgate Carnival and Fair will return for its 103rd edition on July 25-26**. Places to join the carnival parade and for stalls are still available. [**Find out more**](https://www.gbcarnival.co.uk/ramsgate-carnival-and-fair.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate-based artist Paul Atkins** will be showing a collection of paintings, lithographs, etchings, screen prints and monotypes at **Projects Kavel Rafferty in Margate on July 22-28** in an exhibition titled Lost Celestial Worlds. **Award-winning writer Caroline Druitt hosts the first of four creative writing workshops** themed on the seasons at **Turner Contemporary on Sunday, July 26**. The summer edition will focus on surrealism, taking inspiration from the sea, found objects and the work of the gallery’s current exhibiting artist Hulda Guzmán. [**Tickets £20**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/writing-the-tides-seasonal-workshops-by-the-sea?utm%5Fsource=Turner+Contemporary&utm%5Fcampaign=d502f5fcb3-EMAIL%5FCAMPAIGN%5F2026%5F07%5F02%5F08%5F38&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=0%5F-d502f5fcb3-53570557&mc%5Fcid=d502f5fcb3&mc%5Feid=ff8997948a). [Hulda Guzmán’s world of wonder and exploration at Turner ContemporaryDominican artist Hulda Guzmán’s first European exhibition tracks her evolution across a decade work![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-90c41d56-e309-4272-926a-dad447f9eb27.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_1670--1--e313ad2c-46bf-419b-8216-601efa56d136.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-hulda-guzmans-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly-at-turner-contemporary/) **Turner Contemporary’s first exhibition of 2027 will be Natural Magic: Women, Art, Spirit Worlds**. Curated by former Editor of Friez Jennifer Higgie, it will explore esotericism, spiritualism, and feminism through the work of women artists from the nineteenth century to the present day. It will expand on Higgie's book The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World. **The exhibition will run from February 13 to June 6**. **Foliage in Broadstairs will be hosting a succulent dish workshop on Saturday, July 25**. Make your own soil mix and plant a selection of delightfully easy to care for plants in a ceramic dish. **Places £45\. Call 07907500611 to book**. **Business discussion and networking event** **Seaside CEO returns to the Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate on Thursday, July 30**. Looking at selling on and offline, a panel discussion will feature Alison Lewy MBE who has helped brands get stocked in major retailers, Becky Simms, founder of successful Kent agency, Reflect Digital, advising on online sales strategies, and Ramsgate resident, Anja Hessler, who is an expert in building and managing customer data. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-sell-well-online-off-tickets-1990819596003?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Love a singalong? **Rockaoke is coming to Where Else in Margate on Friday, July 24**. That’s karaoke with a full live band. Choose what you want to sing from over 150 options and then get up on stage and live out your rock star dreams. [**Tickets £9**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/3783?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Following its launch last month, **the Ramsgate outpost of Writing in Progress will be back at Penelope on Wednesday, July 29**. Head along to hear writers read their work in progress, or [**DM to get up on stage yourself**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DaKsrLltDmg/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Ramsgate Arts Club hosts Rituals of Repair, an exhibition by mixed-media artist Amelia Mullins**. She looks at irony, tenderness, grief and play in the context of womanhood and childlike expression. **On until August 16**. Following last year’s Margate Mushroom Festival, this year will see the launch of the **Thanet-wide fungi celebration Sporefaring Festival**. Full details are still to come but you can block out the weekend of **October 16-18** now. [**A limited number of £60 early bird weekend passes are on sale now**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/sporefaring/2277751?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate Mushroom Festival: ‘All mushrooms are magic’From zombie fungi and our distant fungus relatives to anticancer properties of white button mushrooms and spiritual rituals, the world of shrooms is bizarre and amazing![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-0351c5a7-cb3e-4523-a106-df72ba6c06d0.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Grow-Your-own-Pinks--1--1-29fdab78-95bb-4531-bbe2-7dcb25ba3617.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-mushroom-festival-all-mushrooms-are-magic/) **Patrick Monahan and Lenny Sherman have been added to Ramsgate Arts Club’s week of Edinburgh Fringe previews**. The stand up comedians will play the venue on **Saturday, July 18\.** [**Tickets £15**](https://www.ramsgatearts.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Vestiges: Time, Propriety and Emotion** is an exhibition looking at the emotional baggage of items we chose to keep or let go. Curated by Madi Hough and Emmna Wichert, it’s **running at Ramsgate’s Madsen Sylvester Studio until August 29**. **The Bottleneck in Broadstairs next wine tasting will look at Esporão Wines**, one of Portugal’s most lauded wine producers. Expect aromatic whites and full-bodied reds. As always, there’s cheese and charcuterie sharing platters. [**Tickets £55**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/esporao-portugese-tasting-17-06?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). We’re still talking about the **MOP** meal we had last year. The full-flavoured pop up is back, for **two nights at Cliffs in Cliftonville, July 24-25\.** [**DM on Instagram to book**](https://www.instagram.com/mopmargate/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (July 6-12) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-july-6-12/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T11:49:12.000Z The Canterbury Children’s Literary Festival takes place from Monday to Friday in venues around the city. [See the full line up](https://www.canterburykidslitfest.co.uk/programme?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Bottleneck in Broadstairs hosts an Old World v New World blind tasting on Wednesday, sharing ten wines from different regions around the world. [Tickets £65](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/new-world-vs-old-world-blind-tasting-08-07?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Rachel O’Connor will be running a confidence building workshop for women at ARK in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Tickets £56](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/find-your-funny-a-workshop-for-women-tickets-1990477913020?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Good Good Film Club screens another mystery film at Margate Arts Club on Wednesday. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37141/good-good-film-club-8?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (or £15 if you’d like a pizza delivered to your seat). Culty Film Club returns to Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Wednesday with dinner, a quiz and a screening of Big Trouble in Little China. [Tickets £57](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/culty-film-club-2026-07-08?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). East London contemporary circus Revel Puck is setting up its big top on Ramsgate’s Government Acre from Thursday to Sunday. [Tickets from £10](https://www.tixr.com/groups/revelpuckcircus?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Check this week's newsletter to** [**find out how to get 15% off tickets**](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-110-revel-puck-circus-happy-reading-book-shop-ramsgate-carnival/)**.** ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Local writer Dan Higgins will be discussing his new book Lords of the Ring at Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lords-of-the-ring-with-dan-higgins-tickets-1992408727137?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Women of Folk - Linda Moylan, Lizzy Hardingham, Louise Hatch, and Rebecca Mileham - perform at Rosslyn Court in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Tickets £12](https://www.rosslyncourt.com/events/women-of-folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Yoga teacher Elise Carter will host a full day retreat at Gather& in Ramsgate on Saturday. [Places £120](https://www.eliseannacarter.com/ramsgateretreat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s Red Telephone night is teaming up with South London's Red Light to bring DJ duo Tia Cousins and Ruf Dug to Margate Arts Club on Saturday. [Tickets £12.50](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33019/red-light-x-the-red-telephone-presents-tia-cousins-and-ruff-dug-andrew-nicholls-damo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Gal + Gather’s next Sips & Snax event takes place at Salt in Broadstairs on Saturday. Places £35 per person. [DM on Instagram to book](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZMoVoBjeBb/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). To mark five years of its annual painting prize, The Lido Stores has announced The Lido Open: Calling, a group exhibition bringing together works by the artists who have shaped the prize over the years both as creators and judges. It runs from Sunday until September 13, with a private view on Saturday. The first Fair Play indie music market takes place at Bar Nothing in Cliftonville on Sunday, with various local musicians playing acoustic sets and selling merch. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Broadstairs bookseller named rising star of the industry and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-broadstairs-bookseller-named-rising-star-of-the-industry-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-07-07T09:44:23.000Z **Nicci Rosengarten, owner of Broadstairs’ Happy Reading Children's Bookshop, has been named one of The Bookseller Rising Stars Class of 2026**. “Children's books have the power to change lives, and I hope this recognition helps shine an even brighter light on the importance of reading for pleasure and the wonderful children and families I am so privileged to support here in Thanet,” says Nicci. **The annual list highlights emerging leaders in the book trade across the British Isles**. **Margate chef Craig Edgell has competed in the semi-finals of the the Craft Guild of Chefs’ National Chef of the Year competition for the fifth year running**. Having gone head to head with other chefs in a live cook-off in London on Wednesday, **he’ll find out if he’s made it to the final for the third consecutive year on July 14**. Formerly head chef at Buoy & Oyster, Craig left the restaurant last year to set up his own company Margate Chef Catering & Hospitality. **Margate Black Pride has been renamed Margate Queer Black & Brown Arts** to reflect how its work has evolved since launching in 2022\. “This new name reflects our commitment to supporting Black and Brown queer creativity, cultural production, artistic visibility, nightlife as cultural practice, and the creation of joyful, liberatory spaces where our communities can thrive,” says the organisation. **“This is not a departure from our values, but an evolution towards greater clarity, honesty and alignment with the work we have already been doing.”** **Thanet District Council and Whybrow Studio this week held a consultation on plans for new signage to help visitors move around Margate**. Initial proposals for placement of signs, colours, fonts - as well as the removal of existing less helpful signage - were shared. The aim is to direct more people towards areas containing local businesses that are currently being missed by people unfamiliar with the area, particularly in Cliftonville. A survey is now collecting public views on how easy it is to navigate the town currently. [**Have your say**](https://tally.so/r/NpPqBO?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate nightclub Fusion has seen its late night licence temporarily revoked** following a series of complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour. At a hearing this week, enforcement officers said that **the venue has failed to meet various conditions of its licence**, including fire safety and noise levels - one saying that it has “consistently disregarded” stipulations about noise levels. **Its 3am licence was revoked for three months**, meaning it will not be allowed to open past 11pm unless the fire service and Thanet District Council’s environmental health team are satisfied that conditions are being met. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Cliftonville Art Garden, on Clifton Place, has two volunteering days coming up for green-thumbed folk**. Join Saturday or Sunday (or both) July 11-12to muck in with tasks like laying compost bays, building a pond, planting herbs, veg, flowers and building plant beds. Bring shoes, water, hats, gloves and sunscreen. Meet outside Sarns, 102 Northdown Road. Sat 9am-1pm, Sunday 10am-2pm. [**DM to let the organiser know you’re coming**](https://www.instagram.com/fineanddandelion/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The deadline to take part in Busk Until Dusk at Ramsgate Festival of Sound has been extended**. The event will see 20 bands pop up and perform in 12 pubs around the town as part of the festival. Performers must be acoustic. You’ll play up to four sets on the night, with a £50 fee for each. **Email** [**ramsgatefestivalofsound@gmail.com**](mailto:ramsgatefestivalofsound@gmail.com) **by July 15 with links to your music to express your interest**. [Ramsgate Festival of Sound’s impact resonates around the townRamsgate Festival of Sound invites visitors to explore the town through sound, celebrate local talent and discover new ways of engaging with what surrounds them![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-af4b3138-4f3a-47d4-b7ed-16d9e31b3cf2.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/208-240825-937-93a7a50d-656f-4217-926d-988829fc9cc7.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/) **A short documentary about Margate-based artist David Shillinglaw is now available to watch on YouTube**. The film documents David’s studio practice in Margate and follows his exhibition Only Human in Lisbon at Eritage gallery. [**Watch now**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPe7RG0mCFs&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Angela’s Bar is now open at the bottom of Margate High Street**. An extension of the neighbouring seafood restaurant, it occupies what was previously Cafe G. **As well as drinks, it’s also serving a menu of bar snacks, including cockles, marinated sardines, and carlin peas in vinegar**. **Another new bar set to open soon in Margate is Modern Love**, which will take over the unit **previously occupied by Daisy on Cliff Terrace** opposite the Lido. The bar will be run by Jen Riley and Joseph Boley, the **team behind Paris cocktail bar Sister Midnight**. **Sushi and bubble tea restaurant Boba Tigers is relocating from Northdown Road to 27 Marine Terrace**, next to The Mechanical Elephant. **Due to open July 11 from 2pm**, it’s celebrating the new venue with **a buy one get one free offer for the first 100 customers**. **Us at Fort Road Hotel has announced an early bird special**. The new Pomus venture has a set menu running Friday to Monday 5pm-6.30pm. Two courses are £19, and three are £25\. There’s a £6 glass of wine offer to match. [**Booking**](https://www.pomus.co.uk/pomusfortroad.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **is essential and make sure you book into the promotion**. **Tini’s Tacos has an all you can eat Taco Tuesday night, every Tuesday at Cliffs** on Northdown Road, Cliftonville. That’s unlimited tacos for £21 a head. [**Book via Insta**](https://www.instagram.com/cliffsmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Schnitzel burger pop up Don’t Snitch is now open Fridays and Saturdays** at The Bus Cafe on Margate’s sundeck, 4pm-8pm. **Comes with a veggie option and goujons**. *Lead image credit: Rebecca Douglas* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Revel Puck intends to "redefine" how people think about circus URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/revel-pucks-goal-to-revolutionise-how-people-think-about-circus/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T15:39:01.000Z Formed almost by chance, by saving an old big top tent from landfill, Revel Puck Circus has been delighting audiences with its modern take on circus around the UK for the best part of a decade. “We’re an East London homegrown company creating fresh, contemporary circus for new audiences,” explains artistic director Luke Hallgarten. “Our mission is to revolutionise our sector and redefine public perception of circus.” Know for “high-energy, family-friendly, animal-free modern shows”, the company brings its latest, A Glimmer Daze Gambit, to Ramsgate later this month. The story follows Stella and Kit, who realise their dream of joining a circus. However, having never seen one before, they have to guess at what they might need in order to take part. The narrative brings together a wide variety of different circus acts, including what Luke says is a world-first balancing performance featuring nine people. We sat down with Luke to find out more about how Revel Puck came to be, how it differs from other circuses, and what audiences should expect in Ramsgate. **How did Revel Puck start out?** Revel Puck was formed in East London in 2018\. The seed of it started with a big top: after I toured with NoFit State for three years, I spotted a 40-year-old blue tent one night that was about to be thrown out. I asked if I could take it. The original manufacturer made it as good as new, and my own circus was born. From there, the company grew around a shared love of tented, outdoor touring: landing in the heart of a community for a fleeting moment, then packing up and leaving no trace other than the memories. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Copy-of-CS102526.jpg) Revel Puck brings together performers from around the world. **Photo: Craig Sugden* **What’s your background in circus and why did you want to start your own company?** I’m very dyslexic. Growing up, I was the kid bouncing off the walls, and my mum tried to find something for me to do at the weekends, so at eight I started circus classes in Hoxton. I totally fell in love with juggling. I worked weekends at Oddballs in Camden (a proper cavern of magical tricks, unicycles and diabolos), then eventually enrolled at the National Centre for Circus Arts. School was a spectacular failure… and then circus school wasn’t. I graduated with first-class honours. After that I went to Le Lido in Toulouse, the French state paid my school fees and gave me a wage to study there. As part of my finals I had to produce a tour. Experiencing the thrill of a live show really cemented my belief that circus was my calling. Then I auditioned for NoFit State Circus and toured with them for three years. And after that, I wanted to build something of my own: a company that could tour in a big top, be properly rooted in community, and bring contemporary circus to places and people who might not walk into a theatre. **What was the company’s first show and how have the performances developed over time?** We did our first major stand in Leyton in 2021, in the midst of the Covid pandemic summer. I think the experience of putting on a show in a moment like that has really focused us on audience experience and ensuring our team feel like they are a part of decision-making and have ownership of the work. Since then, the company has grown stand by stand. Each time we land somewhere new, we learn more about how to build the world around the show, not just what happens in the ring, but what happens on the site. We’ve always been drawn to making popular work about the human condition: shows that are accessible to all ages, all backgrounds. Over time the scale has grown, the touring has grown, and our ability to create a whole experience has grown too. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Copy-of-CS204915.jpg) The show follows Stella and Kit as they try to join the circus troupe. **Photo: Craig Sugden* **What’s the premise of A Glimmer Daze Gambit?** A Glimmer Daze Gambit is a show about hope, arrival and community. You join the Pucks in a wild ride of finding joy in the journey, not the destination. Stella and Kit have finally arrived at their dream home: a circus. Desperate to join the troupe, they’ve brought everything they think they might need. Having never seen a circus before, they’ve had to imagine what might be of use. Through a journey of discovery, they realise that to fail is to learn, that community is forged in the mistakes, and that to care about something is as important as the thing itself. **How does this run through the show?** Circus storytelling, the dramaturgy of it, works differently to theatre. For us, it runs through the show in the way the company behaves together - how people take risks, how they support each other, how they mess up, how they recover, and how the audience is invited to be on their side. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/Copy-of-CS301881.jpg) The Rola Globe is "a world-first and a Revel Puck original". **Photo: Craig Sugden* **What are the key performances people should expect to see?** It’s a high-spectacle big top experience with world-class acrobatic performances, physical storytelling, ensemble chaos, and a proper parade of skills. You can expect teeterboard, aerial cradle, straps, cloud swing, bounce juggling, group acrobatics, plus plenty more surprises. And there’s one moment that consistently gets a proper audience reaction: our Rola Globe. It’s a world-first and a Revel Puck original - a giant globe topped with a square platform, where nine performers balance together in a breath-holding feat of teamwork, timing and nerve. **Your shows include performers from all over the world. How do you find the people you want to work with and does the cast change over time?** This show brings together a collective of grassroots London-based and international circus artists, including performers from Argentina, the USA, Ethiopia and Canada. Casting is about people as much as it’s about tricks. In its barest form, circus is the technique, and the person doing the technique, and the person matters. We look for artists with a real vocabulary of technique, but also the ability to be themselves on stage: present, funny, human. And yes, casts evolve, touring is intense, and the show keeps developing with the people inside it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/CS105112.jpg) Taking the new show for a spin. **Photo: Craig Sugden* **How do you go about creating a new show? Does story come first?** We start with what we want to be offering to the public and contributing to the industry - and what will genuinely be of interest to the communities we’re landing in. There’s a long period of research and thinking, lots of conversations with collaborators, and then the deeper questions arrive. Story doesn’t always come first in a traditional sense. Often it’s: what’s the theme, what’s the feeling, what’s the question, and then we build the world around the technique and the people. **How long does it take to put a show together?** A long time! And longer than people think. There’s the research and development period, then the practical reality of getting everyone in the same place, rehearsing safely, and making sure the audience experience is strong from the moment they arrive. In total, I’d say it’s around an 18 month process. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/07/260403_RevelPucks_559.jpg) You'll have a... flaming good time? Sorry. **Photo: Ruth Board* **How much does location impact a show?** Place matters massively. We tour with a big top because we want to be in spaces that feel inviting; parks, commons, places people already belong to. When the circus is on tour, we live on site in caravans, and there’s a real sense of community to it. On two-show days we’ll have a lunch meal together, and on a three-show-and-move day it’s an evening meal. Long trestle tables outside the food truck, showers and washing machines on site, and a lot of laundry! Thursdays and Sundays are costume wash days. Every town has its own rhythm. The show stays the show, but the way the site feels, the way the community responds, and the way we welcome people always changes. **What has been a particular standout moment that took you by surprise since starting Revel Puck?** The biggest surprise is how much people want this kind of shared experience. You land somewhere, pitch the tent, and suddenly you’ve got families, teenagers, older people, people who’ve never been to circus before, or shared cultural experiences together all sat as one, having the same emotional response. That never gets old. I remember one interval of a show; I was serving popcorn from the stage and looked out into the audience. In one corner of the tent, a mum was feeding her baby and chatting to an older lady who looked like her mother, and in another corner, there was a young muslim couple quietly praying. Seeing communities come together under the big top is truly why we do what we do. *Revel Puck’s big top will be pitched on Government Acre in Ramsgate on July 9-12\. There will be two to three performances of A Glimmer Daze Gambit per day.* [*Tickets from £10*](https://www.revelpuckcircus.com/a-glimmer-daze-gambit?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ***Strange Tourist subscribers can get 15% off tickets for all Ramsgate performances by using our special discount code. At check out just enter STRANGETOURIST*** Lead image credit: Ruth Board ### Strange Tourist #110: Revel Puck Circus, Happy Reading Book Shop, Ramsgate Carnival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-110-revel-puck-circus-happy-reading-book-shop-ramsgate-carnival/ Last updated: 2026-07-04T07:00:21.000Z It’s been another warm week with a few glorious sunsets thrown in between the sweating and the overheating. And we managed to have some drinks in the sun. Angela’s Bar, right next to the restaurant of the same name on The Parade in Margate, opened only a couple of days ago. There were a couple of ideas about how the former Cafe G was going to roll out. The initial idea to expand the small but perfectly formed restaurant into a bigger gaff was shut down at the planning stage. An ice cream shop selling seasonal flavours and scoops made from food waste followed. The corner spot however, has become a chic snug of a wine bar, lined with pavement tables, with more seating across the road in the… er, piazza? The bar is handsome. Forest green, cream and wood interiors are lowkey stylish and welcoming. With natural light streaming in from two walls of window, the place feels both light, airy and intimate. Sharing the same ethos as the restaurant next door, food and drink are provenance-led. There’s a compact selection of craft beers on tap, and a short but considered selection of wine including a Kentish white which is dangerously good. On day two, when we visited, the kitchen wasn’t up and running. However, with bar snacks like a smoked mackerel bap, dressed crab and marinated sardines, it sounds delicious. For this week’s feature, we interviewed Luke Hallgarten, the founder of East London contemporary circus Revel Puck. The company is bringing its new show to Ramsgate next week. Luke explained what to expect and the company’s efforts to modernise perceptions of circus. Scroll down to find the interview and also a discount code to get 15% off tickets. Elsewhere, we’ve got a succulent workshop, creative writing sessions, another new bar for Margate and a new Thanet-wide festival. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Grace Campbell, Makers House, Hamlet Hail To The Thief URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-grace-campbell-makers-house-hamlet-hail-to-the-thief/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T07:00:34.000Z **Comedian Grace Cambell** will be performing a new work in progress show at **Where Else on Monday, August 6**. It’ll be a last minute run through before she heads up to the Edinburgh Fringe. [**Tickets £15**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/k6lva8-grace-campbell-work-in-progress-6th-aug-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Makers House in Ramsgate has announced three new residential weekend workshops of the autumn**. Learn free-form patchwork and quiltmaking with **Jessie Cutts on September 25-27**, textile stitching with **Anne Kelly on October 2-4**, and patchwork and textile art with Catherine-**Marie Longtin on October 9-11**. There are only six places available for each. **Email** [**ppowell@batsfordbooks.com**](mailto:ppowell@batsfordbooks.com) **for more information and to book**. **Punk Rock Pride** will be holding an **alt clothes swap at the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs on Saturday, August 1** from 11am to 3pm. Bring along goth, punk and metal outfits you no longer want and exchange them for something fresh. There will also be **customisation workshops throughout the day**, so you can add studs, slogans, safety pins and more to your new clobber. How often have you wished there was **a musical version of a Shakespeare play soundtracked by an entire Radiohead album**? Well, it's finally here. **Hamlet Hail To The Thief opens at the Barbican in London on Saturday, October 31**, running until Saturday, January 27\. Co-created by Thom Yorke and directors Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett, the show has already had sold out runs in Manchester and Stratford-upon-Avon. [**Tickets from £34**](https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/hamlet-hail-to-the-thief?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Poet laureate Simon Armitage will be performing live with his band LYR at St Mary’s Art Centre in Sandwich on Friday, December 4**. Also featuring producer PJ Pearson and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Richard Walters, the band will perform songs from their new album Dark Sky Reservation. [**Tickets £25**](https://wegottickets.com/f/22340?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **For Ramsgate Day on Saturday, August 15, the town will be turning into a circus**. Inspired by Ramsgate’s connection to Sanger’s Circus, there will be a programme of free family-friendly activities, performances and workshops across the town centre. [**More details**](https://www.visitramsgate.co.uk/ramsgate-day-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New Mayor of Margate Leo Britcher will be leading a guided tour of the town on Wednesday, July 29 to celebrate Margate Charter Day**. The evening walk will mark 169 years since Margate gained its Charter. You’ll learn about the town’s history before stopping on the Main Sands steps to watch the sunset. Everyone on the tour will then be treated to a free drink at Barnacles. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.ticketsource.com/margate-charter-trustees/guided-tour-of-margate-with-the-mayor/e-rpqyxj?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Local writer Dan Higgins** **will be discussing his new book Lords of the Ring at Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday, July 9**. He’ll be discussing the world of professional wrestling and how it impacts the political, social and cultural landscape with Dan Schreiber. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lords-of-the-ring-with-dan-higgins-tickets-1992408727137?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Culty Film Club returns to Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Wednesday, July 8** **for a screening of Big Trouble in Little China**. Before watching the John Carpenter classic, you’ll be treated to a three course meal, and test your movie knowledge in a quiz. [**Tickets £57**](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/culty-film-club-2026-07-08?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you missed out on tickets to comedian **Paddy Young**’s show at Where Else in Margate later this year - good news. Due to demand, the show has **moved to the larger Drill Shed venue**. It will now take place on **Thursday, November 26**. Tickets for the original September date remain valid. [**Tickets £18.50**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/dk2bb6-paddy-young-will-sir-be-laughing-alone-26th-nov-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 29 - July 5) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-29-july-5/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T08:49:25.000Z This month’s internationally-themed Writing Round the World poetry workshop takes place at Bleak House in Broadstairs on Tuesday from 1pm to 2.30pm. Places £12\. Email [maggieharris401@gmail.com](mailto:maggieharris401@gmail.com) to book. The UK Creative Festival returns to Dreamland in Margate on Wednesday and Thursday. [Tickets from £150](https://www.ukcreativefestival.co.uk/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Big Lizard Games will be bringing people together to play its social deduction game Blood on the Clocktower at Margate Art Club on Wednesday. [Tickets £10](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blood-on-the-clocktower-tickets-1990732590768?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ted Rogers will run a dance workshop at TKE Studios on Thursday. All abilities welcome. [Tickets £32.22](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ted-rogers-dance-workshop-tke-studios-tickets-1988667223198?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Historic Quarter is hosting a sash window repair workshop for all you DIY reno fans on Saturday, 9am to 4pm. [Tickets £49](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sash-window-repair-tickets-1990762247472?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Pro Wrestling Colossus puts on its biggest ever show, Rumble by the Sea 2026, at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £16.75](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/prowrestlingcolossus/1980887?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chewy She is set to headline Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £15](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/chewy-she/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Libertines play Rochester Castle on Saturday, alongside Maximo Park, Kid Kapichi and Opus Kink. [Tickets £49](https://rochestercastlelive.com/whats-on/the-libertines/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Yoakley House in Margate will be opening up its award-winning gardens to the public on Sunday. [Tickets £5](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-open-garden-at-yoakley-house-tickets-1990176147431?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Ramsgate beer maker named Brewer of the Year and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-ramsgate-beer-maker-named-brewer-of-the-year-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-28T07:00:56.000Z **Ramsgate Brewery founder Eddie Gadd has been named Brewer of the Year 2026 by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group**. He received the prize at a dinner in the Houses of Parliament earlier this month, attended by MPs, peers and other representatives of the drinks industry. “To be recognised by Parliament and our industry peers is an incredible honour,” he said. “This award isn’t just for me; it’s a testament to our fantastic team at the brewery and the brilliant Kentish hop growers who make our beer possible.” **The Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs is set to hold a number of public events to share plans to modernise the theatre**. The venue was purchased by theater founder Michael Wheatley-Ward after it failed to sell at auction last year. **The first drop-in session will take place on Saturday, July 4 from 3-7pm**. **EKC Broadstairs College has officially unveiled its new Margate Digital Campus**. The new state-of-the-art creative hub on Margate High Street offers courses for young people hoping to work in the creative industries, with its intake set to reach 200 students within three years. “The state‑of‑the‑art facilities showcase the exceptional equipment available to our students, alongside an innovative curriculum designed to prepare them for the future,” says EKC CEO Lucy McLeod. “We are very much looking forward to seeing them thrive in this inspiring new environment.” ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **New Japan-inspired matcha bar Umibō has opened** in the Funicular Hub overlooking Broadstairs’ Viking Bay beach. Sitting above the lovely Finxs beach bar, it has a menu of amazing looking matcha-based drinks, plus other cold brews and artisan gelato. [**Check out what’s on offer**](https://www.instagram.com/umibo%5Fdrinkslab/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Radio has put out its first ever vinyl release, Strings & Drummers by Robert Stillman**. The record expands solo improvisations by Stillman on his Margate Radio show over the last five years into hypnotic chamber music pieces. [**Buy the record on Bandcamp**](https://margateradio.bandcamp.com/album/margate-radio-strings-drummers?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). And if you’re in London today, you can see some of the pieces performed live at the Horse Hospital. [Tickets £12](https://gel.now/events/423?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Curzon has announced that it is closing its Canterbury Westgate cinema next month.** It will continue to operate its separate Canterbury Riverside venue. “As audience habits have evolved in recent years, we have made the difficult decision to focus our investment on Canterbury Riverside, allowing us to continue delivering the best possible cinema experience for audiences in the region,” says the company. **Fab Broadstairs plant shop Plantlet is set to close after seven years at the end of next month**. “The shop isn’t closing because I don’t love it anymore,” says owner Izzi Brown. “I really do. And it isn’t because the shop has suddenly stopped doing well. But over the last year I’ve found myself craving something different … I’ve realised I want to close the shop while I still love it, while I’m still proud of it, and while it still feels like the happy little shop I always wanted it to be.” Be sure to pay a visit and pick up a plant over the next month. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #109: Pro Wrestling Colossus, Ramsgate Brewery, Hamlet Hail To The Thief URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-109-pro-wrestling-colossus-gadds-brewery-hamlet-hail-to-the-thief/ Last updated: 2026-06-27T08:17:43.000Z When we plugged local events to watch the summer solstice sunrise recently, I vaguely remember it saying that you definitely wouldn’t see us there. But somehow, there we were last Saturday, sitting on the beach in front of Walpole Bay Tidal Pool at 4am. It was a very lovely experience. As the sun peeked over the horizon, there were people lined along the promenade and filling the pool in front of us. The atmosphere was incredible and I’d urge you to make the bleary-eyed trip next year. On Thursday, I found myself feeling connected to the local community again, albeit at a very different event. The first edition of new monthly business networking event Seaside CEO took place at the Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate. Focussed on developing creative businesses, we heard from founder of the Iris creative agency Ian Millner, Andrea Flamini of jewellery brand Loel, and wayfinding designer Ian Whybrow on a panel discussion. It was interesting to hear their insights and stories from their very successful careers, but also that they were still so interested in engaging with the community around them. However, the real highlight was meeting so many local business owners. Everyone was lovely, and enthusiastic about not only what they were doing, but also how it fits into the wider Thanet ecosystem. There’s so much happening here, and so much that is building. I left (considerably later than I said I would) feeling really excited about what the future holds. The other thing I’m excited about right now is wrestling, thanks to this week’s interview with TK Cooper from Margate’s Pro Wrestling Colossus. They’ve got their biggest show to date coming up at the Drill Shed next week. If you want to find out more about that, or if you’ve ever wondered how pro wrestling actually works, then we have the article for you. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Pro Wrestling Colossus is bodyslamming the drama to Margate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pro-wrestling-colossus-is-bodyslamming-the-drama-to-margate/ Last updated: 2026-06-27T08:17:15.000Z New Zealand born, Margate-based wrestler TK Cooper, explains to me his “probably most spectacular move” - something called the Shooting Star Press. “I’m on the top rope and I jump forward facing my opponent but do a backflip at the same time,” he explains. “And then I’ll land torso to torso with them,” he continues, describing a motion that’s difficult to fathom. From the amped up characters to theatrical manoeuvres and clobbering opponents with chairs or hay bails, there’s nothing not dramatic about wrestling. It's kind of like a genre-led improvised melodrama. TK Cooper, along with fellow wrestler Jordon Breaks, set up wrestling promotion outfit Pro Wrestling Colossus, just months after moving to the seaside. Created as an opportunity for local “trainee” wrestlers to gain more experience and to elevate their game, Pro Wrestling Colossus has steadily grown in popularity since it launched in August 2024\. It brings together wrestlers part of the Thanet Pro Wrestling school and some of the big names in the UK and European independent wrestling scene, drawing on both TK Cooper and Jordon Breaks' extensive networks. Ahead of Pro Wrestling Colossus' biggest show to date, Rumble by the Sea, TK Cooper unpacks wrestling’s unique style of theatre, the niche but popular wrestling scene Margate has incubated, and how Pro Wrestling Colossus is modernising wrestling's image along the East Kent coast. ![One wrestler punching another wrestler in the face while standing in the ring. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/l_jordonbreaks_r_damonmoser.jpg) Damon Moser socks it to Jordon Breaks. **Photo: PWC* **Strange Tourist: As a relatively recent arrival to Margate, Pro Wrestling Colossus must be a fairly recent thing?** TK Cooper: Jordon \[Breaks\], who also started PWC, is from here. I met him in London at a wrestling school. He moved back to Margate in 2023 and by coincidence, I moved here in 2024\. There was already a wrestling school - Thanet Pro Wrestling. Jordon got involved, and gave it a bit more structure. A year later, I moved down and started mucking in as well. Until that time, \[TPW\] had been doing their own thing, wrestling amongst themselves. And that’s the reason why Colossus became a thing. I went to watch a show and thought, there's so much potential here but if they just wrestle themselves, they're not going to get any better. Jordon and I have been wrestling for so long, we’ve got loads of really successful friends; loads of people we can lean on to be like, hey, wouldn’t it be cool if you came out to Margate and wrestled a couple of our trainees so they can learn what it's like to wrestle a “real wrestler”? That way, they can learn by osmosis and by rubbing shoulders with bigger names in the industry, because you're only as good as the people you are training or practising or performing with. ![Wrestler holds sign saying So much Aura!! He stinks, in front of the wrestling ring.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/krisoak_auranone.jpg) Kris Oak does not think much of Aura. **Photo: PWC* **How many wrestlers are part of PWC?** You're probably looking at about 16 wrestlers on a show, give or take. **But I'm assuming it’s not the same wrestlers each show?** No, there's definitely a carousel of people coming and going. But there are the staples of the roster. As much as wrestling is a predetermined fight, we have got to get our melodrama and storylines in. So people have to be a part of three to four shows on the balance to establish a story and then pay it off down the line. **How much of a wrestling show is pre-planned and how much of it is improvised?** I would say probably about 40% in-the-moment stuff. It’s so interactive, sort of like a pantomime. It is pre-planned, but you also have a live audience, so you can’t be too militant with what you have planned. If the crowd doesn't react, then you have to pivot or if they react then maybe you stay on that one thing a little longer. **So do you consider wrestling a performance or a sport?** It's honestly tough. We’re too aggressive and too sporty for drama people to really accept us, but then we're also too dramatic for any sport to respect us. So we’re in this purgatory where we're both, but we're also neither. ![Three wrestlers wearing, black, purple and red outfits stand in the ring, with the middle wrestler holding his arm up.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/zak_e_centric_inmiddle.jpg) In-ring antics. *Photo: PWC* **What's your wrestling character like and how do other wrestlers approach their on stage persona?** My character is my actual personality, just a bit more performative and ramped up a little bit. I'm not like an undertaker or an undead zombie man or a chef or anything kind of elaborate. I'm just a guy from New Zealand. Maybe that’s me being too reductive, but that’s how I see myself. I would say about 90% of independent level wrestlers are mostly just people… well, I say that but there are characters. In the trainees, The Rockstar - Pulley Adams - is in a band for real, and Big Country - Ben McDonald - is a farmer. So a lot of it is about what parts of your life can influence how you create your character. **Rumble by the Sea is your biggest show yet, is there a different format to past shows?** This one is going to be headlined by a 30 person Royal Rumble match. For the uninitiated, that is a match that starts with two people and then every 90 seconds, a new person will enter the match and the only way to get eliminated is to get biffed over the top rope to the floor. And it’s guys and girls, with about a 20/10 split. ![A male and female wrestler stand in the ring as if in conversation](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/l_sha_r_ronnieknocks.jpg) Sha Samuels and Ronnie Knocks have a moment. **Photo: PWC* **That sounds like pure chaos. How do you go about staging something like that?** With any wrestling promotion there are bookers who plan the show, book the show, and write down all the ideas to present to the wrestlers. For the most part, a wrestling match is generally left open to the wrestlers to create whatever they want to do within the time frame they get. The only other bits that might be added in are extra dramatic moments, \[where the booker might say\] we want we want this guy to win, but we need him to win by cheating or this other guy is going to run down to the ring to be a distraction. When it comes to a 30-person match, it’s a little less structured, except for maybe key moments that we want to spotlight. For the most part, it's quite fast and loose where \[wrestlers are told something like\], you're coming in at number five, but we need you to get eliminated by number 12\. So you have all these little bits to plug in, but you also let people have their creative freedom. Once you get in the hang of it, it's awesome. For a lot of people, the first couple of fights - maybe even years - the nerves take over. It's the same with drama. People freeze up, get stage fright, get stressed. But rather than forget their lines, wrestlers forget what moves or what sequence to do. **What wrestlers will take part in Sink or Swim?** The big superstar, the Cookie Man will be appearing. We’ve got Sha Samuels, another big name from London. Bo Bells is from East London and she is always popular at our shows. We also have Ronnie Knocks, another London girl. **And if Sink or Swim is one section of Rumble by the Sea, what are the others?** There will be a three versus three match. Our new bad guy faction that formed at the last show, they're called Next Level. The team is David Francisco, Kris Oak and their latest member, Alex Aces. They will face the tag team called Sunshine Machine, which is me and my tag team partner, Chuck Mambo, and our partner is Buck Garcia. There will be a no-disqualification barnyard brawl match. That's when the wrestlers get the weapons out and whack each other with chairs and hay bails and rakes and other farm-related paraphernalia. To close the half, we have former WWE wrestling star Mark Andrews coming down to wrestle Jordon Breaks. Mark is from Wales, and he was the first ever Welsh WWE champion. He won the tag team titles, and wrestled for All Elite Wrestling, which is the other big wrestling American wrestling promotion. He was also signed to TNA Wrestling. So that should be a very cool match for Margate. ![A topless wrestler with tattoos prepares to hit another wrestler who wears a black singlet and braces for the impact. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/l_dannyblack_r_benmacdonald.jpg) Big Country braces for a slapping. **Photo: PWC* **How has the wrestling scene in Margate developed over the last couple of years?** When we ran our first show, we pre-sold 79 tickets. It was supposed to just be a one and done, but \[after\] the response we got from the public, we felt obligated to run another one. By Christmas, literally two shows later, we'd sold pre-sold 120 tickets. Then the first show the following year, we pre-sold 150 tickets. It's been demonstrated in the footfall, it is a cultural thing that people are really starting to pick up. **Would you say that PWC has been able to harness the interest in Margate’s wrestling community and give it a platform?** I think we've modernised the perception of what wrestling is. Back in the day, they had wrestling at the Winter Gardens, where they had the Bushwhackers \[former WWE tag team\]. UK’s Big Daddy and Giant Haystack \[professional wrestlers who had their heyday in the 70s and 80s\] wrestled at the Oval bandstand. So Margate is steeped in wrestling history but we have tried to bring it into 2026. **Looking at the future, what do you hope PWC becomes?** I hope it becomes a bit like a ‘can't miss’; everybody is clamouring for a ticket to hang out at the show. That all of the wrestlers, whether they're trying to pursue it full-time or just as a hobby, are getting recognised. \[And that the fans\] come on the journey of the trainee who has grown into the main event wrestler, and feel a personal attachment to that. *Rumble By The Sea is on Saturday, July 4 at 4pm at the Drill Shed, Cliftonville.* [*Tickets £16.75*](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/prowrestlingcolossus/1980887?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Incoming: Mr Scruff, Nerina Pallot, bOing Family Arts Festival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-mr-scruff-nerina-pallot-boing-family-arts-festival/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T07:00:08.000Z **Mr Scruff will be back in Margate for an extended DJ set at the Drill Shed on Friday, October 23**. Playing a five hour set, the Manc DJ is known for taking the crowd on a dancefloor journey, from funk and soul, to disco, afro beat and house. [**Earlybird tickets £18**](https://drillshed.seetickets.com/event/mr-scruff-all-night-long/the-drill-shed/3668440?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ted Rogers will run a dance workshop at TKE Studios on Thursday, July 2**. The session will be anchored by contemporary dance, improv and personal exploration. All abilities welcome. [**Tickets from £22.3**8](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ted-rogers-dance-workshop-tke-studios-tickets-1988667223198?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Neptunes Choir** have announced a s**ummer festival at the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs on Friday, September 4**. They will be joined by the Kings Place Choir, Pony Arts Club, and Jem Cooke, as well as DJs The High, The Hambassador and Jonathan Henfrey. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neptunes-summer-festival-tickets-1988898493935?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Nerina Pallot will perform live at St George’s Church in Ramsgate on Thursday, October 8**. She headlined the Royal Albert Hall last month, so this really is an amazing opportunity to see her in a more intimate setting. [**Tickets £22.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/nerina-pallot-2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Pro Wrestling Colossus** puts on its biggest ever show, **Rumble by the Sea 2026, at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday, July 4**. The big name in the ring will be former WWE NXTUK tag-team champion ​​Mark Andrews, but there will be 30 fighters battling it out in total, including (and I just messaged him to confirm this is true) Margate’s very own sweet treat provider Cookie Man. [**Tickets £16.75**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/prowrestlingcolossus/1980887?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Red Telephone night is teaming up with South London's Red Ligh**t to bring DJ duo Tia Cousins and Ruf Dug to **Margate Arts Club on Saturday, July 11**. Expect an eclectic and left field mix of dance music. Also on the bill are Andrew Nicholls and Damo. [**Tickets £12.50**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33019/red-light-x-the-red-telephone-presents-tia-cousins-and-ruff-dug-andrew-nicholls-damo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chewy She is set to headline Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, July 4**. Expect disco grooves with punk energy and great outfits. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/chewy-she/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The bOing! Family Arts Festival returns to Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre on August 29-30**. Free to enter, many of the performances and activities are also free. Ticket prices for paid events are capped at £7.50\. [**See the full programme**](https://boingfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (June 22-28) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-june-22-28/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T07:00:37.000Z If you’re a business owner in Thanet looking to network, boy is this the week for you. BOSS - that’s Business Owners Supporting Sharing - launches on Monday at Olby’s in Margate. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boss-network-event-eli-thompson-in-conversation-with-emma-jones-cbe-tickets-1990413104175?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Then Seaside CEO takes place at Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate on Thursday. [Tickets £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-build-a-successful-creative-business-tickets-1988895561163?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Finally, the Empower Her women's business network will hold a charity fundraising ball at Smiths Townhouse in Broadstairs on Friday. [Tickets £40](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/empowerher4/2118087?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Join a beginners crochet workshop at Giant Coffee in Ramsgate on Monday. Tickets £25\. Email [stitchescrochet@outlook.com](mailto:stitchescrochet@outlook.com) to book. Writer Hettie Judah will take part in a Q&A to mark the launch of her new book How to Enter the Art World at Pie Factory in Margate on Monday. [Tickets £6](https://www.100hours.co.uk/events/p/hettie?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). LA Priest plays Where Else in Margate on Monday. [Tickets £14](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/av537q-la-priest-22nd-jun-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. New writing performance night Writing in Progress launches a new monthly show at Penelope in Ramsgate on Wednesday. Free entry. The next Bar & Peace silent book club takes place at the Bedford Inn in Ramsgate on Thursday. [Book clubs for worms, nerds and loversFind your new favourite novel and chat about your latest read at one of Thanet’s book clubs, book swaps and reading groups![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-accab697-7ea1-403b-8392-b06a4f972e6f.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/christin-hume-k2Kcwkandwg-unsplash-e32e5b6a-4a89-407e-8e42-de1fd2c07979.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/book-clubs-in-margate-broadstairs-ramsgate/) Looking at the banning of books in US public libraries, documentary The Librarians will be screened at ARK in Cliftonville on Thursday, followed by a panel discussion. [Tickets £13.50](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2218187?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Climate change documentary the People’s Emergency Briefing is showing at Where Else in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £5](https://www.gigantic.com/people-s-emergency-briefing-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-06-25-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Independent Broadstairs returns on Saturday, with independent businesses around the town offering deals, freebies and activities. [Find out more](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZwvUHTDRjh/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chapel House Estate in Minster hosts a fundraising afternoon tea in aid of the Evie Dove Foundation on Saturday. [Tickets £45](https://chapelhouseestate.co.uk/event/evie-dove-foundation-afternoon-tea/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s a TKE Studios takeover in Cliftonville this weekend. At the studios themselves you can catch the final show from this year’s Tracey Emin Artist Residency cohort. Over the road at Victoria House, current residents Alex Morante and Enrique López Llamas will be hosting a two day open studios event. And TKE-based ceramicist Lindsey Mendick’s show Where You End and I Begin opens at the Carl Freedman Gallery. CAMP in Cliftonville hosts the Queer Makers Market on Saturday, 1-5pm. Find stalls selling handmade items, art, vintage, crafts and more. Balearic Boutique returns to the steps outside Turner Contemporary on Saturday for a chilled DJ set to soundtrack the sunset. Thanet Chamber Choir perform an immersive show with a string orchestra at ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £12](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sunrise-tickets-1985591171645?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Palace hosts a cinema history walk around Broadstairs on Sunday. [Tickets £10](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/cinema-walks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Santa Clara in Margate hosts Unmasking Fear: The Psychology Behind Horror Movies, a talk from psychotherapist Katie Evans on how scary cinema gets inside our brains on Sunday. [Tickets £11.55](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unmasking-fear-the-psychology-behind-horror-movies-tickets-1987907892018?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate Town Council unanimously approved and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-town-council-unanimously-approved-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T09:51:29.000Z **Thanet District Council has voted unanimously in favour of the formation of Margate Town Council**, following a long campaign. Existing Margate Charter Trustees will now form a shadow town council until **elections take place in May 2027**. The move means more focus, funding and decision-making power for Margate, bringing the town in line with Ramsgate and Broadstairs, which already have this type of local governance. [**Find out more**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/councillors-agree-margate-town-council-following-overwhelming-public-support/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The much-missed Ravensgate pub in Ramsgate is set to reopen later this year**, with support from Ramsgate Space. "The aim is not to try to recreate The Ravensgate Arms that we all loved, but rather to distill some of the spirit that made it such a great pub,” says new owner Janine. “I want the Ravensgate to be a place anyone can walk in to, order a drink and feel welcome, comfortable and like they could happily spend a few hours with us." **It’s hoped that the pub will open its doors again on the weekend of August 1-2**. [Interview: Ramsgate Space’s town centre revival plansA town centre revitalisation project has big plans for Ramsgate, aiming to turn its downtrodden high street into a main artery reflective of the town’s best bits![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-46a935dc-f514-4ba6-8bcb-d3549f3ce2b1.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/alexis-mette-GcdxQVU5ZV0-unsplash-e6477bf9-56d7-4f97-bf34-4281bd7cd84f.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-space-its-painful-to-see-the-high-street-of-a-town-you-love-so-much-struggle-to-survive/) Artist Emma O’Rourke will open **new studio and project space Emma O on Nelson Place in Broadstairs on Saturday, June 27**. Filling the shop previously occupied by Kinder Collective (which has moved to a new premises on York Street), it is set to host masterclasses, drawing groups, exhibitions and more. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/emma%5Fo%5Fstudio/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Red Rebel FM has received funding** from Beatport and Youth Music to **support female and gender minorities in East Kent aged 18-25 to become DJs**. Participants will receive training, mentoring, menstrual health and creative wellbeing support, and the opportunity to have their own show on the radio station. **Details on how to sign up are coming soon.** [**Follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/redrebelfm/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Happy Reading Book Shop in Broadstairs** has launched new **weekly book clubs for children aged 0-4 and 3-6 on Sunday mornings**. Children will sit for a reading of each week’s book, before taking part in activities themed on the story. This is an expansion of the popular school holiday book clubs the shop runs, which will continue to take place on Wednesday and Thursday mornings outside of term time. [**More info**](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Book clubs for worms, nerds and loversFind your new favourite novel and chat about your latest read at one of Thanet’s book clubs, book swaps and reading groups![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-5ca4532e-c382-4595-aa02-3f3022db04fe.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/christin-hume-k2Kcwkandwg-unsplash-feeac5db-1dfe-49e5-9596-9b20c1618f0e.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/book-clubs-in-margate-broadstairs-ramsgate/) **Cookie Man has installed an honesty cabinet at Lowlife in Cliftonville**. From Wednesday to Sunday, it will be filled with cookies every morning. All you need to do is **grab a box (or two, or three) and pay via a QR code**. It launched last weekend. I’ve already had too many cookies. Going back for more as soon as I finish writing this. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Pole dancing studio Solstice Studios has relocated to the bottom of Margate’s High Street**. Inclusive and welcoming of all abilities and bodies, the studio welcomes anyone who’s interested in dance and giving a twirl on the pole a go. **Opens June 29\. Find it behind Xylo**. **The Book Hotel in Ramsgate has announced a summer brekky special**. Book directly with the hotel, either by phone or online, two full English breakfasts will be included in your room rate. **Available until August 30**. Sounds like reason enough for a staycation. [The Book Hotel is “a love letter to books, reading and writing”Tamara Macfarlane on launching a literary-themed hotel, programming the first Ramsgate Lit Fest, and why she believes people’s desire to read is stronger than ever![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-62dd6b1f-9737-4e0e-9650-327b2aecc876.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_0622-d06cfdb7-6462-4081-8d17-9d5d2b187eda.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-book-hotel-is-a-love-letter-to-books-reading-and-writing/) Right near Margate train station, **The Shakespeare has announced its Shakey Lates**. The boozer will now **open late on selected Dreamland gig night**s for post-show debriefs. **You’ll have to make it through the door before 11.15pm, and there’s a midnight close**. For June and July, Shaky Lates are on after the following gigs: The Streets (Fri, June 26), Paul Weller (Fri, July 3) David Gray (Fri, July 10), The Flaming Lips (Sat, July 18) and Belle & Sebastian (Fri, July 31), with August dates incoming. **Cycling UK has teamed up with The Bike Shed Margate and Thanet libraries** for a string of sessions on chain, brake and tyre maintenance. Remaining sessions are on at Newington Library (Thurs, July 2), Westgate Library (Wed, July 8) and Ramsgate Library (Wed, July 22). **All sessions 10am-12pm**. **The Wednesday Komorebi pop up in Cliffs in Cliftonville has announced its menu for July**. Plant-based and sounding as wholesome as a baby’s laugh, the menu boasts the likes of cardamom whipped carrot, pulled leeks with smoked red pepper and black olive caramel, and marinated tomatoes with grilled watermelon, cashew cream and elderflower oil. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #108: Liminal, Ravensgate, Mr Scruff URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-108-liminal-ravensgate-mr-scruff/ Last updated: 2026-06-20T13:43:35.000Z I had forgotten how handsome the Margate House Hotel is. A colour scheme worthy of a Coat Paints collaboration. Unexpected art on the wall. Botanical smelling loos. We popped in to try out Willy's new menu put together by the restaurant's new Head Chef Lewis Johnson, who found himself working in the pink-hued restaurant two days after relocating to Margate from Qatar about three weeks ago. It was ideal muggy evening eating; light and bright and with apple-crisp white wine. Although Andy ate his cured sea bream starter at a speed that was both impressive and mildly gross, I managed to nab a fork full of plump fish that had been sitting in a sunny orangey brine and sharpened with fennel shavings and pickled cucumber. Delicious. Equally summery, the peas and chopped asparagus rolled in a pesto-like basil puree and sprinkled with toasted sunflower seeds for crunch was just as lively. The braised pulled lamb was rich and tender. The tawny gravy so glossy and full of meaty deliciousness, I wanted to mop up the remnants with bread or a finger. The drizzling of peas and broad beans kept things fresh and light. The harissa butter bean and red pepper casserole would also work as a winter comfort dish. Earthy and hearty, it was brightened with dollops of zesty chimichurri and would have probably been demolished in great haste had it not been served piping hot. And if champagne sorbet is on the menu when you visit, order it. We backed this up with drinks in the charming front bar before moving on to The Last Light, which is always a good call. Woke up to a dusty head and a hungry seagull attacking someone's garbage and redistributing it across the street. A fairly classic Margate night in my books. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### New dance film by East Kent artists explores the duality of being seen URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/new-dance-film-by-east-kent-artists-explores-the-duality-of-being-seen/ Last updated: 2026-06-20T13:11:34.000Z Coinciding with this year’s Refugee Week, dance filmmaker Sidonie Carey-Green premieres her new film Liminal. A collaboration with dancer Ismael Nchoutnsu Nsangou and Margate-based composer Hughie Gavin, the film explores the external and internal experience of being watched and judged by others - the mask we put on outwardly, and the internal feelings behind it. It is being shown as part of Homeward Festival in Folkestone, a new event organised by Common Grounding - an arts organisation that creates and supports community-rooted movement work along the Kent coast. The wider Homeward programme brings together artists with lived experience of displacement and the wider community through film, performance, art, movement and shared meals. Ahead of the premiere, Sidonie explains the narrative and creative process behind Liminal, and her ongoing work exploring migration and displacement through dance. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/SC203400.jpg) Liminal will premiere at the Homeward Festival in Folkestone. **Photo: Alice Underwood* ### What story does the film tell? Liminal follows an internal journey through the weight of being seen, judged, and acknowledged. Using contemporary and Bamoun movement, Ismael Nchoutnsu Nsangou explores the duality of being seen: the mask worn for others, and the one that turns inward when you're alone. ### How long did it take to create the film and what was the process? The movement content for the film was made in four intensive days back in February through the residency format. Ismael and I worked in the studio together, generating a series of movement scores which held threads of the story we wanted to tell, and then filmed this all on the final day. I then sent these scores to Hughie, and we worked together to draw out the mood and feeling of each section or score, and he developed an original piece of music for the film. It was great working together! ### Have you worked in this way before? I’ve worked in similar ways before, and scores are very much a part of my practice, but it was interesting going from the language of movement to the language of music, and trying to find the same feeling within the scores between these languages. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/Hughie-31.jpg) Music for the film was created by Margate-based composer Hughie Gavin. **Photo: Harri Bentley Photography* ### How did you come to work with Ismael and Hughie? I first worked with Ismael on The Body as Data project in 2024 as a participant. We then invited him to join us as a contributing artist the following year, and have been closely following his journey as a sanctuary scholar studying Drama at the University of Kent. Ismael and I have spoken about his interest in movement, and the residency formed out of that interest, as a space to develop his skills and create something together. I met Hughie at the Margate Bookie literary festival when we were both on a panel about storytelling. We kept in touch and when this project came up, it felt like a great fit to work together! [Building Stories: Bringing narratives to lifeListen to our recent panel discussion on storytelling as part of this year’s Margate Bookie literary festival![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-06029473-e758-4566-b1b3-ac8784cdca77.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_6019-1-438ffa26-bd7c-4326-b849-cecaf7897a60.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/building-stories-bringing-narratives-to-life/) ### What did they bring to the process? Ismael is a fantastic performer and actor, and his storytelling abilities brought the film to life in a really unique way. Hughie’s ability to invoke emotion, depth and complexity through his music is such a force. Without the music, this film would not convey emotion in the same way at all. ### Where did you shoot it and how did you choose the location? We shot the film at The Loft Studio in Folkestone. I usually shoot outside on location, but for this film we wanted to play with a more abstract set. We used plastic sheeting as a sort of membrane that represents the liminal state of being outside/inside of one’s own mind, and so the location reflected this sort of between space as well… ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/SID2025-7-1.jpg) Migration and displacement has been a theme throughout Sidonie's work. **Photo: Katie Hutchings* ### Migration and displacement is a theme that runs through your work. How did you come to be so interested in exploring the topic through dance? I first became interested in movement and borders when studying for a PhD at Royal Holloway back in 2019\. I met Tom Tegento (my now long term collaborator) during this time and we made some work together which explored ideas of surveillance and migration, and this became a big part of my thesis and my work moving forward. I’ve just written a book about this practice, and am still working with Tom (who will be performing at Homeward Festival too). Moving to Folkestone solidified this as well, as the town is such a microcosm of the UK in terms of people’s views on immigration, of violence and xenophobia, and with the barracks on the edge of the town. You cannot ignore it, and having met and worked with a wonderful group of artists with experience of displacement, we felt it was right to continue this work when starting Common Grounding in late 2025 with myself, Josie Carter and Jodie Cole. ### What is the focus of Common Grounding? Common Grounding prioritises the work and perspectives of those who are or have been refugees and asylum-seekers; those who are currently or formerly on the move; and people of the Global Majority whose history or heritage is from elsewhere. ### Common Grounding is also behind the Homeward festival, during which Liminal will premiere. What’s the idea behind the festival? Homeward is a three day festival in celebration of refugee week, it invites local Folkestone and Kent communities to join us for a programme of dance, film, performance and visual arts, presenting artists and audiences with a unique opportunity to locate themselves in relation to the world. The idea is that Homeward invites visitors to consider ‘home’ as a matter of positioning. We are super excited to share a weekend of creative works that bring joy, visibility, resistance, and the possibility of transformation, fuelled by our bodies, by movement, and by the land that connects us. We are hoping that this will be the first of many Homeward festivals! ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/SC203403-1.jpg) Plastic sheeting represents the barrier between the internal and external. **Photo: Alice Underwood* ### What other projects have you got coming up? We’re really lucky to have been funded for two projects over the next year. Firstly, we’ve been funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to carry out a project which explores folk dance/folk movement as a catalyst for a reimagining of Englishness in coastal Kent, which we’re very excited to start soon. We’ve also just received funds from The Heritage Lottery fund to begin a project in partnership with SOAS university of London which will generate a moving archive for Napier Barracks (asylum accommodation in Folkestone). Folkestone has a long history as a border town and a place of arrival. For five years, Napier Barracks, now closed, was home to hundreds of people seeking asylum, and generated a remarkable creative and community life. We want to capture some of the history, the legacy, the challenges, and the creative outcomes of the people who passed through or connected with the barracks from 2020-2025\. *Liminal* [*premieres at Kollectiv Gallery in Folkestone*](https://www.commongrounding.co.uk/event-details/film-night-double-bill?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *as part of Homeward Festival on Saturday, June 20\. For updates on further screenings, head to the* [*Common Grounding website*](https://www.commongrounding.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *or* [*follow them on Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/commongroundingarts/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Incoming: Revel Puck Circus, Nish Kumar, Empower Her URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-revel-puck-circus-nish-kumar-empower-her/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T07:00:57.000Z **East London contemporary circus Revel Puck** is coming to **Ramsgate’s Government Acre from July 9-12** with their new show, The Glimmer Daze Gambit. The high energy family show follows lead characters Stella and Kit as they try to convince the troupe to let them join. They have everything they think they’ll need, but having never seen a circus before it might take a bit of imagination to work out how to use it all. [**Tickets from £10**](https://www.tixr.com/groups/revelpuckcircus?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Nish Kumar** will play two tour **warm up shows at Where Else in Margate on September 1 and 2**. Since I originally wrote this, **both dates have sold out**. Of course they have. But you can **try your luck on the waiting list for the** [**Tuesday**](https://dice.fm/event/eoxg5y-nish-kumar-tour-warm-up-1st-sep-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **or** [**Wednesday**](https://dice.fm/event/l8kaxb-nish-kumar-tour-warm-up-2nd-sep-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Folk experimentalists Lunatraktors** have announced that they will **play ARK in Cliftonville on Friday, October 9\.** [**Tickets £14**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2205467?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Empower Her women's business network** will hold a c**harity fundraising ball at Smiths Townhouse in Broadstairs on Friday, June 26**. As well as being an opportunity to meet like-minded female business owners in the area, the event will raise money for Pilgrims Hospices. There will be drinks, canapes and live entertainment too. [**Tickets £40**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/empowerher4/2118087?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **You know how nothing ever happens on a Monday?** Like, ever. Well, get ready to change what you think about everything, because **the incredible LA Priest has announced a show at Where Else in Margate on June 22**. That’s a Monday, if I hadn’t made it clear enough. Monday is the new Thursday. [**Tickets £14**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/av537q-la-priest-22nd-jun-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). What's that? **Another Monday event?** New networking event **BOSS - that’s Business Owners Supporting Sharing - launches on Monday, June 22**. Taking place at Olby’s in Margate, the venue’s owner and founder of Margate Soul Festival Eli Thompson will be interviewed by Ramsgate Space’s Louise Brooks. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boss-network-event-eli-thompson-in-conversation-with-emma-jones-cbe-tickets-1990413104175?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Alright, this is actually getting silly now. **Here’s another thing happening on Monday, June 22**. Join a **beginners crochet workshop at Giant Coffee in Ramsgate**, led by Stitches Crochet. Learn the basics and make a simple granny square. **Tickets £25\. Email** [**stitchescrochet@outlook.com**](mailto:stitchescrochet@outlook.com) **to book**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Bimba Champion, Rupert Willard and Death Row Ceramics are teaming up for **The Garden of Earthly Delights, a group art show featuring ceramics, prints and drawings** later this year. The exhibition will be on display at **Ramsgate’s Italianate Glasshouse Ramsgate from September 11-13**. The first **Fair Play indie music market** takes place at **Bar Nothing in Cliftonville on Sunday, July 12** from 12-3pm. Head down to buy music, merch and other items from local musicians, as well as catch some live performances. Artists involved include Crabs, Lo Barnes, Role Play, Fruit Band and Kkailou. The next **Bar & Peace silent book club** takes place at the **Bedford Inn in Ramsgate on Thursday, June 25**. Settle down with a drink and book to read in quiet company from 7.30pm, followed by chatting if you so wish. [Book clubs for worms, nerds and loversFind your new favourite novel and chat about your latest read at one of Thanet’s book clubs, book swaps and reading groups![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-f9558975-6fbe-4e75-a178-aa04cbe08a2a.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/christin-hume-k2Kcwkandwg-unsplash-bb658298-cfa5-4b22-926b-6ed5966ae988.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/book-clubs-in-margate-broadstairs-ramsgate/) **Good Good Film Club returns to Margate Arts Club on Wednesday, July 8**. The mystery film this time will be “a charming Scottish documentary” for fans of Catch Me If You Can, Dead Poets Society and The Imposter. From the photo they’ve shared, I just realised that I’ve seen the film before and it is indeed one that should not be missed. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/37141/good-good-film-club-8?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **(or £15 if you’d like a pizza delivered to your seat)**. **Balearic Boutique** returns to the steps outside **Turner Contemporary on Saturday, June 27** for a **chilled DJ set to soundtrack the sunset**. Grab and drink from Louie-on-Sea and a deckchair, then settle into the enjoy the view and the music. Just over a year since it launched in Margate, **new writing performance night Writing in Progress is launching a second monthly event in Ramsgate**. The first one will take place at wine bar **Penelope on Wednesday, June 24\.** [**Follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/writinginprogress.ramsgate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Comedian Rachel O’Connor** will be running a **workshop for women at ARK in Cliftonville on Wednesday, July 8**. Titled Find Your Funny, the session will combine comedy and mindfulness to help participants take creative risks, boost their confidence and improve their public speaking skills. Maybe it’ll make you want to get up on stage and start telling a few jokes too. [**Tickets £56**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/find-your-funny-a-workshop-for-women-tickets-1990477913020?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 15-21) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-15-21/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T18:34:21.000Z Watch new documentary Everybody to Kenmure Street followed by a Q&A with director Felipe Bustos Sierra on Wednesday at the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs. [Tickets £8](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/everybody-to-kenmure-street-qa/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pie Factory in Margate host group exhibition Keep Show featuring 14 artists and makers working along the Kent coast from Thursday to Tuesday. On Monday, writer Hettie Judah will take part in a Q&A to mark the launch of her new book How to Enter the Art World. [More details](https://www.100hours.co.uk/keepshow?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Smiths Townhouse in Broadstairs will host a sound bath session focussing on men’s wellbeing on Thursday. Tickets £30\. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/smithstownhouse/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Satirist Rosie Holt will be previewing her new work in progress show at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Tickets £10](https://billetto.co.uk/e/rosie-holt-work-in-progress-tickets-1889478?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Turner Contemporary in Margate hosts One Ocean - a three-day event exploring humanity’s relationship with the ocean from Friday to Sunday. [See the full programme](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/one-ocean-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Community festival Homeward is on at Kollektiv Gallery in Folkestone from Friday to Sunday, featuring artists and performers with lived experience of displacement. [See the full programme](https://www.commongrounding.co.uk/homeward-festival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Punk band Crabs play a special summer show at Margate Arts Club on Friday. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/34015/crabs-summer-special-with-the-sha-sha-shanimals-and-harmony-bo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Garbage and Skunk Anansie will co-headline Dreamland in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £64.10](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/garbage-skunk-anansie/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Dating’s Singles Social is on at Margate Beach Club on Friday. Over 25s only. [Tickets £10](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/25-margate-dating-singles-night-tickets-1990418782158?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s Crab Museum has two launch shows for its new children’s book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer on Saturday and Sunday. [Free tickets](https://linktr.ee/crabmuseum?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Artist Emma O’Rourke and yoga teacher Lily Cleo host an art retreat at a secret orchard location near Broadstairs on Saturday. [Places £55](https://www.emmaorourke.com/art-retreat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Connor the Ecologist and Bi-Curious George lead an interactive ecology walk around Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £10.30](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/l8dm6w-connor-the-ecologist-bi-curious-george-20th-jun-the-crab-museum-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Like drinking? Like drawing? Join the Drink and Draw Crawl on Saturday, sketching your way around various Ramsgate pubs and bars. Starts at Noa Rooftop at 2.30pm, then on to Wetherspoons and The Bedford Inn. [More info](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZZ8CBsobNc/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Arts Club celebrates its first birthday with club night Basement Boogie on Saturday, with DJs Richie Suzuki and Andrew Medhurt playing soul, rare groove, funk, disco, and classic house. Free entry. Positive party Optimissimo is back at Margate Arts Club on Saturday. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36329/optimissimo-003?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Drag artist Fanny Bleach and comedian Tilly ‘Turbo’ Fletcher preview their new Edinburgh shows at Ramsgate’s Alley Bar on Saturday. [Tickets £10](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/fanny-bleach-turbo-present-the-nearly-naked-show-and-television?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Gilles Peterson is in Margate to play a three hour DJ set at the Drill Shed on Saturday. [Tickets £28.33](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/l85o5x-gilles-peterson-20th-jun-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=8807164&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1565739587351905219&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1U8zTE0yM0wyNTNKSbGvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBAC%2BfPUUOwAAAA%3D%3D). Fancy marking the summer solstice with a swim? Set your alarm and join Margate Community Dips for their 4am sunrise bath on Sunday, June 21\. Meet near the sauna at Walpole Bay Tidal Pool. I’d love to say I’ll see you there, but I know I won’t. However MCD will meet again later that day, at 7pm, at the same spot for a sunset dip and BBQ - sunset is around 9.15pm. Come to one, come to both. The Namaka team at Stone Bay in Broadstairs will also mark the summer solstice on Sunday with a sunrise dip, coffee and a hang. Starts at 4.30am. Cherif Hashizume, Richard Pike, and Tomas Jefanovas play Ramsgate Arts Club on Sunday. [Tickets £8](https://salmonuniverse.sumupstore.com/product/resonant-coast-5?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Turner Contemporary pays tribute to David Hockney and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/turner-contemporary-pays-tribute-to-david-hockney-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T18:34:42.000Z **Margate’s Turner Contemporary has paid tribute to artist David Hockney**, who sadly died this week, aged 88\. Director Clarrie Wallis said in a statement, “David Hockney was one of the greatest artists of our age. Throughout his career, **he reminded us that the world is ‘very, very beautiful if you look at it’**. Finding wonder in the changing seasons, the landscape and everyday life, he inspired generations of artists and audiences alike.” **A large-scale Hockney piece is on display in Turner’s Sunley window until November**. [David Hockney fills Turner Contemporary with the light of a sunriseDavid Hockney has unveiled his first work ever shown in Margate, a huge sunrise painting filling Turner Contemporary’s Sunley Window to mark the gallery’s 15th anniversary![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-aaa005f1-dcdd-4a9e-be63-24b2181ad6c1.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/David-Hockney-Sunley-Window-2026-Installation-view--courtesy-Turner-Contemporary--Photo-Above-Ground-Studio--Seraphina-Neville---c-Turner-Contemporary-1-3-4154920a-bd47-438d-9afe-c1d0612ea323.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/david-hockney-fills-turner-contemporary-with-the-light-of-a-sunrise/) **Young users of services at Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate have been awarded the Sheila McKechnie Foundation National Young Campaigner Award**. Selected from hundreds of entries, the group were selected as winners for their efforts to save the youth centre from closure. “The pride we feel in our young people is immense,” says Pie CEO Zoë Carassik. “This award is for them - as a recognition and reminder that insurmountable challenges can be conquered with teamwork, joy and pride. We’re deeply grateful to our community for never giving up.” [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-dd038807-dd70-4c6b-9886-6b568db9e1c3.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928-482a1d62-ebd8-4a49-90d9-5c6064be6b8e.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) **Margate Creative Land Trust has secured planning permission** to convert its HQ - a former car repair workshop on Harold Road in Cliftonville - into a **multi-purpose workspace for creative businesses**. The vast building is set to house light industrial workshops, creative studios and exhibition spaces, as well as community and training areas. [**Find out more**](https://margatecreativelandtrust.org/news/mclt-achieves-planning-permission-for-harold-road/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Festival of Sound has put out two open calls ahead of this year’s festival in September**. Artists are invited to submit proposals for **sound installations** on the theme ‘Everyday Histories’, and musicians can apply to take part in the **Busk Until Dusk** roving performance event. Both opportunities are paid. **Email** [**ramsgatefestivalofsound@gmail.com**](mailto:ramsgatefestivalofsound@gmail.com) **for more info**. [Ramsgate Festival of Sound’s impact resonates around the townRamsgate Festival of Sound invites visitors to explore the town through sound, celebrate local talent and discover new ways of engaging with what surrounds them![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-2d7ad30a-14b4-4b55-83c0-09d1a0a29e02.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/208-240825-937-b93f6430-62c0-4cad-bdda-08b885c7b383.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/) **Seabird has officially opened in Margate Old Town**, a little over a year after moving into the former Coffee Shed. Great news for people in Margate, less good for those in Ramsgate. The new opening comes alongside the announcement that **the original Ramsgate restaurant is closing**. However, owners say that they are **“already working on our next new adventure, in the same Addington Street location.”** Continuing this game of Thanet musical chairs, **tattoo and piercing parlour Pricking Thumbs** is moving out of Margate's Old Kent Market and into a **new space at 43 Queen Street in Ramsgate**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **New Broadstairs micropub the Dog & Sparrow opened last weekend**, serving up German and Belgian beer, wine and charcuterie. **Find it on Charlotte Street**, opposite Sonder (making for the start of an excellent pub crawl). **Open Wednesday to Sunday**. Roasts don’t have to be for winter. **Willy’s has launched its summery rotisserie chicken menu running every Sunday** until roast season is back in town. The bird comes as a half or whole, roasted in garlic and served with a zippy chimichurri sauce and a pickled slaw. Trimmings are equally breezy, with chips, potato salad and a choice of less carby salads as your options. Harissa butter bean and red pepper casserole is the vegan main. If you’ve been mourning the loss of **Mariarchi in The Centre off Margate High Street**, you’ll be pleased to know that the bar has reopened under **the new name Dunes**. No longer focussed on tequila and mezcal, it’s **now a cocktail and oyster bar**. **Local artist Megan Metcalfe and DIY store Our Curated Abode have teamed up** to create a new **limited edition tea towel featuring a gorgeous illustration of Ramsgate Harbour**. Also available is a new run of Megan’s long sold out Little Ships illustration, created for the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. [**Pre-order now for £18**](https://www.ourcuratedabode.com/store/p/megan-metcalf-tea-towel?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Ramsgate keeps memory of Dunkirk Little Ships’ heroic WWII effort aliveThis weekend marks 86 years on from Operation Dynamo, the WWII mission that rescued scores of Allied Forces from the Dunkirk shores, which remains close to Ramsgate’s heart.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-fe383821-e196-461b-8be7-e615521c1d93.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/250521-224-1-fd64c1e3-744b-44e1-a655-0434f895d4a4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-keeps-memory-of-dunkirk-little-ships-heroic-wwii-effort-alive/) Got a budding young football star in your midst? **East Kent Football Club is recruiting girls aged eight to 14 for its new development centre and talent pathway**. Weekly sessions run on Mondays from 5-6pm. **Get in touch on 07506220987 or** [**ekfcsecretary@gmail.com**](mailto:ekfcsecretary@gmail.com) for more information. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### The best places in Thanet to watch the 2026 Men’s World Cup URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-places-in-thanet-to-watch-the-2026-mens-world-cup/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T10:48:01.000Z It can’t have escaped your attention that the Men’s World Cup has begun. In these fragmented times there are few things that hold the entire nation’s focus all at once. There’s a new series of The Traitors, and the World Cup. Perhaps you’ve taken the next two weeks off work and are planning to hunker down in your living room to watch all the group matches. But we all know that football is best enjoyed as a collective experience. The thing is though, not all collective experiences are the same. You don't want to find yourself in some shit pub, surrounded by people who care less about the game than you while you drink a mediocre pint of beer by yourself after your mate stormed out because he didn't think his team were playing well enough. Nor do you want to find yourself in a packed room with an atmosphere that's a little on edge and with the sense that things could turn sour very suddenly depending on who scores the next goal. What you want is joy, optimism and the electric excitement of a game. Smiles, hugs, spontaneous connection with people you’d never set eyes upon before. And at least two people you previously thought unshakable to be crying genuine tears of sorrow and frustration when things go wrong. With that in mind, we’ve scoured the pubs, bars and other venues of Thanet to collate what we reckon will be the places with the best, friendliest, most enjoyable atmosphere to watch some guys kick a ball around for a while. All these venues will at the very least be showing the three England group matches. The further the team gets, the more screenings there will be. And the increased insistence that ‘it’ is definitely ‘coming home’. Your guaranteed matches right now are: June 17, 9pm: England v Croatia June 23, 9pm: England v Ghana June 27, 10pm: England v Panama Not to get ahead of ourselves, but the final is at 8pm on July 19\. ### CAMP Cliftonville’s queer bar and community space will be hosting intimate screenings of all England matches, as well as selected other matches throughout the competition. *125 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 2QY. Free.* ### Where Else Where Else knows how to put on a fun and friendly football screening. There will be fancy dress, a live band at half time, and DJs. The venue is also exhibiting a football themed exhibition by artist Henry Collins. *21-22 The Centre, Margate, CT9 1RL. Free.* ### Sonder A great pub with a high ceiling, huge windows to keep the summer light coming in and plenty of nooks to hunker down in. It will show all England games and is sure to have a great atmosphere. *11-13 Charlotte Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1LR. Free.* ### The Bedford Inn A lovely pub with a great crowd of regulars and a large garden to enjoy the sunshine in before kick off, the Bedford Inn will be screening every England game. *29 West Cliff Road, Ramsgate, CT11 9JP. Free.* ### Drill Shed Football watch party company 4theFans is taking over the Drill Shed to put on some big events, with huge screens, DJs, special effects and more. *The Lido, 1 Ethelbert Terrace, Margate, CT9 1RX.* [*Tickets from £6*](https://4thefans.tv/organiser/margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Neptunes Hall This excellent Broadstairs pub will be showing all England games and offering two for one pizzas until 9pm as well. Late licence games will be ticketed, so [DM on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/neptuneshall?igsh=ZnB1d212bDd5Zmtl&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or call to book a table. *1-3 Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT9 1ET. Free.* ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Prince Albert Recently reopened under new management, each match screening at the Prince Albert will be bookended by karaoke. Everything that begins and ends with karaoke is fun. *38 High Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1LH. Free.* ### The Queens Head One of our favourite pubs in Ramsgate overlooking the harbour, the Queens Head will be showing England games throughout the tournament. *78 Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 8LP. Free.* ### The Tap Room What the Tap Room lacks in size it makes up for in an incredible ability to squeeze a surprising number of excitable people around its TV. Expect this to spill out of the door into an impromptu street party. *4 Northdown Parade, Prices Avenue, Margate, CT9 2NR. Free.* ### Xylo The Margate sea front bar will be showing all England games with the sound on. It’ll also be showing all other matches happening during its opening hours with the sound off. *2-14 High Street, Margate, CT9 1AT. Free.* ### The Dog & Sparrow This newly opened, intimate spot in Broadstairs will be showing the England games. Enjoy a selection of German and Belgian beers, as well as charcuterie boards. *1 John Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1LS. Free.* ### The Shakespeare A perfect spot to catch the sunset before kick off, The Shakespeare is showing all England games. Arrive early to bag a spot as it will fill up fast. *1 Canterbury Road, Margate, CT9 5AQ. Free.* ### Madre Not actually showing any matches at all, but the bakery is exhibiting a collection of photos from the 1994 USA World Cup by football photographer Tony Davis until July 15\. You can also buy a selection of USA 94 merch, which you can then wear to one of the above screenings. *22-23 Cecil Square, Margate, CT9 1BA. Free.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #107: World Cup, David Hockney, Contemporary Circus URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-107-world-cup-david-hockney-contemporary-circus/ Last updated: 2026-06-13T07:00:06.000Z We were really sad to hear of the death of David Hockney, aged 88\. Such an influential artist who was still on a creative high. In a statement, his publicist, Erica Bolton said, “The celebrated British artist David Hockney, one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the 20th and 21st centuries, passed away peacefully at home on 11 June 2026, one month short of his 89th birthday.” He has been remembered as an era-defying, subversive artist who took to casually portraying homosexuality at a time when it was illegal, and a chain-smoking man of principles who refused to paint the royals or accept a knighthood. We’re fortunate to have his lovely Sunley Window piece currently on display at Turner Contemporary, which sucks you in as it changes with the day. His larger exhibition at the Serpentine in London, A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting, is on until August. Capturing the changing seasons at his former Normandy studio, the exhibition reminds us that there’s beauty in the everyday. Both are very much worth your time and a great testament to his continued innovation in art right up to the end of his life. In this week's newsletter, we've gone and got ourselves a case of World Cup fever, as England's men's team attempts to match the skill and country-uniting energy of the Lionesses. We've also lots of new openings for the summer, a cool looking circus show, actually fun sounding networking opportunities and more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Pigeon, Homeward Festival, Margate Winter Gardens launch weekend URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-pigeon-homeward-festival-margate-winter-gardens-launch-weekend/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T07:00:57.000Z Currently on a rapid upward trajectory, **Margate band Pigeon** have announced that they will play a **hometown show at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Thursday, January 7**. Yes, it’s a way off, but this is likely to sell out quickly. [**Tickets £16**](https://www.gigantic.com/pigeon-tickets/margate-the-drill-shed/2027-01-07-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pigeon will also be on BBC Two’s Later… with Jools Holland this Sunday. Where Else in Margate will be screening the whole show from 10pm. To coincide with Refugee Week, **community festival Homeward is set to take place at Kollektiv Gallery in Folkestone on June 19-21**. Bringing together artists with lived experience of displacement and the wider community, it will feature film, performance, art, movement and shared meals. [**See the full programme**](https://www.commongrounding.co.uk/homeward-festival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chapel House Estate in Minster hosts a fundraising afternoon tea in aid of the Evie Dove Foundation**. Founded in 2022 in memory of a teenager from Worth in Kent who died from a brain tumor, the charity funds specialist training for paediatric healthcare workers. 100% of profits from this event will go to the organisation. [**Tickets £45**](https://chapelhouseestate.co.uk/event/evie-dove-foundation-afternoon-tea/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Winter Gardens has announced that its opening weekend will be March 12-14 next year**. Details of performers on each night are being drip fed because - hey - there’s time. But right now, we can tell you that Australia’s finest **ABBA tribute act Björn Again will headline the venue on Sunday, March 14\.** [**Tickets from £29.43**](https://purchase.margatewintergardens.com/ChooseSeats/21801?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). While you wait for the other shows to be announced, why not [check out this artist’s impression of what the refurbished Winter Gardens will look like](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZLFm7BjL1m/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Turner Contemporary in Margate has announced its autumn exhibition**. Something Missing? will be artist **Sophie Calle’s first institutional exhibition in the UK since 2009**. It will bring together her most important work across photography, video and installation from 1986-2024\. “Sophie Calle is one of the most distinctive artists of our time,” says gallery director Clarrie Wallis. “We are thrilled to present her first institutional exhibition in the UK in over fifteen years.” **The show will run from October 3 to January 24, following the current exhibition by Hulda Guzmán**. [Hulda Guzmán’s world of wonder and exploration at Turner ContemporaryDominican artist Hulda Guzmán’s first European exhibition tracks her evolution across a decade work![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-57a71599-2113-4968-bf20-72eaf935880c.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_1670--1--2c3d4b1f-fa0e-4cb6-8550-9210def4e020.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-hulda-guzmans-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly-at-turner-contemporary/) **Ramsgate’s Alley Bar has announced another Edinburgh Fringe preview**, and this one gets you two amazing acts from the price of one. **Drag artist Fanny Bleach and comedian Tilly ‘Turbo’ Fletcher will be test running their new shows at the venue on Saturday, June 20**. Fanny Bleach has been described as “a Mighty Boosh and Leigh Bowery mash-up”, while Turbo has been likened to “a daytime tribute to Chris Morris’ Jam.” [**Tickets £10**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/fanny-bleach-turbo-present-the-nearly-naked-show-and-television?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Bottleneck in Broadstairs** switches away from its usual focus on one wine-maker for its next tasting. **On Wednesday, July 8, they’ll be doing an Old World v New World blind tasting**, sharing ten wines from different regions around the world - from Champagne to California. This’ll be a real treat for any wine lover. Cheese and charcuterie also included. [**Tickets £65**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/new-world-vs-old-world-blind-tasting-08-07?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Another wine-tasting event, **Gal + Gather’s next Sips & Snax event takes place at Salt in Broadstairs on Saturday, July 11**. The women-only event will offer up a welcome drink and five wines to taste, plus charcuterie boards for **£35 a head.** [**DM on Instagram to book**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZMoVoBjeBb/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Not into wine? **The next Kent Whisky Explorers whisky tasting night takes place at Little Swift in Margate on Thursday, July 16**. This time host Paul Vig will guide you through a range of English and Indian drams. As ever, the night will also be raising money for men’s health charity Movember. [**Tickets £30**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kent-whisky-explorers-anglo-indian-charity-whisky-night-tickets-1991052111463?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Crab Museum has announced three launch shows for its new children’s book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer**. Featuring a read through of the book and puppet show from author Bertie Suesat-Williams, the events will take place on **June 13, 20 and 21\.** [**Free tickets**](https://linktr.ee/crabmuseum?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Another event laid on by the Crab Museum, **Connor the Ecologist and Bi-Curious George will be leading an interactive ecology walk around Margate on Saturday, June 20**. Connor will take you on a walk to learn about the lifecycles of plants and animals around the town, before you head back to the museum to hear from George about trans-masculinity, hormones and being a pest. [**Tickets £10.30**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/l8dm6w-connor-the-ecologist-bi-curious-george-20th-jun-the-crab-museum-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Queer Run Margate’s Summer Runnin’ event returns this August**, raising money for Margate Pride and Margate Queer Library. It’s a non-competitive run or walk, with options of 2.5k, 5k or 10k. Everyone is welcome and it will all finish with a party on the beach. [**Entry is free**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35982/qrm-presents-summer-runnin-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), but you can choose to add a donation. **The Palace Cinema in Broadstairs** will screen new documentary **Everybody to Kenmure Street followed by a Q&A with director Felipe Bustos Sierra on Wednesday, June 17**. Produced by Emma Thompson and featuring music by Mogwai’s Barry Burns, the film follows a spontaneous mass protest in 2021 by local residents in the Glasgow district of Pollokshields to stop the UK Home Office deporting their neighbours. [**Tickets £8**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/everybody-to-kenmure-street-qa/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Horse Meat Disco will be at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday, October 3** for an extended DJ set. With a mix of disco, house, Italo, soul and more for the acclaimed collective, this will be a joyous night. [**Tickets £19.14**](https://dice.fm/event/v3ny9g-horse-meat-disco-3rd-oct-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Pride’s Summer Quiz will take place at Cliftonville Community Centre on Wednesday, July 15**. Raising money for this year’s Pride and celebrating the event’s tenth anniversary, join for a raucous night of question answering and clay-based bonus rounds. [**Tickets £12**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36635/margate-pride-quiz-raffle-summer-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A bit further from home, but there are plenty of merpeople among us. **Seed Talks is putting on a talk about the history of mermaids, sea spirits and women.** On at the **White Rock Theatre in Hastings on Tuesday, June 16**, anthropologist Dr Helen Cornish looks at the centuries of myth, history and storytelling around the mermaid. The talk unpicks mermaid representations, as ancient sea spirits and sirens to modern reinventions, and how they reflect changin attitudes towards the sea, women’s power and outsiders. [**Tickets from £13.50**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-history-of-mermaids-sea-spirits-women-tickets-1986219327476?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Louie on Sea has announced its next supper club** as part of its Terraza Summer Series. **Ramsgate chef Jack Hancock brings his pop-up Hearth to Margate**. Think local produce, French techniques and, Asian-influenced flavours. Tunes from Shirley Ottou and Tim Garatt from Margate Radio. **On July 3 & 4**, for a 6.30pm sitting. [**£49 a head**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/jackhancockxlouie/2223450?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 8-14) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-8-14/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T12:36:29.000Z Drag king Pat Riarchy (aka Trudi Jackson) begins teaching a six week drag performance course at Ramsgate's Alley Bar on Tuesday. [Places £12 per week or £60 for the full course](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/the-king-in-you-drag-king-masterclass-with-trudi-jackson-aka-pat-riarchy-2026-06-09-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also at the Alley Bar, Kitty Cassis performs her new show Kitty’s Salon of Dreams on Thursday. [Tickets £15](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/kittys-salon-of-dreams?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Author Fiona Robertson discusses her new book Stone Lands at Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stone-lands-with-fiona-robertson-tickets-1989841848534?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Broadstairs Dickens Festival is back for its 89th year at venues across the town from Friday to Sunday. [See the full schedule](https://www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wine festival LOW Margate takes place from Friday to Sunday, with various events around town. On the Saturday, you can take part in the LOW Crawl. [Tickets £35](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/bb8pov-low-margate-tasting-rooms-13th-jun-various-venues-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Tamara Campbell and Maroon Adventures lead a coastal bike ride in aid of Margate Pride on Saturday, riding 3k to Foreness point. [Free with optional donation](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36392/coastal-ride-for-margate-pride-with-maroon-adventures?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Free Artsy Social is a new crafting social event for 18-21 year olds in Margate, taking place for the first time on Saturday. [Message EZ on Instagram for location details](https://www.instagram.com/my%5Fname%5Fis%5Fezili/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Judi Love performs her show All About the Love at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Saturday. [Tickets £33.50](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/judi-love-all-about-the-love/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs will be hosting an Antiques & Collectables Fair on Sunday from 9am to 3pm. Join a film history walk around Margate and Cliftonville led by the Broadstairs Palace cinema team on Sunday morning. [Tickets £10](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/cinema-walks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Flowers & Felicity's in Broadstairs will be hosting Paint with Wine & Tapas on Sunday. [Tickets £35](https://www.creativeflowevents.co.uk/product/paint-with-wine-tapas-broadstairs-sunday-14th-june/TOM4EK2WC6A3BQFEQFWSXZAP?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: New head chef for Willy's and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-new-head-chef-for-willys-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-07T12:16:27.000Z **Margate restaurant Willy’s welcomes a new head chef**. Say hello to **Lewis Johnson**, who hasspent time in the kitchen of the legendary two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, working under the revered Michel Roux Jnr. At the Chelsea, James-Blunt owned gastropub The Fox and Pheasant, he worked his way up to head chef. **His arrival sees new dishes on the menu, like crispy pulled lamb with peas and broad beans, and leek and cheese croquettes with truffle mayo**. **New bookshop The Best of Times will take over the old Forts premises in Broadstairs**. Expected to open on June 13, it will be both a bookshop and cafe, and an inviting place for writerly folk who want WiFi and a cosy spot to work on their project. **Once it’s up and running, expect an events programme, including writers’ groups, book clubs, and singer-songwriter nights**. **Creative agency Bright Island is casting for a Margate-based photography project** that captures all the unusual places and processes that spark creativity for neurodivergent people. **This is an open call, open to anyone who is neurodivergent**, including those without a formal diagnosis. Must be 18 to get involved. **Get in touch to** [**express your interest**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfts1gxkyQ8Sqv0vJPzR68Eoc0jAlrnTxbdIY9%5F73LGSUCHHg/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **A newly-formed Community Interest Company has taken over The Grand in Folkestone with the ambitious plan to turn it into “a Barbican-by-the-sea.”** The huge hotel is set to be converted into a space offering residential, creative and performance spaces. The project is being led by local resident and cultural organiser Megan Piper. [**Find out more**](https://recessed.space/00322-The-Grand-Folkestone?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Sunken Garden Society Eco Fair is taking place Sunday, September 20, and they have put a call out for organisations to get involved**. If you are an eco-minded community group, small business, workshop provider or some other green venture that wants to raise awareness, share products or sessions, the **SGS wants to** [**hear from you**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScPg90iAOBFOoxmTGW-TpUzYum%5FMCmNEgOGCwgmvdOnr%5FRI-Q/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Folkestone Documentary Festival has announced its Filmmaking Challenge for 2026**. The challenge is to make a documentary that is up to five minutes long. You can shoot on any camera, including your phone’s. **The only rules really are the doc has to tell a Kent-based story and you must be a Kent-based person**. Films go in the running for the Best Film and Best Environment Film. Due September 21\. [**More information**](https://www.folkestonedocumentaryfestival.co.uk/folkestone-documentary-filmmaking-challenge/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New bar Cockle & Hen is set to open this summer on Margate’s Marine Drive** \- taking over the unit previously occupied by Dory’s. Its owners say the venue will offer “a little 70s soul, a little cabin warmth, wrapped in wood, texture, and low-lit swagger” and will be open seven days a week. **The doors are expected to open in late June or early July**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Book clubs for worms, nerds and lovers URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/book-clubs-in-margate-broadstairs-ramsgate/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T12:41:54.000Z The thing my dad likes most about his book club is complaining about it. “Why can’t we read Tom Clancy?” is a grumble I’ve heard many times, especially when Shuggie Bain was book of the month. “I’m not going read it,” he told me, several times. “I know about post-Thatcher Scotland. It’s depressing and miserable,” he said on repeat for a month, before telling me about the latest post-WWII movie he pirated. My dad’s disdain for literary fiction is no doubt connected to his love of a plot-driven airport novel thriller and being the minority in a circle full of retired captain of industry-type women who all want to read the latest Booker Prize winner. The thing is though, not all book clubs look and read the same, as the numerous groups around Thanet indicate. In the area, we’ve got book swaps and reading clubs as well as your regular-style book clubs, including groups for teens - each with their own personality and reading list. We’ve rounded up a handful of the book-related clubs below, so go find your Tom Clancy and curl up for the afternoon. ![A row of books with their spines facing upwards](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/06/tom-hermans-9BoqXzEeQqM-unsplash-1.jpg) Thanet has plenty of book clubs and groups, to suit all tastes. **Photo: Tom Hermans/Unsplash* ### Thanet Book Club Broadstairs-based transient book club Thanet Book Club’s dates and venues change month to month, with details of the next meet on its Insta bio. Most definitely a book club my dad would love to hate, literary fiction, high concept genre and prize winners and nominees are up for discussion, with a few classics thrown in. [*instagram.com/thanetbookclub/*](https://www.instagram.com/thanetbookclub/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Old Curiosity Shop’s Book Club Another book club in Broadstairs, this one sometimes has two books on the go in a month - read them both or pick the one that interests you the most. The reading list is accessible and varied, with thrillers, popular fiction and literary fiction all covered. Check with the venue regarding dates each month. [*instagram.com/curiosityshopbroadstairs/*](https://www.instagram.com/curiosityshopbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Margate Bookshop Book Club With a reading list comprised of eclectic, unexpected reads, there should be a title among them that piques your interest. Unless you’re a die hard Tom Clancy fan, perhaps. Meets on the last Wednesday of every month at the Fort Road Hotel. [*themargatebookshop.com/the-bookshop-bookclub*](https://www.themargatebookshop.com/the-bookshop-bookclub?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Margate Rocks Books Another group chat for your WhatsApp, Margate Rocks Books meets monthly, with times dates and locations changing, but you could chance your luck and find them at the George & Heart. A book club for people who read widely, there’s lots of variety with books on the list. The group is also a good place for book recommendations, book-related events and library book borrowing chat. To join, get in touch with the [Bookshare by the Sea](https://www.instagram.com/booksharebythesea/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) organisers. ### Margate Anarchists Reading Group The Margate Anarchist Reading Group gather at the Margate Queer Library and Archive most Wednesdays to discuss historical and contemporary literature and what it might tell us about current times and personal politics. They also hold film screenings at 101 Social. [*instagram.com/margsreads/*](https://www.instagram.com/margsreads/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Wine Down Reads Book Club Wine Down Reads Books may be a relaxed and informal book club, but it is a busy one. Meeting on the first Friday of every month Ramsgate Arts Club, the book club can only accommodate a certain number of people each month, so DM the organiser to let them know you’re coming, rather than just turning up. [*instagram.com/winedownreadsbookclub/*](https://www.instagram.com/winedownreadsbookclub/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Teen Reading Group For younger readers, the Teen Reading Group at Broadstairs Library is for 13-17 year-olds to meet fellow book lovers, discuss recent reads and get recommendations for your next book. It’s held on the first Monday of every month, 3:30pm-4:30pm. ### Bar & Peace More of a reading club than a book club, head to Ramsgate’s Bedford Inn on a selected Thursday every month to read quietly in company. Check Instagram for upcoming dates. [*instagram.com/bar\_and\_peace/*](https://www.instagram.com/bar%5Fand%5Fpeace/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Ramsgate Book Club With over 400 Facebook members, this club has been going since lockdown. I doubt each member turns up each month however, as I’m not sure where the Bedford Inn would put them all. Find out, by heading to the pub on the second Thursday of every month. [*facebook.com/groups/ramsgatebookclub/*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/ramsgatebookclub/) ### Agatha Christie Book Club If you love mystery and suspense, what better writer is there than Agatha Christie (apologies again, Tom Clancy fans)? She wrote 66 novels in her time - plenty to occupy a book group for years. Hence the existence of this one, which meets on the last Sunday of each month at the Orchid Room in Cliftonville. DM the venue to be added to the WhatsApp group. [*instagram.com/the\_0rchid\_room/*](https://www.instagram.com/the%5F0rchid%5Froom/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Children's Book Club Because you can never start engaging with books too young, the Happy Reading Book Shop in Broadstairs runs weekly book clubs for children aged 0-4 and 3-6 on Sundays. Children will sit for a reading of each week’s book, before taking part in activities themed on the story. Extra sessions also run on Wednesday and Thursday mornings during school holidays. [*happyreading.uk/events*](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Bookshare by the Sea What once was Bee’s Bookshare is now Bookshare by the Sea, a lovely little gathering of bookworms who each bring with them a book they have enjoyed. Taking it in turns, each person bigs up their read, and the idea is that you walk away with a different book in hand to the one you walked in with. [*instagram.com/booksharebythesea/*](https://www.instagram.com/booksharebythesea/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #106: Book clubs, new openings, lots of wine URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-106-book-clubs-new-openings-lots-of-wine/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:27:35.000Z Reading is a wonderful thing and we've both been making a concerted effort to put down our phones and read more books this year. So far, steely determination is working pretty well. Sometimes you need a deadline to push you through those pages thoug. A book club is a good way to give you that goal, and also gets you out of the house. Thanet is positively brimming with regular meet ups for book lovers, so for this week's feature we've rounded up as many of them as possible. As well as that, we've got lots of news and things to do in Thanet and beyond, including what seems like a huge number of wine tastings - not least all of that many that will take place at part of LOW Margate next weekend. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Rosie Holt, Lindsey Mendick, Patrick Wolf URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-rosie-holt-lindsey-mendick-patrick-wolf/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T07:00:44.000Z **Satirist Rosie Holt** will be previewing her new work in progress show at the **Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Thursday, June 18\.** [**Tickets £10**](https://billetto.co.uk/e/rosie-holt-work-in-progress-tickets-1889478?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Alley Bar in Ramsgate has launched its Friday night games night**. No spotlight, no spoken word or stand up, just games, drinks, music and some karaoke if you like. **Open to members only, from 4pm until late. Email the team to let them know you are coming at** [**screamingalley@gmail.com**](mailto:screamingalley@gmail.com). **Author Fiona Robertson discusses her new book Stone Lands at Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday, June 11**. Part memoir, part travelogue, the book tracks Robertson’s personal grief following her husband’s diagnosis with terminal cancer as she travels around Britain’s ancient standing stones. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stone-lands-with-fiona-robertson-tickets-1989841848534?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **ARK in Cliftonville will be screening 2025 documentary The Librarians on Thursday, June 25**. The film explores political polarisation and the wave of book banning that is sweeping public schools and libraries in the USA. **Following the screening there will be a panel discussion**, with author Dean Atta, Naomi Evans from Everyday Racism, banned book collector Conor Sansby and Margate Queer Library’s Sé M. Nomyo debating the themes of the film and their impact in the UK. [**Tickets £13.50**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2218187?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Luxe Broadstairs bottle-o, **The Bottleneck’s next wine tasting evening is with the gang from Esporão on Wednesday, July 29**. The established Portuguese winemakers will guide you through a selection of some of Portugal’s finest drops of red and white. Tickets include sharing platters that come with Esporão’s own extra virgin olive oil. [**Tickets £55**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/products/esporao-portugese-tasting-17-06?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Gal + Gather are making the most of the warm weather and heading to Namaka on Stone Bay for a coffee and yap session**. There will also be chilling, swimming, sunbaking and an açai bowl, if you like. **On Saturday June 6, from 11am-2pm**. **Ceramicist Lindsey Mendick**’s show Where You End and I Begin opens at **the Carl Freedman gallery in Margate on June 27**. **Saturday, June 27** is also when the latest **Tracey Emin Artist Residency cohort present their final show** **at TKE Studios**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Positive party Optimissimo is back at Margate Arts Club on Saturday, June 20**. Residents Milski and Orac-808 will be joined in spinning good vibes only by guest DJ Scott Martin. Get down and happily dance your way into the longest day of the year. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36329/optimissimo-003?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Musicians Patrick Wolf and Sophie Crawford are teaming up for Invert Folk Club at ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday, August 8 as part of Margate Pride**. Currently a one-off event, there will be a matinee and evening performance of unplugged folk music. Despite living in Ramsgate for the last six years, this will be Patrick’s first show in Thanet and it promises to be a special one. [**Tickets on sale later today**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36550/patrick-wolf-and-sophie-crawford-present-invert-folk-club-with-selkies-kiss-for-margate-pride?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Perhaps old news to some, but **plant-based fine dining outfit Aster in Broadstairs puts on a roast for charity the last Sunday of every month**. It’s three courses for £35 a head, with all money going to the charity of the month. **On Sunday, June 28, tuck into a mushroom wellington with all the trimmings to support Dottie’s Little Hog Hospital**. Sittings are at 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm. **Next month, Aster will put on an extra roast Father's Day, June 21**. This one is two courses for £25, with **money going to the Green Tara Animal Sanctuary**. Sittings are 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. If you missed the **People’s Emergency Briefing** at Ramsgate Community Cinema recently, there’s another chance to catch it next month. **The Chris Packham fronted climate change documentary will be showing at Where Else in Margate on Thursday, June 25**. The screening will be followed by a discussion and there will be food provided. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.gigantic.com/people-s-emergency-briefing-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-06-25-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Dating will launch with a Singles Social at Margate Beach Club on Friday, June 19**. Aiming to be a relaxed get together, you can try to find a match without the swiping or just make some new friends. Free drinks for those who arrive early and goodie bags for the first 20 through the door. Over 25s only. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/25-margate-dating-singles-night-tickets-1990418782158?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). As part of a massive UK tour, **new play Ghost House will be coming to Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre on Tuesday, March 9 2027**. Blending supernatural horror and psychological thriller it tells the story of three friends alone on a remote island with an uninvited presence. [**Tickets from £34.65**](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/ghost-house?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Nao Victoria**, a replica of the historic ship that was the first to complete a circumnavigation of the globe in 1522, **returns to Ramsgate next month**. It will dock in the harbour from June 4-14, welcoming guests on board. [**Tickets from £4**](https://ticket.fundacionnaovictoria.org/en/1863-nao-victoria/13541-nao-victoria-in-ramsgate-uk/info?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 1-7) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-1-7/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T16:55:02.000Z Comedian Maisie Adam has announced a work in progress show at The Drill Shed in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £14.33](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/q2weex-maisie-adam-work-in-progress-3rd-jun-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Author Olivia Laing discusses her new novel The Silver Book with Art Talks’ Robert Diament at Where Else on Wednesday. [Tickets £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-silver-book-with-olivia-laing-tickets-1984452375475?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The National Portrait Gallery in London opens new exhibition Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait on Thursday, celebrating the Hollywood star’s 100th birthday. [Tickets from £25](https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/marilyn-monroe-a-portrait?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, will be appearing at St Mary’s Art Centre in Sandwich on Thursday. [Tickets £22](https://wegottickets.com/event/696031?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Life Drawing returns to Gather& in Ramsgate on Thursday with a sighthound special. Greyhounds, lurchers and whippets will all model for attendees. [Tickets £39](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/94656/wild-life-drawing-sighthound-special/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Wild Life Drawing class features owls, wolves and more as modelsMore lively than your standard life drawing class, Wild Life Drawing works with models who won’t pose or be still, and are an opportunity to be inspired by the natural world, as founder Jennie Webber explains![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/MIKE0189_smal-1-32ad423f0a56362098d55b7d3d2d3f2261203f8025006ab323af1493af73645b.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/) Depths returns to Olby’s in Margate on Thursday for a night of guided conversation. There will also be performances from writers ELZ, Poppy Cockburn and Curly Wordy. [Free tickets](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/depths-vol-2-4th-june-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Recently premiered at London’s Southbank Centre with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, on Thursday there’s a one night only opportunity to see 1927 Studio’s new film Turangalîla: Infinite Love at ARK in Cliftonville. [Tickets £15.75](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2237963?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Trudgepig Folk Theatre are teaming up with Margate-based experimental musician Melinda Bronstein for The Wickerwork Man at Fruitworks in Canterbury on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://freerangecanterbury.org/fr306/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The season’s first guided bat walk through Dane Valley Woods in Margate takes place on Friday. [DM on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/margatebatwalks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to join the WhatsApp group for more info. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. The Palace cinema in Broadstairs will be screening a new version of Frida Kahlo, a documentary about the artists now featuring material from Tate Modern’s upcoming Frida Kahlo: the Making of an Icon exhibition on Saturday and Sunday. [Tickets £9](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/eos-frida-kahlo-revisited/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Pirates Festival takes place on Saturday, with piratical activities around the town throughout the day, beginning with a parade setting off from (where else?) the Plunder book shop on the High Street. Bangers Comedy brings a line up of comedians to Olby’s in Margate on Saturday, headlined by Bobby Mair. [Early bird tickets £12](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/bangers-comedy-margate-edition-6th-june-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Atomica returns to Ramsgate Arts Club on Saturday, delivering 90s tunes all night. Free entry. The Palace in Broadstairs puts on the first of three cinema walks on Saturday, this one taking in the filmic history of Ramsgate. [Tickets £10](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/cinema-walks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Poet Kit Griffiths hosts a queer writing workshop at their new venue The Romantic in Cliftonville on Sunday. [Tickets £3](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36039/talk-of-the-town-workshop-with-kit-griffiths?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Moot Brewery will be taking over the taps at the Fermentorium in Ramsgate on Sunday. [Tickets £25](https://fermentorium.sumupstore.com/product/moot-brewing-guided-tasting?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Richard Ayoade discusses his new book Afterthoughts, or Some Pistachios Won't Open: Wisdom for the Unreflective at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Sunday. [Tickets from £34](https://www.fane.co.uk/richard-ayoade?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate Winter Gardens plans revealed and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-winter-gardens-plans-revealed-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T10:07:55.000Z **Plans have been made public detailing proposed changes to Margate Winter Gardens**, including demolition and new building work to parts of the building. After falling into disrepair, the venue closed in 2022\. Owner of Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre, Westwood One Theatre was announced as the new operator last year, with hopes to have the venue partially up and running later this year. **Council approval is still required before work can begin.** [**See the planning proposal**](https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=TDNDORQELM900&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **KCC Reform counsellor for Broadstairs John Finch has written to Home Secretary Shabanna Mahmood** **requesting a review of resource allocation for coastal policing units during peak season** following a spate of anti-social behaviour over the bank holiday. To paraphrase BBC Kent, large crowds of youths flocked to Viking Bay over the weekend, getting boozy and aggro, with one resident describing the situation as “intimidating”. **Cracking down on anti-social behaviour, Kent Police made six arrests across Thanet, and moved on nearly 40 people across Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Made a cup of tea using bottled water instead of from the tap, despite your sky high water bills? **Newly elected KCC counsellor for the Greens, Rob Yates will look into Thanet’s water supply**, investigating Southern Water’s supply issues and lack of reservoirs. Bottled water tea may be the least of our water problems, with businesses like the Sportsman over in Whitstable forced to close for at least a day due to the lack of water. **Rob’s also looking into why there is no air con at QEQM A&E**. **Margate’s Crab Museum has announced its second children's book, The No-Brainer Brain Explainer**. Out on June 11, the book will delve into the exciting and mysterious world of brains - both human and non-human. It follows last year’s excellent A Natural History of Bums. [**Pre-order The No-Brainer Brain Explainer**](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/naturalhistoryofbums-yyh6s?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Crab Museum reveals what bums can tell us about evolutionHow do you get kids excited about science? Make it about bums. Margate’s Crab Museum is bringing this knowledge to the wider world in a new children’s book![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/20250320_145732-1-c1e972446d5f9acf69d841fcd67e005b2fc985920eb39e47a0f96773382ccdb4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/butt-of-the-joke-book-teaches-kids-about-evolution-one-bum-at-a-time/) Recognise the squawk of a seagull, but have no clue about what a heron sounds like? **Kent Wildlife Trust has a free Kent birdsong course**. For seven days, you’ll receive seven small emails that contain the bird song, video and information on the birds you’re likely to hear when stepping outside and away from hot chips. [**Sign up**](https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/birdsong-course/members?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Herne Bay organisation People United has put a call out for East Kent coast based artists, creatives, youth workers and care workers to take part in its beach hut residency**. The care-centric arts charity’s Hut 38 residency is open to anyone who wants the time and space to explore creative approaches to caring. Guidelines are wide for this, so that could look like using the hut to host an event, pop up or exhibition, take creative time out for wellbeing, connect with the beach or host workshops. Apply by 12pm Monday June 15 to be considered for July. [**More info**](https://peopleunited.org.uk/creative-opportunities/hut-38-residency/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **After three years showcasing local artists on Northdown Road in Cliftonville, the Salon gallery has announced its closure**. However, this is not the end for the project, which **will now move into Margate Arts Club**. More information about how exactly that will work coming soon. **Giant Coffee in Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate have launched what they’re calling an ‘ice cream parlour’**, which seems to be **a menu of iced coffee and matcha**. Choose from caramel banana split, mint choc chip, raspberry ripple or cookie batter flavours, add the drink of your choice and away you go. Still not sure if any of these options contain actual ice cream, but **if you try one, please do let us know. Intrigued**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #105: Kent's best beaches, Margate Winter Gardens, Rosie Holt URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-105-kents-best-beaches-margate-winter-gardens-rosie-holt/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:28:07.000Z Half term coinciding with a heatwave has been the fortuitous weather shift we hadn’t expected but have very much enjoyed. Lots of time at the beach, swimming in the sea, sampling Thanet’s various ice cream options (Lulu’s in Margate and Scoop in Ramsgate win this round) and escaping into arcades. We also found time to pop into Ramsgate Lit Fest for Tamara Macfarlane’s session inspired by her children’s book The Book of Mysteries, Magic, and the Unexplained, which included actual magic from entertainer Gilbert Giggles. It was lovely to hang out for a while at the Book Hotel, perusing the shelves and reading our choices over a hot chocolate. Last night, we managed to sneak in a trip up to London to see the magnificent Aldous Harding at the Barbican, while back by the sea now we’re hoping for a break in the clouds for some more beach time over the weekend. With that in mind, for this week’s feature we’ve collected together a list of our favourite beaches in Kent - because despite having so many within walking distance, it’s nice to go a bit further afield sometimes, isn’t it? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 10 of the best beaches in Kent URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/best-beaches-in-kent-by-train-from-london/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T13:50:34.000Z From sprawling sandy shorelines to quintessentially British shingle-covered seasides, Kent is peppered with charming pockets of coastline and beaches. A walk across chalky white cliffs is always recommended, but having a dip in the sea with their bulk behind you is also something pretty special - if you can brace yourself for the fresh North Sea waters. While these beaches are all simple journeys by car, many are also easily reached by train from London. Southeastern services to Kent's coast depart from Victoria, Stratford International, St Pancras, South Bromley and Gravesend, with connections to Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Deal, Dover and Folkestone. So whether you’re lucky enough to live nearby or heading out of the capital on the high-speed for a day trip or weekend away, here are some of the best beaches in Kent. ![Viking Bay in Broadstairs. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/Broadstairs_beach_landscape_1-1.jpg) Viking Bay in Broadstairs. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Viking Bay Shaped like a horseshoe, Broadstairs’ main beach is great for children to splash about in thanks to the calm waters. Found in the heart of the town near to the house ([now a museum](https://www.visitthanet.co.uk/attractions/dickens-house-museum-1999/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)) where Charles Dickens wrote Bleak House, this sandy beach is full of British seaside charm. Stay for a dip, take a snap of the colourful beach huts and then the choice is yours - do you want a sundowner at [The Jetty](https://www.jettybroadstairs.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), an ice-cream from [Morelli’s](https://www.instagram.com/morellisgelato/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or a spin in the nearby arcades? ![St Margaret's Bay Beach. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_1702.jpg) St Margaret's Bay Beach. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### St Margaret’s Bay Beach Found at the bottom of a steep and windy road lined with big coastal homes and expensive cars, St Margaret’s Bay Beach is a quiet, shingle beach enclosed by picturesque chalk cliffs. There’s a hut selling the likes of toasties and ice cream, [The Coastguard Pub](https://thecoastguard.co.uk/the-coastguard-menu/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for something more substantial, and [The Pine Garden Tearooms and Museum](https://baytrust.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) which is great for a coffee and a sandwich, and a dose of local history too. Not far from Dover, you’ll cross this beach if walking along the White Cliffs of Dover to Deal. ![Margate Main Sands. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/Margate_Main_Sands_Dreamland_landscape.jpg) Margate Main Sands. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Margate Main Sands A stone’s throw from the train station, you can practically walk out of the train station and roll straight into the sea here. This wide sandy beach stretches from the station through the Old Town to the [Turner Contemporary](https://turnercontemporary.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), where you’ll find many people lounging on the beach’s steps with a frozen cocktail from [Little Swift](https://www.instagram.com/littleswiftct9/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or a pint from [Xylo](https://www.instagram.com/Xylobrew/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in hand, or standing guard over their Peter’s fish and chips from vulturous seagulls. Station-side, you’ll find Sea Scrub Sauna open all year round. ![Botany Bay. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_2829--1--1.jpg) Botany Bay. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Botany Bay A few bays along, Botany Bay is a chalky rugged enclave accessible by walking along the Viking Coastal Trail from either Margate or Broadstairs. With chalky cliffs, a sandy shore and a grassy patch atop of the cliffs, the beach is a great place to settle into for the day. It also comes with a beach-side hut selling hamburgers and the like and the fairly generic but perfectly fine [Botany Bay Hotel](https://www.botanybayhotel.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s manned by lifeguards during peak times and has boogie boarders and the odd surfer trying to catch wavers to the side. ![Deal Beach. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_1774-1.jpg) Deal Beach. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Deal Beach A seemingly endless stretch of shingle beach, Deal Beach is easily accessed by train and a stroll through the town. Waters are calm but can become deep quickly and comes with a pier, which you can fish off. [Deal Pier Kitchen](https://dealpierkitchen.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is a great spot for a post-swim meal, or if you feel like a short but reasonable walk, [The Zetland Arms ](https://www.zetlandarms.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)is prime real estate at the Kingsdown end of the strip. ### Joss Bay Also on the Viking Coastal Trail between Margate and Broadstairs, Joss Bay is a surfing beach - although the waves are far meeker than elsewhere. There’s the [surf school](https://www.jossbay.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and a little shop selling snacks and ice cream. At the weekend during peak season, a farmer sometimes opens up their nearby field, swapping rows of cauliflower for cheap all-day parking. ![Stone Bay. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_2404-1.jpg) Stone Bay. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Stone Bay Just around the corner from Viking Bay towards Margate, Stone Bay is a delightful sandy stretch often frequented by dog walkers and families. You could chance upon a beach-side fitness session or you could just grab a beer or a light bite from [NāMAKA beach bar](https://www.instagram.com/namakabroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) during the high season and enjoy the ambience. ![Walpole Tidal Pool. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_9858-1-1.jpg) Walpole Tidal Pool. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Walpole Tidal Pool Popular with Margate locals all year round, the Walpole Tidal Pool is great for a swim, a paddle or a splash about on a paddleboard. You’ll also often find strings of kids along its perimeter, looking at rock pools from their vantage point. The community sauna, manned by volunteers, has a permanent set up here, and it is lovely. Once you’re done, have a cream tea at the eclectic [Walpole Bay Hotel](https://www.walpolebayhotel.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), or grab something to eat at the [Cliftonville Farmer’s Market](https://www.instagram.com/cliftonvillefarmmkt/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), on every last Sunday of the month until 1pm. ![Kingsgate. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_3437--1--1.jpg) Kingsgate. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Kingsgate A calm cove on the Viking Trail between Margate and Broadstairs, Kingsgate is also a popular choice among Thanet residents. [The Captain Digby](https://www.captaindigby.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has a great beer garden overlooking the beach as well as a playground and a soft play area for kids. Fun fact: Miriam Margolyes spent many summers here as a kid. ### Sandgate Beach One beach along from the carnival at Folkestone’s main beach, Sandgate Beach is a quiet pebbly beach lined with charming homes, huts and other quaint architecture. It’s good for swimming and water sports. Head one street back and you’ll find restaurants, pubs and bakeries to fuel your day. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Edinburgh previews, cinema walks, Shakespeare on the sand URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-edinburgh-previews-cinema-walks-shakespeare-on-the-sand/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T07:00:04.000Z **Rosa Garland** is bringing her four and five star adorned show **Primal Bog to Olby’s in Margate on Thursday, June 26**. One of the buzziest shows at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, the comedy show explores sexuality and desire through slime, nudity and live tattooing. No, she won’t be on Live at the Apollo any time soon. [**Tickets £15**](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/bighead-comedy-presents-rosa-garland-primal-bog-26th-jun-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). That was last year’s Fringe. Looking ahead to this year, **Ramsgate Arts Club will be hosting four consecutive nights of double bill previews in July**. The line up is Tom Houghton and Phil Nichol (July 15), Sara Barron and Sophie Duker (July 16), Hasan Al Habib and Dee Allum (July 17), and Lenny Sherman and Patrick Monahan (July 18). [**Tickets £15 per night**](https://www.ramsgatearts.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If that’s not enough Edinburgh previews for you, **Ramsgate’s Alley Bar has also announced it’ll be hosting ten** over the coming months. First to be announced is **Kitty Cassis performing her new show Kitty’s Salon of Dreams at the venue on Thursday, June 11\.** [**Tickets £15**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/kittys-salon-of-dreams?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Palace in Broadstairs is bringing back its Cinema Walks** around the three Thanet towns this summer. Exploring local film history from the 1980s to the present day, the tours will take you around the many buildings in the district that were once picturehouses. Take a stroll around **Ramsgate on June 7, Margate and Cliftonville on June 14, and Broadstairs on June 28**. Walks start at 10.30am and last around 90 minutes.[**Tickets £10**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/cinema-walks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If all you can remember about the Battle of Hastings is that in 1066 the Queen picked her knicks, it’s probably time for a refresher. Good for you, **the Bayeux Tapestry is going to go on display at the British Museum in London later this year** \- returning to England for the first time since it was made nearly 1000 years ago. **It’ll be on show from September 10 to July 11 2027\.** [**Tickets go on sale on July 1**](https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/bayeux-tapestry?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Poet Kit Griffiths hosts a queer writing workshop at their new venue The Romantic in Cliftonville on June 7**. Themed on the act of pride - as it’s being put on as part of Margate Pride’s tenth anniversary celebrations - there will be exercises on self love, tenacity, and the desire to be shameless. [**Tickets £3**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/36039/talk-of-the-town-workshop-with-kit-griffiths?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Yoga teacher Elise Carter will host a full day retreat at Gather& in Ramsgate on Saturday, July 11**. The day will include vinyasa yoga, qi flow, somatic dance and journalising. There will also be a seasonal lunch and snacks prepared by natural chef Naomi Grady. [**Places £120**](https://www.eliseannacarter.com/ramsgateretreat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Free guided bat walks through Dane Valley Woods in Margate return over the summer months**. Taking place once a month from **May 29 until October 25**, the 45 minute dusk walks will trail quietly through the bats’ habitat as they emerge for the evening. Bat detectors will be provided to tune into their ultrasonic calls. [**DM on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/margatebatwalks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to join the WhatsApp group for more info**. **This year’s Music Day at the Garden Gate Project in Northdown Park will take place on Saturday, July 18**. Always an absolutely delightful day of music in a beautiful garden, there will be local acts across two stages, wood fired pizza, beer and cocktails and more. All proceeds go towards the charity’s social and therapeutic horticultural work with adults with learning disabilities. [**Tickets £16**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/garden-gate-music-day-2026-tickets-1988400426201?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Changeling Theatre will be staging Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing on Margate Main Sands on Saturday, July 25**. Yes, mate. Culture. And based on my experience, Shakespeare is always best in venues with no roof. This one has no walls either, so who knows what will happen? [**Tickets £22**](https://www.ticketsource.com/phoenix-community-events-cic/shakespeare-on-the-beach-2026/e-mjoagv?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Moot Brewery will be taking over the taps at the Fermentorium in Ramsgate on Sunday, June 7**. Attendees will get to try six of the company’s beers and meet the brewer. [**Tickets £25**](https://fermentorium.sumupstore.com/product/moot-brewing-guided-tasting?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **London’s Hayward Gallery has announced a major solo exhibition of work by American artist and activist Nan Goldin**. Titled You Never Did Anything Wrong, the show will take place from **November 24 to March 7 2027**. Having recently caught The Ballad of Sexual Dependency at Gagosian, we’re excited to see this larger scale show, which will be Goldin's first institutional exhibition in the UK since 2002\. [**Full details**](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/nan-goldin-you-never-did-anything-wrong/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Acclaimed writer Olivia Laing discusses her new novel The Silver Book** with Carl Freedman gallery director Robert Diament at **Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, June 3\.** [**Tickets £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-silver-book-with-olivia-laing-tickets-1984452375475?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). All of you of a certain age will remember **poster shop Athena and the photograph L’Enfant**, which became the biggest selling poster in British history. The image of a man cradling a newborn baby was everywhere for a few years, and also came to embody the emerging cultural archetype of the ‘New Man’. **Photographer Spencer Rowell is marking L’Enfant’s 40th anniversary** with an exhibition of the original image and 25 others from the shoot. Find it at the **Westminster Bank Building on Ramsgate High Street until May 31\.** [**More details**](https://www.manandbaby.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 25-31) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-25-31/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T09:55:25.000Z The May half term is here! If you’re looking for things to occupy the kids over the next week, look no further than this handy guide… [May half term things to do in Thanet and beyondLots of ideas for things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond this May half term![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/scott-webb-IZmPdbnb-3I-unsplash-8fd546b26f42a5a347a99fc7dddee12e03553f4c910bd87cfd3ef55aee54f9d3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/may-half-term-things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond/) The first edition of the new monthly Synth Club for electronic music makers takes place at This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete in Ramsgate takes place on Wednesday. £5 entry. The Bottleneck in Broadstairs is hosting an English Wine Tasting with winemaker Gusborne on Wednesday. [Tickets £40](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/gusbourne-tasting-27-05?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson - aka comedy double act Britney - will be performing a work in progress sketch show at CAMP in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Tickets £12](https://dice.fm/event/py5dml-britney-are-barely-legal-wip-27th-may-camp-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rosa Rankin-Gee will be at Margate Library to discuss her book Dreamland and its upcoming BBC adaptation on Wednesday. Free entry. Then on Thursday, she will be discussing her new book My Only Boy at Fort Road Hotel - [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/my-only-boy-with-rosa-rankin-gee-tickets-1988303347837?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) \- and again at Ramsgate Lit Fest at the Book Hotel on Friday. [Tickets £6.50](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thebookhotel/2218176?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [The Book Hotel is “a love letter to books, reading and writing”Tamara Macfarlane on launching a literary-themed hotel, programming the first Ramsgate Lit Fest, and why she believes people’s desire to read is stronger than ever![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2026/05/DSC_0622.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-book-hotel-is-a-love-letter-to-books-reading-and-writing/) Eccentric one-man band Ichi will play Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday. [Tickets £17.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/itchi/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Spoken word night Is It Dirty? returns to the Roland Ross gallery in Cliftonville on Thursday. Free entry. After seven years away, the Lovebox festival is back and it’s coming to Margate, taking place at Dreamland on Friday and Saturday, headlined by Rudimental and Scissor Sisters. [Tickets from £64.10](https://loveboxfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Having closed for the winter last October, Justine’s in Margate will officially reopen with a big party on Friday. [Tickets £10](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/justines/2200480?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next Addington Street Vintage Trail will take place on Saturday and Sunday. Head down 11am to 5pm. New family pop-up market Turn the Tide will launch at Margate’s Turner Contemporary on Saturday and Sunday, featuring ethical kidswear brands, local artists and craft-makers. The Broadstairs Children’s Literary Festival will hold its inaugural edition at Bleak House on Saturday. Free entry. Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard is DJing at Faith In Strangers in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £17.10](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/v3yrog-joe-goddard-30th-may-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=8722255&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnPvqA6PeC2XN6NHQyhtCQzpwRTzuie7xSR8xj7Al2X4TiJ1NCcMV4FD8nAbQ%5Faem%5FXYWgSkH7uX0VCbpT94UHug&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=ig&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1550864014332320796&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAAx3PwW6CMBgA4LfxKIw1oEvI0uE2YgIBAUEuhJYWfoTCShnowWdf5vW7fY1S4%2FSmaR2I67YCyra8126cmHsTWajixjsntIPKDnCeNTqp%2FSZPdceLPzF9PeqXJW%2Bo%2B8HLNPS8NjG8tl69Q7j4cYIw%2FhbB7w82A%2BYYmW%2F6bnhrlBPex%2BUU32dg1hqddmtr4c7IUAzHF9%2Bh3hl9HXYCk7AoWV9kl7SOrq41Z%2FrZIWO8R4k715tZ9UXPKph7exoolN1T6CAUE8r%2BvxQgCgLD06dhlpTZUG8eknEmJYi6IHJYJibtqOSlhD%2Bi9PP1BwEAAA%3D%3D). Local house radio station Sunset Sol is putting on a night at Margate Beach Club on Saturday. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35630/lost-in-music-lovebox-afters?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New pop club night Nip Slip will take place at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £12](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35601/nip-slip?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Look Mum No Computer celebrates Eurovision result and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-look-mum-no-computer-celebrates-eurovision-result-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-24T08:53:01.000Z **Ramsgate’s Look Mum No Computer** turned in a stellar performance at the **Eurovision Song Contest** last weekend, full of energy, joy and audience participation. For this, he was awarded **one single point** by the juries (Ukraine’s, specifically) and nothing in the public vote. He looked like he had fun though. And he’s got a new t-shirt out of it. **Although not strictly true, it does bear the worthwhile slogan** [**Look Mum No Points**](https://store.lookmumnocomputer.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **BBC Three sitcom Things You Should Have Done**, starring Lucia Keskin and set in Ramsgate, has been **renewed for a third series**. Production company Roughcut announced the news this week, although there’s **currently no word on when it might appear on our screens**. **Minnis Bay, Botany Bay, Joss Bay and Ramsgate Main Sands beaches in Thanet have been awarded Blue Flags**, with a further eight receiving Seaside Awards. The global awards - presented by Keep Britain Tidy in the UK - recognise well-managed beaches with excellent water quality and environmental education programmes. [**Find out more**](https://www.blueflag.global/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Turner Contemporary’s An Apple a Day** educational programme has received named **Highly Commended in the Learning Programme of the Year category at the 2026 Museums + Heritage Awards**. Held alongside Anya Gallaccio’s exhibition at the gallery, the programme worked to create opportunities for schools, families and young people to creatively connect with the themes of the show. **Thanet District Council is asking the public for their views on its draft biodiversity strategy before it is finalised**. The document is a framework designed to protect and restore the district's unique natural environment, addressing biodiversity loss and climate change. It contains a number of proposals to achieve this. [**Read it and have your say**](https://yourvoice.thanet.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/thanet-biodiversity-strategy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Ramsgate keeps memory of Dunkirk Little Ships’ heroic WWII effort alive URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-keeps-memory-of-dunkirk-little-ships-heroic-wwii-effort-alive/ Last updated: 2026-05-23T07:00:42.000Z Perhaps, in part, it’s the collective civilian effort at the heart of Operation Dynamo that ensures the WWII mission continues to speak to Ramsgate’s sense of community 86 years on from the feat. “It’s that feeling of what we can achieve if we all come together,” says Rebekah Smith, Ramsgate Town Promoter, and member of the Operation Dynamo commemoration organising team. The wartime David and Goliath story saw around 850 private vessels - leisure cruisers, steamers, barges, fishing boats - commandeered as part of a mission to rescue Allied troops from the shores of Dunkirk. Using Ramsgate as their base, this fleet of Little Ships, as they were called, were pulled into the war effort for their ability to navigate shallow waters and get close to shore to taxi troops from the beach to larger ships waiting further out. ![Man standing in front of old boat](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250513-1166-1.jpg) Steve Norris with his Thames barge Greta. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* Although a retreat, Operation Dynamo marked a turning point in the war. More than 338,000 troops (and the bulk of Britain's army) were rescued in nine days. Around 43,000 troops landed in Ramsgate, with more soldiers disembarking at Dover, Operation Dynamo’s Navy command centre. “It is a magical story,” Rebekah continues. “Even the government and the Navy commanding officers thought they might just be able to rescue a thousand or two. To achieve what they did, it’s pretty impressive. There’s something romantic about it.” Since around 1965, the Little Ships have returned to Ramsgate to mark Operation Dynamo’s anniversary, making the pilgrimage to Dunkirk every five years. Last year, to mark the 85th anniversary, 65 Little Ships returned to Ramsgate to make the journey to Dunkirk and back, with the town putting on a commemorative cultural programme alongside this**.** Bucking the trend of having a quiet post-Dunkik pilgrimage anniversary, Ramsgate Town Council is putting on a four-day festival to mark the 86th anniversary, taking place this Bank Holiday. ![War veteran standing on Ramsgate High Street](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250518-614.jpg) Bernard McCann, veteran of the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, awaiting the arrival of the town parade, along with bystanders. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* Explaining why the council has decided to go big once again, Rebekah says: “\[It’s\] because of the success of last year, and how welcome \[the Little Ships\] felt. We ended up having a record amount \[of Little Ships\] last year and we’ve got a record amount returning.” She goes on to say: “It's always an emotional feeling when we've got the Little Ships here. And of course, now that there are no surviving veterans, it's the boats that are the living history.” This year, 25 Little Ships will return to Ramsgate. While there won’t be a waving the boats off or into the harbour, there will be a “party atmosphere” for the four days, with a fair, children’s activities, a handmade market, the opportunity to board the boats, live music every night and a parade on the Sunday. The parade - a silent procession led by the Queen’s Regiment and illuminated batons - is designed to evoke the idea of weary, marching soldiers. ![Two male teenagers dressed in a sailors uniform smiling](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250522-1282.jpg) Sea cadets and team ride back to Dunkirk. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* “We like to remind people of why we're doing this; it's these civilians and skippers that actually sailed them over \[to Dunkirk\] and took their lives in their hands,” says Rebekah. In addition to the festivities, for six weeks the harbour will be surrounded by 338 silhouettes, made from recycled road signs, to represent the troops saved from Dunkirk in 1940\. Created by Standing with Giants, a charity that creates large-scale outdoor remembrance art, it’s the charity’s largest installation outside of Portsmouth. A handful of permanent silhouettes will also dot the harbour, telling Ramsgate’s wider Operation Dynamo story. This includes the evacuation of more than 3,000 children, who were sent away as the war loomed closer Ramsgate, as the thousands of rescued soldiers were making their onward journey. “It was all going off in those 10 days,” says Rebekah. ![Two teenage girls dressed in sailors uniform, one comforting the other as they walk through a memorial park](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250522-1219.jpg) HMS Collingwood Sea Cadets, Dunkirk. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* Photojournalist Mike Goldwater says Ramsgate’s relationship to Operation Dynamo is a profound one. The Broadstairs-based photographer documented the 85th anniversary activities in his latest book, Dunkirk Little Ships 2025\. “There is a strong connection between the town and Operation Dynamo,” he explains. “Many of those boats left Ramsgate and many of them returned to Ramsgate, and many of the rescued troops did the Tommy Trail, from the harbour to the train station.” Along with photographers David Babian and Mark Stanford, Mike captured last year’s commemorations in his book, documenting every returning boat. ![A scruffy white dog on a vintage boat](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250522-1515.jpg) Dog beau on Mimosa. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* “Every boat that went has got a story,” Mike says. “And what I tried to do in \[the book\] was to represent the gathering of the Little Ships and the crossing the channel and being received by the French, and to bring in a few of the stories of some of the boats that took part and the people who took part in the rescue.” Initially, Mike planned to take a portrait of every boat owner and skipper with their boat, but soon recognised that wouldn’t be possible with the time he had while realising he wanted to do more than document the anniversary. “The more you get into it, the more profound the whole thing becomes. The achievement of rescuing so many people off the beaches…” he says, trailing off. “A lot of people died, it was a free-for-all, getting to the beaches. When you read the accounts of some of the soldiers… so many of their friends didn't, for completely random reasons.” ![Vintage boats entering Ramsgate Harbour](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250531-744.jpg) Hilfranor and Pudge make their way to their berths. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* Mike travelled to Dunkirk as part of the flotilla, forced to turn back two days later - or risk more than two weeks stuck in France - due to bad weather. He says that it wasn’t the retracing the soldiers’ route that made him reflect on their original journey, rather it was reading accounts of the mariners, the rescued and the ones that didn’t make it, some of which have been included in the book. More than a documentation of anniversary celebrations, Dunkirk Little Ships 2025 pulls together stories of individual boats and soldiers and accounts of unsung heroism that Operation Dynamo is littered with. “I didn’t want to do something lightweight, it didn’t seem appropriate.” Mike says of the book. “But to put something together that had some history, and recognised some of the stories and reproduced some of those stories, meant it was more of a historical record than just a collection of snaps.” ![People standing at railing, waving](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250531-812-1.jpg) People wave in the Little Ships from the East Pier. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* The stories include that of Ron Tomlinson, a young ship’s engineer, who along with his brother Alan stole leisure cruiser Tom Tit to make 16 trips between Dunkirk Pier and ships waiting further out, rescuing up to 50 soldiers at a time. Robert Hanna Bailie, a member of the 51st Highland Regiment, is remembered in the book. At just 21, the young soldier escaped from a German POW camp and headed for Dunkirk, only to have his two regiment mates he escaped with killed by German air raids on the beaches. He developed a shell shock that stayed with him for the rest of his life, and was evacuated to England suffering amnesia which didn’t lift for a further nine months. There’s also the account of how pleasure cruiser HMT Watchful narrowly escaped obliteration from a German Stuka dive bomber (a plane), when skipper Alexander Harper Turner made the bold move to swing the ship directly into the Stuka’s path, resulting in the bomb exploding on the starboard side. HMT Watchful made three trips from Dunkirk and Ramsgate, rescuing 900 soldiers, and spent around four days ferrying soldiers from the beaches to warships, saving thousands more lives. “Putting stuff like this in \[the book\] meant quite a lot,” Mike says. “I felt like the whole thing took on a life of its own; like I was the conduit and all these elements had to get in.” ![Man in a cabin window of a vintage boat holding a Union Jack cushion](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1498.JPEG) Howard Brookes, Commodore of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. **Photo: Howard Brookes* Howard Brookes, Commodore of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, will return to Ramsgate on his Medina Class Motor Yacht, Maimonde, for this year’s anniversary. He made his first return to Dunkirk last year, a journey which he says was emotional. “The emotions were somewhat overwhelming, really,” he recalls. “To be in the middle of a fleet of 90-year-old boats of all shapes and sizes, crossing the channel for Dunkirk - it was quite intense.” At Dunkirk, the contingent attended commemorative services at the Allied war graves and on the beach. “It’s very moving,” Howard says. “It’s quite an emotional thing to be involved with.” The retired engineer and banker from Sussex tells me his road into the Little Ships “happened by accident”. ![Three boats on the channel near the White Cliffs of Dover](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250521-748-1.jpg) Pudge, Greta and New Britannic pass the White Cliffs of Dover. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* Growing up with boats and sailing, with a keen yachtsman for a dad and a Navy Officer grandfather, Howard decided to buy a boat on retirement in 2018\. While searching, he stumbled across the term gentleman’s motor yacht - “old wooden boats basically” - and “went down that rabbit hole” eventually coming across the boat Maimonde. Built in 1937 from teak, it was a high end luxury yacht for its time. “\[The 1930s\] was a golden age for so many things - houses, cars, airplanes, trains - they were all beautiful,” Howard says. Only vaguely aware of what the Dunkirk Little Ships were at the time, Howard found a postcard in a huge pile of “mostly useless” paperwork that came with the boat. Dated 1987, it was from a retired naval officer, saying he had served on the Maimonde in the Thames estuary in 1940\. ![Vingate boats moored at a harbour](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/_MG_6168.jpg) Aquabelle and other Little Ships in Dunkirk Harbour. **Photo: Mark Stanford* “That was the first little seed that made me think, ‘perhaps I ought to start digging around and see if I can find anything else.’” Further research connected Maimonde to Dunkirk, with the Association later confirming the boat was a Little Ship. The exact details of Maimonde’s role in Operation Dynamo are unknown. However, the navy retained the boat following the mission, in order to maintain the barrage balloons (tethered balloons used as ground defence) in the Thames Estuary. Howard estimates there are around 110 boats in the association, and at least four times more people - “all sorts of different people”, he says. “I think that's one of the nice things. It's an incredibly broad cross section of society. “A lot of people have been involved through their parents all through their adult life. In a number of cases, the vessel has passed from father to son or father to daughter.” ![A vintage motor yacht on the water](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_5467.jpeg) Howard's boat, Maimonde. **Photo: Howard Brookes* With the oldest Little Ship believed to be Thames sailing barge Greta, built in 1892, and many Little Ships built in the 1930s, Howard likens the upkeep of such a boat to the maintenance of a classic car. “Thankfully, there are people who are prepared to fund the restoration because otherwise they'd be lost,” he says. With the last Dunkirk survivors now gone, Howard has noticed that the focus of Dunkirk has turned to the boats “as the remaining link we have with what happened back in 1940”. “We certainly feel a responsibility to keep the memory alive and commemorate what happened.” ![Three small boats on the sea at sunrise](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/250521-516.jpg) Thamesa following (L-R) Llanthony and Pudge. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* Howard goes on to say that there are two sides of being part of the Operation Dynamo legacy. “In some ways, we're just people who like boats and use our boats like any boat club. But, then there's this other side where there is the history and the connection with the Royal Navy, which is something we treasure. “Also, as we get further away from WWII, I think fewer and fewer things get remembered and commemorated. We just want to keep the memory alive.” *Little Ships celebrations take place around Ramsgate harbour this weekend. For event details visit* [*visitramsgate.co.uk*](https://www.visitramsgate.co.uk/the-little-ships-return-may-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*. To book for a free tour of the Little Ships, visit* [*ramsgatetunnels*](https://ramsgatetunnels.merlintickets.co.uk/product/E00006?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*. Mike Goldwater’s Dunkirk Little Ships, visit* [*mikegoldwater.com*](https://www.mikegoldwater.com/product/little-ships-the-85th-anniversary-of-operation-dynamo/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Strange Tourist #104: Dunkirk Little Ships, Look Mum No Computer, Edinburgh Previews URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/dunkirk-little-ships-look-mum-no-computer-edinburgh-previews/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:28:35.000Z Well, look at that, the sun arrived just in time for the bank holiday weekend. About time! And there's so much to get out and do, as well. Not that we haven't been getting out already. We’ve had a busy week with Ellington Park May Fayre, a screening of My Neighbour Totoro at Ramsgate Arts Club, Chump’s third birthday at Where Else and the launch of the Social Singing Choir’s new charity single Wash Over Me at the Drill Shed. Somewhere among all that, we also got an early preview of the new Turner Contemporary exhibition, Hulda Guzmán's Please awake - asked Nature kindly. [Find out exactly what we thought about it here](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-hulda-guzmans-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly-at-turner-contemporary/). Spoiler: loved it. But now, it's time for this week's newsletter, which includes a feature on the fascinating history of Operation Dynamo as Ramsgate celebrates the civilian WWII rescue mission's 86th anniversary with four days of free events. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Hulda Guzmán's world of wonder and exploration at Turner Contemporary URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-hulda-guzmans-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly-at-turner-contemporary/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T11:35:24.000Z Hulda Guzmán's paintings are immediately striking from a distance and up close each one is a maze of discoveries. Grand landscapes and tiny details make hers a world you can easily get lost in. Created in her studio in the rainforest mountains of Samaná in the Dominican Republic, Guzmán takes real life nature scenes and embellishes them with mystery and magic. Playing with perspective - both literally and figuratively - she explores our connection with nature and our inner selves. "I am interested in exploring mystery as an integral part of our existence," says Guzmán. "When nothing is certain, anything is possible." In her first European exhibition, Margate's Turner Contemporary displays paintings created by Guzmán over the last decade, including pieces completed this year. The first room features artworks made on wood panels, layered with veneers that add depth and add to the sense of wonder contained within the images. As the exhibition progresses, her landscapes become more expansive and detailed. Narrative features heavily in her work, and many of the paintings features magical and mysterious creatures. Drawing on a variety of influences including folk art, Mexican murals, and contemporary Western painters, her vibrant colour palette and playful style illicit joy and wonder in every brushstroke. Gathering together is a common theme throughout her work, adding further to a sense of playfulness and fun. This exhibition will be an introduction to Hulda Guzmán for many and it's brilliant to see Turner Contemporary showcases an emerging name such as this - particularly so closely after working with Bridget Riley and David Hockney (himself a big influence on Guzmán). Introduction made, it seems unlikely that Hulda Guzmán's return to Europe will be far off. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1673.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1691-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1682-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1734-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1715--1--1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1731.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1701-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1742-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1748--1--1.jpeg) Hulda Guzmán's Please awake - asked Nature kindly at Turner Contemporary. **Photos: Strange Tourist* *Hulda Guzmán: Please awake - asked Nature kindly is on display at Turner Contemporary in Margate from May 25 until September 13\. Free entry.* [*Find out more*](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/exhibitions/hulda-guzm%C3%A1n-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, psychology of horror, Justines URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-this-museum-is-not-obsolete-psychology-of-horror-justines/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T11:09:55.000Z As the weather (in theory) warms up, there’s lots going on all around Thanet and as always, it’s a squeeze to get as much of it in here as possible. But many among you will be acutely aware that the May half term is fast approaching. Already getting the fear about having to find things to occupy the kids? Don’t worry, we’ve already done the work for you and put it all into its own round up… [May half term things to do in Thanet and beyondLots of ideas for things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond this May half term![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-177.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/scott-webb-IZmPdbnb-3I-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/may-half-term-things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond/) **Ramsgate’s This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete is launching Synth Club**, a monthly get together for electronic music nerds to get together and show off their own tech or play with [the museum’s collection of rare and vintage machines](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/). **The first event will take place on Wednesday, May 27** and then every last Wednesday of the month. **£5 entry**. **Santa Clara in Margate is hosting Unmasking Fear: The Psychology Behind Horror Movies**, a talk from psychotherapist Katie Evans on how scary cinema gets inside our brains. Examining horror tropes and characters, she will explain the psychoanalytic ideas behind these stories and how they allow us to safely explore our darkest thoughts and feelings. [**Tickets £11.55**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unmasking-fear-the-psychology-behind-horror-movies-tickets-1987907892018?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Depths returns to Olby’s in Margate on Thursday, June 4 for a night of guided conversation**. This second edition will focus on identity and relationships, with attendees rotating around the room answering prompted questions. There will also be performances from writers ELZ, Poppy Cockburn and Curly Wordy. **Free entry, but there are only 20 spaces so** [**be sure to book**](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/depths-vol-2-4th-june-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Having closed for the winter last October, **Justine’s in Margate will officially reopen with a big party on Friday, May 29**. There will be live music from AL Strange, The Velvet Hands, and Lulu, plus a DJ set from venue owners Carl Barât and Edie Langley. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/justines/2200480?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **The National Portrait Gallery in London opens new exhibition Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait on Thursday, on June 4**. Celebrating the Hollywood star’s 100th birthday, it will feature 280 images of Monroe by some of the 20th and 21st centuries’ greatest photographers and artists.[**Tickets from £25**](https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/marilyn-monroe-a-portrait?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also in London, **Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and the London Sinfonietta are teaming up to pay tribute to composer Steve Reich** as he reaches his 90th birthday. They will perform a selection of Reich’s works \- including a new piece that reimagine two Radiohead songs\- **at Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, September 27\.** [**Tickets £22**](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/steve-reich-at-90-electric-counterpoint/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Wild Life Drawing returns to Gather& in Ramsgate on Thursday, June 4** with a sighthound special. Greyhounds, lurchers and whippets will all model for attendees. All abilities welcome and 10% of your ticket price will go to Kent Greyhound Rescue. [**Tickets £39**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/94656/wild-life-drawing-sighthound-special/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Wild Life Drawing class features owls, wolves and more as modelsMore lively than your standard life drawing class, Wild Life Drawing works with models who won’t pose or be still, and are an opportunity to be inspired by the natural world, as founder Jennie Webber explains![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-178.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/MIKE0189_smal-1-9.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/) **Trudgepig Folk Theatre are teaming up with Margate-based experimental musician Melinda Bronstein for The Wickerwork Man**. Their version of the cult folk horror classic is a reinterpretation of a traditional mumming play and will be performed at **Fruitworks in Canterbury on Thursday, June 4\.** [**Free tickets**](https://freerangecanterbury.org/fr306/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Seaside CEO is a new monthly series of events connecting Thanet small businesses with entrepreneurs and experts**. Founded by Small Business Commissioner for UK government Emma Jones, the first event will take place at **Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate on Thursday, June 25**. Titled ‘How to build a successful creative business’, the audience will hear from Ian Millner of creative agency Iris, jewellery brand Loel’s Andrea Flamini, and renowned placemaker Ian Whybrow. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-build-a-successful-creative-business-tickets-1988895561163?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Former Ottolenghi chef and author Olia Hercules, guest chefs at The Perfect Place To Grow on Tuesday, September 29** for a fundraising dinner for the CIC. Olia will prepare dishes celebrating her homeland, Ukraine, with dishes served family style. Only 22 spots for this one, so be quick. [**Tickets £45**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theperfectplacetogrow/2200353?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Bangers Comedy brings a line up of comedians to Olby’s in Margate on Saturday, June 6**. On the bill, Kat B, Ginny Pie and Raajee Cheliah, with Bobby Mair from 8 out of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks fame. [**Early bird tickets £1**2](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/bangers-comedy-margate-edition-6th-june-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Margate Bookshop brings author Olivia Laing to Where Else on Wednesday June 3**. In-conversation with Art Talks’ Robert Diament, they will discuss their latest publication The Silver Book - a story of secrets, lies and queer love, with 1970s Italian cinema as its backdrop. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-silver-book-with-olivia-laing-tickets-1984452375475?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Smiths Townhouse in Broadstairs will host a men-only sound bath session on Thursday, June 18**. Focussing on men’s wellbeing, the session is a mix of meditation, energy healing and a relaxing sound bath to unwind and relax to. **Tickets £30\.** [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/smithstownhouse/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 18-24) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-18-24/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T12:20:43.000Z Sea, Spirit & Stones is putting on a children’s circle on Tuesday. The sessions aim to help children become self aware of their feelings through movement, meditation and sharing. [Places £15](https://www.seaspiritandstones.com/collections/events/products/childrens-circle-broadstairs?variant=55520638271864&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chump’s Comedy celebrates its third birthday at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, with performances from Ivo Graham, Sam Nicoresti, Kiran Saggu, and Cecily Hitchcock. [Tickets £17](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/927dlo-chumps-3rd-birthday-ivo-graham-sam-nicoresti-kiran-saggu-cecily-hitchcock-20th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Chump’s Comedy Margate: Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, crab jokesFrom an idea shared on a train home to sell-out shows featuring the likes of Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, Andy Malt speaks to Margate’s Chump’s Comedy about how it all came together so successfully, so quickly![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-179.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chumps-team-4.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) New open mic poetry night All In The Line takes place at 101 Social in Cliftonville on Wednesday. To read some of your own work, text Wordzy on 07875566950 to secure a place. Free entry. Businesses on Harbour Street in Ramsgate will be celebrating the UN World Day for Cultural Diversity on Thursday. Fort Road Hotel has launched its Frites Thursdays, starting this week. That’s steak frites, moules frites or house salad with frites, each for £16\. [Must be prebooked](https://fortroadhotel.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Mando-pop duo Chinese American Bear perform at Where Else in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £12.50](https://whereelse.live/events/chinese-american-bear-473073?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Following last year’s celebration of the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, Ramsgate celebrates the return of the Dunkirk Little Ships to the Royal Harbour with events taking place around the town from Friday to Monday. Hold Creative Spaces in Ramsgate has three exhibitions running from Friday to Monday by artist Drew McGuinness. Learn the process of decoupage and create your own trinket shell at Little Ravens in Ramsgate on Friday. [Tickets £32](https://www.littleravens.co.uk/event-details-registration/adults-15-shell-decoupage?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You’re invited to a literary pub crawl around Thanet on Friday, as part of the National Year of Reading. Bring a book and grab a pint at the George & Heart in Margate at 3pm, Covell’s Tavern in Margate at 5pm, and The Book Hotel in Ramsgate at 7.30pm. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. The Bus Cafe celebrates its 10th birthday bash this Friday from 5pm, and then for the rest of the weekend. Head down for rostis and wraps. Hear music composed by Hans Zimmer performed by candlelight at Holy Trinity Church in Broadstairs on Friday. [Tickets from £20](https://www.lumos-experiences.com/event/a-hans-zimmer-candlelight-experience-in-broadstairs%F0%9F%95%AF%EF%B8%8Ffriday-22nd-may/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Seafood supper club Catch takes place at Gather& in Ramsgate on Friday. [£40 per person](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/catch?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Social Singing Choir perform at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Friday, raising money for Whale Wise and premiering their new charity single Wash Over Me. [Tickets £10](https://drillshed.seetickets.com/event/wash-over-me-the-social-singing-choir/the-drill-shed/3637110?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedy night Funny Cuts is back at Margate Beach Club on Friday, headlined by Gabriel Madden. £5 on the door or [DM for tickets](https://www.instagram.com/funnycutscomedy/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Jonny Woo performs a compilation show of his best bits at Ramsgate’s Alley Bar on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. [Tickets £20](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/jonny-woos-best-bits-2026-05-22-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Screaming Alley open new bar and cabaret theatre in RamsgateIn the basement of an inclusive barber shop, Ramsgate cabaret company Screaming Alley’s new members bar looks set to become more than just a good night out![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-180.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Mercury-Rizing--Screaming-Alley--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/) The Broadstairs May Fair is set to take place from Saturday to Monday, with a fun fair on Victoria Gardens, as well as local craft and other stalls along the prom. The Ramsgate Lit Fest is set to take place at The Book Hotel from Saturday to Saturday. [See the full programme](https://thebookhotel.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [The Book Hotel is “a love letter to books, reading and writing”Tamara Macfarlane on launching a literary-themed hotel, programming the first Ramsgate Lit Fest, and why she believes people’s desire to read is stronger than ever![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-1eb50838d51e49374d74b41a772f39eec9c653faf19ca30377d182bb5c4a9684.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_0622-3d0062aab2f81c8a7bcea4f95ea3c50998ebf29991d9272e8b271e6bf4d0864a.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-book-hotel-is-a-love-letter-to-books-reading-and-writing/) The first European exhibition of work by Dominican artist Hulda Guzmán opens at Margate’s Turner Contemporary on Saturday until September 13\. Free entry. Pink Moon Collective hosts a family-friendly brunch at Chandler & Dunn Farm near Ash on Saturday. [Places are £55 per adult](https://www.pinkmooncollective.co.uk/shop/p/brunch?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) while kids eat free. Balearic Boutique will be soundtracking the sunset outside Turner Contemporary in Margate on Saturday, 5-10pm. Wildwood wildlife park near Herne Bay is opening up for the evening on Saturday. [Tickets from £14](https://kent.wildwoodtrust.org/events-and-experiences/summer-evening-sessions/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Adobros are putting on a Filipino food pop-up at Louie on Sea in Margate on Saturday and Sunday - returning after a popular residency last year. [£47.50 per person](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theadobros/2162828?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next Junkyard Gaming retro video game social will take place at Where Else in Margate on Sunday. The venue will be filled with all the consoles you remember from your youth and plenty you don’t as well. £5 on the door. Watch a screening of Where The Wild Things Are with a live score at Ark in Cliftonville on Sunday. [Adults £8.50, children £6](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2123307?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Resonant Coast takes place at Staple Stores in Ramsgate on Sunday, launching Richard Pike’s new album Redemption Suite I-IX: For Piano & Textures. [Tickets £7](https://salmonuniverse.sumupstore.com/product/resonant-coast-4?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Nightmares on Wax DJ at The Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Sunday, with doors opening at 4pm and the set finishing at 9pm. [Tickets £25.50](https://dice.fm/event/6d2oob-nightmares-on-wax-24th-may-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Walpole Bay tidal pool reopens and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-walpole-bay-tidal-pool-reopens-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-17T07:00:48.000Z After several months out of action, **Walpole Bay Tidal Pool is now officially open again**. Maybe you already snuck in a little swim (we know we did) but work to replace the pool’s sluice gates is now complete. **Closed since January**, the work took months longer than expected to complete due to the extremely brief windows when conditions were right for engineers to access the far end of the pool. The 30 year old gates are now in place, so **swimming should return uninterrupted through the summer**. **Tracey Emin has been voicing announcements in a selection of central London Tube and bus stations this week** as part of TfL’s Priority Seating Week. Her pre-recorded announcements encourage commuters to offer up their seats to people who may need them more, **raising awareness for non-visible disabilities**. **Margate’s Shell Grotto appeared on the first episode of Channel 4’s Listed Britain this week**. Presented by Kevin McCloud, the show explores the wildly eclectic array of listed buildings around the UK. The Shell Grotto, McCloud informs us, contains **“the most protected genitalia in the country”** on its walls. So that’s something to enjoy. [**Watch now**](https://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevin-mcclouds-listed-britain/on-demand/78752-001?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate has been** [**nominated**](https://smk.org.uk/what-we-do/connect/awards/smk-national-campaigner-awards-2026-shortlist/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **in the Young Campaigner category at this year’s SMK National Campaigner Awards**. The nomination recognises the work young people who use the service put into the campaign to allow Pie to remain in its home at Ramsgate Youth Centre. **The overall winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on June 11**. [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-176.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928-9.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) **Thanet Coast Project is seeking volunteers to act as Coastal Wardens**, helping to protect the north east Kent coastline. Free training events are set to take place on May 23 and June 17 for those interested. [**Find out more**](https://www.thanetcoast.org.uk/coastal-wardens/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New cafe Lift has launched in Ramsgate**, located in the Edwardian East Cliff Lift on the Royal Harbour. Serving up coffee and fresh pressed juice, it also offers a menu of food cooked in-house on a traditional range cooker. **Open Thursday to Sunday**. **Health bar The Laundrette has launched in Margate**, serving up açai bowls, smoothies and deli food. Later this year, it will also launch a spa offering fitness, restorative treatments and meditation. If you know where to look (and the password), you’ll also find **speakeasy bar The White Rabbit** hidden in the building. **Clarey’s Chocolates in Broadstairs has announced its closure**. The shop’s last day of trading was on Friday. The artisan chocolaterie launched in 2012, but said in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/DYHYFdeqbQD/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) that “like so many small businesses right now, we have been facing a perfect storm.” A combination of rising costs and global uncertainty have had a fatal impact on the business, with the business saying that **“despite our best efforts, it is no longer sustainable for us to keep the shop open.”** Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### The Book Hotel is “a love letter to books, reading and writing” URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-book-hotel-is-a-love-letter-to-books-reading-and-writing/ Last updated: 2026-05-24T09:06:15.000Z Thanet’s newest hotel destination is “a love letter to books, reading and writing,” says founder Tamara Macfarlane. The Book Hotel in Ramsgate is a literature-themed boutique getaway, taking over The Falstaff on Addington Street - across the road from where she previously ran children's book shop Moon Lane. Entering through a new book shop, visitors can stay in one of ten rooms, each sponsored by a different publisher with a specially curated shelf of books. The beautiful first floor function room will also hold literary events, beginning with the Ramsgate Lit Fest, which will officially launch the venue. Taking place over nine days at the end of May, the festival’s programme is filled with events for adults and children. Among them, Adam Weymouth will discuss his journey tracking a wolf across the Alps, Roisie Wilby explores the science of heartbreak, and illustrators Garry Parsons and Adam Stower will get children drawing their characters. As the final touches are put on the new endeavour, Tamara tells us about the idea behind The Book Hotel, programming Ramsgate Lit Fest, and why she believes people’s desire to read is stronger than ever. ### What's the idea behind The Book Hotel? The Book Hotel is a love letter to books, reading and writing. I had Moon Lane Children’s Books on Addington Street and fell in love with the wonderful building, team and atmosphere at The Falstaff while I was there. I kept thinking about my dream holiday and decided that it would combine the warmth and delicious food and coffee of The Falstaff, with the incredible light that Ramsgate has, sea walks, beach swims, and piles of brilliant books. ### How did you come to partner with The Falstaff? The idea has been quietly brewing for years. The owner of The Falstaff, Peter Andon, remembered us talking about it in 2022 and asked if I was still interested. Peter and I met, we talked, we realised that we wanted the same thing: somewhere warm, hospitable, properly Ramsgate, and not at all stiff. They had the rooms, the bar, the kitchen and the soul of an old coaching inn. We had the books, the events and a slightly evangelical view of what a bookshop can be. Putting the two together felt obvious. ![A street with colourful shop fronts](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/DSC_0573.JPG) The hotel is located on Ramsgate's popular Addington Street. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### How are the rooms set up? There are eight individually designed guest rooms and two apartments, each one made for the kind of weekend where you can read in bed without guilt. We didn’t want the hotel to feel themed in a big way so instead, publishers are starting to sponsor each of the bedrooms putting in a curated selection of their books and prints of their book covers and illustrations. This will mean that each room has its own unique feel, showcasing an interesting range of small and large publishers. The first three of these rooms will be ready by the end of June. ![A hotel room with bed and two armchairs](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/DSC_0651.JPG) Get cosy with a book in one of the hotel's eight bedrooms. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### What has the response been like? Wildly generous. Ramsgate is a town that goes out of its way to support local initiatives. The welcome has been extraordinary. People have wandered in, asked questions, offered recommendations, brought friends, suggested authors. The brilliant independents along Addington Street, the wider Thanet community; everyone, has cheered us on. We sold over a third of our opening stock the first weekend due to the colossal local support that we had. We have been bowled over by local kindness and enthusiasm. ### You're officially launching with the first Ramsgate Lit Fest. How has it been putting that together? Putting a festival together is a bit like throwing a very ambitious dinner party, except the guests are authors, the courses are events, and the table is the whole of The Falstaff. It has been joyful, exhausting, surprising, and occasionally a touch chaotic, which I think is the correct ratio. Authors have said yes with such warmth, the local community has leapt in to volunteer help in all directions, and the programme has come together in a way that feels right for Ramsgate, interesting, eclectic, and welcoming to everyone. The Waterloo Room, The Falstaff’s event space means that we can return to some of the intimacy of earlier literary festivals; a chance to really feel as though you have spent time with the authors, not just glimpsed them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/DSC_0592.JPG) Festival events will take place in the hotel's Waterloo Room. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Which events are you most looking forward to? It would be impossible to choose, and the honest answer is all of them. But, with a glass in hand to celebrate the festival and The Book Hotel launching at The Falstaff, there are a few I cannot wait for. Mlle. Loulou opens the festival with French chanson and jazz; it is going to be a lovely way to launch. Fern Riddell’s children’s book celebrating women who changed history. Adam Weymouth's Lone Wolf is one of the books of the year, and his quiet, urgent way of telling stories about Europe will be unforgettable. We have also had a really exciting last minute addition to the programme when Rosa Rankin Gee dropped in today with news of her new book publishing next week My Only Boy. If I am allowed a sneaky extra: I am also very excited to host my own session of The Book of Mysteries, Magic and the Unexplained for the half term crowd, because few audiences are more fun to talk to about ghosts and cryptids than seven to eleven year-olds. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### We're often told that reading for pleasure is becoming a less common pastime. Do you find it more difficult to engage both adults and children with books? Genuinely, no. The data sometimes makes for gloomy headlines, but the daily experience inside an independent bookshop tells a different story. Children walk in and light up; they find comfy space, they read aloud to their grown-ups, they remember the names of authors with extraordinary precision. Adults pick up a book and visibly soften. What people often need is permission and space, somewhere to slow down, somewhere to be reminded that reading is a pleasure, not a homework assignment. Give them that, and they leave with three books, a coffee, and a slightly better mood than they walked in with. So no, the appetite is there. We just need more places that take reading seriously and treat it joyfully. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/05/DSC_0611.JPG) Enter through the book shop. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Is it the desire to read, or the demand on people's time, that has changed, do you think? It is overwhelmingly the demand on time, and the constant pull of the screen. The desire is intact; in fact I think it is sharper than ever, because so much of modern life is rushed and noisy that the quiet, immersive pleasure of a good book has become a small act of rebellion. What has shifted is the room around the desire. Phones colonise the in-between minutes that used to belong to reading: the bus journey, the wait for a kettle, the ten minutes before bed. A bookshop, a café with a comfortable chair, a hotel room with a tempting stack on the bedside table; these are all gentle ways of giving people their reading time back. That is one of the things The Book Hotel is for. ### What books have you read and loved recently? I am revisiting Tove Jansson with my whole heart at the moment. I am reading her autobiography told in short stories, which is so brilliantly written that the pieces haunt your thoughts for days afterwards in the best possible way. I keep picking the book up to admire a sentence and then losing another 20 minutes. I am also particularly loving books in translation just now. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino is a beautifully chilly Japanese detective novel that I tore through in a sitting. The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai is a complete delight, gentle, hungry-making, full of emotional food memories. And I have just finished Ghachar Ghochar, which is wonderfully strange and warm. There is something about Japanese fiction at the moment that feels exactly right for the rhythm of life I am trying to build at The Book Hotel: small, attentive, a bit melancholy, often funny, almost always about the quiet pleasure of paying attention. *You can find The Book Hotel at 16-19 Addington Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9JJ. Ramsgate Lit Fest takes place from May 23-30\.* [*Find out more*](https://thebookhotel.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Strange Tourist #103: The Book Hotel, Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Eurovision URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-book-hotel-walpole-bay-tidal-pool-eurovision/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:28:57.000Z We’ve done some good eating this week again. Smokey, flavour loaded small plates at the colourful Little Havana - delicious and hearty, although one prawn is not something to be shared. We also dropped by Mori Mori for a light and spongy okonomiyaki and a delicate bowl of chicken broth ramen, which reminded us that we should do that more often. This week, we’ve spoken to author and Tales of Moon Lane bookshop owner Tamara Macfarlane, who has partnered up with The Falstaff in Ramsgate to launch a book hotel, and the first Ramsgate Lit Fest, which will be held later this month. And while many won’t be tuning into Eurovision tonight, many will to cheer on Ramsgate lad Look Mum No Computer as he represents the UK. Once back, Sam will launch his monthly synth club, and we’ve also got guided conversations, a new health bar and a “secret club”. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### May half term things to do in Thanet and beyond URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/may-half-term-things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T16:55:13.000Z Can it be that time again already? Yes, the kids will be back at home for the May half term any minute now. If it seems like they only went back to school, that’s because they did - this was a five week term. No need to panic though, there’s plenty happening over the break in Thanet and the surrounding area to keep kids and grown ups happy. Communing with nature at sunset, music making, no less than two children’s literature festivals and more. We’ll continue to update this list in the run up to the school holiday, so be sure to check back for more ideas of what to do. **Author events at Happy Reading Children's Bookshop (daily)** Broadstairs' wonderful Happy Reading Children's Bookshop has events for children led by authors and illustrators almost every day throughout half term. Kids can get creative with Ged Adamson, Bua P. Nateejarurat, Em Cosh and more, as well as joining in various actives with shop owner Nicci Rosengarten. *30A Reading Street, Broadstairs, CT10 3AZ. Various times and ages.* [*Tickets £5*](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Windmill Community Gardens (daily)** Windmill Community Gardens in Cliftonville has outdoor activities running throughout half term, celebrating National Children's Gardening Week. There will be family groups, cooking workshops, bug hunts, seed sowing and more. *Windmill Community Gardens, Margate, CT9 2SH. Various times and ages.* [*Full programme*](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#focus=ev-saz4k-20260513130000)*.* **Mer-May at the Shell Grotto (daily)** Margate's Shell Grotto is taking a deep dive into the world of mythical sea folk in its museum room throughout the May half term. There's also a colouring competition where you can win various prizes, and kids who arrive in fancy dress will receive a shell. Kids get free entry to the grotto all week too. *Grotto Hill, Margate, CT9 2BU. 10am to 5pm. All ages. Free.* [*More info*](https://www.shellgrotto.co.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Summer evening opening at Wildwood (May 23)** Wildwood wildlife park near Herne Bay will be opening up on select evenings over the summer months. The first chance to wander among the animals at sunset will be the first Saturday of the holidays. *Wealden Forest Park, Herne, CT6 7LQ. 6pm to 9pm. All ages.* [*Adults £18, children £14*](https://shop.wildwoodtrust.org/kent-tickets-and-passes/family-summer-evening/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *(family tickets also available).* **Broadstairs May Fair (May 23-25)** The Broadstairs May Fair is set to take place over the bank holiday weekend, with a fun fair on Victoria Parade, as well as local craft and other stalls along the prom. The event will raise money for Broadstairs Water Gala and Fireworks on Wednesday, July 29\. *Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS. From 10am. All ages. Free entry.* **Ramsgate Lit Fest (May 23-30)** The Book Hotel officially launches with the first ever Ramsgate Lit Fest during half term week. There will be daily events for children with authors and illustrators including Garry Parsons (The Dinosaur That Pooped), Adam Stower (Murray & Bun), and Fern Riddell (I Am A Royal Rulebreaker). *16-18 Addington Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9JJ. Various times. Various ages. Prices from free to £6.50\.* [*See the full programme*](https://thebookhotel.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#events)*.* **Children's workshops at Little Ravens (May 23 & 30)** Little Ravens in Ramsgate has fun, creative workshops for children every Saturday. During half term, they'll be making stretchy turtle sand (May 23) and exploring the science of colour (May 30). *119a High St, Ramsgate, CT11 9UA. 11am to 12.30pm. Ages 5-11\.* [*Tickets £16*](https://www.littleravens.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Where The Wild Things Are with live score at Ark (May 24)** The Enchanted Cinema hosts an interactive screening of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are with live score. Led by two professional musicians, children will be invited to grab an instrument and join in the wild rumpus. *Albion Road, Margate, CT9 2HP. 12pm and 2pm. Age 5+.* [*£8.50 adults, £6 children*](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2123307?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Skate & Scoot Camp at Revolution (May 25-29)** A brilliant chance for kids to hone their skateboarding or scooting skills, make new friends, play games and (on Friday) run around in fancy dress. The staff at Revolution are all brilliant and have unwavering patience. Hugely worthwhile for any child you loves moving around on small wheels. *Oakwood Industrial Estate, Dane Valley Road, Broadstairs, CT10 3JJ. 11am to 3pm/10am to 4pm. Ages 7+.* [*£100/£150 full week, £30/£40 day*](https://www.revolutionskatepark.co.uk/skatepark-lessons?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#skate-scoot-camp)*.* **Tiny Disco Club at Turner Contemporary (May 25)** Remember when a bank holiday meant extra party time? It still does! Tiny Disco Club is putting on a daytime rave for kids and parents, aiming to keep both on the dance floor. As well as DJs, there will be a bouncy castle, face painting, balloon drop, games and more. *Rendezvous, Margate, CT9 1HG.* *9am to 11am. All ages.* [*Adults £15, children £7*](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/tiny-disco-club?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Scavenger hunt with beach art at Margate Main Sands (May 26)** Thanet Coast Project invites children to take part in a scavenger hunt, solving clues and learning about marine life and the coastal environment. Then afterwards, create some sand art. *Nayland Rock Shelter, CT9 5AJ. 2pm to 3.30pm. Ages 4-11\.* [*£2.50 suggested donation*](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1988997826040?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Windmill Trail in Broadstairs (May 26)** Grab a map and answer sheet from reception at The Gap Project and then make your way around Broadstairs, seeking out the colourful pictures of windmills with hidden words. Decode the message and return to where you started to claim your prize. *Queens Road Baptist Church, Broadstairs, CT10 1NU. 10am to 2pm. All ages.* **Codekids Code Camp (May 28-29)** Codekids runs regular events introducing children to coding. During the May half term, the organisation will be running two day Code Camps in Sturry, near Canterbury. Younger children will explore Lego robotics and animations, while older ones will learn Minecraft coding and game design. *Junior King's School, Sturry, CT2 0AY. 10am to 3pm. Ages 5-7 and 7+.* [*£65.50 per day*](https://canterbury.codekids.org/book-now/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Broadstairs Children’s Literary Festival (May 30)** The Broadstairs Children’s Literary Festival will hold its inaugural edition at Bleak House on the final Saturday of half term. Authors confirmed for the event include Chris Horn, John Condon, Julie Leonard, Bibi & Sofia Haq, Peter Erlam and Nan Eshelby. *Fort Road, Broadstairs, CT10 1EY. 10am to 3pm. Various ages. Free entry.* **Turn The Tide pop-up market at Turner Contemporary (May 30-31)** New family pop-up market Turn the Tide will launch at Margate’s Turner Contemporary on over the final weekend of the holiday. Set up by Rebecca Gonsalves and Francesca Fox, founders of Kinder Collective in Broadstairs, the market will feature ethical kidswear brands, local artists and craft-makers. There will also be upcycling workshops for kids (tickets required). *Rendezvous, Margate, CT9 1HG. 11am to 5pm. All ages.* [*Free entry*](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/kinder-collective-presents-turn-the-tide?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *(workshops £20).* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Hans Zimmer by candlelight, One Ocean, vineyard tours URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-hans-zimmer-by-candlelight-one-ocean-vineyard-tours/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T07:00:35.000Z **Hear music composed by Hans Zimmer performed by candlelight at Holy Trinity Church in Broadstairs on Friday, May 22**. There will be two performances at 5pm and 7pm. [**Tickets from £20**](https://www.lumos-experiences.com/event/a-hans-zimmer-candlelight-experience-in-broadstairs%F0%9F%95%AF%EF%B8%8Ffriday-22nd-may/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Turner Contemporary in Margate has announced One Ocean** \- a three-day event exploring humanity’s relationship with the ocean. **Taking place on June 19-21**, the programme will include talks, workshops, film screenings and a schools day. Among the contributors taking part in the event are marine biologist Helen Scales, environmental technologist Joycelyn Longdon, artist Poulomi Basu, and Louisa Casson from Greenpeace. [**See the full programme**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/one-ocean-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Businesses on **Harbour Street in Ramsgate** will be celebrating the **UN World Day for Cultural Diversity on Thursday, May 21**. The street will be filled with international food and music, with restaurants and bars offering free tasters. **New pop club night Nip Slip will take place at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday, May 30**. It promises a night of pop bangers, floor fillers, dance anthems, and disco hits from DJs Real GC, Sophie Stirling and AKA Fox. [**Tickets £12**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35601/nip-slip?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Carnival & Fair is set to take place on July 25-26**. The event will see a parade snake through the town. There will also be stalls selling food and other items. Individuals and groups can apply to take part in the parade now. [**More info**](https://www.gbcarnival.co.uk/ramsgate-carnival-and-fair.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Mark Thomas has announced a massive tour to mark his 40th year as a stand up comedian**. Kicking off with a month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe, he will be in Kent on F**riday, November 6 for a show at the Astor theatre in Deal.** [**Tickets £22.50**](https://theastor.co.uk/events/mark-thomas-40-in-stand-up-years?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Spoken word night Is It Dirty? returns to the Roland Ross gallery in Cliftonville on Thursday, May 28**. Performing will be Maria Sledmere, Mau Baiocco, Henry Madd, Kat Cutler-MacKenzie, Harry Brooks-Kent, Vasilisa Forbes, and Rosella Dello. **Free entry**. **Offvine starts up its Kent vineyard tours again this month**. Each tour takes you around a number of independent Kent vineyards, where you’ll sample still and sparkling wines paired with cheese and charcuterie, as well as learning about the winemaking process. Tours take place most weekends through the summer, with pick up from Thanet or Ashford. [**Tickets from £125**](https://www.offvine.co.uk/tours?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Offvine wine tours on the magic of Kentish wineRachel Proctor, founder of Offvine wine tours on why you don’t want to drive to a Kentish vineyard![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-26-at-08.28.10.png)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/offvine-wine-tours-kent-wine-vineyards/) **Ark in Cliftonville has announced L'Chaim!**, a series of events celebrating the heritage of the building it occupies. Events include a [Jewish walking tour](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-jewish-history-of-cliftonville-west-walking-tour-tickets-1987902698484?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (May 17), plus screenings of Omid Djalili-staring [The Infidel](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2174303?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (June 14), documentary [Canvey - The Promised Island](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2174273?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (May 31), and [Where The Wild Things Are with a live score](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2123307?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (May 24). [**See more**](https://www.arkcliftonville.com/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The next Addington Street Vintage Trail will take place on May 30-31**, where you can buy preloved vintage clothing, homeware, records and more from local sellers. **Head down 11am to 5pm**. **Funny Cuts is back at Margate Beach Club on Friday, May 22**. The comedy night will be headlined by Gabriel Madden, with performances from Finn Feeney, Atharva Pharande, Rosie Ritchie, Yovan Chamroo, Donatas Staneika, and Hannah Lloyd-Davies. **£5 on the door or** [**DM for tickets**](https://www.instagram.com/funnycutscomedy/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Beach and Bloom has announced that it will run a kids wellness retreat in Broadstairs for children aged 3-7 this summer on August 17-19**. Activities will include yoga, mindfulness and sound exploration. **Places are £65 per day or £175 for all three. For more details, email** [**hello@beach-and-bloom**](mailto:hello@beach-and-bloom). Sooner than that, **Sea, Spirit & Stones will be running children’s circle events this month**. There will be groups for **children aged 4-7 and 8-11 on May 14 & 19**. The sessions aim to help children become self aware of their feelings through movement, meditation and sharing. [**Places £15**](https://www.seaspiritandstones.com/collections/events/products/childrens-circle-broadstairs?variant=55520638271864&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Bottleneck in Broadstairs is hosting an English Wine Tasting with winemaker Gusborne on Wednesday, May 27**. There will also be cheese and charcuterie to wash it down. [**Tickets £40**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/gusbourne-tasting-27-05?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 11-17) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-11-17/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T10:51:53.000Z The Adam Buxton Band will be performing at Dreamland in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £30.32](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/xe78ql-the-adam-buxton-band-13th-may-dreamland-hall-by-the-sea-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Marking its first birthday, Writing in Progress welcomes back previous performers for a best of compilation show at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday. British fashion designer Martine Rose will discuss her career through the music that has inspired her at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Tickets £22](https://www.faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/sound-values?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Acclaimed theatre maker Alexis Gregory brings his new play Smoke to Ark in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Tickets £14](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2057304?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Son of Bagpuss creator Oliver Postgate, Simon Postgate will be giving a talk on the much loved children’s TV show at Beach Creative in Herne Bay on Friday. [Tickets £10](https://www.beachcreative.org/event-details-registration/bagpuss-talk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Drag king Pat Riarchy hosts Karablokey at Alley Bar in Ramsgate on Friday, performing duets with only the most manly of patrons. [Tickets from £5](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/pats-karabloke?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pomus takes over Dreamland’s Sunshine Cafe on Friday and Saturday, cooking up confit pollock among their three courses. [Places £100 per person](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/sunshinecafesunsetdinnerseriespomus/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Broadstairs and St Peters Community Festival returns on Saturday, showcasing and raising awareness for groups supporting local residents and building a cleaner, safer, kinder community. Free entry. Comedian Adam Morrison Jones performs his new work in progress show Moves at Salt in Broadstairs on Saturday. [Tickets £11.92](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/comedysoc/adam-morrison-jones-moves/2026-05-16/19:30/t-oeemdjy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s Pink Suits performs their show Dance Me to the End of Love as part of Battersea Art Centre in London’s Bloom Festival on Saturday. [Tickets from £9.50](https://bac.org.uk/whats-on/dance-me-to-the-end-of-love/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate’s own Look Mum No Computer represents the UK at Eurovision on Saturday. Ramsgate Arts Club and Queens Head are putting on viewing parties. Plant yourself an edible hanging basket at Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs on Sunday. [Tickets £15](https://book.stripe.com/bJe7sK49Fbmhgcr4Bq8Ra0v?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Local ‘moth-ers’ Bob Dean and Bob Hinge give a talk on the magic of moths at The Secret Garden at Quex Park in Birchington on Sunday. Free entry. Email [thesecretgardenquex@gmail.com](mailto:thesecretgardenquex@gmail.com) to book your place. The Ellington Park May Fayre takes place on Sunday from 11.30am to 6pm, with live music, train rides, a funfair, dog show, market stalls and more. Free entry. To close her exhibition My Hands Are My Voice at the Beaney in Canterbury, Margate-based textile artist Rachelle Francis will be in conversation at the museum on Sunday. [Tickets £15](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/rachellefrancis/2087662?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate Museum and Old Town funding approved and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-museum-and-old-town-funding-approved-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-16T12:55:29.000Z **Thanet District Council this week officially confirmed funding for the restoration of the Margate Museum and Old Town Hall**. Councillor Kristian Bright said, “As a cabinet member for tourism and culture, I’m incredibly pleased that this fund will be used to bring Margate museum back to life. This fund will allow us to share the town’s heritage \[and\] tell the story of our country’s first seaside destination once again.” **Five new silhouette artworks have been installed on Ramsgate Harbour, marking the town’s role in Operation Dynamo during World War two in May 1940**. They join the existing ‘Tommy’ figure, which was placed on the harbour last year as part of celebrations of the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. **They will be given permanent positions following the completion of renovations to Pier Yard next year**. **More on Operation Dynamo -** **RTC and the Operation Dynamo community group have put out a call for volunteers to take part in a ‘silent parade’** held in tribute to the WWII troops who arrived in Ramsgate as part of Operation Dynamo. **The parade will be held on the evenings of Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24, as part of this year’s Operation Dynamo remembrance celebrations**, marking 86 years since around 850 civilian boats played a huge role in rescuing 338,000 troops from Dunkirk. For the parade, no performance experience is required, and the more volunteers, the better. [**Register your interest**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScI6a0HyuRSDQiMwLWyITFYk%5FxkdN2%5FxGeGbSXvMmusTz3uWQ/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Public art project B’inspired has launched, with recycling bins across Thanet given unique makeovers by 25 artists**. So far, six bins have been unveiled along Margate’s seafront, with more in Westbrook Bay, St Mildred’s Bay, West Bay and Minnis Bay next on the list to be jazzed up. “Bins can be more than functional,” says Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Coastal Services at Thanet District Council. “By involving world-class artists, we’re making our recycling facilities impossible to miss, and I hope, encouraging people to use them to get rid of their rubbish responsibly.” **Thanet-based James Fisher and Zach Wells have been nominated in the Children and Young People category at this year’s** [**Library Connected Awards**](https://www.librariesconnected.org.uk/libraries-connected-awards-2026-shortlists-full?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). They are being recognised for their work partnering with youth football teams to bring reading and libraries into sporting environments. They facilitated sponsorship of the Thanet District Representative Boys U12 and U13 football teams kits by Know Your Neighbourhood Kent Libraries and arranged various events engaging the players with local libraries. **The overall winners will be announced on June 9**. **Ramsgate-based historian Robert John Pritchard is to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays from the Japanese government**. It comes in recognition of his work to promote greater understanding of Japan in the UK in the 1990s. **He will officially receive the prize in a ceremony at the Japanese embassy in London this June**. **Ramsgate’s Alley Bar has reflected on its first half year in operation**, thanking audiences for consistently turning up to see the experimental shows it has put on. “That plucky spirit of yours is the entire reason spaces like ours keep going and carrying on,” say its owners. “In a culture increasingly shaped by algorithms, certainty and commercial pressure, there is something genuinely radical about audiences gathering together to witness something unpolished, unusual, vulnerable or unexpected.” [**See what’s on at the venue**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Screaming Alley open new bar and cabaret theatre in RamsgateIn the basement of an inclusive barber shop, Ramsgate cabaret company Screaming Alley’s new members bar looks set to become more than just a good night out![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2025/12/Mercury-Rizing--Screaming-Alley--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/) **After nearly six years at the helm,** **the Bus Cafe team have announced that they are handing over running of Cliftonville cafe Cliffs to new operators**. Taking over are Lorenzo Della Rovere - who already runs the venue as evening restaurant La Trattoria - and Loren Licata - who owns Bar Nicoletta downstairs. Record shop Ghost Papa and hair salon Stirling will continue to operate out of the cafe. **The main change you will notice is a new Modern European daytime menu**. Having recently announced its move from Margate’s Old Town up to Cliftonville, **ice cream shop Ramsay & Williams has now confirmed that its new home will be 161 Northdown Road** \- the space formerly occupied by art gallery The Shop Front. “It may take some time to install a kitchen and set up the shop,” says owner Rachel Williams. “I’m planning to be open year round, so I will open whenever it's ready!” Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #102: Deerhoof, Margate Museum, Hans Zimmer by candlelight URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/deerhoof-margate-museum-hans-zimmer-by-candlelight/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:29:21.000Z After a fairly grey bank holiday, we eventually managed to enjoy an al fresco drink later in the week. Almost like summer was approaching. And while the weather may not quite have got the message, our events calendar is certainly heating up. Today is looking like a good day to get out in the sun though - perhaps to enjoy the lovely Garden Gate Project's open day. Once the sun sets, we'd recommend heading over to Ramsgate Music Hall to catch the always brilliant Deerhoof. Ahead of that show, we spoke to the band's drummer Greg Saunier about the band's three decade journey and what keeps them coming back to Thanet year after year. We've also got bin art and a call out for volunteers to take part in a special event for Ramsgate's Operation Dynamo celebrations. And, vineyard tours are back! _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Deerhoof on touring, quitting Spotify and why they're having more fun than ever URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/deerhoof-on-touring-quitting-spotify-and-why-theyre-having-more-fun-than-ever/ Last updated: 2026-05-10T18:03:48.000Z More than three decades into their career, Deerhoof continue with an energy and drive that is hard to match. New albums stretch their creativity ever further and their live performances are filled with infectious joy. Last year, they released their 20th album, Noble and Godlike in Ruin. Layered and dense, it draws on numerous genres to power forward lyrics that tackle marginalisation and oppression. Lead single Immigrant Songs - premiered through a post on classified ad website Craigslist - deals with feelings of alienation under the current Donald Trump presidency. That album was also their first since they pulled their music from Spotify in protest at CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in AI weapons. Speaking to the Switched on Pop podcast, the band said that this decision came with minimal discussion in the back of their tour van and that they hoped it helped to make the streaming service seem “incredibly uncool.” More recently, in April, the band released a collaboration with The Sound Sanctuary - a group of plants living in their label Joyful Noise’s office. The first in a series of releases by the label, the band worked with sounds generated using electrodes connected to the plants’ leaves in an effort to create something that is the “opposite of AI.” On Saturday, May 9, the band return to Thanet for a show at Ramsgate Music Hall, making what is now an annual and eagerly received trip to the area. Ahead of the gig, drummer Greg Saunier tells us more about what keeps the band making music and coming back year after year. ### 20 albums into your career, do you still get the same enjoyment out of creating something new? More enjoyment now, really. Starting out can be such a struggle. By starting out, I of course mean the first 30 years or so. ### Do you have an idea of what you want a new album to sound or feel like because you begin writing? We have a new album completed as of a week ago! Coming out this fall. That doesn’t really answer your question, which is more subtle. Yes, I think that the themes come from the fantasy process of writing music. More than people think. At least for us, it’s hard to have to concept first and then make music to order. The music teaches us what it is about. ### How did you approach working with plants on your recent Sound Sanctuary collaboration? Well the “sound” of plants is really coming from a MIDI interface on an iPad. The sounds were designed by a guy in Australia, I think. We didn’t like any of his sound patches. A bit new age for our picky taste. So we struggled for a while to find something bumpy and lumpy and dissonant. Once we found that everything clicked and we just recorded in one go for about 30 or 40 minutes. ### You pulled your music from Spotify last summer. How do you feel about that decision almost a year later? Never looked back. And as it has only become clearer to the human race how much AI investment is really just investment in killing poor people, it’s only become more obvious that giving Daniel Ek more money to do so would just be poisoning our souls. Very happy with the decision. Highly recommended that everyone get off that app. ### What has the response from other musicians been like? You mean about removing music from platforms whose money just goes to billionaires who use it for war profiteering? It’s been amazing. Much more extensive than we thought it would be when we decided to do it. More so for Spotify than Amazon, which I think is harder for people to give up on. But it’s either stop giving Bezos your money or he’ll succeed in creating a world in which a handful of people like him government control policy, hoard resources, and live in private enclaves that are protected by AI drones. Obviously, this hellish fantasy is already well on its way to coming true. Anyway about Spotify, I get the feeling that the movement to abandon it was still growing for months and months after we made our announcement. Of course, it’s hard for smaller bands to quit, since many of them make almost any money they make from there. It would be easier if listener would stop using it and start getting their music from elsewhere, like buying physical copies or digital files. Then the musicians could quit. ### Thanet is now an annual stop on your UK tours. What keeps you coming back to Ramsgate and Margate? The invitation! And it’s fun. ### This is your first Ramsgate Music Hall show for a few years. Are you looking forward to returning to the venue? One of the things we love most about Ramsgate Music Hall is that it is so famous and well loved by UK bands and fans. Can’t wait to be back. ### How is touring in 2026? With many music venues struggling financially, does that affect the experience? Very much so. It means they close and there are fewer choices. Or it means that to avoid failing they get bought by a large corporation. In the US it’s Live Nation, which also owns Ticketmaster which is the ticketing company. It’s nothing but a conflict of interest and corporate scam. Or it means that venues are less able to take a chance on smaller, lesser known, more unusual acts, and there’s an overriding aesthetic of “safe.” And of course it means that the fees that artists can get from playing is not going up with inflation, and may in fact be going down. If Deerhoof were starting today, we would be in big trouble. We have so much respect for the younger musicians of today who must fight such an uphill battle to be able to pursue their art. *Deerhoof play Ramsgate Music Hall on May 9\.* [*Tickets £27.50*](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/deerhoof/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Margate Pride, Jonny Woo, Babyshambles URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-margate-pride-jonny-woo-babyshambles/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T07:00:12.000Z **Margate Pride has announced its 2026 programme**. On Saturday, August 8 things kick off at 10am with Family Pride, before the 1pm march. **Dreamland will once again host rally speakers, the MX Margate pageant and performances**, with all of the above free.The **wider Margate Pride Festival starts Friday July 31**, with screenings, performances, workshops on the cultural programme. Highlights include The Margate Pride Art Map art trail and the Open Call Gallery Commission, with the call being for an LGBTQ+ artist over 55\. Performance Queer Me and the Sea will be the Pride Eve performance at the Turner Contemporary, and there’s also a screening of Out Laws, a documentary about resistance and queer rights activism in Namibia. There’s a stack of ways the gay community and allies can get involved and support as well. [**Full programme and info on how to get involved**](https://www.margatepride.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate Pride co-founder Amy Zing on the event’s growth from short protest to month-long festivalMargate Pride co-founder Amy Zing on growing the grassroots festival from a three-minute walk into a whole town takeover![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2024/07/Amy-Zing-Margate-Pride-2023-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-amy-zing-interview/) You wait ages for a **Rosa Rankin-Gee book talk** and then two come along at once. As mentioned last week, she’ll be appearing at Margate Library on Wednesday, May 27 to discuss Dreamland and its upcoming BBC adaptation. Then the next day, **Thursday, May 28, she will be at Fort Road Hotel in Margate** to discuss her new book My Only Boy. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/my-only-boy-with-rosa-rankin-gee-tickets-1988303347837?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre is set to play an intimate show at Queens Road Baptist Church in Broadstairs on Thursday, August 6**. The show will be a special pre-festival warm up for Broadstairs Folk Week, which gets underway the next day. [**Tickets £40**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/broadstairsfolkweek/2113096?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Drag king Pat Riarchy has two events coming up at the Alley Bar in Ramsgate**. On **Friday, May 15, he will be hosting Karablokey**, performing duets with only the most manly of patrons. [**Tickets from £5**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/pats-karabloke?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Then, beginning on **Tuesday, June 9**, he (as his alter ego Trudi Jackson) will be teaching a **six week drag performance course.** [**Places £12 per week or £60 for the full course**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/the-king-in-you-drag-king-masterclass-with-trudi-jackson-aka-pat-riarchy-2026-06-09-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Also at the Alley Bar, Jonny Woo** will be performing a compilation show of his best bits later this month. There will be an **evening show on Friday, May 22 and a matinee on Saturday, May 23\.** [**Tickets £20**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/jonny-woos-best-bits-2026-05-22-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Screaming Alley open new bar and cabaret theatre in RamsgateIn the basement of an inclusive barber shop, Ramsgate cabaret company Screaming Alley’s new members bar looks set to become more than just a good night out![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2025/12/Mercury-Rizing--Screaming-Alley--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/) **New open mic poetry night All In The Line is launching at 101 Social in Cliftonvill**e, taking place **every third Wednesday of the month**. To read some of your own work, text Wordzy on 07875566950 to secure a place. The inaugural edition will be on **Wednesday, May 20\. Free entry**. **2-Tone legends The Selecter return to Margate on Friday, June 13** for a headline show at the **Drill Shed in Cliftonville.** [**Tickets £33.43**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/oepg9a-the-selecter-13th-jun-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Artist Emma O’Rourke and yoga teacher Lily Cleo host an art retreat at a secret orchard location near Broadstairs on Saturday, June 20**. Marking the summer solstice, the afternoon will include yoga and drawing activities. [**Places £55**](https://www.emmaorourke.com/art-retreat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Keep Show is a group exhibition featuring 14 artists and makers working along the Kent coast**, set to take place at **Pie Factory in Margate June 18-23**. Among those showing work will be Brogan Cox, Emily Forgot, 100 Hours and Woven Form. On Monday, June 22, art writer Hettie Judah will take part in a Q&A to mark the launch of her new book How to Enter the Art World. [**More details**](https://www.100hours.co.uk/keepshow?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Saturday Night Live UK writer **Paddy Young** will be performing his new show Will Sir Be Dining Alone? at **Where Else in Margate on Tuesday, Sep 15\.** [**Tickets £18.50**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/dk2bb6-paddy-young-will-sir-be-laughing-alone-15th-sep-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Babyshambles** will be performing on **Dreamland’s Scenic Stage on Sunday, August 30**. Support from Big Special, Warm Duscher, Gans, and Pregoblin. [**Tickets £49.50**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/babyshambles/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Painting is fun. And drinking wine is nice. But what’s missing? That’s right… tapas! Well, not anymore. **Flowers & Felicities in Broadstairs** will be hosting **Paint with Wine & Tapas on Sunday, June 14\.** [**Tickets £35**](https://www.creativeflowevents.co.uk/product/paint-with-wine-tapas-broadstairs-sunday-14th-june/TOM4EK2WC6A3BQFEQFWSXZAP?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New cultural talk series Sound Values launches at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville this month**. It will see **speakers** **reflect on their lives through the music that has inspired them** \- a bit like a live Desert Island Discs. First off, **cult British fashion designer Martine Rose** will be in conversation with long time collaborator and hairstylist Gary Gill on **Wednesday, May 13\.** [**Tickets £22**](https://www.faithinstrangers.co.uk/events/sound-values?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs** will be hosting an **Antiques & Collectables Fair on Sunday, June 14** from 9am to 3pm. **Local radio station Sunset Sol** will be putin on a night at **Margate Beach Club on Saturday, May 30**. Lost in Music will see DJs from the station and guest playing house, disco and balearic beats all night. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35630/lost-in-music-lovebox-afters?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Adobros are putting on a Filipino food pop-up at Louie on Sea in Margate on May 23 & 24** \- returning after a popular residency last year. You’ll get a four course meal, including such delights as sour tamarind gazpacho, pork belly or crispy tempeh braised in cane vinegar, and crème caramel with burnt coconut curds. I want this right now. [**£47.50 per person**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theadobros/2162828?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). To close her exhibition My Hands Are My Voice at **the Beaney in Canterbury**, Margate-based textile artist **Rachelle Francis will be in conversation** at the museum on **Sunday, May 17**. Alongside artist and researcher Claire Wellesley‑Smith, she will be interviewed by Shelly Goldsmith. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/rachellefrancis/2087662?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Learn the process of decoupage** and create your own trinket shell at **Little Ravens in Ramsgate on Friday, May 22** \- one of a series of evening workshops for adults at the usually child-focussed venue.[**Tickets £32**](https://www.littleravens.co.uk/event-details-registration/adults-15-shell-decoupage?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Junkyard Gaming retro video game social** will take place at **Where Else in Margate on Sunday, May 24**. The venue will be filled with all the consoles you remember from your youth and plenty you don’t as well. **£5 on the door**. **The Social Singing Choir** will perform at the **Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Friday, May 22**. Raising money for Whale Wise, the choir will perform a set of **ocean-themed songs**, including their new charity single Wash Over Me. The single is set for release on World Ocean Day, June 8 and the night will also see the premiere of an accompanying film shot by wildlife photographer Rebecca Douglas. [**Tickets £10**](https://drillshed.seetickets.com/event/wash-over-me-the-social-singing-choir/the-drill-shed/3637110?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). SUPPORT STRANGE TOURIST [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/Strange_Tourist_DOT_SMALL.png)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal/support) Not ready to commit to a monthly or yearly subscription? You can still support our coverage of culture and creativity in Thanet with a one-off payment. Everything we receive is invested back into the newsletter and helps to ensure that we can keep putting it out every week. [Support us ](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal/support) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 4-10) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-4-10/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T07:00:50.000Z Pictish Trail plays Ramsgate Music Hall on Tuesday. [Tickets £22.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/pictish-trail/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Royston in Broadstairs will be presented with CAMRA’s Thanet Pub of the Year award for the fourth year running on Wednesday at 6.30pm. The pub will be serving celebratory cheeseboards from 6pm. Artist Babak Ganjei will be giving the lowdown on his debut novel On the Bus Without a Phone at Fort Road Hotel on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-the-bus-without-a-phone-with-babak-ganjei-tickets-1983856486154?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1uybq3q%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTA4ODIxODM3Mi4xNzc0MDM2Njc2%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzQwMzY2NzUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzQwMzY2NzUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Seabird in Ramsgate hosts An Asparagus Dinner on Thursday. The night will mark the beginning of asparagus season with a five course menu, each dish incorporating the pointy vegetable in a different way. [Places £55](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/asparagus?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A new French and Spanish language exchange group will meet the first Thursday of every month at The White Swan pub in Broadstairs. The next session is on Thursday at 6.30pm. Free. Funmbi Omotayo headlines Vaults Comedy is at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday. [Tickets £18](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/7thmay?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). STAK.life, which provides mental health support to young people with autism in Thanet, is holding a fundraising art exhibition and sale at ARK in Cliftonville, Friday to Sunday. [Find out more](https://www.stak.life/upcoming-events-fundraising/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Yoakley House in Margate opens up its award-winning gardens to the public on Friday. [Tickets £8](https://yoakleycare.co.uk/garden-talk-tour/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). NO TV are putting on a disco punk party at Where Else in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £8.10](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/ryqaby-no-tvs-disco-punk-party-8th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). David Devant and his Spirit Wife return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday. [Tickets £19](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/we-shall-overcome-presents-david-devant-and-his-spirit-wife-plus-support/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s Crab Museum hosts the launch of Secret Mode Games’ new educational video game Everything is Crab on Friday. [Tickets £6.66](https://link.dice.fm/6btEKamlB2b?sharer%5Fid=57bad68063051f48e4cf4746&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. The Garden Gate Project up by Northdown Park will be holding its Spring Open Day on Saturday from 1-4pm. For National Mills Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Drapers Windmill in Margate will be opening up from 2-4pm each day for free tours. Hip hop dance festival Breakin Convention hosts a series of workshops and talks at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Saturday afternoon. [Tickets £25](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/breakin-convention-3/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). On Saturday, the Crab Museum welcomes you to a free ‘crab adjacent’ art exhibition by Lydia Wong at Limbo in Margate. ELZ will perform a new work in progress show By the End Of This Show Every Man in the Audience will Be In Love with Me at the Alley Bar in Ramsgate on Saturday. [Tickets £10.50](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/by-the-end-of-this-show-every-man-in-the-audience-will-be-in-love-with-me?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Where Else in Margate’s new night showcasing upcoming talent, New In Town, launches on Saturday with performances from Big Long Sun, Foot Foot and Fruit Band. [Tickets £10](https://www.gigantic.com/new-in-town-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-05-09-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or free for Where Else members. Deerhoof are heading back to Thanet, playing Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £27.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/deerhoof/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate Film Festival becomes a charity and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-film-festival-becomes-a-charity-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-16T12:55:21.000Z **Margate Film Festival is now a registered charity**. “Eight years of community cinema, big screens, bold ideas, and brilliant audiences - and now we have formal, solid foundations to match,” say the team behind it. **The festival is set to return in November**. [Margate Film Festival: ‘We want to be a beacon for bold, boundary-pushing cinema’After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2024/11/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) **Punk Rock Pride** \- a new group celebrating the alt queer community at Margate Pride - **is seeking volunteers** to assist with fundraising, photography, outfits, banner making and more. [**DM on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/punkrockpridekent/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **or email** [**punk.rock.pride.kent@gmail.com**](mailto:punk.rock.pride.kent@gmail.com) **to get involved**. **The Prince Albert pub on Broadstairs High Street is under new management**. Officially opening this week, Callum and Dizzy (and dog Bernie) will be putting on regular pool, quiz, karaoke and live music nights. [**Follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/p.a.broadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **East Kent Open Houses is on the look out for artists to take part in this year’s event in October**. For Ramsgate and Broadstairs email [gem.blastock@tgtextiles.co.uk](mailto:gem.blastock@tgtextiles.co.uk), for Margate and Cliftonville email [info.studioj1h@gmail.com](mailto:info.studioj1h@gmail.com). **The deadline is May 31**. **Yoakley House is the new beneficiary of the community bookshelf at Tesco Extra in Westwood Cross**. Any money donated for books on the shelf **until June 30** will go straight to the Margate care home. Books to go on the shelf can also be donated to Yoakley or Tesco directly. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. As expected, **Bombo Doughnuts is set to reopen in Margate with a new stall inside Dreamland**. It was originally set to open this weekend, but will now begin serving up sweet treats on **Friday, May 29**. **Ramsgate Arts Club has launched a new spring/summer menu**. As well as an expanding cheese and charcuterie offering, the venue is now also doing tapas small plates. **Open from 5pm, Thursday to Sunday**. **Margate kitsch trinket shop Silly now has a free trinket trading box outside it**. Got something to swap? Need a trinket right now and the shop is closed? Just fancy rummaging in a box? **Head to 25 Hawley Street and have a poke around**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #101: Strange Tourist is two! Thanet LGBTQ+ meet ups, Margate Film Festival and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-is-two-thanet-lgbtq-meet-ups-margate-film-festival-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:30:35.000Z So, last week it was our 100th edition. This week it's our second birthday! The milestones just keep rolling in, don't they? Exactly two years and one day ago we hit send on the very first Strange Tourist newsletter. It looked quite different. [Like this](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/email/6a8d1dfa-938d-4a56-ba08-00dbc7b2d0ca/), if you must know. Things have changed a lot since then but the basic idea remains the same - to bring you the best culture and lifestyle in Thanet (and beyond), while connecting up its three towns and surrounding area. Elsewhere in Thanet, we were pretty chuffed to see that we [made the local news ourselves this week](https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2026/04/29/young-newshounds-make-the-headlines-at-ramsgate-arts-primary/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), with our affiliate community interest company, Paddle Media. Having delivered workshops to a number of primary and secondary schools in Broadstairs and Ramsgate, the initial pilot run has come to an end. We’re now planning for round two, working out how to spark more creativity and curiosity among more young people in Thanet. And lastly, a big thanks to all our subscribers. A lot of work goes into keeping this thing running, and your support not only ensures that it keeps ticking along, but that it gets better all the time. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Meet ups in Thanet for LGBTQ+ folk who like to do stuff URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/meetups-in-thanet-for-queer-folk-who-like-to-do-stuff/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T21:50:25.000Z If ever there was a marker of a community, the breadth and volume of Thanet’s LGBTQ+ meet up groups is a good one. Organisations such as [Margate Pride](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-amy-zing-interview/) and Margate Black Pride are great resources and advocates for the community, with Ramsgate Pride and Broadstairs Pride also great points of contact. [Gay bars](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-gay-bars-in-thanet/) and venues like CAMP, Margate Arts Club and Alley Bar are busy hubs, with a full programme of cabaret, performance and and events throughout the year beyond drinking and dancing, although there’s that too. [Margate Queer Library and Archive](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-queer-library-and-archive-se-malaika-interview/) is also actively harnessing Thanet's LGBTQ+ community. However, with groups for everything from sunset watching and circus to self-defence classes for trans people and socials for older people, Thanet’s LGBTQ+ meet up groups are full flavoured, speaking to the diversity and creativity within the community, and its political and social charge. Margate Pride’s Engagement Coordinator, Ellie Powling says the volume of meetups is due to Thanet’s DIY-culture and an engaged community. “The community has really delivered,” Ellie says. “We are so grateful that our community is showing up and making spaces that mean there is literally something for everyone. “Living in such a DIY place never gets old so Thanet queers never stop starting new, incredibly niche social groups. “Queer sunset watching is the queerest thing we’ve ever heard!” While there are several running and crafting groups about the place, Ellie says meetup groups are vital for the LGBTQ+ community. “We historically have been, and continue to be, marginalised and targeted by homophobic, transphobic (and various other phobic) attitudes,” Ellie adds. “Unfortunately, we’ve had many LGBTQIA+ friends experience negative attitudes at social groups or sports clubs, which is what leads us to create our own spaces where we can guarantee we will not experience this. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. “LGBTQIA+ people deserve spaces in which they feel safe and held, and this is not something we can guarantee in groups that are not queer-led.” While these groups aim to create safe spaces for queer folk, you’ll find most will welcome allies too. However it’s important to keep in mind queer groups come from a need for LGBTQ+ people to feel safe, seen and “have a community where they can be completely themselves,” Ellie says. “If attending, you are going into a space which has not been created to centre heterosexual people; so listen, be respectful, and remember why these spaces have needed to be created." Pointing out the obvious, Ellie says if you're not sure you can attend the meetup group as an ally, the easiest way to work this out is to ask. “Send the organiser a message and see if \[the group\] is a space for allies too. "But if the reply is no, that’s okay - the best allies acknowledge that not every space or event is made for them!” So with that in mind, if you identify as LGBTQ+, here’s where you can hit a ball, go for a run, decoupage or try a counterbalance as part of a community that will show you the love. ![Like running? Well, there's a queer meet up for that too. Photo: Fitsum Admasu/Unsplash](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/fitsum-admasu-oGv9xIl7DkY-unsplash-1.jpg) Like running? Well, there's a queer meet up for that too. **Photo: Fitsum Admasu/Unsplash* ## Queer Meetup Groups in Thanet ### Punk Rock Pride A group for the alternative and punk LGBTQ+ community and allies to come together to create banners, march and party and Margate pride. There’s a call out for people to get involved in a number of ways, on top of crafting, from help on the socials and fundraising, to photographers and people who can lead workshops, as well as people who can work their magic with denim, leather and know how to put together an outfit. [*instagram.com/punkrockpridekent/*](https://www.instagram.com/punkrockpridekent/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Screaming Mary Club Not so much a meet-up, the Screaming Mary Club is part of the Screaming Alley fold. It is a diverse group of folk trying out burlesque, drag, dance, lip-syncing, clowning and other aspects of theatre and alternative performance. You can book a block of sessions or just drop in to the Alley Bar, where they meet. Check the [website](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/screamingmaryclub?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for term dates and times, and for more LGBTQ+ focused and friendly performance opportunities. [*instagram.com/screamingmaryclub/*](https://www.instagram.com/screamingmaryclub/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Thanet Queers in Solidarity A group of LGBTQ+ people putting on events in the name of collective freedom. Get involved with things like Pride banner making, cinema and arts nights, and of course rallies and protests. [*instagram.com/thanet.queers.in.solidarity*](https://www.instagram.com/thanet.queers.in.solidarity?igsh=djl0dHAwazVrM2xz&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Queer Walks East Kent Covering Thanet, Dover, Canterbury and Ashford, this one is for those who like to get into nature and explore different pockets of the Kentish countryside, with company. [*instagram.com/queerwalks*](https://www.instagram.com/queerwalks?igsh=MW42d2U1c29vZjdtaA==&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Margate Anarchist Reading Group The Margate Anarchist Reading Group gather at the Margate Queer Library and Archive most Wednesdays to discuss historical and contemporary literature and what it might tell us about current times and personal politics. They also hold film screenings at 101 Social. [*instagram.com/margsreads/*](https://www.instagram.com/margsreads/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### East Kent Pride Swim So new, it hasn’t even started, East Kent Pride Swim will launch sometime this year as a group for LGBTQ+ folk who like a dip. [*instagram.com/eastkentprideswim*](https://www.instagram.com/eastkentprideswim?igsh=MWs0eG5uejlvOTN0ZA==&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### LGBTQ Kent Tennis A newly launched meet up group, LGBTQ Kent Tennis will meet later this month. Head to the Margate Lawns Tennis Club on Friday, May 22 from 6pm to hit a ball, take a tour of the club and grounds, and meet the coaches. [*instagram.com/lgbtqkenttennis*](https://www.instagram.com/lgbtqkenttennis?igsh=bDJ2bWoxMnBpbDI5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Queer Swim Margate A “trans-centered, fat-positive, anti-racist” group for sea-dippers of all bodies, who usually meet at the Walpole Bay tidal pool for dips, hangs and natters. [*instagram.com/queerswimmargate/*](https://www.instagram.com/queerswimmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Queer Fight Margate Queer Fight Margate is self defence classes for trans and queer people. Various classes run daily (except Monday and Saturday) covering all levels of experience. There are also women only and functional fitness classes. [*instagram.com/queerfightmargate*](https://www.instagram.com/queerfightmargate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Trans Club Margate A group for trans people, and their families. As well as Queer Fight Club, the group hosts days out, advocacy events, family meet ups, as well as things like crafting sessions. [*instagram.com/transclubmargate/*](https://www.instagram.com/transclubmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Crafty Queers Perhaps you’re looking to bedazzle a jacket, press a badge, or just want to get on with your needle work or knitting - Margate-based Crafty Queers is for whatever craft you want. [*instagram.com/craftyqueers\_margate/*](https://www.instagram.com/craftyqueers%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Cirque De Mar-Gay - may be dormant For “weird circus folk”, LGBTQ+ crew and allies, Cirque De Mar-Gay meet monthly-ish at the beach for sandy counter balances, clowning, tricks and circus revelry. The group moves to ARK Cliftonville in the colder months. [*instagram.com/cirquedemargay/*](https://www.instagram.com/cirquedemargay/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Queer Knit Another craft-focused group, but specifically for knitters. Held at Margate Arts Club. Crochet and general crafting also welcomed. [*instagram.com/queer.kniiit/*](https://www.instagram.com/queer.kniiit/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Margate Queer Writers Not a meetup group but a collective of LGBTQ+ writers living in Margate. The collective has created projects like Queering the Margate Map, which connected queer experience and stories to locations around Margate. Also puts on writing workshops. [*instagram.com/margatequeerwriters/*](https://www.instagram.com/margatequeerwriters/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Queer Tennis Ramsgate - May be dormant Queer Ramsgate meet on Wednesdays, from 7pm at Spencer Square for a bash about with the ball. They also put on the less frequent social at Penelope’s wine bar. Check Instagram for when the next one is on. It currently looks like not much is going on, but tennis is a fair weather sport. [*instagram.com/queerramsgate/*](https://www.instagram.com/queerramsgate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Queer Run Margate Are you a runner, or just someone who wants to take a walk among company? Queer Run Margate takes place weekly and welcomes you whether you want to go as fast as you can or at a more leisurely pace. The trot starts at Bugsy's, on Wednesdays at 6.30pm. Dogs welcome. [*instagram.com/queerrunmargate/*](https://www.instagram.com/queerrunmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Bower Street Morris Open to everyone, but this group of hankie waving, white-wearing, leaping Morris dancers is definitely welcoming of the LGBTQ+ community. [*instagram.com/bowerstreetmorris/*](https://www.instagram.com/bowerstreetmorris/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Queer Sunset Club [One of the best things to do](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/where-to-catch-one-of-those-cracking-coastal-kent-sunsets-with-a-sundowner-in-hand/) in Margate during summer just got better, with the addition of a group of queer sun-gazers bringing potluck-style snacks to eat while the sun goes down. [*instagram.com/queer\_sunset\_club\_margate/*](https://www.instagram.com/queer%5Fsunset%5Fclub%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Ramsgate Pride Founded in 2024, this grassroots, community-minded crew are working on Ramsgate 2026’s Pride taking place on September 19\. [*instagram.com/prideramsgate/*](https://www.instagram.com/prideramsgate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Tea-Time Socials Another Margate Pride initiative, but this one is a monthly get-together for “swishy seniors” aged 55 and older. Usually held at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Margate, there’s teas, coffees, cakes and performances. [*instagram.com/p/DWnzGxxAQCi/*](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWnzGxxAQCi/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Wavey FC This inclusive grassroots football collective for women, non-binary and trans people trains twice a week at Margate FC's ground. Join sessions on Tuesday from 7-8pm and Sunday 12-1pm. [*instagram.com/wavey.f.c*](https://www.instagram.com/wavey.f.c?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Rosa Rankin-Gee, Broadstairs Children’s Literary Festival, Chump’s Comedy URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-rosa-rankin-gee-broadstairs-childrens-literary-festival-chumps-comedy/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T07:00:34.000Z **Author Rosa Rankin-Gee will be at Margate Library on Wednesday, May 27** to talk about her novel Dreamland and its upcoming BBC adaptation. Filming crews were back in Margate this week for reshoots on the upcoming series, which is expected to hit screens this autumn. **Entry to the talk next month is free, no booking required**. **Yoakley House**, a care home comprising 48 almshouse cottages and bungalows on the outskirts of Margate, **will be opening up its award-winning gardens to the public on Friday, May 8**. The event will be an opportunity to hear from head gardener Paul Twyman before his retirement, learning about the gardens and his decades of experience. There will also be a plant auction as part of the event. [**Tickets £8**](https://yoakleycare.co.uk/garden-talk-tour/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), raising money for the Yoakley League of Friends. **Where Else in Margate has announced the launch of New In Town, a new series of shows highlighting upcoming talent**. The first edition on Saturday, May 9 will showcase Big Long Sun (“big confusing music that’s exciting”), Foot Foot (“leading acts of Bristol’s underground, drawing on the traditions of folk, math-rock and discordant post-rock”) and "imaginary band” Fruit Band. **Tickets £10 or free for Where Else members**. **The Broadstairs Children’s Literary Festival will hold its inaugural edition at Bleak House on Thursday, May 30**. Authors confirmed for the event include Chris Horn, John Condon, Julie Leonard, Bibi & Sofia Haq, Peter Erlam and Nan Eshelby. **Free entry**. **Chump’s Comedy has announced its third birthday party at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, May 20**. Performing will be Ivo Graham, Sam Nicoresti, Kiran Saggu, and Cecily Hitchcock. [**Tickets £17**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/927dlo-chumps-3rd-birthday-ivo-graham-sam-nicoresti-kiran-saggu-cecily-hitchcock-20th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Can’t make that? The next night, Chump’s will be at the Hot Tin in Faversham with. Sean McLoughlin, Sunil Patel and Annie McGrath. [Tickets £15.99](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/bbom9v-sean-mcloughlin-sunil-patel-annie-mcgrath-21st-may-the-hot-tin-faversham-faversham-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Chump’s Comedy Margate: Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, crab jokesFrom an idea shared on a train home to sell-out shows featuring the likes of Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, Andy Malt speaks to Margate’s Chump’s Comedy about how it all came together so successfully, so quickly![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/Chumps-team.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) Following last year’s celebration of the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, **next month the town will see the return of the Dunkirk Little Ships to the Royal Harbour**. As the boats arrive, there will be **four days of free events from May 22-25**, including live music, children’s workshops, markets and more. **Ramsgate Music Hall will welcome singer-songwriter Scott Lavene on Saturday, October 3** as part of his Acoustic Songs and Stories tour. [**Tickets £16.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/scott-lavene/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedy fans, get ready for a trip up to the capital. **New stand up festival Laughterama is launching at Somerset House this summer**. The four day event will take place from **July 29 to August 2**. Performers include Sara Pascoe, Ed Gamble, Chloe Petts, Phil Wang, Tom Rosenthal and Margates’ Lou Sanders on the A-list bill. [**See the full programm**e](https://somersethouse.laughterama.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also in London, **10 Downing Street has announced that it will open up its private garden** as part of this year’s London Open Gardens on **Saturday, June 6**. Just 24 places will be available on two guided tours, with **tickets allocated via a ballot**. Fancy a nosey? You have until May 5 to register. [**Enter the ballot**](https://londongardenstrust.org/whatson/london-open-gardens-2026/10downingstreet/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **The full programme for this year’s Canterbury Children’s Literary Festival has launched**. Taking place from **July 6-10**, the event will include workshops with authors and illustrators including, Garry Parsons, Guy Bass, Christiane Engle, Helen Rose, and Ella Dove, plus quizzes, yoga, storytelling and more. [**See the full line up**](https://www.canterburykidslitfest.co.uk/programme?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Women of Folk** \- Linda Moylan, Lizzy Hardingham, Louise Hatch, and Rebecca Mileham - are coming to **Rosslyn Court in Cliftonville on Thursday, July 9**. They will perform songs by artists including Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Carole King, as well as traditional songs and more. [**Tickets £12**](https://www.rosslyncourt.com/events/women-of-folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Queens Head in Ramsgate has announced a Eurovision viewing party on Saturday, May 16** to cheer on local musician Look Mum No Computer as he represents the UK at the competition. **Watch the show on a large outdoor screen, and start getting into the spirit from 6pm with compere Shi**v. **Crampton Tower Museum in Broadstairs has announced the Model Railway Show, which will take place on October 31 and November 1**. The weekend event will showcase ten model railway layouts, and there will be stalls selling trains and accessories so you can go away and build your own. **£5 adult, £3 children, £13 family ticket**. **It’s National Mills Weekend on May 9-10 and Drapers Windmill in Margate will be opening up for the occasion**. Head down from 2-4pm for a tour of the mill and to learn about its history. On Saturday there will also be a performance from Bower Street Morris. **Free entry**. **The Ellington Park May Fayre will take place on Sunday, May 17**. Open from 11.30am to 6pm, there will be live music, train rides, a funfair, dog show, market stalls and more. **Free entry**. **Pink Moon Collective will host a family-friendly brunch at Chandler & Dunn Farm near Ash on Saturday, May 23**. You’ll be treated to a huge sharing feast, and the farm’s new micropub will be launching the same day. If you fancy making a night of it, there’s camping on site. **Places are £55 per adult while kids eat free.** [**Book now for an early bird discount**](https://www.pinkmooncollective.co.uk/shop/p/brunch?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Crab Museum has announced a series of ‘Crab Lates’ events around International Crab Day this Sunday**. There will be a free social at the museum this Sunday from 6pm to celebrate the day itself. Then on **Friday, May 8, Secret Mode Games will be launching its new educational video game Everything is Crab** at the museum ([Tickets £6.66](https://link.dice.fm/6btEKamlB2b?sharer%5Fid=57bad68063051f48e4cf4746&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)). And on **Saturday, May 9 there will be a free ‘crab adjacent’ art exhibition by Lydia Wong at Limbo in Margate**. **The Namaka team at Stone Bay will mark the summer solstice on Sunday, June 21** with a sunrise dip, coffee and a hang. **Set the alarm clocks, this one is at 4.30am**. You don’t have to swim if you don’t want to, and **Namaka will be open 5am-6.30am for hot and cold drinks**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (April 27 - May 3) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-april-27-may-3/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T10:13:24.000Z Stand up comedian Lorna Rose Treen will be performing her show Now That’s What I Call Characters at Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre on Tuesday. [Tickets £17](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/lorna-rose-treen-now-thats-what-i-call-characters/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stephen Daly will be discussing his debut young adult novel The Last Death Poet at Margate Arts Club on Tuesday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-last-death-poet-with-stephen-daly-tickets-1985499910681?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1jmftmi%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTA4ODIxODM3Mi4xNzc0MDM2Njc2%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzQwMzY2NzUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzQwMzY2NzUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Fern Brady brings her latest show I Gave You Milk to Drink to Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £20](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/mx7da9-fern-brady-i-gave-you-milk-to-drink-29th-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Acoustic music night Assembly celebrates its second birthday on Wednesday at Off Licence in Cliftonville. There will be performances from ELZ, Seye Adelekan, Wedding Guest and Diet Jesus. £7 on the door. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Jalen Ngonda performs live at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Wednesday, as part of Margate Soul Weekender’s 25th anniversary gig series. [Tickets £28.50](https://www.universe.com/events/jalen-ngonda-live-at-drill-shed-tickets-JB97R0?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Mum Club is back at Penelope in Ramsgate on Thursday afternoon, 2-4pm. Park up the buggy and enjoy some wine, snacks and chats. Free entry. Robin Ince will be at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday to discuss his new book Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal. [Free entry](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/normally-weird-and-weirdly-normal-with-robin-ince-tickets-1987251966126?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1rhfwu7%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTU2NDMyODI4OS4xNzc2Mjg5NTA2%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzYyODk1MDUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzYyODk1MDUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Robin Ince on how he keeps comedy excitingAhead of two performances in Margate, comedian Robin Ince discusses his love of books, mental health, poetry, and Judy Dench’s “rude handkerchief sewing”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2024/09/robin_ince_trent_burton-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/robin-ince-if-i-see-something-thats-interesting-i-just-want-to-go-and-do-it/) Feline-focussed art festival the Festival of Cats takes place in venues across Thanet from Friday to Monday. [See the full programme](https://www.festivalofcats.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Goth club night Hexed will be back at Margate Arts Club on Friday for its annual May Day extravaganza. [Tickets £8](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32580/-goth-rockpost-punkindustrialebmdarkwavealt-dragperformances?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Illustrator Quentin Blake is launching an immersive, interactive adventure featuring his Jack and Nancy characters at the Historic Dockyard Chatham on Saturday until June 30\. Entry is free with a Dockyard ticket (adults £29, children 4+ £18.50). [More details](https://thedockyard.co.uk/events/jack-and-nancys-dockyard-adventure-by-quentin-blake/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Kruder & Dorfmeister mark the 30th anniversary of their classic K+D Sessions compilation at The Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday night. [Tickets £25.50](https://dice.fm/event/yob65p-kruder-dorfmeister-drill-shed-margate-2-may-2nd-may-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Masterchef: The Professionals semi-finalist Mark O’Brien has a two night residency at Dreamland’s Sunshine Cafe on Friday and Saturday. [£100 per person](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/sunshine-cafe-sunset-dinner-series-mark-obrien/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Behind the scenes of MasterChef: The Professionals with finalist Mark O’BrienExposing and exhausting but a real honour; Margate chef Mark O’Brien recounts the road to becoming a Masterchef: The Professionals finalist![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2026/03/ME9B5399.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/its-very-exposing-says-margates-masterchef-the-professionals-finalist/) London’s Comedy Store takes over Dreamland’s Hall by the Sea on Saturday. [Tickets £19.80](https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/the-comedy-store-margate-margate-17-10-2026/event/3500632CE7502498?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sri Lankan food pop-up Friends of Foe will be back at Hoffs in Margate again on Saturday. [£28 per person](https://www.instagram.com/friends%5Fof%5Ffoe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Mexican psychedelic rock duo Lorelle Meets the Obsolete will return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £18.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/lorelle-meets-obsolete/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Arts Club hosts club night Stratospheric Sounds on Saturday. DJs Jeff Levy and Darren Smart will be playing funk, jazz, latin, afrofunk and soulful dance floor grooves. Free entry. The Ramsgate Handmade & Vintage Fair will be back on Ramsgate Harbour on Sunday. The Drill Shed in Cliftonville hosts an over 30s afternoon indie disco on Sunday afternoon. [Tickets £10.71](https://dice.fm/event/2w3wrm-an-afternoon-of-indie-margate-over-30s-only-3rd-may-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Council to auction empty shops and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-council-to-auction-empty-shops-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-05-03T09:10:09.000Z **Thanet District Council can now auction off leases of long-term empty business properties in Margate’s Old Town, Northdown Road and Ramsgate town centre** under the High Street Rental Auction legislation. To find out more about what this means, TDC will hold a **drop in information session at the council offices on Thursday May 7, 1pm-4.30pm**. If you’ve got questions but can’t make the date, **email** [**hsrentals@thanet.gov.uk**](mailto:hsrentals@thanet.gov.uk). **Margate’s Social Singing Choir** have announced that they **will release a new original song called Wash Over Me to mark World Ocean Day on Monday, June 8**. Written by choir leader Hughie Gavin, the single will raise money for the Whale Wise charity. **The choir is also set to perform an ocean-themed show at the Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Friday, May 22**. **The Margaret Bryan gallery at Margate Caves has put out an open call for A6 sized works** for their exhibition **Small Wonders, July 17 to November 1**. The theme is science and the natural world, and the deadline is Friday, July 3\. [**Find out more**](https://www.margatecaves.co.uk/margaretbryangallery?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Staple Stores in Ramsgate will open for evenings, Thursday to Saturday, starting Friday, May 1**. No booking required, just rock up for wines and simple, but no doubt delicious fare. **Sea Scrub Sauna has announced plans to build a new sauna at Viking Bay in Broadstairs**. If approved, this would be the company’s fifth venue, in addition to locations in Margate, Folkestone, Faversham and Whitstable. **The plans propose a two storey building with two saunas, cold plunge, changing rooms and a cafe**. “Broadstairs has a very special quality to it,” says co-founder Robin Bartlett. “The coves, the cliffs, the community. It felt like the right place for a site that genuinely earns its setting. We’re hoping to create something the town is proud of.” **Pom on Margate’s Harbour Arm has reopened for weekend service**, with trading hours extending into the warmer months. Head down for cocktails and small bites under the sun. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Developers Arcvelop and Brede Hotels have submitted a planning application** to Thanet District Council to convert the **Nayland Rock Hotel in Margate into 50 flats, 16 serviced apartments and a restaurant**. In its proposal, Arcvelop says that it offers a “sustainable mixed-use redevelopment that secures the long-term conservation of the Nayland Rock building and enhances its role within Margate’s seafront and wider community.” Arcvelop has previously completed a number of other local projects, including Ramsgate’s Albion residences. [**See the planning application**](https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=TA8ZN1QEKQV00&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs Folk Week has announced that it is publishing a limited edition zine, celebrating the festival’s six decade history**. Created with photographer and writer Imogen Tinkler, the 36 page publication will be filled with memories of BFWs past - including those of festival fans who ore-order a copy. **Only 200 copies will be produced with £7 of the £12 cover prize going towards funding this year's festival**. Copies will arrive in late May. [**Pre-order now**](https://imogentinkler.sumupstore.com/product/broadstairs-folk-week?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Gallery@37 is now open in Broadstairs**, showcasing work by local, national and international artists and makers. Find it on the High Street. [**Follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/galleryat37/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Turner Contemporary has announced a new exhibition by Sophie Calle, set to launch this autumn**. It will be the artist’s first exhibition in the UK since 2009 and is being brought to Margate in collaboration with the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in the US and De Pont Museum in the Netherlands. Titled Something Missing?, it will feature work spanning 40 years. **It is set to run from October 3 to January 24**. **The Royston in Broadstairs has been named CAMRA’s Thanet Pub of the Year for the fourth year running**. The prize will officially be presented on **Wednesday, May 6 at 6.30pm**. The pub will be serving celebratory cheeseboards from 6pm. Want to say more than bonjour and hola when in France or Spain? **A new language exchange group will meet the first Thursday of every month at The White Swan pub in Broadstairs**, and anyone looking to brush up on their French and Spanish speaking skills is welcome. **The next session is on Thursday, May 7 at 6.30pm. Free**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Festival of Cats brings joy through feline art URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/festival-of-cats-brings-joy-through-feline-art/ Last updated: 2026-04-25T07:01:12.000Z What could be more of a serotonin hit than a 15 minute doom scroll of ginger cats being ginger cats? Among other things, perhaps a weekend-long arts festival that has moggies as its muse? Created as a satellite event for the Turner’s 2018 exhibition Journeys with The Waste Land, Festival of Cats is a celebration of inclusive arts and the delightfulness of felines and all their silly splendour. This year, the feel-good festival returns as its largest programme yet. Events spill out of Margate, with a CatVideoFest screening at The Palace in Broadstairs and a new collection of artworks by Thanet graffiti artist Cat Neil on display at Dawnies Coffee Shop in Ramsgate. The flagship open call exhibition is back, boasting more than 200 artists this time round. So is Cat Drag Life Drawing, which can only be as eccentric as it sounds. While it may sound like a niche concept, the festival uses cats as a way to make creativity accessible, and harness community, as Festival Director Jemma Channing explains. ![Man poses with a hairless cat in front of a picture of a hairless cat](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/FOC2022-Credit_-Will-Hebditch-1.JPG) The exhibition is the festival's flagship event. **Photo: Will Hebditch* ### Why cats? Why a festival of cats? The festival was born from a love of T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and much like the book itself, it celebrates all of that; the behaviour, the mystique, the comedy of cats. We also think that cats provide an accessible way into creative spaces that can feel exclusive and intimidating for some people. \[The Festival of Cats team\] come from a working class background and work in the arts, so we wanted to create something that was fun, inclusive and open to all. We know the arts support health and wellbeing, as do cats, so what could be better than bringing them together! ### How did the idea for the festival come about? We wanted to create something fun and accessible that connected to Eliot's work in a way that felt joyful rather than academic. Artists T.S. Eliot and Louis Wain both inspired the festival, Wain in particular is a particular favourite artists of mine. He famously spent much of his life painting cats and also lived in Westgate for some time, he felt like the perfect artistic touchstone alongside Eliot. Once we started the festival it kind of took on a life of its own. ![Audience listening to a speech in front of many artworks of cats](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/FOC2022-Opening-Credit_-Will-Hebditch-1.JPG) The festival is cat focussed, but community minded. **Photo: Will Hebditch* ### How has the festival grown and evolved over the years? It's grown enormously. Festival of Cats is now a Thanet-wide festival with thousands of visitors, and the full festival takes place every two years with pop-up events in between. What started as a small satellite event has expanded across multiple venues throughout Margate and beyond. The 2026 edition is bigger than ever, with a programme of exhibitions, events and workshops. This year we've got over 200 artists involved in the festival. We've also built a real community. Artists return year after year, and the audience has grown to include people who travel specifically for it. We know people coming from abroad just for the festival! ### What sort of artworks have been submitted for this year's festival? It's a real variation of content! The flagship exhibition features work by local and national artists including paintings, sculpture, photography and textiles. The work ranges from tender and earnest to surreal and comedic which is exactly right for a festival about cats. We're exhibiting established artists alongside emerging artists and people who have never exhibited before. I genuinely think everyone will be able to find something they connect with or enjoy in the show. ![A woman handles a cat wearing a harness](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/FOC-Team-credit_-Will-Hebditch-1.JPG) Most cats in the festival are not real, but some are. **Photo: Will Hebditch* ### What event are you looking forward to most this festival and why? There are so many wonderful events in this year's programme, it is hard to choose. But if we had to pick one we're most excited about, it would have to be Old Possum's Poetry Club. It encapsulates everything we set out to do when we started the festival back in 2018\. Given the festival was in-part inspired by a book of poems, there's something beautifully full circle about having a poetry event that sits right at the very heart of the programme. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. What we love most about it is how accessible it is. Our host Kit Griffiths creates a warm, encouraging space where people feel genuinely safe to stand up, share and read aloud, whether that's a favourite poem, something they've written themselves, or a piece they've never shared with anyone before. In 2024 an attendee stood up and read her poem, afterwards she told me she had been writing poems for years but never had the confidence to read one out loud. I was so proud of her, and that we made her feel comfortable enough to share her work. There's something really special about the group. It's reflective, it's intimate, and it gives people an opportunity to connect with the words, with the festival, and with each other. In a world that can feel quite noisy and fast, we think there's enormous value in creating a moment like that. ### What have been some of your highlights over the years? The guided tours of the flagship exhibition, where we talk about how Eliot and Louis Wain inspired everything, tend to get really wonderful conversations going. And the Cat Drag Life Drawing where Margate's drag queens host an evening of drawing and performance, that's become something of a cult event. A huge highlight for me is exhibiting work by people who have never shared their work before, and watching their confidence grow and their practice develop afterwards. I think creativity is the greatest thing we can share, and to be even a small part in someone's journey in doing that is such an amazing feeling. I've also enjoyed the collaboration and the partnerships that have developed to make the festival possible. We have a beautiful team of talented volunteers who come back year after year, and we've been supported by local businesses too. This year we've been sponsored by The Job Muscroft Gallery, which has been great as it's enabled us to programme great events and support local artists. Max at Archive Print has always quietly supported us too, helping us with print, equipment and moving stuff around. Alongside too many other people to name! It sounds cheesy but that's what makes it possible, working together to make something happen for the community. ![An artwork of a large golden cat enclosed in a terrarium](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/Artwork-by-Kate-Harrison-Image-Credit-Will-Hebditch.JPG) The festival is designed to be inclusive and accessible. **Photo: Will Hebditch* ### Do real-life cats ever make an appearance at the festival? We've had a few cats attend the exhibition before, generally cats on leads who are happy to be outside. My cats would rather be at home eating my soft furnishings. We did have a very disappointed child storm out of the exhibition in 2024, incandescent with fury that none of the art was made by cats. This year's festival does feature Travis and Sigrid, a popular London-based cycling duo. Travis, an American expat, and Sigrid, his deaf white Norwegian Forest cat who became an internet sensation sharing their daily cycling adventures together, are making an appearance at Pie Factory Margate on Sunday, May 3\. As a long term Sigrid fan, I'm pretty excited. ### Do you have to be a 'cat lady' (or equivalent) to enjoy the festival? Ha ha. Absolutely not (I say that as someone who is fully a cat lady). The festival is genuinely for everyone. There are free creative activities throughout, including colouring and creative workshops so it’s open for families and children. You can engage with the festival as art, as culture, as comedy, as community. The cats are the theme, but even the most hardened dog people have enjoyed it! *Festival of Cats runs May 1-4, at Pie Factory Margate (opposite the Festival of Rats at Don’t Blink), and other participating venues. Visit* [*festivalofcats.com*](https://www.festivalofcats.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *for more information.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #100: Festival of Cats, Rosa Rankin-Gee, World Ocean Day URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/festival-of-cats-rosa-rankin-gee-world-ocean-day/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:31:19.000Z This newsletter is somewhat of a milestone for us, as it’s our 100th edition. We’re pretty chuffed about that. Not that we realised the fact until yesterday - it’s been a busy week. Last Sunday we went to the Ramsgate Pride in Place Programme launch at St George’s Church, where the Ramsgate massive was out in force singing the town’s praise. MP Polly Billington and Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board Chair Bernie Morgan spoke on how transformative the £20million 10-year programme and of Ramsgate’s already strong community spirit, before grant recipients - filmmakers, young writers, musicians - presented their creative responses to their town. We also joined a delightful (if cold!) sunset reading party at the Nayland Rock shelter, and afterwards dropped into Henry’s on Margate’s High Street on a whim. And we’re so glad we did. The long and fairly narrow bar is good looking, kitted out in rosewood panelling, rich fabrics and littered with Indian chintz. Co-owned by Phil Evans of Fez, the Desi bar shares a similar aesthetic to its High Street sister, but comes with South Asian flair, carefully curated by former Riz boss Paul Singh Tung. Recently opened in December, a kitchen preparing Indian small bites is in the pipeline. It also has a great view across Main Sands. Inside our 100th newsletter we have a Q&A with Jemma Channing, Festival Director of Festival of Cats, which takes place next week, May 1-4\. She talks about creating a community-minded accessible festival that just doesn’t appeal to cat ladies. There’s also long-term empty shops coming up for grabs, a song for World Ocean Day, Dreamland author Rosa Rankin-Gee and more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Robin Ince, Bridget Riley, Kent Whisky Explorers URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-robin-ince-bridget-riley-kent-whisky-explorers/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T11:07:31.000Z **Robin Ince will be back in Margate on Thursday, April 30 at the Fort Road Hotel** to discuss his new book Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal. In conversation with local author Ellen Jones, he will discuss his personal journey through anxiety, ADHD and neurodiversity. [**Free entry**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/normally-weird-and-weirdly-normal-with-robin-ince-tickets-1987251966126?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1rhfwu7%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTU2NDMyODI4OS4xNzc2Mjg5NTA2%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzYyODk1MDUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzYyODk1MDUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Robin Ince on how he keeps comedy excitingAhead of two performances in Margate, comedian Robin Ince discusses his love of books, mental health, poetry, and Judy Dench’s “rude handkerchief sewing”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/robin_ince_trent_burton-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/robin-ince-if-i-see-something-thats-interesting-i-just-want-to-go-and-do-it/) There are only a few weeks left to see **Turner Contemporary’s Bridget Riley exhibition**. On **Sunday, April 26**, you’ll have the chance to experience it in a very different way. **Composer Walter Zimmermann and guitarist Elliot Simpson have collaborated to create musical reimagings of six of the paintings on show**. Audiences will be invited to follow the musicians around the gallery as they perform each piece next to the painting that inspired it. **Free entry.** [**Find out more**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/compositions?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **ELZ will perform** a new work in progress show By the End Of This Show Every Man in the Audience will Be In Love with Me **at the Alley Bar in Ramsgate on Saturday, May 9**. Her debut hour long performance, it will combine jokes, songs and poems. There will also be a happy hour at the bar before the show and party after. [**Tickets £10.50**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/by-the-end-of-this-show-every-man-in-the-audience-will-be-in-love-with-me?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Goth club night Hexed will be back at Margate Arts Club on Friday, May 1** for its annual May Day extravaganza. There will be DJs spinning goth, industrial, metal and more all night, plus burlesque and drag performances, tarot reading, and craft making. [**Tickets £8**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32580/-goth-rockpost-punkindustrialebmdarkwavealt-dragperformances?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **The Secret Garden at Quex Park will host two talks on moths this summer**. Did you know there are around 2500 species of moth in the UK, most of which can be found in Kent? Local ‘moth-ers’ Bob Dean and Bob Hinge will bring you lots of moth facts at the garden centre on **Sunday, May 17 and Sunday, June 14\. Free entry. Email** [**thesecretgardenquex@gmail.com**](mailto:thesecretgardenquex@gmail.com) **to book your place**. **The Broadstairs and St Peters Community Festival returns on Saturday, May 16**. Now in its third year, the event showcases and raises awareness for groups supporting local residents and building a cleaner, safer, kinder community. **It will run from 10am to 4pm. Free entry**. Love textiles? Join the **Margate Textile Society’s weekly meetings at 101 Social in Cliftonville, Thursdays 4-6pm**. The group has just embarked on a community quilt making project, so now’s the perfect time to get involved. You can also bring your own project or head along for some inspiration. **£5 for a one-off drop-in, or £15 a month. Free for under 18s and over 65s.** [**Find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/margate.textile.society/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Writing in Progress turns one next month**. To mark the occasion, the May edition of the new writing night will be a **best of, showcasing some highlights of work performed over the last twelve months**. It takes place at **Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday, May 13\.** [**Find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/writinginprogress.margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Kent Whisky Explorers night is set to take place at Little Swift in Margate on Friday, May 15**. For this edition, host pau Vig will guide you through five English drams. As well as being a very fun evening full of tasty drinks and interesting facts, it will also raise money for men’s health charity Movember. [**Tickets £30**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kent-whisky-explorers-charity-night-excellent-english-whisky-tasting-tickets-1986349172847?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Acoustic music night Assembly** celebrates its second birthday on **Wednesday, April 29 at Off Licence in Cliftonville**. There will be performances from ELZ, Seye Adelekan, Wedding Guest and Diet Jesus. **£7 on the door**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (April 20-26) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-april-20-26/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T08:14:54.000Z Windmill Community Gardens and coffee kiosk Flints are teaming up to launch Sea Cabbages. For five Tuesdays, starting on Tuesday, the Cabbage Patch activity group for under 7s will explore the coast and learn about the plants and animals that live along it. [More info](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWomy2diFwL/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). After School Band Club kicks off a new term on Tuesday and Wednesday for 8-12 year olds who want to make some noise. £11 per session. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/kids%5Fband%5Fclub/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Marking Earth Day on Wednesday at 10am, join a walk along Kingsgate in Broadstairs exploring the geology, erosion, fossils and history of the bay. [Suggested donation £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/white-cliffs-of-kingsgate-walk-talks-2026-tickets-1982694609951?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). KlezMargate brings a night of Klezmer music and dance to ARK in Cliftonville on Wednesday, with a Klezmer Keilidh and a performance by Grammy-winning trumpeter Frank London. [Tickets from £10](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2066292?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Lightroom in London opens David Bowie: You Are Not Alone on Wednesday, screening. performance footage, rarely heard interviews and never-before-seen material lifted from the David Bowie Archive on the venue’s 11 foot high video walls. [Tickets £25](https://lightroom.uk/whats-on/david-bowie-youre-not-alone/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). For World Book Night on Thursday, there will be a sunset reading party at Margate’s Nayland Rock Shelter from 5.30pm. Bring whatever you’re reading at the moment, or grab a book from the pile provided. Then hunker down and read with a beautiful sea view. Margate Electronics is back at Margate Arts Club on Friday, with live performances from Hellocatfood and Rhizocorp. [Tickets £11.33](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/6d22k2-margate-electronics-12-24th-apr-margate-arts-club-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Margate takes over the Tate Modern as part of Tracey Emin’s A Second Life Tate Lates event on Friday night. Former and current TKE performance artists in residence Keziah, Pink Suits and Ted Rogers will all perform, Paul Camo, Reggy Brown and Sophie Stirling will DJ, and Guy Oliver will screen his film Millennial Prayer. [Free entry](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tate-modern-lates?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Ziah Ziah’s artistic growth through creative freedomTKE Studios performance art fellow Keziah Stilwell on creative exploration and shifting artistic gears.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/HAIR-DEEPER-CUT.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/tke-studio-fellowship-keziah-ziah-ziah/) The Balearic Boutique summer daytime party series returns with its launch party at The Sun Deck in Margate on Saturday. [More info](https://www.somewhere4u.co.uk/?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnCyn1nhKa1H4HNCpiRitauRJRkVwYLxt7BACFcWyf36xNmik0R6vfvNk4cqY%5Faem%5F%5F3krSXVLlEFQAmb69oGBYw). Artist Sheila Rennicks has a private view of her new solo exhibition Disco Disorder at The Lido Stores in Cliftonville on Saturday from 7-9pm. [Find out more](https://www.thelidostores.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Ramsgate Through the Senses festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday with talks, workshops, film screenings, music and more to get all of your senses fired up. [See the full programme](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ramsgatethroughthesenses?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Potting Shop in Cliftonville is closing down, with its last weekend of trading on Saturday and Sunday. Ramsgate Community Cinema is screening Chris Packham-fronted documentary The People’s Emergency Briefing on Sunday. [Check the website for further info](https://kentfilmfoundation.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Resonant Coast is back at Ramsgate Arts Club on Sunday, with live performances from ‘ghost rock’ project Alex Rex, cellist Francesca Ter-Berg, and ambient duo Adam Coney and Richard Pike. [Tickets £8](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/resonant-coast-3-tickets-1982208746721?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Discover Planet receives King’s Award for Voluntary Service and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-discover-planet-receives-kings-award-for-voluntary-service-a/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T09:43:08.000Z **Discovery Planet**, which runs STEM workshops for children, **officially received their King’s Award for Voluntary Service** at a ceremony at the Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate last Saturday. The equivalent of an MBE for volunteer organisations, it was **presented to co-founder Nikki Hildesley by Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Lady Colgrain**. In a speech, Lady Colgrain said that there was a great deal of competition for the award, but Discovery Planet had received it because **the work they do “is not replicated anywhere else in the country.”** [Discovery Planet Ramsgate returns to pop-up STEM eventsXanthe Pitt, a founder of Ramsgate’s Discovery Planet, reflects on over a decade of galactic pondering, spacecraft shields and debunking trickle down economics![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2025/04/DiscoveryPlanet_May2022-12.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-stem-outfit-closes-high-street-doors-but-its-not-goodbye/) **Margate’s Turner Contemporary is set to receive £865,000 from the government’s new Arts Anywhere Fund**, which was announced by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy this week. **The money will be used for essential maintenance and other improvements to the building**, including the installation of solar panels on its roof. “This investment is a testament to the government’s commitment to the arts and to coastal communities like ours, supporting both the fabric of the building and the transition to clean, renewable energy and lower bills,” says East Thanet MP Polly Billington. **“This vital grant will help safeguard the gallery’s future.”** **Heritage Lab Ramsgate has secured a £250,000 grant from Historic England** to bring more of Ramsgate’s historic buildings back into active, sustainable use over three years. **One of 19 organisations to receive grants, it will be handed £107,114 in the first year**. “Heritage Lab Ramsgate has demonstrated a strong track record of delivering innovative, community-focused heritage regeneration,” says Tom Foxall, Regional Director at Historic England. “We are pleased to support this next phase of their work, which will help unlock the potential of Ramsgate’s historic buildings and bring lasting benefits to the town.” [**Read more**](https://www.heritagelab.org.uk/heritage-lab-ramsgate-secures-250000-grant-from-historic-england-to-unlock-towns-heritage-potential/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Heritage Lab’s plans to revitalise Ramsgate’s historic buildings and boost local prideRob Kenyon, CEO of Heritage Lab Ramsgate, discusses the organisation’s work to boost Ramsgate’s economy and pride in place by bringing derelict buildings![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Rob-Kenyon-Heritage-Lab-Ramsgate.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/heritage-labs-plans-to-revitalise-ramsgates-historic-buildings-and-boost-local-pride/) **Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location is coming back to Kent**. The longrunning property show is seeking individuals, families and couples from the county who need Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer’s help finding their next home. You’ll need to be chain free or SSTC and ready to buy this spring/summer. [**Apply to take part**](https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/takepart/location?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate’s Pride in Place programme will hold its official launch this Sunday**, celebrating the £20 million of funding the town is set to receive over a ten year period. Taking place at St George’s Church, **the event will showcase the results of the ‘Bring It to Life’ creative grants**, displaying new visions for the town by Ramsgate people and organisations. There will also be community art, audio displays, film, music and performances. **It begins at 1.45pm, following the Ramsgate Parade at 12.30pm**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Margate’s Chump’s Comedy is set to programme the End of the Road Festival’s comedy stage for the second year**. Among the performers they’ve lined up are Stewart Lee, Fern Brady, Desiree Burch, Paul Foot and more. The festival takes place at Larmer Tree Gardens near Salisbury from September 3-6\. [**Tickets available now**](https://endoftheroadfestival.com/tickets/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Chump’s Comedy Margate: Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, crab jokesFrom an idea shared on a train home to sell-out shows featuring the likes of Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, Andy Malt speaks to Margate’s Chump’s Comedy about how it all came together so successfully, so quickly![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/Chumps-team.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) **Margate restaurant Angela’s has announced that it is abandoning plans to move into the former Cafe G**. “Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of our control, we cannot move the restaurant into No 1 High Street as planned,” says a statement. “Angela’s restaurant, being the perfectly formed little gem that it already is, will stay put for the foreseeable future.” **Instead, they plan to reopen the building as a cafe, bar and ice cream shop with outdoor seating on the piazza**. **Broadstairs Folk Week has announced local artist Clare Youngs as the winner of its design competition this year**. Her [winning artwork](https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9aZI7jM6a/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will be featured on the cover of this year’s souvenir brochure. **“I always love Folk Week and this year will be extra special,” says Clare**. **Do you have a cat worthy of the big screen?** Finally their time has come! Before its screening of CatVideoFest on Sunday, May 3, **Broadstairs’ Palace Cinema will be creating a showreel of local cats**. Email a hi res photo of your moggy along with their name to [**info@thepalacecinema.co.uk**](mailto:info@thepalacecinema.co.uk) **by Friday, May 1** to be included. **And don’t forget to** [**book tickets for the screening**](https://palacecinemabroadstairs.savoysystems.co.uk/PalaceCinemaBroadstairs.dll/TSelectItems.waSelectItemsPrompt.TcsWebMenuItem%5F867.TcsWebTab%5F868.TcsPerformance%5F726657?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2025/06/DSC_5202-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) **The Canterbury Children's Literature Festival is again holding a story competition**. Children aged 5-16 are invited to submit a story, comic or poem on the theme ‘Go Wild’. There are prizes to be won and the winning entries will be displayed on a trail around one of the festival’s venues. [**Full details**](https://www.canterburykidslitfest.co.uk/writing-competition?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The festival is set to take place on July 10-12 with **the full programme set to be announced on Monday**. Thanet District Council and Margate Skateboard Club are holding a **public drop-in event to find out more about Cliftonville’s new £1.3m skatepark this Thursday**. Taking place at the **Family Hub on Zion Place from 3-7pm**, locals will be able to meet the design team and give feedback on the plans. **Scorcha Skate School will also be running free skateboarding sessions during the event**. **Margate Film Festival has put a call out for ideas for events to form part of this year’s programme in November**. “We’re expanding beyond the screen for our seventh edition this November,” say organisers. “Think projection mapping, live scores, interactive installations, immersive experiences, and events that take cinema out into the streets and unusual spaces around town.” **The deadline is Saturday, July 1\.** [**More details**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/opportunity/mff26-beyond-the-screen/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate Film Festival: ‘We want to be a beacon for bold, boundary-pushing cinema’After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2024/11/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) **Chapel House Estate in Ramsgate has gained B Corp certification**, recognising its commitment to social and environmental practices. Businesses must reach a B Impact Score of 80 to gain the certification - Chapel House’s came in at 99\. “It means we’ve met high standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability,” says the venue. **“In simple terms, it reflects how we’ve always believed business should be done: with care for people, community, and the planet.”** **Applications are open for the Zoological Society of London’s Transforming the Thames artist residency**. The wider project is a 100-year vision to repair, restore and reconnect the habitats of the Thames Estuary so that both wildlife and communities can flourish. The **ten month artist residency should inspire and engage coastal communities along the Greater Thames Estuary**, celebrating its wildlife, habitats and the plans for ecological recovery. **The deadline is April 30\.** [**Find out more and apply**](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/26eb01cd9d40461bbaa2add3313784e3?item=6&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Margate’s Printworks building gets new lease of life URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margates-printworks-building-gets-new-lease-of-life/ Last updated: 2026-04-18T07:59:21.000Z A building steeped in local history, Margate's Printworks on Union Crescent has been many things since it was first built in 1870\. Now, it has entered yet another new chapter thanks to interior designer Paul Andrews who has spent close to two years turning the former headquarters of the Isle of Thanet Gazette into his home and studio. Working across commercial and residential design, Paul began looking for a site after filming an episode of BBC One's Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr in 2021 in Margate, when he was seduced by the town’s enigmatic charm. "It just appealed to me creatively," says Paul. "Margate has got this unique combination of heritage and creative energy. There's a real sense of reinvention happening here and when I started thinking about this project, it felt aligned with all of that momentum. "I suppose \[Margate\] got my juices flowing," he adds. ![An open-plan living area decorated in mid-century furnishings](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_9057-2-1.jpeg) The open plan living area. **Photo: Paul Andrews* He began home-hunting in earnest in 2023, asking to look at the Margate buildings "people don't want". "I wanted to take on something that would be a challenge and to put my own stamp on it," he says. "The building had to become a full-scale expression of my design philosophy." Looking at places in Westgate, Margate and Cliftonville, Paul settled on Margate Old Town as a location, drawn to the area’s particular creative energy. "In such a small space, you get different neighbourhoods," he explains. "And they've all got the same creative energy, but with subtle differences." ![A luxurious bedroom with ensuite](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/3a7cfad4-6456-4d12-b5a4-077fec22b781-1.jpg) The main bedroom. **Photo: Paul Andrews* Paul made an offer on Printworks the day he looked at it, drawn to the building's industrial integrity and "the opportunity to reimagine the space". "It's rare to be trusted with a building that holds so much local history," he says. "My aim was to honour that legacy while proving that thoughtful interior design can completely reimagine how a space is lived in." ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Purpose built for the Isle of Thanet Gazette over 150 years ago, it was later used by other companies and clients, including the east Kent department store Bobby & Co until the end of WWII. Publishers Eyre & Spottiswoode took over the building in 1947, leading to a boom in the local industry. The building became part of The Thanet Press, a bigger complex of printing operations across several buildings. Printworks itself continued to house the Isle of Thanet Gazette editorial until around 2009. Since then, the building has been home to architect firms, a doctors studio, Curve coffee roasters, artist studios and Union Yoga, while sections of the larger printing complex have become part of the Carl Freeman Gallery and Tracey Emin's studio. ![A residential construction site with metal pole errected](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_5626-1.jpeg) Paul worked with Meme Architects to reconfigure the downstairs flow. **Photo: Paul Andrews* Paul - who also set up Margate Interiors Collective, a design-led network of around 25 people working across various interior-related professions - didn't want to erase this history, going on to say that good interior design isn’t about replacing history, it's about editing it. "I didn’t view it as a conversion," he says. "I viewed it as more of a continuation. So rather than erasing the building’s past, you get to extend its story. "To be trusted with something that's got so much history was way beyond my wildest dreams." He set about turning Printworks into a sanctuary and creative headquarters for himself. His design concept was bedded in working with the building’s history, "celebrated" raw materials and was led by Printworks' industrial bones. In practical terms, that meant retaining as many structural elements as possible - joists, timber, brickwork, concrete. With a ceiling six metres high and "big, big, big proportions", Paul wanted to respect Printworks' scale and not domesticate it too heavily. ![Three chairs and a mirror](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_8344-1.jpeg) For the first time, Paul is able to have all his furniture and stuff in one place. **Photo: Paul Andrews* Working with former Printworks residents Meme Architects, the layout was reconceived, taking the building from a commercial space into a residential one, which Paul says was one of the biggest challenges of the project. "Industrial buildings are not designed for domestic flow," he says. "It required really careful spatial planning to retain the character and make it function as a home." When he took on the building, it was an open plan yoga studio with lots of mirrors on the ground level and a printing press upstairs. There was no staircase, no electrics and no toilets between the floors. Five drafts later, the floorplan was reimagined as an open plan living, kitchen and dining room on the first floor, and a hallway, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a utilities room and studio on the ground. As part of the reconfiguration, the back of the building was opened up to take advantage of its south facing perspective. The front door was repositioned with a new one made to look exactly the same as the others, keeping in line with the original facade. A double height void space was created by taking out part of the first floor, creating a roughly 12 metre view from downstairs through to the upstairs, and a bespoke metal and walnut staircase was created. ![A bed in a bedroom](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_9130-1.jpeg) One of the downstairs bedrooms. **Photo: Paul Andrews* Underfloor heating was laid across the ground floor which was then covered in polished concrete. The main bedroom, which comes with an ensuite and dressing room, sits at the back of the house, while the guest bedroom and bathroom has its own private entrance. In order to keep the upstairs ceiling's original features, including its timber and metal rolled steel joists, Paul removed the roof to lay insulation. He also reopened the ceiling's boarded up skylights, keeping their original positions. "The ceiling inside is the original \[from\] 1870," he explains. "I've been able to keep all of that without having to actually touch it. It was in such amazing condition for the age of it. It's had a bit of finessing, but other than that, it's pretty much as it's always been." The building's remaining original timber, metalwork, brick and concrete informed the materials, textures and colours and materials Paul introduced to the interiors. "You put all those elements together and you've already got a colour palette," he says. "The structural elements give you a lot of texture and colour and warmth," he continues. "That then dictated the joinery and carpentry that came into the building, so it echoed the natural aesthetic." ![An internal staircase near a window](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/22eb407c-7073-4d8b-9fa6-dac266e66474-1.jpg) The bespoke walnut and metal staircase. **Photo: Paul Andrews* Informed by Printworks' original yellow bricks and the original lime render, a coastal colour palette has been used in the interiors. Paul originally conceived adventurous colours throughout his new home. However, after considering the natural light now flooding in through the skylights, and inspired by spring and autumnal coastal walks, he paired his colours back. "There was so much to think about," he says of his time spent in the throes of the build. "\[Those walks were a way\] of processing my thoughts." As a result, he settled on a pallette inspired by "the colours and the tones of the sky and the sea and the landscape on autumn and spring days, when everything was just fading into the background a little more." He continues, "Once we'd done the strip out and I started to see the raw materials, then that became a combination you could celebrate, where you could take the muted tones and the raw materials and merge those together." To balance out the grand scale of the upstairs ceiling, the light greyish concrete walls and to add warmth to the now light-flooded room, Paul used a dark earthy colour on the north and south walls. He he brought this through to the staircase and void space, while introducing a light green-grey downstairs. ![A corridor with artwork on the walls, as well as a vintage gum machine](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_8515-1.jpeg) Paul's vintage gum machine. **Photo: Paul Andrews* Keeping a natural flow of colour between the floors, the ceiling joists on both levels have been exposed, and the concrete upstairs is balanced with the downstairs' polished concrete floors. Paul moved into his new home in December, and says it’s "amazing" to be living in the space. It's the first time he’s been able to have all his furniture, art, and stuff like the vintage chewing gum machine he bought at a car boot while at university. "I've got loads of different objects and little weird things; I like things in jars," Paul says. "It's almost like curating a space. "Everyone says it's eclectic," he continues, talking about friends' thoughts on his home. "Things that shouldn't work, work together, which even I've been surprised by." He goes on to say that when all the elements come together, is when any interior design project becomes a home for the client. "In this case," Paul says, "I'm the client." *Find out more about Paul and his work* [*on his website*](https://www.paulalfredandrews.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #99: Printworks, Discovery Planet, Robin Ince URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/printworks-discovery-planet-robin-ince/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:32:41.000Z Hello, It was a real joy last Saturday to be invited to see Discover Planet receive their King’s Award for Voluntary Service at the Royal Temple Yacht Club in Ramsgate. It's such a huge recognition of the organisations amazing work to engage young people with Science. It was also great to see to many familiar faces and meet some new ones too, while marvelling at the view across the harbour from the yacht club. After the ceremony, we ducked into new new(ish) Union cafe for a lunch of lovely dhal - an experience improved by it being served to us by a nine year old boy in an excellent apron. In this week's newsletter, we have an interview with interior designer Paul Andrews. After spending the last two years converting Margate Printworks, built in 1870, into his home and studio, he talked us through his process and making changes that respect the buildings more than 150 year history. There's also, of course, all the latest news and things to do across Thanet and further afield. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: The People's Emergency Briefing, World Book Night, Bagpuss URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-the-peoples-emergency-briefing-world-book-night-bagpuss/ Last updated: 2026-04-18T08:20:44.000Z **A climate crisis documentary screening, a sunset reading session, behind the scenes of Bagpuss and more. Upcoming events for your diary in Thanet and beyond.** **Ramsgate Community Cinema has a climate emergency double bill on Sunday, April 26**. Presented by Chris Packham, **The People’s Emergency Briefing outlines the implications of climate and nature collapse**, as well as positive changes being made. It will be followed by The Minster Marshes, a short film made by 16-year-old Connor Carruthers. A panel discussion will follow the screenings. [**Check the website for further info**](https://kentfilmfoundation.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Catch seafood supper club returns next month**. Taking over **Gather& in Ramsgate on Friday, May 22**, it will serve up a four course menu including gordal olives, anchovy and goat’s curd toast, spiced whole mackerel, and Tarta de Santiago. [**£40 per person**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/catch?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Artist Sheila Rennicks opens her new solo exhibition Disco Disorder at The Lido Stores in Cliftonville on Saturday, April 25**. The series of painting feature themes of femininity, motherhood, popular culture, and social media. There will be a private view on the 25th from 7-9pm. [**Find out more**](https://www.thelidostores.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Head to **Ramsgate Arts Club on Saturday, May 2 for the venue’s next club night, Stratospheric Sounds**. DJs Jeff Levy and Darren Smart will be playing funk, jazz, latin, afrofunk and soulful dance floor grooves. **Free entry**. **The Broadstairs May Fair is set to take place from May 23-25**, with a fun fair on Victoria Gardens, as well as local craft and other stalls along the prom. The event will **raise money for Broadstairs Water Gala and Fireworks on Wednesday, July 29**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Windmill Community Gardens and coffee kiosk Flints are teaming up to launch Sea Cabbages**. For five Tuesdays, **starting on April 21**, the Cabbage Patch **activity group for under 7s** will explore the coast and learn about the plants and animals that live along it. [**More info**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWomy2diFwL/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Garden Gate Project up by Northdown Park will be holding its Spring Open Day on Saturday, May 9**. The garden will be open from 1-4pm for all to enjoy. There will also be a plant sale and craft stalls, plus tea and coffee, homemade cakes and handmade pizza. **Free entry**. **The Brogdale Cider Festival returns this August Bank Holiday weekend**. Taking place at Brogdale Farm in Faversham on August 29-30, there will be live music, tractor rides for kids, apple juicing, crafts, games and more. And cider, obviously. [**Adult tickets £15**](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/brogdale-cider-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Sri Lankan food pop-up Friends of Foe will be back at Hoffs in Margate again on Saturday, May 2**. Among the items on the menu will be coconut chicken satay skewers and brinjal curry. These always sell out, and this is set to be the last pop up until the end of the summer, so all the more reason to book fast. [**£28 per person**](https://www.instagram.com/friends%5Fof%5Ffoe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Vaults Comedy will take place at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday, May 7**. Headlining will be Funmbi Omotayo, with Sharon Whanjohi, Josh Elton and Erika Ehler also performing. [**Tickets £18**](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/7thmay?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Plant yourself an edible hanging basket at Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs on Sunday, May 17**. Choosing from four basket options, you’ll also be given planting advice, recipe and care information. For an extra £5 you can also take part in a botanical cocktail making session. Mocktails and cocktails will also be on sale at the bar. [**Tickets £15**](https://book.stripe.com/bJe7sK49Fbmhgcr4Bq8Ra0v?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Balearic Boutique summer daytime party series returns later this month**. It’s 2026 launch party will take place at **The Sun Deck in Margate on Saturday, April 25**. This will kick off a monthly residency running through to August, with visiting DJs including Justin Deighton, Nancy Noise, Terry Farley and Jo Mills. [**More info**](https://www.somewhere4u.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **It’s World Book Night on Thursday, April 23**. To mark the occasion, there will be a **sunset reading party at Margate’s Nayland Rock Shelter from 5.30pm**. Bring whatever you’re reading at the moment, or grab a book from the pile provided. Then **hunker down and read with a beautiful sea view**. **Smiths Townhouse in Broadstairs is offering an intimate small group healing session on Thursday, May 14** with Nanda Healing & Wellness. You’ll practice a mix of meditation, energy healing and grounding practices for relaxation and connection. £50 per person with a minimum group size of six. [**More info**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DW6hDAfjByJ/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Atomica returns to Ramsgate Arts Club on Saturday, June 6**. Having tackled the 80s in March, this time around the club night will be delivering **90s tunes all night**. Expect Britpop anthems, dancefloor bangers and big pop hits. **Free entry**. **Son of Bagpuss creator Oliver Postgate, Simon Postgate** will be giving a **talk on the much loved children’s TV show at Beach Creative in Herne Bay on Friday, May 15**. He’ll discuss the stop motion world of the show with pictures, film clips and personal memories. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.beachcreative.org/event-details-registration/bagpuss-talk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Marking **Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22** join a **walk along Kingsgate in Broadstairs** exploring the geology, erosion, fossils and history of the bay. Suitable for adults and children over 11 years old, the walk led by Richard and Tina Hubbard will begin at 10am and last around two hours. [**Suggested donation £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/white-cliffs-of-kingsgate-walk-talks-2026-tickets-1982694609951?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Ramsgate Handmade & Vintage Fair will be back on Ramsgate Harbour on Sunday, May 3**. Find stalls selling textiles, glass, pottery, soaps, jewellery, art, plants and more. **The market will take place every first Sunday of the month throughout the year**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (April 13-19) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-april-13-19/ Last updated: 2026-04-18T12:10:42.000Z There’s lots to do in Thanet and further afield this week. Not to mention, there’s still a week of the Easter school holiday to go - check out what to do to keep the kids occupied in our guide: [Family-friendly Easter holiday fun in Thanet, Kent and LondonLots of ideas for things to do with the kids over the Easter holidays in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and further afield![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2025/04/DJI_20240608202657_0119_D_MFUK.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/easter-holiday-things-to-do-in-thanet-east-kent-and-london/) Bottleneck in Broadstairs has a tasting session with English sparkling wine maker Nyetimber on Thursday. [Tickets £40](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/nyetimber-tasting-16-04?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first Women Who Walk, a new monthly meet up in Broadstairs for local women in business, takes place on Friday. Meet at the Old Curiosity Shop at 9am. Fancy eating like it's the tenth century? Turner Contemporary is hosting two eight course medieval feasts on Friday and Saturday. [£65 per person](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/mokadem-medieval-supperclub?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Tap Takeover will return from Friday to Sunday, bringing lots of guest beers to pubs and bars around the town. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Margate’s TKE Studios launches two new exhibitions on Saturday, The Journey by Jack Hirons and Ramsholt by Johnnie Shand Kydd. Following an opening preview from 6-8pm on Saturday, they’ll be on display until June 7. Women-only social group Gal & Gather celebrates its first birthday with a special meet up at Flowers & Felicities in Broadstairs on Saturday. [Tickets £50](https://events.flowersandfelicitys.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#event/6). The Music is Black: A British Story, opens at V&A East in London on Saturday, looking at how Black British music has shaped British culture. [Tickets from £22.50](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/the-music-is-black-a-british-story?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Charlie Partridge performs his new show Treasure Hunt for Billionaires at Ramsgate’s Alley Bar on Saturday. [Tickets £12.50](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/charlie-partridge-treasure-hunts-for-billionaires?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Craig Charles DJs at The Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £17.50](https://www.universe.com/events/craig-charles-msw-25th-anniversary-series-tickets-76W0RJ?ref=universe-discover). Margate’s Turner Contemporary hosts a drawing masterclass with renowned artist Michael Landy on Sunday. [Tickets £20](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/artist-masterclass-michael-landy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Vintage market Sunday Session will be at Gather& in Ramsgate on Sunday, selling streetwear and designer menswear, furniture, records, art and more. Join a free zine making workshop with Jen Scott (aka Shelly Grotto) from 11am to 1pm at CAMP in Cliftonville on Sunday, as part of People United’s Queer Coastal Zine project. Japanese psychedelic rock band Acid Mothers Temple return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Sunday. [Tickets £17.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/acid-mother-temple-with-special-guest-cotton-casino/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Alan Carr spotted filming in Broadstairs URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-alan-carr-spotted-filming-in-broadstairs/ Last updated: 2026-04-12T07:00:43.000Z **Alan Carr in Broadstairs, Harry Hill in Margate, food, art and film. This week's creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Comedian Alan Carr was spotted filming in Broadstairs this week**. It’s not known exactly what he was in the town for, but he is currently filming for a new Amazon Prime Video series called The F\*ck It List. It’s not Carr’s first trip to Thanet. He hosted a Margate-based episode of Interior Design Masters in 2022 and filmed a section of his Chatty Man show on Broadstairs Beach in 2019\. **Carr also recently announced stand up tour dates, which will** [**bring him to Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/alan-carr-have-i-said-too-much/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **on June 12 & 13**. **Harry Hill was in Margate over the Easter weekend**. Among other things, he checked out the Bridget Riley exhibition at Turner Contemporary, which he called [**“mind bendingly good”**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWzGVzUigGp/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Green candidate Rob Yates has won a place on the Reform Kent County Council, after winning the by-election for the Cliftonville seat**. The by-election was called after Reform's Daniel Taylor was given as 12-month sentence for behaving in a coercive way to his wife. The election came down to Greens and Reform, with Rob beating Reform candidate Marc Rattigan, 39% to 33%. Greens leader Zach Polanski made an appearance in the lead up to the election, with a rally on the Main Sands steps and popped into Where Else. **Margate Film Festival will be back again this November**. If you’ve got a film burning a hole in your pocket that you think could work in the programme, **submissions are now open**. The team are looking for shorts, features and artists’ moving image that celebrate diversity, change, rebellion, feminism and bold, unique personal and cultural identities. [**Submit your film**](https://filmfreeway.com/MargateFilmFestival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Margate has a new art gallery, Mooch**. Situated inside Dreamland, the gallery is showing a collection of contemporary art and prints. **It’s open daily from 12–5pm**. **JAKL - aka local musician Hughie Gavin - has released a new EP called A Glimmer**. Recorded live at **Big Jelly Studios in Ramsgate**, the set features a mix of original songs and piano improvisations. “I wanted to make something that felt real, human and that hopefully had the energy and spontaneity of a live performance,” says Hughie. [**Listen now**](https://orcd.co/jakl-a-glimmer?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Building Stories: Bringing narratives to lifeListen to our recent panel discussion on storytelling as part of this year’s Margate Bookie literary festival![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/IMG_6019-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/building-stories-bringing-narratives-to-life/) Has **Bombo Doughnuts** been missing from your life like… a hole in a doughnut? Well, after a spell away, the sweet treat makers will be **back in town on Saturday, May 2**. Exactly where is something they’re keeping a secret for now, although [**a social media post**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWtA7GlggzR/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) suggests Dreamland. After various pop-ups, **Sarns now has a permanent home at 102 Northdown Road in Cliftonville**. They’ll be serving up weighty sandwiches Thursday to Sunday, as well as pastries, filter coffee and soft drinks. **The Potting Shop in Cliftonville has announced that it will close at the end of this month**. “Unfortunately 2025 was incredibly tough financially, and we have been losing money every week we have been open,” says owner Katie Heward. “To add a baby in the mix has been a lot, so we are closing as our lease is up around this time too.” Repotting and holiday plant care services will continue, but **the shop’s final day of trading will be Sunday, April 26**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #98: Sunsets, Alan Carr, World Book Night URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/sunsets-alan-carr-world-book-night/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:32:12.000Z Hello, Margate's community spirit has come out in fold these last couple of weeks, which has been an utter delight. It's been a buzz to see so many people speak passionately about positive change and the town's diverse knit of people come out in force to rally against hate and prejudice - and not just from the Greens. With the Cliftonville by-election now done and dusted, much of Margate is celebrating a liberal win, basking in the communal effort that defeated a Reform reelection. So wallow in this moment of optimism. Savour a sunset, perhaps even with a drink in hand. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Thanet's best spots to catch a sunset (with a drink in hand) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/where-to-catch-one-of-those-cracking-coastal-kent-sunsets-with-a-sundowner-in-hand/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T22:45:16.000Z Thanet’s sunsets have beguiled and inspired since Turner's day. The fleeting and ephemeral nightly show is magical, turning the sky pink and bronze before slipping behind the North Sea horizon. Thanks to its position, Margate has some of the best sunsets along the East Kent coast, but the day's end is also superb in Ramsgate and Broadstairs too. If you want to catch the sun's final fleeting moments around Thanet, here's where to go. ### Margate Beach Club The former Sundowners venue has prime position looking across Main Sands. Not just for cutting shapes late at night or evening comedy, sunsets flood right in, through the bar's expansive windows. So grab a table near by and people watch as the sun goes down. *1 Albert Terrace, Margate CT9 1UJ* ### The Shakespeare, Margate One of the best pubs in Margate, [The Shakespeare](https://www.instagram.com/theshakespearemargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has rockstar parking sunset-wise. Views of the North Sea flood into the easy and breezy pub’s windows across the top of Main Sands and The Bus Cafe. Grab yourself a perch at the window, a board game from behind the bar and order in one of Palm’s massive pizzas (broccoli and pesto, always) and settle in. *1 Canterbury Rd, Westbrook, Margate, CT9 5AQ* ### Main Sands steps, Margate A popular choice, not just because it’s free, Margate’s Main Sands steps is also prime sunset real estate, as seagulls and occasionally people with portable speakers well know. Grab a takeaway pint from Xylo or maybe an espresso martini slushie from [Little Swift](https://www.instagram.com/littleswiftct9/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for your sundowner, or grab fish and chips from [Beach Buoys](https://www.beachbuoys.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or a [GB Pizza](https://www.instagram.com/gbpizzacomargate/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) pizza - blue cheese and pear comes recommended. ### On top of the harbour arm, Margate Although it can come with intense music blasting at an intense level, sitting on the top of the venues along the harbour arm near the old lighthouse has a view just as grand as the steps, but with fewer people and gulls. Grab yourself an ale or pump cider from [The Harbour Arms](https://www.instagram.com/harbourarmsmargate/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk), and head to [Dive](https://www.instagram.com/dive.margate/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or [Sargasso](https://www.instagram.com/sargasso.bar/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for a bite after, or before. ### Guest House No. 42, Margate Watch the sunset over Main Sands from the comfort of [Guest House No. 42](https://www.instagram.com/guesthousehotels/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)’s nostalgic, Art Deco glamour. The hotel’s restaurant, the Pearly Cow has a dining room, with balcony, looking directly across the beach. If you’re after just a drink, the hotel’s rooftop bar is also a good shout in good weather, but you may have to book. *42 High St, Margate, CT9 1DS* ### The Belle Vue Tavern, Ramsgate Overlooking Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate’s [Belle Vue Tavern](https://www.thebellevuetavern.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has a large beer garden that comes with an unfettered view across the wide cove, that is equally impressive at low-tide as it is high. A Shepherd Neame pub with unpretentious, friendly and neighbourhood vibes, it also has a kitchen that plates up pub grub classics. *Pegwell Road, Ramsgate, CT11 0NJ* ### Viking Bay, Broadstairs For the early birds, Broadstairs’ main beach, Viking Bay is a great spot to watch the sun come up. Not much is open at 4.30am around these parts, but looking past summer, [Namaka](https://www.instagram.com/namakabroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) on Stone Bay Beach, just around the corner, fuels morning dog walkers with coffee and healthy light bites. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Wetherspoons, Ramsgate Yes, it’s a Spoons and there is no music and it smells of warm tomato sauce, but as far as Spoons go, Ramsgate’s is pretty good. The cavernous Victorian Pavilion has plenty of tables inside to catch the day drawing to a close, and there’s a decent amount of seating outside should the temperatures be warm enough for it. *Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 8LS* ### Jetty, Broadstairs Jutting out on Broadstairs’ Viking Bay, [Jetty](https://www.jettybroadstairs.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) plates up drinks and food while offering an uninterrupted view of the sea. Comes with plenty of seating inside and while the sun comes streaming in, sit outside if you want to watch the sun say goodnight head on. *The Harbour, Broadstairs, CT10 1JU* ### Western Undercliff, Ramsgate Overlooking the same view as the Belle Vue Tavern, Western Undercliff beach looks across Pegwell Bay, with white chalky cliffs behind you. There’s no amenities here, but it's quiet vibe is all part of the appeal. ### Turner Contemporary, Margate During summer, [Louie-on-Sea](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/terraza/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has a weather-dependant aperitivo hour on Saturdays, from 5pm, until sunset. Grab a drink, listen to the tunes, and settle into your deckchair. ### Royal Harbour, Ramsgate Perhaps one for an evening stroll, the sun going down over a marina full of boats is a rather charmed sight. You could end up at Wetherspoons, or for something that reeks less of warm vinegar, why not walk up towards [The House](https://albionhouseramsgate.co.uk/drink-and-dine?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for a post-sunset drink, instead? ### Barnacles, Margate An old-school boozer next to Old Kent Market, Barnacles has a number of large picnic-style tables and chairs out the front which you can catch a sunset - and all the seafront ongoings. Opposite at the Mannings Seafood van, grab yourself a dressed crab to munch along with your white wine spritz served in a plastic cup. ### Queer Sunset Club Not sure what the group's stance on drinking is, but if you are looking for some people to watch a sunset with and a snack in hand, this LGBTQ+ meet-up group are your crew. [Follow on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/queer%5Fsunset%5Fclub%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Say She She, Fern Brady, Ramsgate Lit Fest URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-say-she-she-fern-brady-ramsgate-lit-fest/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T14:56:25.000Z **Say She She at The Drill Shed, Fern Brady at Where Else and the first Ramsgate Lit Fest. Get these dates in your diary for upcoming events in Thanet.** New York trio Say **She She will be coming to The Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Thursday, July 30**. This is the latest standalone show marking Margate Soul Festival’s 25th anniversary. [**Tickets £30.03**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/nvn938-say-she-she-30th-jul-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Wilson's Comedy Club** is back at the **Queen's Head in Ramsgate on Saturday, April 25** for laughs and chuckles. Comics Bob Mills, Kate Lucas, Currer Ball and Wilson Milton are on the bill, with things kick off at **7pm and** [**tickets are £15**](https://www.jokepit.com/comedy-by/wilsons-comedy-clubs?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Having aired it in work-in-progress form last year, **Fern Brady returns to Margate** with the finished version of her latest show I Gave You Milk to Drink later this month. She’ll be at **Where Else on Wednesday, April 29** before retiring the show and getting started on the next thing (in this case, promoting her new book). [**Tickets £20**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/mx7da9-fern-brady-i-gave-you-milk-to-drink-29th-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Festival of Cats 2026 returns to Margate's Pie Factory from May 1-5**. The festival includes an exhibition, Cat Drag Life Drawing, Old Possum’s Poetry Reading, a screening of CatVideoFest at the Palace Cinema, and special appearances from The Cat Show and internet favourites Sigrid and Travis, with more stuff to be announced. With more to be announced. [**See the programme so far**](https://www.festivalofcats.com/s-projects-basic?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. The reign of **Margate Mayor Katie Pope** is coming to an end. She's marking the end of her term with a **ball at Thanet Indoor Bowls Club on Saturday, April 18.** Not your average ball, the Bower Street Morris will have a show, and watch out for some pro-wrestling too. **Tickets are £55** per person, or a table of eight is **£420**. You can also sponsor a table for **£500**. **To book your spot email** [**secretary@margate.org.uk**](mailto:secretary@margate.org.uk)**.** **The Bottleneck** in **Broadstairs** has **two wine tasting sessions** coming up. First for the wine tasting season, is **Nyetimber on April 16**, which will focus on sparkling wines. The other is with Kentish **Simpsons Wine Estate on April 30**, and you'll be mixing your drinks here, with sparkling, whites and reds. Both events include cheese and charcuterie boards as part of the deal.[**Tickets £40**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Ramsgate Lit Fest is set to take place at The Book Hotel from May 23-29**. The official opening event for the hotel, it will feature author talks, panel discussions, events for children and more. Speakers so far announced include Adam Weymouth, Rosie Wilby, Dominic Gregory, and Tamara Macfarlane. The festival will open with a night of jazz from French musician Mademoiselle Loulou. [**Find out more**](https://thebookhotel.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). How often have you thought about asparagus so far this year? If you replied with anything but a confused splutter, get ready for **An Asparagus Dinner at Seabird in Ramsgate on Thursday, May 7**. The night will mark the beginning of asparagus season (which officially starts on April 23 and runs through to June 21). Attendees will be treated to five courses, each incorporating the pointy vegetable in a different way. [**Places £55**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/asparagus?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Traces of Humanity** is a collection of **four exhibitions** **curated by Philippa Beal, inspired by Gibraltar's Gorham Caves Complex - A UNESCO World Heritage Site** that has caves running into the ocean, nestled in nature. Margate will host the first two exhibitions, at the **Schwartzman Gallery on margate High Street May 1-15** **(opening night May 1 6pm)**, and then again **May 19-28 (opening night May 19, 6pm-8pm)**. The **first opening night includes a lecture by Professor Vaughan Grylls** based on the 1788 print Captured Klan - a comment on the KKK. On **Saturday, May 23**, Chris Plato will present an **illustrated lecture on the Gorham Caves' Neanderthal rock engravings**, as part of Exhibition two. **After School Band Club starts a new term after the Easter break**. If you’ve got an 8-12 year old who wants to make some noise, now’s the perfect time, as there is now a new Tuesday session on the calendar (in addition to the existing Wednesday ones). Led by the amazing Melinda Bronstein, kids can try out different roles in their band and get started writing their own songs right away. **£11 per session.** [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/kids%5Fband%5Fclub/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **STAK.life**, which provides mental health support to young people with autism in Thanet, is holding a **fundraising art exhibition and sale at ARK in Cliftonville on May 8-10**. There will be a range of paintings, prints, photography, ceramics and more on offer from some amazing artists. [**Find out more**](https://www.stak.life/upcoming-events-fundraising/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs Summer Fair is set to take place from July 25-29 at Victoria Gardens**, featuring a fun fair and local craft stalls. This will act as a precursor to the **Broadstairs Water Gala and fireworks display on Wednesday, July 29**. Get ready for a night of **Klezmer music and dance at ARK in Cliftonville on Wednesday, April 22**. The show will open with a Klezmer Keilidh featuring a band of world class musicians led by Yiddish dance leader Avia Moore to get you dancing. Then there will be a performance by Grammy-winning trumpeter Frank London, all the way from New York City. [**Tickets from £10**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2066292?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (April 6-12) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-april-6-12/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T11:11:17.000Z **There’s lots going on in Thanet (and beyond) this week. If you’re in need of ideas for what to do with the family over the school holidays, check out our guide to what’s on during the two week break:** [Family-friendly Easter holiday fun in Thanet, Kent and LondonLots of ideas for things to do with the kids over the Easter holidays in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and further afield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-170.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DJI_20240608202657_0119_D_MFUK-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/easter-holiday-things-to-do-in-thanet-east-kent-and-london/) The Writing in Progress new writing night is on at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday. Free entry. The Happy Mondays will perform at Dreamland in Margate on Thursday, joined by The Farm and Northside, recreating the line up of their legendary 1991 show at Elland Road in Leeds. [Tickets £42.50](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/happy-mondays/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Life Drawing returns to the Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday. Modelling this time will be a group of rescued reptiles - snakes, lizards, and tortoises. [Tickets £35](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/92090/wild-life-drawing-rescue-reptiles?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with a 10% donation to animal charity Happy Endings Rescue. [Wild Life Drawing class features owls, wolves and more as modelsMore lively than your standard life drawing class, Wild Life Drawing works with models who won’t pose or be still, and are an opportunity to be inspired by the natural world, as founder Jennie Webber explains![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-174.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/MIKE0189_smal-1-8.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/) Author Francesca Wade will be discussing biography and a “literary detective story” Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife at CAMP in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gertrude-stein-an-afterlife-with-francesca-wade-tickets-1985739976725?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). _This post is for subscribers only._ ### News Blast: Toby Jones films Who Do You Think You Are? in Margate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-toby-jones-films-who-do-you-think-you-are-in-margate/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T07:00:32.000Z **Toby Jones returns to Margate, Pie Factory Music calls for help restoring its building, Thanet Open Top bus back for the summer. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Toby Jones was recently in Margate** filming part of a new episode of **BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are?** The actor **visited the Theatre Royal**, although his exact connection to the venue is yet to be revealed. Jones was last in the town to film 2023 Sam Mendes film Empire of Light. **His episode of the long-running genealogy show is set to air later this spring**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Quex Barn's **C U B O Pizzeria** has found a new home in **Arch 16 in Ramsgate**, alongside racks and shelves of vintage stuff. Run by Carlo Alberto who hails from Venice, it serves up traditional-style pizza, with several vegan options too. Open for eat in, take away and delivery across Thanet. Having recently taken ownership of Ramsgate Youth Centre, securing its long term future, **Pie Factory Music is now seeking help to bring the building’s annexe back into use**. “We want to make this space safe, welcoming and useable for our community while we consider its long-term role for our organisation, and we need your help,” says the charity. “It’s been sitting empty for six years and it needs some serious TLC.” It needs volunteers to assist with weeding, window cleaning, wildflower planting and tree cutting. Support with plastering, window and door replacement and ceiling repairs are also required. **Email** [**andre@piefactorymusic.com**](mailto:andre@piefactorymusic.com) **if you have skills you can share**. [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-169.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928-8.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) **Stagecoach is bringing back the Thanet Open Top bus for its tenth year**. The hop on, hop off bus travels along the coast through **Minnis Bay, Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate** and this year will take a new route down Broadstairs High Street. It will be operating through the Easter holidays, May half term and throughout the summer. Over the Easter weekend, the Easter Bunny will be riding along with you, handing out treats. [**See the full timetable and route**](https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-east/thanet-open-top?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Smugglers Festival has announced its 2026 line up**. Our highlights include Mermaid Chunky, University, Seb Rochford & Finding Ways, Dogshow, Big Woes, and Debdepan. Is that just a confusing collage of words to you? Good. This festival is all about finding something you never imagined you’d be listening to. Your favourite memories will always be the surprises. **It takes place August 27-31\.** [**You should get a ticket**](https://smugglersfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Smugglers Festival’s journey to become a magical and mysterious summer highlightWith most of its stages hidden in woodland, Kent’s Smugglers Festival is an “inspiring and magical” experience, says programmer Stewart Hughes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-168.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Smugglers22-252-1-6.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/) **The Ramsay and Williams ice cream shop** that has been a mainstay of Margate Old Town for several years is **on the move**. This summer it will pop up in a new location on **Northdown Road in Cliftonville**. The address is still to be announced. **The Old Curiosity Shop** have started running an **arts club every Tuesday from 2pm-3pm** from its **Broadstairs** quarters. Free and drop in, everyone is welcome but it's best suited to adults and young people who are homeschooling. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### David Hockney fills Turner Contemporary with the light of a sunrise URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/david-hockney-fills-turner-contemporary-with-the-light-of-a-sunrise/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T22:01:50.000Z Marking the gallery’s 15th anniversary, Turner Contemporary in Margate this week unveiled a new large-scale work by David Hockney in its Sunley Window. Depicting a sunrise in Normandy, the seven by ten metre, floor to ceiling piece is breathtaking. Its layers of colour wash across your field of vision. The sunrise itself is dazzling, while the landscape and nature around it provide even greater depth. The brightening sky above the rising sun alone held my attention for a long time, with so many subtle colours intermixed. As I stared, seagulls flew across the sea view outside, bringing the artwork even more to life. The life in the piece is what really struck me. It’s not simply a still image, it changes constantly due the light coming through it from the outside world. It casts an amazing splash of colours across the room, which shift every time a cloud moves. Clearly one viewing is not going to be enough, as the experience will be different from one visit to the next - including at night, when it will be illuminated from within the gallery for passers by. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. After a brief period alone with the piece, I was joined by a class of year one pupils from nearby Salmeston Primary School. The group of five-year-olds had been selected to be the first to see it before its official unveiling to art critics and industry representatives later in the morning. Seeing these children’s wonder match my own was a real joy, and listening to them giddily shout out what they saw in the image was very different - and more enjoyable - than hearing the musings of the adults after them. The unveiling of Hockney’s Sunley Window coincides with the artist’s new exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery in London’s Hyde Park, A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting. [David Hockney | Exhibition | Serpentine | LondonDavid Hockney’s first exhibition at Serpentine in London. Free to visit. Explore new works by one of the most influential artists of our time and discover the extraordinary in the everyday.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-2.png)Serpentine Galleries![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Serp_Hockney_2026_011-1200x627.jpg)](https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/david-hockney-a-year-in-normandie-and-some-other-thoughts-about-painting-exhibition-serpentine-galleries/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) That exhibition is a very different proposition, with seamless artwork trailing its way around the dimly lit gallery and capturing a year’s worth of views across the French countryside. As it flows across the walls, it allows you to fully explore the painterly techniques Hockney has brought into a digital form. Hockney first exhibited digital work in 2010, with an exhibition of pieces created on an iPhone and moved on to an iPad when the technology arrived. Still, I was somewhat dubious about the creation of grand works in this format. If the Serpentine exhibition won me over, it was the Sunley Window where I was truly sold on the idea. This focus on one single scene at such a large scale gives an even greater insight into the development of Hockney’s art as he heads into his 90s. Hockney has long been interested in capturing sunrises in his art. However, he has said that it was only once he began working on an iPad that he was able to work fast enough to capture this fleeting moment. The sunrise that now fills the main foyer at Turner Contemporary was originally drawn in 2020, a year after Hockney settled in Normandy and one of 200 paintings he produced there that year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1025.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1038.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1043.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1023.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1061.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1067.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1078.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/04/IMG_1080.jpeg) David Hockney: Sunley Window 2026\. **Photos: Strange Tourist* *David Hockney’s Sunley Window 2026 will be on display until November 1\. After the gallery closes, it will be illuminated until 11pm each night to make it viewable from outside.* [David Hockney: Sunley Window 2026Celebrating the gallery’s 15th anniversary, David Hockney’s Sunley Window focuses on the nature of light and the many ways its effects can be represented…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-4.png)Turner Contemporary![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/TC_Hockney_Sunley-Window_2026_01_v6-1.jpg)](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/exhibitions/david-hockney-sunley-window-2026-2?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Strange Tourist #97: David Hockney, Toby Jones, Say She She URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange-tourist-97-david-hockney-toby-jones-say-she-she/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T22:33:09.000Z Hello, Spring has come this Easter bank holiday, at least at Turner Contemporary. David Hockney's Sunley Window installation is set up and ready inject some colour into your day - and evening, actually. Andy was lucky enough to sneak a peep at it before it opened, and you can read what he thought of it below. Elsewhere, it's Broadstairs Food Festival and the start of the school holidays - we've got plenty of ideas to get you through to the next term. We also have a new Ramsgate restaurant opening, gigs, exhibitions, wine tastings and more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Incoming: Gilles Peterson, UK Creative Festival, Canterbury Live URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-gilles-peterson-uk-creative-festival-canterbury-live/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T07:00:40.000Z **Gilles Peterson and the UK Creative Festival in Margate, a new festival for Canterbury, the Broadstairs Dickens Festival and more. A bumper load of dates for your diary coming up over the next few months.** **Gilles Peterson will be in Margate** to play a genre-bending **three hour DJ set at the Drill Shed on Saturday, June 20**. This is going to be a popular one, so don't hang about. [**Earlybird tickets £22.66**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/l85o5x-gilles-peterson-20th-jun-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=8807164&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1565739587351905219&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1U8zTE0yM0wyNTNKSbGvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBAC%2BfPUUOwAAAA%3D%3D). **UK Creative Festival returns to Dreamland in Margate on July 1-2**. The conference programme includes **panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities and more, bringing together creatives from across design, advertising, tech, music and film**. A free creative fair also offers young and emerging talent the opportunity to meet top agencies, brands and other organisations to help build their careers. [**Tickets from £100**](https://www.ukcreativefestival.co.uk/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New music festival Canterbury Live launches this August**. Spread over **three days, headliners are JLS, Becky Hill and Madness**. Other acts on the bill include, The Wanted, Pixie Lott, Ella Eyre, Cast, The Beat and The Ordinary Boys. **It will take place at the St Lawrence Cricket Ground on August 7-9\.** [**Tickets from £45**](https://canterburylive.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Broadstairs Dickens Festival is back for its 89th year at venues across the town from June 12-14**. The programme includes a parade, Victorian fair, a mobile Victorian photo studio, apothecaries, workshops, talks and more. [**See the full schedule**](https://www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Drag artist Baby Lame will be performing Hit Me Baby One More Lame at Ramsgate’s Alley Bar on Saturday, April 11**. The show uncovers the totally unauthorised story of Britney Spears and features around 100 Britney songs. It is, says the blurb, “a hilariously unhinged immersive punk odyssey through space travel, romance, murder and full-throttle pop madness, co-starring… the entire audience.” [**Tickets £15**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/baby-lame-hit-me-baby-one-more-lame?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Throwing Muses’ Kristen Hersh returns to Ramsgate on Saturday, October 31** for a performance at **St George’s Church.** [**Tickets £12**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/an-evening-with-kristin-hersh/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Author Francesca Wade** will be discussing biography and a “literary detective story” **Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife at CAMP in Cliftonville on Thursday, April 9\.** [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gertrude-stein-an-afterlife-with-francesca-wade-tickets-1985739976725?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Richard Ayoade** is going on the road to discuss his new book Afterthoughts, or Some Pistachios Won't Open: Wisdom for the Unreflective. The tour will bring him to the **Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Sunday, June 7**. Hear him speak about some of the 500 thoughts contained in the book. [**Tickets from £34**](https://www.fane.co.uk/richard-ayoade?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Local band NOTV will be putting on a disco punk party at Where Else in Margate on Friday, May 8**. Taking over the whole venue, there will be live performances from Lulu and Artinho downstairs, electroclash DJs upstairs, party games, vegan Buckfast brownies, and more. [**Tickets £8.10**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/ryqaby-no-tvs-disco-punk-party-8th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Electronics is back at Margate Arts Club on April 24**. This edition will put the focus on artists working with experimental processes such as live coding, video synthesis, live hardware sampling, tape manipulation, and 3D-rendered moving images. Performing live are Hellocatfood and Rhizocorp, while Eva Papamargariti will be screening a new video. [**Tickets £11.33**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/6d22k2-margate-electronics-12-24th-apr-margate-arts-club-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre has announced two new in-house productions**, following last year’s The Party Girls. **A new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities**, set in 1770s Paris, will run from **September 14-19\.** [**Tickets from £19**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/a-tale-of-two-cities/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Then, arriving just in time for Christmas, a new **family-friendly musical based on Kenneth Grahame’s The Reluctant Dragon**, will run from **December 5 to January 3\.** [**Tickets from £18**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/the-reluctant-dragon/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate-based artist Rachelle Francis is currently showing her new exhibition My Hands Are My Voice at The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury until May 17**. The exhibition features artwork created in posthumous collaboration with her mother Diana Francis, who died in 2019\. Alongside these works, an interactive installation of cloth books created with communities across Kent, with an accompanying headphone piece by composer Tom Adams drawn from workshop recordings. Various workshops will take place during the exhibition’s run. [**Full details**](https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/events/my-hands-are-my-voice/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Resonant Coast has announced a new show at Staple Stores in Ramsgate on Sunday, May 24**. The night will act as the launch party for Richard Pike’s new album Redemption Suite I-IX: For Piano & Textures, with the musician playing music from it live. Also performing will be guitarist Jonny Fryer. [**Tickets £7**](https://salmonuniverse.sumupstore.com/product/resonant-coast-4?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ahead of that, the next Resonant Coast show will be at Ramsgate Arts Club on Sunday, April 26 with Alex Rex and Francesca Ter-Berg. [Tickets £8](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/resonant-coast-3-tickets-1982208746721?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). London/Margate trip hop duo **Colour of Heartache have been announced as support for Nick & June at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, April 4**. Their first show in Thanet, the performance will also act as the official launch party for Colour of Heartache’s new single [Not Yours](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpp0Cg%5FnofA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk), which came out yesterday. [**Tickets £17.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/nick-june/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Head to Gather& in Ramsgate on Sunday, April 19 for Sunday Sessions**, a vintage market selling **pre-loved streetwear and designer menswear, furniture, records, art and more**. There will also be food and drinks available. [**Follow on Instagram for more info**](https://www.instagram.com/sunday%5Fsession%5F?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The next Writing in Progress new writing night takes place at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday, April 8**. Head along to hear a variety of writers read work in progress, and sign up to perform yourself if you want to try something out on the friendly, supportive audience. **Free entry.** [**DM to take part**](https://www.instagram.com/writinginprogress.margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet Experimental has announced Spring Awakening, a month of exhibitions at Salon in Cliftonville**. Running from **April 3-28**, showing work during the run will be Loser Gang, David Nettingham, Vicki Salmi, and Threat Collective. [**Follow on Instagram for more details**](https://www.instagram.com/thanetexperimental/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Fancy eating like it's the tenth century? **Turner Contemporary is hosting two eight course medieval feasts on April 17 and 18**. You’ll eat wild vegetables, local shellfish and more, washed down with mead and ale. You’ll also learn about the history of the time and hear stories of the people living in Margate over 1000 years ago. [**£65 per person**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/mokadem-medieval-supperclub?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (March 30 - April 5) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-march-30-april-5/ Last updated: 2026-03-30T07:00:44.000Z **There’s plenty to do in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs this week as we head into the Easter weekend. If you’re in need of ideas for what to do with the family over the school holidays, check out our guide to what’s on during the two week break:** [Family-friendly Easter holiday fun in Thanet, Kent and LondonLots of ideas for things to do with the kids over the Easter holidays in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and further afield![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-164.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DJI_20240608202657_0119_D_MFUK.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/easter-holiday-things-to-do-in-thanet-east-kent-and-london/) Laughter Yoga is back at HOLD Creative Spaces in Ramsgate on Monday. [Tickets £6](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Psychedelic Society is hosting a speed-friending and psychedelic storytelling night at Bar Nothing in Cliftonville on Tuesday. [Tickets £15](https://dandelion.events/e/f127w?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs is hosting a Family Quiz Night on Tuesday. Entry £5 per person. [DM on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/curiosityshopbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or drop in to the cafe to book your team in. [Let’s get quizzical: Thanet’s best pub quizzesPub quiz season is here. Check out all the best nights in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs to test your general knowledge![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-163.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558210598-89ba75b1724e-5)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lets-get-quizzical-thanets-best-pub-quizzes/) Actor and writer Samia Rida will be bringing her one woman show Kidnap to Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre on Tuesday. [Tickets £10](https://billetto.co.uk/e/kidnap-tickets-1815288?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Anarchist Reading Group begin discussing a new book at Margate Queer Library on Wednesday at 6pm. They will be discussing the first chapter of Anarchism: A Very Short Introduction by Alex Prichard. [More info](https://www.instagram.com/margsreads/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Local artist Emily Revell opens her new exhibition Where the Water Moves at The House (formerly Albion House) in Ramsgate on Wednesday. There will also be an opening party on Friday from 6pm. Courtney Barnett plays Where Else in Margate on Thursday. [Join the waiting list for tickets](https://dice.fm/event/nvk885-courtney-barnett-2nd-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Vaults Comedy is back at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday with Tiffany Stevenson, Father JC, Joe Sutherland, and John Tothill. [Tickets £18](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/2ndapril?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Head to Freak Out at Margate Arts Club on Friday for a night of 60s and 70s heavy, psych, doom, garage rock, folk rock and more. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32742/freak-out-heavy-60s70s-heavy-rock-proto-metal-heavy-psych-garage-rock-freakbeat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Gadds Easter Beer Festival is set for Friday and Saturday. Find it at Ramsgate Brewery on the Pyson's Road Industrial Estate in Broadstairs. [Full details](https://www.ramsgatebrewery.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Easter edition of the Broadstairs Food Festival takes place from Friday to Sunday, with food demos, culinary events, market stalls and more. [Find out more](https://broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/easter-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Old Town Market returns on Easter weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News blast: Broadstairs' Retort House sold at auction URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-broadstairs-retort-house-sold-at-auction/ Last updated: 2026-03-29T07:00:25.000Z **A new owner for Retort House in Broadstairs, Margate chef Mark O'Brien named runner up in Masterchef: The Professionals, Thanet Council powerless to act on Dreamland's Scenic Railway. This and more creative and cultural news from across across Thanet.** **Retort House in Broadstairs’ Albion Street car park has sold at auction for £322,000** \- nearly £140,000 above the guide price. The building had been owned by Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Council since 2018, when it was purchased from Thanet District Council for £10,000\. **The decision to sell came after the town council said it did not have the resources to carry out necessary repair work**. The identity of the new owner of the former community centre is not known. **Attention was recently broad to the building when it became the location of a new Rise Up Residency mural by artist KMG**. **Margate chef Mark O’Brien has come second in the latest series of Masterchef: The Professionals**. The judges were extremely complimentary about Mark’s final menu, saying that the competition had got “the very, very best” out of him. Mark agreed, saying it had **pushed him to make food that is “heads and shoulders above what I could have done, even weeks ago.”** However, ultimately the trophy was awarded to Gareth Baty, who runs private dining business The Wandering Cumbrian. **You can try Mark’s food for yourself at Willy’s in Cliftonville, where he is head chef**. [Review: Willy’s restaurant led by chef Mark O’Brien (Masterchef: The Professionals)Willy’s plates up classic British dishes that are familiar and filling, yet sophisticated![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-162.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Willy-s_edit_01--1--1-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/review-willys-restaurant-a-well-put-together-and-handsome-unit/) In a meeting on Thursday, **councillors at Thanet District Council discussed a 3000 signature petition calling the local authority to use statutory powers to prevent deterioration of Dreamland’s Scenic Railway**. This comes after Dreamland announced that in January that it does not plan to return the rollercoaster to use. **Councillors in general agreed the ride’s “heritage importance cannot be overstated”** but said that they are currently powerless to act. The council said that, among other things, it has called on the government to update rules about Grade II listed structures that are still active beyond their physical architecture, to give greater powers to block changes of use. **Councillors voted to pass the petition on to the council’s cabinet for further scrutiny**. At the same meeting, there was a **heated debate over plans to set the Pierremont Park depot in Broadstairs**. This came as a result of **a petition with more than 2000 signatures** calling on TDC to reverse the decision and transfer the building to Broadstairs and St Peter’s Town Council for community use. **Several councillors spoke in favour of the transfer** and the council's valuation of the building was questioned. However, **council leader Rick Everitt said that the site is not a community asset**, and if the Town Council wants to take ownership it would have to put in a bid for it. **Broadstairs' Palace Cinema** last year celebrated its 60th anniversary. **Friday marked its tenth year since it was taken over by current owners Corinna Downing and Simon Ward**. Congratulations to them on hitting this milestone! [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-161.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-10.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) **The deadline to have your say on how Thanet’s Pride in Place Impact Fund is spent is this Sunday**. Thanet District Council is collecting views on projects in Margate and Broadstairs shortlisted to receive funding. **The projects cover revitalising community spaces, enhancing public areas, and regenerating high streets and town centres**. Ramsgate is not included as it has already received £20 million through the Pride in Place Programme. Further support is also earmarked for Thatnet’s villages. [**Fill out the survey**](https://yourvoice.thanet.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/pride-in-place-impact-fund?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pomus is set to launch a new residency at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate over the Easter weekend**. Called Us, it will serve up a selection of bistro classics, including gazpacho soup, moules frites, and lemon meringue tart. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/us%5Ffortroadhotel/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### 'It's very exposing' says Margate's MasterChef: The Professionals finalist URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/its-very-exposing-says-margates-masterchef-the-professionals-finalist/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:06:14.000Z Not all good experiences are easy, as chef Mark O’Brien found out during his time on MasterChef: The Professionals. The head chef of [Willy's in Margate](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/review-willys-restaurant-a-well-put-together-and-handsome-unit/) was part of the latest cohort of chefs to enter the show. In a competition designed to push the contestants beyond their limits, what Irish born Mark found the hardest was battling his imposter syndrome and the sense of vulnerability that comes with putting yourself out there, for all of Britain to see. “There was so much of it I enjoyed and loved, and so much of it I found clarifying in terms of my own cooking and my own capabilities,” Mark says of his time on the show. “But so much of it was incredibly hard and very tough. “It's very exposing cooking at that level,” he adds, when there are “cameras on you the whole time.” Aside from the pressure of cooking your best, he says that thoughts about how the show will be edited together later were also running through his mind the whole time. He found himself fearing he would “come off looking like an idiot” or that social media would be flooded with “silly memes of me failing.” With a love of American-style BBQ and as chef owner of whole animal live fire pop up outfit Snake Oil Barbecue, Mark prides himself on his meat cookery and butchery skills. So he worried throughout the filming that he would serve up a raw bit of beef or overcooked lamb on the show. “I was constantly afraid that I'd make an arse myself on national television,” he admits. ![Mark prepping food in TV kitchen](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/Mark-1.jpeg) Mark impressed with his bold flavours. **Photo: Shine TV* Yet no meme worthy moments appeared for Mark in any of his episodes and he went from one of 32 chefs to one of three, as he smoked, grilled, pureed and blitzed his way to the finals. “It feels so wild that I got that far and that I've done so well,” he says. “It's pretty amazing considering the quality of talent that was in the room. I don't take that lightly.” But that success came because “I pushed myself so hard,” he goes on. “I think I cooked well beyond my normal level*.* It’s really only now, having seen the episodes and the reaction from people, that the gravity of what I was able to do has started to sink in.” ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Praised for his bold flavours but critiqued over his refinement, Mark, along with Portsmouth head chef Luke Emmess, lost out to Manchester-based private chef Gareth Baty, whose final menu made up of dishes inspired by and dedicated to members of his family won the judges over. For Mark’s final cook and with a time limit of three hours, he prepared an elaborate three courses based on some of his favourite things to eat - a seafood platter, an American-style barbecued pork with a hispi cabbage and crayfish tail roll and a riff on coffee and doughnuts for dessert. Despite running out of time to finish cooking his beignets (a lighter, more airier cousin to the doughnut) that were to go with his malted milk bavarois (a custard-like cream), the judges were full of praise for Mark's dishes. “I was really proud of how it came out,” he says, reflecting on his final cook. “Of course, the dessert didn’t quite go my way, but that was because I was being so ambitious in so many other areas of the cook. “It could have gone a lot worse.” ![MasterChef: The Professionals finalists in the studio wearing white chef coats](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/MCP183351_0427_.jpg) Mark, with winner Gareth Baty and Luke Emmess. **Photo: Shine TV* The chef with “the biggest highs and the biggest lows”, according to judge Matt Tebbutt, Mark had many successes during the show as well as some rough patches. The pop up challenge, in which Mark was able to cook his style of American barbecue using recipes he had “absolutely nailed” from his pop up days, was one high. He breezed through the challenge like it was “just a day of work”, comfortable knowing it would all come together. He also received high praise for two dishes close to his heart - an elevated version of the dan dan noodles he often makes his wife at home, and a pigeon pithivier made in honour of his late uncle Dermot. Also a chef, Dermot piqued Mark’s interest in cooking and was his gateway into American cuisine. One of his toughest days, however, was also a turning point for Mark. In the zero waste challenge, he cooked trout loin with various additions which received strong negative feedback. Judge Monica Galetti said of the dish, “presentation wise, there’s a lot going on”, while for Marcus Wareing there were “too many flavours just banging around with each other”. Mark was sent back to the kitchen to save himself. Disappointed to be negatively critiqued when cooking Irish food for the first time in the competition and exhausted at having to cook twice, Mark recalls that he was wiped out by the end of the day. “\[I was\] so stressed, so tired, so in my feelings about the whole thing. By the end I was like, I'm going home.” Resigned that the eggy brunch dish he then cooked wasn’t going to save him, Mark felt a “complete sense of relief” when he made it through. Taking on board the feedback of the day, Mark reconsidered how he had been approaching his dishes. “I had done very well up to that point and I wanted to keep that going so I was pushing myself to do more,” Mark says. “That manifested with more things on the plate; \[with me thinking\] I've got to do this and I've got to do that. “But it's not about going wide and shallow, it's about going narrower and deeper,” he continues. “If there are three things on the plate, how many techniques and how many elements of flavour and story can I build into each of those things?” ![Chef Mark cooking in the MasterChef kitchen](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/ME9B1079.jpg) Mark made it to the final three. **Photo: Shine TV* While camaraderie between chefs was strong and the show’s editing was kind, MasterChef: The Professionals is a pressure cooker environment with an array of stressors ensuring a high level of intensity at all times. Constant filming, using ingredients chefs haven’t bought themselves, working in unfamiliar kitchens and in time frames that “just don’t exist in a natural kitchen space” create a pressurised environment. This pressure is ramped up by increasingly difficult challenges designed to push the chefs further out of their comfort zones, leaving competitors to find a balance between playing it safe and taking risks - a situation Mark found was “really tough to square the circle”. On the one hand, Mark wanted to push himself to make each dish “more complicated and more intricate” but also “had to be able to achieve it perfectly within the time frame and within the restrictions given in the challenge”. “It was really, really tough,” he says. “I think \[the balance\] was always making sure that \[I was making\] food I would be happy to cook in a restaurant setting and that I never took it too far.” Receiving negative feedback could be hard Mark says, although the dynamic between chefs offered some support. “When one person gets bad feedback, you know how exposing it can feel and how personal it can feel,” he says. “So there was a huge amount of support between the group for those moments of criticism.” Yet despite feeling tough at times, Mark says the feedback was always “pretty fair” and always given to push the chefs further and with an air of investment. “It's hard to find good criticism when you get to a certain stage of your career,” he says. “To find people that are willing to invest the time and energy into telling you honest breakdowns of how you're doing.” ![Three male and a female chef standing together in a TV studio](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/MCP183298_0374_.jpg) The final four with Caroline Meyer Kerber. **Photo: Shine TV* Looking back on the show, Mark says that it was mentally and physically exhausting but still a fantastic experience. Now that it is over, he’s focussing on bringing back his pop up in time for summer and then securing a restaurant space for a barbecue steakhouse beyond that. And as Mark continues to look ahead, he’ll bring a little bit of Masterchef along for the ride, as the competition has changed him as a chef. “Not necessarily completely different,” he says, “but I've definitely matured a lot in my cooking and brought a new level of refinement and rigor to my cooking and my menu planning. “I've definitely tried to bring a lot of that into my day-to-day cooking now.” *Series 18 of Masterchef: The Professionals is available to* [*watch on BBC iPlayer now*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b00mx9xb/masterchef-the-professionals?seriesId=b00mx9xb-structural-3-m002qwq3&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### How to spend your time in Ramsgate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-things-to-do-see-eat-drink-stay/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T15:56:25.000Z Ramsgate is a rapidly changing town, with new venues popping up frequently over the last year making now the perfect time to visit. There are lots of bars and restaurants to try out, as you wander along the harbour and into town. If you’re around at the right time, you can also catch one of its great festivals, including [Ramsgate Festival of Sound](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/) and [Ramsgate Winter Festival](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-winter-festival-lights-up-the-darker-months/). It’s a great place for music and comedy, thanks to places like Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate Arts Club and [The Alley Bar](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/). And we shouldn’t forget to mention that it’s home to the largest Wetherspoon’s in the world. Sometimes overlooked in favour of nearby Margate and Broadstairs, Ramsgate has a lot to offer, whether you’re coming for a weekend or longer. Take your pick from the ideas for things to do below, and don't forget to talk a walk around to see some of Thanet's best architecture too. ![A room full of old technology](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/general_museum_landscape_1.jpeg) Tinker with old tech at This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Things to do in Ramsgate ### Ramsgate Main Sands Ramsgate’s harbour and port dominate the view from the town’s seafront, but tucked away just out of sight is a lovely 250 metre stretch of sandy beach. In easy reach of the bars, cafes and restaurants along Harbour Parade and the train station, it’s a great spot for building sand castles, as well as the ideal beginning or end of a long walk along the coastline. ### Ramsgate Music Hall This highly respected (and award-winning) grassroots music venue is known for putting on an eclectic mix of artists, both new and established. Despite only having room for 150 people in its main room, it’s attracted some big names over the years, including Neneh Cherry, Stereoland, Squarepusher, Kristen Hersh, Idles and Jarvis Cocker. The separate bar upstairs is great for a hang out before or after a show too. *3 Turner Street, CT11 8NJ.* [*ramsgatemusichall.com*](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete If you like pressing buttons, twiddling knobs and making noise, this is the place for you. Owned by musician and UK Eurovision entrant Sam Battle (aka Look Mum No Computer), it’s packed full of all manner of old tech that can be used to make music - whether than was the original intention or not. Usually not. Vintage synths, 80s computers, a church organ sired for sound, and even a telephone exchange. You’ll find it all here. *5-7 Church Walk, CT11 8RA.* [*this-museum-is-not-obsolete.com*](https://this-museum-is-not-obsolete.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) [Interview: UK Eurovision star Look Mum No Computer’s music and sound tech museumEver had the urge to push a mystery button? Strange Tourist visits This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, where visitors are invited to do just that. Visitors are encouraged to make music and sound with old tech (whether it was designed to or not) and in the process learn about how it works![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-158.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/sam_battle_landscape_1-5-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/) ![a modern bar](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/Copy-of-P1031298.jpg) Seabird is well worth a visit. **Photo: Seabird* ## Restaurants in Ramsgate ### Seabird Any trip to Ramsgate should include a visit to Seabird, a snug restaurant the prides itself on its hi-fi. The food is great too, with a carefully crafted menu that’ll have you planning your next booking so that you can eat your way through more of it. It also has an excellent wine list and a cosy bar area so that you can continue to hang out after you’ve finished your meal. *2-3 The Broadway, Addington Street, CT11 9JN.* [*seabirdramsgate.com*](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Royal Harbour Brasserie Sitting on Ramsgate’s East Pier, the Royal Harbour Brasserie is a relaxed seafood restaurant with spectacular views out to see and back towards the town. Run by head chef Adrian Mowl, who trained at the Dorchester Hotel in London and has cooked for Queen Elizabeth II and King Gustav of Sweden. Enjoy a cocktail on the sun terrace in the summer and a mean roast in the winter. *East Pier Ramsgate Seafront, Royal Harbour Parade, CT11 8LS.* [*royalharbourbrasserie.co.uk*](https://www.royalharbourbrasserie.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Noa Rooftop Also offering great views, Noa Rooftop sits on top of the Granville Theatre allowing you to look down across the harbour from outside the main strip. Open Thursday to Sunday, it serves up cocktails and sourdough pizzas, with roasts on Sunday. If you’re still working up an appetite, you can also drop in for a drink too. *Victoria Parade, CT11 8DG.* [*noarooftop.co.uk*](https://www.noarooftop.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ![an old warehouse building and courtyard](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/Old-Wine-Warehouse-2.jpg) Find Ramsgate Arts Club in the basemen of the Old Wine Warehouse. **Photo: Heritage Lab Ramsgate* ## Bars and pubs in Ramsgate ### Ramsgate Arts Club Opened last year, this intimate basement bar with a decadent feel is a great spot for a cosy drink. They also put on regular comedy, music and club nights, if you’re looking for entertainment. There’s a great selection of drinks and you can also order cheese and charcuterie. *Old Wine Warehouse, Charlotte Court, CT11 8HE.* [*ramsgatearts.club*](https://ramsgatearts.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Bedford Inn This friendly, comfortable pub is a great one to drop into, whether you’re looking for a quick pint or planning to bed in. For the warmer months it has a good sized beer garden. There’s a nicely varied food menu, including roasts on Sundays. There are also rooms upstairs, if you need somewhere to stay, and look out for what’s on their newly opened venue downstairs in the basement. *29 West Cliff Road, CT11 9JP.* [*thebedfordinn.co.uk*](https://www.thebedfordinn.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Fermentorium This friendly bar has a good range of craft beers (and other beverages) as well as all the fermented foods you can think of. A great place for a chat over a board game, the venue also puts on regular events and talks. *38 King Street. CT11 8NT.* [*fermentorium.uk*](https://www.fermentorium.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![a white double fronted building](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/DSC_5406.jpeg) Staple Stores has recently located to a new home. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Cafes in Ramsgate ### Staple Stores One of four Staple Stores across Thanet, the recently relocated Ramsgate branch now sits in a lovely, bright double fronted building on York Street. As well as your usual coffees and teas, it has a great range of sweet and savoury food to try. We’re big fans of the sandwiches. Take a left out of the cafe and walk a few doors down and you’ll find the cafe’s former home, which it’s now operating as an artisan ice cream parlour, Scoop.*18-20 York Street, CT11 9DS.* [*staplestores.co.uk*](https://www.staplestores.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Union Occupying the front of this yoga studio is a good-sized, family-run vegetarian cafe, serving up a delicious menu of homemade food. Great food a coffee before or after a yoga session, or without the yoga session at all. The seats out front get lots of sun in the summer too. *25-27 Queen Street, CT11 9DZ.* [*instagram.com/hellounioncafe*](https://www.instagram.com/hellounioncafe?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Coco Latino If it’s chocolate you want, look no further than Coco Latino. Sure, it does drinks, food and cocktails, which is great. But it also has an in-house chocolatier. We can never resist popping in for some of their beautiful, handmade chocolate. The only difficulty is resisting asking for one of everything. 19 Military Road, CT11 9LG. [instagram.com/cocolatino19/](http://instagram.com/cocolatino19/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![a large Georgian building](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/DSC_5447.jpeg) Enjoy a hilltop view from The House. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Hotels in Ramsgate ### The House The House (formerly Albion House) is a lovely, hilltop boutique hotel with lovely rooms situated in a restored four story Georgian townhouse. It’s also great for a night out, with a spacious bar at the back and intimate restaurant at the front. Once you’re ready, you can stroll down into tow, enjoying the view across the harbour as you go. Albion Place, CT11 8HQ. [albionhouseramsgate.co.uk](https://albionhouseramsgate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Royal Harbour Hotel Located within easy reach of everything Ramsgate has to offer, this well done out hotel offers great seaviews (or lovely garden views, if you want to save a bit of money). It also prides itself on its art collection, which you can pursue on the walls. 10 Nelson Crescent, CT11 9JF​. [royalharbourhotel.co.uk](https://www.royalharbourhotel.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Book Hotel Opening in May, the Book Hotel is the new iteration of the Falstaff. Taken over by author and owner of the Tales on Moon Lane bookshop Tamara Macfarlane. Each room is stocked with books from a different publisher, and the first floor function room puts on regular events. On the ground floor you’ll also find a carefully curated bookshop.*16-18 Addington Street, CT11 9JJ.* [*thebookhotel.uk*](https://thebookhotel.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Sunshine Cafe, Maisie Adam, Thanet Urban Forest URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-sunshine-cafe-maisie-adam-thanet-urban-forest/ Last updated: 2026-03-24T08:00:55.000Z **Pop-ups in Dreamland's disused cafe, a Taskmaster winner in Margate, and a cherry blossom walk. These and more upcoming things to do in Thanet and beyond.** **Dreamland has announced that it will open up its Sunshine Cafe for two weekends in May**. Willy’s head chef and Masterchef: The Professionals contestant **Mark O’Brien will serve guests meals over sunset on May 1-2**, with a menu including smoked and grilled picanhia. Then on **May 15-16, Pomus will take over the space**, cooking up confit pollock among their three courses. [**Places £100 per person**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/sunshine-cafe-sunset-dinner-series-mark-obrien/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **on general sale on March 30**. **Taskmaster winner Maisie Adam** has announced a **work in progress show at The Drill Shed in Margate on Wednesday, June 3**. Also appearing on the new series of Last One Laughing, she will be working up material for her new tour show. [**Tickets £14.33**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/q2weex-maisie-adam-work-in-progress-3rd-jun-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet Urban Forest will be leading a Hanami Tree Walk through Margate’s Dane Park on Saturday, April 11** to celebrate the arrival of the cherry blossom. You will join tree expert Peter Hasted as he guides you in the Japanese tradition of cherry blossom viewing. [**Tickets from £4**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hanami-cherry-tree-walk-with-peter-hasted-in-dane-park-margate-tickets-1985125522877?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Empower Her business network launches Women Who Walk**, a new monthly meet up in Broadstairs for local women in business, on **Friday, April 17**. Taking place on the third Friday of each month from then on, **each walk will begin at the Old Curiosity Shop at 9am**. **Illustrator Quentin Blake is launching a new exhibition featuring his Jack and Nancy characters at the Historic Dockyard Chatham from May 2 to June 30**. The immersive, interactive exhibition will take up inside a storybook. **Entry is free with a Dockyard ticket (adults £29, children 4+ £18.50).** [**More details**](https://thedockyard.co.uk/events/jack-and-nancys-dockyard-adventure-by-quentin-blake/?%5Fgl=1%2Aimmdxa%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTUyNTEyNDQ0NS4xNzc0MDMwODM0%2A%5Fga%5FYCKTYHKHQ3%2AczE3NzQwMzA4MzIkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzQwMzA4NDAkajUyJGwwJGgyMDI2OTUyODQ1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Cockles and Muscles will be putting on their annual Spring Bonnet Party at Margate Arts Club on Friday, April 10**. Adorn your head with the springiest headdress you can pull together. DJing will be Dani St James, Cookie Man and Amy Zing, and there will be drag performances from Father JC, Symone, The Deity, Shelly Grotto and Janet District Council. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/34547/cockles-and-muscles-spring-bonnet-party?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard is heading back to Thanet in May**, following his brilliant appearance at Ramsgate Music Hall in December. This time he’ll be in Cliftonville, **DJing at Faith in Strangers on Saturday, May 30\.** [**Tickets £17.10**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/v3yrog-joe-goddard-30th-may-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=8722255&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnPvqA6PeC2XN6NHQyhtCQzpwRTzuie7xSR8xj7Al2X4TiJ1NCcMV4FD8nAbQ%5Faem%5FXYWgSkH7uX0VCbpT94UHug&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=ig&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1550864014332320796&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAAx3PwW6CMBgA4LfxKIw1oEvI0uE2YgIBAUEuhJYWfoTCShnowWdf5vW7fY1S4%2FSmaR2I67YCyra8126cmHsTWajixjsntIPKDnCeNTqp%2FSZPdceLPzF9PeqXJW%2Bo%2B8HLNPS8NjG8tl69Q7j4cYIw%2FhbB7w82A%2BYYmW%2F6bnhrlBPex%2BUU32dg1hqddmtr4c7IUAzHF9%2Bh3hl9HXYCk7AoWV9kl7SOrq41Z%2FrZIWO8R4k715tZ9UXPKph7exoolN1T6CAUE8r%2BvxQgCgLD06dhlpTZUG8eknEmJYi6IHJYJibtqOSlhD%2Bi9PP1BwEAAA%3D%3D). **The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs will be hosting a Family Quiz Night on Tuesday, March 31** to raise money for children’s charity Demelza. **Entry £5 per person**. [DM on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/curiosityshopbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or drop in to the cafe to book your team in. [Let’s get quizzical: Thanet’s best pub quizzesPub quiz season is here. Check out all the best nights in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs to test your general knowledge![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-157.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558210598-89ba75b1724e-4)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lets-get-quizzical-thanets-best-pub-quizzes/) **The Ramsgate Through the Senses festival is set to return on April 25-26**. The programme is set to be announced soon. [**Find out more**](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/through-the-senses?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Head to Margate’s **Turner Contemporary on Sunday, April 19 for a drawing masterclass with renowned artist Michael Landy**. Attendees will get an insight into Landy’s own practice as well as guidance on developing their own. [**Tickets £20**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/artist-masterclass-michael-landy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **John Lydon will be in Ramsgate at the Granville Theatre on Tuesday, April 6 2027** to discuss his new book I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right, which came out in 2020\. Johnny Rotten himself will discuss his upbringing and career, as well as airing a few of his questionable opinions. Maybe even some thoughts on butter. Then he’ll throw it open for a Q&A with the audience. You can also pay extra for a meet and greet, if you like. [**Tickets from £40.15**](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/john-lydon-i-could-be-wrong-i-could-be-right?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, will be appearing at St Mary’s Art Centre in Sandwich on Thursday, June 4**. He will share poetry from his two most recent books, Dwell and New Cemetery, as well as answering questions from the audience. [**Tickets £22**](https://wegottickets.com/event/696031?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Photographer **Stephen Daly will be returning to his former home of Margate on Tuesday, April 28** in a different guise. He’ll be at the **Margate Arts Club to discuss his debut young adult novel The Last Death Poet**, which mixes queer fiction and Irish mythology. Stephen will be in conversation with Ruby Rare. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-last-death-poet-with-stephen-daly-tickets-1985499910681?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1jmftmi%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTA4ODIxODM3Mi4xNzc0MDM2Njc2%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzQwMzY2NzUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzQwMzY2NzUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist **Babak Ganjei** will be giving the lowdown on **his debut novel On the Bus Without a Phone at the Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, May 7\.** [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/on-the-bus-without-a-phone-with-babak-ganjei-tickets-1983856486154?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1uybq3q%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTA4ODIxODM3Mi4xNzc0MDM2Njc2%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzQwMzY2NzUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzQwMzY2NzUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Wildwood wildlife park in Herne Bay is opening up on eight evenings over the summer months**. Families will be able to enjoy the park at the sun sets on May 23, June 20 and July 18\. There will also be adults-only sessions on June 6, July 4, August 1, August 8, August 15\. [**Tickets from £14**](https://kent.wildwoodtrust.org/events-and-experiences/summer-evening-sessions/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (March 23-29) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-march-23-29/ Last updated: 2026-03-23T08:00:17.000Z **A song for Ramsgate, film industry talks, optimistic clubbing and more. Here are our picks of what's happening in Thanet this week.** Local singer, musician and songwriter Steph Dickinson will be out and about in Ramsgate on Monday from 10.30am to 12.30pm collecting thoughts on what the town means to residents to inform a new song funded by the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board. Performer Amber Topaz runs a burlesque course from Tuesday until April 14\. [Places £50](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33973/bawdy-burlesque?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). LGBTQ+ meet up Queer Knit is at Lowlife on Wednesday. From 6pm, you’re welcome to drop in, for chats, crafting and good vibes. Interested in a career in film and TV or just starting out? Margate Film Festival is putting on three free talks at EKC’s Margate Digital Campus on Wednesday. [Free tickets](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/event/margate-film-festival-spotlight-talks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Learn more about artist mentoring programme Turps at a free introductory talk at Turner Contemporary on Thursday. [Find out more](https://www.turpsbanana.com/margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival returns for its ninth edition from Thursday to Sunday. [See the full programme](https://ramsgateiftvfest.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Kent Whisky Explorers’ tasting night at Little Swift is back on Friday, guiding you through Irish whiskies and raising money for Movember. [Tickets £30](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-kent-whisky-explorers-charity-night-irish-whiskey-edition-tickets-1982503943663?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s HOFFS hosts Margate Record Connection on Friday. As well as DJ set from Adam Bartlett, Leon Nesta and Dartos Balata there will be an open decks session for you to come and show off your own vinyl. Optimissimo is back at Margate Arts Club on Saturday. As well as the positive vibes clubs night that goes on to the small hours ([tickets £8](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33263/optimissimo-002?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)), there’s a free family-friendly party from 3-7pm. Eclectic producer Quantic will play a rare DJ set at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £23.80](https://dice.fm/event/8ermnv-quantic-28th-mar-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Levellers frontman Mark Chadwick will be performing at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £25](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/mark-chadwick-levellers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Radio will be celebrating its sixth birthday at Cliftonville Community Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £10](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/margateradio/2088062?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Addington Street in Ramsgate puts on its first Vintage Trail of the year on Saturday and Sunday. Shop pre-loved fashion, homewares and from from 11-5pm. Artist Gaby Sahhar will be screening their new film Abstraction Belongs To Us at Quench in Cliftonville on Sunday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/film-screening-and-conversation-between-gaby-sahhar-and-tamar-clarke-brown-tickets-1984952442188?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Drag acts Joyce and Dame Jame will be hosting a hybrid quiz-cabaret-gameshow at CAMP in Cliftonville on Sunday. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33463/joyce-and-jame-on-the-game-show?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Retro gaming arcade Junkyard Gaming will be back at Where Else in Margate on Sunday from 3-8pm. Entry £5\. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Thanet's Isle of Culture bid not selected URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-thanets-isle-of-culture-bid-not-selected/ Last updated: 2026-03-22T08:00:47.000Z **An update on Thanet's Isle of Culture bid, Margate chef makes Masterchef: The Professionals final, Broadstairs snowboarder achieves best ever finish at Paralympics as he retires. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Thanet has not been longlisted to be named City of Culture in 2029**. The district was bidding to be named Isle of Culture, with a view to bringing together all the towns and villages in the area. The bid was allowed thanks to changes to the rules of the competition this year and was the only community-led submission. **“We are naturally disappointed, but we are incredibly proud of what the Isle has achieved together,” says a spokesperson**. “Hundreds of residents, artists, organisations and businesses came together with energy, generosity and ambition for Thanet’s future. That spirit of collaboration does not disappear with a decision – and we are committed to building on everything this process has started.” **The longlisted cities are Blackpool, Inverness, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham**. **Willy’s head chef and MasterChef: The Professionals contestant Mark O’Brien** has been whittled down from 32 contestants to **one of the top four chefs** of the season. **Watch this week to see if he takes the win**. **Snowboarder and Broadstairs resident James Barnes-Miller** made his **best ever finish of his competitive career** last weekend, coming seventh in the **men’s banked slalom at the Winter Paralympics** on Saturday. **He finished with a time of 59.08 seconds, which saw the 36 year-old-end his career on a high**. **The Sunken Garden Society has been awarded a Wilder Kent Silver Award by the Kent Wildlife Trust**. It recognises the work being done at the Sunken Gardens in Westbrook to maintain the garden and create habitat for wildlife. **Join the gardeners on Saturday, March 28 for Seed Sowing Day**, where volunteers can help out and also take away plants to enjoy at home. **Snack brand Curry Smugglers has launched a new tin of nibbles allied Margate Mix**. The blend of spiced noodles, crunchy lentils and peanuts also (if you’re wondering what’s so Margate-y about all this) **has lion’s mane mushrooms from Margate Mushrooms**. **Ethical children's clothes shop Kinder Collective is moving**. You'll find them at **16 York Street in Broadstairs from Good Friday**, stocking clothes, shoes, toys, games and more. Right now, **the original shop on Nelson Place remains open**. **Broadstairs cafe Beaches has reopened** for full Englishes, vegan fry ups, homemade sausages and lighter brekky bites like fresh granola and fluffy pancakes. Fave Margate ice cream shop, **Follow the Swirl reopens for Easter**, queue-worthy soft serve. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Push on: Coastal spring rides for all abilities URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/best-spring-bike-rides-kent-coast-margate/ Last updated: 2026-04-04T01:15:14.000Z A seaside bike ride with a side of horizon is the perfect tonic to being hemmed in by winter - and there are a number of cycle paths along the East Kent coast you can rid yourself of winter with. Whether you are a lycra-cladded pro or going for a meander with the kids, you can turn these rides into an afternoon or a full day out. While most of these rides are suitable for all levels and are mainly off-road, they are not entirely car free. So, with the breeze in your hair, the sun on your back and the burn in your thigh, enjoy one of these dreamy rides - which can also be walked if that’s your preference. ![A road bike leaning against rails on a coastal path with the sun and a shingle beach in the background](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/jordan-ling-ldvx6BrbdJY-unsplash.jpg) There's a ride for you, whatever your abilities. **Photo: Jordan Ling/Unsplash* ## Crab & Winkle Way - Canterbury to Whitstable [An idyllic 11.2km ride](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/CT1+2AH,+Abbots+Pl,+Canterbury/CT5+1SD,+All+Saints'+Cl,+Whitstable/@51.3102795,1.0337327,13.44z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x47decbb4df1c74d9:0x1b640b6b202f94d3!2m2!1d1.0811293!2d51.2819427!1m5!1m1!1s0x47d934a77e6d031d:0xa1a58dde817697b1!2m2!1d1.0375508!2d51.3558833!3e1?entry=ttu&g%5Fep=EgoyMDI1MDQwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) between Canterbury and Whitstable Harbour. The mostly car-free route will take you through woodland and some pretty fine views. It’s about 40 minutes on the bike and a 2.5 hour walk, give or take. Starting at the Cathedral, you’ll begin your ride at the centre of Christianity in England, before making your way through Blean Woods National Nature Reserve, which is very, very lovely. Ride through woodlands, streams and past a church in a field before hopping on the salt route to Whitstable. Pack a picnic and stop at either Blean Woods or at the Winding Pond Picnic Area, towards the end of the ride. Alternatively, save yourself for a pint and a casual seafood meal at [The Lobster Shack](https://www.thelobstershack.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), which is one of the best spots in town to catch a sunset. [Old Neptune](http://www.thepubonthebeach.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is another sunset spot and bang on the beach, but it can get noisy if there’s a band. For a feed a little more swish, [Samphire](https://www.samphirewhitstable.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is an unfussy bistro plating up seasonal British fare of the likes of beef tartare, cod and parmesan croquettes, and asparagus, ricotta and potato pithivier. It’s very nice, not stuffy. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Pier to Pier - Ramsgate to Deal An intermediate ride around 21km long that will take you from Ramsgate through Sandwich and into Deal mainly on cycle paths, bridleways and country lanes. Give yourself at least an hour and a half to go one way, and three if you’re doing the round trip and not planning to stop. [This ride](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35358809?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) starts Ramsgate East Pier on The Viking Trail which takes you to Pegwell Bay before you veer off to Sandwich (you could stop at [The Old Pharmacy Bar](https://oldpharmacybar.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), or have an old-school sandwich at The Sandwich Shop at 17 Cattle Market, CT13 9AP). You’ll then head back towards the coast as you cycle to Deal, where you can rest at any number of spots including [Deal Pier Kitchen](https://dealpierkitchen.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or [The Rose](https://therosedeal.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for a treat, or [The Bohemian](https://www.instagram.com/bohemiandeal/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk), [The Kings Head](https://www.kingsheaddeal.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or [The Berry](https://www.facebook.com/theberrywalmer/) in Walmer for something more casual. If you want a longer ride, start at Broadstairs and carry on to Kingsdown and park yourself at the [Zetland Arms](https://www.zetlandarms.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for a well deserved rest. ## The Viking Trail Loop - Around Thanet If you do want to smash out a decent ride, the 33.5km [Viking Loop Trail](https://www.visitthanet.co.uk/media/10407/vct-web-version.pdf?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is the ticket. If doing this route in sections, you can start and finish almost anywhere, as train stations are dotted along the route in the various towns you pass. Cycling charity Sustrans says to do the whole lot takes about two hours, but that seems like a lot of effort. Plus, you'll want to make time to take in the sights. If starting coastal, access the trail near Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Birchington by heading to coastline and picking a direction. Heading east, once you pass Pegwell Bay and Cliff’s End, the route veers inland, through picturesque countryside and the villages of Minster, Monkton and Nicholas St Wade. From here, you’ll hit the coast line again at Reculver as you make your way back to your starting point. Whether you over estimated your cycling prowess or gave yourself too much time, you’ll pass plenty of spots for a break on the way. You’ve got [The Bell Inn](https://thebellinnminster.weebly.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) at Minster and another in [Nicholas St Wade](https://www.thebellstnicholas.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) as well as [The King Ethelbert Inn](https://www.kingethelbertinn.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) near Reculver. **Margate to Pegwell Bay** is decent chunk of the trail and the most coastal section of the trail. It's straight-forward without a map, and allow an hour or two - more of course, if you want to make pit stops. The ride between Margate and Ramsgate is probably familiar to most. Heading out of Margate the path is a flat, protected ride along the cliffs that will take you past [The Captain Digby](https://www.captaindigby.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) before you schlep up the hill and through the soulless North Foreland Estate gated community. You could make a pit stop at Stone Bay, for beach side bevvy or snack from [Namaka](https://www.instagram.com/namakabroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), or push on until you get to Viking Bay where [The Tartar Frigate](https://www.tartarfrigate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is good for a beer, or better yet, have ice cream at [Morelli’s](https://www.morellisgelato.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate is just a little further beyond, where Weatherspoon’s is the easiest spot for a post-ride sit. For a nicer reward, try [Albion House](https://albionhouseramsgate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) which also has great sea views. Pushing on to Pegwell Bay, [Pegwell Bay Hotel](https://www.pegwellbayhotel.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has a fab beer garden overlooking, erm, Pegwell Bay. If you time it right, this spot is another good call to watch the sun go down. ## Oyster Bay Trail - Reculver to Whitstable At Reculver, the Viking Trail connects to the Oyster Bay Trail, which takes you onto Whitstable along the coast. It's an easy shoreline hugging route that connects to Ramsgate, Broadstairs or Margate, and pretty straight forward, even without a map. If going from **Margate to Whitstable**, you'll pass through Birchington, Minnis Bay and Herne Bay - allow a few hours, especially if you plan to stop off at pubs along the way. Heading out of Margate, you’ll ride past Westgate, Birchington and Minnis Bay as you head towards Reculver. There’s a little bit of on-road riding after Westgate, but you’ll soon be back on a flat paved path flanked by sea and fields. The King Ethelbert Inn, a pub with a slightly scruffy charm, is a good pit stop and is just near Reculver. From there, it’s off-track to Herne Bay, where [The Hampton Inn](https://www.hamptoninnhernebay.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is another good rest stop. Herne Bay to Whitstable boasts plenty of seaside charm as the bike path takes you past a stretch of well-loved beach huts. ## Margate Canterbury Mega Loop Another ride for the experienced and hard-arsed cyclist, [this loop](https://www.routeyou.com/en-gb/route/view/132148?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is a combination of the Viking Trail and the Crab and Winkle Way. It’s around 90km, which sounds like you'd want to give yourself plenty of time, and another loop with multiple access points. Taking Margate as a starting point, take The Viking Trail towards Ramsgate. Once past Monkton, you’ll take another path towards and veer off once you pass Preston which will take you past Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve and into Fordwich on your way into Canterbury. From Canterbury, take the Crab and Winkle Way to Whitstable, where you can then rejoin The Viking Trail to make your way back to Margate. ![Bring the family along for the ride. Photo:Rafael Garcin/Unsplash](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/rafael-garcin-o8vKaWK_k4g-unsplash-1.jpg) Bring the family along for the ride. **Photo:Rafael Garcin/Unsplash* ## Family Friendly Rides The ride between Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate can be broken up into family-sized chunks which we’ve spelt out below. Bar the little part between Kingsgate and Stone Bay to route is car-free for most of the way. ### Margate to Kingsgate If you’re heading out with little ones in tow, Margate to Kingsgate is a car-free route along the cliffs as part of the Viking Trail. You can hop on the path anywhere from Margate train station and follow it along to the Captain Digby, which is well set up for kids. From Turner Contemporary to the pub, it’s about 5.3km. ### Margate to Broadstairs If you fancy a little longer ride, continue on through Joss Bay and that weird gated community - this isn’t a road free path but traffic is minimal and there are footpaths children can cycle on. Its roughly an additional 3km. Take the bike down to Stone Bay for a sandy stop off or continue riding with the sea at your side into Viking Bay, and all the spoils of Broadstairs where you can also access a train station. You could also start in Broadstairs and end up at Margate - [The Shakespeare](https://www.instagram.com/theshakespearemargate/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is the perfect place for a post ride drink, and kids are welcome until 8pm. ### Broadstairs to Ramsgate Another route which can be done in reverse, this easy, car-free ride takes you from Ramsgate Harbour, along East Cliff and into Broadstairs. From Morelli's to [Staple Stores](https://www.staplestores.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in Ramsgate, which are both great places to start or finish at, is around 4km. ### Deal to Kingsdown This flat ride is just over 4km and takes you from the station to the Zetland Arms pub. Car-free once you make your way from the station to the coastline, it’s a straight along the promenade to the pub. Along the way you’ll pass Deal Castle and Walmer Castle and Gardens, and if you don’t fancy riding back to Deal to catch the train, Walmer station is closer. ![Is your bike not up for a spin? Photo: Matt Seymour/Unsplash](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/matt-seymour-0_Eqnhn41CM-unsplash-1.jpg) Is your bike not up for a spin? **Photo: Matt Seymour/Unsplash* ## Bike hire and services ### Cols Kent Bike Tours Guided tours on bike, departing from Margate, Canterbury and Whitstable. They also run a Tuesday social ride, starting at Margate train station at 6.30pm until 8.30pm. [colskentbiketours.co.uk](https://www.colskentbiketours.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Bike Shed Kent, Margate 71 Canterbury Road, Margate, Kent CT9 5AS [instagram.com/thebikeshedkent\_margate](https://www.instagram.com/thebikeshedkent%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Harbour Bikes, Ramsgate 20 Military Rd, Ramsgate CT11 9LG [instagram.com/harbour\_bikes](https://www.instagram.com/harbour%5Fbikes/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Ken's Bikes, Margate 26 Eaton Road, CT9 1XA [kensbikes.co.uk](https://kensbikes.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Margate Bikes & Hire 87a Canterbury Road, Westbrook, CT9 5AX [margatebikesandhire.co.uk](https://www.margatebikesandhire.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Briar E Bikes, Thanet-wide delivery [briarybikes.co.uk](http://www.briarybikes.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Ride Margate 403 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 3PF [ridemargate.com](http://www.ridemargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### VCT Bike Hire, Birchington 1 The Parade, Minnis Bay, CT7 9FB, 01843 843309 ### Wheelability, Minnis Bay Bikes for disabled and non-disabled people Minnis Bay Car Park, The Parade, Minnis Bay [yourleisure.uk.com/wheelability](http://yourleisure.uk.com/wheelability/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Bear in mind We’re now entering the high season and pedestrians have right of way on shared footpaths. From May 1 to September 30 between sunrise and sunset, cyclists must not ride on promenades where signage instructs you to dismount. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Tiffany Stevenson, Eurovision, Easter Beer Festival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-tiffany-stevenson-eurovision-easter-beer-festival/ Last updated: 2026-03-17T08:00:16.000Z **Tiffany Stevenson delivering the laughs in Ramsgate, Eurovision screening parties, and Easter weekend beer festival and more. Lots of upcoming things to do in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.** **The next Vaults Comedy** night takes place at **Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday, April 2**. Tiffany Stevenson will headline, with Father JC, Joe Sutherland, and John Tothill also on the bill. [**Tickets £18**](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/2ndapril?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Arts Club will be putting on Eurovision screenings this May**, where you can **watch local lad Look Mum No Computer represent the UK**. He already has a guaranteed place in the grand final, but you’ll be able to watch the semi-finals in the bar on May 12 and 14, before the main event on Saturday, May 16\. [**Free tickets**](https://ramsgatearts.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Gadds Easter Beer Festival is set for Good Friday and Easter Saturday**. As well as Gadds’ own brews, the two day festival will **showcase a selection of ales from the west of England**. There will be live music from The Johnny Dogs on Friday, April 3 and Gaddzukes on Saturday, April 4\. **Find it at Ramsgate Brewery on the Pyson's Road Industrial Estate in Broadstairs.** [**Full details**](https://www.ramsgatebrewery.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Comedian Adam Morrison Jones** will be performing his new **work in progress show Moves at Salt in Broadstairs on Saturday, May 16\.** [**Tickets £11.92**](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/comedysoc/adam-morrison-jones-moves/2026-05-16/19:30/t-oeemdjy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Psychedelic Society** will be hosting a **speed-friending and psychedelic storytelling night at Bar Nothing in Cliftonville on Tuesday, March 31**. Guided prompts will get you chatting to new chumps, then you can all hang out for the open mic afterwards. [**Tickets £15**](https://dandelion.events/e/f127w?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Drill Shed in Cliftonville will be hosting an over 30s afternoon indie disco on Sunday, May 3**. You’ll have the bank holiday Monday to recover, but as it’ll all be over by 7pm, you probably won’t need to. Brought to you by indie club promoters Feeling Gloomy, Age Against The Machine and Old School Indie, there will be a strict no young people door policy. ID will be checked if you look too fresh in the face. [**Tickets £10.71**](https://dice.fm/event/2w3wrm-an-afternoon-of-indie-margate-over-30s-only-3rd-may-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The next Wild Life Drawing session has been announced at Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday, April 9**. Modelling this time will be a group of **rescued reptiles - snakes, lizards, and tortoises**. All abilities are welcome, with children over eight years old welcome if accompanied by an adult. As well as drawing them, you’ll learn all about the animals too. [**Tickets £35**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/92090/wild-life-drawing-rescue-reptiles?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **with a 10% donation to animal charity Happy Endings Rescue**. [Wild Life Drawing class features owls, wolves and more as modelsMore lively than your standard life drawing class, Wild Life Drawing works with models who won’t pose or be still, and are an opportunity to be inspired by the natural world, as founder Jennie Webber explains![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-156.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/MIKE0189_smal-1-6.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/) **Artist Gaby Sahhar will be screening their new film Abstraction Belongs To Us at Quench in Cliftonville on Sunday, March 29**. Set between London and Paris, the film explores how queer Palestinians navigate the complex intersections of national identity and sexuality. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Gaby Sahhar. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/film-screening-and-conversation-between-gaby-sahhar-and-tamar-clarke-brown-tickets-1984952442188?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New family pop-up market Turn the Tide will launch at Margate’s Turner Contemporary on May 30-31**. Set up by Rebecca Gonsalves and Francesca Fox, founders of Kinder Collective in Broadstairs, the market will feature ethical kidswear brands, local artists and craft-makers. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/turnthetidekids/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s TKE Studios has announced two new exhibitions** opening next month. **The Journey by Jack Hirons** will showcase paintings completed during the artist’s year as the Dame Tracey Emin Fellow. **Johnnie Shand Kydd’s exhibition Ramsholt** will display work created with analogue cameras and film on a particular stretch of Suffolk landscape. **They will have a shared preview from 6-8pm on Saturday, April 18 and remain on display until Sunday, June 7**. Yummy Cliftonville Cuban restaurant **Little Havana hosts an Easter Sunday roast, with two courses for £30**. You’ve got a spiced leg of lamb or a pimento, black bean and almond roast, both served with Latin-inspired trimmings. Dessert looks equally flavoursome, with the option of a dark chocolate parfait or rum and ginger cake to finish with. **Make your meal selection at the time of** [**booking**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2D1Yy6hEBEqI4gVcn-XXrc1fc8TA-6Ga-QAbD1MHqKIqRuA/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **LGBTQ+ meet up group Queer Knit get together at Lowlife in Cliftonville on March 25** for this month’s craft club. From 6pm, you’re welcome to drop in, for chats, crafting and good vibes. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/queer.kniiit/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Nightmares on Wax will be heading to The Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Sunday, May 24 for a three hour DJ set**. It’s an early one, with doors opening at 4pm and the set finishing at 9pm. You’ll be home with your feet up before you know it. Or staying out, happy in the knowledge that you have the whole bank holiday Monday to recover. Your choice. [**Tickets £25.50**](https://dice.fm/event/6d2oob-nightmares-on-wax-24th-may-the-drill-shed-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Interested in a career in film and TV or just starting out?** Margate Film Festival is putting on **three free talks at EKC’s Margate Digital Campus on Wednesday, March 25**. Three industry professionals will give insights into their jobs, covering hair and make up, food styling, and costume design. [**Free tickets**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/event/margate-film-festival-spotlight-talks/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (March 14-22) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-march-14-22/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T14:09:24.000Z **Sophie Duker in a tiny theatre, laughter yoga, night and day dancing, and much more. Check out our top things to do in Thanet this week.** Sophie Duker will be performing a work in progress show at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Tuesday. [Tickets £12](https://billetto.co.uk/e/sophie-duker-work-in-progress-tickets-1882642?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Laughter Yoga is back at HOLD Creative Spaces in Ramsgate on Wednesday. [Tickets £6](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Bedford Inn in Ramsgate has a buy one steak get the second half price deal on its Steak Night on Wednesday. Chump’s Comedy launches a new night at The Hot Tin in Faversham on Wednesday with Felicity Ward, Pravanya Pillay and Jack Barry. [Tickets £15](https://link.dice.fm/Sdcaa5e86820?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Late filmmaker and artist Derek Jarman’s former home Prospect Cottage in Dungeness will reopen to the public on Wednesday until December 6\. Entry is £22, or £12 for under 25s. [Book a timed slot](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/whats-on/prospect-cottage-public-visits-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate live music poster retrospective All Of Margate Is An Art Show launches with a private view on Friday from 6pm at Where Else. Free entry. Vocal trio Alkanna Graeca are performing at ARK in Cliftonville on Friday with support from Robert Stillman. You’ll also be able to eat a vegan meal from Steph’s Supper Club before the show. [Tickets £25.25 with food or £15.25 without](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2057242?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Kathryn Haywood and Mark Daniels perform work in progress shows at The Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £8](https://billetto.co.uk/e/edinburgh-previews-double-bill-yoga-sex-magic-or-something-like-that-and-that-s-terrifying-can-we-brunch-now-tickets-1843782?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Queer art-pop-disco club night Pansy returns to Margate Arts Club on Friday. [Tickets £7](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33124/pansy-at-margate-arts-club-a-queer-club-night-for-lavender-menaces-and-shrinking-violets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Gal & Gather hosts Hot Girl Hike on Saturday. Meeting at 1pm at Staple Stores in Broadstairs, the group will walk along the beach to Margate. Vicky McClure’s daytime disco Day Fever is coming to Dreamland on Saturday. It starts at 3pm and will be done and dusted by 8pm. [Tickets £14](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/day-fever-3/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Holistic coach Ana Gouveia will lead Inner Lab, a one day wellness retreat at Foreness Waterski & Boat Club in Palm Bay on Saturday. [Tickets £80](https://anagouveia.com/destinations/retreats/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ex-Margate drag performer Pretzel Cage performs Drag Neurosis at Ramsgate’s Alley Bar on Saturday. [Tickets £15](http://screamingalley.co.uk/so/c2Poupakb/c?w=nI67wDm5RIjj3KGpNKloASLTd24D106zBkKJDDcJm-8.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2NyZWFtaW5nYWxsZXkuY28udWsvZXZlbnQtZGV0YWlscy1yZWdpc3RyYXRpb24vcHJldHplbC1jYWdlLWRyYWctbmV1cm9zaXMiLCJyIjoiMmNkYWMzZTItOGFlYy00ZmJmLWFhM2YtNWY4NmM1OTU3M2VmIiwibSI6Im1haWwiLCJjIjoiODYzZDYyOWMtZTg5NC00ZmU5LWJiZGQtYjE3MjhkYjU5MTVmIn0&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Don Letts is DJing at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £20](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/don-letts/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Record Roulette is back at Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs on Saturday. DJ Tom (9ct) Gold will kick the night off before a live set from The Tritones, then it’s open decks for the rest of the night - bring your five favourite vinyl records and wow the crowd with your amazing taste. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate chef through to Masterchef semi-finals URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-chef-through-to-masterchef-semi-finals/ Last updated: 2026-04-04T01:14:46.000Z **Watch a Margate chef excelling on Masterchef, donate much needed items to Thanet baby bank Mama to Mama, sing about your love of Ramsgate and more. Here's all the latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Margate chef Mark O’Brien has made it through to the semi-finals of Masterchef: The Professionals**. Judge Monica Galetti said that he was the “one chef that really stood out” in his latest heat, Matt Tebbutt adding that “his understanding of flavours is really something.” Mark is head chef at Margate restaurant Willy’s and formerly Snake Oil BBQ. [**Watch the episode**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002r6ms/masterchef-the-professionals-series-18-episode-14?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Willy’s restaurant at Margate House Hotel reviewWilly’s plates up classic British dishes that are familiar and filling, yet sophisticated![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-154.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Willy-s_edit_01--1--1-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/review-willys-restaurant-a-well-put-together-and-handsome-unit/) **Thanet baby bank Mama to Mama turns five this year**. This week it has launched a **new campaign called Five for Five, calling for donations of its five most needed items**. These are electric sterilisers, trousers/longsleeved vests for newborns, changing bags, playmats/gyms, and cots. **Head to** [**the charity’s website**](https://www.mama-to-mama.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to find out how to donate these or any other items you have available**. **Local singer, musician and songwriter Steph Dickson has put a call out for Ramsgate folk to help her out with creating a new song**. Funded by the Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board, the song will be about Ramsgate, and Steph asks you to consider what Ramsgate means to you. To take part, [**send in**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2D1Yy6hEBEqI4gVcn-XXrc1fc8TA-6Ga-QAbD1MHqKIqRuA/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **your thoughts**, words, voice notes or photos in response to the question. Alternatively, Steph will run a **roving open mic session on Monday, March 23 10.30am-12.30pm**. Basing herself at the concrete sofas, and wandering around town too, she’ll be armed with her audio recorder and ready to take contributions. **You can** [**tell her**](https://www.instagram.com/kkailou.world/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **you’ll drop by**. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **London skatepark design agency Betongpark has been appointed to build Margate’s new £1.1 million skatepark**. The company has built skateboarding facilities all over the UK. “I’m delighted that Betongpark has been awarded this contract and am looking forward to seeing how, with input from the skateboarding and wider community, the final design will shape up,” says Nic Powley of Margate Skateboard Club. “It has been a long journey to get to this point and it’s exciting to know this project will now materialise for the community and the town.” **Public engagement events will be held next month before the final designs are completed and building work begins later this year**. **Pie Factory Music is on the look out for East Kent musicians ages 18-25 to join its Emerging Artists Programme**. Running from April to December, those involved will get masterclasses and mentoring, studio time, a release on Wantsum Records, live performances and more. The deadline to put yourself forward is March 27\. [**Apply now**](https://piefactorymusic.com/emerging-artists/??ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Town Council has launched a town centre security consultation**. This is a mid-project review of the town centre security patrol trial. Residents and businesses are invited to to share their views on the scheme so far, with two uniformed security officers patrolling the town centre since December. [**Complete the survey**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdd4xjclQmbkrjGxu%5FQvJBTpNEXL6jKnqvcIHhqN3ycNPetcA/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Creative Land Trust is seeking new trustees** to join its board and help guide the organisation’s next steps. Trustees oversee the strategy and governance of the charity, as well as providing advice and guidance. It’s particularly keen to hear from applicants based in or with strong connections to Margate or Kent, with experience in finance, organisational management, regeneration programmes, workspace and estate management, and HR/personnel. [**Find out more**](https://t.ly/gcYKt?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Old Town Market is inviting new traders to apply for stalls** before it returns on Easter weekend, April 4-5\. [**Apply now**](https://margateoldtownmarket.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It might not feel like warmer weather is on the way, but it must be because **The Sun Deck in Margate has announced its reopening date**. While The Bus Cafe and Garage Coffee have stuck it out through winter, the venue’s bar and Creole street food eatery Po’Boy will be opening up ready for you to hang out and watch the sun go down from **Friday, March 27**. Cliftonville Napolitan pizzeria Casa’s seaside sister Pizza by the Sea will follow on Saturday, April 11\. **Details of an official opening party on the Easter weekend are also due imminently**. Canterbury-based brewery **Floc** **has reopened** **The Lifeboat in Margate's Old Town** following a venue glow up and a change of owner. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Easter holiday things to do in Thanet, East Kent and London URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/easter-holiday-things-to-do-in-thanet-east-kent-and-london/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T14:58:47.000Z The Easter holidays are upon us and suddenly there are two weeks to fill with entertainment for the kids. Two weeks and a day, thanks to Good Friday. Luckily, with the warmer weather arriving and things opening up for the summer season, this is one of the best school breaks to get out and do stuff. Thanet is brimming over with things to do on its own, but if you want a change of scene we’ve found plenty to occupy the family across East Kent and up in London. We’ve also tried to make sure that as many budgets, interests and energy levels are catered for too. We'll be updating this list regularly, so be sure to check back as Easter draws closer. **Dreamland, Margate (daily)** The big news on Margate seafront is the reopening of Dreamland on Friday, April 3\. The park will all be open daily throughout the Easter holidays, with rides, roller room and arcades all up and running. Perhaps not one for the kids (although it is 14+), Happy Mondays will play the park's Hall by the Sea venue on April 9 too. *Marine Terrace, Margate, CT9 1XJ. 10.30am - 6pm from April 3\. All ages.* [*Free entry, various prices for attractions*](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Margate Easter Trail (April 3-12)** Hunt the Easter eggs in shop windows around Margate and claim a treat once you've found them all. Collect a sheet from one of the participating shops: Harbour & Tide, Kings Emporium, Little Fish Cafe, Store Collective, Nature's Nook, Social Enterprise Kent, McDonald's, Pilgrims, and Mill Place. Hand in completed sheets to Kings Emporium to collect your prize. *Various locations. April 3-12\. All ages.* [*More info*](https://www.instagram.com/p/DWmM1-FDaK9/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **The Great Garden Egg Trail at Windmill Community Gardens, Margate (various dates)** Follow the nature trail around Windmill Community Gardens helping the birds to find their missing eggs and rebuild their nests. Children will complete fun challenges, learn about local wildlife and complete a simple craft task before collecting a prize at the end. *Dane Valley Road, CT9 2SH. Various times, April 3, 4, 15 & 18\. All ages.* [*Tickets £8*](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Art Rebels at Turner Contemporary, Margate (weekends)** Inspired by Bridget Riley's observational studies and drawings, which you can see in the main gallery, children are invited to try out their own experimental drawing technique in these free drop-in sessions. *Rendezvous, Margate, CT9 1HG. 2-4pm, March 28-29, April 4-5, 7-8 & 14-15\. Ages 1-12\. Free.* [*Full details*](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/art-rebels-mark-making?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Hoogie Boogie at Margate Arts Club (April 5)** Remember when bank holidays were all about going out-out on a Sunday. When that can still be the case. Maybe not quite in the same way, but daytime club night (day?) Hoogie Boogie wants to get the whole family on the dance floor. Not a kids' disco, it's all about sharing the joy of music and moving with your small people in a way that everyone can enjoy together. *276 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 2PT. April 5, 2-5pm. All ages.* [*Adults £5, kids free*](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/34758?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Broadstairs Easter Food Festival (April 3-5)** Broadstairs Food Festival brings its Easter edition to the clifftops over the Easter weekend. As well as lots of food to eat, there will be several workshops for kids, including printmaking, food growing and Easter crown making. *Various venues. Various times, April 3-5\. All ages.* [*Free*](https://broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Kinder Collective, Broadstairs (various dates)** Ethical children's clothing and toy store Kinder Collective moves to a new, larger space this Easter. The gran opening is on Good Friday and there are story time events on April 8, 13 and 17, as well as crafting every Tuesday. *16 York Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1PB. Various dates and times. Ages 3-8\.* [*Check website for details*](https://www.kindercollective.co.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Happy Reading Bookshop, Broadstairs (until April 16)** As ever, the Happy Reading Bookshop is laying on a wide range of events throughout the holidays, including award-winning children's authors Lanisha Butterfield and Gabby Dawnay. *Upstairs at Staple, 30a Reading Street, Broadstairs, CT10 3AZ. Various times and dates. Various ages.* [*Various prices*](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Ramsgate International Film Festival & TV Festival Children's Programme (March 29)** Slightly ahead of the Easter holiday but still work a mention, we reckon, the Ramsgate International Film Festival & TV Festival returns at the end of March. On Sunday, March 29 it will be putting on a free children's programme. Eight short films from around the world will be screener, nurturing those future film buffs. *Silvers, 29-31 Harbour Street, Ramsgate, CT11 8HA. From 2.30pm, March 29\.* [*Full programme*](https://ramsgateiftvfest.org/programme-2/children-programme/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Micro Museum, Ramsgate (various dates)** Have a young gamer in your life? Keen to show them how it was all so much better in your day? Ramsgate's brilliant Micro Museum will be open on a number of days over the Easter holidays, with more than 40 old computers and consoles to play on. There's also a tonne of vintage tech memorabilia to peruse. *11 Church Hill, Ramsgate, CT11 8RA. April 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 1-4pm. All ages.* [*Entry £7 per person*](https://www.themicromuseum.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **Open Cockpit Weekend at RAF Manston History Museum, Ramsgate (April 11-12)** For one weekend only, you can take a seat in the various aircraft at RAF Manston History Museum. So long as you promise not to fly anywhere. *821 Manston Road, Ramsgate, CT12 5DF. 10am - 4pm, April 11-12\. All ages.* [*Free with admission*](https://rafmanston.co.uk/event/open-cockpit-weekend/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Tails from Acorn Wood at Granville Theatre, Ramsgate (April 15)** See Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Tales from Acorn Wood stories come to life on stage at the Granville Theatre. Help Fox find his lost socks, play hide and seek with Pig and Hen, and discover the special surprise Postman Bear is planning for his friends. *Victoria Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 8DG. 1.30pm - 2.30pm, April 15\. Ages 1-6\.* [*Tickets from £16.50*](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/tales-from-acorn-wood?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Bouncing Bunnies Easter Trail at Quex Adventure Farm Park, Birchington (daily)** Hop around Quex Adventure Farm Park's Easter trail meeting characters and playing games, then grab a chocolate egg from the Easter Bunny. Kids will also get the chance to travel round the park on the back of a tractor and plant a carrot. Access to the rest of the park is included in the ticket price. *Quex Park, Birchington, CT7 0BH. 10am - 4pm, March 28-April 6\. All ages.* [*Tickets from £16.50*](https://www.quexadventurefarmpark.com/easter?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Spring Eggsplorers at Powell-Cotton Museum, Birchington (daily)** Follow the clues left around the museum to track down the mysterious animal who has left a lost egg behind. Examine footprints, feathers and food, and record secret codes to discover. Once you've cracked the case, head outside for an egg trail around the gardens. *Quex House and Gardens, Quex Park, Park Lane, Birchington, CT7 0BH. 11am - 4pm, March 28-29, April 3-6, 8-12 & 15-19\. All ages.* [*Tickets from £7*](https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/event/spring-eggsplorers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Easter Hunt at Felderland Farm, Worth (April 3-4)** It’s too early to pick your own fruit at Felderland Farm yet, but you will be able to hunt for Easter eggs and treasure, as well as taking part in various other activities. *Deal Road, Worth, CT14 0BJ. 10am - 4pm, March 28-29 and April 3-4\. All ages.* [*Free entry, £6 per hunt*](https://www.felderland-pyo.co.uk/whatson?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Easter Trail at Betteshanger Country Park, Deal (until April 6)** Hunt for Easter eggs in the woods and meet the Easter Bunny on this fun adventure trail. *Sandwich Road, Deal, CT14 0BF. 10am - 4pm, March 28-April 6\. All ages.* [*£10 children, £4 adults*](https://www.betteshanger-park.co.uk/event/easter-trail/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Hanami Festival at Brogdale Collections, Faversham (April 11-12)** Go and enjoy a picnic under the cherry blossom at its peak, take part in the various activities on offer, and then have a wander around the living archive of fruit trees. *Brogdale Farm, Faversham, ME13 8XZ. 10am - 4pm, April 11-12\. All ages.* [*Tickets £15 (under 16s free)*](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/hanami-blossom-day/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Brainiac Live at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (April 13)** An hour of live science demonstrations, which will include setting stuff on fire. It sells itself, really. *The Friars, Canterbury, CT1 2AS. 1.30pm and 4pm, April 21\. Ages 5+.* [*Tickets from £18*](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/brainiac-live/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Codekids, Canterbury (various dates)** Codekids is putting on several coding camps for techy children over the Easter holiday. There are introductory courses for younger kids covering Minecraft, Lego robotics and animation, plus classes for slightly older children to get deeper into specific topics such as the Python language and building AI models. *Junior King's School, Milner Court, Sturry, Canterbury, CT2 0AY. Various dates and times. Various ages.* [*Places from £65.50*](https://canterbury.codekids.org/?swoof=1&locations=canterbury&locations=JKS&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends at Young V&A, London (daily)** As Aardman celebrates its 50th anniversary, go behind the scenes of the animation studio and find out all about how your favourite characters are brought to life. *Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9PA. 10am to 5pm, until November 15\. All ages.* [*Tickets £12.50*](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/inside-aardman-wallace-gromit-and-friends?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **My Neighbour Totoro at Gillian Lynne Theatre, London (daily)** The stage show of this Studio Ghibli classic is a definite worth considering as an Easter treat. Kids can go for half price at selected performances (although not during the week of April 6). *166 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5PW. Various times. Ages 6+.* [*Various prices*](https://totoroshow.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: The Libertines, Hot Girl Hike, Frozen cocktails URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/inc/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T08:00:58.000Z **The Libertines at Rochester Castle, a Gal & Gather hike, and the return of frozen cocktails. Lots of dates for your diary.** **The Libertines** will take the stage for a headline set **at Rochester Castle** on **Saturday, July 4**, alongside Maximo Park, Kid Kapichi and Opus Kink. It’s expected the night will sell out, with early bird tickets going on sale yesterday. [**Tickets £45**](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Medway-Rochester/Rochester-Castle/The-Libertines---Rochester-Castle---Sat-4th-July/42138234/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Gal and Gather host Hot Girl Hike on March 21**. Meeting at 1pm at Staple Stores in Broadstairs (ladies, there’s a coffee and cake combo deal available via DM), the group will walk along the beach to Margate, which is **around 10k, and estimated to wrap up around 3pm**. Hibernation is over. **Little Swift’s frozen cocktails are back from March 15**, for boozy sunsets on Margate steps. A garlicky, dribbling kebab (or souvlaki, not picky) is one of 3am’s simple pleasures. Not exclusively a late night meal though, you might find me running down to **The Souvlaki on The Parade in Margate to nab myself a free one on Saturday, March 14**. For the restaurant’s **grand opening special**, the restaurant is **giving away 100 souvlakis on a first come, first served basis**. If you miss out, it’s still **2 for 1 on wraps all day**. Small, but busy, there’s lots going on at **Ramsgate’s Alley Bar**. Ex-Margate drag performer **Pretzel Cage performs Drag Neurosis on Saturday, March 21**. Exploring psychoanalysis, interpretation and transformation, [**tickets**](http://screamingalley.co.uk/so/c2Poupakb/c?w=nI67wDm5RIjj3KGpNKloASLTd24D106zBkKJDDcJm-8.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2NyZWFtaW5nYWxsZXkuY28udWsvZXZlbnQtZGV0YWlscy1yZWdpc3RyYXRpb24vcHJldHplbC1jYWdlLWRyYWctbmV1cm9zaXMiLCJyIjoiMmNkYWMzZTItOGFlYy00ZmJmLWFhM2YtNWY4NmM1OTU3M2VmIiwibSI6Im1haWwiLCJjIjoiODYzZDYyOWMtZTg5NC00ZmU5LWJiZGQtYjE3MjhkYjU5MTVmIn0&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **for the 7pm show are £15**. Also at Alley Bar, performer **Amber Topaz runs a burlesque course from March 24 -April 14**. With a hefty dose of humour, participants will release their creative spirit in a safe space with no holds barred. [**Places £50**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33973/bawdy-burlesque?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). On **Friday, March 13, you can find funny woman ELZ in Ramsgate High Street** with a typewriter, ready to write a poem on any topic you give her. She’ll then perform the poems **later that night (7pm) at the Alley Bar**. [**Tickets £7.50**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/elz-poems-hot-off-the-press?utm%5Fcampaign=06d4951f-2e18-45b6-8a4c-fd3d0c886fc2&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=863d629c-e894-4fe9-bbdd-b1728db5915f) or free for Alley bar members. A very long way off, but Chump’s Comedy is bringing funny woman **Harriet Kemsley to Margate on Wednesday, February 24 next year**. Yes, you need to buy a 2027 diary already. Playing at **Where Else**, the Last One Laughing comic will perform her new show, Floozy. [**Tickets £20**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/53rrg8-harriet-kemsley-floozy-24th-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=8504979&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1558159954628266979&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1Q9LMTUxSDVNSUkzMLKvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2ydc4oys9NBQDm2%2FjUOwAAAA%3D%3D). Much sooner, **Chump’s is also branching out into a new town later this month**. It launches a new night in **Faversham at The Hot Tin on March 18**. Headlining will be Felicity Ward, with Pravanya Pillay and Jack Barry also on the bill. [**Tickets £15**](https://link.dice.fm/Sdcaa5e86820?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Music is Black: A British Story, opens at V&A East on Saturday, April 18**. Looking at how Black British music has shaped British culture, the exhibition boasts more than 200 instruments, sculptures, paintings, photos and fashion-y things that date back to the 1900s. [**Tickets from £22.50**](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/the-music-is-black-a-british-story?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Steak is good, but it’s better when it’s cheap. You’re in luck because t**he Bedford Inn in Ramsgate has a buy one steak get the second half price deal on its upcoming Steak Night, Wednesday, March 18**. The slab of carcass also comes with as many fries as you would like to shovel into your gob, so it’s best to book for this one. Who says romance is dead? While there’s no downward dog or vinyasa flow, a **Laughter Yoga** session will still see you feeling energised and good by the end of the class. It sounds glorious and bonkers - playful laughter exercises, gentle movement and deep breathing and meditation, along with sharing some joy with strangers. Classes are on at **HOLD Creative Spaces in Ramsgate** on **Wednesday, March 18** at 9am, and **Monday, March 30** at 6pm. [**Tickets £6**](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s HOFFS hosts Margate Record Connection on Friday, March 27**, for a night of vinyl, vinyl and more vinyl. Before Adam Bartlett, Leon Nesta and Dartos Balata step behind the decks to play most things, from 80s acid house to techno and electro, punters are invited to bring their own records along as part of an open decks session for the first hours of the evening. **From 9pm**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (March 9-15) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-march-9-15/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T12:58:43.000Z **Comedy, quizzes, music, Mother's Day and more. Here's our pick of things to do in Thanet and beyond this week.** New live performance festival Gotta Get Thru This takes place in venues around Margate from Monday until Sunday, April 19\. There will be audio installations, poetry in a sauna, prop fixing, a day of family shows, rave-theatre hybrid, live illustrations and more. Most events are free. [See the full programme](https://www.crescendorious.com/shows/gotta-get-thru-this?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnnPAgY8v06cmQa9eyQeIs6B8Drnw-uANHGA5f7noEynBojVCKzCpRxHseyio%5Faem%5Fgl5aPQ92hOJzHcCate1dIQ). Comic/poet/musician Rob Auton is on at Where Else on Wednesday. [Tickets £19.06](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/oe69dy-rob-auton-can-11th-mar-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet’s most stupid (in a great way) quiz returns this month. Full of chaos, dress ups, drag and drawing tasks, Quizania, hosted by Mr Teds Walker lands in Ramsgate on Tuesday at the Horse & Groom, Margate Beach Club on Wednesday, and Broadstairs on Thursday at Neptunes Hall. £3 per player, max 6 per team, quiz from 8pm. [DM to book](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Let’s get quizzical: Thanet’s best pub quizzesPub quiz season is here. Check out all the best nights in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs to test your general knowledge![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-148.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558210598-89ba75b1724e-2)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lets-get-quizzical-thanets-best-pub-quizzes/) Drink & Draw launches downstairs at the Bedford Inn in Ramsgate on Thursday with a classic still life class. All abilities are welcome. [Tickets £14](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drink-draw-still-life-tickets-1983883529040?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Orb will be live at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Friday, promoting their upcoming new album Buddhist Hipsters. [Tickets £31.16](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/g5lrn2-the-orb-live-13th-mar-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rebecca Lucy Taylor - aka Margate royalty/alumnus Self Esteem - returns to the West End in David Hare’s play Teeth ‘n’ Smiles, from Friday at The Duke of York’s Theatre. [Tickets from £25](https://www.thedukeofyorks.com/teeth-n-smiles?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate’s excellent Fermentorium marks its first birthday on Saturday, so head down to raise a glass in celebration. Harry Enfield performs at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Saturday. [Tickets from £34](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/harry-enfield-and-no-chums/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Creative Flow hosts a Mothers’ Day edition of Sip & Paint at Gather& in Ramsgate on Sunday. [Tickets £35](https://the-creative-flow.square.site/product/sip-paint-ramsgate-floral-theme-sun-15th-march/K5RJDIIYFQIBQPZTRCOQ4NLF?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). As part of National Lottery Open Week, the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs is giving a talk on the cinema's 60 year history on Sunday. Free entry with proof of purchase of a National Lottery ticket. [Full details](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/free-events-for-national-lottery-open-week-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-149.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-8.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs is putting on Mums and Mimosas for Mothers Day on Sunday. As well as drinking mimosas, you and your mum will be able to make windowsill herb planters. Tickets £20\. Email [events@broadstairs.gov.uk](mailto:events@broadstairs.gov.uk) to book. The Noa rooftop bar on top of Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre puts on a Mother’s Day roast, with complimentary mimosas on arrival and a £15 voucher to use at the theatre. Just put MUMDAY in the notes when [booking](https://www.noarooftop.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: UK Eurovision song by Ramsgate's Look Mum No Computer revealed URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-uk-eurovision-song-by-ramsgates-look-mum-no-computer-revealed/ Last updated: 2026-03-08T08:00:07.000Z **Ramsgate's Look Mum No Computer reveals Eurovision song, Margate's Quench launches crowdfunder, Broadstairs resident James Barnes-Miller competes in the Winter Paralympics and more. Here's this week's creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Eurovision entrant and Ramsgate resident, Look Mum No Computer has revealed the song he will perform in Austria in May**. Eins, Zwei, Drei is as kitsch and weird as its [**music video**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8&ref=strangetourist.co.uk), and I’m here for the pizza with the face and the keyboard playing furry box heads. [Interview: UK Eurovision star Look Mum No Computer’s music and sound tech museumEver had the urge to push a mystery button? Strange Tourist visits This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, where visitors are invited to do just that. Visitors are encouraged to make music and sound with old tech (whether it was designed to or not) and in the process learn about how it works![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-147.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/sam_battle_landscape_1-5-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/) **Broadstairs resident and Winter Paralympian James Barnes-Miller heads to Milan to compete in his third and final games**. The snowboarder competes in the SB-UL class for athletes with upper limb impairments in snowboard cross banked slalom at Milano Cotina, with seeding starting today. **Quench is launching a fundraiser to a new season of work at the Cliftonville gallery**. The funds will go towards a group exhibition by artists who are navigating mental health challenges, as well as seminars and workshops on peer support and self care, and resources to help reduce isolation and support sustainable creative practice. **Donations of £30 Lindsey Mendick ceramic brain pin** \- although these are in limited numbers, so get in quick. There’s just under 50 days left on the fundraiser and a target of £18,774\. [**Donate**](https://www.spacehive.com/where-is-my-mind?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Sheldons on Margate High Street has had a change of ownership**, and a name change. **Now The Fox and The Hound, Jonathan Wood, ex-Northern Belle, is running the joint**, after spending two months on a refurb. **Manston Airport owners RiverOak Strategic Parters Limited will launch a public consultation as part of the process to reopen the airport**. The consultation is the third stage out of seven, and will present flight paths and airspace structure to the public, and will run **Monday March 16 - Monday, June 22**. Events will be online and in person. Event details and further information will be on the Civil Aviation Authority Citizen Space Consultation Portal from March 16\. **Ramsgate wine bar Penelope is now open Thursdays, 5pm-9pm**. They’re also serving up nosh from Rachel O’Sullivan, the chef behind the sumptuous Rakookoo, every trading day, which is Thursday to Sunday. Another evening meal deal, **High Dive on Margate’s High Street has launched Taco Tuesday**. Stroll up, or book, to grab two for one tacos, which are available alongside the full menu. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Heritage Lab’s plans to revitalise Ramsgate’s historic buildings and boost local pride URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/heritage-labs-plans-to-revitalise-ramsgates-historic-buildings-and-boost-local-pride/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:04:40.000Z Only a few years since it launched, Heritage Lab Ramsgate has become a significant force in the regeneration of the town. Through its own projects and supporting those of other organisations, it aims to protect the town’s derelict and unused historic buildings and bring them back into use for the local community. “Essentially, it's all about trying to enhance local pride,” says founder and CEO Rob Kenyon. “And in doing so, create jobs and bring things back into fruition.” The organisation had a faltering start in 2018, with an initial project at the Granville Hotel halted by the pandemic. However, funding raised did allow the fledgling organisation to carry out research on the local creative economy. “Our hunch at the time was that there were lots of derelict or underused buildings and a burgeoning creative industry,” explains Rob. “Everyone talks about creatives in Margate, of course. But there also seemed to be a different creative scene in Ramsgate.” That [research](https://www.heritagelab.org.uk/research/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) showed there was indeed a growing creative industry in Ramsgate but there weren’t the necessary spaces available to support it. So, Heritage Lab Ramsgate relaunched in 2021 with a core plan to address that need. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/Old-Wine-Warehouse.jpg) The Old Wine Warehouse in Charlotte Court. **Photo: Heritage Lab Ramsgate* Its first building, The Old Wine Warehouse in Charlotte Court, opened in 2025 and now houses the Ramsgate Works co-working space, the Ramsgate Arts Club bar and venue, and a branch of local cafe chain Giant Coffee. Bringing the building back into use, says Rob, has seen increased use of Charlotte Court, more spending in the surrounding area, and reduced anti-social behaviour. And, he adds, it “hopefully acts as a catalyst for the next thing.” ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Thinking of the “next thing” is key to Heritage Lab Ramsgate’s plans, he explains, as the intention from the outset has been to take on “multiple sites rather than just one building.” While the organisation is in “startup mode”, it is attempting to create a sustainable future where its properties can cover their costs and generate a surplus to fund the organisation’s ongoing work. “We need to be in a situation where we’ve got probably five-ish properties depending on the size to be in that position,” Rob explains. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/Ramagate-Works.jpg) Ramsgate Works co-working space. **Photo: Tom Keenan* Photography Rob moved to Ramsgate ten years ago after “falling in love” with the town. Prior to that, he had been living in Leeds where he worked on homelessness and addiction services in the public sector. Getting a job at Thanet District Council allowed him to relocate and started his journey in heritage projects, working on the regeneration of the Dreamland theme park in Margate. “I came down here with bright eyes and lots of enthusiasm,” he says. “The Dreamland project was amazing and getting that over the line was brilliant.” He also worked on other projects, including bringing the Turner Prize to Margate and the Conrad Shawcross Beacons project in Ramsgate, and was involved in getting Ramsgate listed as a Heritage Action Zone by Historic England. Gaining that status has contributed more recently to the town receiving multi-million pound Levelling Up and Pride in Place funding. Despite this, “TDC was the first job that I’ve left not really feeling like I’ve done the job that I needed to do,” says Rob. And so launching Heritage Lab Ramsgate was in part prompted by “a feeling of unfinished business.” “I like seeing change happen,” he states. “We’ve now paid about 150 different people and organisations in the local area, and that’s great to be able to do that. We’ve raised around £1.5 million so far, and that’s a fair chunk to start putting into the local economy. But we want to do lots more.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/East-Cliff-Shelters.jpg) One of the Art Deco shelters on Ramsgate's East Cliff. **Photo: Steve Morgan* The next project underway is a very different one; renovating the eight Art Deco shelters along Ramsgate’s East Cliff and making them available for a variety of uses. Inspired by a similar project in Hastings, Heritage Lab Ramsgate began to consider how the currently unused shelters might serve the community. “There's just nothing there,” says Rob. “And yet there's such a footfall of people walking past.” Heritage Lab Ramsgate put the question of what to use the spaces for to the public, garnering a massive response. “People loved the idea,” recalls Rob. From that public outreach, people were asked to vote on the ideas put forward. After work to restore the shelters back to their original state and in collaboration with a number of partners, it’s now planned to install a cafe, bar, sauna, watersports shop and convert the remaining shelters into beach huts. It’s hoped the site will be partially up and running by this summer. The kind of community engagement seen on the East Cliff project is “vital”, says Rob. “That's definitely one of the things that I've taken from when I was working in the public section in Leeds,” he says. “Whether it's the NHS or local government there or academia, all the changes that I was involved in, we just involved people from the outset.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/03/Marina-Swiming-Pool-Still-1.jpg) Currently a car park, Heritage Lab hopes to restore the Marina Bathing Pool. **Photo: Heritage Lab Ramsgate* A newer project already generating a lot of enthusiasm is a tentative proposal to convert the Marina car park, also on the East Cliff, back into an outdoor swimming pool. Built in the 1930s, the Olympic-sized Marina Bathing Pool was a popular destination for decades. However, it was closed in 1975 due to structural issues and later filled in to become a car park. Currently owned by the council, Rob says that Heritage Lab Ramsgate has been in talks with a developer who has worked on similar projects about redeveloping the site as a swimming pool, hotel and rooftop bar. A post on social media about the idea has gained tens of thousands of views since it went up last month with an overwhelmingly positive response from the public. While this is still very much an idea, the main reason for going public was to ensure that if the Council puts the site up for sale, explains Rob, it knows “the strength of feeling from the public” about what the site could become. “It would be an amazing opportunity,” he goes on. “It would really help the generation of that entire area and it would be such a statement piece as well. People would come to Ramsgate because of that. We think it's really important to try and help drive greater tourism and footfall to that area.” As well as working on its own projects, Heritage Lab Ramsgate works with other organisations. One such example is assisting Pie Factory Music in getting the building it operates out of, Ramsgate Youth Centre, listed as an Asset of Community Value. This status means that the community must have an opportunity to put forward bids for a building before it is made available on the open market. When Kent County Council announced that it planned to sell the youth centre, gaining this status was the start of the process of Pie taking on the building itself. Being named an ACV, says Rob, “got them the breathing space to be able to start to put the arguments together for them trying to get the investment to take it site on.” [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-150.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928-7.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) While its focus is on Ramsgate, Heritage Lab Ramsgate is also working on a wider project across Thanet, having been chosen as the accountable body for the district’s bid to be named City of Culture in 2029 - the bid putting the district forward as Isle of Culture. “I think we’ve got a good chance,” says Rob of the bid. “As far as we know, we’re the only bid that’s been put forward that’s been led by the community. So that’s a really strong message.” For a small team, it’s a lot of work, but Rob’s enthusiasm for it is infectious. And with various other projects at differing stages, it seems to be paying off. “Within four to five years, I would like to think that the organisation will be sustainable,” he says. “In the long term, hopefully we'll have enough properties to make a real difference to the transformation of the town, to be a critical mass of jobs, which is driving a lot more private investment to those areas.” Heritage Lab Ramsgate is still very young, but there are other places around the country where this potential future can be seen. “If I look at some of the organisations that are similar to ours in other parts of the country, the ones that have been going a long time have a large portfolio of properties. A lot of these organisations are employing dozens of people making a real difference directly. “That's the sort of thing that we'd like to grow here,” he continues. “So that Ramsgate can once again have that real sense of pride in place that it clearly had 20, 30 years ago. I want to reinvigorate that.” *Find out more about Heritage Lab Ramsgate at* [*www.heritagelab.org.uk*](https://www.heritagelab.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Incoming: Hulda Guzmán, Day Fever, Margate Radio URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-hulda-guzman-day-fever-margate-radio/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T08:00:03.000Z **Turner Contemporary's next exhibition, a play about a bookshop in a bookshop, Margate's Radio's sixth birthday and more. Get these dates in your diary now.** **Margate’s Turner Contemporary has announced the first European exhibition of work by Dominican artist Hulda Guzmán**. Titled Please Awake – Asked Nature Kindly, the exhibition will display a decade of paintings inspired by Guzmán’s home in the rainforest mountains of Samaná. “Hulda Guzmán reimagines landscape at a time when our relationship with the natural world feels increasingly urgent,” says Turner director Clarrie Wallis. The show will run from Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, September 13\. [**Find out more**](https://turnercontemporary.org/news/hulda-guzm%C3%A1n-please-awake-asked-nature-kindly?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Steven Todd’s play about a bookshop, Goat. Book. Dad, will be performed - appropriately - in Ramsgate’s Plunder bookshop on Saturday, April 11**. Premiered with a sold out performance at last year;s Faversham Fringe, the one-man show traces the relationship between the protagonist and his father, who have lived together for years without ever understanding one another. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.ticketsource.com/whats-on/ramsgate/plunder/goat-book-dad/2026-04-11/20:00/t-dkkvpzd?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Radio will be celebrating its sixth birthday at Cliftonville Community Hall on Saturday, March 28**. DJing the party will be Jah B, Tim & Shirley Ottou, Sophie Stirling and Rob Birch of Stereo MC’s. There will also be rum, cocktails, food from A Perfect Place to Grow and a free can of Floc beer each to the first 20 people through the door. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/margateradio/2088062?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The March edition of the **Kent Whisky Explorers**’ tasting night at Little Swift has sold out. Good news though - they’ve announced another one two weeks later **on Friday, March 27**. Both nights will raise money for men’s health charity Movember. In March, host Paul Vig will be guiding attendees through a range of Irish drams. [**Tickets £30**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-kent-whisky-explorers-charity-night-irish-whiskey-edition-tickets-1982503943663?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Following outdoor indie discos in Birmingham, Liverpool and London last year, **All Day Indie Party is coming to Dreamland in Margate on Saturday, September 26**. What is it? It’s an indie party and it lasts all day. There will be DJs, there will be live performances, there will be - we are assured - “insane visuals”. Most importantly, there will be the opportunity to dance to your favourite indie bangers all flippin day. And also into the night. [**Tickets go on sale on Wednesday**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/all-day-indie-party/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you can’t wait that long for some daytime dancing, don’t fret. **Vicky McClure’s Day Fever is coming to Dreamland on Saturday, March 21**. Billed as “the day-time disco that doesn’t ruin your Sunday”, it starts at 3pm and is done and dusted by 8pm. Since launching Sheffield two years ago, it’s gone on to run nights in 32 cities around the UK and Ireland. [**Tickets £14**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/day-fever-3/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Drink & Draw launches downstairs at the Bedford Inn in Ramsgate on Thursday, March 12**. There will be a different theme each month, and this month kicks things off with a classic: still life. All abilities are welcome, whether you’re a complete beginner or seasoned professional. There will be light guidance available if you find yourself stuck, and drinks at the bar to help loosen up your creativity. [**Tickets £14**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drink-draw-still-life-tickets-1983883529040?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Mando-pop duo Chinese American Bear** have announced a show at **Where Else in Margate on Saturday, March 21**. Their new album Dim Sum & Then Some is out on May 8\. [**Tickets £12.50**](https://whereelse.live/events/chinese-american-bear-473073?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville** is hosting **two Edinburgh previews for the price of one on Friday, March 20**. Comedians **Kathryn Haywood and Mark Daniels** will perform the new shows they are currently tightening up ready for the August arts festival. You’ll get to see both work-in-progress performances by these two acclaimed comics [**for just £8**](https://billetto.co.uk/e/edinburgh-previews-double-bill-yoga-sex-magic-or-something-like-that-and-that-s-terrifying-can-we-brunch-now-tickets-1843782?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New live performance festival Gotta Get Thru This is set to take place in venues around Margate between Monday, March 9 and Sunday, April 19**. There will be audio installations, poetry in a sauna, prop fixing, a day of family shows, rave-theatre hybrid, live illustrations and more. Most events are free. [**See the full programme**](https://www.crescendorious.com/shows/gotta-get-thru-this?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnnPAgY8v06cmQa9eyQeIs6B8Drnw-uANHGA5f7noEynBojVCKzCpRxHseyio%5Faem%5Fgl5aPQ92hOJzHcCate1dIQ). **Queer art-pop-disco club night Pansy returns to Margate Arts Club on Friday, March 20**. The night will have a sprig theme because - spoiler alert - winter is about to GTFO. So dress in your new bloom best. As well as resident DJs Mother Love, Valley of the Dolls and The Lavender Menace, there will be a live performance from Bower Street Morris.[**Tickets £7**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33124/pansy-at-margate-arts-club-a-queer-club-night-for-lavender-menaces-and-shrinking-violets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Punk band Crabs have announced a special summer show at Margate Arts Club on Friday, June 19**. They’ll be supported by Sha Sha Shanimals and Harmony Bo with DJs Aitch and Sista G keeping the party going until the small hours. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/34015/crabs-summer-special-with-the-sha-sha-shanimals-and-harmony-bo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (March 2-8) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-march-2-8/ Last updated: 2026-03-02T13:07:51.000Z **Live music, silent reading, International Women's Day and more. Here are our picks for what to do in Thanet and beyond this week.** Duplikat risograph studio on Margate High Street is having a party on Thursday. Check out what the studio has to offer and hang out with a beer from 5-9pm. [More info](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVGmdADCBGq/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Live experimental music night Ramsgate Noise Institute takes place at Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate on Thursday. Silent book club Bar & Peace is back at the Bedford Arms in Ramsgate on Thursday. Ramsgate Arts Club hosts Vaults Comedy on Thursday with Sikisa, Josh Weller, Lucy Frederick and Joe Bor. [Tickets £18](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/5thmarch?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedian Daniel Foxx will be performing his new show How Lovely at Where Else in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £20.80](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/g56pv2-daniel-foxx-how-lovely-5th-mar-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Shronk - an evening of improvised music with an improvised line up - takes place at Olby’s on Margate on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/skronk-5th-march-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A Night for Weird Folk hosts the Folkopalypse at Margate Arts Club on Friday. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33125/a-night-for-weird-folk-its-the-end-of-the-world?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Roni Size and LTJ Bukem are co-headlining The Drill Shed in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £28.80](https://ra.co/events/2103495?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Stuart Rayner opens his new exhibition Arse End of Nowhere at Projects Kavel Rafferty in Margate on Saturday until March 22\. Indulge your New Romantic tendencies at 80s club night Atomica at Ramsgate Arts Club on Saturday. Free entry. Blur drummer Dave Rowntree will be sharing stories and photographs of the band’s early years from his new book No One You Know at the Astor Theatre in Deal on Saturday. [Tickets £19.50](https://theastor.co.uk/events/edge-street-live-presents-dave-rowntree-no-one-you-know-dave-rowntree-s-early-blur-photos?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Ceramics Market will be back at the Turner Contemporary on Saturday and Sunday. Free entry. Spend a day making your own altar to celebrate the things that matter most to you with A Day in Clay at Ramsgate Pottery on Sunday. [Places £120](https://site.corsizio.com/event/695ad2850a9f0d8f4d62180f?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Join a walk and talk from Nayland Rock to Margate Caves at 10am on Sunday to discuss plans for new feminist culture organisation POW+, then a bigger conversation at Margate Caves from midday. The Cocoa Pod hosts a chocolate focussed event for International Women’s Day at Gather& in Ramsgate on Sunday. [Tickets from £6](https://the-cocoa-pod.sumupstore.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also for International Women’s Day on Sunday, Stakehaus in Margate is putting on a fundraising dinner in aid of Everyday Racism and Not A Phase from 5-8pm. [Book now](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/restref/availability?rid=460095&lang=en-GB&r3uid=THUqNPQSx&color=1&correlationId=df51803f-1522-4850-a9b6-71f6c2aaf184&restRef=460095&partySize=2&dateTime=2026-03-08T19%3A00&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Recipients of Pride in Place funding announced URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-recipients-of-pride-in-place-funding-announced/ Last updated: 2026-03-01T08:00:57.000Z **The projects set to share £1.5 million Pride in Place funding, the new incarnation of POW Thanet, the Broadstairs bookshop aiming to boost reading for pleasure and more. Here's this week's creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Thanet District Council has revealed** **the projects set to receive a share of £1.5 million from the government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund**. These include Margate Museum and Old Town Hall, and in Broadstairs, Pierremont Park and the Sarah Thorne Theatre. Thanet villages are also being given the chance to bid for a share of £100,000, with grants of up to £20,000 being considered to improve community spaces. Ramsgate has already been awarded £20 million from the Pride in Place Programme and so is not included in this allocation. [**Find out more**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/thanet-district-council-unveils-towns-set-to-receive-share-of-1-5m-regeneration-boost-under-pride-in-place-impact-fund-investment/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet’s Power of Women Festival closed last year after ten years. On International Women’s Day next week, **a new organisation called POW+ is set to launch**. Organisers say that it will offer “arts and culture led programming for women, non-binary, trans and gender nonconforming people in Thanet.” With a community focus, it wants local people to help guide its development. Your first opportunity to do that will be at **two events on March 8**. Join a walk and talk from Nayland Rock to Margate Caves at 10am, then a bigger conversation at Margate Caves from midday. [**Follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/pow%5Fplus/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **or email** [**powerofwomen.plus@gmail.com**](mailto:powerofwomen.plus@gmail.com) **for more information**. [Interview: POW Thanet International Women’s Day festivalPOW Thanet CEO Rosanagh Fuller on harnessing the power of dissent and creativity in the fight for equality for women, girls and non-binary people![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-144.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/GOLDEN-SLUMBERS--MOVING-MEMORY--1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/international-womens-day-2025-pow-thanets-rosanagh-fuller-we-wanted-to-reflect-on-our-past/) **Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop in Broadstairs has been named a Lead Literacy Champion for the National Year of Reading 2026**. Owner Nicci Rosengarten will head up **literacy-focussed initiatives across Thanet** throughout the year, as part of the National Literacy Trust campaign. “Becoming a Lead Literacy Champion means we can amplify the importance of reading across Thanet and ensure more children have access to stories that reflect their world and expand it,” says Nicci. [**Find out more**](https://www.happyreading.uk/go-all-in-2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Red Rebel FM wants your old vinyl**. The feminist community radio station wants you to dig out that record collection that you never play to **help raise funds for its sister organisation Red Rebel Collective**, which raises awareness for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. **The donated records will be sold at an event marking International Women’s Day on March 8**. You can drop off donations at the Tap Room in Cliftonville. [**More details**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DVN7euFjJv5/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate nightclub Power has said that it was not forced to close down by its landlord**. Notices appeared in the venue's windows this week stating that owner of The Centre in Margate, Evolve had taken back control of the building. Power owner Lexi Mac [told the Isle of Thanet News](https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2026/02/26/power-nightclub-in-margate-shuts-as-owner-says-it-was-no-longer-financially-viable/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) that the club closed at the end of December, less than nine months after originally opening. She **blamed licensing and planning restrictions for the decision**, saying that it made the venue **"financially unviable for continued use as a nightclub."** **Feline-focussed art festival the Festival of Cats returns to Margate this May** and organisers have this week put out an **open call to artists who would like to take part**. Paintings, prints, drawings, collage, ceramics and sculpture are all welcome, so long as they’re inspired by cats. **The exhibition will take place at the Pie Factory gallery and online from April 30 to May 5**. Submissions are open until Sunday, March 22\. [**Find out more**](https://www.festivalofcats.com/about-2?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### The best museums and galleries around Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-museums-and-galleries-around-broadstairs-ramsgate-and-margate/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:09:57.000Z Whether you want to ponder a historical moment, look at contemporary art and bold ideas or enjoy irreverence, Thanet's museums and galleries have got you covered. A string of contemporary art spaces ensure established, local and emerging contemporary artists are constantly on display, while outfits like The Crab Museum and This Museum is (Not) Obsolete bring a sense of fun and their own flair to cultural ideas. From the Turner Contemporary through to small independently run spaces, there's a museum or gallery nearby that could make your rainy day - here's Strange Tourist's pick of the best. ![It's full of buttons you can press. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/general_museum_landscape_2-1.jpg) It's full of buttons you can press. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### This Museum is (Not) Obsolete Nowhere else can you play a Furby. A collection of toys and old tech that have been tinkered with until they are musical instruments, this Ramsgate museum is the brain child of UK’s 2026 Eurovision entrant, [Look Mum No Computer](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/), aka Sam Battle. The musician has built a shire to obsolete technology that you can push, touch, press or bash - like a wall length synthesizer, the church organ that is actually an electronic keyboard, or even an old telephone exchange. One for folks who just can’t help pushing a button or two. *Open Saturday and Sunday 1pm-4pm, 5-7 Church Hill, Ramsgate CT11 8RA; adults £7/U13£5/U3 free;* [*this-museum-is-not-obsolete.com*](https://this-museum-is-not-obsolete.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![The Turner pulls in big names and views of the sea. Photo: James Newton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/Sunley-Gallery-2---Credit-James-Newton.jpg) The Turner pulls in big names and views of the sea. **Photo: James Newton* ### Turner Contemporary Built on the site of JMW Turner’s preferred guesthouse and with an unfettered view of the sea from the main hall, the opening of this major regional gallery in 2011 was a turning point for the town and its cultural industry. Free to visit, you’ll find exhibitions by local, British and international artists, as well as makers markets, and a programme of kids activities too. *Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG; Tuesday - Sunday (summer) Wednesday - Sunday (winter) 11am-5pm; free* [*turnercontemporary.org*](https://turnercontemporary.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Test your crustacean knowledge at the Crab Museum. Photo: Crab Museum](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/CrabMuseum-2023-35-35-1.jpg) Test your crustacean knowledge at the Crab Museum. **Photo: Joe & Charlotte* ### The Crab Museum Another utterly unique museum, Margate’s crab museum is one of a kind. It is a sharp, witty outfit that offers impressive insight into the lives of crabs, as well as using humour to discuss some of the big issues, like climate change and the nature of truth. Also, you'll find the Carb Museum in the loo. *9 Broad Street, Margate CT9 1EW; Friday - Sunday 11am-5pm; free* [*crabmuseum.org*](https://www.crabmuseum.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ![Carl Freedman exhibits established and emerging contemporary arts. Photo: Carl Freedman Facebook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/640788726_18568034143003516_3180049767094764386_n-1-1.jpg) Carl Freedman exhibits established and emerging contemporary arts. **Photo: Carl Freedman* ### Carl Freedman Representing the likes of Studio Lenca, Billy Childish as well as local artists such as Lindsey Mendick and Laura Foote, the gallery exhibits exceptional established contemporary artists, as well as stars on the rise. *28 Union Crescent, Margate, CT9 1NS; Wednesday - Sunday, 12pm-5pm; free;* [*carlfreedman.com*](https://carlfreedman.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![The smallest gallery in the UK. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/Liminal_Galery_portrait-1-1.jpg) The smallest gallery in the UK. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Liminal Gallery Small but grand, Liminal Gallery exhibits contemporary art, focussing on women artists and those from underrepresented backgrounds. The Cupboard, a gallery within a gallery within a small cupboard is a space dedicated to supporting local artists with residencies and solo exhibitions. Liminal is also the UK’s smallest bricks-and-mortar contemporary gallery. *34 Fort Hill, Margate CT9 1HD; Thursday - Saturday; 11am-4pm;* [*liminal-gallery.com*](https://liminal-gallery.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![TKE performance artist in residence Ziah Ziah performs at TKE. Photo: Ziah Ziah](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/HAIR-DEEPER-CUT--1--1.jpg) TKE performance artist in residence Ziah Ziah performs at TKE. **Photo: Ziah Ziah* ### TKE Studios With gallery spaces and artists studios, including space for those involved in the TKE residency programme - including a performance artist in residency, TKE Studios is a place for creative play and exploration, and new work. The programming covers exhibitions, fundraising fete days, talks and workshops across visual and performing arts. Stop for a coffee and a bite to eat at The Perfect Place To Grow training cafe, housed to the back of the main galleries. *99 Victoria Road, Margate CT9 1RD; Saturday - Sunday; 12pm-5pm;* [*traceyeminfoundation.com*](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/518134067_1318834040033848_9129006400245570667_n-1.jpg) Get a hit of WWII aviation history in Manston. **Photo: Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum* ### Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum Set on Manston’s RAF base, this museum does what it says on the tin. It is a collection of WWII artefacts - including the aircraft, and for the proper plane nuts, you can have a go in the museum’s plane simulator. The simulators come with a replica cockpit set up and authentic WWII controls, which you can use to take off, fly and land. The [RAF Manston History Museum](https://www.rafmanston.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is just next door, for more geeking out on WWII aircraft. *The Airfield, Manston Road, Ramsgate, CT12 5DF; Monday - Sunday; 10am-4pm; free;* [*spitfiremuseum.org.uk*](https://www.spitfiremuseum.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![It's a little surreal at first. Photo: Powell-Cotten Museum Facebook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/515502790_1275721317890869_7319978668894081902_n-1-1.jpg) It's a little surreal at first. **Photo: Powell-Cotten Museum* ### Powell-Cotton Museum Kind of cool, kind of weird, kind of uncomfortable, this museum’s big stars are a collection of taxidermy animals from around the world that have been placed in large-scale dioramas depicting scenes of their natural habitats. The collection features more than 300 animals from more than 150 species, each one brought to the UK by explorer and keen hunter Percy Horace Gorgen Powell-Cotton’s expedition, who started the museum in 1896 when his collection of stuffed dead animals outgrew his home, which is now Quex House. *Quex Park, Birchington-on-Sea, CT7 0BH; Friday - Sunday; 11am-4pm;* [*powell-cottonmuseum.org*](https://powell-cottonmuseum.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![The amazingly intricate Shell Grotto walls. Photo: Shell Grotto Facebook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/568492392_1230793102428731_4860119888950229784_n-1.jpg) The amazingly intricate Shell Grotto walls. **Photo: Shell Grotto* ### Shell Grotto Why does this place exist? Was it an ancient temple, a secret meeting place or perhaps something made for shits and giggles by the Victorians? No one really knows for sure, but it was found by chance in 1835 and it has become one of Thanet’s much loved locations ever since. What we do know is that the shell studded underground cave is adorned with more than four million shells and is of exquisite beauty. *Grotto Hill, Margate, CT9 2BU; Thursday - Sunday; 11am-4pm; adult £4.50/concession £4/U16 £2/U4 free/family £10;*[*shellgrotto.co.uk*](https://www.shellgrotto.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Go underground at Margate Caves. Photo: Margate Caves Facebook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/490847831_1111573334338299_4316669024598784002_n-1.jpg) Go underground at Margate Caves. **Photo: Margate Caves* ### Margate Caves Following a dank and narrow, slightly claustrophobic descent, you are rewarded by a series of chalky chambers embellished in parts with Victorian-era graffiti - all that’s left of the old chalk mine that was created in the 1800s and then forgotten about for more than 100 years. *1 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 1FG; Friday - Sunday; 11am-5pm; adult £5/concession £4/U16 £2.50/family £12;* [*margatecaves.co.uk*](https://www.margatecaves.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Learn about one of Britain's great writers in Broadstairs. Photo: Dickens House Museum Facebook](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/602395863_122313882512226249_8303107418866676591_n-1.jpg) Learn about one of Britain's great writers in Broadstairs. **Photo: Dickens House Museum* ### Dickens House Museum Found in the cottage Dickens took inspiration from for his book David Copperfield, this museum celebrates the lauded author’s connection to Broadstairs, which he visited often in the mid 1800s. The museum contains items that once belonged to the author, including his writing box and a collection of prints by his main illustrator. *2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS; Wednesday - Sunday; 1pm-4.30pm (April 1 to November 1); adult £5/child £2.50/ concession and student £3.50/family £12.50;* [*visitthanet.co.uk*](https://www.visitthanet.co.uk/attractions/dickens-house-museum-1999/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![It's cars and trains at Crampton Tower Museum. Photo: Crampton Tower Museum Facebook ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/494109225_2491721401170292_6804967624663160834_n-1.jpg) It's cars and trains at Crampton Tower Museum. **Photo: Crampton Tower Museum* ### Crampton Tower Museum A small collection housed in the flint tower across from Broadstairs Railway Station, this museum pays tribute to locomotive and railway designer Thomas Russell Crampton. Expect to see Crampton’s drawings, models and graphics, railway records and working model railways which kids can ride on, weather permitting. *The Broadway, Broadstairs, CT10 2AB; Friday - Sunday + Bank holidays (high season); 2pm-4.30pm;* [*cramptontower.co.uk*](https://www.cramptontower.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Japanese-born visual artist and composer Rieko recently performed at Quench. Photo: Quench ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/unnamed--4--1.png) Japanese-born visual artist and composer Rieko recently performed at Quench. *Photo: Quench* ### Quench Gallery Co-founded by sculptor Lindsey Mendick during the pandemic, Quench is a space for emerging and early career artists to experiment and develop and present new work. Programming focuses on LGBTQ+, global majority and working class artists. *Viking House, Cliftonville Avenue, Margate, CT9 2AH; Friday - Sunday 12pm-6pm;* [*quenchgallery.co.uk*](https://www.quenchgallery.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Incoming: Courtney Barnett, Sikisa, Gal & Gather URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-courtney-barnett-siskia-gal-gather/ Last updated: 2026-03-02T12:51:05.000Z **Courtney Barnett announces intimate Margate show, Sikisa to headline Vaults Comedy in Ramsgate, Gal & Gather celebrates first birthday in Broadstairs. These and more dates for your diary in Thanet and beyond.** **Courtney Barnett is set to play Where Else in Margate on Thursday, April 2**. And yes, I have double and triple checked that what I just wrote is true. The show will come hot on the heels of the release of her fourth album Creature of Habit, which is out on March 27\. Once again, Courtney Barnett is playing Where Else. Also, it sold out in about three seconds, but the [**waiting list is right there**](https://dice.fm/event/nvk885-courtney-barnett-2nd-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Vaults Comedy is back at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday, March 5** with a great line up featuring Sikisa, Josh Weller, Lucy Frederick and Joe Bor. [**Tickets £18**](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/5thmarch?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Women-only social group **Gal & Gather celebrates its first birthday this sprin**g. There’ll be a special birthday meet up at **Flowers & Felicities in Broadstairs on Saturday, April 18**. As well as the chance to meet new friends, there will be a dried blossom bouquet making workshop and Fancy Nancy themed afternoon tea. [**Tickets £50**](https://events.flowersandfelicitys.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#event/6). **For International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, Stakehaus in Margate is putting on a fundraising dinner in aid of Everyday Racism and Not A Phase**. Taking place from 5-8pm, you’ll get a welcome drink and three courses, as well as bingo and other chances to win prizes and support the two charities. Veggie and vegan options available. [**Book now**](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/restref/availability?rid=460095&lang=en-GB&r3uid=THUqNPQSx&color=1&correlationId=df51803f-1522-4850-a9b6-71f6c2aaf184&restRef=460095&partySize=2&dateTime=2026-03-08T19%3A00&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Acclaimed theatre maker **Alexis Gregory brings his new play Smoke to Ark in Cliftonville on Thursday, May 14**. In the comic-thriller, Alex wakes up to fine an Instagram message from his boyfriend. But his boyfriend died two years ago. What initially appears to be an easily explained hack unravels into something else. The show will be **followed by a panel discussion** on the themes of the play hosted by LGBTQ+ organisation You Are Loved. [**Tickets £14**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2057304?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate’s excellent Fermentorium marks its first birthday next month**. Drop in to the bar on **Saturday, March 14** to raise a glass in celebration. **The Resonant Coast new music night will be back at Ramsgate Arts Club on Sunday, April 26**. It will feature a headline set from ‘ghost rock’ project Alex Rex, plus cellist Francesca Ter-Berg, and ambient duo Adam Coney and Richard Pike. [**Tickets £8**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/resonant-coast-3-tickets-1982208746721?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **ARK in Cliftonville invites you to Feel The Beat on Saturday, April 11**. The **participatory dance show** will get you up and moving, exploring sensory ways to dance. There will be two performances at 11am and 7.30pm, with children over six welcome to join as well as adults.[**Tickets £14**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/2057287?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Artist Stuart Rayner will open a new exhibition titled Arse End of Nowhere at Projects Kavel Rafferty in Margate on Saturday, March 7** until Sunday, March 22\. Taking its name from a phrase often used to dismiss rural places as remote or insignificant, the exhibition will explore folklore, queerness, and personal narrative through contemporary landscape painting. **PP Arnold will be appearing at The Booking Hall in Dover on Wednesday, April 15** for a night interweaving performances of her greatest hits and stories from her six decade career. [**Tickets £30**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/3513?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you’re looking for something to do with your mum on **Mothers Day on Sunday, March 15, Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs is putting on Mums and Mimosas**. As well as drinking mimosas, you and your mum will be able to make windowsill herb planters. **Tickets £20\. Email** [**events@broadstairs.gov.uk**](mailto:events@broadstairs.gov.uk) **to book**. Alternatively, you could **take your mum for a roast at the Nao rooftop bar on top of Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre**. As well as complimentary mimosas on arrival, you’ll **also receive a £15 voucher** to use at the theatre. You can give that to her or keep it for yourself if you reckon that a roast and a cocktail is enough of a gift. **Just put MUMDAY in the notes when** [**booking**](https://www.noarooftop.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Bottleneck in Broadstairs** has announced its first event of 2026, a **tasting session with English sparkling wine maker Nyetimber on Thursday, April 16**. You’ll sample a range of the company’s wines while nibbling on cheese and charcuterie. [**Tickets £40**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/nyetimber-tasting-16-04?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (February 23-March 1) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-february-23-march-1/ Last updated: 2026-02-23T13:52:19.000Z **Stand up comedy in a cinema, wolf pup life drawing, a night where small talk is banned and more. Here are our picks for what's happening in Thanet and beyond this week.** The Palace Cinema in Broadstairs hosts Chump’s Comedy on Wednesday, with stand up sets from Paul Foot, Alexandra Haddow and Andy Field. [Tickets £15](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/bbxv9k-paul-foot-alexandra-haddow-andy-field-25th-feb-the-palace-cinema-broadstairs-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Life Drawing is back at Gather& in Ramsgate on Wednesday. This time around the models will be wolf pups. [Tickets £35](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/93194/wild-life-drawing-wolves-and-puppies/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with 10% donated to Wolf Watch UK. [Wild Life Drawing class in Ramsgate features owls as modelsMore lively than your standard life drawing class, Wild Life Drawing works with models who won’t pose or be still, and are an opportunity to be inspired by the natural world, as founder Jennie Webber explains![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-138.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/MIKE0189_smal-1-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/) Margate Assembly is back at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday. Performing this month are Moss.E, The Tender Mercys and Ffogg. Suggested donation £7\. Hate small talk? Head to Depths at Olby’s on Thursday where there will be none. It’ll be a night of deep conversations with guided prompts. [Free but book](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/depths-26th-feb-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Authors and broadcasters Tash Walker and Adam Zmith discuss their book The Log Books: An Intimate History of Queer British Voices and the Helpline That Listened at CAMP on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-log-books-with-tash-walker-and-adam-zmith-tickets-1982783485781?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate has a new quiz on its busy trivia night calendar. The first edition of the Lovers & Quarrels quiz will take place at Cinque Ports on Thursday (and every last Thursday of the month) focussing on famous romances and break ups. It starts at 7.30pm and entry is £3 per person. [Let’s get quizzical: Thanet’s best pub quizzesPub quiz season is here. Check out all the best nights in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs to test your general knowledge![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-139.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558210598-89ba75b1724e)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lets-get-quizzical-thanets-best-pub-quizzes/) Margate’s Turner Contemporary will host a panel discussion on Friday celebrating ten years of Margate Pride. Robert Diament will lead the talk with past and present directors Dan Chilcott, Tryg Verran, Mia Pollak and Amy Redmond. [Tickets £5](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/tens-across-the-board-a-decade-of-margate-pride?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate Pride co-founder Amy Zing on the event’s growth from short protest to month-long festivalMargate Pride co-founder Amy Zing on growing the grassroots festival from a three-minute walk into a whole town takeover![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-140.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Amy-Zing-Margate-Pride-2023-1-3.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-amy-zing-interview/) Independent music festival You Are Here takes place at The Gulbenkian in Canterbury from Friday to Sunday, curated by nine East Kent promoters. [Tickets £30](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/you-are-here-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Tate Modern in London’s new Tracey Emin exhibition opens on Friday, featuring work from across her 40 year career some of which has never before been exhibited. [Tickets £20](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tracey-emin?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Sunken Garden in Westbrook is holding a seed swap event on Saturday. [More details](https://thesunkengarden.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Mermaid Chunky will play Where Else in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £15](https://www.gigantic.com/mermaid-chunky-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-02-28-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Cookie Man hosts the first monthly Cookie Social at Lowlife in Cliftonville on Saturday from 11am to 3pm. There will be cookies and activities to keep the kids occupied while you eat them. Jonny Woo performs his new show Suburbia at the Alley Bar in Ramsgate on Saturday. Tickets £20 for the [matinee](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/jonny-woo-suburbia-matinee-performance-rescheduled?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or [evening](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/jonny-woo-suburbia-evening-show?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) performances. Lucy Taylor, Rosko Piko and Morrison Ford play the opening night of new Ramsgate venue Downstairs, in the basement of the Bedford Inn on Saturday. [Tickets £10](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-night-downstairs-at-the-bedford-inn-tickets-1980662956220?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A7tkhjx%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANTA3NzE4MDY1LjE3NzA0MDM0NTY.%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzA0MDM0NTUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzA0MDM0NTUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The inaugural edition of the Comedy Store’s new regular night at Dreamland is on Saturday with performances from Joe Wells, Kate Lucas, Paul Thorne and Rory O’Hanlon. [Tickets £19.80](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/the-comedy-store?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Getdown Services play Booking Hall in Dover on Sunday. [Tickets £18](https://good-show.co.uk/events/3088?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Ramsgate's Look Mum No Computer chosen at UK Eurovision entrant URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-ramsgates-look-mum-no-computer-chosen-at-uk-eurovision-entrant/ Last updated: 2026-02-21T08:00:51.000Z **Ramsgate musician to represent the UK at Eurovision, Margate chef competes on Masterchef: The Professional, Batsford Books launches Makers House. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Thanet’s own Look Mum No Computer has been chosen to represent the UK at Eurovision** this year. The man behind the project is Sam Battle, YouTube creator and **founder of Ramsgate music and sound technology attraction This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete**. “I find it completely bonkers to be jumping on this wonderful and wild journey,” he says. “I have always been a massive Eurovision fan, and I love the magical joy it brings to millions of people every year, so getting to join that legacy and fly the flag for the UK is an absolute honour that I am taking very seriously.” **The Eurovision grand final takes place on Saturday, May 16**. [Interview: UK Eurovision star Look Mum No Computer’s music and sound tech museumEver had the urge to push a mystery button? Strange Tourist visits This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, where visitors are invited to do just that. Visitors are encouraged to make music and sound with old tech (whether it was designed to or not) and in the process learn about how it works![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-136.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/sam_battle_landscape_1-5-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/) **Head chef at Margate restaurant Willy’s, Mark O’Brien appears on the new series of Masterchef: The Professionals**. O’Brien, who previously cheffed at provenance-led outfits like Whitstable bistro Samphire and Robin Gill’s The Dairy and Zebra Riding Club at Birch, is also known around these parts for his Snake Oil BBQ residency at the now closed Daisy’s. **His first appearance on the show aired on Wednesday** and saw him go through to the next stage. [**Watch the episode**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002qwsl/masterchef-the-professionals-series-18-episode-6?seriesId=b00mx9xb-structural-3-m002qwq3&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Willy’s restaurant at Margate House Hotel reviewWilly’s plates up classic British dishes that are familiar and filling, yet sophisticated![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-137.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Willy-s_edit_01--1--1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/review-willys-restaurant-a-well-put-together-and-handsome-unit/) **Thanet District Council has put £120,000 into its draft budget for the restoration of the Grade II listed East Cliff lift in Ramsgate**. The Edwardian lift requires significant work in order to resume transporting people from the upper promenade to the beach below and has been out of service for several years. It had been added to TDC’s asset disposal list. **Heritage Lab recently nominated it to be listed as an Asset of Community Value in order to protect its use for the local community**. **Publisher Batsford Books has announced the launch of Makers House in Ramsgate**. The townhouse retreat will run weekend residential workshops for up to ten people, led by Batsford writers. **The first workshops will take place in April**, with Jessie Cutts guiding participants through patchwork and quiltmaking. Further textile workshops are set to take place throughout the year. [**More info**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DU57ol3jMVN/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Ramsgate Town Shed officially opened in its new permanent home on Church Road this week**. Initially set to open on Mondays from 10am to 1pm, it **offers workshop space for woodwork** \- whether you’re experienced or just interested in developing skills in this area. The team behind it hopes to offer other activities, based on suggestions from those who use it. **Email** [**ramtownshed@gmail.com**](mailto:ramtownshed@gmail.com) **for more info**. **The new Margate Electronics record label has put out its first release, 4.0 by Missing Music**. Available on cassette and download, music on the album was created using rare, obsolete software applications and plugins running on vintage Macintosh computers. [**Buy it on Bandcamp**](https://margate-electronics.bandcamp.com/album/40?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Head chef at Margate’s Buoy & Oyster Craig Edgell has** [**announced**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DU2m0rbiE8i/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **that he is stepping down after eight years at the restaurant**. “All good things must come to an end and I want to leave knowing this was some of the best time of my life,” he says. As for his next step, he says, "Honestly, I have no clue.” Last year, Craig made it through the final of the National Chef of the Year competition. **His final service at B&O will be on Sunday, March 29**. As the **reopening of Ramsgate’s Clock House** draws closer, Thanet District Council is **giving the public the chance to have a say on what should be inside the new museum** it will house. The town’s maritime history? Local movers and shakers? Ramsgate’s best cats? Nothing is off the table. **The next drop-in session to put forward your ideas will be at Ramsgate Market on Friday, 9am to 1pm**. **Lost Boys themed diner Santa Carla has opened in The Centre in Margate**. Head over for burgers and cocktails. **Non-vampires welcome**. **Spoken word organisation Apples and Snakes is on the look out for ten emerging performance poets** to take part in a **series of workshops in March and April**. Led by Kareem Parkins-Brown, the programme will focus on building confidence and developing a sustainable career as a poet. [**Apply now**](https://applesandsnakes.org/event/margate-artist-callout/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Flaming Lips, Palace Cinema, Samia Rida URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-flaming-lips-palace-cinema-samia-rida/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T09:11:31.000Z **The Flaming Lips in Margate, free film talks in Broadstairs, a pirate festival for Ramsgate and more. Lots of events all over Thanet (and further afield) to get into your diary.** **The Flaming Lips and the Beta Band are coming to Dreamland**. Both of them at the same time. What a night. They’ll be at the theme park on **Saturday, July 18\.** [**Tickets £58.75**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/the-flaming-lips-the-beta-band/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). As part of National Lottery Open Week, **the Palace Cinema in Broadstairs will be putting on two free talks**. The first, 100 Years of Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate as Film Locations, is on Saturday, March 7 at 2pm. A week later, on Sunday, March 15, will be The Palace” 60 Years a Cinema 1965-2025\. Free entry with proof of purchase of a National Lottery ticket. [**Full details**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/free-events-for-national-lottery-open-week-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-130.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-7.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) Following a sold out run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, **actor and writer Samia Rida will be bringing her one woman show Kidnap to Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre on Tuesday, March 31**. The comedy-drama tells the true story of her kidnap as a child. A TV adaptation is in development, so head down to see it in its original form. [**Tickets £10**](https://billetto.co.uk/e/kidnap-tickets-1815288?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Pirates Festival has been confirmed for Saturday, June 6**. There will be piratical activities around the town throughout the day, beginning with a parade setting off from (where else?) the Plunder book shop on the High Street. **There’s** [**a crowdfunder**](https://www.gofundme.com/f/ramsgate-pirates-festival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to help cover costs**, but on the day everything will be free. The Cookie Man shop may have closed but it’s not the end of the line. The first monthly **Cookie Social at Lowlife in Cliftonville** will take place on **Saturday, February 28** from 11am to 3pm. You’ll be able to grab some cookies and a coffee. There will be colouring sheets, balloons and badges for kids. Kids can probably have cookies too. Probably. **Broadstairs Water Gala** will be back this year on **Wednesday, July 29**. Full details of the day will be announced soon. [**The Cocoa Pod**](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) has announced a **chocolate focussed event for International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8 at Gather& in Ramsgate**. The day will kick of with some chocolate-free yoga, before a guided chocolate tasting session with Nicola from The Cocoa Pod, as well as a chance to meet local functional mushroom chocolate maker Luma. [**Tickets from £6**](https://the-cocoa-pod.sumupstore.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Ceramics Market** will be back at the **Turner Contemporary on March 7-8**. Over 40 makers will be taking part with a different line up each day. **Free entry**. **There will be jazz at the Falstaff in Ramsgate on Friday, March 6** with the Kate Daniels Trio. As well as Kate Daniels herself, the group is made up of acclaimed musicians Frances Knight and Jerome Davies. **Free entry**. **The Creative Flow** will be hosting a **Mothers’ Day edition of Sip & Paint at Gather& in Ramsgate on Sunday. March 15**. Enjoy a glass of prosecco or soft drink upon arrival, then grab a brush and join a guided floral painting session. [**Tickets £35**](https://the-creative-flow.square.site/product/sip-paint-ramsgate-floral-theme-sun-15th-march/K5RJDIIYFQIBQPZTRCOQ4NLF?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Tap Takeover will return on April 17-19**, bringing lots of guest beers to pubs and bars around the town. Or if wine’s more your thing, the **LOW music and wine festival returns to Margate on June 13**. [**£35 early bird tickets**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/bb8pov-low-margate-tasting-rooms-13th-jun-various-venues-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) are available now. **Nigel Planer** will be coming to **The Astor theatre in Deal on Friday, October 2**. Promoting his memoir Young Once, he’ll discuss his work with the Comic Strip, the Young Ones and more. [**Tickets £21**](https://theastor.co.uk/events/edge-street-live-presents-nigel-planer-young-once?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Kent independent brewery Moot Brew Co** will be setting up at **the Fermentorium in Ramsgate on Sunday, March 22**. Attendees will taste six of the brewery’s beers and have the chance to quiz the team about their work. [**Tickets £25**](https://fermentorium.sumupstore.com/product/moot-brewing-guided-tasting?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Lightroom in London** has announced that its next exhibition will be **David Bowie: You Are Not Alone**. Opening on April 22, performance footage, rarely heard interviews and never-before-seen material lifted from the David Bowie Archive will be shown on the venue’s 11 foot high video walls. [**Tickets £25**](https://lightroom.uk/whats-on/david-bowie-youre-not-alone/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Filth Collective** will be back with **Freak Out at Margate Arts Club on Friday, April 3**, a night of 60s and 70s heavy, psych, doom, garage rock, folk rock and more. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32742/freak-out-heavy-60s70s-heavy-rock-proto-metal-heavy-psych-garage-rock-freakbeat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Sunken Garden in Westbrook** is holding a **seed swap event on Saturday, February 28**. You’ll be able to pick up seeds harvested from the garden itself, including sunflowers and calendula, as well as distributing some of your own. [**More details**](https://thesunkengarden.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (February 16-22) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-february-16-22/ Last updated: 2026-02-16T08:00:22.000Z **Laughter yoga, a pyjama party, live music, stand up comedy, a lunar new year festival and more. Here's our pick of what's happening in Thanet this week.** Start your week on a high with Laughter Yoga at Hold Creative Spaces in Ramsgate at 9am on Monday. [Tickets £6](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Brighter Days Markets is hosting Makers of Tomorrow, free print and stitch workshops for children aged 13-18 at Pie Factory in Margate on Monday and Tuesday. [Register to take part](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfLAHxdPxfxrUg4dxpT15BO-UFUPC7HIDnwOtjMPSPhpDKebg/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Gap Project hosts a family-friendly Pancake and Pyjama Party at Queens Road Baptist Church on Tuesday morning. Who wants to get dressed during half term? [Free entry](https://www.thegapproject.co.uk/view-events/pancake-and-pyjamas-party-?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stewart Lee brings his new show Stewart Lee vs the Man-Wulf to Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday. [Tickets £31](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/stewart-lee-vs-the-man-wulf-2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Blues festival Broadstairs Blues Bash takes place in venues around the town from Wednesday to Sunday. Most of the shows are free. [Find out more](https://www.broadstairsbluesbash.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This Bean Spins host a half term Circus workshop for children aged five and up at Centenary Hall in Ramsgate on Thursday. Tickets £9 - Email [thisbeanspins@gmail.com](mailto:thisbeanspins@gmail.com) to book. Good Good Film Club will be screening another mystery movie at Margate Arts Club on Thursday. [Ticket £5 (or £15 with a pizza)](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33205/good-good-film-club-5?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Geoffrey Chambers opens his first solo exhibition at Pie Factory in Margate on Friday until March 2\. Featuring painting, sculpture, performance and film, the show explores how memory, migration and the stories we inherit become places of ritual, strength and transformation. [See the full programme of events during the run](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/34931660873?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Big Woes will launch their new EP Heavy Work II at Where Else in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £10](https://www.gigantic.com/big-woes-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-02-20-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate band Big Woes on the town’s “personal and human” music scene“Softcore punk band” Big Woes on a new compilation A Margate Sampler, the “amazing” energy of its launch shows, and feeling part of a musical community![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-131.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/062660050009-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-band-big-woes-on-the-towns-personal-and-human-music-scene/) Garth Marenghi (aka comedian Matthew Holness) will be reading from his new book This Bursted Earth at Folkestone’s Leas Cliff Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £24](https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/3600627AE1F457ED?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Nightingales return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £18](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/the-nightingales/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thao Thao is putting on a Lunar New Year Festival with events in various venues around Margate from Saturday to Wednesday. [See the full programme](https://thaothao-kitchen.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Junkyard Gaming will be back filling the Tom Thumb with retro gaming consoles for you to play with on Sunday from 2pm to 8pm. [Tickets £5](https://billetto.co.uk/e/retro-video-game-social-tickets-1867008?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: David Hockney to create new work for Turner Contemporary URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-david-hockney-to-create-new-work-for-turner-contemporary/ Last updated: 2026-02-15T08:00:39.000Z **David Hockney's new artwork for the Turner Contemporary, plans unveiled for Margate's Winter Gardens and Theatre Royal, a literary hotel for Ramsgate and more. Here's this week's news from across Thanet.** **Margate’s Turner Contemporary** **has announced** **David Hockney as the next artist to create a piece for its Sunley Window**. The artwork has been commissioned as part of fifteenth anniversary celebrations for the gallery. The seven metre tall, ten metre wide floor to ceiling window is set to be adorned with **a depiction of a sunrise in Normandy**, based on a piece originally drawn by Hockney in 2020\. **It will be on display from April 11 to November 1**. **Renovation plans for Margate Winter Gardens were unveiled this week** with an open day at Margate Digital Campus. Once complete, the £8 million refit will see the building split up into two venues, a rooftop restaurant, drama school and nursery. While there’s much to do, **it’s hoped that the Main Hall will be possible before the end of the year**, with announcements about initial performances expected in the coming weeks. **Plans for the Theatre Royal in Margate were also unveiled this week** at an event held at the theatre. If you were unable to attend, **the plans are also available to see online**. You can also **have your say by filling out a survey**, which is open until March 1\. [**See the plans**](https://yourvoice.thanet.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/theatre-royal?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Despite a public campaign against the move, **Thanet District Council has put the depot at Pierremont Park in Broadstairs up for sale on the open market**. Campaign group Friends of Pierremont Park have been calling for ownership of the building to be transferred Broadstairs Town Council for community use. Noting that access is only possible through part of the park itself, the group says that commercial development “is likely to damage the park environment and lead to a loss of trees and shrubs.” [**A listing on Rightmove**](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/172002512?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#/) **is seeking offers in the region of £475,000**. A petition against the sale already has over 1200 signatures. [**Add yours**](https://www.change.org/p/urge-thanet-district-council-to-halt-sale-of-pierremont-park-depot?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnUMy2LdcA9FdBK8A5KRRgJeLQF8ly2OtxZJg1-a4ATQxXgHm2SgyzLMJwHsA%5Faem%5F0F5XiIaTKhUzUn%5Fk7HkBWA). **The Falstaff in Ramsgate has announced the opening of The Book Hotel**, a new collaboration with Tamara Macfarlane of children’s book shop Tales on Moon Lane. **The literary hotel will officially open in May** this year with a week-long book festival. A **book shop will open** next to the Falstaff’s existing cafe and bar **at the beginning of March**. “Ramsgate feels ready for this exciting new literary adventure,” says Falstaff owner Peter Andon. “I am delighted that The Falstaff will become The Book Hotel’s first home!” **A Pavement gold disc** donated to the fundraising campaign for Where Else has **sold for £7,685.70 on eBay**. This gets the Margate music venue within £5500 of its £40,000 to pay off outstanding debts and set it on a more stable financial footing for the future. There are still two weeks to go before the campaign closes. [**Donate**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **101 Social in Cliftonville is raising money for its weekly soup kitchen**, looking to cover costs for the next six months. The project has been running every Sunday since 2024, offering hot meals on a pay what you can basis using surplus ingredients from local businesses and residents. **The campaign sailed past its original target of £2200 within a couple of days** and has now upped the target to £4500\. The additional money will go towards work to clean up Cliftonville’s alleyways. [**Donate**](https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-cliftonvilles-soup-kitchen-with-the-basic-expenses?attribution%5Fid=sl:f91fbbc9-df9f-4485-b282-71fbe42050d7&lang=en%5FGB&ts=1770799639&utm%5Fcampaign=fp%5Fsharesheet&utm%5Fmedium=customer&utm%5Fsource=copy%5Flink). **Seabird in Ramsgate is also crowdfunding**, in this case to raise money to cover legal bills for its **protracted battle with Thanet District Council** to get its licensing hours extended by one hour to 10pm on weekdays and 11pm at weekends. After 13 months, permission was finally granted, but now their alcohol licence needs to be extended in line with this change. The cost of the battle to open slightly later has proven costly, hence the need to ask for support. [**Donate**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-seabird-fly?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Having recently got the keys to the **Funicular Coffee House in Broadstairs**, its new owners have announced that it will go by the **new name Finks** when it reopens. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/finksbeach/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (and to see the logo). **Margate Beach Club is looking for chefs, pop-ups and independent restaurant brands for residencies in its kitchen this year**. The venue wants someone who can complement its day-to-night offering and Margate’s existing restaurant scene. [**Full details**](https://ugc.production.linktr.ee/316f748c-ec8f-4c5b-bcab-e3b4219d5542%5FKITCHEN-FULL-RESIDENCY.pdf?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnzH6TMOS6GoHPqYlVgc2PH0xkVgDsKf2IXYCnX9D-nL6X2CvQPdXUBth7Dg8%5Faem%5F1ezm8T%5FMZOvwwLUCBgRpzQ). After gaining a lot of interest during Off Season last month, **Margate Comic & Zine Library is to become a permanent fixture**. The community street library will be open for you to peruse a range of comics and zines every weekend with hopes to have it running daily by the summer. **Find it on Northdown Avenue and** [**follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/margatezinelibrary/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **for more information**. **The new Job Muscroft Gallery in Margate Old Town is now open** showing works by a number of local artists, including Anne-Marie Rymill, Kevin Chuter, Max Sheppard, and Ann Palmer. **The Goodwin Sands Conservation Trust has launched a series of podcasts** creating an oral history of the sandbank 10km off the Deal coast, titled Shipwrecks, Sailors and Lost Souls. The **thirteen episodes** feature interviews with people from Deal and the surrounding areas discussing their experiences working on or near the sandbank. [**Listen**](https://goodwinsands.org.uk/research/podcasts/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Paddle Media striving to open up journalistic pathways in Thanet URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/paddle-media-striving-to-open-up-journalistic-pathways-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2026-02-14T07:00:22.000Z Born off the back of Strange Tourist, Paddle Media is a Community Interest Company that works to creatively engage children with journalism and literacy, as well as working to create pathways into the industry for Thanet-based young people. Established in December 2024 and currently in its start-up phase, Paddle Media has created - and is now delivering - journalism-based literacy engagements for children and teens in Thanet while working towards the long term aim of setting up a training newsroom in partnership with Strange Tourist. Our aim with the training newsroom is that it will provide meaningful, vocational experience for early career journalists and writers, who can obtain their vital first bylines while they learn the trade. The idea came from the shrinking pathways into journalism and professional writing careers, with the slimming down of publications and the hubbing of editorial teams. ![Close up of boy writing with his left hand at his desk](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/noor-vasquez-photo-8gflNDIGSBs-unsplash--1--1.jpg) We've begun delivering journalism workshops to students in Ramsgate and Broadstairs. **Photo: Noor Vasquez/Unsplash* Following several years of sweeping redundancies and employment freezes, over 30% of the 3,00 reported journalism job cuts in 2025 were in the UK. Just days after Jeff Bezos gutted the Washington Post, it was reported that the BBC is looking to save up to £600 million in operating costs. At a local level, major regional press publisher Reach PLC, announced an editorial overhaul last year which would see more than 320 job losses, while BBC Radio Kent, Radio Surrey and Radio Sussex have been sharing a chunk of programming since 2024\. Another disheartening fact, the University of Kent’s Centre of Journalism will close with the graduation of the current cohort - across the board, journalism is a struggling industry, with local media on the front line despite often being the entry point into a career. There are fewer opportunities still for young people who cannot afford to undertake unpaid or low paid internships, or do not want to relocate to London. While this may seem like a bleak outlook, we still strongly believe in the power and importance of journalism. It is true that the bigger media companies are facing a tough future, and established structures are making it difficult for them to adapt. However, we're also seeing a boom in smaller, independent titles. As tools to promote and monetise writing become more accessible, there is a lot of exciting innovation going on in journalism right now. ![Close up of two women wearing cardigans writing something on pads of paper](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/sarah-b-ifO_r0SxGX4-unsplash-1.jpg) So far there are workshops for three different age groups. **Photo: Unsplash* We hope that the Strange Tourist newsroom will enable young Thanet-based writers to gain experience while writing stories about the community they are part of. That they enrich their enjoyment of writing as they decide their next writerly step. However, Paddle Media is some way off from providing this training. We want to expand on what we cover in the newsletter and on the website to include more in-depth stories about cultural issues that matter to Thanet. Ideally, we want Strange Tourist to be a sustainable venture before we launch the training newsroom. And that requires advertising revenue, subscribers and followers, which take time to build. Meanwhile, we’ve created journalism workshops for children and teens, with three workshops covering ages from seven through to 16 years old and older. Partly funded by Broadstairs and Ramsgate town councils, we started delivering these workshops in Broadstairs and Ramsgate schools this year. Thanks to The National Literacy Trust, we know that children who enjoy reading and writing are more likely to have better wellbeing than those who don’t and that those children who engage with literacy for fun have better life outcomes in the longer term. While these workshops are grounded in journalistic principles and ideas, they are also about engaging participants, especially the younger ones, with story, creating narratives and having fun with words. As we work towards launching the training newsroom, we have more ideas on how these workshops can evolve. If you’ve got questions or would like to support what we do, [follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/paddlemedia%5Fcic/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or drop us a line at [hello@paddlemedia.](mailto:hello@paddlemedia.CO.UK)uk. ### Incoming: Wild Life Drawing, Margate Soul Festival, Dave Rowntree URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-wild-life-drawing-margate-soul-festival-dave-rowntree/ Last updated: 2026-02-10T08:00:55.000Z **Wolf life drawing, Margate Soul Festival's 25 anniversary celebrations, Blur's Dave Rowntree and more. Lots of dates for your diary with events around Thanet and beyond.** **Wild Life Drawing is back at Gather& in Ramsgate on Wednesday, February 25**. This time around the **models will be wolf pups**. It’s open to all abilities and children over 8 are welcome, if accompanied by an adult. [**Tickets £35**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/93194/wild-life-drawing-wolves-and-puppies/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with 10% donated to Wolf Watch UK. [Wild Life Drawing class in Ramsgate features owls as modelsMore lively than your standard life drawing class, Wild Life Drawing works with models who won’t pose or be still, and are an opportunity to be inspired by the natural world, as founder Jennie Webber explains![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-123.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/MIKE0189_smal-1-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/) Marking its 25th anniversary this year, **Margate Soul Weekender has announced a run of shows at its new permanent venue The Drill Shed in Margate Lido**. The series begins on **Saturday, April 18 with a DJ set from Craig Charles** ([Tickets £17.50](https://www.universe.com/events/craig-charles-msw-25th-anniversary-series-tickets-76W0RJ?ref=universe-discover)), followed by a **live performance from Jalen N’Gonda on Wednesday, April 29** ([Tickets £28.50](https://www.universe.com/events/jalen-ngonda-live-at-drill-shed-tickets-JB97R0?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)), and **Kruder & Dorfmeister** marking the 30th anniversary of their classic K&D Sessions compilation **on Saturday, May 22** ([Tickets £31.74](https://www.universe.com/events/k-d-kicks-30-drill-shed-margate-uk-2nd-may-2026-tickets-MK5PT6?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)). More shows are set to be announced in the coming weeks. **Blur drummer Dave Rowntree** will be appearing at the **Astor Theatre in Deal on Saturday, March 7** sharing stories and photographs of the band’s early years from his new book No One You Know. [**Tickets £19.50**](https://theastor.co.uk/events/edge-street-live-presents-dave-rowntree-no-one-you-know-dave-rowntree-s-early-blur-photos?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Bedford Inn in Ramsgate is opening a new venue in its basement**. Called Downstairs, it will hold its **opening night on Saturday, February 28** with an evening of live music. Performing will be Lucy Taylor, Rosko Piko and Morrison Ford.[**Tickets £10**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-night-downstairs-at-the-bedford-inn-tickets-1980662956220?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A7tkhjx%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANTA3NzE4MDY1LjE3NzA0MDM0NTY.%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NzA0MDM0NTUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzA0MDM0NTUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Blues festival **Broadstairs Blues Bash takes place from Wednesday, February 18 to Sunday, February 22**. In total, 130 acts will play in 26 venues around the town. Most of the shows are free. [**Find out more**](https://www.broadstairsbluesbash.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Brighter Days Markets** is hosting Makers of Tomorrow, **free print and stitch workshops for children aged 13-18 at Pie Factory in Margate on February 16-17**. The workshops will be led by experienced designers and textile makers. There will also be the opportunity to discuss the pathways to becoming a professional craft maker. [**Register to take part**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfLAHxdPxfxrUg4dxpT15BO-UFUPC7HIDnwOtjMPSPhpDKebg/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Following the success of the initial sessions recently, **Laughter Yoga has added two more events to the calendar**. Kick off your week with a LOL at **9am on Monday, February 15** or wind down for the weekend at **6pm on Thursday, March 5**. Both sessions take place at Hold Creative Spaces in Ramsgate. [**Tickets £6**](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Levellers frontman Mark Chadwick** will be performing at **Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, March 28**. He’ll perform songs from his two solo albums as well as some Levellers classics. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/mark-chadwick-levellers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Late filmmaker and artist **Derek Jarman’s former home Prospect Cottage in Dungeness will reopen to the public on Wednesday, March 18** until Sunday, December 6\. As well as seeing inside the house itself, you will find artworks and personal artefacts from Jarman’s life. **Entry is £22**, or £12 for under 25s. [**Book a timed slot**](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/whats-on/prospect-cottage-public-visits-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Gap Project is hosting a **Pancake and Pyjama Party at Queens Road Baptist Church on Tuesday, February 17** from 9am to 10.30am. Who wants to get dressed during half term? No one. Roll out in your nightwear for activities and food (including pancakes, obviously). [**Free entry**](https://www.thegapproject.co.uk/view-events/pancake-and-pyjamas-party-?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Charly Clive and Ellen Robertson - aka **comedy double act Britney** \- will be performing a work in progress sketch show at **CAMP in Cliftonville on Wednesday, May 27**. [**Tickets £12**](https://dice.fm/event/py5dml-britney-are-barely-legal-wip-27th-may-camp-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This Bean Spins will be hosting a **half term Circus workshop for children aged five and up at Centenary Hall in Ramsgate on Thursday, February 19**. There will also be a hula hoop performance and interactive bubble show. **Tickets £9** \- Email [thisbeanspins@gmail.com](mailto:thisbeanspins@gmail.com) to book. **Junkyard Gaming** will be back filling another room with retro gaming consoles on **Sunday, February 22**. Taking place this time at the **Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville**, you’ll be able to play on all the consoles you remember from your youth and others long forgotten from 2pm to 8pm. **Entry £5 on the door**. **Thao Thao in Margate** is putting on a **Lunar New Year Festival** later this month, with events in v**arious venues around the town on February 21-25**. This includes a kids craft workshop at People Dem Collective, party at Where Else, Tai Chi at Margate Yoga Studio and more. [**See the full programme**](https://thaothao-kitchen.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Drag acts Joyce and Dame Jame** will be hosting a hybrid **quiz-cabaret-gameshow at CAMP in Cliftonville on Sunday, March 22**. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33463/joyce-and-jame-on-the-game-show?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Silent book club Bar & Peace** is back at the **Bedford Arms in Ramsgate on Thursday, March 5**. Get cosy and enjoy an evening of reading without the distractions of home. **It kicks off at 7.30pm**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (February 9-15) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-february-9-15/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T12:20:22.000Z **With spring just around the corner, there's loads going on in Thanet, including stand up comedy, book talks, art exhibitions, a pancake race and more. Take a look at our picks of things to do.** Phil Wang will be performing three work in progress shows at Where Else in Margate on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Predictably, these are sold out. [Try your luck on the waiting list](https://dice.fm/venue/where-else-r76q?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Head to Margate’s Theatre Royal on Wednesday from 3-7pm to find out more about redevelopment plans for the venue. Margate Pride hosts a special LGBT+ History Month quiz with a back to school theme at Cliftonville Community Hall on Wednesday. [Tickets are £12](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32793/quiz-raffle?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with money raised going towards putting on this year’s Margate Pride. This month’s Writing in Progress new writing night takes place on Wednesday at Margate Off Licence. Free entry. The Imagine children’s arts festival returns to London’s Southbank Centre on Wednesday until February 21, offering a great programme of half term events. [Check out the full programme](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/imagine/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet Trustees is holding a meet up at Arts Education Exchange in Cliftonville on Thursday from 5-7pm. This is an opportunity to meet with trustees of Thanet charities and CICs, whether you’re one yourself or would like to find out more about the work they do. Email [info@margatecreativelandtrust.org](mailto:info@margatecreativelandtrust.org) for further details. Eco artist and ‘binfluencer’ Kieran Poole performs Rubbish Shopping Lists, comedy show based on 1000 found shopping lists, at Olby’s in Margate on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/rubbish-shopping-lists-12th-feb-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Nussaibah Younis discusses her acclaimed book Fundamentally at the Fort Road Hotel on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fundamentally-with-nussaibah-younis-tickets-1980465342151?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Electronics is heading out of town with this month’s night taking place at Cafe Oto in East London on Thursday. [Tickets £12](https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/margate-electronics-11/?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnrxj7-e4LZAhtFPUTm2rinXBY9HH1wBqKd-ULmNu0T0%5FIQWwMzI92vJzWaJM%5Faem%5FgTQPB1E2bIFyFzq%5Fw8p35A). Daniella Rose King will be joined by curator Cindy Sissokho and poet Victoria Adukwei Bulley for panel discussion Quiet Presences: Black Women’s Interiority and Simone Leigh at Margate’s Turner Contemporary on Friday. [Tickets £8](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/quiet-presences-black-womens-interiority-and-simone-leigh?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Currently closed, the Potting Shop in Margate will be opening up on Friday and Saturday for those last minute Valentine’s gifts. It’s Carnevale at Windmill Community Gardens on Saturday from 11am to 1pm, a mini-festival inspired by the Venetian Carnival. Entry £5 per family. The Broadstairs Charity Pancake Race is back on Saturday. Entry is £4 for adults and £3.50 for kids. Frying pans and pancakes provided. Register at the Old Curiosity Shop. Sandra Art4All, which supports deaf, autistic and neurodivergent people to create, exhibit and sell art, is holding a launch event for a new exhibition at Margate’s Liminal Gallery on Saturday from 2-4pm. The exhibition runs until May 9. [Thanet art studio adapting creative processes for artists with additional needs“I just like to get to know the person in front of me,” says Sandra Hampton from Sandra Art4All studio on working with artists with special needs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-125.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_3768-2-1-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/acol-art-studio-adapting-creative-processes-for-artists-with-additional-needs/) Ramsgate Winter Festival closes after two and half months with a day of events on Saturday, including a Valentine’s themed creative drop-in with Discovery Planet at Ramsgate Space, We Are Ramsgate in Charlotte Court from 1-4pm and a Samba Ya Wantsum parade at 3pm. [Find out more](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/winter-festival-finale.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Ramsgate Winter Festival lights up the darker monthsRamsgate Winter Festival returns later this month with a two month programme of events to bring joy and a sense of community to the darker months![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-124.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/PXL_20241216_175330756.NIGHT-2-1-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-winter-festival-lights-up-the-darker-months/) Chef and founder of Rakooko, Rachel O’Sullivan will be cooking a [Mediterranean-inspired menu](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUV6DakDElq/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for one night only at Penelope in Ramsgate on Saturday. Email [peneloperamsgate@gmail.com](mailto:peneloperamsgate@gmail.com) to book. Violet Malice and Pat Riarchy are performing at The Alley Bar in Ramsgate on Saturday. [Tickets £15](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/split-lips-with-violet-malice-and-pat-riarchy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Kurtis Blow is performing at Olby’s in Margate on Saturday, celebrating the 45th anniversary of his hit The Breaks. [Tickets £25](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/kurtis-blow-14th-feb-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bridget Christie is performing her show Jacket Potato Pizza at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Saturday. [Tickets £29.50](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/bridget-christie-jacket-potato-pizza/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Pie Factory Music secures future with purchase of Ramsgate Youth Centre URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-pie-factory-music-secures-future-with-purchase-of-ramsgate-youth-centre/ Last updated: 2026-02-08T08:00:17.000Z **Pie Factory Music purchases Ramsgate Youth Centre, Heritage Lab proposes restoration of Ramsgate's former outdoor swimming pool, Tracey Emin lends support to Isle of Culture bid. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** Following nearly two years of uncertainty, **Pie Factory Music has completed its purchase of Ramsgate Youth Centre**, its home for the last 13 years. This ensures that it can continue to offer a range of creative and support services to young people in the area for years to come. **The acquisition was made possible by a capital grant of £535,000 from the national Pride in Place programme**. “Knowing our future in the building is secure fills us with hope and relief,” says Pie CEO Zoë Carassik. “This milestone is just the beginning. Our campaign continues to secure ongoing funding for our universal youth services and music and creative arts programmes. **Read our interview about the campaign with Zoë from last March:** [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-121.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928-4.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) **Heritage Lab** has [unveiled proposals](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUQUMfJCONE/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to **restore Ramsgate’s East Cliff car park to its former use as an Olympic sized outdoor swimming pool**. The car park is one of several sites that Thanet District Council is currently considering putting up for sale. Heritage Lab says that it is **already in discussions with a developer** keen to work on the restoration project and is **calling on residents to contact their local councillors to share their support**. **Tracey Emin has thrown her support behind the bid for Thanet to be named the UK’s Isle of Culture in 2029**. "Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and all the surrounding villages make up the Isle of Thanet, in the last 20 years the Isle of Thanet has excelled in contemporary culture,” she says. “The music, film, literature and visual arts have triumphed, it’s now time that this should be celebrated Nationally and Internationally. Our little corner of England has been missed and forgotten for a long time, Isle of Culture 2029 has more than a good ring to it." [**Find out more**](https://www.isleofculture.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Main Sands is set to be fitted with a boardwalk**, similar to that on the beach at Viking Bay in Broadstairs, under new proposals by Thanet District Council. **Making the beach more accessible to people with mobility issues**, the walkway will cost £95,000 to implement. The plan just needs final approval from Councillors as part of a vote on the council’s 2026/7 budget on February 26\. **Pavement’s Bob Nastanovich has donated a gold disc** marking 500,000 US sales of the band’s single Harness Your Hopes to the [**campaign to save Margate music venue Where Else**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). “I have had a great time DJing and watching live music at Where Else,” he says. “I feel like it's an essential element of a great scene and its demise would diminish my enjoyment of my frequent visits there. I am keenly aware of the value of a great music venue to any scene and Where Else is one of my favorite spots worldwide.” An eBay auction for the gold disc ends on Monday and is already over £4000\. Pavement fans with deep pockets, [**bid now**](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/127654428165?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Thanet music venues “hanging in there” as others closeRamsgate Music Hall’s André Dack and Sammy Clarke of Margate’s Where Else on the existential threat facing hundreds of independent music venues in the UK![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-122.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Konformer---RMH---05.09.24---Copyright-of-Rich-Broome-Photography-6895-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/) **Pink Suits have been announced at the new performance artists in residence at TKE Studios**. They take over from Keziah, who completed her residency with two performances of her show The Great Drama at the gallery last month. “Their arrival brings a surge of energy and resistance to the studios,” says TKE in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUahkLsCDqD/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) announcing their appointment. **Ramsgate Space is inviting proposals for six week residencies at the former Ravensgate Arms pub**. Potential ideas including food and drink pop-ups, creative studios, exhibitions and test trading. [**Find out more and express your interest**](https://www.ramsgatespace.co.uk/ravensgate-arms?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Changes are afoot at **Broadstairs’ Funicular Coffee House as it comes under new management**. Details are largely under wraps at the moment, but we do know that there will be a change of name for the venue built into the cliffs at Viking Bay. [**See the announcement**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUYld3qguJ%5F/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Architecture firm Studio Sam Causer has unveiled rejected designs for the restoration of Margate Winter Gardens** drawn up last year but not taken forward by Thanet District Council. They show a vision for a venue split into sections that could operate on their own operating hours, meaning that the whole building did not have to be open and staffed at all times. **New operator Westwood One is now bringing the venue back to life with its own plans**, but these unused designs are interesting nonetheless. [**Take a look**](https://www.samcauser.com/margate-winter-gardens?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Comedian Bridget Christie on her show about ‘everything and nothing’ and not being ‘arsed’ with dating URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/comedian-bridget-christie-on-canterbury-show-jacket-potato-pizza/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:05:04.000Z Comedian Bridget Christie has made a name for herself making feminism and politics funny, but also absurd and a little bit weird. The Gloucester-raised stand up has a back catalogue covering stand up, books, radio, TV and films. This includes her 2013 stand up show, A Bic For Her and BBC radio series Mind the Gap, both personal takes on feminism which marked her mainstream breakthrough. Still continuing her personal exploration of feminism is Christie's BAFTA nominated, fantastical and utterly glorious sitcom, The Change. It’s the story of Linda, who after hitting 50 and entering menopause, buys a motorcycle and cashes in the hours spent working in unpaid domestic drudgery to ride off into her old stomping ground the Forest of Dean to rediscover herself. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Most recently, however, Christie appeared as the unhinged counsellor Ruth in the second series of BBC sitcom Things You Should Have Done, shot in locations around Thanet. Taking a break from TV, Christie comes to Canterbury this month with her latest stand up show Jacket Potato Pizza, named after a meal that a date once tried to pass off as not just a dish, but a merger of cultures. "\[The name\] comes from a date I went on in my 20s when a guy made me a 'jacket potato pizza' - a dry baked potato plonked into the middle of a dry pizza base - and then told me it was 'fusion cuisine'", she says. "I didn’t see him again." ![A woman and and orange jacket with a short and tie](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/re-Bridget-2330107-scaled-2-1.jpg) She's also in season two of Things You Should Have Done. **Photo: Natasha Pszenicki* In a change of direction from past works, Jacket Potato Pizza is about "everything and nothing", Christie says, rather than a singular issue. "I deliberately wanted to write this show in a different way to previous ones where I had a particular thing I wanted to address, and to have the freedom to talk about a range of diverse subjects. "I've not really approached a show like this before and I really enjoyed working the stuff out in previews." Subjects covered in the show range from the political landscape to where Christie is in her life, but don’t expect an in-depth bit on either or any of the topics - especially politics. "It's just so depressing and concerning," Christie says. "I will be talking about it briefly in the new show but not dwelling on it too much. I think we need to stay alert and engaged but not so much that we let it overwhelm us. "There is some hope with the New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Greens leader Zack Polanski here, but we need to remain vigilant," she adds. ![A woman kneels on stage holding a microphone](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/www.bridgetchristie.co_.uk-colin-hutton-live04-1--1--1.jpg) Jacket Potato Pizza covers a mix of topics. **Photo:* Colin Hutton Putting a fresh slant on being single and dating - often another depressing topic for many - Christie, now solo following her separation from comic Steward Lee in 2021 after 14 years of marriage, will also talk about being, as she says, a "voluntary celibate" in the show. "I talk a bit about not actively dating through choice," she says. "The dating world has changed greatly since I last dated and there is so much involved now with the apps that I genuinely cannot be arsed. "I will meet someone in real life organically who piques my interest or I'll stay single, but I'm definitely not going to be downloading another bloody app and giving away even more of my data to some billionaire so that I can meet up with someone I've got nothing in common with and talk shit when I can be at home with a cat on me, drinking wine and watching Columbo." The show will also touch on life in an empty nest, a prospect on the horizon for Christie, a mum of two teenagers. "I am both excited for \[my children\] as they enter this new chapter of their lives and also devastated for myself as I come to terms with a future without them in my day-to-day life. When they're little you never see it coming. You never think about them leaving." ![A woman in black stands agains a yellow background looking off to the side](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/02/re-bridget-88330-scaled-1.jpg) The show is on Sunday, February 15 in Canterbury. **Photo: Natasha Pszenicki* "I’m not quite there yet as I still have one at home for another few years," Christie continues. "But it will come soon enough. I talk about how I'm navigating all that in the show and it's been interesting hearing how audience members have coped with it - one bloke couldn’t wait for his to leave while others never stopped grieving, even years later." Despite missing her family and pets, Christie welcomes her return to touring. "I love doing the shows and meeting the audience," she says. "I love the smaller venues in the more isolated towns. There's a real sense of community and love at those shows and I love chatting to the audience afterwards at the merch desk. "Once my daughter has left home," Christie continues, "I can see myself touring a lot and spending more time getting to know the country more." *Bridget Christie brings Jacket Potato Pizza to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Sunday, February 15\.* [*Tickets £20.50*](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/bridget-christie-jacket-potato-pizza/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Ramsgate International Film Festival & TV Festival, A Night For Weird Folk, Daniel Foxx URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-ramsgate-international-film-festival-tv-festival-a-night-for-weird-folk-daniel-foxx/ Last updated: 2026-02-03T08:00:47.000Z **The return of Ramsgate International Film Festival & TV Festival, a night of apocalyptic folk, stand up from Daniel Foxx, and more. Upcoming events in Thanet and beyond.** Following a year off in 2025, the **Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival returns for its ninth edition this year**, taking place in venues around the town on **March 26-29**. The programme will contain a mix of feature films, shorts, TV pilots, Q&As and more. The schedule is still TBA. [**Find out more**](https://ramsgateiftvfest.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **A Night for Weird Folk returns to Margate Arts Club on Friday, March 6** with Folkopalypse, a dry run for the end of the world. There will be campfire songs, mask-making, a barn dance, morris dancing and prize for the best apocalypse-themed costume. Due to the cost of setting up a portal to a parallel universe in the venue’s doorway, there will be an entry fee. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33125/a-night-for-weird-folk-its-the-end-of-the-world?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedian **Daniel Foxx** will be performing his new show How Lovely at **Where Else in Margate on Thursday, March 5**. “Daniel was determined to handle his Big Breakup with the grace of Julia Roberts. He didn’t. Join him as he navigates dating in your 30s, Le Creuset addiction and 12-step skincare routines, all while trying very hard to emanate love and light.” [**Tickets £20.80**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/g56pv2-daniel-foxx-how-lovely-5th-mar-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Good Good Film Club** will be screening another **mystery movie at Margate Arts Club on Thursday, February 19**. This one is for fans of Gravity, Alien and the Blair Witch Project, say organisers. [**Ticket £5 (or £15 with a pizza)**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/33205/good-good-film-club-5?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you missed **Pink Suits’ show Dance Me to the End of Love** at Margate’s Quench Gallery in 2024, it is set to be staged again as part of **Battersea Art Centre in London’s Bloom Festival on May 16**. Roaming around an art installation, the piece explores the artist couple’s relationship to the soundtrack of a Leonard Cohen live album. [**Tickets from £9.50**](https://bac.org.uk/whats-on/dance-me-to-the-end-of-love/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Holistic coach Ana Gouveia will lead **Inner Lab**, a one day **wellness retreat** at **Foreness Waterski & Boat Club in Palm Bay on Saturday, March 21**. Aiming to help you reconnect with your body and build self-awareness, the day will feature a mix of lectures, seated meditations, walking meditations, and a humming session. [**Tickets £80**](https://anagouveia.com/destinations/retreats/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Upgrade your old clothes with a new screen print** at **Where Else in Margate on Friday, February 6** as part of Loose End Studio’s Thank Your God For Cr\*p Art screen print and risograph exhibition. Bring a garment, choose a design, print it, walk away looking flash. Or stay for the gig downstairs and walk away looking sweaty. But flash. **Jon Ronson will discuss his new book The Castle at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Tuesday, September 29**. His first book for 11 years, it sees him attempt to discover what happened behind the walls of a mysterious castle deep in the forests of New England. The live show includes footage - some of it previously lost - to give a deeper insight into the story. [**Tickets from £34**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/enter-the-castle-with-jon-ronson/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Currently closed, the **Potting Shop in Margate will be opening up on February 13-14** for those last minute Valentine’s gifts. Owner Katie Heward says, “We are very excited to open (even if it is brief) for Valentine’s Weekend! **The future is unsure for the shop**, so it would be great to catch up with you over these couple of days.” Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (February 2-8) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-february-2-8/ Last updated: 2026-02-04T01:51:49.000Z **Fill yourself with great food at cheap prices and see some big comedy names in Thanet this week.** Margate Restaurant Week is back from Monday to Friday this week. Restaurants all around the town will be offering set three course menus for £20.26 per person. [Find out more](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/over-40-venues-offering-meal-deals-for-margate-restaurant-week/). Stand up comedian Desiree Burch will perform her show The Golden Wraith at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £15.99](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/aveeq7-desiree-burch-the-golden-wrath-4th-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Felicity Ward headlines the Vaults comedy night at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday. Also performing will be Jamie Finn, Cecily Hitchcock, and Darran Griffiths. [Tickets £18](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/vaults-comedy-thursday-5th-feb-18-00-feat-felicity-ward-jamie-finn-cecily-hitchcock-darran-griffiths?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedian Simon Evans will be performing his new show Simon Evans is Staring at the Sun at Ramsgate's Granville Theatre on Thursday. [Ticket’s £21.45](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/simon-evans-is-staring-at-the-sun/granville-theatre/tickets/C6E1A95E-44B2-42BE-9B3E-E3CFB9C09CED?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Madonna calls Margate "my idea of heaven" URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/madonna-calls-margate-my-idea-of-heaven/ Last updated: 2026-02-06T14:06:07.000Z **Madonna's latest day trip to Margate, Dreamland's plan to turn the Scenic Railway into a motionless monument, more money for Margate's Theatre Royal refurbishment and more time to save Where Else. Here's this week's creative and cultural news.** **Madonna was back in Margate again last weekend for Off Season**. Did you bump into her? In [a social media post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUEE2BAAotc/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) this week she gushed about the town, saying that it **“seems to be inhabited and energized by creativity.”** She went on, “This is my idea of heaven. Whenever I go there, I feel like I’ve entered a dream.” **She also gave a nod to her “favorite Italian restaurant”** but said that she would not name it “because then everyone’s going to go there and it only has one table!” Seems a bit unfair to deny Cantina Caruso customers all year round on the off chance she’ll pop in though. **Dreamland has put out a ‘creative call out’ for ideas about the future of the theme park’s Grade II listed Scenic Railway**. The venue says that the ride has “**completed its journey as a rollercoaster** and will now take well-earned retirement from operation as a ride.” **There has been uproar** at this announcement, with many calling on Dreamland operator Live Nation to reverse the decision not to restore the ride to use after a lengthy period out of action. [**Submit proposals for the Scenic Railway’s future**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/the-future-of-the-scenic-railway?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The second series of Lucia Keskin’s sitcom **Things You Should Have Done**, **filmed in locations around Thanet** last year, is now available on iPlayer. [**Watch it**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001wry5/things-you-should-have-done?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet District Council has approved a further £1 million of funding for the refurbishment and reopening of Margate’s Theatre Royal**. The money has been redirected from another Margate Town Deal project to build new walking and cycle paths that has now been abandoned due to being deemed "unachievable". Planning permission and Grade II listed building consent in order to begin building work on the venue is set to be submitted next month. A **public engagement event** for people to find out more about the plans will be held at the theatre on **Wednesday, February 11 from 3-7pm**. **The crowdfunding campaign to save Where Else in Margate has been extended** by a month to Saturday, February 28\. Despite being launched when Christmas was looming and running through January when everyone’s broke, the fundraiser has nonetheless **brought in more than £25,000 of its £40,000 target**. Further work is ongoing to ensure a sustainable future, including having the bar open Wednesday to Saturday every week, regardless of whether there’s an event on. [**Find out more and donate**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Thanet music venues “hanging in there” as others closeRamsgate Music Hall’s André Dack and Sammy Clarke of Margate’s Where Else on the existential threat facing hundreds of independent music venues in the UK![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-120.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Konformer---RMH---05.09.24---Copyright-of-Rich-Broome-Photography-6895-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/) **A petition has been launched** calling on Thanet District Council to **block planning permission to open a branch of Greggs on Northdown Road in Cliftonville**. Jodie Ellena-Lindley, co-owner of Cliffs and the Bus Cafe, has set up the petition saying that the appearance of the chain bakery in the unit formerly occupied by Boots is a threat to nearby independent businesses. [**Read more**](https://www.change.org/p/don-t-let-chains-replace-our-community-caf%C3%A9s-stop-greggs-on-northdown-road?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Return to Water**, a short film about queer identity and Walpole Bay Tidal Pool will be **heading out to film festivals** this year. Made by Kate Malyon and Sé Nomyo, it has been selected to be screened at [**FilmPride**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUDHvhrCCzx/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **in Brighton** and[**Queer Shorts Vienna**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DSA3RYPCDr1/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in February. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Over 40 venues offering meal deals for Margate Restaurant Week URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/over-40-venues-offering-meal-deals-for-margate-restaurant-week/ Last updated: 2026-01-31T08:00:28.000Z Margate Restaurant Week returns this week, turning a traditionally quiet time of year into a thriving one, as locals and visitors scrabble to get cheap eats around town. Launched last year, it saw participating restaurants offering three course set menus for £20.25\. This year there’s been a slight price rise to £20.26\. Next year it’ll be… well, you get the idea. A great way to eat cheap in places you already know and love, it’s also the perfect opportunity to try out something new. Last year we filled a gap in our local restaurant lexicon by visiting Quince in Westgate, which did not disappoint. We’re still thinking about the smoked almond pesto and a golden brick of dauphinoise potato twelve months on. Running from February 2-6 this year, the line up of participating restaurants is even bigger than in 2025\. There is, sadly, no chance of eating your way through the whole lot in five days. We’d be willing to give it a crack, but maybe just pick one or two to be getting on with. However you do it, you’ll get a great deal and help Margate’s eateries through the tough winter period. Two warm glows for the price of one. Looking down the list, it’s amazing to see just how many incredible places there are to eat in this one small town. Picking favourites is tough, but the chance to eat one last time at seafood spot Dory’s before it closes (as sister restaurant Angela’s expands) is a strong pull. There’s also two chances to sample Pomus, both in the restaurant itself and a pop-up at the Fort Road Hotel. And don’t forget Margate’s newest dining spot Willy’s ([read our review](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/review-willys-restaurant-a-well-put-together-and-handsome-unit/)). There are so many to try though. Over 40 in total. See the full list here and get booking: - [**Angela's**](https://angelasofmargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 21 The Parade, Margate, CT9 1EX. *Seafood* - [**Bottega Caruso**](https://www.bottegacaruso.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 2-4 Broad Street, Margate, CT9 1EW. *Italian* - [**Buoy and Oyster**](https://www.buoyandoyster.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 44 High Street, Margate, CT9 1DS. *Seafood* - [**Cafe del Margs**](https://cafedelmargs.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 4-5 Market Place, Margate, CT9 1ER. *Brunch - Wednesday to Friday only* - [**Cantina Caruso**](https://www.bottegacaruso.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 8 Broad Street, Margate, CT9 1EW. *Italian* - [**Charlie's**](https://www.facebook.com/p/Charlies-100063572470947/), 14a The Parade, Margate, CT9 1EY. Bar & grill - [**Dory's**](https://angelasofmargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 24 High Street, Margate, CT9 1DS. Seafood - [**Faith in Strangers**](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/bar-kitchen?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 17 Ethel­bert Crescent, Cliftonville, CT9 2DY. À la carte - [**Finbar's**](https://www.finbarswestgate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), West Bay Promenade, Off Sea Road, Westgate-on-Sea, CT8 8QA *Modern British and seafood - Running until Saturday* - [**Fort’s**](https://www.instagram.com/fortscoffee/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 8 Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville, CT9 1RU. *Brunch* - [**Fort Road Hotel**](https://fortroadhotel.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 18 Fort Road, Margate, CT9 1HF. *Pomus pop-up* - [**GB Pizza**](https://greatbritishpizza.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 14 Marine Drive, Margate, CT9 1DH. *Pizza* - [**The George and Heart**](https://www.georgeandheart.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 44 King Street, Margate, CT9 1QE. *Gastro pub* - [**Giorgios**](https://giorgios-restaurant.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 19 Marine Gardens, Margate, CT9 1UH. *Italian* - [**The Good Egg**](https://www.thegoodegg.co/the-good-egg-restaurant-margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 49 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2RN. *Middle Eastern-inspired* - [**Habibi**](https://www.instagram.com/habibi%5F%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 25-26 Fort Crescent, Margate, CT9 1HX. *Lebanese* - [**High Dive**](https://www.divemargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 121 High Street, Margate, CT9 1JT. *Mexican* - [**Hoffs**](https://www.instagram.com/hoffs.margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 18 Marine Drive, Margate CT9 1DH. *Two days only - The Church of Cheese pop-up on Thursday, Friends of Foe pop-up on Friday* - [**La Trattoria**](https://latrattoriamargate.com /?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 172 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2QN. *Italian* - [**Lillie's**](https://www.liliesmargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 3 Cliff Terrace, Cliftonville, CT9 1RU. *Tapas* - [**Little Havana**](https://littlehavanauk.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 2 Northdown Parade, Prices Avenue, Cliftonville, CT9 2NR. Cuban tapas - *Wednesday to Saturday only* - [**Louie On Sea**](https://www.louieonsea.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), Rendezvous, Margate, CT9 1HG. *Cafe - Wednesday to Sunday* - [**The Med**](https://themedmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 16 The Parade, Margate, CT9 1EY. *Small plates* - [**Mori Mori**](https://www.mori-mori.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 80 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2RE. *Japanese - Wednesday to Friday only* - [**Mullins Brasserie**](https://mullinsbrasserie.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 6 Market Place, Margate, CT9 1EN. *European/Caribbean fusion - Running until Saturday* - [**Palms Pizzeria**](https://www.palmspizzeria.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), Unit 16, The Centre, Margate, CT9 1JG. Pizza - [**Pearly Cow**](https://pearlycow.co.uk/pearly-cow-margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 42 High Street, Margate, CT9 1DS. *MRW steak and chips menu available Monday to Sunday* - [**The Pickled Fox**](https://www.thepickledfox.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 7a Market Place, Margate, CT9 1EN. *Pizza - Thursday and Friday only* - [**Pomus**](https://www.pomus.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 9 The Centre, Margate, CT9 1JG. *Small plates* - [**Quince**](https://quincewestgate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 39 Station Road, Westgate-on-Sea, CT8 8QY. *Modern British - Wednesday to Friday only* - [**Riding Wine Co**](https://www.ridingwineco.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), Unit 2, 220-228 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2RP. *Small plates - Wednesday to Friday only* - [**Rose in June**](https://www.roseinjune.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 49-50 Trinity Square, Margate, CT9 1HT. *Burgers* - [**Sargasso**](https://www.instagram.com/sargasso.bar/ ?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), Stone Pier, Margate CT9 1AP. *European, Mediterranean, and coastal* - [**Sète**](https://www.setemargate.com /?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 238 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2QD. *French* - [**Slab**](https://slabmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), The Parade, Margate, CT9 1EY. *Modern British - Wednesday to Friday only* - [**Smoke & Co**](https://www.smokeandco.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 24 Marine Drive, Margate, CT9 1DH. *Barbecue* - [**Stakehaus**](https://www.stake.haus/margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 50 Marine Terrace, Margate, CT9 1XJ. *Steak* - [**Tiarrah**](https://www.tiarrah.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 253 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2PN. *Pizza* - [**Thao Thao**](https://thaothao-kitchen.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 18 King Street, Margate, CT9 1DA. *Vietnamese* - [**The Wellington**](https://www.thewellingtonmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 1 Duke Street, Margate CT9 1EP. *Gastro pub* - [**Willy's**](https://www.willys.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), 6 Dalby Square, Cliftonville, CT9 2ER. *Modern British* ### Incoming: Nussaibah Younis, Nan Goldin, Sandra Art4All URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-nussaibah-younis-nan-goldin-sandra-art4all/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T08:00:36.000Z **Book talks, art exhibitions, live music, cabaret, a celebration of coffee and more. Get these events in Thanet and beyond into your diary.** **The Margate Bookshop’s upcoming author talk is with Fundamentally author Nussaibah Younis**. On **Thursday, February 12 at the Old Fort Hotel**, Younis will discuss her acclaimed book (Comedy Women in Print winner and Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist) about a gay academic leading Baghdad based UN taskforce working to de-radicalise ISIS women and her friendship with a young East London girl and an ISIS bride. The conversation will be with Rubina Pabani, co-host of Brown Girls Do It Too podcast. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fundamentally-with-nussaibah-younis-tickets-1980465342151?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). An exhibition not to miss, **Nan Goldin: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency appears in its entirety at Gagosian’s London gallery until March 21**. To mark the work’s 40th anniversary, **all 126 images from Goldin’s genre-defining book are on display**. A reflection of gender, intimacy and power, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency defined downtown New York of the 70s and 80s, was key in bringing photography into the centre of contemporary art and went on to influence artists and the visual culture to come. [**Full details**](https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2026/nan-goldin-the-ballad-of-sexual-dependency/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Marking their tenth anniversary this year, **Sandra Art4All** will be exhibiting artwork in The Cupboard at **Margate’s Liminal Gallery from February 14 to May 9**. The project supports deaf, autistic and neurodivergent people to create, exhibit and sell art. Head down for a **special launch event from 2-4pm on Saturday, February 14**. [Thanet art studio adapting creative processes for artists with additional needs“I just like to get to know the person in front of me,” says Sandra Hampton from Sandra Art4All studio on working with artists with special needs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-118.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_3768-2-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/acol-art-studio-adapting-creative-processes-for-artists-with-additional-needs/) Spend your valentines at **The Alley Bar in Ramsgate** watching local cabaret performers and odd couple **Violet Malice and Pat Riarchy** do their thing. On **February 14**, from 7pm. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/split-lips-with-violet-malice-and-pat-riarchy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Noise Institute returns in March** for a night of live experimental music. It takes place at **Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate on Thursday, March 5**. **Big Woes** will launch their new EP Heavy Work II at **Where Else in Margate on Friday, February 20**. It’s always a treat to see Big Woes play. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.gigantic.com/big-woes-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-02-20-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate band Big Woes on the town’s “personal and human” music scene“Softcore punk band” Big Woes on a new compilation A Margate Sampler, the “amazing” energy of its launch shows, and feeling part of a musical community![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-119.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/062660050009.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-band-big-woes-on-the-towns-personal-and-human-music-scene/) Calling all jazz musos and singers - **the Bulls Head in Margate will launch the Margate Jazz Jam on Tuesday January 27**, with the night becoming an ongoing thing **every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 9pm-11pm**. So go on, blow your own horn. **Margate Pride is putting on a special LGBT+ History Month quiz** with a back to school theme. It will take place at **Cliftonville Community Hall on Wednesday, February 11**. There will also be a raffle and merch for sale on the night. [**Tickets are £12**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32793/quiz-raffle?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with money raised going towards putting on this year’s Margate Pride. **David Devant and his Spirit Wife return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday, May 8**, following a sell out show in 2024\. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to local good causes. [**Tickets £19**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/we-shall-overcome-presents-david-devant-and-his-spirit-wife-plus-support/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Windmill Community Gardens** will be bringing back its **Forest Garden School in March**. Aimed at **children aged 3-9**, attendees get involved with nature play, primitive skills, and permaculture learning in the Margate outdoor venue. Kids who attend all four sessions receive a certificate in Discovering Permaculture. It runs every Tuesday in March. [**Tickets £70**](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens/e/ev-s4ska-20260303130000?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (covers one adult and up to three children for all four sessions). Fancy spending seven days wide-eyed and alert? **Margate Coffee Week** has your back. Details are sparse as yet, but the event will run from **September 7-13**, leading you on a trail around the town’s many coffee spots. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/margatecoffeeweek/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (January 26-February 1) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-january-26-february-1/ Last updated: 2026-01-26T08:00:21.000Z **Wellness, film, comedy, live music, theatre and more. Our pick of things to do in Thanet this week.** Postponed from last week, Laughing Yoga at HOLD Creative Spaces in Ramsgate will now take place at 9am on Monday. [Tickets £6](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Culty Film Club is screening Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues at Where Else in Margate on Tuesday. [Tickets £8](https://www.gigantic.com/spinal-tap-ii-the-end-continues-screening-and-quiz-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-01-27-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Naima Bock plays an intimate gig at Curve Coffee Store in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £17.04](https://www.gigantic.com/naima-bock-tickets/kent-curve-coffee/2025-10-14-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Mr Scruff is DJing at Margate Arts Club on Friday as part of his Miniature Arena Tour in support of Music Venue Trust and Save Our Scene. [Tickets £21](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/32538?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Turner Contemporary in Margate launches its Winter Wellness Festival on Friday, which runs until Sunday, February 22\. [See the full programme](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/winter-wellness%5Ffestival%5F2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Kent Pop Exchange is putting on an all-dayer at Where Else to raise funds for the venue on Saturday. Running from 5pm to 11pm, it will be headlined by Tom Vek. [Tickets from £5](https://www.gigantic.com/kpx-all-dayer-w/-tom-vek-more-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-01-31-17-00-72264?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Russell Kane headlines the Chuckl comedy night at the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate on Saturday. [Tickets £29.15](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/chuckl-ramsgate-with-special-headliners/granville-theatre/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Adam Kammerling’s show Seder comes to ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday. Blending spoken word, dance, physical theatre and live music it explores memory and identity. [Tickets £14](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/1950272?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Professor Brian Cox performs his new show Warming Up at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Sunday. [Tickets £40](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/professor-brian-cox-warm-up/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Thanet's Isle of Culture bid ramps up and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-thanets-isle-of-culture-bid-ramps-up-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-01-24T08:00:50.000Z **Thanet's bid to be named the UK's Isle of Culture gets underway, Heritage Lab moves to protect historic site sin Ramsgate, Forts upsizes. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** The team behind **the bid for Thanet to be named the UK’s Isle of Culture in 2029** are calling on **residents to fill out a survey** to give their thoughts. Part of the government’s Town of Culture competition, the bid backed by Polly Billington MP hopes to unite the whole of Thanet. **The winning town (or isle) will receive £10 million** to deliver a year-long cultural programme. [**Fill out the survey**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScha%5FwQjCyW53xqftpjpK3ItEyhjbiwgUa3P9lXZPESSrTnYg/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **by Wednesday, February 3**. **Heritage Lab has moved to protect Ramsgate’s East Cliff lift and former St John Ambulance building** by nominating them to be listed as **Assets of Community Value**. This follows a decision by Thanet District Council in December to sell off the Grade II listed lift. ACV status would mean that the sale process would have to be paused to allow community groups to prepare bids. [**Find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTuy2m4iFrs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Broadstairs branch of coffee shop Forts has moved into a new larger premises**. Just across the road from its former home, you can now find it on Dundonald Road in the building previously occupied by Smiths Coffee Bar. **The new Forts is open seven days a week** from 7am on weekdays and 8am at weekends. **Applications for artist mentoring programme Turps are now open** for 2026/27\. The programme **supports painters with studios in East Kent**. Participants receive one-to-one tutorials from the programme’s mentors, as well as access to monthly artist talks at the Turner Contemporary. There will be a free introductory talk at the Turner on Thursday, March 26\. [**Find out more**](https://www.turpsbanana.com/margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville has put out an open call for show submissions**. The venue is on the look out for theatre, dance, cabaret, comedy and music to form part of its 2026 programme. The books are open for shows that have been performed before or that would debut at the Tom Thumb. **You have until Thursday, February 5** to put forward your proposals. [**Fill out the form**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeK14acuu6gDcmKEZrYd17PQyYvhHNePk4ru-gbyYrwQs8rng/viewform?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGneodA6sC1HnCPspahhohPY17WxQhYcrmy6KuZwW3U-J5Bs8gyS8CuFzcIunk%5Faem%5FCgGtcxlrVrscZv1UctrsNA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **There are seven days left on the crowdfunder to save Margate music venue Where Else**. It has **sailed past the halfway mark** but still needs help to get to the £40,000 target. **Small music venues continue to disappear at an alarming rate around the UK**, with the [Music Venue Trust reporting](https://www.musicvenuetrust.com/2026/01/music-venue-trust-annual-report-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) that more than half of those currently operating made no profit at all in 2025, despite the sector contributing over £500 million to the economy. Money raised for Where Else will help it to clear outstanding debts and secure a more sustainable future for the venue. [**Donate**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New writing night Writing in Progress is launching its first zine** and has put a **call out for submissions**. Writers can send in one or two pieces, and ideally these are something you have performed at WIP before - if you’re yet to perform, **there’s a night coming up on Wednesday, February 11 at Margate Off Licence**. Words can be on anything you like and up to 500 words, and submissions close February 18\. [**Submit your work**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhnEepoafL5caz7s7i33jF2z14%5FcJcHDEKMXD8KiqdtpjcaA/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Arts in Ramsgate** now has an **accessible yoga class** for people with low mobility. Led by Kino Karabiner host and yoga teacher Elise Carter, **these free, drop-in classes are on Tuesdays 2pm-3pm**. WhatsApp the centre on 07450 916 558 if you would like to discuss accessibility requirements. 46 High Street, Ramsgate CT11 9AG. **Thanet District Council is looking for a Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board Chair**. This **voluntary role** is to guide the board through plans to make positive changes to Ramsgate over the next 10 years, funded by £20 million in government funding. If you have the skills and the want to be part of the positive change afoot, [**apply now**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/info-pages/ramsgate-neighbourhood-board/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) but be quick about it, **applications close at 10am on Thursday January 29**. **Entries are open for this year’s East Kent Coast Photography Awards**. Presented by Bird Wise East Kent and the Thanet Coast Project, the competition celebrates the landscape and wildlife found along the East Kent coast across various categories. **Entrants do not need to be professional photographers**, with smartphone images accepted. The deadline is Monday, February 16\. [**Find out more and enter**](https://eastkent.birdwise.org.uk/photography-competition/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Adam Buxton, Felicity Ward, Broadstairs Charity Pancake Race URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-adam-buxton-felicity-ward-broadstairs-charity-pancake-race/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T08:00:25.000Z **There's lots of comedy, music and film on the way over the next few months, plus a day of altar-making and the opportunity to run through the streets of Broadstairs flipping a pancake.** **The Adam Buxton Band will be performing at Dreamland in Margate on Wednesday, May 13**. Led by the much-loved comedian with members of Metronomy, the band will perform tracks from Buxton’s debut album Buckle Up, which was released last year. [**Tickets £30.32**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/xe78ql-the-adam-buxton-band-13th-may-dreamland-hall-by-the-sea-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Felicity Ward headlines the Vaults comedy night at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday, February 5**. Also performing will be Jamie Finn, Cecily Hitchcock, and Darran Griffiths. [**Tickets £18**](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/vaults-comedy-thursday-5th-feb-18-00-feat-felicity-ward-jamie-finn-cecily-hitchcock-darran-griffiths?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **The Broadstairs Charity Pancake Race is back on Saturday, February 14.** This year the event will raise money for the installation of a defibrillator at Louisa Bay. **Entry is £4 for adults** (includes a hot drink) and **£3.50 for kids** (includes a goodie bag). Frying pans and pancakes provided. **Register at the Old Curiosity Shop.** **The Gulbenkian in Canterbury** has announced new **three day independent music festival You Are Here**, taking place from **February 27 to March 1**. The programme will be curated by nine East Kent promoters, with performers including Avalanche Kaito, Chewy She, Shelf Lives and more. The venue will also show a selection of music documentaries in its cinema.[**Tickets £30**](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/you-are-here-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Spend a day making your own altar** to celebrate the things that matter most to you with **A Day in Clay at Ramsgate Pottery on Sunday, March 8**. Ceramicists Gillian Farrell and Vivienne Yankah will guide you through the process, while chef Eleanor Yankah will keep you well fed. [**Places £120**](https://site.corsizio.com/event/695ad2850a9f0d8f4d62180f?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Indulge your New Romantic tendencies at **80s club night Atomica** at **Ramsgate Arts Club on Saturday, March 7\. Free entry.** **Culty Film Club** will be taking over **Where Else in Margate** for a screening of **Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues** on **Tuesday, January 27.** Consider yourself a true Tap fan? There will also be a quiz to separate the freak gardening accidents from the jazz odysseys before the movie plays. [**Tickets £8**](https://www.gigantic.com/spinal-tap-ii-the-end-continues-screening-and-quiz-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-01-27-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Mr Scruff will be DJing at Margate Arts Club on Friday, January 30** as part of his Miniature Arena Tour in support of Music Venue Trust and Save Our Scene. £1 from each ticket will go to the charities’ LiveLine Fund. [**Tickets £21**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/32538?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Stand up comedian Desiree Burch** will perform her show The Golden Wraith at **Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, February 4\.** [**Tickets £15.99**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/aveeq7-desiree-burch-the-golden-wrath-4th-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (January 17-25) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-january-17-25/ Last updated: 2026-01-22T22:57:58.000Z **There's lots to do and see in Thanet this week, including live music, spoken word, whisky tasting, the Off Season art trail and more.** Banish those beginning of the week blues with a laughter yoga session at HOLD Creative Spaces in Ramsgate at 9am on Monday. [Tickets £6](https://wishitbetter.wixsite.com/website-2/lyinramsgate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rosslyn Court in Cliftonville is putting on a Burns Night show on Thursday. It’s sold out, but you can stream the first hour of performances while tucking into a haggis at home. [More details](https://www.rosslyncourt.com/events/burns-night-2?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Spoken word night Is It Dirty? Returns to the Roland Ross gallery in Cliftonville on Thursday. Performers include Nell Osborne, Alex Keramidas, William Doyle, and Samuel George. Free Entry. The Off Season art trail returns to Margate from Friday to Sunday with art on display in over 150 venues around the town, plus a programme of evening events. [See the full programme](https://www.offseasonmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Radio will take over the Turner Contemporary for its second Turner Lates night on Friday. There will be music, drawing, food and more spread around the gallery, plus an after party at Hoffs. [Full details](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/turner-lates-x-margate-radio?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ren Harvieu and The Magic Numbers’ Romeo Stodart will be performing together at Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday. [Tickets £22.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/romeo-stodart-ren-harvieu/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Kent Whisky Explorers night is back at Little Swift in Margate on Friday, taking a tour of Scotland’s independent distilleries ahead of Burns’ Night. Tickets £30 (including £5 donation to Movember). Email [kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com](mailto:kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com) to book. Foliage in Broadstairs is putting on its first terrarium workshop of the year on Saturday. Everything you need is provided and you’ll get a drink thrown in too. Places £45\. Call or text 07907500611 to book. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Ramsgate Winter Festival extended and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-ramsgate-winter-festival-extended-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-01-18T08:00:03.000Z **Ramsgate Winter Festival has been extended and expanded thanks to new funding, Margate institution The Lifeboat pub has a new owner, plus a deep dive into Kent's Beano cafes.** **Ramsgate Winter Festival has been expanded and extended into February**, thanks to new funding from Arts Council England. **Four new artworks will be added to the Light Up Ramsgate art trai**l. “In a time of funding uncertainty it’s such a privilege to have support from Arts Council England to be able to add even more quality light works to the trail,” says producer Jessica Hudsley. A number of new events have also been added to the wider programme. [**Find out more**](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Ramsgate Winter Festival lights up the darker monthsRamsgate Winter Festival returns later this month with a two month programme of events to bring joy and a sense of community to the darker months![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-117.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/PXL_20241216_175330756.NIGHT-2-1-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-winter-festival-lights-up-the-darker-months/) **Canterbury brewery Floc has announced that it is taking over the Lifeboat pub in Margate Old Town.** “Our aim is simple: a proper pub,” says the company. “A boozer, if you will. Great beer on keg and cask, a thoughtful wine list, cocktails done properly, and service that makes you want to stay for ‘just one more’. A place that’s all roaring fire and refuge in winter, and a welcome escape from the summer crowds when Margate is in full swing.” **The company hopes to open the fully refitted bar by the end of February.** **Artist Kate Patricia is raising money for CAMP** in Cliftonville with a **limited edition print** featuring a pencil drawing of the venue. Grab an A4 edition for £35 or A5 for £20\. 50% of profits will go directly to CAMP. **See the artwork and make your purchase** [**on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DTdPsaACB1J/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** One of our favourite spots to eat in Ramsgate, **Seabird has announced that it will be opening a Margate branch in February**. Situated on the edge of the Old Town, **the restaurant will take over the space previously occupied by Margate Coffee Shed**. **Chapel House Estate near Ramsgate has announced that it will open a new space, The Courtyard Kitchen, in February.** The outdoor kitchen and dining space will be set next to the existing Glass Courtyard. Diners will be able to watch chefs as they cook over open flames. **The space will be available for weddings and events, as well as diners at the venue’s Number Nine restaurant.** I love a cinnamon bun. Two even. Or more. So many more. Because **Margate Old Town’s latest eatery is Rise & Bun**, offering a dizzying menu of the things. Fresh made daily, there’s a definite possibility that I’m going to start following a strict cinnamon bun diet. **Find them at 12 King Street.** **Local writer Rosella Della Ioio has written a fascinating article about the network of Beano cafes around Kent for Vittles Magazine.** If you’ve ever wondered where they came from, who runs them, how they’re connected to each other (and the comic) and what their future holds, prepare to have all of your questions answered at last. **Read the article:** [The Curious Case of the Beano CafesHow a network of Turkish-owned cafes became a Kent institution, by Rosella Dello Ioio![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F9193155f-d838-4c63-9631-921249b84a09-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180.png)VittlesVittles![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fca05688f-1f33-47b6-8938-a00e5ee0ed18_1210x754.heic)](https://www.vittlesmagazine.com/p/the-curious-case-of-the-beano-cafes?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Review: Willy’s Restaurant ‘A well put together and handsome unit’ URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/review-willys-restaurant-a-well-put-together-and-handsome-unit/ Last updated: 2026-04-04T01:13:15.000Z The warm, dusty rose hues of Margate House Hotel welcome you in from the dark cold bite of a Margate December; a reward for braving miserable weather on a bitter night. I’m assured the boutique nine-bedroom hotel’s front bar is equally inviting in summer, but it is such a snug warm hug on this particular cold night, I’m more interested in nabbing seats closest to the fire for a pre-dinner glass of wine than the coming August. The charming, art-adorned hotel is home to Willy’s, one of the latest additions to Margate’s ever expanding selection of places to eat. Although the bar is not part of the restaurant, it is en route, tempting you in for an aperitif or digestif, or both. ![Margate House Hotel's bar is a cosy den. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/01/IMG_7039-1-1.jpg) Margate House Hotel's bar is a cosy den. **Photo: Strange Tourist* Much like the hotel, the restaurant is a well put together and handsome unit, playfully drenched in shades of pink like a Farrow and Ball dream and finished with interior embellishments worth coveting. A lot of thought has gone into how the restaurant looks at every level, right down to the very pleasing menu font. Yet despite the clear effort and precision in stylings, Willy’s is a relaxed spot. This is largely thanks to the chirpy, unaffected front of house team, who aredelightful at every turn. Also, there are no children allowed, except on Sundays. A bit harsh I thought at first, but on this Saturday night, it was very nice dining without the risk of a sticky handed toddler rampaging around tables. And it’s all about ambience isn’t it? ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Opened in November 2025, Willy’s is small but grand. Portions are generous and satiating and the drinks list has been put together by ex-Sète general manager Amy - the house wine is a fine choice and a solid starting point. The dining room juts off from the open kitchen, where chef Mark O'Brien and team do their thing. O'Brien, who previously cheffed at provenance-led outfits like Whitstable bistro Samphire and Robin Gill’s The Dairy and Zebra Riding Club at Birch, is also known around these parts for his Snake Oil BBQ residency at the now closed Daisy’s. ![I'd take those glasses home. Photo: Willy's](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/01/Willy-s-3.12-INTERIORS-003-1.jpeg) I'd take those glasses home. Photo: Willy's Stepping away from flame-licked whole beast cooking and small plates, O’Brien has put together a menu of classic British dishes that are familiar and filling, yet sophisticated - black pudding scotch egg and beef rump tartare with dripping toast to start, and sausage and mash and roast chicken with mushroom and tarragon sauce, for example. But there are also bolder choices on the menu too. The warm bowl of coronation mussels - ordered because it sounded weird - was the standout of the night. Silken mollusks bathed in a fragrant and light amber curry broth which was quickly devoured down to its last spoonful. It was so good, I would have happily slurped up the broth on its own. The devils on horseback, a pre-starter starter of melt-in-your-mouth dates roasted to a sweet cream, wrapped in salty bacon with a crunchy hazelnut centre, were also delicious. For mains, the pork chop, served with a sharp lick of English mustard was thick, juicy and the size of your hand. The celeriac wellington was a more delicate mouthful; a soft and gently sweet parcel swathed in crisp golden pastry. ![Not the best photo, but probably the best sticky toffee pudding in Margate. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2026/01/IMG_7010-1.jpg) Not the best photo, but probably the best sticky toffee pudding in Margate. **Photo: Strange Tourist* So good were the Brussels sprouts side - a well seasoned mess of grated sprout and hazelnut rubble, an attempt to recreate the dish featured on the Christmas day table. For dessert, the zippy lemon and poppy seed drizzle cake served with a gentle milk ice cream and crunchy roasted cake crumbs was a light touch. More indulgent, the velvety sticky toffee pudding outshone all other sticky toffee puddings. Bright ginger ice cream cut through the dense, molasses-black cake and a tar of butter caramel sauce. Willy’s and Margate House Hotel’s front bar are both good-looking, well-conceived and welcoming spots with a compact but considered drinks menu and refined but unfussy and hearty dishes. We’ll be back in the summer for sure. *Margate House Hotel, 6 Dalby Square, Margate, CT9 2ER* [*willys.co.uk*](https://www.willys.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *Update 28 March 2026: Head chef Mark O'Brien appeared on series 18 of Masterchef: The Professionals, finishing in second place. Read our interview with Mark:* [Behind the scenes of MasterChef: The Professionals with finalist Mark O’BrienExposing and exhausting but a real honour; Margate chef Mark O’Brien recounts the road to becoming a Masterchef: The Professionals finalist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-167.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/ME9B5399.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/its-very-exposing-says-margates-masterchef-the-professionals-finalist/) ### Sixteen events we’re looking forward to in 2026 URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/sixteen-events-were-looking-forward-to-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:47:47.000Z Hello and happy new year! We hope you’ve had an excellent festive break. We sang rude Christmas carols in Ramsgate, went on an accidental Christmas Day pub crawl in Margate, and post-Christmas went up to London to see The Gingerbread City at the Museum of Architecture. We also ate our weight in roast potatoes and played Die Hard 2 three times back to back, but only managed to stay awake for the last screening. Fresh from the new year with most of 2026 in front of us, we thought we’d take the opportunity to look down the barrel of the 12 months ahead. We’ve scoured the diary and pulled out sixteen events we’re excited about that are coming up this year around Thanet (with a couple further afield). Already there are lots of new events in Thanet being announced for the coming weeks and months. Until the end of January we’re offering [75% off on Supporter subscriptions for the first three months](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange75). That’s 75p a month until March. These voluntary subscriptions help to ensure that we can continue bringing you [the best of Thanet](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-of-strange-tourist-in-2025/) every week. Next Saturday, like every Saturday, we’ll bring you a round up of the latest news and things to do in Thanet and beyond. Right now, here’s our highlights for the next twelve months. **Off Season** Back for a second year, bigger and more organised, the Off Season art trail fills shops, cafes, galleries and community spaces around Margate with work by local artists from January 23-25\. It’s a double whammy of showcasing the immense talent contained within Thanet and getting people through the doors of local business during a traditionally quiet time. [Check the website for listings](https://www.offseasonmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Restaurant Week** Also in its second year, Margate Restaurant week returns from February 2-6, with restaurants across Margate and other nearby towns and villages offering three course menus for £20.26\. A chance to feel decadent without breaking the bank, last year we also used it as an excuse to check out places we hadn’t yet made it out to. [Full listings](https://www.visitthanet.co.uk/margate-restaurant-week/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Olby’s experimental programme** Olby’s in Margate’s Old Town is offering up its bar area for people to try out event ideas over the winter, resulting in an eclectic and very fun sounding programme. Among our faves are [Rubbish Shopping Lists on Thursday, February 12](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/rubbish-shopping-lists-12th-feb-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (eco artist and binfluencer Kieran Poole’s comedy show based on 1000 found shopping lists), [Depths on Thursday, February 26](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/live/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (a night of deep conversations with guided prompts and no small talk), [Shronk on Thursday, March 5](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/skronk-5th-march-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (an evening of improvised music with an improvised line up). All events are free. [See the full programme](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/live/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Bridget Christie at the Marlowe** Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre has stellar programming, with brilliant comedy and theatre lined up through to the end of the year. In particular, we’re looking forward to Bridget Christie performing her new show Jacket Potato Pizza on Sunday, February 15\. We’ve been fans for a long time, but in the last couple of years her sitcom The Change has really reignited our love of how her brain works. [Tickets £29.50](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/bridget-christie-jacket-potato-pizza/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chump’s in Broadstairs** [Chump’s Comedy](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) already has a whole host of big names lined up for shows in the next few months, including Adam Buxton and Phil Wang. More excitingly, this year Chump’s put on their first Broadstairs show, which will be held at the beautiful Palace Cinema on Wednesday, February 25\. Paul Foot will headline, following sets from Alexandra Haddow and weird and delightful Andy Field. [Tickets £15](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/bbxv9k-paul-foot-alexandra-haddow-andy-field-25th-feb-the-palace-cinema-broadstairs-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Tracey Emin at the Tate Modern** London’s Tate Modern is set to open a new Tracey Emin exhibition next month. The career retrospective will include artworks spanning 40 years, including paintings, videos, textiles, neons, writing, sculpture and installations. It will include works that have never before been exhibited. The show is set to open on February 26 and run until August 31\. [More details](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tracey-emin?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Roni Size and LTJ Bukem at the Drill Shed** Postponed from last year and now moved to Margate’s newest music venue The Drill Shed, drum n bass heroes Roni Size and LTJ Bukem will be DJing on Friday, March 6, with MC Dynamite on hand to keep the crowd hyped. [Tickets £28.80](https://ra.co/events/2103495?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Don Letts at Ramsgate Music Hall** Continuing its always impeccable programming, [Ramsgate Music Hall](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/) will be bringing living legend Don Letts for an intimate DJ set on Saturday, March 21\. Known for introducing reggae to the punk scene when he was the resident DJ at the Roxy in London in 1977, he’s also an award winning filmmaker and a musician himself too. His knowledge goes deep and this will be an amazing opportunity to hear that in action. [Tickets £20](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/don-letts/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs Food Festival** Absolute heaven for anyone who loves food and cooking, the Easter edition of Broadstairs Food Festival takes place on April 3-5\. As ever, the event will showcase the best of Kentish cuisine with live demos, workshops, feasts, stalls and more. If you can’t make this one (or even if you can), the autumn edition is on October 3-5\. [More details](https://broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Lovebox at Dreamland** Dreamland in Margate has an impressive line up of acts performing this summer, including Fatboy Slim and Belle & Sebastian. Our big pick is the Lovebox festival, which is returning after seven years and leaving its former home in East London’s Victoria Park. Taking place on May 29-30, Rudimental and Scissor Sisters will play headline sets, with Horse Meat Disco, Armand Van Helden, Goldie, Friendly Fires, and Soul II Soul also on the bill. [Tickets from £64.10](https://loveboxfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs Folk Week** Arriving at the peak of summer from August 7-14, Broadstairs Folk Week is one of our favourite times to see the town. For seven full days it's hard to find a spot where there isn’t something happening. You don’t need to be a folk connoisseur to enjoy it. If you want to head into a gig or two you certainly can, but it’s also great to just soak up the atmosphere and enjoy live music spontaneously appearing next to you without warning. [Tickets on sale now](https://broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Pride** Taking over Margate on Saturday, August 8, [Margate Pride](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-amy-zing-interview/) is always a highlight of the summer with parties filling venues and streets all around the town, as well as the parade and main Dreamland event. Numerous after parties take it into the small hours, and fringe events spread out into the weeks either side of the big day itself. [Find out more](https://www.margatepride.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Smugglers Festival** It takes something pretty special to coax us away from Thanet during August’s peak seaside living glory. [Smugglers Festival](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/) is that pretty special thing. Hidden in woodland near Deal, each year the team behind the event go above and beyond to create a magical world for a couple of thousand people to get lost in. [Book weekend and day tickets](https://smugglersfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Festival of Sound** Taking place in September, [Ramsgate Festival of Sound](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/) invites visitors to explore the town through sound, celebrate local talent and discover new ways of engaging with what surrounds them. There’s lots of music but also sound art, installations, film screenings and much more. This year will be its ninth edition. [Find out more](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thomas Green at Dreamland** Australian comedian Thomas Green will perform at Dreamland’s Hall by the Sea on Friday, November 20\. As comfortable improvising as he is performing his written material, you never know where a show by this former primary school teacher and cult member is going to end up. [Tickets £22](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/thomas-green/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Winter Festival** The current [Ramsgate Winter Festival](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-winter-festival-lights-up-the-darker-months/) programme isn’t quite finished yet, but we’re already looking forward to finding out what’s in store next winter. There’s a massive programme of events including a light art trail, a lantern parade, workshops and more. On Christmas Eve we loved Emily Peasgood’s silly, family-friendly-rude carol service, joyously joining in with festive classics like Yellow Snow, Oh Holey Tights and Last Christmas I Did a Big Fart. All while tiny rubber chickens were fired across the audience. [Find out more](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### How to spend your time in Margate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/best-things-to-do-in-margate/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T15:59:14.000Z Margate is no stranger to regeneration, with the seaside town welcoming tides of change since its days as a small fishing port. The coastal spot is once again in the throes of a facelift, with restaurants, bars, galleries and creative initiatives opening up in once shuttered-up shops, luring in visitors for the town’s DIY-creative spirit and chilled out vibe. A popular day-trip from London or an easy weekend away, Margate has plenty of things to do, whether you want to spend your days in the sand and sea, eating and drinking your way around town, or getting stuck into the local art scene, there are many ways to sample the good life - and here are some tips and suggestions to get you on your way. ![A close up picture of the Margate Crab Museum's 1921 General Strike diorama](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/CrabMuseum-2023-34-34-copy-1-1.jpg) Crabs or carbs? **Photo: Joe & Charlotte* ## Things to do in Margate ### Main Sands A short stroll from the train station, Margate’s main beach pulls a crowd, thanks to its sandy shoreline. Expect a quintessential British seaside experience here, with deck chair hire, a tidal pool, rides, and a string of amusement arcades running along the main drag behind it all. Head straight into the Old Town for fish and chips. Nearby there’s also the Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, where locals hang, or Kingsgate Beach several bays around towards Broadstairs. ### Turner Contemporary Built on the site of JMW Turner’s preferred guesthouse and with an unfettered view of the sea from the main hall, the opening of this major regional gallery in 2011 was a turning point for the town and its cultural industry. Free to visit, you’ll find exhibitions by local, British and international artists, as well as makers markets, and a programme of kids activities too. *Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG.* [*turnercontemporary.org*](https://turnercontemporary.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Crab Museum Perhaps one of the best museums ever, The Crab Museum is one of a kind. It is a sharp, witty outfit that offers impressive insight into the lives of crabs, as well as using humour to discuss some of the big issues, like climate change and the nature of truth. Also, you'll find the Carb Museum in the bogs. *9 Broad St, Margate CT9 1EW.* [*crabmuseum.org*](https://www.crabmuseum.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Where Else The first grassroots music venue to open in Margate, Where Else pulls in an eclectic programme of events and music. You’ll find comedy, poetry slams and emerging indie artists, as well as the likes of Wet Leg, Yard Act, Jeffery Lewis and Bodega. The snug basement band-room gets sweaty quickly, but cool off with a game of pool upstairs after. *21-22 The Centre, Margate CT9 1RL.* [*whereelse.live*](https://www.whereelse.live/home?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![The destination sign on the front of Margate's Bus Cafe](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/Bus_cafe_landscape_1.jpg) Margate's Bus Cafe gives you a top deck sea view. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Cafes in Margate ### Oast Nestled away in Cliftonville is this incredible bakery and cafe. The coffee is great and the freshly made selection of bread, pastry, sandwiches and more are even better. It’s perfect for a pit top or just to drop by and stock up for a picnic. And if you see that there’s a croissant loaf still available, grab it and do not let it go. *68 Northdown Road, CT9 2RL.* [*oastmargate.co.uk*](https://www.oastmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Curve Situated in The Centre, where you’ll find several of Margate’s best spots for a great night out, is the daytime focussed Curve. Serving up coffee made with beans from their own roastery, there’s also a great food menu. Our go to is the kimchi cheese toasty (available in dairy or vegan), which is a winner every time. *12 The Centre, CT9 1JG.* [*curveroasters.co.uk*](https://www.curveroasters.co.uk/store?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Bus Cafe Both a Margate landmark and a lovely spot for a drink and a bite to eat, The Bus Cafe - an actual old London bus - is located on The Sun Deck overlooking the far edge of Margate Main Sands. There are several outdoor tables but for the full experience you need to get up on the top deck. What it lacks in space it makes up for in charm, lovely staff, great food and an uninterrupted sea view. *Royal Crescent Promenade, CT9 5AJ.* [*thebuscafe.co.uk*](https://www.thebuscafe.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Two restaurant tables with many dishes and glasses of food and drink on it](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Willy-s_edit_01--1--1.jpg) Hungry? Photo: Willy's ## Restaurants in Margate ### Willy's A new addition to Margate, Willy's is small but grand. Opening its doors in November 2025, the restaurant strikes a balance between meticulous styling and relaxed. A snug, pink-hued dining room juts off from an open kitchen, where chef Mark O'brien (ex-Robin Gill, Samphire) and team plate up classic British dishes that are familiar and filling yet sophisticated. Dishes are created not to be shared, so you get to enjoy all of it for yourself. *Margate House Hotel, 6 Dalby Square, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2ER.* [*willys.co.uk*](https://www.willys.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Palms Pizza Out of all the pizza joints in Margate - and there are a lot for a small town - Palms is a contender for the best. American-style pies come with thin crusts and generous cheese. Pizzas come by the slice or in a humongous 20 inch wheel. The pesto broccoli is strongly recommended. Dine in, order out or take away. *Unit 16 The Centre, Margate CT9 1JG.* [*palmspizzeria.com*](https://palmspizzeria.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Sargasso In a rustic brick venue on the Harbour Arm, wine bar and restaurant Sargasso has become somewhat of a destination and institution. It’s bougie for sure, but unfussy and low-key. The menu of creative seasonal small plates reflect its Kentish seaside location and features fresh ingredients that sing, while the wine lists gets pretty expensive fast. Look out for Sargasso Sunday, which comes with special menus, tunes and party vibes. *Harbour Arm, Margate CT9 1AP.* [*sargasso.bar*](https://www.sargasso.bar/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Pomus Another effortlessly sublime wine bar and kitchen, Pomus, in The Centre, has swiftly won over town folk since it opened in 2024\. The inventive menu features refined small and large plates, and changes regularly. The restaurant has just opened a sister venue, POM on the Harbour Arm for fancy bar snacks and wines on tap. *9 The Centre, Margate CT9 1JG.* [*pomus.co.uk*](https://www.pomus.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![The sign on the front of Margate micro-pub Fez](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/Fez_sign_landscape_2.jpg) Find Fez on the High Street. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Bars and Pubs in Margate ### The Shakespeare Designed by Fleet Architects (the team behind Fort Road Hotel), The Shakespeare is a good-looking but casual boozer. A hop and a skip away from the station, and with windows looking right across main sands, it’s a perfect spot for a sundowner. It doesn’t do food, but you can order in a Palms Pizza. Has board games and events during the evening. *1 Canterbury Rd, Westbrook, Margate CT9 5AQ;* [*instagram.com/theshakespearemargate*](https://www.instagram.com/theshakespearemargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Margate Off Licence Up on the clifftop, Margate Off Licence is a gem of a place that is half pub, half bar. Another unpretentious but well-styled venue, there’s a fridge full of carefully selected plonk you can drink in or take away, and pisco sours on the menu. Check opening times on Instagram before you venture forth. *1 Ethelbert Terrace, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 1RX.* [*instagram.com/margateofflicence*](https://www.instagram.com/margateofflicence/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Fez A quirky little joint on the High Street, Fez is filled with memorabilia, vintage weirdness, rockabilly vibes and strangers up for a chat. If you’re lucky, you can catch a band or musician playing in the corner. *40 High St, Margate CT9 1DS.* [*instagram.com/fezmargate*](https://www.instagram.com/fezmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![The front of Margate hotel Guesthouse No. 42](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/No_42_landscape.jpg) Put your feet up at Guest House No.42 **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Hotels in Margate ### Margate House Hotel A handsome nine-bedroom guest house with a mid century modern tinge, Margate House Hotel is in the thick of Cliftonville and the neighbourhood's buzz. It is slick yet friendly, covered in art and very well considered. Spacious bedrooms come with luscious beds while showers will leave you smelling Le Labo fresh. The front bar - open to the public - comes with a roaring fire in winter, an inviting bar and a compact but solid cocktail menu. Breakfast is served on a communal dining table, with the chef preparing your meal behind you on a pastel pink aga. *6 Dalby Square, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2ER.* [*margatehouse.co.uk*](https://margatehouse.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Guest House No. 42 A big ol’ swanky thing looming over Main Sands and at the heart of the Old Town, Guest House No. 42 is homely yet grand and comes with a whisper of art deco grandeur. Smart rooms come with seaside views, and the hotel’s restaurant, the Pearly Cow has a cavernous Victorian dining room which is a perfect place for a sundowner. The rooftop bar is also a great choice to watch the sun go down with a drink in hand. *42 High Street, Margate CT9 1DS.* [*guesthousehotels.co.uk*](https://guesthousehotels.co.uk/no-42-margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### **Fort Road Hotel** Found opposite Turner Contemporary with some rooms boasting sea views, this design-led hotel by Fleet Architects, was once a Victorian-era boarding house. The hotel’s 14 rooms are light-filled and furnished with vintage and smart, contemporary finds, and works by local artists such as Tracy Emin and Lindsey Mendick are peppered throughout the joint. A cave of a bar is at basement level, which plays host to book-talks and on occasion music, while at street level, restaurant Colina plates up breakfast plus an all-day Mediterranean-inspired small plates menu. *18 Fort Road, Margate CT9 1HF.* [*fortroadhotel.com*](https://fortroadhotel.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### **The Reading Rooms** An elegant boutique B&B, The Reading Rooms is a small guest house perched just outside the Old Town. There’s only two rooms, each covering an entire floor in the Grade II listed Georgian town house and overlooking Hawley Square, with breakfast delivered to your window-side table at a time that suits you. No animals, except guide dogs, or children allowed at this place. *31 Hawley Square, Margate CT9 1PH.* [*thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk*](https://www.thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### The best gay bars in Thanet URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-gay-bars-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:00:05.000Z Margate has established itself as a gay cultural wellspring along the East Kent coast - with no small help from [Margate Pride](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-amy-zing-interview/), which has gone from a small grassroots protest to a festival taking over the town. And while Margate may wear the queer crown in Thanet, [Ramsgate hosted its first Pride](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-pride-interview/) in 2024 and [Broadstairs Pride](https://www.instagram.com/pridebroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is set to put on its own event this year. You'll find many queer-friendly venues, organisations and nights all over Thanet too. And many of these places know how to throw a bash. Running any sort of venue these days is hard, and some queer spaces have folded. Yet those that remain have built fortified communities around them, and offer much more than a place to get sweaty and dance. While there are many inclusive venues and spaces across Thanet that welcome everyone, here are the venues waving the rainbow flag. ### La! & Lafayette's, Margate Opening on the site of the former Madhouse bar, which most recently housed Build-a-Burger, La! is Margate's newest queer venue. An old school, flamboyant gay bar, the night spot is licensed to stay open until midnight Sunday to Thursday, and 2am at the weekend. Look out for bingo nights, classic drag shows, brunches and cabaret nights. Resident bistro-style kitchen [Lafayette's](https://www.instagram.com/%5Flafayettes%5F?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) serves up lunches, brunches, dinners and Sunday roasts, with plenty of plant-based options to get stuck into. *13-15 High Street, Margate, CT9 1DL.* [*instagram.com/la\_margate/*](https://www.instagram.com/la%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Margate Arts Club, Margate More than just a club with a calendar of fun party nights and DJs, Margate Arts Club hosts drag nights, queer cabaret and performance art bashes, as well as talks, creative workshops and community events in the daytime. *276 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2PT.* [margatearts.club/](https://margatearts.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### CAMP, Margate Opened in 2022, the small and colourful bar, also has a busy programme of events. From trivia nights and book clubs, to DJs, karaoke trivia nights, shows and kids parties, CAMP may be snug but it packs a lot in. *125 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2QY.* [*campmargate.com*](https://www.campmargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Alley Bar, Ramsgate Brought to you by the Screaming Alley cabaret collective, this new members only bar is found in the basement of Salt House barbers on Queen Street. Set to be a home for LGBTQ+, political cabaret, bank on seeing drag acts and queer performance by Thanet performers as well as acts from London and out of town. [Membership](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/members-sign-up?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will get you a host of perks - being part of the tight-knit and supportive community around Screaming Alley. *Below Salt House Barbers, 12 Queen Street, Ramsgate. CT11 9DR.* [*screamingalley.co.uk*](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) [Screaming Alley open new bar and cabaret theatre in RamsgateIn the basement of an inclusive barber shop, Ramsgate cabaret company Screaming Alley’s new members bar looks set to become more than just a good night out![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-160.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Mercury-Rizing--Screaming-Alley--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/) ### Queer Cuntry, Margate Not a club but a pop-up event not to be missed, Queer Cuntry is a LGBTQIA+ country-themed club night and a massive hoe down. Come for line dancing, dancing dancing, drag, tunes, silliness and good times. [Follow them on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIf3idVM%5Fqs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for details of their next show. [Interview: Queer Cuntry at Chaka Khan’s Meltdown FestivalLennie and Ray from Margate band pink suits chat Queer Cuntry before they take the explosion of camp, queer country and Americana to London’s Southbank for Chaka Khan’s Meltdown![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-159.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Pink-Suits-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pink-suits-queer-cuntry-chaka-khan-meltdown/) ### Margate Beach Club Born from the ashes of Sundowners, Margate Beach Club is three floors of inclusive space that hosts stand up nights, drag acts and club nights. While the terrace is no longer part of the venue, you can still see the sun set across Main Sands, from the large windows near the bar. *1 Albert Terrace, Margate CT9 1UJ.* [*margatebeach.club*](https://www.margatebeach.club/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### The best of Strange Tourist in 2025 URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-of-strange-tourist-in-2025/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:47:39.000Z We’ve spent the last twelve months looking ahead to what’s coming up in Thanet. To finish 2025, we thought we’d take a look back instead. We published nearly 30 [interviews](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/tag/interviews/) with a huge range of creative people, and put together [local guides](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/tag/local-area-guides/) covering the best brunch spots, LGBTQ+ meet ups, coastal bike rides and much more. We also ventured out from behind our computers for events of our own for the first time - something we hope to do more of next year. Here, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite interviews from this year. We’ve spoken to so many interesting people, it was hard to cut it down to just a handful. We've included a range of different things that demonstrate just what a varied and creative place Thanet is. How lucky are we? It’s a treat putting together the newsletter for you each week and we look forward to doing more of that in the new year. If you’ve enjoyed reading it so far, you might perhaps consider becoming a Supporter. These voluntary subscriptions help us to cover the costs of putting this together each week, ensuring that we’re able to continue, and grow. We also realise that money is often tight at this time of year. So, we’re having a sale. If you sign up for a weekly subscription now, you’ll get [75% your first three months](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/strange75). That’s just 75p a month until March. Now, before we get all retrospective, let’s take one quick look ahead. Have you sorted out what you’re doing for New Year’s Eve yet? It’s less than two weeks away. Don’t worry though, we’ve found all the best things to do, whether you’re looking for a big party, some family-friendly fun or even a night in. [New Year’s Eve 2025 in Thanet: Parties, family fun and moreThere’s lots to do in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs as 2025 heads into 2026, from big parties to relaxed soirees and fun for kids![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-107.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1608416026650-66b4e0c0c301-2)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/new-years-eve-in-thanet-parties-parades-family-fun-and-more/) Have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. The newsletter will be back in January. If we don’t see you at the rubber chicken house in Ramsgate for Christmas Eve carols, see you then! *Andy and Zita* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Konformer---RMH---05.09.24---Copyright-of-Rich-Broome-Photography-6895.jpg) Konformer at Ramsgate Music Hall. **Photo: Rich Broome* ### Live music pressures Where Else in Margate recently [launched a crowdfunder](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to help the music venue get on financially stable footing in 2026\. The pressures facing grassroots venues over the last few years has seen hundreds disappear forever around the country. Earlier this week, we spoke to Where Else owner Sammy Clarke and then boss of Ramsgate Music Hall Andre Dack about the difficulties they were facing. [Thanet music venues “hanging in there” as others closeRamsgate Music Hall’s André Dack and Sammy Clarke of Margate’s Where Else on the existential threat facing hundreds of independent music venues in the UK![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-106.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Konformer---RMH---05.09.24---Copyright-of-Rich-Broome-Photography-6895-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/DSC_4928.jpeg) Pie Factory Music has used Ramsgate Youth Centre since 2013\. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### Pie Factory Music Another organisation facing an uncertain future this year was youth service Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate. We spoke to CEO Zoë Carassik as the charity launched a campaign to fight plans by Kent County Council to sell off Ramsgate Youth Centre, from which it has been operating since 2013\. The [good news](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cev87gmerx4o?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is that Thanet District Council’s Ramsgate Neighbourhood Board has now granted Pie £535,000 from the government’s Pride in Place Programme with which to buy the freehold of the building. [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-108.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928-3.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/image-1747997952-1-1-1.JPG) Bringing the back the joy of old-school photo booths. **Photo: The Love Booth* ### The Love Booth A creative project we absolutely loved this year was The Love Booth. Setting up an analogue photo booth in Ramsgate’s Queens Head pub, artist Karen Vost collected an archive of photos that explored love, intimacy and friendship - with some amazing stories attached to them. The images were displayed at an exhibition in September and we were delighted when Karen invited us to [interview her about the project live on stage](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-love-booth-a-joyous-and-intimate-look-into-private-moments/). This followed an earlier interview back at the beginning of the project. [Photo booth art project celebrates love and connectionDogs and their owners, people recreating past photographs and a cheeky flash - a lot goes on behind the curtain at Ramsgate community arts project, The Love Booth![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-109.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/image-1747997952-1-1-1-6.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/dying-breed-photo-booth-art-project-brings-a-lot-of-joy/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Smugglers22-252-1.jpg) Chewy She performs at Smugglers Festival. **Photo: Tilly May* ### Smugglers Festival Smugglers Festival was a massive highlight of 2025 for us. A weekend spent in a small patch of woodland watching possibly the most eclectic range of music we’ve seen at any festival - everything twee pop played on a tiny Casio keyboard to epic prog metal. So much goes into making this a magical experience, with plenty of hidden areas to seek out and enjoy. Although the thing we still talk about most of all is the lemon wrestling tournament we watched for several hours in the early hours of Sunday morning. [Smugglers Festival’s journey to become a magical and mysterious summer highlightWith most of its stages hidden in woodland, Kent’s Smugglers Festival is an “inspiring and magical” experience, says programmer Stewart Hughes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-110.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Smugglers22-252-1-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/image1--1--2-1.jpeg) Margate Queer Library & Archive opened in June. **Photo: Margate Queer Library & Archive* ### Margate Queer Library & Archive In June, writer and researcher Sé Nomayo opened Margate Queer LIbrary & Archive, a space that aims to increase access to LGBTQ+ history and literature, as well as documenting the stories of Margate’s queer community. It was great to speak to Sé as they opened the library and to see it go from strength to strength over the last six months. We also got to delve even deeper when Sé joined us for [our live panel discussion at Margate Bookie](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/building-stories-bringing-narratives-to-life/) in October. [New DIY LGBTQ+ library a ‘form of resistance’A mobile library on a bike, donated books and a ‘Cats for Trans Rights’ banner; Margate Queer Library & Archive founder Sé Malaika on creating a new community minded space![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-111.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/image1--1--2-1-2.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-queer-library-and-archive-se-malaika-interview/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/DSC_5202-1.jpeg) Corinna Downing in the Palace's 111 seat auditorium. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### The Palace Cinema The Palace Cinema in Broadstairs celebrated its 60th birthday this year. We spoke to co-owner Corinna Downing about the independent cinema’s history, maintaining a balanced programme of blockbusters and more obscure films, and what the future holds. Next year, Corinna and her husband Simon Ward will have been running the venue for ten years - after first hearing that it was up for sale while attending a children’s birthday party. [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-112.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-6.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Lou-Sanders--LouS88292-HI-RES-Copyright-Matt-Stronge-1.jpg) Lou Sanders performs at Ramsgate's Granville Theatre on September 19\. **Photo: Matt Stronge* ### Lou Sanders In September, we interviewed Lou Sanders about her new show No Kissing in the Bingo Hall, ahead of a performance at Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre. Well, was the interview about that? No, not really. Efforts to discuss the show proved pretty fruitless. Instead, we spoke about her memoir, moving to Margate and begrudgingly about trampolines. [Interview: Lou Sanders on Margate, trampolines and stand upLou Sanders speaks about her memoir, moving to Margate and begrudgingly about trampolines, but not about her stand-up show No Kissing in the Bingo Hall![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-113.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Lou-Sanders--LouS88292-HI-RES-Copyright-Matt-Stronge-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lou-sanders-on-everything-but-her-show-ahead-of-ramsgate-tour-date/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Tree-Carr-1.png) Samhain Society founder Tree Carr. **Photo: Tara Li-An Nomayo* ### A Dead Good Festival It’s not every day you get the opportunity to sit down for coffee with a high priestess witch. Did we leap at the chance? Yes. Were we disappointed? Most definitely not. Tree Carr made engaging and interesting company, which we hopefully captured in this article. The meeting was to discuss her festival celebrating the “witches’ new year” Samhain, but the conversation went much further into magic, attitudes to death and more. [Samhain festival brings magic to MargateHigh Priestess witch Tree Carr discusses A Dead Good Festival, which she hopes will challenge the taboos of death and bring a bit of magic to Margate![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-114.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Tree-Carr-1-3.png)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/death-positive-samhain-festival-welcomes-the-darker-months/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/08-200722-120.jpg) Ramsgate East Cliff. **Photo: MIke Goldwater* ### Mike Goldwater Our first interview of 2025 was with award-winning photojournalist Mike Goldwater about his book Island, an amazing collection of photographs taken around Thanet. His work having taken him around the globe, we spoke about turning the lens on his home. He told us about the stories behind the images, taking photos without judgement, and the art of predicting where something interesting is going to happen. [Interview: Award-winning photographer Mike GoldwaterPhotojournalist Mike Goldwater on turning his lens on home in his new book Island![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-115.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/106-220731-1605-1-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/mike-goldwater-thanet-photographer-theres-a-lot-of-spirit-and-a-lot-of-beauty/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/IMG_6019-1.jpeg) \[L-R\] Zita Whalley, Sé Nomayo, Katie McGarry, Andy Malt, Sidonie Carey-Green, Hughie Gavin. **Photo:* Chris *F Clark* ### Building Stories For this year’s Margate Bookie, we were asked to put on our own event. With several events featuring local authors already in the calendar, we decided to explore storytelling in a different way. We invited theatre maker Katie McGarry, songwriter Hughie Gavin, dance filmmaker Sidonie Carey-Green and founder of Margate Queer Library Sé Nomayo to discuss how they tell stories through their work - some of which we heard performed live too. [Building Stories: Bringing narratives to lifeListen to our recent panel discussion on storytelling as part of this year’s Margate Bookie literary festival![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-116.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_6019-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/building-stories-bringing-narratives-to-life/) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### New Year's Eve in Thanet: Parties, parades, family fun and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/new-years-eve-in-thanet-parties-parades-family-fun-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-12-18T16:57:11.000Z The end of the year is coming up fast. How will you celebrate? If you’re looking to head out partying or wanting something to do with the kids, there are plenty of things happening across Thanet. Sure, you're probably still frantically trying to get everything ready for Christmas. But don't let the opportunity to get out on December 31 slip by - especially when we've done the job of working out what's going on for you. You can join a lantern parade to light up the Ramsgate seafront as the evening begins, and check out all kinds of parties with a wide variety of music on offer. Then the next day, why not go and join other locals and visitors by joining a New Year’s Day sea swim? New events are being announced regularly and we will keep this page up to date with the best parties and activities, so check back again - or [sign up for our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal/signup) to keep in the know about everything that’s happening around Thanet and beyond. **Smiths Townhouse** The relatively new (and lovely) Smiths Townhouse wants to make sure you're fully warmed up for wherever you end up at the clock draws closer to midnight. Smiths will be shut by them, but only after an epic all day party. The venue will be open for coffee, winter warmers and cocktails all day, with a DJ spinning classic house tracks. *7am to 9.30pm. Smiths Townhouse, 43 Belvedere Road, Broadstairs, CT10 1PF.* **Rakookoo** Ramsgate-based heat at home South Asian takeaway Rakookoo has put together a NYE feast for those who want to eat before heading out (or just fancy a night in). The food, cooked by chef Rachel O'Sullivan, is always incredible. This menu includes snacks such as mussel, galangal and lime-leaf escabeche, and mains like Burmese confit duck and sprout-top curry. *Collect from Ramsgate between 4pm and 7pm.* [*DM on Instagram to order*](https://www.instagram.com/p/DRufgv2jZJN/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Twenty Seven Harbour Street & The Txoko Bar** Book a table at Twenty Seven Harbour Street to sample the delicious festive small plates menu as you see out 2025\. Once you've had your fill, you can move over to the Txoko Bar to raise a glass to 2026\. *1pm to midnight (last food bookings at 8pm). Twenty Seven Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1EU.* [*Book a table*](https://twentysevenharbourstreet.co.uk/christmas-at-27-harbour-st/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Family-Friendly New Year’s Eve daytime party** Ahead of its adults-only evening event, Margate Arts Club will be putting on a New Year's Eve night for all the family. As it will finish a way off midnight UK time, this one will celebrate several other new years as they happen around the world. There will be games, music and lots of fun. *4pm to 7pm. Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 2PT.* [*Adults £5 / Children free*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32058/new-years-eve-daytime-party-family-friendly-4pm-7pm-31st-dec?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **New Year’s Eve Lantern Parade** As part of this year’s Ramsgate Winter Festival, there will be a free, family-friendly lantern parade on New Year’s Eve. The theme is ‘Love, Peace and Joy to the World’. Starting at St George’s Church, it will make its way down to Ramsgate Tunnels where you’ll find refreshments and more fun. Don’t have a lantern or the means to make one at home? Join one of the [free lantern-making workshops](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/workshops-programme-12-nov---31-dec.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) running throughout November and December. *Meet at 4.15pm at St George’s Church, Broad* Street*, Ramsgate, CT11 8RG.* [*More information*](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/new-years-eve-lantern-parade.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Penelope** For a cosy but very lively NYE party, head over to Ramsgate wine bar Penelope. This one gets started early and will have DJ sets from Jim Breese, Dave Doubles, Jonny Fryer. *5pm to 1am. Penelope, 30 Harbour Street, Ramsgate, CT11 8HA. Free entry.* **Ramsgate Arts Club** This beautiful basement venue is putting on a 70s night for New Year's Eve, covering as much musical ground as possible. Expect glam rock, disco, soul, punk and more. As well as having on of the earliest starts on our list, it also has the latest finish to get the most party for your buck. *5pm to 3am. Ramsgate Arts Club, The Old Wine, Charlotte Court, Ramsgate, CT11 8HE.* [*Tickets £25*](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/new-years-eve---wed-31st-dec-1900-0300?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Sète** French restaurant Sète will be opening up on New Year's Eve for three sittings serving up a decadent menu along with fizz and cocktails. The wine bar will also be open for walk-ins, also serving food as well as drinks. *5.30pm, 7.30pm and 9.30pm. Sète, 238 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 2QD.* [*Book a table*](https://www.setemargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Willy's** Margate's newest restaurant Willy's is putting on two seatings for dinner as well as a party afterwards with Dani St James on the decks to keep things going past midnight. The meal looks delicious, with a roast rack of lamb at the centre (options for other dietary requirements also available). It's up to you to decide if you want to dance or sleep after you've hoovered it all up. *5.30pm and 8pm until 2am. Willy's, 6 Dalby Square, Margate, CT9 2ER.* [*£55 (5.50pm - dinner only)*](https://www.willys.co.uk/new-years-eve?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*,* [*£65 (8.30pm - dinner and dancing)*](https://www.willys.co.uk/new-years-eve?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*,* [*£12 (disco only)*](https://www.willys.co.uk/store/p/new-years-eve-at-willys?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **CAMP** Cliftonville LGBTQ+ bar CAMP is [preparing for big changes in 2025](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-camp-calls-for-support-and-more/), but as the new year rolls in its pure party all the way. Ease in with a few drinks before DJ AKA Fox arrives on the decks at 10pm to spin three hours of party classics and all the best songs released in 2025\. *6pm to 1am. CAMP, 125 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2QY. Free entry.* **Bar Nothing** Always reliable for a great and eclectic night out, Cliftonville's Bar Nothing will be opening early and carrying on until late. DJ duo Body Language will keep everything moving from 9pm. *6pm until late. Bar Nothing, 17 Cliff Terrace, Margate, CT9 1RU.* [*Tickets £10*](https://www.seetickets.com/event/n-y-e/bar-nothing/3566181?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Bottega Caruso** Bottega Caruso is bringing back its now traditional five course Italian New Year's Eve feast. Expect insalata Di rinforzo, lenticchie e cotechino, lasagna and more. There'll also be plenty of delicious wine. *7pm until late. Bottega Caruso, 2-4 Broad Street, Margate, CT9 1EW. Email* [*reservations@bottegacaruso.com*](mailto:reservations@bottegacaruso.com) *to book.* **Little Havana** Margate's new Cuban bar Little Havana is putting on a New Year's fiesta. Relax in the cosy, nicely done out space with a Cuban buffet, cocktails and a glass of prosecco at midnight. *7pm to 1am. Little Havana, Northdown Parade, Prices Avenue, Margate, CT9 3NR. Tickets £35\. Call 07498949738 to book.* **Seabird** Seabird in Ramsgate is going Mexican for NYE with a four course feast. Expect slow-cooked beef cheek mole, local diver-caught scallop ceviche and more. As well as the food, tickets also include a welcome margarita and dancing until the early ours with DJ Scott Martin (We Love, Ibiza). The restaurant will also be serving all day brunch on New Year's Day. *7pm to 2am. Seabird, 2-3 The Broadway, Addington Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9JN.* [*Tickets £60*](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/new-years-eve-fiesta?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *(or £10 if you just want to dance).* **Margate Arts Club** Margate Arts Club’s NYE party this year will have a disco theme, celebrating four-to-the-floor sounds from all over the world - Italo, electro, synth and global rhythms, they’ll all be in there and more. *7pm to 2am. Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 2PT.* [*Tickets £10*](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/29848?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Faith in Strangers** Faith in Strangers will have Jonathan Henfrey and Duff Disco playing cosmic, deep house, disco, left-of-centre party records and late-night cuts until the small hours. But before that, the in-house restaurant's head chef Jackson Berg is cooking up a feast. Seafood, steak, fried artichokes and apple sorbet are among the items on the menu. If you don't fancy dancing on a full stomach, there are tickets for just the club night too. *7pm to 2.30am. Faith In Strangers, 17 Ethelbert Crescent, Margate, CT9 2DY.* [*Dinner and dancing £90*](https://www.sevenrooms.com/experiences/faithinstrangers/nye---decadant-disco-dinner-party---dinner-dance-6551293062365184?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *(£70 vegan) /* [*Dancing only £24.99*](https://dice.fm/partner/faith-in-strangers/event/q2apno-nye-2025-decadent-disco-house-party-31st-dec-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Olby’s** Olby’s in Margate’s Old Town will be playing soul, funk and classic anthems all night. All tickets get a glass of fizz and midnight and canapes. You can also book group packages that include more food and drinks. *8pm to 1am. Olby's, 3-5 King Street, Margate, CT9 1DD.* [*Tickets £20*](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/olbys-nye-soul-celebration-31st-december-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Louie on Sea** Louie on Sea at the Turner Contemporary in Margate will be giving Latin vibes this NYE. With DJ Leon on the decks, you’ll know what to expect if you attended any of the cafe’s Terrace Sessions this summer (except it’ll be cold outside and the party will be indoors). *8pm to 2am. Louis on Sea, Rendezvous, Margate, CT9 1HG. Tickets* [*£15 individual*](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/eastcoastentertains/1905296?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) */* [*£90 table of four*](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/eastcoastentertains/1910024?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### And on New Year’s Day… **Ramsgate New Year's Day Dip** Shake off that hangover by joining the annual Ramsgate New Year’s Day sea swim at midday. There’s a medal for every dipper and prizes for fancy dress. *Meet at the Queen’s Head pub from 11am. Suggested donation £10\.* **Extra (G)ravy** If you're not partied out, Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs will be cranking up the sound system from 4pm on New Year's Day for Extra (G)ravy all dayer. Playing the tunes will be local producer Kyri, pub owner Jonathan Henfrey, and the internationally renowned Sophie Lloyd. Before the music kicks off at 4pm, you can get a rejuvenating roast lunch from midday. *12pm to 4pm (lunch), 4pm to midnight (dancing). Neptunes Hall, 1-5 Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1ET. Free entry.* **Floating Frequencies sound bath** Floating Frequencies pops up at Gather& in Ramsgate for a sound bath to bring on internal balance and rejuvenation, which is probably something we could all do with after December. Led by Eleanor Yankah, who is up on all things Ayurvedic, reiki, and wholistic wellbeing. *5pm to 6pm. Gather&, 17 Military Road, Ramsgate, CT11 9LG.* [*Tickets £25*](https://www.eleanoryankah.com/event-details/floating-frequencies-at-gather-1st-january-5pm?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Floating Frequencies, Imagine Festival, Pat Riarchy URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-floating-frequencies-sound-bath-imagine-childrens-festival-pat-riarchy-drag/ Last updated: 2025-12-16T08:00:49.000Z **Relax into 2026, look ahead to February half time, look even further ahead to a night out... next November? newly announced events to get excited about in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond.** Don’t want to stay indoors and rot on new year's day? **Floating Frequencies pops up at Gather& in Ramsgate for a sound bath** to bring on internal balance and rejuvenation, which is probably something we could all do with after December. Led by Eleanor Yankah, who is up on all things Ayurvedic, reiki, and holistic wellbeing, On at 5pm, with [**tickets £25**](https://www.eleanoryankah.com/event-details/floating-frequencies-at-gather-1st-january-5pm?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Imagine children’s arts festival returns to London’s Southbank Centre from February 11-21**, offering a great programme of half term events. Highlights this year include a sleepover at Royal Festival Hall with Jacqueline Wilson (who will be talking about her Sleepovers book series), the world premiere of Quentin Blake’s new live show Mrs Armitage on Wheels, and Horrible Histories: The Concert putting classic songs from the series on stage. There’s also a huge selection of free events. [**Check out the full programme**](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/imagine/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). What are you doing for Valentine's Day? **Kurtis Blow will be performing at Olby’s in Margate** on the big night, celebrating the 45th anniversary of his hit The Breaks. Is that a romantic night out? Yes, it is. Stop asking. Warming things up with be DJ Rob Hardman and DJ Hooch. [**Tickets £25**](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/kurtis-blow-14th-feb-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Olby’s recently put out a call for people to use its bar area to experiment with event ideas over the winter**. The **full programme has now been announced** and people have really stepped up to the plate. Among our faves happening are [Rubbish Shopping Lists on Thursday, February 12](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/rubbish-shopping-lists-12th-feb-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (eco artist and binfluencer Kieran Poole’s comedy show based on 1000 found shopping lists), [Depths on Thursday, February 26](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/live/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (a night of deep conversations with guided prompts and no small talk), [and Shronk on Thursday, March 5](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/skronk-5th-march-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (an evening of improvised music with an improvised line up). **All events are free.** [**See the full programme**](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/live/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Electronics** is going international! Or at least out of Margate. The eleventh edition of the night will take place on **Thursday, February 12** in the international city of London. Specifically at the brilliant **Cafe Oto in Dalston**. The night will also serve at the **launch of the new Margate Electronics: Editions record label** and its first release, Missing Music 4.0 by Suren Seneviratne. He will be performing a live AV set. YKLU & Danny and Tomas Jefanovas will also perform, while Soborgnost will DJ. [**Tickets £12**](https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/margate-electronics-11/?utm%5Fsource=ig&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcontent=link%5Fin%5Fbio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnrxj7-e4LZAhtFPUTm2rinXBY9HH1wBqKd-ULmNu0T0%5FIQWwMzI92vJzWaJM%5Faem%5FgTQPB1E2bIFyFzq%5Fw8p35A). **Australian comedian Thomas Green is coming all the way to Margate** next year. He lives in London though, he’s not coming all the way across the world. He might as well be, as **the show at Dreamland isn’t happening until Friday, November 20**. I just check and I’m free that night. Tickets go on general sale on December 19, but you can [**sign up for a pre-sale on Thursday now**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/thomas-green/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (December 16-22) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-margate-ramsgate-broadstairs-this-week-december-16-22/ Last updated: 2025-12-15T14:04:17.000Z **Movies, music, comedy, choirs, winter solstice events and more. We're not winding down for Christmas yet - there's lots going on in Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Margate and beyond this week.** [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/AdobeStock_310075016.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-christmas-guide-things-to-do/) See our full guide to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with family-friendly events, markets, parties, pantomimes and more. [Read it here ](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-christmas-guide-things-to-do/) Folkestone dive bar Blackmarket will be taking over swanky Margate restaurant Pomus for one night only on Monday. [Book a table](https://www.pomus.co.uk/bookings.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Neptunes Choir will pop up at Penelope in Ramsgate on Wednesday from 6.30pm. Good Good Film Club will be screening a Christmas classic movie at Margate Arts Club on Wednesday. Which one? It’s a secret. [Tickets £15 with pizza / £5 without](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32029/good-good-film-club-3?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Sobar Social will be back at The Shakespeare in Margate on Thursday. Head down for all kinds or alcohol-free refreshment from 6.30-8.30pm. Pie Factory Music will be launching the Open Arms Cookbook at ARK in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-arms-book-launch-end-of-year-party-tickets-1976583906673?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Institute Collective choir will be singing carols by candlelight at Margate’s Fort Road Hotel bar on Thursday. [Tickets £14](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/carols-by-candlelight-at-fort-road-hotel-tickets-1976452266935?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs is screening Larry’s Garage: The Movie, the story of longtime resident DJ at the Paradise Garage nightclub in New York, at the Palace Cinema on Thursday. [Tickets £11.55](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/larrys-garage-the-movie-tickets-1976482268671?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Festival of Sound has partnered up with Sabina Desir and Jessica Lauren to put on a night of gospel, soul and blues, A Soulful Winter’s Night. Held at St George’s Church in Ramsgate on Friday, [tickets are from £8](https://stgeorgechurchramsgate.uk/2025/10/31/a-soulful-winters-night/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s Funny Cuts puts on their Christmas Special comedy night at Margate Beach Club on Friday. Doors open at 7pm, and tickets are £5 on the door - or [DM](https://www.instagram.com/funnycutscomedy/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to nab one of the limited spaces on the guest list for free entry. Bar Nothing in Cliftonville will host a winter solstice workshop on Saturday from 3-5pm. [Tickets £25](https://dandelion.events/e/anahatawintersolstice?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete in Ramsgate is having a Christmas party on Saturday. Free entry. Margate Arts Club is putting on a free winter solstice party on Saturday, also marking the venue's tenth anniversary. [Free tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/29844?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet drag legend Pat Riarchy takes over the new Alley Bar in Ramsgate on Saturday for a special Christmas show, Pat Riarchy’s Seasonal Sac. [Tickets £10](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/pat-riarchys-seasonal-sac?utm%5Fcampaign=7dce5612-7e2e-463a-a2e5-8fa3f38ae4f0&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=7ea34e51-fead-4d95-bb3f-334596aa6ac6). [Screaming Alley open new bar and cabaret theatre in RamsgateIn the basement of an inclusive barber shop, Ramsgate cabaret company Screaming Alley’s new members bar looks set to become more than just a good night out![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-102.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Mercury-Rizing--Screaming-Alley--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/) ELZ and Dame Jame will be putting on a pantomime at CAMP on Saturday. The [evening performance](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31161/elz-and-dame-do-panto?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is adults only, but there will be a [family-friendly matinee](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31162/elz-and-dame-jame-do-panto-4-kidz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) too. Where Else? hosts its Christmas party on Saturday. From 12pm-5pm, it’s family-friendly with games, raffles, live music and the like, while from 7pm, the Moshi Moshi Quiz is followed up with a disco. Patrick Wolf will bring his Yulenite winter solstice celebration to the Quarterhouse in Folkestone on Saturday and Sunday. [Tickets £29.50](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/search/?s=Patrick+wolf&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Brigitte Aphrodite, QuietBoy and Liv Morris are putting on family-friendly festive show Jingle Bell Rocks! at ARK in Cliftonville from Saturday until Tuesday. [Tickets £7.50](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/1936882?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Music venue Where Else fighting for survival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-music-venue-where-else-fighting-for-survival/ Last updated: 2025-12-18T10:29:26.000Z **Where Else's call for public support, new hopes to save Broadstairs Memorial Hall, Margate Creative Land Trust purchases its second property. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Beloved Margate music venue Where Else has launched a Crowdfunder, as it finds itself in dire straights**. The venue, which has brought the likes of the Lambrini Girls, Deerhoof, Snapped Ankles and Bodega to Thanet alongside championing endless emerging and local acts, is **looking to raise £40,000**. This will be used to help Where Else? to **stabilise then expand on what it does in a financially sustainable way**. Plans include opening up the venue so it also becomes a community space, a rehearsal space and co-working space. **There’s January 31 to** [**donate to the fundraiser**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Thanet music venues “hanging in there” as others closeRamsgate Music Hall’s André Dack and Sammy Clarke of Margate’s Where Else on the existential threat facing hundreds of independent music venues in the UK![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-100.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Konformer---RMH---05.09.24---Copyright-of-Rich-Broome-Photography-6895-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/) **Home of the Sarah Thorne Theatre, Broadstairs Memorial Hall failed to sell at auction this week**, after only one bid was recorded at £45,000 under the £350,000 asking price. Broadstairs mayor Mike Garner [said](https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2025/12/11/broadstairs-memorial-hall-and-pottery-fails-to-sell-at-auction/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) that this **gives Kent County Council “a second chance to do the right thing by the people of the town”** by retaining it for community use. Backing calls to save the building, Sarah Thorne Theatre patron **Judi Dench** [**said this week that she was "horrified”**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ceq125w35y2o?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **by plans to sell the building**. **Margate Creative Land Trust has purchased its second property**, the former Curious Explorers nursery site on Grosvenor Place. The building has been sitting empty for two years. **The charity now aims to convert it into a multi-use space**, including meeting rooms, artist studios, and rooms for exhibitions and performances. **Seafood restaurant Angela’s has announced that it will expand** next year by **moving into the building soon to be vacated by Cafe G in Margate Old Town**. With the building becoming vacant at the end of this month, the new **opening is planned for March**. Sadly, the big change means that **Angela’s sister restaurant Dory’s will close down at the end of March too**. **The Thrift Store in Ramsgate has opened** **in its new location at 1-3 High Street** and it is looking lovely. It’s **open seven days a week**, so pop in to grab a Christmas gift for the vintage clothing lover in your life. It’s totally valid if that person is you. **Literacy charity Coram Beanstalk is seeking volunteers to support local primary school children with reading for pleasure** in Thanet and particularly the CT9 postcode. Volunteers read with the same children each week, building an ongoing relationship and helping them to develop a love of books. Training and ongoing support is provided. [**Find out more**](https://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/register-now?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you fancy waking up on Christmas day with a pain au chocolat, **Oast is now taking Christmas orders**. Ready for collection on Christmas eve until 12pm, stock up on sourdough, sausage rolls, and cardamom buns for festive feasting. **Orders close Friday, December 19**. **Windmill Community Gardens wants your old Christmas tree to use in their dead hedge installation**. Drop your tree off Sunday, January 4 between 10am and 2pm or Thursday January 8 between 10am and 4pm - no ditching trees outside these times please. It’s December already, but there’s still time to **head to Lillie’s in Margate for a festive meal deal**. On Wednesday and Thursday before Christmas, venture down to grab **three plates for £25 or £30 if you want a glass of wine**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Thanet Christmas guide: Pantomimes, markets, nights out and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-christmas-guide-things-to-do/ Last updated: 2025-12-11T21:37:16.000Z Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, and so is our events calendar. More and more festive happenings are being announced daily all around Thanet. Whether you're looking to get your Christmas shopping done, take the kids out for the day, or flex your Christmas party muscle, we've gone out and found all the best events and activities going on in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs. ### Christmas markets and shopping Get into the festive spirit and shop local for your Christmas gifts at these Christmas markets all around Thanet: [Christmas markets and shopping in ThanetGet into the festive and cross all those names off your Christmas present list at these markets in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-86.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/AdobeStock_310075016.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/christmas-markets-and-shopping-in-thanet/) ### Family-friendly events Looking to keep the kids occupied as their excitement reached fever pitch? Check out our list of family-friendly events: [Family-friendly Christmas 2025 events in ThanetKids and family events in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs this Christmas![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-77.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/krakenimages-liT5AlTmC8I-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/family-friendly-christmas-events-in-thanet/) ### Christmas parties and nights out If you're looking for a grown up festive night out, we've got all the best parties in this list: [Christmas 2025 nights out in ThanetThe festive party season is here. Check out our guide to getting out in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs as we head towards Christmas![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-78.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/fidel-fernando-249DzAuJTqQ-unsplash-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/christmas-nights-out-in-thanet/) ### New Year's Eve And don't forget to book your New Year's Eve tickets! We've also put together a list of parties going on in Thanet (including things for families, so you're not left out): [New Years Eve 2025 in Thanet: Parties, family fun and moreThere’s lots to do in Thanet this New Year’s Eve, whether it’s something to keep the kids occupied or you want to get out on the town![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-79.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1608416026650-66b4e0c0c301-1)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/new-years-eve-in-thanet-parties-parades-family-fun-and-more/) We’ll keep updating our Christmas guides as the festive season progresses, so be sure to check back. And sign up to our newsletter to make sure you’re always up to date all the best events in and around Thanet all year round. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Fatboy Slim, 2025 quiz, Jurassic Park URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-fatboy-slim-2025-quiz-jurassic-park/ Last updated: 2025-12-09T08:00:56.000Z **See Fatboy Slim, test your knowledge of 2025, watch a classic dance music documentary, explore wellness and listen to carols by candlelight. All these amore more upcoming events in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.** [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/AdobeStock_310075016.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-christmas-guide-things-to-do/) See our full guide to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with family-friendly events, markets, parties, pantomimes and more. [Read it here ](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-christmas-guide-things-to-do/) Currently celebrating his 40th year in showbiz, **Fatboy Slim has announced a show at Dreamland** in Margate next summer. He will play a headline DJ set on the theme park’s Scenic Stage on **Friday, August 28\.** [**Tickets £64.10**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/fatboy-slim/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). How’s your 2025 knowledge? Find out on **Sunday, December 28 when Seabird in Ramsgate runs an end of year quiz**. There will be rounds covering general knowledge, politics, music, film and sport. Maximum team size is six and it’s **£5 entry per person**. The winning team will take all the cash. It all kicks off at 3.30pm. [**Find out more**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/end-of-year-quiz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs is taking over the Palace Cinema again to screen another classic dance music documentary**. This time they're showing **Larry’s Garage: The Movie**, the story of longtime resident DJ at the Paradise Garage nightclub in New York. It’s also two-for-one on pizzas at the Neptune afterwards. [**Tickets £11.55**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/larrys-garage-the-movie-tickets-1976482268671?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-94.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-5.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) **The Turner Contemporary in Margate has announced its first Winter Wellness Festival**. The three week programme will run from **Friday, January 30 to Sunday, February 22**. It will have events including workshops, immersive experiences, panel discussions, supper clubs and more. [**See the full programme**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/winter-wellness%5Ffestival%5F2026?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Don Letts will be DJing at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, March 21**. You know what to expect from Don by now, surely - an eclectic and often surprising mix of dub and reggae. It'll be a lot of fun. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/don-letts/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Institute Collective choir will be singing carols by candlelight at Margate’s Fort Road Hotel bar on Thursday, December 18**. The choir have previously been heard on the soundtracks of shows like Silent Witness and True Detective. For this one-off performance, they’ll be serving up a setlist of contemporary choral reimaginings of Christmas classics and carols. [**Tickets £14**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/carols-by-candlelight-at-fort-road-hotel-tickets-1976452266935?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Bar Nothing in Cliftonville will host a Winter Solstice workshop on Saturday, December 20** from 3-5pm. Led by Anahata Apothecary, participants will make mistletoe tinctures, craft winter smudging wands, and join in a new moon solstice intention setting. [**Tickets £25**](https://dandelion.events/e/anahatawintersolstice?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Good Good Film Club will be screening a Christmas classic movie at Margate Arts Club on Wednesday, December 17**. Which one? You won’t know until you get there. Fun! The only clues are that it’s a contemporary American comedy drama and contains some bad language and “a lot of smoking.” There will also be a screening of short comedy films and you can pre-order Casa pizza to have while you watch the main feature. [**Tickets £15 with pizza / £5 without**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32029/good-good-film-club-3?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ocean Stefan is back with another movie night with a difference**. The performance artist will screen **Jurassic Park at Margate Arts Club on Tuesday, December 23**. What’s the difference I alluded to? The sound will be muted and instead **Ocean will attempt to create the entire soundtrack themselves using only their voice**. Every piece of music, every dinosaur roar, all of the dialogue. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31752/the-monster-speaks-jurassic-park?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Kent Whisky Explorers night is back at Little Swift in Margate on Friday, January 23**. It will again be raising money for Movember - having raised over £1300 with two editions last month. Having guided attendees through whiskeys from all around the world, the January event will s**ample Scotland’s independent distilleries ahead of Burns’ Night**. These always sell out well in advance, so don’t hang about. **Tickets £30** (including £5 donation to Movember). **Email** [**kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com**](mailto:kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com) **to book**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (December 8-14) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-december-8-14/ Last updated: 2025-12-08T13:36:01.000Z **Bottomless steak and chips, retro gaming, Christmas shopping, office parties for home workers, live music, comedy, theatre and more. Here's the best of what's going on in Thanet and further afield this week.** [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/AdobeStock_310075016.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-christmas-guide-things-to-do/) See our full guide to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with family-friendly events, markets, parties, pantomimes and more. [Read it here ](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-christmas-guide-things-to-do/) Pomus in Margate is offering bottomless steaks and chips on Monday for £29 a pop. [Booking essential](https://www.pomus.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Girl Dinner will be at Sète in Cliftonville on Wednesday, with three courses for £25 a head. Junkyard Gaming will be at Margate Arts Club on Wednesday for a night of retro gaming. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/31401?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). MADE by Margate opens Thursday at 11am, with a launch party that night from 6-9pm. It’ll be open through to Christmas, with late night shopping every Friday. The Light Up Ramsgate (formerly Ramsgate Lumiere) art trail returns from Thursday to January 26 on Ramsgate High Street. It's part of Ramsgate Winter Festival, which has its Weekend of Wonder from Thursday to Sunday, with the biggest concentration of events of the whole programme. [Ramsgate Winter Festival lights up the darker monthsRamsgate Winter Festival returns later this month with a two month programme of events to bring joy and a sense of community to the darker months![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-95.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/PXL_20241216_175330756.NIGHT-2-1-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-winter-festival-lights-up-the-darker-months/) Confessional theatre show Letters You’ll Never Send will be putting anonymous messages with a festive twist on stage at a special Christmas edition of the show on Thursday at Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre. [Tickets £12](https://billetto.co.uk/e/letters-i-ll-never-send-christmas-edition-tickets-1690765?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [A jukebox of confessions: Letters You’ll Never Send brings anonymous confessions to the stageHave you got something you’ve always wanted to say to someone but don’t dare? Katie McGarry’s show Letters You’ll Never Send takes your deepest secrets and puts them on stage![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-96.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/KatieMcGarry383copy-1-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/a-jukebox-of-confessions-letters-youll-never-send-brings-anonymous-confessions-to-the-stage/) The Chump’s Comedy Christmas show is on at Dreamland on Thursday, with Stewart Lee, Michelle de Swarte, Harriet Kemsley, Lou Sanders and Christopher Hall. [Tickets £34.86](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/8enyp5-chumpsmas-ed-gamble-and-friends-11th-dec-dreamland-hall-by-the-sea-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Seed Talks returns to Canterbury Christ Church University on Thursday with Folklore & Women: The Power of Folklore in Reclaiming Female Stories. [Tickets £16](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/folklore-women-the-power-of-folklore-in-reclaiming-female-stories-tickets-1782090664149?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&keep%5Ftld=1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Punk band Crabs play their annual festival Crabsmas show at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £12](https://billetto.co.uk/e/crabsmas-tickets-1279213?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate wine bar Penelope is hosting an office party for freelancers and home workers on Friday. Free entry. ELZ is also putting on an office party for freelancers and home workers on Friday night over at Olby’s in Margate. [Tickets from £6](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/elzs-xmas-party-12th-december-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Work-in-progress exhibition OBLIOX Loading opens at Salon in Margate from Friday to Wednesday. Tracey Emin, Katy Hessel, Russell Tovey and Robert Diament will discuss the making of contemporary art books in a panel discussion at TKE Studios in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Free tickets](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/yt41737bl5cp6p3i0s9wtqgmzknohh?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Granville in Ramsgate is putting on Aladdin as its pantomime from Saturday until Christmas Eve. [Tickets from £26.95](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/aladdin-a-family-pantomime?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Turner is hosting a gilded walnut tree decoration workshop on Sunday with Webb & Gray. [Places £14](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/gilded-walnut-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). High Tide Social hosts a foraged wreath-making making workshop on Sunday. Tickets are £20 per person which includes a minced pie and glass of mulled wine. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/hightidesocialcafe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The final edition of Mr Ned’s Bread Dead Redemption quiz is on at Where Else on Sunday with a redemption theme. It’s a 7pm start, maximum of five in a team and £2 per head entry. Acoustic music night Softly Softly returns to Salt in Broadstairs on Sunday with performances from Morag Butler, Rick Jakubowski, Megan Wardroper and Jack Hayter. Music starts at 3pm (but note it’s 18+). Entry is pay-what-you-can on the door. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate's newest pub opens its doors and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margates-newest-pub-opens-its-doors-anymore/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T12:43:10.000Z **A new pub for Margate, a cookbook written by young refugees, a New Year's Even feast to have at home, and proposals to Gert more of Margate and Ramsgate's empty shops open. The latest creative and cultural news from Thanet.** Run by Chix Stock’s Billy Stock and Ellie Topham - also St John, Rochelle Canteen, Soho House - **Margate’s new pub and dining room The Wellington is now open** on the old Dukes site. The French-English kitchen serves up the likes of sharing pies, terrine and duck sausage rolls while making the most of local and seasonal produce. The bar pours local IPAs on rotation, tap wine and Kentish ciders. Sounds like there are worse places to while away an evening, right? **Pie Factory Music has announced the Open Arms Cookbook**, a new recipe book **created by unaccompanied young people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds** who have arrived in Thanet alone. It features over 30 dishes, alongside stories and photos of the young people who contributed them. The book is [**available now from the Pie Factory website for £15**](https://shop.piefactorymusic.com/products/open-arms-cookbook?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). There will also be a **launch party at ARK in Cliftonville on Thursday, December 18\.** [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-arms-book-launch-end-of-year-party-tickets-1976583906673?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate-based heat at home South Asian takeaway Rakookoo has put together a New Year’s Eve feast** for those who want to eat before heading out (or just fancy a night in). The food, cooked by chef Rachel O'Sullivan, is always incredible. This menu includes snacks such as mussel, galangal and lime-leaf escabeche, and mains like Burmese confit duck and sprout-top curry. Collect from Ramsgate between 4pm and 7pm on December 31\. [**DM on Instagram to order**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DRufgv2jZJN/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet District Council has proposed three areas in Ramsgate and Margate** where it hopes to use new powers to **auction off leases on long-term empty business premises**. The council hopes that it will bring new life to the towns’ high street and adjacent areas, creating greater opportunities for independent businesses and community groups to bring spaces back into use. **The proposals will be discussed at a meeting next week**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Screaming Alley’s new members bar “genuinely an invitation” to “shape” performance in Thanet URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:05:13.000Z So new the paint has barely dried, The Alley Bar, a snug den and performance space underneath Salt House Barbers in Ramsgate, is a tiny bar with big ambitions. As the name suggests, The Alley Bar is an extension of Screaming Alley, the Ramsgate-based cabaret production company founded by theatre marketer and cabaret producer Lara Clifton. From the outset, the company has had a strong community-focus and a commitment to making working class, queer, feminist work. In line with the theatre company, The Alley Bar will host “radical, queer, feminist and inclusive live art” that will take the shape of open mic nights, workshops, cabaret shows and performance by new artists and Thanet-based performers. The venue will also welcome big names in the alt-cabaret scene, like ex-Glory Hole owner and drag queen Jonny Woo and cult drag hit Diane Chorely, who performs tonight, Saturday, December 6\. The Alley Bar also endevours to be a creative incubator, a space in which performers can develop longer works and develop professionally, supported by the bar’s membership programme. Speaking at the venue’s pre-launch, an exhausted Lara said: “The idea of The Alley Bar is that we've got this little bar - a members bar. We want people to eventually pay a rate that they want to pay to be members, so that \[the bar\] can be a place for performers to try out new work, to rehearse in the day, so it's a resource for everybody. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. “I believe that art does help people, and I think that we all need it. And a sense of community and a sense of belonging is really important. And I think that we all need to make that happen in Ramsgate. “The idea is that we all help this bar survive, so we can help all these brilliant things happen.” ![The Screaming Marys and Screaming Alley crew along with Pat Riarchy, Charlie Partridge and Blanche Dubois. Photo: Andrew Hastings](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Screaming-Alley-Crew---Screaming-Marys--Pat-Riarchy--Charlie-Partridge--Blanche-Dubois--Deirdre-on-the-Door--Brigitte-Aphrodite--c--Andrew-Hastings--1.jpg) The Screaming Marys and Screaming Alley crew along with Pat Riarchy, Charlie Partridge and Blanche Dubois. **Photo: Andrew Hastings* On Lara’s count, Screaming Alley has created professional development opportunities to between 55 and 60 artists. The production company’s initiatives include the Screaming Marys - a cabaret troupe made up of people from a range of backgrounds - open mic nights, workshops, mentoring, buddy schemes, skill-sharing sessions and “zero-presure” performance events open up theatre to untrained performers and community members. In opening the bar, Lara hopes to support artists even further, with a new artist management initiative, Screaming Alley Management (SAM), set to launch next spring. The venue provides Screaming Alley with a physical base and regular programming, which means the organisation can “begin working much more meaningfully on artist development”, Lara tells me, adding: “Screaming Alley Management will support independent performers with bookings, production, touring guidance, marketing, and professional development. “Many cabaret and alt-performance artists have no access to management structures; they’re used to doing everything themselves. They have to be producers, directors, writers, tour managers, costume makers - as well as outstanding performers. “That means success often depends less on artistic brilliance and more on who can manage admin and self-promotion. As a result, many incredible artists end up underpaid, overworked, or invisible to the wider industry.” ![Thanet based Charlie Partridge is one of the performers in Screaming Alley's fold. Photo: Andrew Hastings](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Charlie-Partridge--Red-Arrows-Club-Ramsgate--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg.png) Thanet based Charlie Partridge is one of the performers in Screaming Alley's fold. **Photo: Andrew Hastings* It’s hoped that SAM can change this for the artists it works with, offering advocacy, a base and a pipeline of opportunities so performers can focus on making work. With the opening of the bar, Screaming Alley also aims to gain some financial security instead of relying on a “patchwork of income” made up of Arts Council project grants, local funding, ticket sales, workshops and community commissions. “We’ve missed out on funding a couple of times over the past few years, and when that happened it became very hard to put shows on,” Lara says. “Last year we even had to close for three months because, without funding, we all had to take other work just to pay the rent. “The constant cycle of applying for grants just to survive is exhausting, unsustainable, and pulls us away from our mission.” The decision to open The Alley Bar comes off the back of a business consultant’s advice, who advised Lara that a bar would help her support artists and carry out the work she wanted to do. ![Blanche Dubois performing at Red Arrows Club in Ramsgate. Photo: Screaming Alley](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Blanche-Dubois--Red-Arrows-Club-Ramsgate.jpg.jpg) Blanche Dubois performing at Red Arrows Club in Ramsgate. **Photo: Screaming Alley* “Our consultant highlighted that Screaming Alley pays artists and crew while generating income for other bars, and that if we want to secure our future, we need a reliable earned-income base of our own. “Opening a bar is part of that solution - it allows us to keep Screaming Alley running and thriving without living or dying on whether a grant comes in.” Opening a private members bar in a coastal community that swells and recedes like the tides may seem like a particularly risky move - members bars are inherently exclusive. However, Lara sees The Alley Bar as something that fortifies Thanet’s creative community, shaped by the one it serves. “We’re actively talking with \[artists\] about how to make the model as accessible as possible… We’re exploring a scheme where artists who donate a performance or run an event at the bar receive a full year of free membership in return. “The Marys are helping us build the bar, they’ll have their weekly sessions down there, rehearse there and run their own performance nights. There will also be opportunities for people to volunteer or work at the bar if they want to see performances but can’t commit to a membership. ![Blanche Dubois, Jonny Woo and Katie McGarry at Red Arrows Club Ramsgate. Photo: Andrew Hastings](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/12/Blanche-Dubois--Jonny-Woo--Katie-McGarry--Red-Arrows-Club-Ramsgate--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg-1.jpg) Blanche Dubois, Jonny Woo and Katie McGarry at Red Arrows Club Ramsgate. **Photo: Andrew Hastings* “Importantly, our community understands that by becoming members they’re directly helping Screaming Alley extravaganzas happen in Thanet. The more members we have, the more ambitious work we can deliver at places like the Red Arrows Club, Ellington Park, and beyond. So rather than shutting people out, it’s genuinely an invitation to get involved and help shape the future of performance in the area.” As far as the ins and outs of how the bar will run and what membership will look like, that is all yet to be set in stone. Membership will be free for the first three months, in which time Screaming Alley will consult with punters to see what they want, through casual conversations, a suggestion system, questionnaire and monthly “town hall-style” chats. This will all inform programming, opening hours, accessible pricing, membership structure, community needs and “the general vibe” so The Alley Bar is a welcoming, creative venue that is put to good use. Wrapping up her pre-launch speech, Lara said: “We're going to take feedback from everybody to find out what members bar you want; how you want it to run, what you're willing to pay and what you want to support. So, if you can all help us, we'll make this thing a thing that actually really lives and is good and helps everyone.” *The Alley Bar starts with weekly ticketed events, with Diane Chorely performing tonight, Saturday, January 6 at 7pm, which has sold out.* *Singer and actor Amy Lennox will perform on Friday,* December *12 (*[*tickets £10*](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/a-night-with-amy-lennox?utm%5Fcampaign=7dce5612-7e2e-463a-a2e5-8fa3f38ae4f0&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=7ea34e51-fead-4d95-bb3f-334596aa6ac6)*) and drag act Pat Riarchy will put on a special* Christmas *show on Saturday, December 20 (*[*tickets £10*](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/pat-riarchys-seasonal-sac?utm%5Fcampaign=7dce5612-7e2e-463a-a2e5-8fa3f38ae4f0&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=7ea34e51-fead-4d95-bb3f-334596aa6ac6)*).* *For more information and programming, visit ​​*[*screamingalley.co.uk*](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Incoming: Lovebox, Marlowe Theatre, Penelope URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-lovebox-marlowe-theatre-penelope/ Last updated: 2025-12-02T08:00:30.000Z **The return of Lovebox (at its new home in Margate), Christmas movies, live music, the Marlowe Theatre's spring programme, and art book panel discussion and more. Lots of events around Thanet and beyond to get down in your diary.** After seven years away, the **Lovebox festival is back and it’s coming to Margate**. Leaving its former home in East London’s Victoria Park, **on May 29-30 next year it will take over Dreamland**. Rudimental and Scissor Sisters will play headline sets, with Armand Van Helden, Goldie, Friendly Fires, and Soul II Soul also on the bill. [**Tickets from £64.10**](https://loveboxfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **High Tide Social play cafe in Cliftonville** is putting up a big screen and **showing festive movies every Friday in the lead up to Christmas**. The programme is Home Alone (Nov 28), The Grinch (Dec 5), Elf (Dec 12) and Polar Express (Dec 19\. They'll also be serving up popcorn, nachos, hotdogs and smash burgers and there will be a happy hour on drinks. **£4 per family**. **Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre has announced a load of new shows for next spring**. Among them are science show for kids [Brainiac Live](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/brainiac-live/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (April 13), [Professor Brian Cox](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/professor-brian-cox-warm-up/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)’s new show Warming Up (February 1), Matthew Bourne's award-winning dance production [The Car Man](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/matthew-bournes-the-car-man/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (November 10-14), historian and faithful [David Olusoga](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/david-olusoga-a-gun-through-time/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (April 26), and comedians [Harry Enfield](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/harry-enfield-and-no-chums/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (March 14), [Stevie Martin](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/stevie-martin-clout-2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (April 11), [Lorna Rose Treen](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/lorna-rose-treen-now-thats-what-i-call-characters/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (April 28). Eclectic producer **Quantic** will play a **rare DJ set at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday, March 28**. [**Tickets £20.40**](https://dice.fm/event/8ermnv-quantic-28th-mar-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Japanese psychedelic rock band **Acid Mothers Temple** return to **Ramsgate Music Hall on Sunday, April 19**. [**Tickets £17.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/acid-mother-temple-with-special-guest-cotton-casino/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Tracey Emin, Katy Hessel, Russell Tovey and Roberty Diament** will discuss **the making of contemporary art books** in a panel discussion at **TKE Studios in Cliftonville on Saturday, December 13** at 4pm. A book signing and exhibition will follow at 5pm. [**Free tickets**](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/yt41737bl5cp6p3i0s9wtqgmzknohh?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Girl Dinner will be at Sète in Cliftonville on Wednesday, December 10**. Get the girls together for a festive feast, with three courses for **£5 a head**. It’ll be snowballs all round (drinking snowballs is not mandatory). The **Sobar Social will be back at The Shakespeare in Margate on Thursday, December 18** for those who like going out but aren’t looking to get smashed over the festive party season. Or maybe you just need a break from all that. Head down for **all kinds or alcohol-free refreshment from 6.30-8.30pm**. Acoustic music night **Softly Softly returns to Salt in Broadstairs on Sunday, December 14**. Performers include Morag Butler, Rick Jakubowski, Megan Wardroper and Jack Hayter. It’s a nice early one too, with the music starting at 3pm. Note that no under 18s will be allowed in though. **Entry is pay-what-you-can on the door**. The eccentric and thoroughly watchable Jinkx Monsoon (Twice RuPaul winner) plays Judy Garland in **End of the Rainbow**. Written by Peter Quilter the cabaret show is on at **Soho Theatre Walthamstow May 15 to June 21**. [**Sign up for pre-sale**](https://lambertjackson.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (on sale Wednesday December 3). **Windmill Community Gardens** hosts a workshop that will get you through winter’s dark days. The **Winter Herbalism Workshop** will take participants through the herbs used for immunity, warmth, circulation and resilience in winter. Participants will create two herby remedies to take home - Fire Cider and a winter balm. **On** **Saturday, December 6, 1pm-3pm**.[**Tickets £15**](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#focus=ev-sew2-20251206130000). Ramsgate wine bar **Penelope has a busy December**, with an **office party for freelancers and home workers on December 12**, 8pm-11pm. It’s also part of the town’s **Advent Door event on December 17**, when Neptunes Choir carols under the Harbour Street lights 6.30pm-8pm. It’s also **open on Christmas eve** from 2pm-6.30pm, and will be playing Christmas songs, by candlelight. **Our Curated Abode in Ramsgate** teams up with **Margate illustrator Megan Metcalf** for a **cracker-making workshop**. On **Wednesday, December 10** from 7pm to 9pm, participants will craft six crackers to take home. [**Tickets are £45**](https://www.ourcuratedabode.com/workshops/christmas-crackers-with-megan-metcalf?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and include all materials and cracker gifts, as well as some fizz. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (December 1-7) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-december-1-7/ Last updated: 2025-12-01T08:00:48.000Z **Ramsgate turns into an advent calendar, owl life drawing, film discussion, wine for mums, a new members club opens and more. Our pick of events happening around Thanet and beyond this week.** Ramsgate Living Advent Calendar opens its first door at Ramsgate Tandoori on Monday. There’ll be festive fun at a different business or house in the town every day up to Christmas, raising money for Salvation Army Homeless Support. [See the full schedule on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075828586852). Wild Life Drawing will be at Gather& in Ramsgate on Wednesday. The models for the evening will be a group of owls.[ Tickets £35](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/88630/wild-life-drawing-owls/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), including a 10% donation to the Barn Owl Trust. [Wild Life Drawing class in Ramsgate features owls as modelsMore lively than your standard life drawing class, Wild Life Drawing works with models who won’t pose or be still, and are an opportunity to be inspired by the natural world, as founder Jennie Webber explains![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-90.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/MIKE0189_smal-1-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/) The next Keeno film discussion group will take place at Big Shot in Margate on Wednesday. [DM on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/keenofilmclub/?e=4227f2bd-f26d-49ac-95ac-28cb9f72805f&g=5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for more info. Chef at The Sportsman in Seasalter, Stephen Harris will be discussing his new book The Sportsman at Home at the Fort Road Hotel on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-sportsman-at-home-with-stephen-harris-tickets-1865040288709?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wine bar Penelope in Ramsgate hosts Mum Club on Thursday - an afternoon where half the party can cry, gum their food and wet their pants without judgement. Grandparents, dads and carers are also invited. Ramsgate Noise Institute is back for another night of experimental music and sound performances at Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate on Thursday. Free entry. The Wellington pub and dining room (formerly Dukes) on Duke Street in Margate Old Town opens its doors for the first time on Friday. Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard returns to Ramsgate Music Hall for an extended DJ set on Friday. [Joining the waiting list for tickets](https://dice.fm/partner/something-goes-right-ltd/event/mxelml-joe-goddard-all-night-long-5th-dec-ramsgate-music-hall-ramsgate-tickets?dice%5Fid=6517918&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=Something+Goes+Right+LTD&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1522593440509605411&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=Something+Goes+Right+LTD&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1S9KNTAySkwyMTEzNbSvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBABcJjdOOwAAAA%3D%3D). Margate Electronics is back at Margate Arts Club on Friday with performances from Loula Yorke, Microcorps and M2C. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30376/margate-electronics-10-modular?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Screaming Alley’s new members club The Alley Bar in Ramsgate has its opening shows on Friday and Saturday. Comedian Violet Malice takes the opening night. [Tickets £10](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/bread-pudding-with-violet-malice?utm%5Fcampaign=4fb76929-5afc-4dee-8681-0a237d60c09d&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=863d629c-e894-4fe9-bbdd-b1728db5915f). Then it’s drag icon Diane Chorley. [Tickets £20](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/down-the-alley-bar-with-diane-chorley?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This month’s Teenage Book Club takes place at Ramsgate Library on Saturday at 1pm. Aimed at children aged 13-17, come and discuss a different book or graphic novel. Bleak House in Broadstairs will be hosting a Christmas fair on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm. Kids can not only meet Father Christmas and receive a gift but also have a festive train ride. Free Entry. Garden Gate Project is hosting a lovely festive morning on Sunday. Weave foraged wreaths while singing traditional festive folk songs, then warm yourself up with soup, tea and cake while singing more songs around a fire. [Tickets £40](https://bookwhen.com/singing%5Fama/e/ev-sgslk-20251207100000?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs has afternoon tea with Santa on Saturday and Sunday. It’s Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Christmas Movie Spectacular at London’s Prince Edward Theatre on Sunday. [Tickets from £27.50](https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-mayo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Thanet's bid for UK Town of Culture and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-thanets-bid-for-uk-town-of-culture-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-30T08:00:52.000Z **The bid for Thanet's three towns work together to be named UK Town of Culture, a massive LGBTQ+ heritage project, the revival of two Ramsgate venues and more. The latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **The government has launched a** [**competition to find a UK town of culture**](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-town-of-culture-competition-to-shine-a-spotlight-on-the-contribution-of-towns-that-tell-national-story?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to deliver a cultural programme during the summer of 2028\. **MP for East Thanet Polly Billington is encouraging Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs** to stand on each other's shoulders, pull on a trench coat and go for it together. The winning town will receive £3.5 million of funding to deliver their programme. [**Watch Polly’s plea**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DRcwGwNDCRR/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Pride has secured a £123,968 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund** to carry out an 18 month project titled **‘The Heritage Hotline: Thanet’s LGBTQ+ history from the 1960s to 2000s’**. “This intergenerational project will celebrate and invest in the LGBTQ+ community through training, archiving, and research, empowering individuals to shape their own narrative,” they say. [**Find out more**](https://www.margatepride.org.uk/the-heritage-hotline?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet District Council has approved plans** to convert a Grade II listed former language school on Hawley Square in Margate into **a theatre and acting school**. This will return the building to its former use in the late 1800s, when it served as the Sarah Thorne School of Acting - run and named after then manager of the Theatre Royal from 1885 to 1899\. **Once complete, the venue will also house a bar and two flats**. **Ramsgate Space has announced the launch of the Thanet Business Support Programme**. Running from December to March, the series of events aims to provide business across Thanet with practical training, specialist advice and growth opportunities. [**Find out more**](https://www.ramsgatespace.co.uk/thanetbusinesssupport?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Ramsgate Space’s town centre revival plansA town centre revitalisation project has big plans for Ramsgate, aiming to turn its downtrodden high street into a main artery reflective of the town’s best bits![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-92.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/alexis-mette-GcdxQVU5ZV0-unsplash-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-space-its-painful-to-see-the-high-street-of-a-town-you-love-so-much-struggle-to-survive/) **The start of the £750,000 refurbishment of Folkestone’s Lower Leas Coastal Park play area has been delayed**. It was due to begin over the winter and be complete for the summer. **Building cannot begin until the completion of cliff stabilisation works**, being undertaken following a landslide in February last year. This was due to be complete by the end of this year but is now unlikely to begin until early next year. **Ramsgate’s Camden Arms is open again** under the management of landlady Jo Park, reviving it after **more than a year spent empty**. She is organising a schedule of events including quizzes and pilates, and invites other locals to use the pub's large function room. **A ‘friends garden’ is being planted in Ramsgate’s Ellington Park**. Once complete, it will fill a currently unused space next to Ellington Park Community Café with pollinator-friendly flowers and new benches. **The project is a collaboration between Friends of Ellington Park and Thanet District Council**. **Union Yoga on Queen Street in Ramsgate has found a fit for its cafe, which will reopen next week**. The cafe will now be run by couple Lucy and Justin who will plate up simple but nourishing veggie dishes and treats, made in-house. For the cafe’s **December 2 soft launch**, expect a taster of dishes to come and drinks to warm you up. Going forwards, **the cafe will be open Tues-Sun, 9am-5pm** as well as hosting live music evenings and nice stuff like that. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Christmas markets and shopping in Thanet URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/christmas-markets-and-shopping-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2025-12-12T12:02:35.000Z If there's one thing that gets me into the festive spirit quicker than anything else, it's a Christmas market. Nothing beats shopping with a hot cup of mulled wine in one hand and as many mince pies as I can carry in the other. It's much nicer shopping experience than my other preferred option, which is panic buying a load of stuff online at the last minute, unsure if anyone actually wants any of it. Thanet is overflowing with Christmas markets and shopping opportunities in the run up to the big day. As well as getting you in the mood, they also provide the chance to buy locally made items that your friends and family will love. And, hey, why don't buy yourself a few gifts too? You deserve it. You'll have to free up that spare hand by eating all those mince pies though. Get festive and cross all the names off your present list at these... **Pierremont Hall Christmas Market** As well as a wide range of market stalls, this event has live music, dance, food, a licensed bar, bauble decorating, and the chance to meet Santa and Mrs Claus. *Saturday, November 29\. Pierremonth Hall, Pierremont Park, Broadstairs, CT10 1JX* **Margate Old Town Christmas Market** This year round market gets festive as the Christmas season gets underway, with a variety of handmade and vintage gifts. *Saturday, November 29\. Margate Old Town Market Square* **George & Heart Christmas Market** Margate pub the George & Heart will be filling up with stalls selling a range of handmade gifts. There will also be food, mulled wine and music. *Saturday, November 29\. The George & Heart, 44 King Street, Margate CT9 1QE* **Festive Teenage Market** Local young entrepreneurs will be selling crafts, art, jewellery, food and more. There will also be live music. *Saturday, November 29\. The Centre, Margate, CT9 1JG* **Dickens House Festive Weekends** There will be market stalls offering gifts as part of a larger event with dramatic readings of Dickens classic, children’s crafts, museum tours and more. *November 29-30, December 6-7 & 13-14\. Dickens House Museum, 2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS* **Ramsgate Handmade & Vintage Christmas Fair** A makers market with locally produced goods. There will also be live entertainment, children’s activities, Santa’s grotto and more. *Sunday, November 30\. Queen Street, Ramsgate* **A Woven Home** Weavers Beatrice Larkin, Studio Mond and Woven Form are setting up shop at Kavel Rafferty. As well as their textiles, they have a load of friends coming with them, selling art, chocolate, soap and more. *Wednesday, December 3 to Sunday December 7\. Projects Kavel Rafferty, Margate Post Office, 22-23 Cecil Square, Margate, CT9 1BA* **Good Tidings** Good Tidings pops up this year at Ramsay and Williams in Margate Old Town with locally-made gifts and stuff, workshops and events. Oh, and ice cream. *Friday, December 5 to Monday, December 15\. Ramsay and Williams, 6 Market Street, Margate, CT9 1EU* **Megan Metcalf Studio** Megan Metcalf pops up with a Christmas shop on Ramsgate’s Addington Street, with original paintings, prints, table cloths, cards, colouring books, ceramics, decorations and more. *Friday, December 5 to Sunday, December 7\. Margo Shop, 35 Addington Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9JJ* **Nino’s Vintage Pop-Up** Broadstairs acai and wine bar Salt hosts Niamh Flanagan’s Nino’s Vintage Pop-Up for an evening market, running 5.30pm to 9pm. The High Street haunt will be filled with festive vintage niceness with an emphasis on party and festive garb and jewellery. *Saturday, December 6\. Salt, 127 High Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1NG* **Quench Christmas Market** Art gallery Quench will be setting up at Cliftonville Community Centre with alternative gifts from local artists. There will also be music, mulled wine, karaoke and a raffle. *Saturday, December 6\. Cliftonville Community Centre, Margate, CT9 2DB* **Margate WI Christmas Fayre** Margate WI will be taking over Dreamland with stalls from local craft makers, plus you’ll also be able to meet the cast from Robin Hood, the panto playing at St Lawrence College in Ramsgate this December. *Saturday, December 6\. Dreamland, Hall by the Sea Road, Marine Terrace, Margate CT9 1XJ* **Bleak House Christmas Fair** Bleak House in Broadstairs will be hosting a Christmas fair, with various stalls selling gifts. Kids can also meet Father Christmas, receive a gift and also have a festive train ride. There will be live carol performances each day and food from Kebbels too. *Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7\. Bleak House, 2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS* **Brighter Days Market** Always a winner, come and find artisan crafts of many different kinds from a wide variety of local makers, including jewellery, ceramics, decorations and more. *Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7\. Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG* **Margate School of Art Christmas Market** Check out work created by the community of artists working out of the Margate School of Art, offering some unique Christmas gifts. *Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7\. Margate School of Art, 31-33 High Street, CT9 1DX* **Ellington Park Christmas Fayre** Ramsgate’s lovely Ellington Park will have stalls selling crafts and other gifts, Santa’s grotto and live music. The cafe will be serving mulled wine and mince pies. *Sunday, December 7\. Ellington Park, Park Road, Ramsgate, CT11 9TL* **Ramsgate Late Night Shopping** As part of Ramsgate Winter Festival’s Weekend of Wonder, the town's shops will be staying open late and there will be a market stretching from King Street to Queen Street. Get your gifts, follow the light art trail, enter a £50 prize draw and more. *Thursday, December 11\. Throughout central Ramsgate* **MADE by Margate** This pop-up shop is back for another year, selling handmade items from local makers, including ceramics, jewellery, accessories and homeware. Late night shopping every Friday. *Friday, December 12 to Wednesday, December 24\. 151 Northdown Rodd, Margate CT9 2QY* **Clayspace Christmas Market** Always a great one to peruse, find a whole variety of ceramics on offer from makers based in Clayspace. There will also be decorations made by the Kids Clay Club Crew. *Saturday, December 13\. Clayspace, Unit 1, Rear of 60 Ethelbert Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 1SB* **Hoffs Christmas Market** 20 independent makers will be settling up stalls in Hoffs, selling art, ceramics, jewellery, food, gifts and more. There’ll be free mulled wine for those who get there early. *Saturday, December 13\. Hoffs, 18 Marine Drive, Margate, CT9 1DH* **Margate Jeweller's showcase** Ten local jewellery makers will be selling their designs, including Rebecca Gladstone, Smith & Sun, Jayne Fowler and Ami Blastock. *Saturday December 13 and Sunday, December 14\. Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG* **Dogs in Jorts** Curated by vintage clothing collective Dogs in Jorts, this market at Ark in Cliftonville will have paintings, prints, illustrations, crochet, accessories, homeware, handmade soap and more (including vintage clothing, obviously). There's also a delicious looking menu of food and drink. *Sunday, December 14\. Ark, Albion Road, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, CT9 2HP.* **We Sell by the Sea** Grab artwork, homewares, jewellery, clothing and more as you sip mulled wine and the kids get involved with craft activities downstairs at the Cinque Ports pub. Then round it all off with a Sunday roast from Stakehaus upstairs. *Sunday, December 21\. Cinque Ports, 50 Marine Terrace, Margate, CT9* **St Peter's Memorial Hall Christmas Gift, Craft & Food Fair** As well as stalls selling last minute gifts, there will be games, Santa’s grotto and more. *Sunday, December 21\. St Peter's Memorial Hall, High Street, St Peter's, Broadstairs, CT10 2TH* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Paul Foot, The Sportsman, Christmas URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incom/ Last updated: 2025-11-25T08:00:58.000Z **Live comedy in a cinema, the secrets of a a top Kent chef, wine for mums, and a whole load of Christmas events. Fill your diary with these upcoming events in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.** **Chump’s Comedy is stretching out into Broadstairs**, with its first show in the town set to take place at the **Palace Cinema on Wednesday, February 25**. A brilliant venue and an amazing line up too. Paul Foot will headline, following sets from Alexandra Haddow and Andy Field. [**Tickets £15**](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/bbxv9k-paul-foot-alexandra-haddow-andy-field-25th-feb-the-palace-cinema-broadstairs-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-82.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-4.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) Chef at The Sportsman in Seasalter, **Stephen Harris will be discussing his new book The Sportsman at Home at the Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, December 4**. He will be in conversation with Margate-based cook, fermentation expert and writer Thom Eagle. If you’re worried that all the talk of food is going to make you too hungry, there will also be **nibbles inspired by the book** on offer. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-sportsman-at-home-with-stephen-harris-tickets-1865040288709?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Canadian punk band Cancer Bats are coming to the UK in their other guise, Bat Sabbath**. Performing Black Sabbath songs in their own energetic style, they’ll be making a stop in Kent at **The Booking Hall in Dover on Wednesday, July 8** \- the opening night of the tour. [**Tickets £21.50**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2951?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folkestone dive bar **Blackmarket will be taking over swanky Margate restaurant Pomus for one night only on Monday, December 15**. Head down for burgers, wings and beers with a rock n roll soundtrack. [**Book a table**](https://www.pomus.co.uk/bookings.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Like wine? Have kids? **Wine bar Penelope in Ramsgate hosts Mum Club** \- an afternoon where half the party can cry, gum their food and wet their pants without judgement. **On Thursday, December 4, 2pm-4pm**, pull up your buggy or unstrap your papoose and order a large glass, and relax in the knowledge that this sesh is all about the family vibes. **Grandparents, dads and carers are also invited**. **Felicity’s in Broadstairs hosts an indulgent Sip and Paint afternoon** where participants can eat, drink and get creative. Tuck into afternoon tea and prosecco while Kali Wilson guides you through painting your own vase, on **Sunday, December 15, 1pm-4pm.** [**Tickets £40**](https://events.flowersandfelicitys.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#event/2). Continuing their run of two person musicals, **ELZ and Dame Jame turn their attention to pantomime at CAMP on Saturday, December 20**. Mashing up bits of all the classics, from Cinderella to Dick Whittington, with the audience deciding plot twists and making special guest appearances as the story unfolds. **The** [**evening performance**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31161/elz-and-dame-do-panto?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **is adults only, but there will be a** [**family-friendly matinee**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31162/elz-and-dame-jame-do-panto-4-kidz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **too**. **High Tide Social hosts a foraged wreath-making making workshop on Sunday, November 30 and again on Sunday December 14**. All materials will be foraged, and you’re welcome to personalise your wreath with items which you’ve brought in. **Tickets are £20 per person** which includes a mince pie and glass of mulled wine. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/hightidesocialcafe/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete in Ramsgate is having a Christmas party on Saturday, December 20**. The experimental sound and tech museum will be open from 6pm until late, serving mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas music as you’ve never heard it before. **Free entry**. [Interview: This Museum Is (Not) ObsoleteEver had the urge to push a mystery button? Strange Tourist visits This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete, where visitors are invited to do just that. Visitors are encouraged to make music and sound with old tech (whether it was designed to or not) and in the process learn about how it works![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-83.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/sam_battle_landscape_1-5-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/this-museum-is-not-obsolete-i-cant-stand-touchscreens-i-think-the-old-stuffs-more-exciting/) **Children’s bookshop Happy Reading in Broadstairs has author and illustrator events every weekend from the end of November right up to Christmas**. There are readings, workshops and activities on the schedule with Grace Easton, Natelle Quek, Neal Hoskins, Rachel Tilda Wolf, Inky Willis and shop owner Nicci Rosengarten. [**See the full line up**](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **MADE by Margate opens December 11**. The festive pop up **returns to Northdown Road** for yet another Christmas, hocking handmade gifts, ceramics, jewellery, homeware and decorations made by local artists and crafts people. It’s shopping local to the core. **Open through to Christmas, with late night shopping every Friday**. **Bleak House in Broadstairs will be hosting a Christmas fair on December 6-7** from 11am to 6pm. Kids can not only meet Father Christmas and receive a gift but also have a festive train ride. As well as that, there will be live carol performances each day and food from Kebbels. **Free Entry**. **It’s Christmas markets for days in Margate, come December**. Margate Women’s Institute hosts its Christmas Fayre Saturday December 6 at Dreamland (11am-4pm), while over at Turner, Brighter Days pops back up for weekend, December 6-7 (10am-4pm). Handmade at Eclectic is also on December 6, as is Joseph Wales Art & Makers Market (11am-4pm). And this is in addition to the Margate School of Art Market, which we mentioned last week (December 6-7, 11am-4pm). For more Christmas shopping in Margs, **Good Tidings pops up at Ramsay and Williams in the Old Town from December 5**, with locally-made gifts and stuff, workshops and events. Oh, and ice cream. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (November 24-30) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-november-24-30/ Last updated: 2025-11-24T11:00:24.000Z **Our pick of things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and further afield this week, including eating out, stand up comedy, live music, late night shopping, tree walks and more.** Pomus in Margate will be cooking up a Greek feast for one night only on Monday from 5pm. [£39 per person](https://www.pomus.co.uk/bookings.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chump’s Comedy is bringing James Acaster to Margate for a work-in-progress show on Wednesday. [Join the waiting list](https://dice.fm/event/7drv3v-james-acaster-work-in-progress-26th-nov-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Young Knives play Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £21.47](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/mxklmr-young-knives-26th-nov-justines-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Film Festival runs from Wednesday to Sunday, with over 50 events that explore the theme Shifting Time and Place. [See the programme and book](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/2025-programme/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate Film Festival: ‘We want to be a beacon for bold, boundary-pushing cinema’After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-85.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent-7.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) Abstract artist Alice Walton’s new solo exhibition Colour Abstractions is on at Joseph Wales Studio in Cliftonville from Wednesday to Monday. [Find out more](https://www.alicewaltonpaintings.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs is hosting an advent calendar making workshop on Thursday. Independent Broadstairs late night shopping is back with a festive twist on Thursday from 6-8pm. Bottleneck in Broadstairs is hosting a champagne tasting night on Thursday. Tickets £55\. Neoclassical record label Bigo & Twigetti will be holding its annual composer showcase at St Ethelburgas in London on Thursday. [Tickets £20](https://wegottickets.com/sct/wG5SGpCXtx?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Goose Food over in Canterbury is hosting a gingerbread house decorating workshop on Thursday. Tickets are £15\. Email [info@wildgoosefood.com](mailto:info@wildgoosefood.com) or [DM on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/wildgoosefood?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to book. Kent Whisky Explorers is back at Little Swift in Margate on Thursday and Friday, tasting Islay whiskies. Email [kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com](mailto:kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com) to book tickets. Olby’s in Margate Old Town is holding its 25th birthday party on Friday night. Free entry. [Reserve a table](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/elis-soul-supper-olbys-25th-birthday-28th-nov-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedy night Funny Cuts pops up at Margate Beach Club on Friday. Tickets are £5 on the door. Justin Robertson will be discussing his new novel The Trial of Jonah at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Friday at 6.30pm, before heading over to Faith In Strangers for a DJ set. The Mayor of Margate will host a fundraising quiz night at Hartsdown Academy on Friday. [Individual and team tickets available](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/margate-charter-trustees?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Dogshow play Where Else in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £15](https://www.gigantic.com/dogshow-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-12-28-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first performance of the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury’s pantomime is on Friday, with the show running until January 11\. [Tickets £18-70](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs/?utm%5Fcampaign=2953267%5F31.%20SWA7D%20-%20Cast%20Announcement%20-%20Everyone%20else&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=marlowetheatre&dm%5Fi=4A31,1RAR7,8V6XOB,89PG8,1). Nerina Pallot plays an intimate solo piano show at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £20](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/nerina-pallot/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet Urban Forest hosts guided walks around Sunken Gardens in Westbrook on Saturday and St Peter’s Churchyard in Broadstairs on Sunday. [Tickets from £5](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/tree-walks-during-national-tree-week-2025-4774143?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=creatorshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=odclsxcollection&utm-source=cp&aff=escb&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Marine Studios hosts a zine fair on Saturday and Sunday with over a dozen zine makers and small presses will come together to show their work. Free entry. Felix da Housecat DJs at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday.[ Tickets £25.10](https://ra.co/events/2229823?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Margate Ceramics Market returns to Turner Contemporary on Saturday and Sunday. Father Christmas will be holed up at Margate Caves on selected dates from November 29 to December 23\. [Tickets £15.95 per child](https://www.margatecaves.co.uk/christmasatthecaves?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Ramsgate's Discovery Planet receives royal award and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-ramsgates-discovery-planet-receives-royal-award-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-23T08:00:31.000Z **Discovery Planet receives the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, anger at local councils selling off buildings, cafes and pubs change ownership, and which Thanet street has been deemed one of the coolest in the world? The latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Ramsgate’s Discovery Planet**, which runs STEM workshops and events for children, has **received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service**. Equivalent to an MBE, it recognises outstanding examples of work in the voluntary sector. “Each event is a huge group effort, and over the years literally thousands of hours of volunteer time have gone into making our project impactful and joyous,” says the organisation. “This award is for everyone who has been involved over the last decade, in whatever capacity.” [Discovery Planet Ramsgate returns to pop-up STEM eventsXanthe Pitt, a founder of Ramsgate’s Discovery Planet, reflects on over a decade of galactic pondering, spacecraft shields and debunking trickle down economics![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-81.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DiscoveryPlanet_May2022-12-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-stem-outfit-closes-high-street-doors-but-its-not-goodbye/) **Thanet District Council has announced plans to sell the old service depot in Pierremont Park**, Broadstairs on the open market. Local group Friends of Pierremont Park has launched **a petition calling on the council to reverse the decision**, instead ensuring that it is used only for purposes that benefit the community. “It can only be accessed via a path through part of the park itself, and any commercial development is likely to damage the park environment and lead to a loss of trees and shrubs,” says the group. [**Find out more and sign**](https://www.change.org/p/urge-thanet-district-council-to-halt-sale-of-pierremont-park-depot?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Meanwhile, **TDC has delayed a decision on the construction of a cafe and community centre at Walpole Bay in Margate**. At a meeting on Wednesday, councillors voted against approving the development due to concerns including **loss of parking spaces, impact on wildlife, and the viability of the busines**s. Chair of the committee Councillor Helen Crittenden said that she was “not convinced yet of the problems this development is intended to solve.” **Instead, councillors voted to visit the proposed site on December 5 before making a final decision**. **Kent County Council has put Broadstairs Memorial Hall, which is home to the Sarah Thorne Theatre, up for sale**. The building is due to go to auction next month with a guide price of £350,000\. The move **comes a month after the theatre signed a new five year lease**, and as it emerged that [KCC has increased overspending by almost £20 million](https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/kent-council-report-46-5m-overspend-following-reform-takeover-400497/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in the six months since Reform took control. The planned sale has **met with opposition** from the theatre and Broadstairs & St Peter’s Town Council. [**See details of the auction**](https://www.cliveemson.co.uk/properties/262/76/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Got a little designer in your house looking for their next project? **Mayor of Margate Katie Pope is holding a competition to design her Christmas and New Year’s cards** this year. The competition is open to all children living or attending school in Margate. They can design cards based on the themes ‘Margate at Christmas’ and ‘Welcoming the New Year’. **The winning designs will feature on the Mayor’s official cards, and they will receive a signed copy of their design and a book token**. The deadline is Sunday, November 30\. [**Submit your entries**](https://tally.so/r/Xxl7zO?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Cafe G in Margate Old Town is set to close after 21 years** at the end of 2025\. Owner Daniel Goldman says he wants to spend more time with his family, but will continue to work as a hospitality consultant. Set to close on New Year’s Eve, the building won’t be sitting empty for long. **An expanding local business has already agreed to take it over in the new year**. **Margate’s Mulberry Tree pub is under new management**. It has been taken over by Jonathon Wood - who is also landlord of the Northern Bell in the Old Town - and his nephew Aaron Apps. **Their first day of trading was Friday**. **Ramsgate Thrift Store is moving**. The shop is set to open up in its new home, a short walk down the High Street in the **former HSBC bank building on the corner of King Street**. Double the size of its existing store, it is expected to open before Christmas. **The current location at 76 High Street is now up for rent**. **Lukes Guitars in Ramsgate is set to be converted into a three bed home**. The shop was owned for many years by former Animals drummer Barrie Jenkins, but shut down after his death in 2024\. **Thanet District Council has now approved planning permission to turn it into a residential propert**y, removing the shop front entirely. **Northdown Road in Cliftonville is OFFICIALLY the 31st coolest street in the world**. According to Time Out, at least. It’s also at the bottom of the magazine’s list. Not sure if we should be offended because the Thanet strip came last or because 31st feels like a consolation prize. Whatever, the NDR’s slightly less cool than Boulevard Pasteur in Tangier and we have to just accept that. [The 31 coolest streets in the world in 2025Food, fun, culture and community – these streets have it all![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/favicon-48.png)Time Out WorldwideLívia Breves![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/image.jpg)](https://www.timeout.com/travel/coolest-streets-in-the-world-2025?kf&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### What a hoot! Ramsgate illustrator features owls and wolves in life drawing class URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/what-a-hoot-ramsgate-illustrator-features-owls-and-wolves-in-life-drawing-class/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:05:24.000Z Trying to draw a model who is taking a poo on your artwork is not part of the average life drawing class vocab and totally unacceptable in any other circumstance, yet in Wild Life Drawing, I suppose it’s part of the fun. Founded in 2014, Wild Life Drawing - life drawing classes, but with animals - popped up on Thanet shores this year, after founder Jennie Webber moved to Ramsgate. The illustrator and artist has a keen fascination with the natural world, having taken up an artist residency in the Amazon rainforest and exhibiting at the Natural History Museum, and this appreciation for nature informs her life drawing sessions. Held both online and in-person and working with animal charities and rescue shelters, these all-abilities classes are interactive and informative as well as creative, with participants drawing a range of animals, from snakes to sloths. Ahead of an owl drawing workshop in Ramsgate, Jenny explains why the illustration you take home is only half of the experience. ![Baby wolves](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/unnamed-1.png) WLD models have ranged from wolves to sloths. *Photo: WLD* ### **How did you come up with the idea for the classes?** I moved to London whilst doing my masters and was looking for drawing classes like these! I spent a lot of my degree drawing from preserved specimens and taxidermy, and I realised I was craving to see these animals in real life, displaying their natural behaviours and colours. Fast forward a few years and I’d had a bit of experience in events, I came up with the name (it’s meant to be a pun!) and I just gave it a go - and never looked back. ### **Why animals, and which ones have been ‘models’ over the years?** I personally find animals more interesting to draw than people - the variety, the feathers, the textures! In the last 11 years we’ve drawn everything from wolves to water dragons, sloths to sharks, greyhounds to goats.The natural world provides endless inspiration to me. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### **How do you decide on which animal to use in the workshops?** Animal welfare is our number one priority, and for our in-person classes we only draw animals that are happy and comfortable around people and in different environments. I have built up a small selection of animal charities, rescue centres and organisations that always put their animals first and we work together to ensure a respectful and calm environment at the classes, with plenty of snacks and enrichment to make sure the animals enjoy their time as much as we do. Our online program allows us to draw animals that we could never here in the UK, and it’s amazing to connect with sanctuaries around the world and observe animals in their natural habitat, like the orphan baby sloths in Costa Rica or the rescued elephants in Laos. ![A baby chimpanzee](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/unnamed--3--1.png) Online WLD classes enables participants to draw animals not found in the UK. **Photo: WLD* ### **Have you had any badly behaved models?** Well, there’s always a bit of poo and wee at a Wild Life Drawing class. We had quite a memorable moment where a snake pooed all over someone’s drawing! It was quite something. ### **How do the workshops support animal conservation?** Each and every ticket we sell includes a proportion donated to one of our partner animal charities, and we like to support smaller organisations where donations really make a difference. To date, we’ve raised over £93,000 for conservation which is incredible. In addition to the financial contribution, the classes are a great way to share information about responsible pet ownership and animal welfare. Plus we communicate other ways people can get involved to help, like by signing petitions or making your garden wildlife friendly. ### **What do you hope participants take away from the experience, other than their own drawings?** A deep connection and real compassion for the animals, through spending time with them, studying them closely and learning about them from the experts. People only help to conserve animals they care about, and that care comes from experience and education. ![A chameleon in a drawing class](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/JW-reptiles-22.jpg) Workshops support animal conservation efforts. **Photo: WLD* ### **Is Wild Life Drawing open to all abilities?** Absolutely, I believe everyone is an artist. The classes are all about process over product and we want to encourage as many people to feel that drawing is open to them as possible. ### **Do you approach drawing an animal differently to drawing a human?** Obviously you can’t ask animals to pose for you (well, you can ask but they won’t!) so we have to change our drawing technique to get the most out of our time with them. Drawing quickly and with confidence (even if you don’t feel it) is essential, but I promise that the more you draw the better you’ll get. Splitting the animal into a series of simple shapes that you can use to “build” the animal on the page is helpful, as is thinking about their anatomy. Also, patience is key! ### **What’s been your favourite animal to draw and why?** I can’t really pick favourites - I love them all. But if pushed, I might have to say owls as they have bags of charisma and personality. ![People in a drawing class sit drawing a live owl while a tutor looks on](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/MIKE0172_sml-1-1.jpg) Fancy a closer look at this magnificent creature? **Photo: WLD* ### **How do you draw a good owl?** Owls are a great animal to begin with because they’re so relaxed, they often fall asleep on the perch! Getting a good drawing is all about good observation. Trusting your eyes is important, drawing what you actually see - as opposed to what you *think* owls look like. Also, try not to draw your owl with a neck, that makes them look like a penguin! ### **Wild Life Drawing isn’t a straight forward life drawing class. What can people expect?** A fun, friendly and calm atmosphere with relaxed and happy animals. An expert tutor with plenty of tips, demos, drawing exercises and plenty of enthusiasm. An animal expert or charity representative sharing lots of facts and information about the animals. *Wild Life Drawing take place in-person and online. The next Thanet class is on Wednesday, December 3 where participants will try their hand at drawing owls. Held at Gather &, the class runs from 7pm-9pm and* [*tickets*](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/88630/wild-life-drawing-owls/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *are £35\. For more information, visit* [*wildlifedrawing.co.uk*](https://www.wildlifedrawing.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### In Pictures: Bridget Riley's Learning to See at Turner Contemporary URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-bridget-rileys-learning-to-see-at-turner-contemporary/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T22:24:04.000Z This week, Margate's Turner Contemporary opens a major new exhibition of work by Bridget Riley exhibition. Conceived in close collaboration with the abstract artist, Learning to See explores Riley’s connection to the natural world in her work and ongoing study of the sensory experience of sight. Rather than making it a chronological retrospective, paintings created throughout her 60 year career sit side by side, allowing visitors to really see how themes and ideas in her work have persisted and developed in that time. In some cases, Riley has started and returned to paintings decades apart. Sometimes, when people see Riley’s work for the first time, they can find it too rigid and tightly structured. This exhibition reveals a playfulness and experimental spirit that perhaps is not always obvious. Through masterful use of colours and shapes, paintings seem to move and change depending on where you stand. One in particular - Streak 3, 1980 - did such strange things to my vision with its mass of pulsating lines that it started to feel like I wasn’t looking at a real object at all. Accompanying the exhibition, the Clore Learning Studio has been converted into a drawing studio for the next year - running beyond the exhibition itself - where classes will be offered to children and adults. The exhibition opens on Saturday, November 22, with various special events from 5-7pm - including a chance to see the drawing studio and take part in a class with artist Geoffrey Chambers, plus a DJ set from Coco Cole downstairs in the Sunley Gallery, where there will be a full bar serving drinks. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5664.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5667--1-.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5661.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5668.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5659.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5665.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5663.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5670.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_5682.jpeg) Bridget Riley: Learning to See at Turner Contemporary. **Photos: Strange Tourist* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Screaming Alley, National Tree Week, Olby's 25th birthday URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-screaming-alley-national-tree-week-olbys-25th-birthday/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T08:00:17.000Z **A new cabaret club for Ramsgate, guided tree walks, Olby's 25th birthday and more upcoming events in Thanet and beyond. Get your diary filled!** **Screaming Alley has announced the opening weekend programme for its new members club The Alley Bar in Ramsgate**. Comedian **Violet Malice** will perform her show Hard Feelings on **Friday, December 5**. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/bread-pudding-with-violet-malice?utm%5Fcampaign=4fb76929-5afc-4dee-8681-0a237d60c09d&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=863d629c-e894-4fe9-bbdd-b1728db5915f). Then on **Saturday, December 6**, drag icon **Diane Chorley** will hit the stage to assess the new venue. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/down-the-alley-bar-with-diane-chorley?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **National Tree Week begins next Saturday and runs until Sunday**, November 30\. As you may have noticed, that’s slightly more than a week. Trees will not be contained to seven days! **Thanet Urban Forest will be hosting guided walks to get you out among the trees of the district**. Tivoli Park on November 22, Montefiore Woodlands on November 23, Sunken Gardens on November 29 and St Peter’s Churchyard on November 30\. [**Tickets from £5**](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/tree-walks-during-national-tree-week-2025-4774143?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=creatorshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=odclsxcollection&utm-source=cp&aff=escb&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Olby’s in Margate Old Town is turning 25 years old!** To mark the occasion, on **Friday, November 28** the venue is holding a party. **Owner Eli Thompson will be serving up a special edition of his Eli’s Soul Supper night** and there will be Caribbean-inspired food on the menu too. Free entry. [**Reserve a table**](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/elis-soul-supper-olbys-25th-birthday-28th-nov-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Eccentric one-man band Ichi will play Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday, May 28**. With an array of homemade instruments and everyday objects, he makes music that has turned the likes of David Byrne, Steve Lamacq and Lauren Laverne into fans. [**Tickets £17.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/itchi/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Do you like ramen? We love ramen. And now **every Sunday until Christmas it’s Ramen Sunday at The Blue Pelican in Deal**. Makes a change from a roast, eh? There are three options - one vegetarian and two meat. [**Book a table**](https://www.thebluepelican.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Seed Talks returns to Canterbury Christ Church University on Thursday, December 11** with **Folklore & Women: The Power of Folklore in Reclaiming Female Stories**. University of Oxford professor Diane Purkiss will discuss how folklore has shaped how we view ourselves and homes, and explore the power of folklore, its symbols and role in today’s society. [**Tickets £16**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/folklore-women-the-power-of-folklore-in-reclaiming-female-stories-tickets-1782090664149?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&keep%5Ftld=1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Abstract artist Alice Walton’s new solo exhibition Colour Abstractions is on at Joseph Wales Studio in Cliftonville from November 26 to December 1**. Her fifth exhibition in Kent, she will be showing new works inspired by the sea, sky and changing light of natural landscapes. [**Find out more**](https://www.alicewaltonpaintings.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Keeno film discussion group will take place at Big Shot in Margate on Wednesday, December 3**. Following a general talk about cinema at the first edition this month, the next conversation will turn to 1952 movie The White Reindeer and 1976’s A Dream Longer Than The Night. [**DM on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/keenofilmclub/?e=4227f2bd-f26d-49ac-95ac-28cb9f72805f&g=5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to get links to watch the films and accompanying texts ahead of the meeting**. Big news (if you’re me, at least), the **All Points East and Outbreak festivals are teaming up to put on Deftones’ biggest ever UK show in Hackney’s Victoria Park next summer**. The show will be on **Sunday, August 23** and support acts include Idles, Amyl and the Sniffers, Jpegmafia and more. Incredible. [**Tickets from £64.95**](https://www.allpointseastfestival.com/events/outbreak-fest-sun-23-aug/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want to test your limits? **Pomus in Margate’s The Centre is offering bottomless steaks and chips on Monday, December 8 for £29 a pop**. Fill your boots(/stomach) with steak, frites, homemade bread and salad for an hour, while quaffing red wine specials. [**Booking essential**](https://www.pomus.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Wild Goose Food over in Canterbury is hosting a gingerbread house decorating workshop**, in partnership with Little Sugar on **November 27 and December 4**. Tickets are **£15** and include either a hot chocolate or mulled wine, as well as your gingerbread castle, which you can eat or smash with your head. **Email** [**info@wildgoosefood.com**](mailto:info@wildgoosefood.com) **or** [**DM on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/wildgoosefood?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to book**. **Work-in-progress exhibition OBLIOX Loading opens at Salon in Margate, December 12-17**. Alongside the exhibition which features 3D works, a pop-up will sell prints and clothing among other goodies. Hosted by Sham Shakil, **comedy night Funny Cuts pops up at Margate Beach Club on Friday, November 28**, with doors at 7pm. **Tickets are £5 on the door**. Dress your house up for Christmas with a door wreath you made yourself at **George and Heart’s wreath making workshop**, led by florist The Flower Picker, on **Wednesday, December 3\.** [**Tickets are £50**](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/wreath-making-masterclass-with-the-flower-picker?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and include all the materials. **Garden Gate Project is hosting a lovely festive morning on Sunday, December 7**, 10am to 1.30pm. Weave foraged wreaths while singing traditional festive folk songs, then warm yourself up with soup, tea and cake while singing more songs around a fire. [**Tickets £40**](https://bookwhen.com/singing%5Fama/e/ev-sgslk-20251207100000?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Margate School of Art puts on its Christmas Market, Saturday and Sunday, December 6-7** from 11am-5pm. Head to 31-33 High Street for handmade gifts, clothes, art, cards and a cafe to fuel you with coffee. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Family-friendly Christmas events: Pantomimes, illuminations, Santa's grotto URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/family-friendly-christmas-events-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:10:11.000Z In all likelihood, your children have been asking about Christmas since some time around mid-July. Well, finally you can direct that energy at something as we actually head into the festive season. Thanet always delivers when it comes to putting on events for children, whether it's meeting Santa himself, pantomimes of Christmas light shows. There's so much to do, and these events will get you in the mood as much as them. We'll be updating this list over the coming weeks, so make sure to check back for even more things to do. **Festive films at High Tide Social** High Tide Social play cafe is putting up a big screen and showing festive movies every Friday in the lead up to Christmas. The programme is Home Alone (Nov 28), The Grinch (Dec 5), Elf (Dec 12) and Polar Express (Dec 19\. They'll also be serving up popcorn, nachos, hotdogs and smash burgers and there will be a happy hour on drinks. *Friday, November 28 to Friday, December 19\. High Tide Social, 235 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2PJ. £4 per family.* **Santa’s Science Sleuthing** Discovery Planet will be taking over Ramsgate Space to get kids involved in a range of festive science experiments. Help get Santa back on track after the Christmas gonks caused chaos by breaking his sleigh ramp, smashing up his snowmen, upsetting Rudolph and toppling the Christmas tree! *Sunday, November 29 from midday and 4.30pm. Ramsgate Space, 17 Albert Court, Ramsgate, CT11 9DN. Free entry.* **Christmas at the Caves** Santa Claus will be holed up at Margate Caves in the run up to Christmas. This year’s grotto has a Peter Pan theme, with the caves dressed up with classic scenes from the story. Follow the trail to find Santa and receive your early Christmas gift. *Saturday, November 29 to Tuesday, December 23\. Margate Caves, 1 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 1FG.* [*Tickets £15.95 per child*](https://www.margatecaves.co.uk/christmasatthecaves?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Happy Reading Bookshop** Children’s bookshop Happy Reading in Broadstairs has author and illustrator events every weekend from the end of November right up to Christmas. There are readings, workshops and activities on the schedule with Grace Easton, Natelle Quek, Neal Hoskins, Rachel Tilda Wolf, Inky Willis and shop owner Nicci Rosengarten. *Sunday, November 30 to Sunday, December 21\. Happy Reading Bookshop, 30A Reading St, Broadstairs, CT10 3AZ.* [*See the full line up*](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Ramsgate Winter Festival** Running from November 30 through to the end of January, Ramsgate Winter Festival features illuminations, a light art trail, workshops, music, family events and much more. There’s a huge schedule of events to brighten up the darker months of winter. *Sunday, November 30 to Monday, January 26\. Various venues in Ramsgate.*[ *See the full programme*](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Ramsgate Living Advent Calendar** Ramsgate Living Advent Calendar opens its first door at Ramsgate Tandoori on Monday. There’ll be festive fun at a different business or house in the town every day up to Christmas, raising money for Salvation Army Homeless Support. It finishes at the legendary Rubber Chicken House on Kent Place on Christmas Eve. *Monday, December 1 to Wednesday, December 24\. Various venues in Ramsgate.* [*Full schedule*](https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=851052500765695&set=pcb.851054137432198)*.* **Bleak House Christmas Fair** Bleak House in Broadstairs will be hosting a Christmas fair. Kids cannot only meet Father Christmas and receive a gift but also have a festive train ride. As well as that, there will be live carol performances each day and food from Kebbels. *Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 from 11am to 6pm. Bleak House, 2 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, CT10 1QS. Free Entry.* **Aladdin** The Granville in Ramsgate is putting on Aladdin as its pantomime this year. Get on board the magic carpet as Aladdin attempts to win Princess Jasmine’s heart with the aid of his genie friend. *Saturday, December 13 to Wednesday, December 24\. The Granville Theatre, Victoria Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 8DG.* [*Tickets from £26.95*](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/aladdin-a-family-pantomime?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Dick Whittington** Over in Broadstairs at the Sarah Thorne Theatre, this year’s pantomime is Dick Whittington. Will Dick and his cat make it to London? Only if you go and let him know when there’s someone behind him. *Saturday, December 13 to Saturday, January 10\. Sarah Thorne Theatre, Fordoun Road, Broadstairs, CT10 2BN.* [*Tickets from £23*](https://www.sarahthornetheatre.co.uk/book?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Breakfast with Santa** Start your day with Santa at The Pavilion in Broadstairs. As you eat a full English breakfast, the man himself will join you at your table, take photos and lead children in party games. *Saturday, December 14\. The Pavilion, Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1EU. £15 per person. Call 01846 500295 to book.* **ELZ & Dame Jame Do… Panto 4 Kidz** Continuing their run of two person musicals, ELZ and Dame Jame turn their attention to pantomime with two performances at CAMP. Mashing up bits of all the classics, from Cinderella to Dick Whittington, with the audience deciding plot twists and making special guest appearances as the story unfolds. There will be an [adults-only evening performance](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31161/elz-and-dame-do-panto?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Saturday, December 20\. CAMP, 125 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2QY.* [*Tickets £7*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31162/elz-and-dame-jame-do-panto-4-kidz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **It’s a Wonderful Life** What would the festive season be without this perennial classic? Continuing the Palace cinema's traditional December screenings of the film, this year they'll be showing a beautifully restored copy. *Saturday, December 20; Sunday, December 21; and Tuesday, December 23\. Palace Cinema, Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1ET.* [*Tickets from £4*](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/its-a-wonderful-life-3/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Jingle Bell Rocks!** Brigitte Aphrodite, QuietBoy and Liv Morris will be performing punked up versions of classic Christmas songs in this family-friendly show at ARK. *Saturday, December 20 to Tuesday, December 23\. ARK, Albion Road, Margate, CT9 2HP.* [*Tickets £7.50*](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/1936882?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Elf, Home Alone and The Grinch** The Carlton cinema in Westgate will be showing family-friendly Christmas movies all day on Christmas Eve. Take your pick of Elf, Home Alone and The Grinch, or settle in for a festive movie marathon. *Wednesday, December 24\. Carlton Cinema, 29 St Mildreds Road, Westgate-On-Sea, CT8 8RE.* [*Tickets £3.50*](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/whatson/all?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Christmas nights out: Parties, comedy, theatre, live music URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/christmas-nights-out-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2025-12-11T21:36:06.000Z The Christmas party season is here, always an excuse to go big and silly. Thanet is as ever laying on a wide variety of events to get you in the festive mood. Whether you're on the look out for sophisticated wine tasting or a raucous adult panto, we've got you covered. There's also live music, theatre, comedy and loads more. We'll be updating this with more events as they're announced, so be sure to check back to fill any gaps in your calendar. **Ramsgate Winter Festival** Running from November 30 through to the end of January, Ramsgate Winter Festival features illuminations, a light art trail, workshops, music, family events and much more. There’s a huge schedule of events to brighten up the darker months of winter. *Sunday, November 30 to Monday, January 26\. Various venues in Ramsgate.* [*See the full programme*](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* [Ramsgate Winter Festival lights up the darker monthsRamsgate Winter Festival returns later this month with a two month programme of events to bring joy and a sense of community to the darker months![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-75.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/PXL_20241216_175330756.NIGHT-2-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-winter-festival-lights-up-the-darker-months/) **Adam Riches as Sean Bean in The 12 Beans Of Christmas** What is more Christmassy than a man in full medieval dress pretending to be Sean Bean? Find out when comedian Adam Riches welcomes you to Where Else for a night of jokes and festive games. *Thursday, December 4\. Where Else, 21-22 The Centre, Margate, CT9 1RL.* [*Tickets £16.54*](https://dice.fm/event/dkx53q-adam-riches-as-sean-bean-in-the-12-beans-of-christmas-4th-dec-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Girl Dinner** Sète in Cliftonville is hosting Girl Dinner, a festive three course feast with a women-only entry policy. Get the girls together for a night out with great food and £5 snowballs all night (other drinks are available). *Wednesday, December 10\. Sète, 238 Northdown Road, Margate, CT9 2QD.* [*£35 per person*](https://www.setemargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Letters You’ll Never Send** Confessional theatre show Letters You’ll Never Send will be putting anonymous messages with a festive twist on stage at a special Christmas edition of the show. Got a bone to pick with Santa? A festival confession you could never tell? You can [submit letters](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnL3KVLFJLRzeoJ1zf%5FViOa8LbmNUBacWI5otcn5FAqLXHiw/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to be performed on stage now. *Thursday, December 11\. Tom Thumb Theatre, 2A Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2LB.* [*Tickets £12*](https://billetto.co.uk/e/letters-i-ll-never-send-christmas-edition-tickets-1690765?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* [A jukebox of confessions: Letters You’ll Never Send brings anonymous confessions to the stageHave you got something you’ve always wanted to say to someone but don’t dare? Katie McGarry’s show Letters You’ll Never Send takes your deepest secrets and puts them on stage![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-76.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/KatieMcGarry383copy-1-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/a-jukebox-of-confessions-letters-youll-never-send-brings-anonymous-confessions-to-the-stage/) **Chumpsmas** Chump’s Comedy have announced their annual Chumpsmas show. This year they’re ramping things up a level. Taking place at Dreamland, the line up is Stewart Lee, Michelle de Swarte, Harriet Kemsley and Lou Sanders. Christopher Hall will MC the night. *Thursday, December 11\. Dreamland, Hall by the Sea Road, Marine Terrace, Margate CT9 1XJ.* [*Tickets £32.80*](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/8enyp5-chumpsmas-ed-gamble-and-friends-11th-dec-dreamland-hall-by-the-sea-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Crabsmas** Punk band Crabs have announced their annual festival Crabsmas show at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville. Also on the bill are Los Coyote Men and Harmony Bo. This always sells out early, so don’t hang about. *Friday, December 12\. Tom Thumb Theatre, 2A Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2LB.* [*Tickets £12*](https://billetto.co.uk/e/crabsmas-tickets-1279213?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Night for Weird Folk** The festive edition of Bower Street Morris's Night for Weird Folk returns to Margate Arts Club. There will be a traditional Kentish hooding play, singing, morris dancing, tarot reading, a ceilidh and a costume competition. if you miss this, Bower Street Morris will also be doing 'wooly jumper' dances at pubs around Margate from about 1pm on Saturday, December 20, finishing with carol singing at the Shakespeare pub. *Friday, December 12\. Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2PT.* [*Tickets £8*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30841/a-night-for-weird-folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **The Non Office Party** Ramsgate wine bar Penelope is hosting an office party for freelancers and home workers. Just remember it's not Zoom and you can't mute yourself. DJ TBX will be handling the music. *Friday, December 12\. Penelope, 30 Harbour Street, Ramsgate, CT11 8HA. Free entry.* **Softly Softly** Acoustic music night Softly Softly returns to Salt in Broadstairs for a special festive edition. Performers include Morag Butler, Rick Jakubowski, Megan Wardroper and Jack Hayter. It’s a nice early one too, with the music starting at 3pm. Note that no under 18s will be allowed in though. *Sunday, December 14\. Salt, 127 High Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1NG. Pay-what-you-can on the door.* **ELZ’s Christmas Office Party** It's been a long time since I went to an office Christmas party. Like an increasing number of us, I don’t have an office to party in. To address this issue, ELZ is organising an office party for the office-less at Olby’s in Margate. There will be DJs, karaoke, a photobooth and (don’t ask me what this means) a “photocopy machine contest”. Turn up early and you can also have Christmas dinner. *Friday, December 12\. Olby's, 3-5 King Street, Margate, CT9 1DD.* [*Tickets from £6*](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/elzs-xmas-party-12th-december-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Good Good Film Club** Good Good Film Club is screening a Christmas classic movie this month. Which one? You won’t know until you get there. Fun! The only clues are that it’s a contemporary American comedy drama and contains some bad language and “a lot of smoking.” There will also be a screening of short comedy films and you can pre-order Casa pizza to have while you watch the main feature. *Wednesday, December 17\. Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 2PT.* [*Tickets £15 with pizza / £5 without*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/32029/good-good-film-club-3?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Sobar Social** The Sobar Social will be at The Shakespeare for those who like going out but aren’t looking to get smashed over the festive party season. Or maybe you just need a break from all that. Head down for all kinds or alcohol-free refreshment. *Thursday, December 18, 6.30-8.30pm. The Shakespeare, 1 Canterbury Road, Margate, CT9 5AQ.* **Carols by Candlelight** The Institute Collective choir will be singing carols by candlelight at Margate’s Fort Road Hotel bar. The choir have previously been heard on the soundtracks of shows like Silent Witness and True Detective. For this one-off performance, they’ll be serving up a setlist of contemporary choral reimaginings of Christmas classics and carols. *Thursday, December 18\. 18 Fort Road, Margate, CT9 1HF.* [*Tickets £14*](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/carols-by-candlelight-at-fort-road-hotel-tickets-1976452266935?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **This Museum is (Not) Obsolete** This Museum is (Not) Obsolete in Ramsgate is having a Christmas party on Saturday, December 20\. The experimental sound and tech museum will be open from 6pm until late, serving mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas music as you’ve never heard it before. *Saturday, December 20\. This Museum is (Not) Obsolete, 5-7 Church Hill, Ramsgate, CT11 8RA. Free entry.* **Pat Riarchy’s Seasonal Sac** Thanet drag legend Pat Riarchy takes over the new Alley Bar in Ramsgate for a special Christmas show. Pat wants to know if you’ve been naughty or nice this year and may insist that you sit on his lap as you answer. The venue promises that the show will be “loud, irreverent and rude.” *Saturday, December 20\. The Alley Bar, Salt House, 12 Queen Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9DR.* [*Tickets £10*](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/pat-riarchys-seasonal-sac?utm%5Fcampaign=7dce5612-7e2e-463a-a2e5-8fa3f38ae4f0&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=7ea34e51-fead-4d95-bb3f-334596aa6ac6)*.* [Screaming Alley open new bar and cabaret theatre in RamsgateIn the basement of an inclusive barber shop, Ramsgate cabaret company Screaming Alley’s new members bar looks set to become more than just a good night out![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-99.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Mercury-Rizing--Screaming-Alley--c--Andrew-Hastings-.jpg.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/screaming-alleys-new-members-bar-in-ramsgate/) **Christmas Assembly** Acoustic music night Assembly is putting on a special Christmas edition at The Wellington in Margate Old Town. Different from the usual event, there will be carols performed by a choir and a singalong of festive classics led by Charlie Hannah and Meg Bird. You can win big in the charity raffle and stuff your face with mince pies too. *Sunday, December 14\. The Wellington, 1 Duke Street, Margate CT9 1EP.* [*Tickets £16.69*](https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/xekqqe-christmas-assembly-14th-dec-venue-tba-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **The Twelve Wines of Christmas** Unsure about what wine to put on the table this Christmas? Bottleneck in Broadstairs is hosting a Twelve Wines of Christmas tasting. Covering white, red, sparkling and dessert wine, you’ll taste seven wines and be introduced to another five. There’ll be cheese and charcuterie too. *Tuesday, December 16\. Bottleneck, 7-9 Charlotte St, Broadstairs, CT10 1LR.* [*Places £55*](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/12-wines-of-christmas-tasting-20-11?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **ELZ & Dame Jame Do… Panto** Continuing their run of two person musicals, ELZ and Dame Jame turn their attention to pantomime with two performances at CAMP. Mashing up bits of all the classics, from Cinderella to Dick Whittington, with the audience deciding plot twists and making special guest appearances as the story unfolds. There will be a [family-friendly matinee](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31162/elz-and-dame-jame-do-panto-4-kidz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) too. *Saturday, December 20\. CAMP, 125 Northdown Road, Margate CT9 2QY.* [](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31162/elz-and-dame-jame-do-panto-4-kidz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)[*Tickets £8-12*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/31161/elz-and-dame-do-panto?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **It’s a Wonderful Life** What would the festive season be without this perennial classic? Continuing the Palace cinema's traditional December screenings of the film, this year they'll be showing a beautifully restored copy. *Saturday, December 20; Sunday, December 21; and Tuesday, December 23\. Palace Cinema, Harbour Street, Broadstairs, CT10 1ET.* [*Tickets £9*](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/its-a-wonderful-life-3/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Boxing Day Bubbles** Keep the festivities going with Little Swift in Margate's now traditional Boxing Day Bubbles event. The bar will be cracking open bottles of champagne from midday to 10pm. Detour from a beach walk for a quick glass or settle in for the evening. Non-champagne drinks also available. *Friday, December 26\. Little Swift, 7-8 Marine Drive, Margate CT9 1DH. Email* [*hello@littleswift.co.uk*](mailto:hello@littleswift.co.uk) *to book a table.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (November 17-23) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-november-17-23/ Last updated: 2025-11-17T11:18:43.000Z **A whole load of wine tasting events, film clubs, food, live music and more. Here's the best of what's happening in Thanet and beyond this week.** Baby sibling of the LOW wine festival, LOW Crawl will take place this week, starting at The Shakespeare on Monday and finishing at Sète on Friday with 15 venues in total offering wine samples. [Ticket £15](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/angelasofmargate/1895686?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Bottleneck in Broadstairs hosts a Portuguese wine tasting on Tuesday. [Tickets £55](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/portugal-wine-tasting-18-11?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first Kino Karabiner - a new film club focussed on elevating women’s stories - runs on Tuesday at Fort Road Hotel, screening the documentary Women and the Wind. [Free tickets](https://kinema.com/events/Women-and-the-Wind-fxrlfu/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Crafting is fun. Crafting with booze is better. Margate Off Licence hosting Puppets and Pints on Wednesday, 6.30pm-9pm. For grown ups only, the session is “part workshop, part night out”. Materials are provided and [tickets are £10](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/puppets-pints-tickets-1963163366476?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnpUUH6ab-ysqLmJEAz7OWR8L%5F9LjvtXGnmbtodxVGm7r625Hjg7pgNSzRywI%5Faem%5Fb-bisArOYsgy8q24dGBVuw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Open Mic Poetry Night is back at 101 Social on Wednesday. Text Wordzy on 07875566950 if you want to perform. Mozart Estate - led by Lawrence of Felt and Go Kart Mozart fame - play Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday. [Tickets £20](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/mozart-estate-2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stakehaus takes over the kitchen at Cinque Ports on Thursday. As well as steak on the menu, ELZ will be hosting karaoke on the opening night. Bottleneck in Broadstairs hosts a Twelve Wines of Christmas tasting on Thursday, helping you to work out what to put on the table on December 25\. [Places £55](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/12-wines-of-christmas-tasting-20-11?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Lowlife in Cliftonville hosts a cat drawing session on Thursday from 5pm. It’s all ages, all skill levels and free. Bleak House in Broadstairs will be hosting A Ghostly Evening on Friday - a night of ghostly tales and music from pianist and modern mystic Thomas Wood. [Tickets £20](https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/94483?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Lambrini Girls play Dreamland’s Roller Room on Friday. [Tickets £15](https://www.gigantic.com/lambrini-girls-tickets/kent-dreamland-roller-rooms/2025-11-21-18-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also at Dreamland on Friday, Drowning Pool and Spineshank are playing a co-headline show in the Hall by the Sea, supported by (hed) pe. [Tickets £31.25](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/drowning-pool-spineshank/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Tunng mark their 20th anniversary with a show at Where Else in Margate on Friday, with support from William Doyle. [Tickets £22](https://www.gigantic.com/tunng-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-11-21-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A major exhibition of work by artist Bridget Riley opens at Margate’s Turner Contemporary on Saturday, exploring the evolution of her work relating to the sensory experience of sight. London’s Design Museum opens a new exhibition of items from film director Wes Anderson’s personal archives on Saturday. The exhibition runs until July 26 next year. [Tickets from £19.96](https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/wes-anderson-the-archives?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet Urban Forest hosts guided walks about Tivoli Park in Margate and Montefiore Woodland in Ramsgate on Saturday and Sunday. [Tickets from £5](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/tree-walks-during-national-tree-week-2025-4774143?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=creatorshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=odclsxcollection&utm-source=cp&aff=escb&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Retro gaming night Junk Yard Gaming pops up at Lowlife in Cliftonville on Sunday. Entry £5 on the door. The Turner is hosting a festive wreath making workshop with What a Lovely Bunch on Sunday. [Places £60](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/christmas-wreath-making?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: CAMP calls for support and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-camp-calls-for-support-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T08:00:20.000Z **Appeals for donations from CAMP and Mama To Mama, a Ramsgate photo book gets a reprint, an art project reframing the St George's Cross and more. This week's creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **CAMP in Cliftonville is again fighting for survival**, as LGBTQ+ venues around the country close at an alarming rate. On the positive side, its **owners say that they have a long term plan that will keep it open**, with financial support available if it shifts its focus to community events. However, **before that funding arrives, the venue has to make it through the winter**, which is less assured. Reluctantly, they’re now asking for donations to help keep the bar afloat. [**Find out more and donate**](https://www.campmargate.com/save-camp?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet baby bank Mama To Mama has launched its annual festive crowdfunder** to raise funs to support children under five and families in the district. In 2025, the charity has supported over 240 families who would otherwise have gone without essential clothing, equipment and support. So that’s reason enough to support it, but on top of that, **Mama To Mama has teamed up with a load of local business to provide amazing rewards for those who donate**. Donations are also being matched by Aviva. [**See the rewards and donate**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/thanets-only-baby-bank---festive-campaign?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first run of **Dunkirk Little Ships 2025**, a **photo book by Thanet photographers Mike Goldswater and David Babian** marking the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, has sold out. A **second run will be available at the end of the month**, all things going to plan. [**Order your copy**](https://www.mikegoldwater.com/product/little-ships-the-85th-anniversary-of-operation-dynamo/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Award-winning photographer Mike GoldwaterPhotojournalist Mike Goldwater on turning his lens on home in his new book Island![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-74.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/106-220731-1605-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/mike-goldwater-thanet-photographer-theres-a-lot-of-spirit-and-a-lot-of-beauty/) **Thanet artist Emily Peasgood has an idea on how to turn the St George’s flag and the Union Jack into less divisive symbols**. She is working with Thanetians to create **This is England, a large-scale community artwork created from reclaimed flags that once hung in public spaces**. She says the flags will be turned into something that “reflects inclusion and community, rather than division” and which encompasses the many different communities living in Thanet. As part of the project, **free community sewing workshops**, open to everyone, will take place on Friday, November 21 in Ramsgate, 6.30pm to 9pm, Saturday, November 22 in Broadstairs, 10.30am to 1pm and later the same day in Margate 2.30pm to 5pm. Another sewing bee will take place on Saturday, November 29 in Margate, 1pm to 4pm. [**Book into a session**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUsxHLsIEgRNkeus7Q3aDf8iGnOHaemDZjmSB91EpY5Qh1-g/viewform?usp=header&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Art Café is now open downstairs at Margate School of Art** on the High Street on Thursdays and Fridays, 10am to 5pm. **Drop in for coffee and homemade cakes**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Ramsgate Winter Festival lights up the darker months URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-winter-festival-lights-up-the-darker-months/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:05:50.000Z Now in its second year, Ramsgate Winter Festival is back to light up the darkest months of the year. Beginning on at the end of November with the town’s Christmas light switch on, it will run through to the end of January. Events in the programme include illuminated boats in the harbour, live music, a Christmas tree festival and much more. The event’s organisers hope to attract locals as well as tourists and put Ramsgate on the map as a must see winter destination - bucking the traditional ebb and flow of the coastal economy. “Margate and Broadstairs are their own entities over the summer,” says Ramsgate Winter Festival co-founder Jess Hudsley. “Our plan is that Ramsgate becomes that, but in winter.” Events like Margate Pride, Broadstairs Food Festival and Broadstairs Folk Week bring huge numbers of visitors to the area in the warmer months. Ramsgate has much to offer too, but can sometimes feel left behind. “I love the three towns and I think we are stronger together,” Jess says. “But I think \[sometimes\] Ramsgate is like the little sibling that nobody really thinks about. This is our opportunity to put ourselves on a bit more of a level footing by becoming something really special over winter.” ![A parade of people in fancy dress](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/AndrewHastingA4827-1.jpg) The New Year's Eve Lantern Parade. **Photo: Andrew Hastings* Many of the events now under the Ramsgate Winter Festival banner have actually been in existence for years. Working in collaboration and promoting them as a single programme gives greater opportunity to highlight what’s happening and draw more visitors to the town, says Jess. “People have always come along for events, especially for the lights, but not so much for the other activities,” she explains. “They were very word of mouth. So not many people knew about them.” ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. One of the two co-founders of the festival, the strand of the event that Jess oversees is the Light Up Ramsgate art trail - a new addition to the town’s winter calendar last year. The idea for the art trail pre-dates the wider festival, she explains, and actually helped to bring it into existence. “I've done a lot of big light projections and light installations at various light festivals around the country,” she says. “When I moved to Ramsgate about three years ago, I thought it would be amazing for a light trail, like Light Up Leeds or Canary Wharf - the big players in light art festivals.” Explaining what sparked the idea, she says, “Everyone always talks about the fact that the high street has a lot of empty shops. I thought, well, let's activate the high street, let's bring some activity and some art and some culture where it's public realm, it's free, it’s accessible.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/GBC-Ramsgate-N24vc310.JPG) Enjoying the Christmas light switch on. **Photo: GB Carnival* Tentatively beginning conversations about this led her to meet Teresa Askew, who has run Ramsgate’s winter lantern parade since 2019\. Their conversations sparked the idea to come together to work on a larger festival. “We're both very inspired by the illuminations on the boats in the harbour,” Jess continues, referring to the annual Ramsgate Illuminations event that has been running for over a decade. “That was really the trigger for me, seeing how many people come to Ramsgate in the winter to see the boats. I thought, okay, that's really interesting. We've got something here.” So this is how the festival began, launched under the name Ramsgate Lumiere in 2024\. Pulling the town's various winter illuminations events together and setting the Light Up art trail alongside them. It proved a huge success. “It really sparked the town," recalls Jess. “The whole town really got behind it and it was magical to see. The scale of positivity was so visceral and I think everyone felt it.” ![People watch live music in an illuminated church](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/GBC-Ramsgate-N24vc121.JPG) Let There Be Light at St George's Church. **Photo: GB Carnival* This year the event expands further. Renamed Ramsgate Winter Festival to allow for a broader programme - not just light-related events - it will also stretch out to the end of January. The extra month of programming comes as a result of visitors last year calling for more. “One piece of feedback from last year was that it was a shame that everything went dark on New Year's Day,” says Jess. “So we're pushing the trail through into January.” Part of the new programme will be the launch of Light Up Lates, a series of ticketed evening events. This includes a Bring Your Own Beamer event, where people are invited to arrive with a projector to create a huge, DIY art exhibition shown all of the walls and ceilings of the venue. The festival launches on Sunday, November 30 with the Christmas light switch on in the town centre. Following on from that is Let There Be Light at St George’s Church, where there will be music and light shows. “It's going to be really fun and loud and bright,” enthuses Jess. “I think we had about 600 people packed into the church last year - it’s a great way to launch the festival.” ![A row of illuminated Christmas trees](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/JFH_7782-1.jpg) The Christmas Tree Festival at St George's Church. **Photo: Jess Hudsley* If you want to really pack a lot into your visit, look out for the Weekend of Wonder - the four days of the festival with the greatest concentration of events - which happens between December 11 and 14\. “There's so much going on in the town over those four days that I can't even list it all,” says Jess. “That's when we're launching our Light Up art trail. We have late night shopping, the Christmas tree festival launches, we have advent doors in the Ramsgate Tunnels. And Santa is actually going to be sailing into the harbour - so that's really exciting.” On New Year’s Eve there is the lantern parade, where members of the public will march through the town holding lanterns. And there will be free lantern making workshops throughout December, if you’re not storing a load of portable lighting around your house. “That's a chance for everybody of all ages to celebrate the end of the year and start of the next one,” says Jess. “That's really lovely. It was brilliant last year.” ![A child pets a deer projected onto a wall](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/AndrewHastingA7753-1.jpg) Part of last year's Light Up Ramsgate art trail, iDeer projects deer around the town. **Photo: Andrew Hastings* Jess continually comes back to the idea of bringing people together when talking about the festival. The commitment to ensure that they deliver a programme that the whole town can enjoy and be proud of is clear. “As founders of the festival, what united us is this ambition of being able to do something of real quality and real impact, but still really grassroots,” she says. They are committed to making it “about the community and for the community” and ensuring that “it doesn't become one of those parachuted in light festivals that can feel quite generic and soulless.” While a key aim is to attract visitors from outside Ramsgate to the town, she says, “it's also about giving local residents something here that they can walk to or get the bus to. That's at the heart of what we're about.” As much of the programme as possible is made available for free, she says, to ensure that it is accessible to all. It was their goal from the outset, she says, to “create something that's literally on people's doorsteps that they feel part of.” ![Illuminated boats in a harbour. Two Santas appear to parachute in](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20241216_175414031.NIGHT-1.jpg) The harbour boat illuminations. **Photo: Rebecca Smith* With plans to continue building on what they’ve created each year, there is more to come. As for many arts organisations, this year accessing the funding necessary to realise some of their ideas have been challenging. Jess admits that “maybe some of the ideas we had this year were too big,” but says that they remain ambitious. “We had some really big ideas and it's been a process of scaling them back, unfortunately,” she says. “But ultimately we've got those ideas still there and they're great ideas. We're going to keep rolling them out until they actually get funding. We're still in our infancy. So, we'll get there. The show must go on and on and on.” This brings us back to Ramsgate’s future, which Jess thinks is bright. More new businesses and venues are opening in the town, and there is a growing desire for event organisers to work together in a more cohesive way, she says. “It feels like people are starting to talk about collaborative working, which is really great because that's the background that I'm from,” she goes on. A consortium of event organisers is now attempting to identify six points throughout the year for community focussed events like the Winter Festival. “Because, when the town comes together, like for the Operation Dynamo little boats event earlier this year, it's buzzing.” This is exciting, she says. “It feels like there's a lot of people who haven't given up on Ramsgate and see that it's a really beautiful town, full of incredibly creative people. That's two things that I think are a really strong, winning combination.” *Ramgate Winter Festival runs from Sunday, November 30 to Thursday, January 25\. Find out more and see the programme on* [*the event’s website*](https://www.ramsgatewinterfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Incoming: Kesha, wine tasting, Christmas URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-kesha-wine-tasting-christmas/ Last updated: 2025-11-11T08:00:42.000Z **Kesha in Margate, retro gaming, wine tasting, an improv comedy course, Beaujolais Nouveax and (sorry) Christmas. Newly announced events to get into your diary now.** Bona fide pop icon **Kesha will play Dreamland next summer**. She’ll hit the Scenic Stage in the theme park on **Sunday, July 5\.** [**Tickets £53.75**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/kesha/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Also at Dreamland** next summer, **Garbage and Skunk Anansie** will co-headline the venue on **Friday, June 19\. Tickets go on general sale on Friday**. **Retro gaming night Junk Yard Gaming is back**. It will pop up at **Lowlife in Cliftonville on Sunday, November 23** with a wide selection of vintage consoles on offer to play on. **Entry £5** on the door. Can’t make it? There’s another event at **Margate Arts Club on Wednesday, December 10\.** [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/31401?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You know what’s better than sipping a fine champagne? Sipping several. **Bottleneck in Broadstairs is hosting a champagne tasting night on Thursday, November 27**. You’ll be taken through the range made by Louis Roederer, with cheese and charcuterie to soak it up. **Tickets £55**. Harboured a fantasy that you might be the next great comic or perhaps just want to have fun? **Chump’s Comedy is putting on an eight-week improv course** where participants will say ‘yes, and’ and will get you thinking creatively on your feet. The course will introduce you to the fundamentals principles of the FA style of long-form improvisation, guiding you through creating scenes and scenarios while having fun. Held at **Turner Contemporary on Sundays from January 4 to February 22** at 10am-1pm, it’s suitable to all ability levels. [**£275 for a spot on the course**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/free-association-improv-course?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Beaujolais Nouveau day is coming up**. Is it wine Christmas or just a marketing gimmick? Something to ponder. Perhaps over a glass of wine. Bottles of wine made from recently harvested grapes will be arriving from the Beaujolais region in **bars across Thanet on Thursday, November 20**. Try the sweet, fruity red at **Penelope in Ramsgate, Bottleneck and Sonder in Broadstairs, and The Last Light, Riding Wine Co, The Shakespeare and Little Swift in Margate**. *And finally, they’ve been sneaking into the schedule quietly for weeks but now the Christmas events are arriving thick and fast. If you’re not ready to think about getting festive yet, look away now…* **Head out into Broadstairs on Thursday, November 27 for Independent Broadstairs**, a night of festive cheer and Christmas shopping in the town’s independent shops and bars. As well as opportunities to shop, there will be workshops, food and drink. **Father Christmas will be holed up at Margate Caves on selected dates from November 29 to December 23**. This year’s grotto has a Peter Pan theme, with the caves dressed up with classic scenes from the story. Follow the trail to find Santa and receive your early Christmas gift. [**Tickets £15.95 per child**](https://www.margatecaves.co.uk/christmasatthecaves?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs has a load of festive events lined up for kids and grown ups**. Advent calendar making on Thursday, November 27; wreath making on Friday, November 28; bauble painting on Tuesday, December 9; Plate painting on Tuesday, December 16; and afternoon tea with Santa on December 6, 7, 16 and 18. **The Granville in Ramsgate is putting on Aladdin as its pantomime** this year. It runs from **December 13-24** with two performances most day and three on December 20\. [**Tickets from £26.95**](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/aladdin-a-family-pantomime?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Unsure about what wine to put on the table this Christmas? **Bottleneck in Broadstairs is hosting a Twelve Wines of Christmas tasting on Thursday, November 20**. Covering white, red, sparkling and dessert wine, you’ll taste seven wines and be introduced to another five. There’ll be cheese and charcuterie too. [**Places £55**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/12-wines-of-christmas-tasting-20-11?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Turner is hosting some Christmas craft workshops. **Make a festive wreath** with What a Lovely Bunch on [**Sunday, November 23**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/christmas-wreath-making?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **or** [**Wednesday, December 10**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/christmas-wreath-making-evening-session?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Places £60\. And join Webb & Gray to **make gilded walnut tree decorations on Sunday, December 14\.** [**Places £14**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/gilded-walnut-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Jingle Bell Rocks! is on at ARK in Cliftonville** in the run up to Christmas. Brigitte Aphrodite, QuietBoy and Liv Morris will be performing **punked up version of classic Christmas songs in this family-friendly show**. Two performances per day from **December 20-23\.** [**Tickets £7.50**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arkcliftonville/1936882?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Why not have a think about **New Year’s Eve** as well? **Margate Arts Club has announced its party already**, which will be a celebration of disco from all over the world. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/29848?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (November 10-16) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-november-10-16/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T08:00:36.000Z **What's on in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and further afield this week. Craft, classical music, theatre, art, clubbing, workshops and more.** Margate Pride will host a scrap swap at Margate Arts Club on Wednesday. Head down to swap arts and craft supplies of any kind and join crafty workshops. The event will run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. The Totally Classical open mic night celebrates its second anniversary at Rosslyn Court on Wednesday. Head down to perform or just enjoy some classical music. Free entry. Making More Waves festival is on at ARK in Cliftonville from Wednesday to Sunday, showcasing performances created in Kent and Essex. [See the full programme and book tickets](https://www.arkcliftonville.com/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chef Thom Eagle gets funky at Cantina Caruso in Margate’s Old Town on Thursday, 6.30pm-8.30pm with a fermenting workshop. It’s £60 a head and you can bring your own jars, or buy them there. Email [reservations@bottegacaruso.com](mailto:reservations@bottegacaruso.com) to book. Jonny Woo’s alternative performance, comedy and drag extravaganza Un-Royal Variety returns for a three night run at Soho Theatre Walthamstow from Thursday to Saturday. [Tickets £30](https://sohotheatre.com/events/jonny-woos-unroyal-variety/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folkestone Book Festival takes place at the Quarterhouse from Thursday to November 13\. [Check out the full line up and book tickets](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/folkestone-book-festival/book-festival-events/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Louisa Longstaff-Scales captures sea and skyscapes in her solo exhibition Borrowed Light. On at Lido Stores from Thursday to November 29, with an opening reception Saturday, 7pm-9pm, Louisa muses on the continual evolution and change of coastal landscapes, “exploring the idea of nature as a metronome that sets the pace of our lives”. Candlelit classical performance night Lumos is Holy Trinity church in Broadstairs on Friday performing instrumental arrangements of Coldplay songs. [Tickets from £20](https://www.lumos-experiences.com/event/a-coldplay-candlelight-experience-in-broadstairs%F0%9F%95%AF%EF%B8%8Ffriday-14th-november/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Psychedelic and dub-centric party night Bis! Bis! Bis! will take over Margate Arts Club on Friday. DJs Nina Yamada and Bror Havnes will join Margate locals Jaime Rosso & Vandorta for a night of fun and cosmic tunes. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30906/bis-bis-bis-with-bror-havnes-nina-yamada?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New arts organisation Common Grounding is holding a launch party at Sunflower House in Folkestone on Friday. [Free entry](https://forms.gle/xatrg9D9QSS4dpav9?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New restaurant Willy’s opens at Margate House Hotel on Saturday. [Follow on Instagram for updates](https://www.instagram.com/willysmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Foliage in Broadstairs is putting on a terrarium workshop on Saturday. Places £45\. Call or text Keeley on 07907500611 to book. Father JC will be hosting a weekend drag workshop on Saturday and Sunday. [Tickets £1-20](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30048/drag-it-up-workshop-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Falstaff on Addington Street in Ramsgate will be holding a craft fair on Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Opening date for V&A East Museum and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-opening-date-for-v-a-east-museum-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T08:00:37.000Z **The V&A East Museum gets an opening date, plus new spots to eat and drink back in Thanet.** Following on from last year’s opening of the V&A East Storeroom (where you’ll find the David Bowie Centre), **V&A East Museum will open in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday, April 18** next year. Encompassing art, design, fashion, music and performance, the museum will be flavoured with East London culture. Alongside the two free permanent exhibitions that will feature a number of new acquisitions, the museum opens with the exhibition, The Music is Black. [**Find out more**](https://www.vam.ac.uk/east?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New Cuban themed bar Little Havana has opened in Cliftonville**, serving up drinks and tapas. **Find it on Northdown Parade**, in between Picnic and Cliftonville Dining Room. Chix Stock moves out of Cinque Ports in Margate this week, as owners Billy Stock and Ellie Topham prepare to open new pub The Wellington in the Old Town. **Taking over the kitchen at Cinque Ports will be Stakehaus**, adding a Margate outpost to its line up of restaurants in London and Brighton. **It’ll officially begin serving on Thursday, November 20**. Head down that night for steak (obviously) and karaoke hosted by ELZ. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Building Stories: Bringing narratives to life URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/building-stories-bringing-narratives-to-life/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T16:06:04.000Z Strange Tourist was asked to host a talk as part of this year's Margate Bookie literary festival. With the nine day festival focussed (understandably) on the written word for the most part, we wanted to do something different. In Building Stories, we looked at stories in other forms and how they come to be. Strange Tourist editors Zita Whalley and Andy Malt were joined by theatre maker Katie McGarry, songwriter Hughie Gavin, dance filmmaker Sidonie Carey-Green and founder of Margate Queer Library Sé Nomayo. Among things discussed, the wide-ranging conversation traversed writing music to elevate stories on screen, bringing real life stories to the stage, translating oral history into movement and using individual accounts to build a picture of a place. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. While on paper these four panelists are doing very different things, the commonality within their processes emerged as the talk went on; at the heart of everything they do are stories, they just have different ways of telling them. Breaking up the discussion, we were treated to a performance by Katie McGarry, who performed a selection of letters from her show Letters You'll Never Send, while Hughie Gavin played a piano improvisation. We also watched section of Sidonie Carey-Green's film The Body As Data, although that has been cut from this audio recording. Watch the film in full here: ### About the panelists [Hughie Gavin](https://www.hughiegavin.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is an Emmy-nominated composer, arranger, producer and musical director based in Margate. His work has included global campaigns for WWF and Audi, commissions for the 2019 Turner Prize as well as multiple choral collaborations including HBO’s *True Detective: Night Country,* BBC’s *Silent Witness*, and with Universal Records, Ninja Tune, City Slang, Sub Pop and Moshi Moshi Records. From the [Institute Studios](https://www.institutestudios.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in Margate, he leads both a contemporary vocal ensemble, the Institute Collective, and [The Social Singing Choir](https://www.institutestudios.com/choirs-1?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Katie McGarry](https://katiemcgarryactor.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is an actor, singer and theatre-maker. She makes work about relationships, the rawness of the nitty gritty, silliness and finding the little bits of magic in life. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Bindlestick Theatre Company and recently co-created comedy show Shakespeare’s Royal Company. Other credits include West end, UK Tour, Open Air Shakespeare, directing and producing new writing for Off West End. Katie has been an associate artist and regular performer for companies such as Looping the Loop, Screaming Alley Cabaret, POW! Thanet and Ramsgate Festival of Sound since 2015\. [Dr Sidonie Carey-Green](https://www.sidoniecareygreen.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is a UK-based dance filmmaker and practitioner-researcher whose work explores the intersection of movement, film, and technology. Her work investigates connections between ideas of local identity and choreographic mapping. She is the co-creator of [The Body As Data](https://www.thebodyasdataproject.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a collaborative performance project working with people impacted by the UK’s border regime. Through workshops, creative research, and live events, this project uses movement, sound, and surveillance technologies to re-map erased stories and challenge systems of surveillance. Dr Sé M. Nomayo is a writer and researcher who explores and experiments with connections to place, particularly through queer placemaking. Their PhD examined the spatialised activist practices of lesbians in 1980s London. In June 2025, they opened the [Margate Queer Library & Archive](https://www.instagram.com/margatequeerlibrary/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a free DIY space for the community aimed at increasing access to queer histories, methods, and theories, especially those shared, materialised, and remembered in Thanet. ### Photo gallery ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20251009_184411694-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/DSC_0550-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20251009_190546484-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20251009_191052841-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20251009_191630876-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20251009_191943874.MP-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20251009_192049269-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/PXL_20251009_193841182.MP-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/11/IMG_6015.jpeg) A selection of images from the night. **Photos: Sarah Maltwards (group shot Chris F Clark)* ### Credits Hosts: Zita Whalley and Andy Malt Panelists: Katie McGarry, Sé Nomayo, Sidonie Carey-Green, Hughie Gavin Introduction: Suzy Lines Live sound engineer: Chris F Clark Audio post-production: Andy Malt Photography: Sarah Maltwards and Chris F Clark Venue: The Margate School Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: The Nightingales, LOW Crawl, Making More Waves URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-the-nightingales-low-crawl-making-more-waves/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T08:00:14.000Z **Live music, wine tasting, drag workshops, a zine fair, an arts festival and more. Lets of dates for your diary over the winter.** Cult post-punk legends **The Nightingales return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, February 21** next year - the perfect, if delayed, companion to the screening of the documentary about the band, King Rocker, at this month’s Margate Film Festival. [**Tickets £18**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/the-nightingales/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Wine festival LOW is birthing a smaller baby this month**. I’m not sure how I feel about that sentence or if it even makes sense, but sadly there’s no way to change it now. **LOW Crawl will take place over three days** later this month, with venues around town offering wine samples. It starts at The Shakespeare on November 17 and will finish with a closing party at Sète on November 19\. [**Ticket £15**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/angelasofmargate/1895686?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Bottleneck in Broadstairs will be hosting a night of Portuguese wine tasting on Tuesday, November 18**. An expert host will guide through a range of wines from the country, as you also dig into plates of sharing platters to soak it all up. [**Tickets £55**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/portugal-wine-tasting-18-11?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you missed out on eating saganaki in support of the **Mayor of Margate** and her charitable endeavours, you can brush up on your general knowledge and take part of her **quiz night, held at Hartsdown Academy, Friday, November 28**, from 7.30pm. [**Individual and team tickets available**](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/margate-charter-trustees/mayor-of-margate-quiz-night/e-mqekaj?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Are you drag curious? Coinciding with her Holy Show tour, **Father JC will be hosting a weekend drag workshop at CAMP in Cliftonville on November 15-16**. Over two days, you’ll explore the whole genre of drag, its cultural significance, developing your own character, the art of storytelling and more. [**Tickets £1-20**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30048/drag-it-up-workshop-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Dark Entries and Dan Thompson will be hosting a zine fair at Marine Studios on November 29-30**. Over a dozen zine makers and small presses will come together to show their work. There will also be readings and performances throughout the weekend. **Free entry**. **New arts organisation Common Grounding is holding a launch party at Sunflower House in Folkestone on Friday, November 14**. Founded by Sidonie Carey-Green, Josie Carter and Jodie Cole, it will support community movement projects across the Kent coast. Head down 7-9pm to find out more and see the premiere of new film Edge States, based on Cutaway Collective’s performance project of the same name. [**Free entry**](https://forms.gle/xatrg9D9QSS4dpav9?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ARK in Cliftonville’s **Making More Waves festival is back** this month. **Running from November 12-16**, it will showcase performances created in Kent and Essex. On the bill are Harry Baker, Suzy Crothers, Alice d’Lumiere, Katie McGarry and more. [**See the full programme and book tickets**](https://www.arkcliftonville.com/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Pride will host a scrap swap at Margate Arts Club on Wednesday, November 12**. Head down to swap arts and craft supplies of any kind. There will also be a flag making workshop with Charlee M Piper and a craft clinic with Queer Knit’s Leonie Cameron. **The event will run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm**. **The Falstaff on Addington Street in Ramsgate will be holding a craft fair on Sunday, November 16** from 11am to 5pm. If you’re a local maker and would like to have a stall, email [lauren@thefalstafframsgate.com](mailto:lauren@thefalstafframsgate.com). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (November 3-9) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-november-3-9/ Last updated: 2025-11-03T16:05:59.000Z **Fireworks, a film club, spoken word, exhibitions, live music, food pop ups and more. Here's our pick of what's going on in Thanet and further afield this week.** New film club Keeno launches on Tuesday at Big Shot in Margate. A discussion, not a screening, you’ll need to watch the month’s film beforehand. [DM to find out more](https://www.instagram.com/keenofilmclub/?e=bc14478d-5693-41ff-83d5-15f138e645ff&g=5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs’ Bonfire Night fireworks display is on Wednesday, with live music from Meister and The SuperMicks. Free. The Astor Theatre in Deal is exhibiting paintings by Susan Beresford, Pam Cutler and Tim Guest in its bar from Wednesday until November 29\. Private view 5-7pm on Wednesday. Babeslam poetry and spoken word open mic is at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. There will also be a headline set from Daisy Naisbitt. [Tickets £6](https://www.gigantic.com/babeslam-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-11-05-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Photographer Tim Topple’s new exhibition Bad Dad at Cliftonville’s Joseph Wales gallery from Wednesday to Monday. There will be a private view on Friday. Theatre maker Brigitte Aphrodite’s after school Rock n Roll Theatre Club begins on Thursday at Crescendorious HQ in Margate and for children aged four to six. It’s £90 per six week term. Email [cresproducer@gmail.com](mailto:cresproducer@gmail.com) for more information or to book. The Bug Club will be on the stage at Where Else in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £16](https://www.gigantic.com/the-bug-club-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-11-06-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folk musician Seth Lakeman is playing the Booking Hall in Dover on Thursday. [Tickets £22](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2706?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Vaults Comedy is at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday, headlined by Norwegian comic Thor Stenhaug. Also on the bill are Kate Lucas, Max Fulham, and Tadi M. [Tickets £18](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/6thnovember?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Spoken word night Is It Dirty? takes place at the Roland Ross gallery in Cliftonville on Thursday. Free entry and BYOB. Margate’s Social Singing Choir will be performing songs from films at ARK in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £12](https://book.stripe.com/6oUeVd1ML1co89V5yU57W05?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Big Shot in Margate’s next karaoke and hot dogs night is on Friday. Liverpool indie band Courting play Where Else in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £12](https://www.gigantic.com/courting-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-11-07-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). MOP take over Bar Ingo in Broadstairs from November 7-16, Friday to Monday both weeks. [Book your table](https://bar-ingo.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Girl Hike and Giant Coffee team up for a Broadstairs to Ramsgate walk and meditation session on Saturday. [Tickets £25](https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/95062?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafUP6J62hRAn6GJQem0IT2hZOPUC9VGC3jcKq8Klp1uSdzIXpKABMYHEqgJFw%5Faem%5FjILMSTGWlLCkG9BpPO9LBw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chix Stock is putting on a farewell party on Saturday, as the fried chicken pop up prepares to leave Cinque Ports in Margate. Pie Factory Music is holding a fundraiser at St George’s Church in Ramsgate on Saturday, with live performances from Char.B, Claire Pitt Wigmore, Zico, Aaron and Evan Williams. [Tickets £10](https://tickets.myiknowchurch.co.uk/gb/NjQxMy02Nw/t?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Optimissimo, an optimistic, positive, feel good night, launches at Margate Arts Club on Saturday to put a smile on your face. From cosmic disco to wonky electro, feel good music will get you moving all night. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30679/optimissimo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Drum n bass duo Sigma play an extended DJ set at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £23.80](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/avmxb7-sigma-lock-off-tour-8th-nov-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Life Drawing is back on Sunday, where the theme will be rescue animals. Models include Hettie the Pygmy Hedgehog, Mika the meerkat, and Jabba the African bull frog. [Tickets £35](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/88631/wild-life-drawing-rescue-animals?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), including a 10% donation to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Drapers Windmill has listed status upgraded and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-drapers-windmill-has-listed-status-upgraded-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T08:00:11.000Z **Drapers Windmill has its listed status upgraded, two new restaurants for Thanet, a micropub for sale, efforts to save a Folkestone library. All this and more creative and cultural news from Thanet and further afield.** **Drapers Windmill in Margate has been awarded Grade II\* listed status**. The 19th century smock mill has been Grade II listed since 1973, but **this new upgrade affords it further protection**. The Draper’s Windmill Trust marked its 60th anniversary of maintaining the mill. The trust’s vice chair, Anny Squire says, “We are delighted to have our windmill and its ancillary buildings recognised as having both intrinsic importance and interest. This new listing gives the whole site the status it deserves for now and the future. We hope that it will encourage even more people to visit us and experience this valuable asset to Margate itself.” Bib Gourmand accoladed chef **Luke Crittenden (ex-Arya in Ramsgate) is set to open a minute restaurant on Oscar Road** in the coming weeks. With room for just eight diners at any one time, **Aster will plate up a plant-based five course menu**, along with snacks, that will also be vegan. Expect a frequently changing menu that boasts wild, seasonal ingredients, and which is largely gluten-free. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/asterbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Another new place to eat in **Broadstairs**, **Felicity's and Flowers has opened up on The Broadway**, with the **grand opening on today**! Head over between **12pm-4pm for free fizz and other nice things like nibbles, dried flowers, tote bags and a fully-stamped loyalty card** ready for you to use the next time you drop in. The cafe will be stocked with homemade cakes, a bounty of flowers and nice things available to buy. **The Four Candles in St Peter’s has been put up for sale**, as owner Mike Beaumont looks to spend more time with family. When it opened in 2012, it was one of the first micropubs in the country, and remains the UK’s smallest brewpub. **It’s on the market for £60,000\. Full details available by emailing** [**mike@thefourcandles.co.uk**](mailto:mike@thefourcandles.co.uk). **New restaurant Willy’s will open at Margate House Hotel on Saturday, November 15**. We can’t tell you much more than that, other than that it promises you’ll leave happy if you arrive hungry. The restaurant was first announced a year ago, so we are quite hungry now. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/willysmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Creative Folkestone and a group of community partners have submitted an expression of interest to Kent County Council to take over Folkestone Central Library** and bring the building back into use. As well as a functioning library, the group plans to use it as an education and community space. The proposal comes ahead of the Folkestone Book Festival this month and a new three year project titled Folkestone is a Library, which is set to launch next year. **We Are Here coffee opens The Hatch next week** at its HQ in Fullers Yard, Margate next week. As well as coffee, the takeaway hatch will offer sweet treats from the Madre bakery and sandwiches from Sarns. **It’ll be open Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 2pm**. **Margate writer Beth Cookson has published her debut children’s book Margot the Mermaid from Margate**. Aimed at four to nine year olds, Beth says the idea for the story came when she attended Margate Mermaid Parade. **Following the initial success of the book, she hopes to turn it into a series**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Autumn bike rides around Kent east coast and pubs to stop off at along the way URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/where-to-ride-your-bike-around-thanet-and-along-the-coast-and-which-pubs-to-stop-at-while-youre-at-it/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:10:27.000Z The warm weather has well and truly faded, but there's still some fun to be had outdoors yet. Bike riding your way through gold and bronze countryside or along the coast makes for a lovely afternoon adventure, with or without the kids. No matter your ability level, Thanet and the surrounding area has a number of rides that could take you a morning, afternoon, or you could stretch it out across the day and stop off at as few pubs along the way or rest your weary legs at. The following rides are suitable for most levels and are mostly off-road, however, they’re not entirely car-free. With that in mind, if you want to take in the charm of autumn while getting your heart rate up, Strange Tourist recommends the following bike rides (and pubs), which you can also walk. ### [**Crab & Winkle Way - Canterbury to Whitstable**](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/CT1+2AH,+Abbots+Pl,+Canterbury/CT5+1SD,+All+Saints'+Cl,+Whitstable/@51.3103077,1.0238339,13.07z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x47decbb4df1c74d9:0x1b640b6b202f94d3!2m2!1d1.0811293!2d51.2819427!1m5!1m1!1s0x47d934a77e6d031d:0xa1a58dde817697b1!2m2!1d1.0375508!2d51.3558833!3e1?entry=ttu&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) An idyllic 11.2 kilometre ride between Canterbury and Whitstable Harbour. The mostly car-free route will take you through woodland and some pretty fine views. It’s about 40 minutes on the bike and a 2.5 hour walk, give or take. Starting at the Cathedral, you’ll begin your ride at the birthplace of Christianity in England, before making your way through Blean Woods National Nature Reserve, which is very lovely. Ride through woodlands, streams and a church in a field before hopping on the salt route to Whitstable. Pack a picnic and stop at either Blean Woods or at the Winding Pond Picnic Area, towards the end of the ride. Alternatively, save yourself for a pint and a casual seafood meal at [The Lobster Shack](https://www.thelobstershack.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), which is one of the best spots in town to catch a sunset. [Old Neptune](http://www.thepubonthebeach.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is another sunset spot and bang on the beach, but it can get noisy if there’s a band. For a feed a little more swish, [Samphire](https://www.samphirewhitstable.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is an unfussy bistro plating up seasonal British fare of the likes of beef tartare, cod and parmesan croquettes, and asparagus, ricotta and potato pithivier. It’s very nice, not stuffy. ### [Broadstairs to Deal loop](https://www.komoot.com/smarttour/8508439/zoom?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#tips) An intermediate ride that will take around 3.5-4hours to do, this one will give you a taste of the Viking Trail and take you through, or around, Sandwich. The Viking Trail takes you to Pegwell Bay before you veer off towards Sandwich. You’ll then head back towards the coast as you cycle to Deal, before going on to Walmer if you fancy, taking in countryside and coast along the way on a mix of bike paths and riding on quiet roads. To take a break, try [The Rose](https://therosedeal.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or [The Bohemian](https://www.instagram.com/bohemiandeal/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in Deal, or [The Berry](https://www.facebook.com/theberrywalmer/) in Walmer. You could also have a look around [Deal Castle](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/deal-castle/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or [Walmer Castle](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/walmer-castle-and-gardens/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### [Ramsgate to Sandwich loop](https://www.komoot.com/smarttour/22152643/zoom?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#tips) A fairly easy bike ride that takes you away from the coast as you head towards Sandwich, this 25-kilometre bike ride should take about 1.5-2 hours to complete. It starts at the Courtstairs Chine Cliff top walkway and takes you around Pegwell Bay before guiding you into Sandwich. If you fancy stopping try [The Old Pharmacy Bar](https://oldpharmacybar.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), or have an old-school sandwich at The Sandwich Shop at 17 Cattle Market, CT13 9AP. ### [**The Viking Coast Trail Whitstable to Pegwell Bay**](https://explore.osmaps.com/route/3647739/sustrans-the-viking-coastal-trail?style=Standard&lat=51.357813&lon=1.256942&zoom=10.9607&type=2d&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) While the full trail stretches 33.5 kilometres from Whitstable to Cliffs End, you don’t, of course, have to do the whole lot in one crack. Cycling charity Sustrans says to do the whole lot takes about 2 hours, but that can’t be right. If going from Margate to Whitstable, allow a few hours, especially if you plan to stop off at pubs along the way. Heading out of Margate, you’ll ride past Westgate, Birchington and Minnis Bay as you head towards Reculver. There’s a little bit of on-road riding after Westgate, but you’ll soon be back on a flat paved cycle and walking bath flanked by sea and fields. [The King Ethelbert Inn](https://www.kingethelbertinn.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a pub with a slightly scruffy charm, is a good pit stop and is just near Reculver. From there, it’s off-track to Herne Bay, where [The Hampton Inn](https://www.hamptoninnhernebay.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is another good rest stop. Herne Bay to Whitstable boasts plenty of seaside charm as the bike bath takes you past a stretch of well-loved beach huts. From Margate to Pegwell Bay, also allow an hour or two, and of course more if you want to make pit stops. The ride between Margate and Ramsgate is probably familiar to most. Heading out of Margate the path is a flat, protected ride along the cliffs that will take you past [The Captain Digby](https://www.captaindigby.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) before you schlep up the hill and through the soulless North Foreland Estate gated community. You could make a pit stop at Stone Bay, for beach side bevvy or snack from [Namaka](https://www.instagram.com/namakabroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), or push on until you get to Viking Bay where [The Tartar Frigate](https://www.tartarfrigate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is good for a beer, or better yet, have ice cream at [Morelli’s](https://www.morellisgelato.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate is just a little further beyond, where Weatherspoon’s is the easiest spot for a post-ride sit. For a nicer reward, try [Albion House](https://albionhouseramsgate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) which also has great sea views. Pushing on to Pegwell Bay, [Pegwell Bay Hotel](https://www.pegwellbayhotel.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) has a fab beer garden overlooking, erm, Pegwell Bay. If you time it right, this spot is another good call to watch the sun go down. The ride between Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate can be broken up into family-sized chunks and is car-free for most of the way, bar the little part between Kingsgate and Stone Bay. ### Incoming: Belle & Sebastian, Bonfire Night, Wes Anderson URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/upcoming-events-thanet-belle-sebastian-fireworks-wes-anderson/ Last updated: 2025-10-28T08:00:26.000Z **Lots of exciting live music announcements, fireworks, a new film club and an office Christmas party for the office-less. So many things to try to cram into your diary.** **Belle & Sebastian are coming to Dreamland next summer**. Stopping in Margate as part of their 30th anniversary tour, they'll perform their If You're Feeling Sinister in full, followed by a greatest hits set on **Friday, July 31**. Before that, you’ll get a support performance from Saint Etienne. Tickets go on general sale on Friday, with a pre-sale the day before. [**Register for the pre-sale**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/belle-and-sebastian?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Details of this year’s **Bonfire Night fireworks display in Broadstairs** have been announced, with live music from Meister and The SuperMicks, as well as the main event itself. **There will be music from 5.30pm and the display will begin at 7pm on Wednesday, November 5**. **Lambrini Girls have had a venue upgrade** for their Margate show on **Friday, November 21**. Previously booked to play the Lido, they will now appear at **Dreamland’s Roller Rooms**. Support will come from the excellent CLT DRP. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.gigantic.com/lambrini-girls-tickets/kent-dreamland-roller-rooms/2025-11-21-18-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pomus in Margate will be cooking up a Greek feast** for one night only on **Monday, November 24 from 5pm**. It’ll be “an epic sharing feast” with a range of traditional dishes on offer, all paired with a selection of Greek wines. [**£39 per person**](https://www.pomus.co.uk/bookings.html?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ren Harvieu and The Magic Numbers’ Romeo Stodart** will be performing together at **Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday, January 23**. They’ll be playing songs set to appear on a collaborative album out in 2026\. The show is part of January’s Independent Venue Week programme. [**Tickets £22.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/romeo-stodart-ren-harvieu/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also at **Ramsgate Music Hall**, the venue has announced that Mexican psychedelic rock duo **Lorelle Meets the Obsolete** will return on **Saturday, May 2\.** [**Tickets £18.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/lorelle-meets-obsolete/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **London’s Design Museum** opens a **new exhibition of items from film director Wes Anderson’s personal archives** next month. It will chart his evolution from early experiments in the 90s through films like The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Over 600 items on show include storyboards, polaroids and costumes. The exhibition **opens on Saturday, November 21** and runs until July 26 next year. [**Tickets from £19.96**](https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/wes-anderson-the-archives?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Gal & Gather will be back at Salt in Broadstairs on Saturday, November 15**. Tickets to the latest edition of the women-only social include wine-tasting, a selection of small plates and a wine talk. [**£65 per person**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sips-n-snax-tickets-1789052416939?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Punk band **Crabs have announced their annual festival Crabsmas show** at the **Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Friday, December 12**. Also on the bill are Los Coyote Men and Harmony Bo. Last year this sold out in October, so don’t hang about. [**Tickets £12**](https://billetto.co.uk/e/crabsmas-tickets-1279213?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). DJ, producer, artist and (most importantly in this case) author **Justin Robertson will be discussing his new novel The Trial of Jonah at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Friday, November 28** at 6.30pm. There will also be a **playback of the second album from his Five Green Moons project**. He’ll be on hand to sign books and records once both are done. **Free entry**. **Foliage in Broadstairs** is putting on a **terrarium workshop on Saturday, November 15**. £45 gets you everything you need to make your own bottle-based plant oasis and a welcome drink. **Call or text Keeley on 07907500611 to book**. **Kino Karabiner** \- a new film club focussed on elevating women’s stories - launches next month. On **Tuesday, November 18 at Fort Road Hotel**, the first event will **screen the documentary Women and the Wind**. The film follows the journey of three women on a 50-year-old wooden catamaran tracking the path of discarded plastic across the North Atlantic. [**Free tickets**](https://kinema.com/events/Women-and-the-Wind-fxrlfu/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It's been a long time since I went to an office Christmas party. Like an increasing number of us, I don’t have an office to party in. To address this issue, **ELZ is organising an office party for the office-less at Olby’s in Margate on Friday, December 12**. There will be DJs, karaoke, a photobooth and (don’t ask me what this means) a “photocopy machine contest”. Turn up early and you can also have Christmas dinner. [**Tickets from £6**](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/elzs-xmas-party-12th-december-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Halloween 2025 in Thanet URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/halloween-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2025-10-27T10:04:09.000Z Halloween is nearly here, so you can finally dress up as a slutty skeleton or a creepy clown again - whatever works for you. You can also chose to not dress up, and still get into the spirit of things and have fun. Here are our suggestions on how you can mark Halloween, from big nights out to more chilled events. [Halloween 2025 nights out in ThanetNights out for Halloween 2025 in Thanet and beyond, including film screenings, book talks, hang outs and club nights![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-70.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/kenny-eliason-A59lWOrZVnw-unsplash-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/halloween-parties-club-nights-films-and-more/) For families, being scary couldn't be more wholesome, with trick or treat trails, nature walks and opportunities to get crafty. Take a look, there's so much to do. [Kids & family Halloween 2025 events in ThanetThere’s so much for children to do this Halloween in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-71.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/danil-akhvatkin-QLWQWpzeHK4-unsplash-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/family-friendly-halloween-events-trick-or-treat-trails-parties-and-more/) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet this week (October 17-November 2) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-this-week-october-17-november-2/ Last updated: 2025-10-27T11:25:18.000Z **Mental health, magic, comedy, film, quizzes and more. Our pick of what's happening in Thanet and beyond this week.** Looking for Halloween events? There are so many we had to write another list. Check out all the best parties, hang outs, quizzes, film screenings... [Halloween 2025 nights out in Margate and RamsgateNights out for Halloween 2025 in Thanet and beyond, including film screenings, book talks, hang outs and club nights![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-63.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/kenny-eliason-A59lWOrZVnw-unsplash-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/halloween-parties-club-nights-films-and-more/) Oh, it was family-friendly Halloween events you wanted? Yeah, there's loads of those too, which also required a separate list to themselves. Here's all the spooky fun for kids... [Kids & family Halloween 2025 events in ThanetThere’s so much for children to do this Halloween in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-64.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/danil-akhvatkin-QLWQWpzeHK4-unsplash-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/family-friendly-halloween-events-trick-or-treat-trails-parties-and-more/) And now, here's all the stuff coming up this week that's not Halloween-themed... Mental health charity Talk Club will be holding an event at Hoffs in Margate on Monday from 6-8pm for men to talk about their wellbeing. Can’t make this one? It takes place on the last Monday of every month. CAMP in Cliftonville is hosting a drop-in session about the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s proposed changes to its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations on Tuesday from 7pm. Amy Davies hosts a Women’s Singing Circle at Ramsgate’s Gather& on Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9pm. [Tickets £10.](https://bookwhen.com/singing%5Fama?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#focus=ev-sjmw-20251016200000) Creative Quests launch their first book The Quester’s Guide: Magic Issue at Bar Nothing on Wednesday. [Free tickets](https://luma.com/q28e9l1w?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Josie Long performs her new show Now is the Time of Monsters at Where Else on Wednesday. [Join the waiting list for tickets](https://dice.fm/event/7dv87b-josie-long-now-is-the-time-of-monsters-29th-oct-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Culty Film Club is serving up a four course meal, film quiz and screening of Night of the Living Dead at Faith in Strangers on Wednesday. [Tickets £55](https://www.sevenrooms.com/experiences/faithinstrangers/culty-film-club---night-of-the-living-dead-5737974972366848?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacm68rvkqFZ%5FLI0ZewQRBOGLc0PoUayo6dHX9f2iP63afHuHiwA%5FX-ivIxLKA%5Faem%5F32FuRTSbvOaLrAzVquj-7w&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chump’s Comedy is back at the Quarterhouse in Folkestone on Thursday with Rhys James, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Huge Davies and Lil Wenker. [Tickets £16.50](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/eopoy6-rhys-james-fatiha-el-ghorri-huge-davies-lil-wenker-john-tothill-30th-oct-creative-folkestone-quarterhouse-folkestone-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Chump’s Comedy Margate: Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, crab jokesFrom an idea shared on a train home to sell-out shows featuring the likes of Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, Andy Malt speaks to Margate’s Chump’s Comedy about how it all came together so successfully, so quickly![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-60.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chumps-team-2.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) Cliftonville Dining Room has a dinner and board games night on Thursday. £14 or £8 for kids. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/flyingdice%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Film critic Anna Bogutskaya will be discussing her latest book Feeding the Monster at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feeding-the-monster-with-anna-bogutskaya-tickets-1755678935959?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Samhain celebration A Dead Good Festival runs from Thursday to Sunday with live music, film screenings, talks, workshops, rituals and more. [See the full schedule and book tickets](https://dandelion.events/o/the-samhain-society?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Samhain festival brings magic to MargateHigh Priestess witch Tree Carr discusses A Dead Good Festival, which she hopes will challenge the taboos of death and bring a bit of magic to Margate![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-61.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Tree-Carr-1-1.png)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/death-positive-samhain-festival-welcomes-the-darker-months/) Mark Steel brings his new stand up show The Leopard In My House to Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre on Friday. [Tickets £21.45](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/mark-steel-the-leopard-in-my-house/granville-theatre?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Quex Park’s annual firework display takes place on Saturday. [Tickets from £15.95](https://www.quexparkfireworks.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The new Paddington musical opens at the Savoy Theatre on Saturday. [Tickets from £25](https://paddingtonthemusical.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A fundraiser for next year's Ramsgate Pirates Festival is on at the New Belgium Bar in Ramsgate on Saturday. [Tickets £10](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ramsgate-pirates/ramsgate-pirates-fundraiser/e-xogged?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Brighter Days Market returns to the Turner Contemporary on Saturday and Sunday with local artisan makers selling a wide variety of items. Free entry. Mr Ned’s Bread Dead Redemption is back at Where Else on Sunday night. This month’s theme will be death. It’s a 7pm start, maximum of five in a team and £2 per head entry. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate Winter Gardens reopening plans move forward and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-winter-gardens-reopening-plans-move-forward/ Last updated: 2025-10-25T07:00:25.000Z **Deal agreed to reopen Margate Winter Gardens, new book published by a Ramsgate-based artist explores different experiences of the menopause, new Cabaret club The Alley Bar gets ready to welcome audiences. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Thanet District Council has agreed a new a 999 year lease and a grant of £4 million for Westwood One Theatre to refurbish and reopen Margate Winter Gardens**. "The council’s ambition has always been to bring this magnificent building back to life, and with Westwood One Theatre, we have found a partner whose vision and dedication align with ours," says TDC's Director of Place, Bob Porter. As well as refurbishing the building's two theatres - **set to reopen in April 2027** \- Westwood One's plans include installing a **rooftop bar, drama school and nursery**. **Ramsgate artist Catrin Osborne has published** [**A Portrait of the Menopause**](https://blackdogonline.com/products/a-portrait-of-menopause?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The book features photographs and interviews with over 70 women discussing their experience of the menopause. It began life as an exhibition, which toured the UK in 2022, and was initially crowdfunded before being picked up by Black Dog Press. **A** [**launch party**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/catrin-osbourne-book-launch-and-dance-party/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **takes place at Ramsgate Music Hall tonight**. **The Alley Bar members club on Ramsgate High Street** has confirmed that it will **open its doors on November 20**. Launched by cabaret production company Screaming Alley, it promises a programme of "radical, queer, feminist and inclusive live art and performance.” **Membership fees will be used to ensure that all performers are paid fairly**. Among those set to play the venue in its first months are Diane Chorley and Jonny Woo. [**Join now from £5 a month**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/membersclub?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Off Season art festival has put the call out for artists and venues to participate in January**. Last year over 150 artists took part, with exhibitions all over Margate for three days. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, December 17\. [**Apply now**](https://www.offseasonmargate.co.uk/register-here?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The festival takes place on January 23-25\. **Little Wave in Broadstairs has reopened its doors after pivoting to become a deli**. The former cafe offers a range of delicious food items from local and independent makers. While a full sit down meal may no longer be on offer, **you can still grab coffee and sandwiches**. Confessional theatre show **Letters You’ll Never Send is seeking anonymous letters for a special Christmas edition** of the show in December. Got a bone to pick with Santa? A festival confession you could never tell? **You can** [**submit letters**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnL3KVLFJLRzeoJ1zf%5FViOa8LbmNUBacWI5otcn5FAqLXHiw/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to be performed on stage now**. The show will be at the **Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Thursday, December 11**. Tickets on sale soon. [A jukebox of confessions: Letters You’ll Never Send brings anonymous confessions to the stageHave you got something you’ve always wanted to say to someone but don’t dare? Katie McGarry’s show Letters You’ll Never Send takes your deepest secrets and puts them on stage![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-59.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/KatieMcGarry383copy-1-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/a-jukebox-of-confessions-letters-youll-never-send-brings-anonymous-confessions-to-the-stage/) **Hoffs in Margate is on the look out for traders to take up position in a Christmas market** at the venue on Saturday, December 13\. Got stuff to sell? [**Apply by Sunday, November 2**](https://forms.gle/mH4X47KhC2JBidjg9?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Store Collective has opened up in Margate Old Town**, occupying the space previously taken up by Hair Station. The boutique is selling items from independent brands such as jewellery makers Anna + Nina, beachwear designer Beachbum, scarf company Miss PomPom, and more. **The deadline for SEK's Big Writing Challenge competition is approaching**. Children have until **Friday, October 31** to write **up to 500 words on the subject 'Curious Creatures'**. The writing can take any form you choose, and winners will see there work included in a printed book. [**Find out more**](https://sekgroup.org.uk/support/sek-schools/the-big-writing-challenge-kent/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Halloween nights out: Parties, clubbing, films, and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/halloween-parties-club-nights-films-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-27T09:43:07.000Z As the nights turn darker, we head towards Halloween - one of the biggest party nights of the year. If anything, these days it’s a whole party week. And as always, Thanet more than delivers. If you want to dress up and have a big blow out, you’re more than catered for, but you don't have to. Maybe you want to play spooky board games, or get intellectual about horror movies, or watch a classic movie with the entire soundtrack replaced by one person’s voice. Go ahead. Maybe you want to shun Halloween entirely in favour of celebrating the Celtic new year, Samhain. There’s a whole festival for that. We’ve pulled together all of the best Halloween-themed parties, club nights and get-togethers this week to get your spooky fix. Dressing up (in most cases) is optional. If you’re looking for events for kids, find our pick of the best family-friendly Halloween activities here: [Family-friendly Halloween 2025 events: trick or treat trails, parties and moreThere’s so much for Children to do this Halloween in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-57.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/danil-akhvatkin-QLWQWpzeHK4-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/family-friendly-halloween-events-trick-or-treat-trails-parties-and-more/) But for now, here's our pick of the best parties, flicks and bashes for adults... ## Watch a scary movie… **Culty Film Club at Faith in Strangers** Culty Film Club will be screening George Romero’s 1968 horror classic Night of the Living Dead. Pretty decadent as film clubs go, the night will kick off with a four course meal, followed by a film quiz, before the projector is fired up. *Wednesday, October 29, 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Faith in Strangers, 17 Ethel­bert Crescent, Cliftonville, CT9 2DY.* [*Tickets £55*](https://www.sevenrooms.com/experiences/faithinstrangers/culty-film-club---night-of-the-living-dead-5737974972366848?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacm68rvkqFZ%5FLI0ZewQRBOGLc0PoUayo6dHX9f2iP63afHuHiwA%5FX-ivIxLKA%5Faem%5F32FuRTSbvOaLrAzVquj-7w&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Bring Her Back at Ramsgate Community Cinema** The first of two British horror movies showing at Ramsgate Community Cinema this week. Bring Her Back stars Sally Hawkins as a new foster parent with an agenda as she takes on two orphaned teenage siblings. *Wednesday, October 29, 7pm to 9pm. Ramsgate Community Cinema, Paragon Works, Albert Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9HD. Tickets £3.50.* **St Maud at Ramsgate Community Cinema** A great mid-afternoon start to your Halloween celebrations, St Maud is a deeply unsettling story of a religious hospice nurse who becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient. The devastating final two seconds of this film still sit with me five years after I first saw it. *Friday, October 31, 2pm to 4pm. Ramsgate Community Cinema, Paragon Works, Albert Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9HD. Tickets £3.50.* **The Monster Speaks: Frankenstein at CAMP** This is a film screening with a difference, with the brilliant 1931 version Frankenstein playing without sound. Well, without its original sound. Instead, theatre maker Ocean Stefan will attempt to recreate all of the sound in the film - dialogue, music, sound effects and all - using only their voice. *Friday, October 31, 6.30pm to 7.15pm. CAMP, 125 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2QY.* [*Tickets £5*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30828/the-monster-speaks-frankenstein?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ## Test your spooky knowledge… **Halloween Quiz at the George & Heart** The George & Heart’s raucous quiz, overseen by quizmaster Owain, is back with a Halloween-themed edition. Think you know about spooky stuff? Now’s the time to find out. *Wednesday, October 29, 7.30pm to 10.30pm. George & Heart, 44 King Street, Margate, CT9 1QE.* [*£2 per person*](https://www.georgeandheart.com/whats-on/haloween-quiz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Halloween Quiz at Seabird** Ramsgate restaurant Seabird's monthly quiz night is also Halloween-themed in October. Among the spot prizes through the night, there will be one for best fancy dress. *Wednesday, October 29, 7pm to 10.30pm. 2-3 The Broadway, Addington Street, Ramsgate, CT11 9JN.* [*£2.50 per person*](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/quiz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Feeding the Monster with Anna Bogutskaya at Fort Road Hotel** If you want to expand your horror smarts, film critic Anna Bogutskaya will be discussing her latest book Feeding the Monster at the Margate Bookshop’s latest book talk. Why does horror fascinate us so and what do we get out of it? *Thursday, October 30, 7pm to 9pm. Fort Road Hotel, 18 Fort Road, Margate, CT9 1HF.* [*Free tickets*](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feeding-the-monster-with-anna-bogutskaya-tickets-1755678935959?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ## Celebrate Samhain… **A Dead Good Festival in Margate** Marking the witches’ new year Samhain, this four day celebration of magic and mysticism has a wide array of events, including live music, film screenings, talks, workshops, rituals and more. We’re looking forward to AUTOHAUs and Black Market Karma’s live music and visuals, the Samhain procession, and the actual Charlotte Church performing sound rituals down in the Shell Grotto. *Thursday, October 30 to Sunday, November 2\. Various venues in Margate. Various prices.* [*See the full schedule and book tickets*](https://dandelion.events/o/the-samhain-society?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* [Samhain festival brings magic to MargateHigh Priestess witch Tree Carr discusses A Dead Good Festival, which she hopes will challenge the taboos of death and bring a bit of magic to Margate![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-56.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Tree-Carr-1.png)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/death-positive-samhain-festival-welcomes-the-darker-months/) ## Dress up and hang out… **Halloween at The Fermentorium** Ramsgate’s Fermentorium has two Halloween events lined up. On the 26th, there's a pumpkin carving afternoon for adults. Then on the 31st itself, there's a night of spooky dressing up for a board games championship. *Sunday, October 26, 2pm to 4pm and Friday, October 31, 7pm to 9pm. The Fermentorium, 38 King Street, Ramsgate, CT11 8NT.* [*Pumpkin carving £15*](https://fermentorium.sumupstore.com/product/pumpkin-carving-with-a-beer?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*, board games* night *free.* **Halloween at Lowlife** Lowlife is putting on a Hexed Thanet pre-party and soiree on Friday, October 31\. From 5pm, head to the newish joint on Northdown Road for scary films, metal, rock and goth on the stereo and a fridge stocked well with booze and boozy alternatives. Then, if you wake up feeling like you’ve gone all out - and even if you haven’t - head back to Lowlife for Sarns subs, cocktails and strong coffee - this one’s on from 9am to 5pm. *Friday October 31, 5pm to 9pm and Saturday November 1, 9am to 5pm. Lowlife, 139 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2QY.* ## Dress up and dance… **The Little Theatre of Horrors at Tom Thumb Theatre** Get your best gothic glamour on as the Tom Thumb Theatre transforms into a ghoulish speakeasy for the night. There will be cocktails, dancing, prizes and live music from Warwick. *Friday, October 31, 7pm to 11.30pm. Tom Thumb Theatre, 2a Eastern Esplanade, Cliftonville, CT9 2LB.* [*Tickets £10*](https://billetto.co.uk/e/little-theatre-of-horrors-tickets-1671054?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Oldskool Roots Halloween Party at Ramsgate Music Hall** If you can’t get out on Friday night, here’s a Saturday night Halloween party for you. Oldskool Roots will be spinning classic club music from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s in the main room. Upstairs in the bar you’ll hear more chilled out 80s classics as you sip on the menu of spooky cocktails. *Saturday, November 1, 7pm to 1am. Ramsgate Music Hall, 13 Turner Street, Ramsgate, CT11 8NJ.* [*Tickets £10.50*](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/oldskool-roots-halloween-party/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Cockles & Muscles Halloween Ball at Margate Arts Club** A massive highlight of the Halloween calendar and happening this year the weekend before the big night, the Cockles & Muscles Halloween Ball is now an institution. Dressing up is mandatory if you want to be let in the door. And you do. There will be queer pop anthems, drag performances, and a photobooth to prove you were there. *Saturday, October 25, 7pm to 2am. Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2PT.* [*Tickets £10*](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/29838?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Halloween Weekend at Ramsgate Arts Club** Ramsgate Arts Club is so excited about all things scary and dead that the venue is putting on two parties - a Halloween blow out on the 31st, followed by a Day of the Dead celebration the following night. *Friday, October 31, 7pm to 3am and Saturday, November 1, 7pm to 3am. Ramsgate Arts Club, Old Wine Warehouse, Charlotte Court, Ramsgate, CT11 8HE. Free entry.* **Halloween Party at The Bedford Inn** Over at the Bedford, DJ EVT will be spinning old school house all night to keep the pub's Halloween celebrations lively. Fancy dress is very much encouraged. *Friday, October 31, 7.30pm to 1am. The Bedford Inn, 29 West Cliff Road, Ramsgate, CT11 9JP. Free entry.* **Hexed Halloween at Margate Arts Club** Goth night Hexed takes up its natural position in the calendar with a Halloween special. As well as music from the resident Filth Collective DJs, there will be crafting, a market and tarot readings, plus burlesque from Cici Noir, drag from Karma Obskura, and Indian fusion dance from Asha Fierce. Don’t forget the pre-party at Lowlife. *Friday, October 31, 8pm to 2am. Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2PT.* [*Tickets £6.66*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27782/-goth-rock-darkwave-coldwave-post-punk-metal?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Halloween Pond Party at Where Else** The Fantastic pleasure creative team will be turning Where Else into an immersive pond-themed installation “where you are invited to frolic with the enchanted beings that call this dark world their home.” The night will be soundtracked by DJ duo Doris. Come dressed as your favourite pond dweller. *Friday, October 31, 8pm to 2am. Where Else, 21-22 The Centre, Margate, CT9 1JG.* [*Tickets £15*](https://www.gigantic.com/halloween-pond-party-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-10-31-20-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Twisted Circus at Margate Beach Club** MBC is putting on a night of freaky drag shows and camp pop. Honey Foxx and Kiki Snatch will be there in the Halloween finest, with Camille Leon DJing. There will also be a special guest performance and DJ set from Father JC. Prizes will be handed out for the best costumes too. *Friday, October 31, 8pm to 3am. Margate Beach Club, 1 Albert Terrace, Margate, CT9 1UJ.* [*Free* *before* *11pm, £10 after*](https://www.sevenrooms.com/events/ahNzfnNldmVucm9vbXMtc2VjdXJlchwLEg9uaWdodGxvb3BfVmVudWUYgICpodyrtQgM?event%5Fid=ahNzfnNldmVucm9vbXMtc2VjdXJlcjkLEg9uaWdodGxvb3BfVmVudWUYgICpodyrtQgMCxIQc3JfR2VuVmVudWVFdmVudBiAgNXpybe-Cgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Club Climax Hex Rated at The John** Canterbury LGBTQ+ night Club Climax invites you to slip into your sleaziest halloween costume for this month’s edition. Tune will be spun by Bimbeaux Collective and Oliver Fagg, and there will be a drag performance from Alexia. *Friday, October 31, 9pm to 2am. The John, Burgate, Canterbury, CT1 2HG.* [*Tickets £12*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/29913/club-climax-hex-rated?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Family-friendly Halloween events: trick or treat trails, parties and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/family-friendly-halloween-events-trick-or-treat-trails-parties-and-more/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:10:35.000Z Looking for something to do with the kids this Halloween? Well keep reading, because there’s absolutely loads going on and we’ve pulled all the best stuff together here. Whether your kids want to load up on sweets, see a spooky dog parade, dance in fancy dress, or channel all their Halloween energy into some arts and crafts, it’s all here. And more on top of that, with stuff going on all the way through the remainder of October and on into November. So for now, at least, you shouldn’t ever find yourself floundering for something to do. If you’re an adult wanting to do adult things for Halloween, we’ve got you covered here: [Halloween 2025: Parties, club nights, films, and moreNights out for Halloween 2025 in Thanet and beyond, including film screenings, book talks, hang outs and club nights![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-58.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/kenny-eliason-A59lWOrZVnw-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/halloween-parties-club-nights-films-and-more/) Now, here are picks for family-friendly Halloween events… **Quex Trick Or Treat Trail** Quex’s popular trick or treat trail returning for another year. Children can enjoy a spooky time in the woods, pumpkin picking, a ride aboard the Slime Blaster Express and sweat treats. *Until October 31 from 10am to 8pm. Quex Adventure Farm Park, Quex Park, Birchington, CT7 0BH.* [*Child tickets from £20.95*](https://www.quexadventurefarmpark.com/trickortreat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Betteshanger Halloween Trail** Betteshanger Country Park is running this fun Halloween trail through the woods, with riddles to solve and surprises to spot as you go. Everyone gets a treat at the end. Head down on November 1 and you’ll also be able to join a [free Halloween fun day](https://www.betteshanger-park.co.uk/event/halloween-fun-day/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with activities and disco. *Until November 2 from 11am to 4.30pm. Betteshanger Country Park, Sandwich Road, Deal, CT14 0BF.* [*£12 per child*](https://www.betteshanger-park.co.uk/event/halloween-trail/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Margate Old Town Halloween Trail** Always a Halloween highlight, this trick or treat trail never fails to delight children. Businesses across Margate Old Town, High Street and Marine Drive hand out sweets and other treats for a couple of hours, before the afternoon is rounded off with a parade of dogs in fancy dress. Wristbands can be purchased from Aarven on King Street. *Saturday, October 25 from 2pm to 4pm. Margate Old Town. £4 per child.* **Quex Halloween Fest** One for older children, aged 11+, this evening event features two scare mazes, tomahawk throwing, a light show, a disco, pumpkin picking, marshmallow toasting and more. *October 24, 25 & 31 from 6pm. Quex Adventure Farm Park, Quex Park, Birchington, CT7 0BH.* [*Tickets from £19.95*](https://www.quexhalloweenfest.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Halloween at Ellington Park** Ellington Park has two Halloween events laid on. On the 30th there’s an after school mask-making workshop. Then on the 31st there’s a Halloween party, with a spooky trail around the park, a fancy dress competition, food and music. *Thursday, October 30 from 3.30pm to 5.30pm and Friday, October 31 from 6pm. Ellington Park Community Cafe, Park Road, Ramsgate, CT11 9TL. Free entry.* **High Tide Social Halloween Party** Back for a second year, High Tide Social is putting on a Halloween party full of activities for kids. There will be face painting, cake decorating, lucky dip and more, plus food and (for the adults) cocktails and draft beer. *Friday, October 31 from 3pm to 9pm. High Tide Social, 235 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, CT9 2PJ. Free entry.* **Children’s parties at Pierremont Hall** Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs has two Halloween parties for kids of different ages. Kids aged 5-12 can enjoy music, games, prizes and snacks until 6pm, before a part for 13-17 offering dancing and mocktails in the early evening. *Friday, October 31 from 4pm to 6pm and 7pm to 9pm. Pierremont Hall, Pierremont Park, Broadstairs, CT10 1JX.* [*Kids party free, teens party £5*](https://pierremonthall.co.uk/under-18s-events/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Halloween Party at the Old Curiosity Shop** The Old Curiosity Shop will be putting on an afternoon of crafting, games and cookie decorating. There will be prizes for anyone who comes in fancy dress, and the full food menu will be on offer too. *Friday, October 31 from 5pm to 7pm. The Old Curiosity Shop, 9 Harbour Street, Broadstairs CT10 1ET. £5 per child.* **Trick 4 Treat at Revolution Skate Park** You have to work for your treats at Rev’s Halloween party, with prizes given out for the best tricks out on the ramps. There will also be a prize for the best fancy dress, and a trick or treat trail. *Friday, October 31 from 7pm to 10pm. Revolution Skate Park, Oakwood Industrial Estate, Dane Valley Road, Broadstairs, CT10 3JJ. Tickets £10\.* **Halloween Trail on Addington Street** The boutiques and restaurants on Ramsgate's Addington Street will be opening up to trick or treaters the day after Halloween. So, it's either an opportunity to avoid letting your little ones out in the dark or their chance to load up on even more sweets. *Saturday, November 1 from 11am to 3pm. Addington Street, Ramsgate. Free.* **Kids Halloween Party at Ramsgate Arts Club** Ramsgate Arts Club has two Halloween parties for grown ups over the weekend, but they’ve not forgotten about the kids, who will be allowed to run amok through the new venue on Saturday afternoon. *Saturday, November 1 from 1pm to 4pm. Ramsgate Arts Club, Old Wine Warehouse, Charlotte Court, Ramsgate, CT11 8HE. Free entry.* **Discovery Planet Spooky Science** Discovery Planet will be making a welcome return with a spooky science event. Taking place at Ramsgate Space, the free drop-in session will have six stalls showcasing Halloween-themed science experiments. Looping the Loop will also be putting on some outdoor theatre and there will be lighting installations from Light Up Ramsgate. *Saturday, November 1 from midday to 5pm. Ramsgate Space, 17 Albert Court, Ramsgate, CT11 9DN. Free entry.* **Quex Park Fireworks** Quex Park’s massive fireworks show arrives a little ahead of this year’s Bonfire Night, taking place over the Halloween weekend instead. There will be two displays set to music, a fun fair, food and drink, a huge bonfire and more. *Saturday, November 1 from 3pm to 10pm. Quex Park, Birchington, CT7 0BH.* [*Tickets from £14.50*](https://www.quexparkfireworks.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Dia de los Muertos at Where Else** Disco Psicodélico is putting on this family-friendly afternoon party to close out the Halloween weekend. There will be Latin music, pinãta, children’s book readings, arts and crafts, plus Mexican food provided by The Perfect Place to Grow. *Sunday, November 2 from midday to 5pm. Where Else, 21-22 The Centre, Margate, CT9 1JG.* [*Free entry*](https://dice.fm/event/6dxqvq-da-de-los-muertos-day-of-the-dead-2nd-nov-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Self Esteem, Margate Film Festival, A Ghostly Evening URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-self-esteem-margate-film-festival-a-ghostly-evening/ Last updated: 2025-10-21T07:00:03.000Z **Self Esteem's latest stage role, the full Margate Film Festival programme, a night of ghosts stories and more. Get these dates in your diary now.** After a stellar run in Cabaret as Sally Bowles, **Rebecca Lucy Taylor** \- aka Margate royalty/alumnus Self Esteem - **returns to the West End as the lead role in David Hare’s play Teeth ‘n’ Smiles**. The curtains rise for the show **from March 13, 2026**. On at The Duke of York’s Theatre, the play tells the story of singer Maggie Frisby, a voice of 60s counterculture and a bit of a wreck. [**Tickets from £25**](https://www.thedukeofyorks.com/teeth-n-smiles?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Film Festival has launched its programme**. On November 26-30, there’s over 50 events that explore the theme Shifting Time and Place.[**Take a look at the programme and book tickets**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/2025-programme/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Margate Film Festival: ‘We want to be a beacon for bold, boundary-pushing cinema’After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-55.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent-5.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) **Bleak House in Broadstairs** will be hosting **A Ghostly Evening on Friday, November 21**. Enter the striking clifftop building for a night of ghostly tales and music from pianist and modern mystic Thomas Wood. There will also be cocktails provided by Delilah’s. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/94483?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Cliftonville Dining Room** is leaning into the cooler weather with a **dinner and board games night on Thursday, October 30**. From 5pm, head down for either a beef or vegan chilli con carne and if you’re lucky guess who or monopoly, or another vintage board game. **£14 or £8 for kids**. Games brought to you by new pop-up games cafe Flying Dice. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/flyingdice%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Lowlife is putting on a Hexed Thanet pre-party and soiree on Friday, October 31**. From 5pm, head to the newish joint on Northdown Road for scary films, metal, rock and goth on the stereo and a fridge stocked well with booze and boozy alternatives. Then, if you wake up feeling like you’ve gone all out - and even if you haven’t - **head back to Lowlife on Saturday for Sarns subs, cocktails and strong coffee** \- this one’s on from 9am to 5pm. **Amy Davies hosts a Women’s Singing Circle at Ramsgate’s Gather& on Wednesday, October 29**, from 7.30pm to 9pm. Mark the ancient gaelic festival of Samhain with harmonies and candlelight. No experience necessary. [**Tickets £10**](https://bookwhen.com/singing%5Fama?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#focus=ev-sjmw-20251016200000). **Girl Hike and Giant Coffee have teamed up for a Broadstairs to Ramsgate walk and meditation session** and an oracle card or two. On **Saturday, November 8**, the 2.5 mile walk starts at Giant Broadstairs at 2pm and will end at the coffee shop’s Ramsgate outpost at 4pm. The following Soul Session will wrap up at 5.30pm. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/95062?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafUP6J62hRAn6GJQem0IT2hZOPUC9VGC3jcKq8Klp1uSdzIXpKABMYHEqgJFw%5Faem%5FjILMSTGWlLCkG9BpPO9LBw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). While it may be a long time before you need to polish your hand hook for **Ramsgate Pirates Festival** (in June 2026), you can still pull out your parrot and turn to Johnny Depp for fashion inspiration as **the festival’s fundraiser is on Saturday, November 1 at The New Belgium Bar**. If for nothing else, head to the pub from 4pm for the pirate dance troop. However, there will also be a best dressed competition, shanty singers and a special guest appearance by the Two Tone Pirates. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ramsgate-pirates/ramsgate-pirates-fundraiser/e-xogged?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate writer Nicola Wren is offering a free creative life writing workshop**. Held **online on Sunday, November 9** from 10am to 11.30am, participants will have 90 minutes of writing exercises that aim to get you generating material from your own life. Suitable for all writers. [**Book your place**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/write-through-creative-life-writing-workshop-with-nicola-wren-tickets-1830003994209?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Theatre maker **Brigitte Aphrodite has launched an after school Rock n Roll Theatre Club. Starting from Thursday, November 6**, at Crescendorious HQ in Margate and for children aged four to six, these sessions will look at making theatre, but also preach all good things like being kind, developing confidence, collaboration and making pals. Sessions run from 4pm to 5.30pm until December 11 (six sessions in total) **It’s £90 per term**, which is £15 per session. **Email** [**cresproducer@gmail.com**](mailto:cresproducer@gmail.com) **for more information or to book**. **The last Babeslam of 2025 will take place at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, November 5**. The theme of the poetry, spoken word and comedy showdown is ‘You’re so vain (you probably think this song is about you.’ There will also be a headline set from Daisy Naisbitt. [**Tickets £6**](https://www.gigantic.com/babeslam-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-11-05-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The next Is It Dirty? spoken word night takes place at the Roland Ross gallery in Cliftonville on Thursday, November 6**. Performers include Lucy K Shaw, Kit Proudfoot, Guy Oliver, Fitz Noble and organiser Poppy Cockburn. **Free entry and BYOB**. **Dogshow are bringing their explosive live show to Where Else in Margate on Friday, November 28**. Unhinged dance music performed live in the middle of the audience while wearing dog masks. Can’t quite picture that? [This video might help](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQC3EpLMRxo&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). But you really have to be there. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.gigantic.com/dogshow-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-12-28-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If it’s eccentric duos you like, then also take a look at another upcoming show at Where Else. **Mermaid Chunky are set to play the venue on Saturday, February 28**. They promise "milkmaid serenity and improvised chaos." No idea what that means? Buy a ticket. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.gigantic.com/mermaid-chunky-tickets/margate-where-else/2026-02-28-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Russell Kane** has been announced as the headliner for the **Chuckl comedy night at the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate on Saturday, January 31**. The rest of the line up is still TBA, but I’m not sure you need anyone else. [**Tickets £29.15**](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/chuckl-ramsgate-with-special-headliners/granville-theatre/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (October 20-26) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-october-20-26/ Last updated: 2025-10-20T07:00:39.000Z **Psychedelic workshops, live music, a steak supper club, plus ideas for what to do this half term. Our pick of things to do this week in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and further afield.** The Psychedelic Society has a couple of workshops coming up at Bar Nothing in Cliftonville. On Tuesday, Darren le Baron looks at the mythologies, spiritual practices and sacred rites that are connected to psychedelics. [Tickets £15](https://dandelion.events/e/q7j0v?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Then, on Wednesday, Darren returns to guide you through the basics of mushroom cultivation and how you might grow your own eating and medicinal mushrooms at home. [Tickets £50](https://dandelion.events/e/w3cf3?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Gurriers are set to play Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £15](https://www.gigantic.com/gurriers-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-10-22-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Drag artist Father JC will be performing Father JC’s Holy Show at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Wednesday and Thursday. [Tickets £14](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28760/father-jcs-holy-show-tom-thumb-theatre?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folkestone Documentary Festival runs from Wednesday to Sunday. [See the full programme](https://www.folkestonedocumentaryfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first Kent Pop Exchange showcase is set to take place at Where Else in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £5](https://www.gigantic.com/polo-lounge-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-10-23-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Resonant Coast live music night is back, taking place at Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday. [Tickets £7.50](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/23rdoct?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Head down an hour before doors officially open at 6pm to join the latest Queer Ramsgate Social. The Rare Steak Supper Club is putting on a three course feast at Seabird in Ramsgate on Friday. [£40 a head](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/rare-steak-night?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cliftonville bottle shop Drops is hosting an Oktoberfest Drink-in event on Friday. Performance artist Ted Rogers will be running a four hour dance workshop at TKE Studios in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £22.38](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dance-workshop-w-ted-rogers-tke-studios-tickets-1753522495989?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ELZ and friends will be at CAMP in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £6](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30723/elz-and-friends-camp?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Rising Tide Craft Beer Festival takes place on Friday and Saturday at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge. Entry fee includes a £10 beer token. [Tickets £25](https://www.timeandtidebrewing.co.uk/events/p/03ncw601cm7d7f70syfh5kt9rq337g?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Girl Hike and Esoteric Isle host a country walk which will have a spooky theme through Selling and Perry Wood on Saturday. [Places £30](https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/92985?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Katie McGarry will be performing her one-woman comedy musical You’re Not in the West End Now at the Arden Theatre in Faversham on Saturday. [Tickets £10](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ticketshop/iframe/event.php?eventhash=e-dyrlpd&target=&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cockles and Muscles’ Halloween Ball takes place at Margate Arts Club on Saturday. [Tickets are £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/29838/the-cockles-and-muscles-halloween-ball?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s Crab Museum’s fourth birthday party is at Where Else on Saturday. [Tickets £9.69](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/crab-museum-4th-birthday-party-2nd-release?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Write a Complete Short Story workshop returns to the Turner Contemporary on Sunday. [Tickets £47](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/write-a-complete-short-story-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Analogue Ensemble brings its experimental film night to Ramsgate Arts Club on Sunday. Free entry. ## And finally, it’s half term. If you’re in need of ideas, we’ve got some… Dreamland in Margate is open all week with 50% off ride wristbands. Kinder Collective in Broadstairs has activities and events all week, including spooky storytime on Tuesday, a beach clean on Wednesday, and trick or treat trail on Friday. Windmill Community Gardens in Cliftonville has activities laid on all week, including forest gardening and outdoor cookery. [Book tickets](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#focus=ev-smho1-20251018103000). The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs has activities for kids every day, including Lego Day on Tuesday and cookie making on Wednesday. Quex Adventure Park has a Trick Or Treat Trail for younger children all week. Those aged 11+ might prefer Halloween Fest, which runs on Saturday and Sunday. [Book tickets](https://www.quexadventurefarmpark.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Social Enterprise Kent on Margate High Street is hosting a family-friendly tile making workshop with Tiles of Joy on Tuesday, 11am to 1pm. Tiles will be included in a permanent display at the Crab Museum. Margate Youth Pride is hosting drop-in activities for kids aged 8+ at Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday, 10am to 1pm, as part of Black History Month. There will be zine and flag making, and Indian Ocean Creole drumming. Margate Film Festival and animation company 1927 are hosting a drop-in animation workshop at the Turner Contemporary in Margate on Wednesday, 10am to 4pm. Ramsgate’s Micro Museum is open today and next Saturday, 1-4pm, for your vintage computer and console fix. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: New Rise Up mural and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/new-blast-new-rise-up-mural-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-21T11:53:58.000Z **Rise Up Residency's latest sea conservation-themed mural, a call out for winter clothes for toddlers in need, a great opportunity for designers and more. This week's creative and cultural news from Thanet and beyond.** **KMG’s new mural Maidheann Mhara** (the Sea Maiden) in **Broadstairs’ Albion Street** car park was **unveiled last weekend** as the latest Rise Up Residency artwork. [You can see pictures here](https://www.instagram.com/p/DP3TYMKkemP/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), but we’d really recommend getting down to **see it in all its glory**. A second mural in Westbrook - called The Shark Whisperer - has also now been completed, with work set to begin on another in Margate. **Margate Soul Festival is looking for a graphic designer** to create a snazzy **logo for its 25th anniversary festival in 2026**. Got some ideas? **Send an email to** [**hello@olbyscreativehub.co.uk**](mailto:hello@olbyscreativehub.co.uk). **Kinder Collective in Broadstairs wants your child’s old coats, jackets and pramsuits to donate to families who need them**. Drop your donations off to either Kinder Collective or the Old Curiosity Shop around the corner in Broadstairs, for collection by the Community Clothes Bank. Go through those wardrobes, **the drive is open until the end of the month**, and please make sure clothes are washed and in good condition. We included **Seabird** in our recent Thanet brunch spots round up, although we noted at the time that the menu was more lunch than brunch. Well, good news, that list inclusion is now fully legit. The Ramsgate restaurant has **launched a full brunch menu**. Scrambled eggs, waffles, bacon and cocktails are now available on **Saturday 9am to midday and Sundays 9am to 3pm**. [Best brunch spots in Margate, Ramsgate and BroadstairsFancy a classic eggy breakfast, a full English or some kind of modern brunch dish concept? Here’s the best brunch places in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-54.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/ajeet-panesar-cLb_g98aOG8-unsplash-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/best-brunch-spots-around-thanet/) **The Wooden Box Cafe in Ramsgate is now Dawnies Coffee Sho**p. It’s still the same team, just a new sign above the door. Open six days a week, pop in for coffee and snacks, and to check out the latest exhibition on the Yellow Art Wall. Do you have a connection to Sussex? If so, **Hastings Contemporary and Sussex Contemporary have teamed up to launch their first open exhibition**, which is now open for submissions. Set to take place next spring, the exhibition’s theme is Odyssey, “reflecting on journeys shaped by tides, time, and transformation, on the restless call of the sea and the stories it inspires. Hastings, a place long defined by its proximity to the coast, provides a fitting setting for such explorations”. The team welcomes works that engage with marine ecology, climate change, and the fragile richness of coastal life. [**It’s £15 to enter**](https://www.thesussexcontemporary.co.uk/odyssey-hastings-contemporary?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **and you must do so by January 18**. Got a show you want to put on in front of a crowd? **Brighton Fringe has opened registrations for next year’s festival**. Register by December 5 to receive the early bird discount. [**More details**](https://www.brightonfringe.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### “Death positive” witchcraft festival welcomes the darker months URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/death-positive-samhain-festival-welcomes-the-darker-months/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T10:54:42.000Z “I consider myself a rational mystic,” says Tree Carr, sitting across from me in a busy Cliftonville cafe. As excited as I’d been to meet a high priestess witch and find out what makes her tick, this is not an avenue I’d foreseen when preparing for our conversation. “You hear things like ‘woo woo’”, she says. “I don't consider myself ‘woo woo’ at all. Although people might think I am. I’m rooted a lot in science.” Are science and magic not mutually exclusive, I ask. Far from it, she tells me that she sees them both as being “beautifully intertwined.” “It was really in the Age of Enlightenment \[in the 17th century\], where we had a divorce between the two,” she continues. “A lot of the original people who discovered the constellations and who-identified the planets were also astrologers. So they believed in myth and connection." Cementing her point, she goes on, “Science is the observation of the universe, and taking the empirical data and wanting to know how it works. And magic is the participation of being in the universe. It's taking chances and using imagination and creating things. The two together are really great, I think.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/S-soc--19--1.JPG) Bringing magic and mysticism to Margate. **Photo: Tara Li-An Nomayo* We haven’t actually come here for a philosophical discussion, although we seamlessly slip into them several times during our illuminating conversation, covering everything from attitudes to death to the mystique of island life. All of this feeds into the real reason we’re talking. A Dead Good Festival is a “death positive” four day event featuring talks, performances, film screenings, rituals and more to mark Samhain, which falls on October 31\. Pronounced ‘sah-win’, this is new year for witches, with its origins in the same ancient Celtic harvest festival as the more “consumerist pursuit” Halloween. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. “In magical pagan cosmology, we follow the cycles and the wheels of the year,” explains Tree. “It's not so much that we follow the Roman calendar of seven days a week. We follow more the moon cycles and the season cycles. So we're not in summer, we're in the light period, and we're going to be moving into the darker period.” Samhain, Tree says, is “the pivotal moment of summer's end.” While it acts as a marker for many things, the liminal space it occupies between light and dark makes it “natural that we start honouring things like death.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/S-soc--97--1.JPG) Accepting the reality of death to celebrate life. **Photo: Tara Li-An Nomayo* While Samhain - like Halloween - centres on death, Tree stresses that she and the other members of Thanet’s Samhain Society, who are organising A Dead Good Festival, are keen to put forward a more “compassionate and positive approach” to death. “Halloween is all focussed on things being scary,” she says. “Scary and dead. I want to reframe it in a way where we take death out of the taboo closet, or the scary closet, and make it a really community-connecting, family-connecting, kinship-connecting. Both for those who are here alive, and also for those who have died.” She proposes a more “death positive approach” to the “very realistic cycles of life, death, and rebirth”, where we “celebrate it in a positive way. Instead of the spooky, scary way.” It’s a celebration of life, she says, as well as “embracing the reality of death.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/THE-SAMHAIN-SOCIETY-GROUP-SHOT-3-1.png) The Samhain Society formed this summer. **Photo: Tara Li-An Nomayo* Tree formed The Samhain Society this summer, joined by her partner Adam Carr, event organiser Dee Peyok and Bar Nothing owner Aldene Johnson. Tara Li-An Nomayo of Smith & Sun, and artist Paul Buckingham also make up the society. With death positivity as their theme, they have put together an exciting and varied programme of events for the first edition of their festival, which will take place across three venues - Bar Nothing, Smith & Sun, and the Shell Grotto. The line up includes talks on topics such as local history, tarot’s “terrible cards”, and shadow work - exploring the hidden parts of your psyche. There are also workshops, including one to cast your own metal talisman using an eighth century technique. Meanwhile, the programme of evening events includes a sonic seance with live performances from the bands Black Market Karma and AUTOHAUs. On the night of Samhain itself, there will be a procession down to the beach for a ritual to honour the dead. It will be, says Tree, “an honouring and a ritual for ancestors, and anyone who's died in people's lives.” As well as a chance for participants to “dress their Samhain best”, it will also offer a chance to “collectively come together” and buck our traditional approach to death. “Often people grieve alone in the West,” she explains. “We're really disconnected from grief.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/S-soc--73--3.JPG) Ready to lead the procession. **Photo: Tara Li-An Nomayo* Following the ritual, the procession will make its way up to Bar Nothing for “a grief rave, where we can just dance off the blues and celebrate life.” Another highlight of the programme is a series of sound rituals in the Shell Grotto, led by singer Charlotte Church - who, alongside Tree, recently began offering [witchcraft retreats](https://www.thedreaming.co.uk/witchretreat?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) on her Welsh estate. The addition of these rituals to the programme came out of a theory put forward by local historian Dan Thompson - who will also be leading a history walk as part of the festival - that the grotto was originally built as a sound chamber. While this is one of many theories on why the mysterious underground cavern was built, Tree explains that the millions of shells are actually placed quite unusually, compared to other similar shell adorned caverns. “They’re facing a certain way so it creates a sound,” she says. “And the way the chambers are, the sound travels very unusually in there.” Whether the theory is correct we will never know. Regardless, says Tree, “it'll be like a pretty, pretty powerful affair.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/S-soc--96--1.JPG) A masked member of the Samhain Society. **Photo" Tara Li-An Nomayo* As a high priestess witch for over a decade, Tree often attends events and festivals tied to other significant events in the witch calendar, such as Jack in the Green in Hastings and NeoAncients in Stroud - both of which mark Beltane at the beginning of May. The idea to put on a Samhain festival in Thanet struck her after attending one such event earlier this year. “It just hit me,” she says. “We need something for Samhain. And I thought it's such a no-brainer to have it in Thanet because of the history of this place.” Being a former island, she says, gives Thanet “a very unique energy and story.” It has been “a lookout place,” and “a place where people were taken to be buried,” she says. And although “we’re now connected to the land … if you've ever driven into Thanet, you feel the difference” when you cross the Wantsum river. “It's got great mystery.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/S-soc--101--2-2-1.JPG) Celebrating Thanet's mystery and magic. **Photo: Tara Li-An Nomayo* While starting small this year, Tree says she hopes that A Dead Good Festival will become a fixture of Margate’s cultural calendar and expand to include other venues around the town. “We would love it to grow,” she says. “We want people to come far and wide and to be in all of the guidebooks as the place to go for Samhain and for Halloween. It's a really great time, because that's when a lot of places businesses slow down. So it gives a little bit of a boost before Christmas.” Aside from attending the festival, I finish by asking what a good starting point would be for anyone interested in getting into magic and mysticism. Bringing it back to where we began, Tree says without missing a beat, “It’s literally going back to 13.8 billion years ago and the Big Bang. I would say use that as your starting point.” “That really was the first act of magic,” she continues. “Because if something can come out of nothing, I mean, isn't that the definition of magic? “And that cosmic moment of the Big Bang, it's still evolving. The universe is still expanding outwards. So we're still in the act of magic. We are still in the spell. It's still happening. And so, we are actually magic.” *A Dead Good Festival takes place in venues around Margate from Thursday, October 30 to Sunday, November 2\. There is a family-friend mask and banner making workshop at Bar Nothing this Sunday, October 19\. Find out more and see the full programme on* [*the Samhain Society website*](https://www.thesamhainsociety.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Incoming: Margate Film Festival, Pie Factory Music, Trans Club URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-margate-film-festival-pie-factory-music-trans-club/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T07:00:05.000Z **A teaser for this year's Margate Film Festival, a party at Pie Factory Music, an EHRC drop-in and more. Lots of dates for your diary over the coming weeks.** The programme for this year’s **Margate Film Festival** is not due to be announced until Wednesday, but they’ve let slip one brilliant sounding event. MFF is **teaming up with Chump’s Comedy for a double bill of King Rocker** \- a documentary on cult indie band The Nightingales - **and Oxide Ghosts: The Brass Eye Tapes**, on the classic Chris Morris satirical series. **The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the director of both films Michael Cumming and comedian Stewart Lee**. Tickets on sale on Wednesday. [Margate Film Festival: ‘We want to be a beacon for bold, boundary-pushing cinema’After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-47.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) **Pie Factory Music is putting on a party to mark one year since the start of their #SaveOurYouthCentre campaig**n. The youth charity is awaiting a final decision on their proposal to remain in their home at Ramsgate Youth Centre by Kent County Council. A year into the fight to stay, the organisation wants to say thank you to the local community for their support over the last twelve months. **Join them from 6pm on Saturday, October 18** for performances, to meet the team, and more. **RSVP by emailing** [**info@piefactorymusic.com**](mailto:info@piefactorymusic.com). [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-48.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) **Margate Pride, Margate Black Pride and Trans Club Margate** are hosting adrop-in session for anyone concerned about the **Equality and Human Rights Commission’s proposed changes to its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations**. The changes were put to a public consultation following the UK Supreme Court judgment earlier this year that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act 2010 to be based on biological sex. **The session will take place at CAMP in Cliftonville on Tuesday, October 28 from 7pm**. Actor and writer **Katie McGarry** will be performing her one-woman comedy musical **You’re Not in the West End Now at the Arden Theatre in Faversham on Saturday, October 25**. The show draws on autobiographical stories to flip the glitz of London’s theatre scene. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ticketshop/iframe/event.php?eventhash=e-dyrlpd&target=&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **MOP will be taking over Bar Ingo in Broadstairs for two weeks in November**, cooking up a menu full of bold fusion flavours. They’ll be in the kitchen from **November 7-14 from Friday to Monday** both weeks. [**Book your table now**](https://bar-ingo.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Drag artist Father JC will be performing **Father JC’s Holy Show at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on October 22-23**. It promises “an unforgettable night of music, mayhem, and a little bit of holiness.” [**Tickets £14**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28760/father-jcs-holy-show-tom-thumb-theatre?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Electronics is back for its tenth edition in December**. Loula Yorke, Microcorps and M2C will perform live on Friday, December 5 at Margate Arts Club. ALM will also be set up to demo their latest modular synth products. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30376/margate-electronics-10-modular?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Rare Steak Supper Club** is putting on a **three course feast at Seabird in Ramsgate on October 24**. A classic menu of prawn cocktail, followed by ribeye steak and an almond tart, it’s [**£40 a head**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/rare-steak-night?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wines on the night will be hand-picked by Uncharted Wines. **Margate’s Social Singing Choir** have announced **Film Night**, where they will be performing **iconic songs made famous on the silver screen**. There will also be a surprise special guest, and attendees are invited to dress in their film premier best. [**Tickets £12**](https://book.stripe.com/6oUeVd1ML1co89V5yU57W05?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Film critic Anna Bogutskaya** will be **discussing her new book** on the attraction of horror movies, **Feeding the Monster**, at the **Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday, October 30**. She will be in conversation with local writer Ryan J Smith. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feeding-the-monster-with-anna-bogutskaya-tickets-1755678935959?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cliftonville Chess Club launched at Lowlife this week. Now Ramsgate’s getting in on the action. The excellently named **Rhythm of the Knight Chess Club** meets **every Thursday at Seabird**. While busting out your best moves, you can also enjoy cocktails and the venue’s top notch hi-fi. The fabulous **ELZ will be at CAMP in Cliftonville on Friday, October 28** performing jokes, poems and songs, as well as introducing a line up of other great acts. [**Tickets £6**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30723/elz-and-friends-camp?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New film club Keeno is launching on Tuesday, November 4 at Big Shot in Margate**. With a **book club style** set up, the monthly meet up will ask members to watch two films on their own time, before turning up to discuss them with the group. Hosts Dan Levy and Jack Goldstein will also offer up related articles and other reading material to help you prepare. [**DM to find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/keenofilmclub/?e=bc14478d-5693-41ff-83d5-15f138e645ff&g=5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet Book Club** have announced that their **next read will be A Grave Inheritance by Felicity Epps** \- notable because she is a **former member of that very book club**. Recently published by Hachette, Epps’ debut novel is a supernatural crime thriller aimed at the young adult market. If that sounds up your street, the group will meet at the **Broadstairs branch of Forts at 7.30pm on Monday, October 27**. **The first Kent Pop Exchange showcase** is set to take place at **Where Else in Margate on Thursday, October 23**. The three young music acts performing will be Canterbury’s Polo Lounge and Fuji Hideout, and The Rambling Club from Tunbridge Wells. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.gigantic.com/polo-lounge-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-10-23-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Kent Whisky Explorers night at Little Swift in Margate will be on Thursday, November 27**. This one will be all about Islay whiskies. It will also be a fundraiser for Movember, with host Paul Vig rocking a tasche in memory of his late father. As well as the whisky tasting, there will be a charity raffle, with prizes donated by a number of local businesses. **Email** [**kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com**](mailto:kentwhiskyexplorers@gmail.com) **to book in**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (October 13-19) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-october-13-19/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T07:00:12.000Z **Comedy, poetry, pottery, theatre and more. Your pick of events happening in Thanet, East Kent and London this week.** The [Diaries of Note newsletter](https://diariesofnote.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is putting on a live show at Cadogan Hall in London on Monday to mark the release of its first book. [Tickets from £39.50](https://tickets.artist-tix.com/tickets/series/SUCH25/shaun-usher-presents-diaries-of-note-from-page-to-stage-1723750?startDate=10-13-2025&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Lou Wall performs their new show Breaking the Fifth Wall at CAMP in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Tickets £12](https://dice.fm/event/3oyd7g-lou-wall-breaking-the-fifth-wall-15th-oct-camp-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Harry Baker is recording a live episode of his Something Borrowed podcast with fellow poet Caitlin O’Ryan at Ark in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Tickets £13.70](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/something-borrowed-ft-caitlin-oryan-tickets-1477833562969?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Lux Pottery and Something Familiar will be putting on a joint show at Pie Factory in Margate from Thursday to Monday. [Find out more](https://piefactorymargate.co.uk/exhibition/light-life-lux-pottery-and-something-familiar/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Letters You’ll Never Send is at the Arden Theatre in Faversham on Friday, as part of the Faversham Fringe. [Tickets £10](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ticketshop/iframe/event.php?eventhash=e-lerolj&target=&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [A jukebox of confessions: Letters You’ll Never Send brings anonymous confessions to the stageHave you got something you’ve always wanted to say to someone but don’t dare? Katie McGarry’s show Letters You’ll Never Send takes your deepest secrets and puts them on stage![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-49.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/KatieMcGarry383copy-1-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/a-jukebox-of-confessions-letters-youll-never-send-brings-anonymous-confessions-to-the-stage/) The Canterbury Festival returns from Friday until November 1\. [See the full programme](https://canterburyfestival.co.uk/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Oktoberfest is coming to Quex Park on Saturday. [Tickets from £20](https://www.oktoberfestthanet.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Mushroom Festival takes place at ARK in Cliftonville on Saturday and Sunday. [Day passes are £55, and it’s £95 for the weekend](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/margatemushroomfestival/1802144?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Body As Data has [a day of events](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPoeuJmiBZ3/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) sharing its living archive of migration stories told through movement, covering sound, film, movement and memory on Sunday. As part of the Folkestone Fringe, you’ll find it at Block 67 from 1-7pm. All events free. [Interview: The Body As Data director Sidonie Carey-GreenStrange Tourist speaks to Sidonie Carey-Green about The Body As Data, a new film documenting real life stories of forced migration through dance and spoken word![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-50.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/BodyAsDataPinesCalyx-315-1-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-body-as-data-we-are-all-human-we-all-have-a-right-to-connection-expression-and-safety/) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Madonna in Margate and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/new-blast-madonna-in-margate-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T07:00:46.000Z **Madonna paid a visit to Margate, a local chef won an award, one of our favourite Broadstairs cafes is changing things up. This and more creative and cultural news from across Thanet and beyond.** **Madonna was in Margate last weekend**. I know! The actual Madonna. Apparently she sang a few songs in Peter’s Fish Factory. Actually, that’s not confirmed. Mainly because I just made it up. She was really in town to look at some art, **visiting TKE Studios and the Carl Freedman Gallery**. I don’t know if she sang any songs at all. She might have hummed to herself a little. She’s always humming to herself. That’s a fact and you can quote me on it. **Margate chef Craig Edgell walked away from this week’s National Chef of the Year finals with the Best Presentation Award**. Chosen by a public vote, he won the prize for his Native Lobster Roll roll starter, part of the menu cooked up for the final. The overall winner of the competition was Danny Young from The Torridon in the Scottish Highlands. Set an alarm! **Super early bird tickets for next year’s Smugglers Festival will go on sale at 8am on Wednesday**. These will go fast, so [load up the website now](https://smugglersfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Smugglers Festival’s journey to become a magical and mysterious summer highlightWith most of its stages hidden in woodland, Kent’s Smugglers Festival is an “inspiring and magical” experience, says programmer Stewart Hughes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-46.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Smugglers22-252-1-4.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/) **The Crab Museum has put out an open call to contribute artwork to its 2026 calendar**. Do you have a crabby drawing idea? The skill to pull it off? Access to an email account? Now is your time to shine. **Submit your landscape orientated image to** [**calendarcrab@gmail.com**](mailto:calendarcrab@gmail.com) **by October 31**. Winning entries will be included in the calendar and displayed one month at a time (as per tradition) in kitchens around the world. Cute cafe **Little Wave in Broadstairs is having a bit of a pivot**. Currently closed for a refurb, **it will re-open in the near future as Little Wave Deli**. It will serve up coffee, fresh sourdough, sandwiches, take out meze pots and baked goods, as well as stocking ingredients from local independent producers. **Margate Bookie has** [**announced the winner**](https://www.margatebookie.com/news/f9jn36vkrgoywks7k7dsty2wr6unl9?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **of its Children’s Bookie badge design competition** as nine year old **Tabitha from Garlinge Primary School**. Her design was picked to be turned into the official badge of this year’s competition from over 1000 entries. If you’re heading down to the Turner today, you can **pick up a free badge** in the Clore Learning Studio. **The entries are also on display in the window of the Margate School on the High Street until Sunday**. **Cookie Man in Margate’s Old Kent Market is closing down**, which is sad news. **Not until the end of March next year though**, so there’s plenty of time to overload on those delicious cookies. And while you won’t be able to buy any more after March 28, you will be able to make them yourself. The Cookie Man himself, Stuart Saint, is working on a recipe book to pass on his knowledge. This is one of **a number of projects that will keep Cookie Man alive in different forms**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Margate Mushroom Festival: ‘All mushrooms are magic’ URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-mushroom-festival-all-mushrooms-are-magic/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T17:48:09.000Z Neither plant nor animal, but related to humans - if you want to go back a billion years or so - mushrooms are bonkers things. While some fungus facts sound utterly bizarre, what is apparent is that mushrooms are small but mighty - what other thing could be a zombie, feed us, be good for the environment, get us high, and potentially alleviate illnesses and disease? Darryn de la Soul is well versed in the magic of fungi, setting up Margate Mushrooms during Covid and evolving the business to support her work at Margate Independent Food Bank. Ahead of the CIC’s first Margate Mushroom Festival, Darryn offers up just a glimpse of just how strange things with fungi can get. ### **Have mushrooms always been your favourite food?** I've always loved mushrooms but \[Margate Mushrooms\] is a lockdown project that's gone a bit bonkers. I was one of the three million people who got no government help so I needed a side hustle - my main hustle is events. Weirdly, I saw a Facebook ad saying, learn how to grow mushrooms, and I thought, ‘yeah okay, I'll do that’, and that's how it started. I started growing in a spare room at home and in the same period of time, John Finnegan and I started Margate's Independent Food Bank; I put 20 and five together and got three and decided that we should do \[the mushroom growing\] as part of the food bank so it would become a revenue-generating arm of the food bank. That's one of the big reasons why I'm doing this festival, besides the fact that I really want to do a mushroom festival. I want to be able to bolster the amount of free food we can give away over winter. There's so little funding available for food banks, we need to generate our own. ### **Did you know mushrooms’ virtues when you started growing them?** Not really, no. But I've since done lots of training on the medicinal side of mushrooms and all the amazing benefits. One of the people speaking at the festival, Martin Powell, is a medicinal mushrooms guru. He’ll be speaking about the use of mushrooms in longevity and in having a good old age. I find it more and more engulfing; the whole brilliance of how humans and mushrooms are made for each other. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. It's such an interesting field. ![Darryn Le Soul, founder of Margate Mushrooms. Photo: Margate Mushrooms](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/Darryn-de-la-Soul-1.JPG) Darryn Le Soul, founder of Margate Mushrooms. **Photo: Margate Mushrooms* ### **How are you feeling about the festival?** I'm so excited. It's going to be amazing. We're going to have a mushroom market as well that's open with all kinds of mushroom-based people there. That's going to be open to everybody. MOP Margate are going to be doing lunches, we have a post-dinner DJ at Hoffs and loads of restaurants in town will be having a special mushroom dish for the weekend. It's going to be a town-wide event. ### **Looking at the festival programme, what jumped out was that mushrooms have many purposes and functions and tap into many different fields. What were your considerations when putting the programme together, and is there an area that interests you the most?** My personal interest is in health and wellbeing because I use lion's mane every day. I use shiitake regularly when I'm run down or ill. I use cordyceps often. But when programming the festival, I wanted it to be very broad so that we could appeal to everybody from different angles. We've got foraging to cooking, via ageing, via the use of psychedelics in Africa. The amazing Darren Le Baron is in South Africa at the moment, discovering more about how \[mushrooms have\] been used for centuries. He's a really big proponent of the use of psychedelics, not just for fun but for functional use in healing. ### **I’ve heard of mushrooms in terms of foraging and health, but I’ve never heard of their cultural significance in Africa. Could you tell me a little bit more about that?** Well, I don't really know, this is what we're going to find out from Darren. But I come from South Africa and I studied archaeology. I remember specifically being taught about the experience of the San; that when they would do these dances they would have this experience of energy boiling inside them and then shooting out the back of their neck. At the time I understood that as something that came out of this physical endeavor of dancing and dancing and dancing. But it seems that they have been using mushrooms or other plants to help with this process. And it’s in these out-of-body experiences where they interact with the animals they're going to hunt. ### **What are you looking forward to most at the festival?** I'm a little bit keen for the cooking demo with Craig Mathers from Kebbell’s restaurant in Broadstairs because he's been doing some wonderful things with our mushrooms on their menu for a long time. And I'm a lazy cook, so for me to find some really good inspiration for cooking better with my own mushrooms. ### **What is your go-to mushroom dish at home?** Just mushrooms on toast - there’s nothing better. Mushrooms, garlic, toast, good bread, it’s just the best. ![Craig Mathers. Photo: Margate Mushrooms](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/Chef-Craig-Mather-1.jpg) Craig Mathers. **Photo: Margate Mushrooms* ### **And you said that you take lion’s mane regularly and shiitake when you're feeling rough. Could you tell me some of their benefits?** Absolutely. So lion's mane is incredibly good for focus;\* to be able to finish one email before you start the next one and resist the temptations of multitasking when actually you just need to complete a task. I have lots of adult ADHD clients who swear by it. It's also been used in Chinese medicine for centuries for gut problems, like gastritis. And then shiitake, I use when I'm run down because it's an incredibly good immune boost. Especially if I'm starting to get a cold, it's an excellent antiviral preparation.I use it alongside a standard cold and flu remedy. The combination of the two is extremely beneficial, especially now coming up to winter. ### **What's the property?** It's got a special thing called Lentinan, which is its superpower. ### **And what’s lion’s mane’s superpower?** [It stimulates nerve growth factor in your brain](https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230213/Active-compound-in-Lione28099s-Mane-mushroom-improves-nerve-growth-and-memory.aspx?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). \[Mushrooms and humans are\] so close - the last evolutionary split between animals and something else was between animals and fungi - so we have a common ancestor. That’s why we have such an affinity with fungus and fungi. ### **What do you mean by affinity?** It means that we've got lots of receptors for fungi and we've got lots of things that interact with our immune system. That is why lion's mane is so good for things like mild cognitive impairments in the elderly.\*\* \[Scientists\] are looking at lion’s mane as something to use in [dementia drugs](https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230213/Active-compound-in-Lione28099s-Mane-mushroom-improves-nerve-growth-and-memory.aspx?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), because it has this interaction with our immune system. Most mushrooms also contain something called [ergothioneine](https://www.gavinpublishers.com/article/view/a-mushroom-derived-compound-that-could-change-your-life-ergothioneine?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). We have ergothioneine receptors all over our bodies, in our eyes, in our liver - literally our body is full of them. We should be getting ergothioneine through the food chain. It should be coming from fungus in the soil, which goes into the plants. We eat the plants, we get ergothioneine. The plants get eaten by the animals, we eat the animals, we should get the ergothioneine. But because of farming practices where pesticides are used at every step of the way, and most pesticides are fungicides; we kill off the fungus in the soil, we kill off the fungus during storage, we kill off the fungus everywhere. And the only way to get it is by eating mushrooms. It is very important in exercise, in recovery, in energy production. ![Angela Wooi, guest at Margate Mushroom Festival. Photo: MM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/Angela-Wooi-2-1.jpg) Angela Wooi, guest at Margate Mushroom Festival. **Photo: Margate Mushrooms* ### **Is this ergothioneine just in lion’s mane or in all mushrooms?** It’s in all mushrooms. In fact, shiitake has more than many other mushrooms, but all mushrooms have it. ### **There must be a quality difference between your mushroom and the ones you get at Tesco. Do you still find ergothioneine in shop-bought mushrooms?** As much as I want everybody to buy my nice expensive fancy mushrooms, the white button mushrooms for Tescos are still packed with medicinal benefits. In fact, one of the best mushrooms to prevent and to [fight breast cancer](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831322004641?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) with, is white button mushrooms from Sainsbury's.\*\*\* ### **Really?** Yeah. Isn't that amazing? I don't want to put anybody off buying my lion's mane, but white button mushrooms, seriously, they're gonna help you. I always say to people, please do buy our amazing mushrooms, but in between buy mushrooms anyway, eat mushrooms. ### **You've blown my mind. What is the most interesting fact about mushrooms that you have learnt?** Well, breast cancer and white button mushrooms, is definitely one of them. The other one, which is a fun fact, is cordyceps. Cordyceps' superpower is endurance - especially for men in certain circumstances. But cordyceps are the zombie mushroom. Around Tibet, areas make their entire living from harvesting these mushrooms in the wild. The mushrooms take over an insect's brain. They eat out the brain and occupy the insect's body and basically get the insect to move them around. That's how they move. It's completely mental. But in the UK, the ones that we supply, they're vegan. They live on brown rice. ### **Do you have a favourite mushroom in general or is there one you have a soft spot for?** It was the lion's mane, but it's now the cordyceps, now that I've seen how they grow. They’re these incredible bright orange fingers and they're so beautiful. They've definitely become my favourite. They have such a great effect on me when I need some extra energy. ![Martin Powell, guest at Margate Mushroom Festival. Photo: MM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/10/Martin-Powell-1.jpg) Martin Powell, guest at Margate Mushroom Festival. Photo: Margate Mushrooms ### **You must get this quite a lot, but do you trade in magic mushrooms or will they have a presence at the festival in some way?** No. They are illegal. They will definitely not be for sale… But all mushrooms are magic! ### **You've kind of convinced me that they are.** They really are, and that's now my standard reply to anybody who asks for magic mushrooms. We just can't do it. We're a CIC. We're a food bank. We can't sell illegal things. However, there is a campaign called Psilocybin Access Rights. They will be at the festival with their petition trying to change the status of psilocybin. In the panel discussion, we will be talking to Heroic Hearts who do therapeutic work with magic mushrooms with people suffering from PTSD. Their work is amazing, and PAR are keen to reclassify psilocybin and allow it for use in therapeutic situations and in medical health applications. ### **It sounds like you've got every mushroom base covered in this festival.** DLS : Yeah, we're trying to! *Margate Mushroom Festival is on October 18-19 at ARK Cliftonville. Day and weekend passes are available, or you can buy tickets for individual events. For more information and programming visit* [*margatemushrooms.co.uk*](https://www.margatemushrooms.co.uk/margate-mushroom-festival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* \*[Medical News Today](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/lions-mane-adhd?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) reports that some research indicates lion’s mane may improve some symptoms associated with ADHD, but there is a lack of evidence to support these claims. \*\*A[ 2024 study](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10675414/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#:~:text=Preliminary%20research%20observed%20improvements%20in,with%20erinacine%20A%2Denriched%20H.) found that preliminary research indicated that H.erinaceus (one of the properties contained in lion’s mane) supplements improved the scores of mild cognitive impairments in adults aged 50-80 years old, and shows promise in improving cognitive function and mood. The same study noted that the medicinal properties of H.erinaceus includes antioxidants, anticancer and antimicrobial. \*\*\*Cancer Research UK states that there is not enough evidence to say any mushroom can prevent or cure cancer. While not breast cancer, a recent study found that white button mushrooms may reduce immune suppression and enhance anti-cancer immune responses in prostate cancer patients, reports [European Medical Journal](https://www.emjreviews.com/oncology/news/white-button-mushrooms-found-to-halt-cancer-progression/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Incoming: A Dead Good Festival, Fireworks, Light Up Ramsgate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-a-dead-good-festival-fireworks-light-up-ramsgate/ Last updated: 2025-10-07T07:00:11.000Z **Line up announcement for a magic and mysticism festival, Quex Park's annual fireworks display, Ramsgate's illuminations festival and lots more. Dates for your diary over the next few months.** **The programme for A Dead Good Festival has been announced**. The four day celebration of magic and mysticism has a wide array of events, including **live music, film screenings, talks, workshops, rituals and more**. We’re looking forward to AUTOHAUs and Black Market Karma’s live music and visuals on October 30, the Samhain procession on October 31, and the actual Charlotte Church performing sound rituals down in the Shell Grotto on November 1\. [**See the full schedule and book tickets**](https://dandelion.events/o/the-samhain-society?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Quex Park’s annual firework display takes place this year on Saturday, November 1**. As ever, there will be two displays, with the main one set to music. There will also be a massive bonfire, bars, food, rides, fire performers and more. [**Book tickets**](https://www.quexparkfireworks.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Discovery Planet** will be making a welcome return with a **spooky science event on Saturday, November 1** from midday to 5pm. Taking place at Ramsgate Space, the free drop-in session will have six stalls showcasing Halloween-themed science experiments. Looping the Loop will also be putting on some outdoor theatre and there will be lighting installations from Light Up Ramsgate. **Another pop-up science event is planned for November 30, Ramsgate Christmas tree lights switch-on**. Speaking of **Light Up Ramsgate** (formerly Ramsgate Lumiere), the **illumination trail has announced its return for 2025** as part of the wider Ramsgate Winter Festival. Local and international artists will spread light **installations around the town centre from December 11 to January 25**. Full details still TBC. **Ramsgate Arts Club’s next comedy night will be headlined by Norwegian comic Thor Stenhaug**. Also on the bill are Kate Lucas, Max Fulham, and Tadi M. [**Tickets £18**](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/6thnovember?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ceramicist Trix Newham (Lux Pottery) and artist Sian C Morgan (Something Familiar)** will be putting on a joint show at **Pie Factory in Margate on October 16-20.** Trix will be showing her amazing lamps and tiles, while Sian will be showing her ink and watercolour drawings of local landmarks. [**Find out more**](https://piefactorymargate.co.uk/exhibition/light-life-lux-pottery-and-something-familiar/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Crab Museum is turning four!** To mark the occasion, they’re having a **party at Where Else on Saturday, October 25**. There will be DJ sets from Breezy C (jungle, donk, garage), Switch Back Smith (hard, fast and stupid party music) and Isaan Cowbell Brothers (sped up molam bangers with suggestive dancing, live cowbell and jokes that White people are forbidden to participate in). This is all, say the Crab Museum team, “music we think crabs would like.” [**Tickets £9.69**](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/crab-museum-4th-birthday-party-2nd-release?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chump’s Comedy is back at the Quarterhouse in Folkestone on Thursday, October 30** with an incredible line up. Taking to the stage will be Rhys James, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Huge Davies and Lil Wenker. MCing the night will be John Tothill. [**Tickets £16.50**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/eopoy6-rhys-james-fatiha-el-ghorri-huge-davies-lil-wenker-john-tothill-30th-oct-creative-folkestone-quarterhouse-folkestone-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Candlelit classical performance night Lumos** will be coming to **Holy Trinity church in Broadstairs on Friday, November 14**. Surrounded by hundreds of candles, a trio of string players will perform instrumental arrangements of Coldplay songs. [**Tickets from £20**](https://www.lumos-experiences.com/event/a-coldplay-candlelight-experience-in-broadstairs%F0%9F%95%AF%EF%B8%8Ffriday-14th-november/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Love karaoke and hot dogs but never dreamed you could enjoy both at the same time?** Well how about this? Not only can you, but you can do it every single month of the year. Only once though, let’s not be silly. **Big Shot in Margate has just launched a monthly karaoke and hot dogs night**. It takes place on the first Friday of every month. Yes, you just missed the first one. **Best put November 7 in your diary now**. Having launched in August, the **Resonant Coast live music night is back for a second edition**. This one will take place at **Ramsgate Arts Club on Thursday, October 23**. It’ll also serve as the release party for Tessera, a new album from producers JQ and Richard Pike. They will perform music from the record live, following a support set from Danish guitarist Anders Holst. [**Tickets £7.50**](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/23rdoct?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Performance artist Ted Rogers** will be running a **four hour dance workshop at TKE Studios in Margate on Friday, October 24**. It’s for “anyone curious about dance as a way of connecting to themselves, to others and to what’s moving underneath it all.” [**Tickets £22.38**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dance-workshop-w-ted-rogers-tke-studios-tickets-1753522495989?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). We’ve been enjoying popping into **Cliftonville bottle shop Drops** and wandering out with an armful of beer and snacks since it opened this summer. But now the nights are drawing in, wandering is overrated. Luckily, on **Friday, October 24**, you’ll be able to stay and sample your purchases at the shop’s **Oktoberfest Drink-in event**. Will there be food? Well, **Bombo Doughnuts will be providing “something special”** still to be announced. **Film critic Anna Bogutskaya will be discussing her new book** Feeding the Monster: Why Horror Has a Hold On Us at the **Folkestone Bookshop on Friday, October 24**. Hear her chat about all things horror and then ask any burning questions you still have. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.thefolkestonebookshop.co.uk/store/p/feeding-the-monster-horror-discussion-with-anna-bogutskaya?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Photographer Tim Topple unveils his new exhibition Bad Dad** \- an exploration of “the quiet guilt and loud joy of raising children while holding onto a sense of self” - at **Cliftonville’s Joseph Wales gallery from November 5-10**. There will be a **private view on November 7**, 6-9pm. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (October 4-12) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-october-4-12/ Last updated: 2025-10-06T12:43:48.000Z **Supper clubs, book talks, comedy, live music and more. Events and things to do this week in Thanet and beyond.** Japanese restaurant Mori Mori and pie-focussed supper club CRIMP and teaming up for a one-off menu at the George & Heart in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £35](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/mori-mori-x-crimp-supper-club?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedian Marcus Brigstocke will performing his new show Vitruvian Mango at Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £19](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/l86lbb-marcus-brigstocke-vitruvian-mango-8th-oct-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). DJ Jodie Harsh will be discussing her new memoir You Had to Be There with Robert Diament at CAMP in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/you-had-to-be-there-with-jodie-harsh-tickets-1711170851079?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2Agsl15%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTg4MjAzNDU2OS4xNzU4MjgwNzE1%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NTgyODA3MTUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTgyODA3MTUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bob Chicalors - aka Janet District Council - will host a porn amnesty and collage making workshop at Margate Queer Library & Archive on Wednesday. [Free tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30343/self-censorship-prn-amnesty-and-collage-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Dan Thompson will curate a Banned Books Reading Room at Margate Queer Library & Archive from Wednesday to Saturday. New cafe Lowlife launches Cliftonville Chess Club on Wednesday. Attendance is free from 5-7pm. From 4-5pm there are £5 lessons for children aged 6+. The London Film Festival runs from Wednesday until October 19\. [See the full programme](https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Strange Tourist hosts a live event at The Margate School on Thursday as part of Margate Bookie. Building Stories will speak to an amazing panel of guests about creating stories in different forms. [Tickets £6](https://www.margatebookie.com/bookie-2025-full-schedule/strange-tourist-bjlrd?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Punk band Panic Shack play at Where Else in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £19.80](https://www.whereelse.live/home?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Steph Dickinson will cook up an autumnal Cypriot menu for her latest supper club at Curve in Margate on Friday. Places are £37\. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/kkailou.world/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Jah Wobble and his band The Invaders of the Heart play Where Else on Friday. [Tickets £28.59](https://dice.fm/event/l86oor-jah-wobble-and-the-invaders-of-the-heart-10th-oct-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). John Cooper Clarke will be performing at Kings Hall in Herne Bay on Friday. [Tickets £26](https://www.thekingshall.com/events/dr-john-cooper-clarke-and-special-guests/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ocean conservation focussed artist residency Rise Up will unveil a new mural by artist KMG at Broadstairs’ Albion Street carpark on Saturday. Arts in Ramsgate is putting on a fundraising night at Margate Art Club on Saturday. [Suggested donation £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30089/maximum-joy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thomas Truax and his band of homemade, self-playing mechanical instruments will be back at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday. [Tickets £13.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/thomas-traux/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs planty cafe Foliage will host autumn wreath making sessions on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are £45 per head and include a drink. Email [foliageplants@icloud.com](mailto:foliageplants@icloud.com) to book. Broadstairs’ Palace Cinema will be putting on a special screening of 1922 classic Nosferatu synced with Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac albums on Sunday. [Tickets £10](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/radiohead-x-nosferatu-a-symphony-of-horror-1922/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate chef make National Chef of the Year finals and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-chef-make-national-chef-of-the-year-finals-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-10-05T07:00:30.000Z **Buoy & Oyster head chef makes National Chef of the Year finals, a new pub for Margate Old Town, Thanet pubs in the Good Beer Guide and more. Check out this week's cultural news from across Thanet.** Head chef at Margate’s Buoy & Oyster, **Craig Edgell has made it through to the final of the National Chef of the year competition**. To make it this far, he had to design a menu to impress the judges. Now down to the final ten, he has to actually make it live in front of them. **The final takes place at the University of West London on Tuesday, October 7**, with the overall winner announced at the Hippodrome Casino, Leicester Square later that night. Following their recent announcement that they will be bringing their Chix Stock residency at Cinque Ports to an end next month, **Billy Stock and Ellie Topham** have announced their next project. The are **taking over the pub formerly known as Dukes in Margate Old Town and reopening it as The Wellington**. Being reconfigured into two spaces, it will be a pub serving bar snacks at the front, and a French-inspired dining room at the back. [**See the announcement**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DPRhsTNDO1n/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Twelve Thanet pubs have made it into the new edition of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide**. Ramsgate has the highest tally, with seven. They are the Artillery Arms, the Conqueror Alehouse, the Honeysuckle Inn, the Hovelling Boat Inn, he Montefiore Arms, the Pub, and the Red Lion. They’re joined by the Magney and the Royston in Broadstairs, the Four Candles in St Peters, the Old Bay Alehouse in Birchington, and the Mechanical Elephant in Margate. Seven Thanet breweries also get a mention: Four Candles, Isla Vale, Northdown Brewery, Gadds, Shivering Sands, and Wantsum. [**Buy the guide**](https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/good-beer-guide-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Union Yoga & Wellbeing in Ramsgate is seeking a food business to take over its lovely cafe**, in order to allow owner Amie Evans to focus on the yoga side of the business. Today will be the final day of trading for the cafe until a new operator is found - a decision that does not affect the yoga studio. “Although I’m heartbroken to say goodbye to the cafe as we know it, I’m also excited and hopeful to welcome a new business into the space who can give it the time and energy it truly deserves,” says Amie. **Email** [**cafe@unionramsgate.com**](mailto:cafe@unionramsgate.com) **for more information**. **Happy birthday to Broadstairs ethical children’s clothing and toy store Kinder Collective**, which is turning two. If you’ve never visited this cute little place, this is the perfect time, as they’re spending the whole month celebrating. There will be activities for children every day, plus spooky storytime on October 21, a beach clean on October 22, and trick or treat trail on October 24\. You can also find them running a curated children’s book store at the Turner Contemporary on October 11-12 as part of Margate Bookie. [**Find out more**](https://www.kindercollective.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### The best places in East Kent for a Sunday roast URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/where-to-get-a-tasty-sunday-roast-in-east-kent/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T23:05:50.000Z Autumn is carb season. When the nights are dark and the air is crisp, wrapping up the weekend with a gravy, spuds, trimmings and pudding is a special kind of comfort. In a pub is even better. But what makes a good Sunday roast in a pub? A cosy nook, an open fire, too many potatoes, a large glass of red and a difficult choice come dessert? A non-lethargic vegan option too, perhaps? While opinions may differ on what makes a good pub roast, we have enough choice in our little corner, you can find A Sunday lunch that hits the spot for you. From traditional pub lunches and relaxed affairs to something a little more bougie and occasion dining, here are some of the best Sunday roast across Thanet and in Kent towns and villages further afield. We’ve tried to cover a range of budgets and dietary requirements. Let us know your favourite. ## Margate **George & Heart** The George & Heart’s popular roasts are served until 8pm each Sunday, giving you ample opportunity to get your roast potato fix. There are several meat choices, plus meat-free and child-size options. The cosy Grade II listed former coach inn has an intimate feel and sits just on the edge of Margate’s Old Town. *44 King Street, CT9 1QE. ££. 12-8pm.* [*georgeandheart.com*](https://www.georgeandheart.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Buoy & Oyster, Margate** For something more formal but friendly, this restaurant on Margate’s seafront offers a great sunday roast coupled with a beautiful view out to the horizon. All meats are locally sourced, and there is always a meat-free option too. You can also order from the main restaurant and seafood bar menus. *44 High Street, CT9 1DS. £££. 12-5.30pm.* [*buoyandoyster.com*](https://www.buoyandoyster.com/sunday-roasts-in-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Also recommended **Cliftonville Dining Room.** Roasts cooked up by former Streets chef Julian Brown. *1 Northdown Parade, CT9 2NR. £££. 12-4pm.* [*instagram.com/cliftonville\_diningroom/*](https://www.instagram.com/cliftonville%5Fdiningroom/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Lafayettes.**Excellent selection of vegan and gluten-free options. *13-15 High Street, CT9 1DL. £.* [*lafayettesmargate.co.uk*](https://www.lafayettesmargate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **The Pearly Cow.** Margate’s most upmarket roast is one for a special occasion. *42 High Street, CT9 1DS. ££££. 12-6pm.* [*pearlycow.co.uk*](https://pearlycow.co.uk/pearly-cow-margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Faith in Strangers.** What other nightclub serves a roast? £££ [faithinstrangers.co.uk](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/roast?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ![A bowl of roast potatoes](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/10/jonathan-farber-hltIeEQC_uQ-unsplash-1.jpg) Pile them high. **Photo: Jonathan Farber* ## Ramsgate **Albion House** Looking down over Ramsgate’s East Cliff and the sea, this boutique hotel restaurant is a lovely place to dine. It feels upmarket without being stuffy, and the bar is somewhere you can happily bed in. As well as its meat options, you’ll also find a choice of more than one meat-free roast. Excellent desserts too. *Albion Place, CT11 8HQ. £££. 12-4.30pm.*[*albionhouseramsgate.co.uk*](https://albionhouseramsgate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Royal Harbour Brasserie** Situated on Ramsgate’s East Pier, the Royal Harbour Brasserie offers impressive panoramic views of the town and out to sea. Lots of meat options, plus vegan and kids roasts, or order from the a la carte menu. You’ll find a good range of local beers and ciders on tap too. *East Pier, CT11 8LS. ££. 12pm until sold out.* [*royalharbourbrasserie.co.uk*](https://www.royalharbourbrasserie.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Also recommended **The Belle Vue Tavern.** An incredible view across Pegwell Bay goes well with this no frills but good roast. *Pegwell Road, CT11 0NJ. ££. 12-8pm.* [*thebellevuetavern.co.uk*](https://www.thebellevuetavern.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Number Nine.** A fancier roast, out of town on the Chapel House Estate. *Thorne Hill, CT12 5DS. £££. 12.30-2.30pm.* [*chapelhouseestate.co.uk*](https://chapelhouseestate.co.uk/feast-drink/restaurant/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **The Bedford Inn.** One of our favourite Ramsgate pubs and a popular roast spot too. *29 West Cliff Road, CT11 9JP. ££. 12-8.30pm.* [*thebedfordinn.co.uk*](https://www.thebedfordinn.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **The Falstaff.** A classic affair, but with two vegan options to choose from. *16-18 Addington St, Ramsgate CT11 9JJ. ££.* [thefalstafframsgate.com](https://www.thefalstafframsgate.com/sundayroast?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![A joint of pork and roasted carrots](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/10/sebastian-coman-photography-g6a9U4CjI0k-unsplash-1.jpg) Winter cuisine. **Photo: Sebastian Coman* ## Broadstairs **Twenty Seven Harbour Street** This popular restaurant serves up wood fired gourmet roasts. Not cheap - particularly the sharing options - it's worth it if you're feeling flush. Booking is advised, as it's an intimate space, but limited tables are reserved for walk-ins if you feeling spontaneous. *27 Harbour Street, CT10 1EU. £££. 12.30-5pm.* [*twentysevenharbourstreet.co.uk*](https://twentysevenharbourstreet.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **The Tartar Frigate** A traditional pub with views out over Viking Bay and a kitchen that punches above its weight. It’s a set four course menu, so be ready to come out stuffed (although a half portion is available). Ingredients are all locally sourced and seasonal. *Harbour Street, Kent CT10 1EU, ££, 12.30pm & 3.30pm.* [*tartarfrigate.co.uk*](https://www.tartarfrigate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Also recommended **The Pickled Herring.** An intimate restaurant with simply cooked food. *54 Albion Street, CT10 1NF. ££. 12.30-3pm.* [*thepickledherringbroadstairs.co.uk*](https://www.thepickledherringbroadstairs.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Jetty.** Thoughtful choice of meals whether you eat meat or not. *The Harbour, CT10 1JU. £££. 12-6pm.* [*jettybroadstairs.co.uk*](https://www.jettybroadstairs.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Neptunes Hall.** Broadstairs' most fun pub and a great roast. *1-3 Harbour Street, CT10 1ET. ££. 12-4pm.* [*neptuneshall.co.uk*](https://www.neptuneshall.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/10/edward-howell-ZXmxQ0Ny_IY-unsplash-Cropped.jpg) "I couldn't possibly," you lie. **Photo: Edward Howell* ## Other towns **Samphire, Whitstable** We’re big fans of this charming bistro in the heart of Whitstable. Its quality comes at a premium but you won’t leave disappointed. Its Sunday starters will give a good indication of why you should come back for more on another day of the week. Great kids options too. *4 High St, CT5 1BQ. £££. 12.30-3.30pm.* [*samphirewhitstable.co.uk*](https://www.samphirewhitstable.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **The Rose, Deal** Whenever we ask for recommendations for places to eat outside of Thanet there’s a good chance The Rose will be mentioned. It’s a limited offering but you can be sure it’ll be delicious. Book to stay Sunday night and your roast is free. *91 High Street, CT14 6ED. £££. 12-4pm.* [*therosedeal.com*](https://therosedeal.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Also recommended **The Parrot, Canterbury.**Dating back to the 14th century, a lovely setting for a traditional roast. *1-9 Church Lane, CT1 2AG. ££. 12-9pm.* [*parrotcanterbury.co.uk*](https://www.parrotcanterbury.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **The Radnor Arms, Folkestone.**Cosy pub with a range of roasts. A la carte also available, including a full vegan menu. *Christ Church Road, CT20 2SX. £££.* [*radnorarmsfolkestone.co.uk*](https://www.radnorarmsfolkestone.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Finbar’s, Westgate-on-Sea.** Relaxed restaurant overlooking West Bay. *West Bay Promenade, CT8 8QA. ££. 12-4pm.* [*finbarswestgate.co.uk*](https://www.finbarswestgate.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![A pint of beer in front of an open fire](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/10/dan-barrett-288MBFi_G7o-unsplash.jpg) Not a lot beats a pint by an open fire. **Photo: Dan Barrett* ## East Kent villages **The New Inn, Minster** Serving up a good solid roast that won’t break the bank, The New Inn is a friendly place to hang out. It also has a large beer garden with a nice kids play area. If you cycle, there’s storage for your bike while you eat too. *2 Tothill Street, CT12 4AG. £. 12-3.45pm.* [*thenewinn-minster.com*](http://www.thenewinn-minster.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Fordwich Arms, Fordwich** Alright, this is a place to go when you really want to push the boat out. By far the most expensive on our list, this roast will cost you £110, plus another £90 for the wine pairing. The Fordwich does boast a Michelin Star and some incredible reviews though, so note it for a very special occasion. *King Street, CT2 0DB. £££££. 12-5pm.* [*fordwicharms.co.uk*](https://www.fordwicharms.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Also recommended **Updown Farmhouse, Betteshanger.** Beautiful 17th century former farmstead serves up a simple but impressive Sunday menu. *Updown Road, CT14 0EF. ££££. 12-5pm.* [*updownfarmhouse.com*](https://updownfarmhouse.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Prince of Wales, Hoath.** Friendly and accommodating, this sweet little place provides a good end to a walk in East Blean woods. *Maypole Road, CT3 4LN. ££. 12-6pm.* [*theprinceofwales.co.uk*](https://www.theprinceofwales.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **The Marquis of Granby, Alkham.** A pleasing find in a delightful village outside Folkestone. *Alkham Valley Road, CT15 7DF. £££. 12-6.30pm* [*marquisofgranby.co.uk*](https://marquisofgranby.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Radiohead x Nosferatu, Harry Baker, Arts in Ramsgate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-radiohead-x-nosferatu-harry-baker-arts-in-ramsgate/ Last updated: 2025-09-30T07:00:25.000Z **Radiohead albums synced to 1922 silent movie Nosferatu, an Arts in Ramsgate fundraising club night, a whole lot of apples, and more. Events and things to in Thanet and beyond in the coming weeks.** **Broadstairs’ Palace Cinema** will be putting on **a special screening of 1922 classic Nosferatu synced with Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac albums on Sunday, October 12**. If the trailer is anything to go by, this pairing will work very well. [**Tickets £10**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/radiohead-x-nosferatu-a-symphony-of-horror-1922/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Arts in Ramsgate** is putting on a **fundraising night at Margate Art Club on Saturday, October 11**. DJing an eclectic mix of genres from dub to post-punk will be Dub Will Heal Our World, Benedict Drew, The Vacuum Cleaner and Blenda Jaxxon. [**Suggested donation £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30089/maximum-joy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Apple season is here. The trees are spilling over with them. It’s great. I love apples. And on **October 4-5, Brogdale Collections is putting on an apple fair**. There will be talks about apples, apples tasting, orchard tours, apple displays, and kids’ apple juicing. Best of all, your ticket gets you a free tote bag, which you can fill with 4kg of free apples. [**Tickets £12**](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/apple-fair/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Rising Tide Craft Beer Festival takes place on October 24-25 at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge**. Breweries including Time & Tide, Burnt Mill, Two Flints, Sure Shot, and Verdant will be pouring their beers. There will also be various local street food stalls. Entry fee includes a £10 beer token. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.timeandtidebrewing.co.uk/events/p/03ncw601cm7d7f70syfh5kt9rq337g?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Culty Film Club** launches with its first event on **Wednesday, October 29 at Cliftonville’s Faith in Strangers**. The night will begin with a **four course meal**, followed by a **film quiz** and finally a screening of George Romero’s 1968 classic **Night of the Living Dead**. [**Tickets £55**](https://www.sevenrooms.com/experiences/faithinstrangers/culty-film-club---night-of-the-living-dead-5737974972366848?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacm68rvkqFZ%5FLI0ZewQRBOGLc0PoUayo6dHX9f2iP63afHuHiwA%5FX-ivIxLKA%5Faem%5F32FuRTSbvOaLrAzVquj-7w&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Harry Baker** will be recording a **live episode of his Something Borrowed podcast** with fellow poet Caitlin O’Ryan at **Ark in Cliftonville on Wednesday, October 15**. The night will open with an open mic. [**Tickets £13.70**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/something-borrowed-ft-caitlin-oryan-tickets-1477833562969?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Analogue Ensemble** brings its **experimental film night to Ramsgate Arts Club on Sunday, October 26**. There will be a programme of short films followed by discussions. Local filmmakers interested in showing their work should [get in touch](https://www.instagram.com/analogueensemble/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Free entry**. As part of Margate Queer Library’s series of events on censorship, **Bob Chicalors will host a porn amnesty and collage making workshop on Wednesday, October 8**. Bring along your unwanted jazz mags and turn them into something new. Materials will be provided for those confused by the idea of magazine ownership, or you could just pretend it's 1998 and buy something from a petrol station on the way. [**Free tickets**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30343/self-censorship-prn-amnesty-and-collage-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Independent Broadstairs** is back with a festive twist on **Thursday, November 27 from 6-8pm**. There will be late night shopping, workshops, market stalls, food, drink and more. Frantically do all of your Christmas shopping or take a leisurely stroll around the town’s independent businesses. New cafe **Lowlife launches Cliftonville Chess Club on Wednesday, October 8**. The free weekly get-together welcomes people of all skill levels to come and have a game from 5-7pm. Before that, at 4-5pm each week, there will be **£5 lessons for children aged 6+** with local chess coach Steph Farley. Margate has a new quiz. The first edition of **Mr Ned’s Bread Dead Redemption** was on Sunday night at Where Else and had a bread theme. On Sunday, **November 2 the theme will be death**. Then on Sunday, **December 14 it’s redemption**. The prizes differ each month, but include bread, a guided tour of Margate cemetery, and a Christmas hamper. **It’s a 7pm start, maximum of five in a team and £2 per head entry**. Got a short story in you that you want to get out? The **Write a Complete Short Story workshop** returns to the **Turner Contemporary on Sunday, October 26** from 10am to 5pm. [**Tickets £47**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/workshops/write-a-complete-short-story-workshop?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do this week in Thanet and beyond (September 29-October 5) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-this-week-in-thanet-and-beyond-september-29-october-5/ Last updated: 2025-09-29T10:05:34.000Z **Our pick of things to do in Thanet and beyond this week, including a cathedral light installation, food pop-ups, stand up comedy, the Margate Bookie literary festival and more.** Light and sound artist duo Luxmuralis will be taking over Rochester Cathedral from Tuesday until Saturday. [Tickets £10](https://www.rochestercathedral.org/lightshow?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre hosts five performances of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Stick Man from Tuesday to Thursday. [Tickets £15](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/stickman/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New cult film night Black Pearl Cinema launches at the Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable on Wednesday with a screening of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman. [Tickets £11](https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/blackpearlcinema?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Helen Bauer performs her latest show Bless Her at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £16.50](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/8eyy67-helen-bauer-bless-her-1st-oct-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rakookoo is taking over the kitchen at the Blue Pelican in Deal from Wednesday to Sunday, serving up a Vietnamese lunch and dinner menu. [Book your table](https://www.thebluepelican.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Brighter Days Markets launches the first issue of its new magazine showcasing East Kent artisan craft makers at the Shakespeare pub in Margate on Thursday at 6pm. The magazine is edited by Strange Tourist’s Andy Malt. James Fox will discuss his new book Craftland, a chronicle of Britain’s lost arts and vanishing trades, at the Fort Road Hotel bar on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/craftland-with-james-fox-tickets-1697709547959?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first edition of Ramsgate Arts Club’s monthly Vaults Comedy night on Thursday. Performing are Aurie Styla, Sam Nicoresti, Alistair Barrie, and Katie Pritchards. [Tickets £18](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/2ndoct?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate WI hosts a fundraising quiz at Roosty’s in the Kent Innovation Centre in Broadstairs on Friday. To book, email [margatewi@gmail.com](mailto:margatewi@gmail.com) with the subject Quiz Tickets. Margate chef Jessica Leah will prepare a supper club under the stars at the Chandler and Dunn farm, near Ash, Canterbury on Friday. £50 per head. Email [alice@chandleranddunn.co.uk](mailto:alice@chandleranddunn.co.uk) to book. Salt in Broadstairs is putting on a party to mark the reopening of its bar on Friday, 6.30pm to 10pm. Shy FX is DJing at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £30.39](https://dice.fm/partner/something-goes-right-ltd/event/avg3w7-shy-fx-3rd-oct-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Westgate’s Carlton Cinema will be hosting three release parties for Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl from Friday to Sunday. See music videos and an interview with Taylor on the big screen. [Tickets £8.25](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/event/102302?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs Autumn Food Festival runs from Friday to Sunday with chef demonstrations, food stalls and live entertainment. [See the full programme](https://broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Caves is hosting a sound healing session on Saturday. [Places £22](https://www.lucymichaelaadams.com/upcomingevents?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Margate Bookie literature festival begins this weekend with a [two day programme of creative writing workshops](https://www.margatebookie.com/write-up?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The whole thing runs until October 12\. [See the full programme](https://www.margatebookie.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Interactive music quiz No Skip is making its way down from fancypants East London for a one-off night at Margate Arts Club. The theme is Beyonce vs Britney and afterwards there will be dancing. [Tickets £5](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30356/no-skips-beyonce-vs-britney?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Poet Connor Sansby gives a talk at Marine Studios titled Censorship in British Literature & Media, as part of Margate Queer Library’s series of events around banned books on Sunday. [Pay-what-you-can tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30346/censorship-in-british-literature-media-a-talk-by-connor-sansby?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Wedding Present will be bringing their 40th anniversary tour to the Booking Hall in Dover on Sunday. [Tickets £30](https://good-show.co.uk/events/1867?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: The future of Ramsgate's Art Deco shelters and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-the-future-of-ramsgates-art-deco-shelters-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-09-28T07:00:27.000Z **The results from a consultation on the future of the Art Deco shelters on Ramsgate's East Cliff promenade, Pie Factory Music offering employment skills workshops for young people, Thanet District Council's plans for a new Green Campus and more. The latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Heritage Lab** has announced **the results of its public consultation on plans to renovate and refurbish eight Art Deco shelters** on Ramsgate’s East Cliff lower promenade for a variety of uses. **93.5% of respondents were in favour of the plan**, with just 1.2% against and 5.3% unsure. “We’ve been blown away with the level of support from our shelters consultation, which demonstrates huge public interest in the project and our coastal environment,” says Heritage Lab CEO Rob Kenyon. “The feedback has led to direct changes to some of our plans and we’ve had so many good ideas that we will try to incorporate into the scheme.” Expressions of interest are now being invited from anyone who would like to run one of the shelters. [**Find out more**](https://www.heritagelab.org.uk/projects/east-cliff-shelters/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate has launched Pie Pros** \- a new work and life skills programme for young people. The programme offers **weekly work and life skills sessions for 16-20-year-olds who are not currently in employment or education**. Taking place on Wednesdays from 10am to midday from October 1, the sessions of confidence-building activities, tips of getting ready to work, introductions to different industries, one-to-one mentoring and more. There will also be a residential trip to Wales. **Email** [**info@piefactorymusic.com**](mailto:info@piefactorymusic.com) **for more info**. **Thanet District Council has submitted plans to build a new Green Campus at the Port of Ramsgate**. Documents say it “aims to create training, education, and business opportunities within the marine and maritime industries and is part of Ramsgate's £19.8 million Levelling Up program awarded by the government in October 2021.” If approved, work is expected to begin this year with completion at some point in 2026\. [**See the proposal**](https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/files/09BB3440A526BFE4663C9F277799EF07/pdf/F%5FTH%5F25%5F0961-DESIGN%5FAND%5FACCESS%5FSTATEMENT-1301131.pdf?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Jetty Bistro in Broadstairs has opened the Jetty Wine Bar**. Housed in the same building, the cosy bar has an amazing view straight out to the horizon. **Open Tuesday to Sunday**. **Olby’s in Margate** has put out an **open call to find people who want to bring their ideas for lowkey events to life** over the autumn and winter period. Selected events will get free use of the upstairs bar, as well as marketing, graphic design and development support. Applications are open until Monday, October 6\. [**Apply now**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScl8m2fjStgTPkdTcseUN5mpsF3NJbdNEvdXFTPS5UQU2nGGA/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chix Stock have announced that they are leaving Cinque Ports in Margate**, as its residency that began at the pub in February comes to an end. The pair behind the fried chicken menu Billy Stock and Ellie Topham say that an announcement of a new project is coming soon. But you’ll have to wait for that, because **it’s still business as usual until Sunday November 9 - with a farewell party the night before**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Thanet art studio adapting creative processes for artists with additional needs URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/acol-art-studio-adapting-creative-processes-for-artists-with-additional-needs/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T22:24:26.000Z In August, I acquired a new artwork. An almost-goofy, utterly joyful portrait of a llama; its neck and head painted on to the canvas at an angle as if the surprised animal had poked its head into shot just to make me grin. The llama was created by 15-year-old Dailbor, a Ramsgate resident who is profoundly deaf, has cerebral palsy, is visually impaired and non-verbal. Exhibited at Turner Contemporary and awarded by Royal Academy's Young Artist Summer Show in 2021 and 2022, the young artist is part of the Sandra Art4All studio, which held its annual exhibition at The Margate School last month. Based in Acol, the art studio works with adults and young people who are neurodivergent or who have learning disabilities, with ages ranging between 14 and 40\. Dailbor, also a keen self-taught photographer, has been part of the studio since he was four. Sandra Hampton, the art teacher and artist who runs the studio remembers that even at such a young age, Dalibor’s talent and interest in art was apparent. ![Dalibor at the studio. Photo: Sandra Art4All](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/1000027119-1.jpg) Dalibor at the studio. **Photo: Sandra Art4All* “He was so tiny,” she recalls. “When somebody can’t tell you what they like and don’t like at four years old, it’s all based on observations. You could see him clearly thinking about working out a drip-and-pin technique using an old pottery wheel. It’s a piece of string that you pull like a yoyo. It’s quite a difficult technique to get going and even though he didn’t master it then, he could do it.” Dalibor, who has been homeschooled since The Royal School For The Deaf in Margate closed down in December 2015, works with Sandra for one hour a week. Supported by his teacher Naomi, these one-on-one sessions are either online or in person and see Dalibor often create paintings through a kind of tutorial set up, where Sandra models techniques and steps, which he then mirrors. Key to these tutorials is creating “doable painting techniques”, says Sandra, who taught at the school for the deaf. This includes breaking down images into simple shapes and creating adapted painting tools - cardboard, stamps and balloons in yoghurt pots for example. ![Sandra and Dalibor at the studio. Photo: Sandra Art4All](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/1000005259-1-1.jpg) Sandra and Dalibor at the studio. **Photo: Sandra Art4All* “Putting a balloon inside a yoghurt pot gives \[studio participants\] more control,” she says. “If you just grip a balloon it will just slide or move. “I will physically go through all those tools and create art from them, so I can think ‘how is Dalibor going to manage this?’” These tutorials can be guided or more free form, with Dalibor choosing techniques and textures. While his team may support him physically - a steadying hand to his elbow for example - so he has more control of the tool he is using, the aim is for Dalibor to be as independent as possible. “It’s a team effort,” Sandra says. “It’s always about bringing back that level of very structured support and taking it a step further away. “But that’s just one person,” she goes on. “For somebody else, it’s a completely different way of working together. ![Sandra and studio artist Gareth at the recent TMS exhibition. Photo: Sandra Art4All](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/1000023141-1.jpg) Sandra and studio artist Gareth at the recent TMS exhibition. **Photo: Sandra Art4All* There is a range of learning needs, communication needs, abilities and interests between the 11 studio members, with some artists able to verbally communicate, while others can’t. With such a spectrum, Sandra tailors the creative process to the individual and adapts to how the person is feeling on the day. “When you work at a specialist school, it’s second nature” she says. “You don’t look at labels, you ignore them. I just like to get to know the person in front of me. “You never stop learning, and sometimes \[something\] worked last week but it’s not this week, so you go right back to the beginning. You’re always assessing. Sometimes it’s not \[through\] a conversation, so you assess without speaking. There’s a lot going on - how they look, if they are into their painting - it’s such a joy to watch.” A large part of the creative process is about enabling artists “to make simple decisions”. “There’s nothing more lovely than making decisions for yourself,” Sandra says, “and often these people don’t have the same opportunities like us to do so.” ![Celia at work in the studio. Photo: Sandra Art4All](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/1000028636-1.jpg) Celia at work in the studio. Photo: **Sandra Art4All* Together, they might search for composition ideas on the internet, look at old work for new inspiration, try a new technique, and are encouraged to follow their interests, whether it’s painting landscapes or animals. “They have their own skills and I’m facilitating a studio for people who want to make something,” Sandra says. Coming up to its 10th anniversary, Sandra set up the studio in her dining room after she found herself without a job following the sudden closure of the Royal School for the Deaf. A conversation with her husband planted the seed that she could continue working with people with additional needs, but in a way that suited her better. “I’m dyslexic and I found the paper work challenging, but working with people who are deaf was my absolute joy,” she says. “\[He said we’ll\] make it work for you here. I ran \[the studio\] for three months with support from benefits and I haven’t looked back.” ![Harriet working in the studio. Photo: Sandra Art4All](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/1000028255-1.jpg) Harriet working in the studio. **Photo: Sandra Art4All* The studio continues to run from Sandra’s old dining room, and having an informal, homely environment was essential for her. “We wanted \[the studio\] to be a space where people felt comfortable and relaxed,” she says. “So if they have those interesting vocal sounds and behaviors, they are safe to be who they are in the studio. A lot of people with autism mask in the community, and I don’t want them to. I want them to be themselves and to have fun, be happy and to explore.” While Art4All artists have exhibited at Turner Contemporary, The Margate School and Royal Academy, with several artists receiving accolades, the studio’s focus is not on output, but rather enjoying the process. “Art, for me, helps calm my mind. It takes away a lot of anxiety and worry. I believe it helps people who come through the door showing those signs - and you do physically see it.” ![Alex working on a large landscape. Photo: Sandra Art4All](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/0f64ba82-0255-45e2-a83a-6ba64bfe08ca-1_all_38282-2-1.jpg) Alex working on a large landscape. **Photo: Sandra Art4All* She says that if the only thing achieved during a session is one of the artists working through their stresses by playing around, then “the rest of the day is going to be better for it’, adding: “I used to say as a teacher, ‘if they haven’t learnt anything with me but worked through their anxiety so they can learn later on, then I’ve done my job well.’ “We make what we want in the way we want because it makes us happy,” Sandra continues. “We learn by doing, by exploring, by being inspired by others or visiting a gallery. People are really encouraged \[to do what they like\] with their practice.” This year’s TMS exhibition was the studio’s sixth. Over 120 original artworks went on display, with more than 60 sold before the show had wrapped up. Sandra describes the experience as “just wonderful”, and adds that being so well received by such a creative community as Margate has been an amazing experience. “If we can spread a bit of joy and say ‘look what we can do with what we have’, and bring a little lift to somebody’s day - it’s overwhelmingly joyful.” *For more information, visit* [*sandraart4all.co.uk*](https://www.sandraart4all.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Incoming: The Orb, Jodie Harsh, Kermode & Mayo URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-the-orb-jodie-harsh-kermode-mayo/ Last updated: 2025-09-23T07:00:07.000Z **Live music from legends, a celebration of censored books, some incredible food pop-ups, and more. Get these dates in your diary now.** **The Orb will be live at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Friday, March 13**. They’ll be promoting their upcoming new album Buddhist Hipsters, which is out in October, as well as turning out classics like Little Fluffy Clouds. [**Tickets £31.16**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/g5lrn2-the-orb-live-13th-mar-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wittertainees! **Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo have announced the return of their Christmas Movie Spectacular**. The duo will be on stage at the **Prince Edward Theatre in London** for a live edition of their Kermode and Mayo’s Take film podcast. There will be the usual reviews and interviews, plus Kermode’s Kristmas Kwiz - pitting audience members against each other to out film buff each other. [**Tickets go on sale on Friday, October 3**](https://www.fane.co.uk/kermode-mayo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Hello to Jason Isaacs. **Margate Queer Library and Marine Studios have teamed up for a series of events on books that have been censored in the UK**. On Sunday, October 5, poet Connor Sansby will give **a talk at Marine Studios titled Censorship in British Literature & Media**. Then from October 8-11, artist Dan Thompson will curate a **Banned Books Reading Room** residency at Margate Queer Library & Archive, featuring notable LGBTQ+ literature that has faced censorship in Britain. **The Happy Mondays will perform at Dreamland in Margate on Thursday, April 9** next year to mark the 35th anniversary of their debut album Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches. They will be joined by The Farm and Northside, recreating the line up of their legendary 1991 show at Elland Road in Leeds. [**Tickets £42.50**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/happy-mondays/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate heat at home takeout **Rakookoo is taking over the kitchen at the Blue Pelican in Deal from October 1-5**. Rachel O’Sullivan will be serving up an amazing sounding Vietnamese lunch and dinner menu, including Hanoi bun cha and a venison and turnip pie.[**Book your table**](https://www.thebluepelican.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Writer, art historian and broadcaster **James Fox will be in conversation with artist Dan Thompson at the Fort Road Hotel bar on Thursday, October 2**. They will discuss James’ new book Craftland, a chronicle of Britain’s lost arts and vanishing trades, and the people keeping them alive. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/craftland-with-james-fox-tickets-1697709547959?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Steph Dickinson will cook up an autumnal Cypriot menu for her latest supper club**. There’ll be homepage olive bread and tzatziki to start. For the main, you’ll get your choice of stew - either slow cooked beef, squid or cauliflower. Then to finish, an orange filo pie. **Places are £37, and it’ll take place at Curve in Margate on Friday, October 10**. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/kkailou.world/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folk musician **Seth Lakeman is heading to the Booking Hall in Dover on Thursday, November 6**. He will perform songs from his latest album The Granite Way, as well as other music from his back catalogue. [**Tickets £22**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2706?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Award-winning Australian comedian **Lou Wall will be performing their new show Breaking the Fifth Wall at CAMP in Cliftonville on Wednesday, October 15**. Expect music, PowerPoint and lies. [**Tickets £12**](https://dice.fm/event/3oyd7g-lou-wall-breaking-the-fifth-wall-15th-oct-camp-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thomas Truax and his band of homemade, self-playing mechanical instruments will be back at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, October 11**. His eccentric performances are a great thing to behold. [**Tickets £13.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/thomas-traux/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **DJ Jodie Harsh will be discussing her new memoir You Had to Be There** with co-host of the Talk Art podcast Robert Diament at **CAMP in Cliftonville on Thursday, October 9**. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/you-had-to-be-there-with-jodie-harsh-tickets-1711170851079?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2Agsl15%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTg4MjAzNDU2OS4xNzU4MjgwNzE1%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NTgyODA3MTUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTgyODA3MTUkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Crab Museum will be holding its 4th birthday party at Where Else in Margate on Saturday, October 25**. It promises to be “the daftest birthday party a museum has ever thrown”. The line up is TBA, but they say that it will be “hard, spiky, and definitely weird.”[**Early bird tickets £6.66**](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/crab-museum-4th-birthday-party-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Girl Hike are teaming up with Esoteric Isle for their next Kent country walk**, which will have a spooky theme. Taking place on **Saturday, October 25**, it’ll wind through Selling and Perry Wood, with witchy tales along the way, followed by tea at Sondes and a visit to the Witches Memorial in Faversham. [**Places £30**](https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/92985?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (September 22-28) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-september-22-28/ Last updated: 2025-09-22T08:35:53.000Z **Events and activities in Thanet and further afield this week, including a book talk, group singing lessons, a skateboarding competition, a punk all-dayer and more.** Get the Word Out, a new creative writing night, has its first outing at the Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs on Monday. Tickets are £5, which includes a hot drink. Artist Sophy Rickett will be at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate to discuss the new edition of her era-defining 1994 book Pissing Women on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pissing-women-with-sophy-rickett-tickets-1663422564669?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Musician Lo Barnes’ group singing lessons, The Singing Club, begin a new term at Institute Studios on Margate High Street on Thursday. [Places £110](https://thesingingclub.co.uk/join?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Tonetic Records host a talk on making money in music with artist manager Dan Garber and musician Lanta at Canterbury Christ Church University’s Daphne Oram Creative Arts Building on Thursday. [Suggested donation £5](https://luma.com/6xqldyim?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Janet District Council hosts Drag Bingo at Margate Beach Club on Friday, in support of the Margate Mayor’s Fund. [Entry £20](https://www.sevenrooms.com/events/ahNzfnNldmVucm9vbXMtc2VjdXJlchwLEg9uaWdodGxvb3BfVmVudWUYgICpodyrtQgM?event%5Fid=ahNzfnNldmVucm9vbXMtc2VjdXJlcjkLEg9uaWdodGxvb3BfVmVudWUYgICpodyrtQgMCxIQc3JfR2VuVmVudWVFdmVudBiAgJX14u23CAw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for two rounds of bingo. Margate Loves: A Celebration of Diversity takes place at Marine Gardens on Saturday at 11.30am. People are invited to bring music, food, international flags and placards for this peaceful demonstration. Skateboard GB is bringing its Survival of the Sickest junior skateboard competition to Revolution Skatepark in Broadstairs on Saturday. [Entry £10](https://skateboardgb.org/survival-of-the-sickest-events/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). She Sells By The Sea pre-loved clothing market returns to Cinque Ports on Saturday, 11am-5pm. NBE Fitness hosts Plot to Plate - an opportunity to eat in nature and care for the land that grows your foo - at the Perfect Place to Grow’s kitchen garden at Quex Park on Saturday. [Minimum donation £2](https://www.nbefitness.com/events-1/plot-to-plate-birchington-on-sea-2025-09-27-10-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate co-working space Bon Volks celebrates its tenth anniversary on Saturday, September 27\. A day-long celebration at the venue will include open studios, performances, workshops and a silent auction. Sunday Papers Live returns to London's Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings on (you guessed it) Sunday. There are live talks, quizzes, cocktails, a walk and a roast. Naps are allowed and massages are available all day. [Tickets £39.50](https://www.sundaypaperslive.com/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Local punk band Crabs have announced a free end of summer all-dayer at The Sun Deck in Margate on Sunday from 3-9pm. The Spike Direction Effect and Harmony Bo will also perform, and there will be DJ sets from Sista G and Iain Aitch. Disco punk duo AK/DK return to Ramsgate Music Hall for synths, drums and sweaty dancing on Sunday. [Tickets £15](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/ak-dk-pistole/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: New coastline cafés URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-new-coastline-cafes/ Last updated: 2025-09-24T11:14:03.000Z **Plans for a new café at Walpole Bay, plus one already up and running at the nearby Newgate Gap that will brew your coffee in hot sand. This is all the latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Plans for a new cafe and community space near Walpole Bay tidal pool have been published by Thanet District Council**. Funded with money from the Margate Town Deal, if approved the [new development](https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=T1EKT9QEIOB00&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) will offer a **two storey cafe, toilets, showers and a separate space for community projects in a converted shipping container**. Restoration of the nearby lift would also be funded as part of the £2.1 million project. The new development would sit on the other side of Hodges Gap from the tidal pool, in a space currently used for parking. A previous cafe facility overlooking the tidal pool was destroyed by storms in the 1950s. **Margate Creative Land Trust has** [**submitted plans**](https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=T1E1AYQEINY00&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to convert the former St Georges Garage** on Harold Road in Cliftonville into a **creative hub, offering workspace, studios and rehearsal rooms**. “The transformation of Harold Road presents a significant opportunity \[to\] create high-quality creative workspaces that will generate sustainable employment opportunities, contribute positively to the local economy,” says MCLT. **Ramsgate’s Ravensgate Arms could become a pub again** under new proposals, following the closure of the Eats & Beats restaurant that moved into the building last month. The pub was closed in 2023 due to a fall in customers and spiralling costs. Now, [under new proposals](https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=T16M15QEIL600&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) submitted by Propstock Community Pubs, **the pub could be reopened as a smaller venue, with its first floor converted into a standalone flat**. **Tracey Emin Artist Residency alumnus Bianca Raffaella has won the Overall Prize at this year’s Women in Art Awards**. She also came top in the Printing Prize category, receiving her awards at a ceremony at the British Library in London on Wednesday. As recipient of the top prize, she will get a solo exhibition in the Art Academy Gallery next year. [**Find out more**](https://www.womeninartprize.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Honestly, you wait ages for one **coffee van** to turn up on the Thanet coastline and then two arrive at once. Following the recent arrival of After Party at Walpole Bay, you can now find **Flints at Newgate Gap beach**. Serving coffee brewed in hot sand, organic teas and sweet treats, it offers no single use cups. Not carrying one of your own? Borrow one from the cup library. Drop it back later or donate it to the Oasis charity shop on Northdown Road - Flints will come and buy it back later. **Profits go to maintaining the beach and community projects**. **Broadstairs and St Peters Town Council has announced new free and discounted hire rates at Pierremont Hall for local projects**. A 20% discount is available for projects focussed on improving Broadstairs, under 18s or mental wellbeing. Free venue hire is available for non-profit organisations offering free services. **Email** [**events@broadstairs.gov.uk**](mailto:events@broadstairs.gov.uk) **for more details**. Ocean conservation focussed artist residency **Rise Up has commissioned three new murals in Broadstairs, Westbrook and Margate**. Artist KMG will paint murals at Broadstairs’ Albion Street carpark and 46 Canterbury Road in Westbrook early next month. **The Broadstairs mural - a collaboration with POW Thanet - will be officially unveiled on Thursday, October 11**. A third mural is set to be painted in Margate by local artist Autonemy, under the mentorship of KMG. **Margate Town Action Group is setting up a database of vacant commercial properties** in the town with a view to getting them occupied. Step one is to identify while so many units remain empty, in many cases for years at a time. **You can help by** [**notifying MTAG of unused spaces**](https://www.margatetownactiongroup.co.uk/contact?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **that you know of in Margate and Cliftonville**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### The Love Booth: A joyous and intimate glimpse into private moments URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-love-booth-a-joyous-and-intimate-look-into-private-moments/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T22:24:16.000Z Walking to the Crane Shed on Ramsgate Harbour on a fairly drab Sunday afternoon, wind howled through boat sails and rattled the various corrugated iron structures like it was lonely and bored. Inside the shed, however, the final instalment of The Love Booth was a tonic to the grey day. All heart and full of warmth, the exhibition was made up of photos taken on an analogue photo booth that had been stationed at The Queen’s Head several months ago. Hundreds of self-portraits of varying sizes lined the wall and hung off scaffolding, with strips of familiar and not-so-familiar faces smiling back, pulling faces, or cheerfully contorted, having been snapped between moments. A soundscape played made up of music, and snippets of conversations had by Love Booth participants. Historically, photobooths provided a degree of privacy, as Love Booth creator Karen Vost explained. Thanks to the absence of a photographer and the ability to pull the curtain closed, photobooths empowered people to be more free in front of the camera than perhaps they usually would - and it appeared photobooths still have this effect on people. Looking around at the many photographs, it struck me that the whole exhibition was a peek behind that curtain and a glimpse into another person’s private moment, whether that be with their child, dog, partner, themselves or even a piece of pizza - sweet, joyous and intimate. Andy and I climbed up the scaffolding for a Q&A with Karen. Despite the wind slapping the Crane Shed about, the audio of that conversation has scrubbed up pretty good - have a listen to this edited version of our longer conversation to find out more about this delightful community arts project, anchored in various forms of love. ![audio-thumbnail](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/media/2025/09/The-Love-Booth-Q-A-esv2-5p-bg-20p_thumb.jpeg) The Love Booth: Live Q&A with artist Karen Vost 0:00 /1945.224 1× ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5543-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5517-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5521-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5523-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5529-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5537-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5542-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5546-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/DSC_5548-2.jpeg) ### Incoming: A Dead Good Festival, Building Stories, Wild Life Drawing URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-a-dead-good-festival-building-stories-wild-life-drawing/ Last updated: 2025-09-16T07:00:50.000Z **A four day celebration of magic and myth, an exploration of storytelling, drawing a frog called Jabba and much more. Our pick of events coming up in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, East Kent and London.** **The Samhain Society has announced A Dead Good Festival**, a four day celebration of ritual, magic, music, and myth **from October 30 to November 2**. There will be a programme of talks, workshops, film screenings, and immersive experiences across two Margate venues, **Smith & Sun and Bar Nothing**. There will also be a beach procession and ritual and historical walking tour. [**Sign up for updates**](https://www.thesamhainsociety.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **We’re putting on an event as part of this year’s Margate Bookie literary festival!** On **Thursday, October 9** **at the Margate School**, Building Stories will look at **how stories are created and curated in different forms** outside traditional prose. We will speak to actor and dancer Ash Mukherjee, actor and director Jon Edgley Bond, songwriter and director of Margate’s Social Singing Choir Hughie Gavin, The Body As Data’s Sidonie Carey-Green, and Margate Queer Library & Archive founder Sé Nomayo. [**Tickets £6**](https://www.margatebookie.com/bookie-2025-full-schedule/strange-tourist-bjlrd?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Wild Life Drawing are bringing their animal life drawing classes to Ramsgate**. Taking place at **Gather&**, the first will see **a group of owls striking poses** on **Thursday, October 9\.** [**Tickets £35**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/88630/wild-life-drawing-owls/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), including a 10% donation to the Barn Owl Trust. Then on **Sunday, November 9**, the theme will be **rescue animals**, with models including Hettie the Pygmy Hedgehog, Mika the meerkat, and Jabba the African bull frog. [**Tickets £35**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/88631/wild-life-drawing-rescue-animals?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), including a 10% donation to the South Essex Wildlife Hospital. **London’s Comedy Store** venue has announced that it will be bringing some big names **down to Margate for four nights in 2026**. Dreamland’s **Hall by the Sea will host the performances on February 28, May 2, October 17 and November 28**. No names have been announced yet but [**tickets go on sale on Friday**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/the-comedy-store?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). We already have plenty of big comedy names coming to Margate [courtesy of Chump’s](https://dice.fm/promoters/chumps-comedy-k5wq?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), of course. [Chump’s Comedy Margate: Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, crab jokesFrom an idea shared on a train home to sell-out shows featuring the likes of Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, Andy Malt speaks to Margate’s Chump’s Comedy about how it all came together so successfully, so quickly![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-40.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chumps-team-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) **Margate WI hosts a fundraising quiz next month**, with a variety of prizes donated by local businesses up for grabs. It takes place at **Roosty’s in the Kent Innovation Centre in Broadstairs at 7pm on Friday, October 3**. Entry is **£6 per person** with a maximum team size of eight. Money raised will support Margate WI itself and the Margate Bookshop’s Free Books for Schools initiative. **To book, email** [**margatewi@gmail.com**](mailto:margatewi@gmail.com) **with the subject Quiz Tickets**. **The Fangs A Lot pop-up snakebite bar** will be making a comeback for a **Halloween special at Bar Nicoletta on Thursday, October 30**. There will be a variety of cocktails based on the classic lager and cider blend that was the downfall of so many of us as students. There will probably be some sort of performance. It may all be quite difficult to remember in the morning. **Get the Word Out**, a new creative writing night, has its first outing at the **Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs on Monday, September 22**. Poets, storytellers and songwriters and invited to come and share their work and get informal feedback (if they want it). **Tickets are £5**, which includes a hot drink. **Neoclassical record label Bigo & Twigetti** will be holding its annual **composer showcase at St Ethelburgas Centre for Reconciliation and Peace in London on Thursday, November 27**. In-house string ensemble Curve Ensemble will perform pieces by various composers signed to the label. These nights are always very special, relaxed and intimate performances. [Watch this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2AFIevbqk&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for an idea of what to expect. [**Tickets £20**](https://wegottickets.com/sct/wG5SGpCXtx?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Disco-pop night Double D’s** returns for its second edition on **Saturday, November 29 at CAMP in Cliftonville**, following its sell out first last month. Resident DJ AKA Fox will be joined by a TBA guest. [**Tickets from £3**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/29930/double-ds-camp-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Liverpool indie band Courting** will be coming down to **Margate on Friday, November 7 for a show at Where Else**. The band released their third album Lust for Life in March. [**Tickets £12**](https://www.gigantic.com/courting-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-11-07-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Lovers of beer and German things, **Oktoberfest is coming to Quex Park on Saturday, October 18**. Grab a stein and enjoy oompah bands, bratwurst, pretzels and lederhosen. This is the event’s tenth anniversary and one of the things listed as new for 2025 is glitter. And what isn’t improved with glitter? Don’t answer that. [**Tickets from £20**](https://www.oktoberfestthanet.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Patrick Wolf** has announced that he will bring his **Yulenite winter solstice celebration** to his adopted home of Kent this December. He and his band will play **two matinee shows at the Quarterhouse in Folkestone on December 20 and 21**. Trudgepig Folk Theatre will also be on hand for a traditional Kentish Hooden Horse ceremony. [**Tickets £29.50**](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/search/?s=Patrick+wolf&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate co-working space Bon Volks celebrates its tenth anniversary on Saturday, September 27**. A day-long celebration at the venue will include open studios, performances, workshops and a silent auction. **Also celebrating its tenth birthday and the winter solstice, Margate Arts Club has announced a free party on Saturday, December 20**. It will also be Luke Vandenberg’s last night before handing over the running of the venue to Pink Suits. DJs including Luke, Leeland Crane, Hubert Zirconium and James Leadbitter will be spinning disco all night. [**Free tickets**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/29844?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Tonetic Records will host a talk on making money in music**, Artist manager Dan Garber and musician Lanta will discuss carving out a career in the industry both as a performer and behind the scenes. It takes place at **Canterbury Christ Church University’s Daphne Oram Creative Arts Building on Thursday, September 25\.** [**Suggested donation £5**](https://luma.com/6xqldyim?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Jonny Woo’s alternative performance, comedy and drag extravaganza **Un-Royal Variety returns for a three night run at Soho Theatre Walthamstow from November 13-15**. The incredible line up includes musicians Peaches and David McAlmont, comedians Jade Adams and Sam Nicoresti, drag acts Camille Leon and Azara and loads more. Definitely worth the hassle of getting to Walthamstow. [**Tickets £30**](https://sohotheatre.com/events/jonny-woos-unroyal-variety/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Japanese restaurant Mori Mori and pie-focussed supper club CRIMP and teaming up for a one-off menu at the George & Heart in Margate**. There will be dumplings. There will be pies. It will be an autumnal Japanese inspired feast. Put Wednesday, October 8 in your diary. [**Tickets £35**](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/mori-mori-x-crimp-supper-club?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadGznr2nMMrd8ZUYKV96hP%5FyFH6zF-%5Foc7HawL3c96DKn4Xd2drM%5FmxoNY5Zw%5Faem%5F032mWcVmRKiEuMiSRqwj7A&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Salt in Broadstairs reopens its bar next month** with a big party in celebration. There will be beer, wine, cocktails, small plates, plus a DJ to wash it all down. **Head down on Friday, October 3 from 6.30pm to 10pm**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (September 15-21) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-september-15-21/ Last updated: 2025-09-15T07:00:05.000Z **Lots of great music, top comedians, a potentially tangental artist interview and more. Our picks of things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and London this week.** Math-punk quartet University play Where Else on Tuesday. [Tickets £11.85](https://dice.fm/event/avdvmq-university-16th-sep-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). We Are Here Coffee is hosting a caffeine-celebrating soiree at Lowlife Margate on Wednesday from 5pm until late. Stand up comedian Judi Love will be performing a work-in-progress show at Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £19.06](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/6drgr8-judi-love-work-in-progress-17th-sep-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Anna Boghiguian will be in conversation with Nabila Abdel Nabi, curator of international art at Tate Modern, at the Turner Contemporary on Thursday. The plan is to discuss the themes and inspirations for her Turner Contemporary exhibition The Sunken Boat: A Glimpse Into Past Histories, although they may [just end up chatting about cigarettes and Egyptian food](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-anna-boghiguians-the-sunken-boat-at-turner-contemporary/). Either way, worth the entry price. [Tickets £10](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/in-conversation-with-anna-boghiguian-and-nabila-abdel-nabi?utm%5Fsource=Newsletter+subscribers&utm%5Fcampaign=d7a15bb7c5-In+Conversation+invitation&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=0%5F-d7a15bb7c5-53570557&mc%5Fcid=d7a15bb7c5&mc%5Feid=ff8997948a). [In pictures: Anna Boghiguian’s The Sunken Boat at Turner ContemporaryInside the latest exhibition at Margate’s Turner Contemporary, and our delightfully off topic conversation with artist Anna Boghiguian![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-41.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Turner-Contemporary---Anna-Boghiguian---Artist-Portrait---The-Sunken-Boat----Thierry-Bal--2-1-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-anna-boghiguians-the-sunken-boat-at-turner-contemporary/) Rock band Debdepan’s female-led open mic night Fresh Out The Pan returns to Justines in Margate on Thursday. Free Entry. Lou Sanders will be bringing her new show No Kissing in the Bingo Hall to Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre on Friday. [Tickets £21.83](https://dice.fm/event/k6vm5p-lou-sanders-no-kissing-in-the-bingo-hall-19th-sep-the-granville-theatre-ramsgate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Legendary reggae DJ David Rodigan will be at Faith In Strangers to play an extended set on Friday. [Tickets £20.40](https://dice.fm/event/v37ro7-david-rodigan-extended-set-19th-sep-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Teenage Market will have 31 stalls run by young local business owners, aged eight to 24, at Pierremont Park in Broadstairs on Saturday, 11am-5pm. Margate Arc will be hosting a talk on history of the town, the people who have lived in it, and its street names at Northdown Brewery on Saturday. [Free tickets](https://billetto.co.uk/e/margate-oh-that-might-be-interesting-tickets-1649033?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The V&A Museum in London opens a new exhibition exploring the life and style of Marie Antoinette on Saturday. [Tickets £25](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/marie-antoinette?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Assembly hosts an all-dayer at Margate Yacht Club on Saturday, with live performances from Diet Jesus, Jack Goldstein, Lo Barnes, Meg Bird, Roleplay, SoulArk Ensemble, TEZ, and Xav Clarke. [Tickets £38.94](https://dice.fm/partner/margate-assembly-ltd/event/xepnam-assembly-at-the-yacht-club-20th-sep-margate-yacht-club-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Fermentorium in Ramsgate hosts Lagerfest from Saturday until September 28\. Head over for new season lagers, classically brewed german beers and pours by UK breweries. The opening reception for this year’s Lido Open at Lido Stores in Margate takes place on Saturday from 7-9pm. Over 100 artists are participating in the exhibition this year. Dreamland hosts a print fair from midday to 6pm on Sunday, featuring exclusive prints and editions from Margate-based artists, including Hayden Kays, David Shillinglaw, Mercedes Lucy and Charlie Evaristo-Boyce. The event is also being filmed for an upcoming TV series, fame fans. The Sunken Garden Eco Fair is set to return on Sunday from 11am to 4.30pm at Westbrook’s Sunken Gardens. [See the full programme](https://thesunkengarden.co.uk/sunken-garden-eco-fair-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Tonetic Records heads to Ramsgate Music Hall to put on an all-ages label showcase on Sunday. Acts include alt rock five-piece Take Too and singer-songwriter Moss E. [Tickets are a suggested £10](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/summer-showcase-tonetic-records/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Battle to revive Ramsgate's High Street makes national news URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-battle-to-revive-ramsgates-high-street-makes-national-news/ Last updated: 2025-09-14T07:00:25.000Z **Work to revive Ramsgate High Street makes the national news, a new Indian-themed pub for Margate, two new cinemas and more. The latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet and East Kent.** **Ramsgate Space has been** [**featured on Channel 4 News**](https://www.channel4.com/news/how-locals-in-ramsgate-are-trying-to-save-the-high-street?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), highlighting the issue of empty shops on British high streets and the organisation’s work to improve that in Ramsgate. “Empty shops matter because they touch on so many different components of local life,” says co-founder Louise . “They impact on how people feel about the place - if you go into a town centre and see masses of boarded up shops, you don’t feel good about the place you live in.” **Also included in the report are Salt, Screaming Alley, Differences Not Disabilities and Giant Coffee**. [Interview: Ramsgate Space’s town centre revival plansA town centre revitalisation project has big plans for Ramsgate, aiming to turn its downtrodden high street into a main artery reflective of the town’s best bits![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-39.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/alexis-mette-GcdxQVU5ZV0-unsplash-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-space-its-painful-to-see-the-high-street-of-a-town-you-love-so-much-struggle-to-survive/) **More details have emerged about new Margate High Street pub Henry’s**, which is currently being fitted out to open later this year. Run by a team including Fez’s Phil Evans and former owner of South Indian and Sri Lankan restaurant The Riz, Paul Singh Tung. Those still pining for The Riz will be pleased to know that **the bar will serve a menu of Indian food**. It will be “authentic and not changing to anybody's taste, just as it should be,” Tung [tells Kent Online](https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/we-won-t-have-london-prices-derelict-store-in-trendy-town-329456/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **It’s hoped that the grand opening will come before Christmas**. **Ramsgate Community Cinema is back in a new venue**. Having left its High Street location earlier this year, it can now be found at **Paragon Works, Albert Street**. You can catch a screening of documentary Sisters with Transistors as part of Ramsgate Festival of Sound on Sunday at 3pm. Stay tuned for details of the new programme. **Ticket prices remain pay-what-you-can on the door, with free popcorn on Wednesdays**. **Another new cinema for Kent, Black Pearl Cinema opens in Whitstable on Wednesday, October 1**. Housed in the Horsebridge Arts Centre, it will have a programme of cult classics curated by film writer Mark Banville and film producer Michael O’Connell. **It opens with Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, starring James Mason and Ava Gardener**. Other upcoming films included Sexy Beast and My Night at Maud’s. **Social Enterprise Kent has announced the return of its children's creative writing competition The Big Writing Challenge**. Kids aged 5-16 are invited to write or record a piece of writing on the theme ‘curious creatures’ in whatever format they like, so long as it's under 500 words. **Winners will see their work published in a printed book** and be invited to a launch event next year. [**Full details**](https://sekgroup.org.uk/support/sek-schools/the-big-writing-challenge-kent/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Lou Sanders on everything but her show ahead of Ramsgate tour date URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lou-sanders-on-everything-but-her-show-ahead-of-ramsgate-tour-date/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:47:25.000Z Lou Sanders won’t tell me what her show is about. Not in a Robert de Niro, I’m an intimidating jerk kind of way, but more in an affable but, as she puts it, “really scatty” kind of way. “You’ll just have to come to see the show, won’t you?” the comic says when I ask what ageing joyfully - the one thing about her show I have to run with - looks like to her. “That's all the stuff I discuss in the show. I can't discuss it now.” “I hate the phrase ‘ageing joyfully’,” Lou continues, “because even I don't know how to use it. I think it sounds so twee and crap and it is such a kind of trite message. “If I talk about it…,” she trails off. “It’s better to come to the show.” Yet she continues. “I just think when you were a kid, if it was snowing,” Lou goes on, in another effort to summarise her show, No Kissing in the Bingo Hall, “you'd think of all the fun ways you could use that snow. That snowball fight, sledging; you're just so excited. And then as you get to be an adult, if it's snowing, a lot of the time people go ‘oh, I've got to clean the ice off the car’ or they think of the problems rather than the opportunities.” ![A woman with long brown hair wearing a cream dress and gold trainers sits on a football while picking her nose](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/Lou-Sanders--LouS88250-HI-RES-Copyright-Matt-Stronge-1.jpg) “I hate the phrase ‘ageing joyfully’” **Photo: Matt Stronge* So perhaps the show is about retaining a sense of youthfulness in middle-life - Lou does, after all, have two trampolines at home. “It's not really about anything,” Lou interjects, cutting me off before I finish the question. “It’s just a comedy show and I'm exploring ageing. But there's no big point to it. It's just what I think of myself getting a bit older and trying to not take things seriously. “But even that - not taking things seriously - is a cliché,” she adds, cancelling herself out. “I guess it's about my experience with knocking on a bit and trying to…,” Lou falters. “You'd think by the end of the tour I'd have learned how to talk about the show and sell it. But no, I haven't.” Lou brings No Kissing in the Bingo Hall to the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate on Friday, September 19, for a live recording and the show’s final performance of its 46-night run. While it may not be about staying young in spirit, I still want to know about the trampolines. ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. “I talk about that in the show,” Lou says, by way of discouraging the question - but I just want to know why. “Well, one for me, one for a friend,” she explains. “I don't want to be jumping around on the trampoline and my guests be thinking, ‘When is it my turn?’ So good news, we can bounce together.” Despite not being enamored by the phrase ‘ageing joyfully’, Lou prefers it to ‘ageing gracefully’. “I don't like either of those words, really. Ageing gracefully - what if you've never had any grace in the first place? I don't have any grace so why am I going to get it suddenly in my 40s? “But I don't like ageing joyfully as a one-line sell of the show, yet I still haven't come up with a better one. I guess it's just about trying to have a nice time and not becoming a boring cunt. It's hard to say that in one-line sell, but that is what \[the show\] is about. Trying not to become a boring cunt… Title much?” ![A woman with long brown hair wearing a green ball gown holds a firework](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/Lou-Sanders--LouS88688-HI-RES-Copyright-Matt-Stronge-1.jpg) "It's just about trying to have a nice time and not becoming a boring cunt" **Photo: Matt Stronge* The stand-up show comes off the back of Lou’s memoir, What’s That Lady Doing?, which regales her early years in Thanet and younger London days. The book traverses subject matter like rape, alcohol addiction, problematic sexual encounters and being in a band called the Geoff Leopards, flipping between the light and the dark with Lou’s frank and effervescent touch. Does NKITBH similarly dip in and out of heavy subject matters? “No, it doesn't because I haven't had heavy stuff happen so much,” Lou says, who adds that getting sober was instrumental to everything good in her life. “But also that book was meant to be a sort of beacon of light, especially to younger women; sort of like a do's and don'ts guide really. Don't do some of the stuff I've done, but if you do, try and forgive yourself. “I also wanted to show that it's just quite normal - the number of Instagram messages I got from women saying, ‘Oh my God, I've had the exact same experiences and I thought it was just me.’ “I wanted to normalise \[those experiences\] because there's a trend for people being a victim and exploring their trauma, like trauma porn. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to be like, ‘no, we're all going to have a tapestry of good and bad things happen for us’. That's how we learn and that's how we grow.” While Lou has ideas for follow up books - a work of fiction and another “investigating spiritual things” because “my whole life is that sort of thing, may as well get paid for it” - it’s TV work the comic likes the most, having starred in numerous shows including Dancing on Ice, LOL: Last One Laughing UK and Taskmaster. “\[TV\] is the easiest because you’re in the room for a few hours and it's done - you're not really overthinking it and that's very fun,” she says. “I love doing TV, I love it. That's probably my favourite because it's just the easiest one to do - you have a laugh and you're working with people, you get to hang out with your friends and you get your makeup and hair done. “Going on tour is more of a labour of love,” she adds. “You overthink more because you want it to be good; it's never finished and it’s never good enough. You’re on your own with it, aren’t you?” ![A woman wearing a pink cap, jumper and jeans sits on a sofa next to a sausage dog](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/1-Chumps-Photo-Credit-Joanna-Bongard-1.jpg) Lou and friend backstage at Chump's Comedy in Margate in 2024\. **Photo: Joanna Bongard* Regarding her upcoming performance in Ramsgate, Lou reveals she is “excited-slash-nervous”, having recently moved back to Thanet. “You get a bit worried because you just need it to go well otherwise it's super embarrassing,” she explains. “You don't want to be next to someone in the sauna at Walpole Bay who went to the show and had a terrible time.” Having grown up in Broadstairs before moving to London, Lou set up home in Margate last year, after considering a relocation to Brighton or opening up an animal sanctuary and being “totally self-sustainable” in Portugal - an idea Lou’s agent thought was “very bad”. Lou talks about her younger Thanet days on stage and in her memoir, a time when getting wasted was high on the list of things to do. Back in her old stomping ground, does Lou bump into people from her past often? “Yeah, but luckily no one can remember because we were all so munted \[back then\], apart from…” Lou trails off realising she had begun to talk about someone who didn’t want to be talked about. “There’s not too many ghosts \[around\] because they’ve either moved on, don’t remember me or are dead,” Lou says, deftly covering her tracks. “That's nice and bleak isn't it? They're dead, they're all dead. I killed them,” she jokes. For many, returning to the place they grew up in would be a hard no, but Lou says she has “never looked back.” “I love it,” she says. “Got a big garden for the cats. I love being near the sea. I honestly think I was so ready for a change. “It felt really natural,” she goes on. “It wasn't depressing because I feel like a completely different person. If the old me moved back, I think I would feel depressed. But I was 18 when I left so I don't feel like that person at all anymore.” After the tour, Lou says she will “step into the unknown”, before adding, “God, I’m being so annoying as an interviewee. I’m really sorry. There are a few things but I don’t know if I can talk about them.” Lou does reveal however, that she has started writing a new show. I ask her what the new show is about. “I don’t know yet,” she says. “I've only written 10 minutes.” *Lou Sanders brings No Kissing in the Bingo Hall to The Granville Theatre on Friday, September 19 at 7.30pm.* [*Book tickets*](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/lou-sanders-no-kissing-in-the-bingo-hall?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Incoming: Pissing Women, Mushrooms, Garth Marenghi URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-pissing-women-mushrooms-garth-marenghi/ Last updated: 2025-09-11T14:39:05.000Z **Bucolic supper clubs, urinating women, raves, soundscapes and a funghi festival - there's lots of good things to do coming to Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate.** **Artist Sophy Rickett will be in Margate** to discuss the new edition of her era-defining 1994 book **Pissing Women** later this month. The new version of the photobook featuring images of women urinating in public is bolstered by essays from musician St Vincent, actor Lily Cole, comedian Sophie Duker and more. Sophie Rickett will be in conversation at the **Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, September 25\.** [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pissing-women-with-sophy-rickett-tickets-1663422564669?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** A couple of markets are coming our way. The **Teenage Market** will have 31 stalls run by young local business owners, aged 8 to 24\. This one is on at **Pierremont Park in Broadstairs on Saturday, September 20, 11am-5pm**. **She Sells By The Sea** pre-loved clothing market returns to **Cinque Ports Saturday, September 27 11am-5pm**. Electronic music label **A Warp Is Happening** will host a night at **London’s Drumsheds**, the old Tottenham IKEA. While the line up is still yet to be announced, it will take place on **Saturday, November 15**, with [**tickets starting at £29.50**](https://drumshedslondon.com/event/hydra-x-warp/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rock band Debdepan’s **female-led open mic night Fresh Out The Pan** returns to **Justines** in **Margate on Thursday, September 18**. Free Entry. Did someone say free nibbles? Head to **Northdown Brewery** on **Saturday**, **September 20 at 3pm** to eat free nibbles while you listen to talk, **Oh that might be interesting, by Margate Arc, which is also free**. Margate Arc will take nibblers on a whimsy ramble around the town, its people and street names. **It’s free,** [**but book**](https://billetto.co.uk/e/margate-oh-that-might-be-interesting-tickets-1649033?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Traipse over to **Canterbury** for the **Rising Tide Craft Beer Festival**, on **October 24-25**. Hosted by **Time and Tide brewery at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge**, there will be music, street food and beers, and lots of chat about hops. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.timeandtidebrewing.co.uk/events/p/03ncw601cm7d7f70syfh5kt9rq337g?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate community space Yellow Art Wall** hosts **artwork by Genevieve Pepper** this **September**. The mixed media exhibition is inspired by an “autistic sense of justice and experiences of mental health, homelessness, psychosis, seeking community and also things that make me laugh”. **Cockles and Muscles** have announced their **Halloween Ball**, taking place at **Margate Arts Club** on **Saturday, October 25**. Kicking things off at 7pm, this one is going to be high camp horror, so get creative with your outfits. [**Tickets are £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/29838/the-cockles-and-muscles-halloween-ball?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), and they’ll go quick. Sandwich guys **Sarns** are **popping up at Riding Wine Co** (formally Streets) on Northdown Road on **Saturday, September 13**, for fine wine and gourmet sangers. **Margate Assembly** have teamed up with **Margate Off Licence, Chixstock** and **Margate Yacht Club** to put on a **day festival** at the club’s waterfront location. Beers, BBQ and tunes are all for a good cause, as the soiree will support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Margate Yacht Club. It’s on **Saturday, September 20, from 1pm-9pm**. [**Tickets from £33.38**](https://dice.fm/partner/margate-assembly-ltd/event/xepnam-assembly-at-the-yacht-club-20th-sep-margate-yacht-club-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate chef **Jessica Leah** will prepare a supper club out in the stars on **Friday, October 3**. Held at the **Chandler and Dunn farm, near Ash, Canterbury**. The evening starts with sunset canapes and a welcome cocktail before a sit down dinner at 7.30pm of coal cooked beed. For those who don’t want to drive after making use of the bar and fire pits, you can camp at a bell tent. Dreamy. £50 per head. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/jessicaleahcatering/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Another **Halloween** night, this one is for the goths. **Filth Collective host Hexed at Margate Arts Club on October 31,** a night of crafting, burlesque, drag and djs playing goth, darkwave and post-punk. [**Tickets are £6.66**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/27782?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or £7 on the door. **Tonetic Records** heads to **Ramsgate Music Hall** to put on an all-ages label showcase, **Sunday, September 21**. Acts go from alt rock five-piece Take Too, to alternative singer songwriter Moss E. Doors at 7.30pm. [**Tickets are a suggested £10**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/summer-showcase-tonetic-records/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Who doesn’t love a fungus fact? **Margate Mushroom Festival** takes place at **ARK, October 18-19**, for a weekend of all things fungi. While the programme is only and all about mushrooms, it is varied. How to eat, cook, forage and grow fungus will be covered, and you can eat and drink mushrooms, peruse the mushroom market, buy medicinal mushrooms and then party with mushrooms. Maybe not like that though, but probably also yes. [**Day passes are £55, and it’s £95 for the weekend**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/margatemushroomfestival/1802144?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Author, dreamweaver... plus actor **Garth Marenghi** is heading out on tour in support of his new book **This Bursted Earth**. The date in easiest reach of Thanet is at **Folkestone’s Leas Cliff Hall** on **Saturday, February 21**. [**Tickets £24**](https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/3600627AE1F457ED?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **After School Band Club** launches at **Bar Nothing in Cliftonville** this week, led by musician **Melinda Bronstein**. **Kids aged 8-12** go into a room with instruments. They are now a band. They must write songs. Do they know how to? Doesn’t matter, they’ll work it out. Melinda ran these sessions over the summer holidays and they were brilliant. **Two sessions on Wednesdays during term time.** [**DM for more info**](https://www.instagram.com/kids%5Fband%5Fclub/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Janet District Council** will be hosting **Drag Bingo** at **Margate Beach Club** on **Friday, September 26**. The night will raise money for the **Margate Mayor’s Fund**, which supports local community groups and organisations. [**Entry £20**](https://www.sevenrooms.com/events/ahNzfnNldmVucm9vbXMtc2VjdXJlchwLEg9uaWdodGxvb3BfVmVudWUYgICpodyrtQgM?event%5Fid=ahNzfnNldmVucm9vbXMtc2VjdXJlcjkLEg9uaWdodGxvb3BfVmVudWUYgICpodyrtQgMCxIQc3JfR2VuVmVudWVFdmVudBiAgJX14u23CAw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for two rounds of bingo. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (September 7-14) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-september-1-7-2/ Last updated: 2025-09-08T07:00:28.000Z **Exhibitions, Festivals, Black Pride, and a stack of good eating, here's our pick on the best things to do in Ramsgate, Margate and further afield too.** Margate Mushroom Club hosts a performance from Waterflower, who makes electronic music using plants and mushrooms on Wednesday at 101 Social in Cliftonville. Entry £5\. The next Writing in Progress writers open mic night will take place at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday. Entry is free. Babeslam Battle of the Champs will be at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £6.39](https://www.gigantic.com/babeslam-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-09-10-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Noise Institute returns on Thursday as a warm up for Ramsgate Festival of Sound. Find it at Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate. [Register for free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ramsgate-noise-institute-presents-an-evening-of-experimental-music-tickets-1605762752619?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next exhibition from Frnt of House will be at Joseph Wales Studios from Thursday to Sunday. Titled Keep It Down Please, it will feature “postcard-sized works that say more than ‘wish you were here’.” Margate Electronics is back at Margate Arts Club on Friday. Performing live will be Timothy J Fairplay, Chupacabras and Cestrian. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/28365?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sugababes and Melanie C are set to play Dreamland on Friday. [Tickets £61.30](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/sugababes/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Ramsgate Festival of Sound takes place from Friday to Sunday. [See the full programme](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Whitstable Rocks Oyster Festival returns from Friday to Sunday. [See the full programme](https://whitstablerocksoysterfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Love Booth art project hosts an exhibition of photobooth pictures at Ramsgate’s Crane Shed from Friday to Sunday. On the final day at 2pm, Strange Tourist’s Zita Whalley will host a Q&A with the project’s Karen Vost. [Photo booth art project celebrates love and connectionDogs and their owners, people recreating past photographs and a cheeky flash - a lot goes on behind the curtain at Ramsgate community arts project, The Love Booth![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-35.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/image-1747997952-1-1-1-2.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/dying-breed-photo-booth-art-project-brings-a-lot-of-joy/) St George’s Church in Ramsgate will be giving tours of its tower and crypt on Saturday. [Free tickets](https://stgeorgechurchramsgate.uk/crypt-and-tower-tours/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Radio Block Party is back. DJs from the station will soundtrack a day in The Centre in Margate, from 12-5pm on Saturday. Margate Black Pride puts on a summer party at Margate’s Sundeck on Saturday from 2-10pm. V&A East Storehouse opens its free David Bowie archive on Saturday. [Full details](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/david-bowie-centre?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Historic Quarter opens up three of the old sea captains cottages on Paradise in Ramsgate on Saturday from 12-6pm. [Free entry](https://ramsgatehistoricquarter.org/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bob Log III, the helmeted one-man blues band, brings his guitar (and his toaster) to Where Else on Saturday. [Tickets £17.50](https://www.gigantic.com/bob-log-iii-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-09-13-19-30?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artists Maud Whatley and Jack Coulson have a joint exhibition titled Thes Peces Wer Made By Me at Margate’s Liminal Gallery from Saturday to November 8\. [Full details](https://liminal-gallery.com/collections/maud-whatley-and-jack-coulson-thes-peces-were-made-by-me?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Repair Cafe Ramsgate will be setting up at Ramsgate Youth Centre on Sunday from 10.30am to 1pm. Kentish vineyard Westwell Wines host a walk and talk and drink on Sunday at 11am, led by writer Gemma Purkiss. [Tickets £15](https://www.westwellwines.com/products/pilgrims-pelegrims-walk-and-wine-sunday-september-14?utm%5Fsource=copyToPasteBoard&utm%5Fmedium=product-links&utm%5Fcontent=web). Black, Asian and ethnically diverse arts and heritage organisation Writing Our Legacy will host a night of poetry and music at Margate Arts Club on Sunday. [Tickets £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-room-in-margate-tickets-1531164818189?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Fruit Trees, Margate Film Festival, ARK URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-fruit-trees-margate-film-festival-ark/ Last updated: 2025-09-07T19:52:39.000Z **A new tourism body for Kent, some fruit trees for your front garden and a sell out run of tickets for David Bowie. The latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet and beyond.** **Would you like to plant a fruit tree in your front garden?** If you live in Ramsgate, your time is now. **Ramsgate Town Council is bringing back its £5 fruit tree deal**. Apple, pear, cherry and plum trees are up for grabs. It’s one tree per household and on offer to only new applicants. The trees help remove pollutants from roads and reduces the amount of carbon we breath, so sign up to the wait list. Also, trees are nice, aren’t they? Trees supplied by my favourite garden centre, Youngs. [**Full details**](https://www.ramsgatetown.org/town-council/announce?p=10711331&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Film Festival** has announced the cinematic feast **will return this year, November 26-30**. Put it in your diary. [Margate Film Festival: ‘We want to be a beacon for bold, boundary-pushing cinema’After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-37.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) **The first batch of free tickets to get inside the V&A’s new David Bowie Centre in East London were made available this week**. And were immediately snapped up. That’s the news: **no tickets for you**. Not for the first six weeks the centre is open anyway. What you should probably do is sign up for ticket updates before the next release on October 22\. [**Get all the info**](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/david-bowie-centre?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Having spent the summer closed for refurbishment, **Cliftonville’s ARK venue is set to reopen on Friday, October 3**. It will return with events as part of Our Freedom Then and Now - a nationwide celebration marking 80 years since the end of World War II. Head down at 3pm for the unveiling of the venue’s new Freedom Garden and to see the big changes inside. [**Check out the full line up of upcoming events**](https://www.arkcliftonville.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Returning for its 25th festival next year, **Margate Soul Festival’s super early bird tickets have sold out**. However fear not, **Tier Two Early Bird Weekender tickets have gone on sale** for a limited time. [**Grab your £89.78 weekend pass**](https://www.universe.com/events/margate-soul-weekender-25yr-anniversary-tickets-DYJ8SB?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It wasn’t that long ago that there were no branches of **Giant Coffee**. Do you remember? Not one. Then that little one in Margate Old Town opened. Followed by a larger cafe in Broadstairs. As of yesterday, **there’s now one in Ramsgate as well, situated in the Old Wine Warehouse**. Somewhat cryptically, they said in [an Instagram post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DOMKqnSCJw9/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) this week, “For now we will open as Giant doing all we do, \[but\] The next chapter is loading very soon and it is looking tasty.” **Kent County Council has announced that it will launch a new organisation to promote tourism in the county**. This comes after Visit Kent and the partner company hired to run it fell into administration this week. Paul King, cabinet member for economic development and coastal regeneration, [told BBC Radio Kent](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002hndz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), "It won't be Visit Kent, but there will be a body that helps promote the visitor economy in Kent. We are looking at all options and want to get a result as quickly as we can." **The Kent Pop Exchange** has put out an **open call for musicians interested in playing an upcoming showcase**. Monthly gigs at Where Else in Margate will begin in October, putting on three acts each time. Bands and performers of all ages are invited to apply, although those aged 16-30 will be prioritised. [**Apply now**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfUxIrS%5F9-LMdV6gM8yYEIcb6eO%5Frh32b8rKxl5E7Qaot0MA/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs plant-y cafe **Foliage has a new autumn menu** \- toasties, jacket potatoes, paninis and the non-carb alternative, soup. What could be more autumnal, other than rain? Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Ramsgate Festival of Sound’s impact resonates around the town URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-festival-of-sounds-impact-resonates-around-the-town/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T18:06:31.000Z Historic buildings filled with sound, beachside busking, white cliffs turned into cinema screens, cabaret in the park. For seven years, Ramsgate Festival of Sound has been turning the town into an aural wonderland. More than a music festival, it takes the entire field of sound as its starting point. “It’s a festival that shines a light on the talent of music creators but it is a cultural festival,” says Gemma Dempsey, the festival’s director. Beginning as a strand of the Ramsgate Festival it became a standalone event in 2018, mixing music, sound art, film, performance and even meditation. It also celebrates the town itself, with installations and events taking over buildings and moving between spaces. “Each year we programme new work from local artists to keep it fresh and evolving.” The inaugural edition set the tone, with events including BAFTA-nominated composer Simon Boswell projecting his film Blink onto the white cliffs near the wartime tunnels, and musician Filipe Gomes filling the historic Cervia tugboat in Ramsgate Harbour with sound. Elsewhere, a collaboration between composer Mike McEvoy, creative director Theresa Smith and sound artist Emily Peasgood transformed the Latin inscription atop Ramsgate’s lighthouse - Perfugium Miseris (“refuge for those in need”) - into choral music. “It reflected what a creative and culturally diverse community we have and allowed us to programme a wonderful selection of music and events for all ages,” recalls Gemma. ![A woman learns over a table set up on a promenade by the sea reading a piece of paper that sits next to a small guitar amplifier.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/47-240823-263.jpg) On the Sonic Trail. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* A long-running strand of the festival is the Sonic Trail, which sees new work commissioned from local and established artists. This year’s theme is ‘sonic architecture’, encouraging artists to interact with buildings around Ramsgate. “It's always been our aim for Sonic Trail to highlight Ramsgate's heritage and the stunning buildings we have in the town, especially those that have been overlooked or fallen into disrepair in recent years,” explains Gemma. “If there is one thing we have in buckets loads of in Ramsgate its architecture!” Among 2025’s chosen projects are a sound installation by Kat Peddie and the Free Range Orchestra at St George’s Church inspired by Ramsgate’s maritime history, and Kkailou’s sonic love letter to the Pie Factory Music youth centre. Beyond the five specially commissioned pieces, the Sonic Trail is bolstered by additional installations and exhibitions, including Emily Peasgood's interactive sound sculpture The Listening Desk and The Love Booth, collecting photos and sound clips from over 1000 visitors to an analogue photo booth earlier this summer. ![A man with an acoustic guitar plays in front of a wall covered in graffiti](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/173-240825-316.jpg) The festival's busking event evolves this year. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* New this year is Busk Until Dusk - an evolution of the Busk At Dusk show at the Ellington Park bandstand. Originally a concept born out of the pandemic, when all events had to be outside, for four years, musicians played along the East Cliff promenade. “The location is stunning,” Gemma says of that previous iteration, “but once the sun goes around the corner, it gets chilly at that time of day! It was also quite expensive to build a stage and infrastructure down there, so we thought about how to keep the concept but evolve it.” This year, nineteen musicians, including Lo Barnes, Claire Nicholson and Will Rees, will move around eleven pubs and bars in the town, popping up at different times on the Saturday of the festival - taking the music to the audience, “so sit in your favourite local and let the music come to you or follow them around town.” At the end of the night, at Winterstoke Gardens, there will be a headline performance from The Future Psychedelics The Future - a band of 13 musicians “corralled” by Penguin Café composer and bassist Andy Waterworth. The collection of musicians with backgrounds playing with acts such as Primal Scream and Fat White Family will perform their space-funk opera The Anti Gravity Groove Machine. Beyond headline acts, the festival has also set out on a mission to nurture upcoming talent. “We want to be part of a legacy that involves supporting up and coming artists,” Gemma explains. “So many grassroots venues and pubs have closed, depriving young musicians of places to hone their craft and get that all-important live experience.” This year’s ‘Ramsgate Introducing’ line up includes Take Too, Kingfisher and Lucy Taylor, all selected via an open call, alongside Moss.E, who came through a long-running partnership with Pie Factory Music. At the same time, local musician Andrew Dennis is curating Teenage Kicks, an evening at Slice showcasing young bands. ![People stand on a promenade next to cliffs lit up purple and blue](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/213-240825-1125.jpg) The East Cliff at night during 2024's festival. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* Considering the long term impact of the festival is something that Gemma comes back to often, and her desire to do something positive for the people of Ramsgate and the town as a location is clear. Following the recent announcement that Heritage Lab will refurbish the 1930s Art Deco shelters along the East Cliff, she says that she’d “like to think that we had something to play in bringing those back to life” by staging Busk At Dusk down there. Similarly with Winterstokes Gardens and the Ellington Park bandstand, she feels that Ramsgate Festival of Sound has “reminded people of they were there for a reason, that they were there for mass entertainment.” ![People stand around a table in a church tower](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/09/84-240824-607.jpg) On the Sonic Trail. **Photo: Mike Goldwater* One plan for the future to get people out and seeing what Ramsgate has to offer is to make available geolocated recordings of previous sound installations via the [Echoes](https://echoes.xyz/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) app. With their phone and headphones, locals and visitors alike could move between locations, listening to work created for those specific spaces. “I think that's an obvious win-win,” says Gemma. “I hope we can do that somehow in the future. People put in all this work each year and then it’s gone. But with this it's not gone because people can come back and actually dial it up again.” Gemma comes across as a fan of the festival as much as anything. Asked for some of her highlights, she reels off a long list of amazing sounding events, from Bangra dancers leading the audience in a Covid-safe dance during the pandemic to Deal based violinist Anna Phoebe performing music she had composed each day while sitting looking at the sea. Again though, it’s not just about the festival’s events, but the people they attract. “What I love and what blows us away every year is the community,” she says. “We have an extraordinary local community. Front and centre is, the reason we keep doing what we’re doing is because of our community.” *Ramsgate Festival of Sound takes place from 12-14 September. The Sonic Trail is open throughout the three days from 12-4pm. Busk Until Dusk will run from 12-6.30pm on September 13, followed by The Future Psychedelics The Future performance.* *Strange Tourist will be at the festival on Sunday, hosting a Q&A with artist Karen Vost about her art project The Love Booth, which you’ll find on the Sonic Trail.* *Find the full Ramsgate Festival of Sound programme at* [ramsgatefestival.org](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Margate Bookie, Ramsgate Arts Club, Offvine URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-margate-bookie-ramsgate-arts-club-offvine/ Last updated: 2025-09-02T07:00:56.000Z **Margate's literature festival returns, Ramsgate Arts Club announces a big line up for its first event, Offvine brings the English wine. All this and more dates for your diary from Thanet and beyond.** **The Margate Bookie literature festival has just announced its line up for 2025**. Speakers this year including restaurant critic Jay Rayner and journalist Adam Weymouth. There are also a series of writing workshops, a week of events celebrating local writers, a pub quiz and more. There will also be a night curated by the Strange Tourist team. **The festival runs from October 4-12\.** [**See the full programme**](https://www.margatebookie.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Arts Club has announced its first show**, and it’s off to a flying start. The inaugural edition of the monthly **Vaults Comedy night on Thursday, October 2 will be headlined by Aurie Styla and feature a set from Sam Nicoresti** \- winner of Best Comedy Show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Also joining them on the bill will be Alistair Barrie and Katie Pritchard. [**Tickets £18**](https://ramsgatearts.club/ols/products/2ndoct?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Offvine Tours has partnered up with Seabird to bring some of the most delicious Kentish wine to Ramsgate**. The monthly series of wine tastings and drinkings **kicks off on Thursday, September 4** with plonk from Ham Street - the only certified biodynamic vineyard in Kent. Pop down to the Addington Street haunt at **6pm for a free taster**, and stay if you fancy more. [Offvine wine tours on the magic of Kentish wineRachel Proctor, founder of Offvine wine tours on why you don’t want to drive to a Kentish vineyard![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-33.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2024-06-26-at-08.28.10-2.png)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/offvine-wine-tours-kent-wine-vineyards/) **Babeslam Battle of the Champs will be at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, September 10**. Former winners of the poetry and spoken word competition will go head to head. There will also be a headline set from Sarah Ogilvie and a guest performance by Sez Smith. [**Tickets £6.39**](https://www.gigantic.com/babeslam-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-09-10-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Paddington is getting the West End musical treatment**. Well, it was inevitable, wasn’t it? Written by acclaimed playwright Jessica Swale with songs by McFly’s Tom Fletcher, it will **open at the Savoy Theatre on Saturday, November 1**. No rush though, it’s currently scheduled to run until May next year. [**Tickets from £25**](https://paddingtonthemusical.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Radio Block Party is back**. DJs from the station will soundtrack a day of music, food, drink and fun across businesses in The Centre in Margate. The atmosphere at these is always great. **It takes place from 12-5pm on Saturday, September 13**. **Musician Lo Barnes is running another term of her group singing lessons, The Singing Club**. Cheaper than private lessons and with all the benefits of singing in a group, the first lesson of the six week block is on Thursday, September 25 at Institute Studios on Margate High Street. [**Places £110**](https://thesingingclub.co.uk/join?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Electronics is back at Margate Arts Club on Friday, September 12**. Performing live will be Timothy J Fairplay, Chupacabras and Cestrian. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/28365?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **NBE Fitness has announced Plot to Plate** \- an opportunity to eat in nature and care for the land that grows your food. The event is set to take place at the Perfect Place to Grow’s kitchen garden at **Quex Park on Saturday, September 27**. This session will teach attendees about growing cucurbita. [**Minimum donation £2**](http://cucurbita/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Sunday Papers Live returns at London’s Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings on September 28** from 12.30pm to 6pm. It’s a classic Sunday relaxing and flicking through a newspaper - except the newspaper plays out live on stage in front of you. There are live talks, quizzes, cocktails, a walk and a roast. Naps are allowed and massages are available all day. [**Tickets £39.50**](https://www.sundaypaperslive.com/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Caves is hosting a series of monthly sound healing sessions** through the autumn. Get down amongst the chalk to bask in a chorus of crystal singing bowls, vocals and drumming. Led by Lucy Michaela Adams, the first two sessions take place this Sunday, followed by more on October 4 and November 9\. [**Places £22**](https://www.lucymichaelaadams.com/upcomingevents?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Mushrooms is putting on a gig** next month, a two part performance from **Waterflower**, a Latvian artist who makes **electronic music using plants and mushrooms**. Her genre-spanning audiovisual shows explore themes of ecology and extinction. The show will take place on **Wednesday, September 10 at 101 Social** in Cliftonville. **Entry £5**. **Like flea markets?** There’s a few coming up. If you fancy a country drive, Water Lane walled garden in Hawkshurst is putting on a **Flea and Food Market on Saturday September 13**, from 9am-4pm. Entry is £5 and kids under 16 go free. The massive **Sunbury Antiques Market is on Tuesday, September 9**, with entry £5 between 6.30am-8am. You could also just sleep in a little longer and go in for free after 8am. Find it at Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury on Thames. And on Sunday, August 31 (tomorrow) old stuff will line the cobblestones of **Harry Potter set Leadenhall Market**. This one is from 12pm-5pm on every last Sunday of the month. **The Fermentorium in Ramsgate hosts Lagerfest, September 20-28**. Head over for new season lagers, classically brewed german beers and pours by UK breweries. **The Driftweed Artist Gemelia Boss** has a string of **seaweed pressing workshops** taking place in Broadstairs in September. Sessions are across a number of dates, cost £80 and will see you turn what stinks en masse into delicate and intricate artworks. [**Book your place**](https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-driftweed-artist-81380039373??ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Fancy ringing in the full moon with a gong bath?** Head to **Gather& in Ramsgate on Friday, September 5** for an aural relaxation session led by kundalini yogi Bettina Ji. [**Tickets £25.50**](https://www.b-ji-kundalini.com/events/full-moon-gong-sound-bath-at-gather-ramsgate-2?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **We Are Here Coffee is hosting a caffeine-celebrating soiree at Lowlife Margate on September 17**. For coffee people and pals, head to the new Northdown Road shop for Casa pizza, games, drinks and chats. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (September 1-7) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-september-1-7/ Last updated: 2025-09-01T07:00:35.000Z **New venue openings, festivals, wine tasting, markets, and even some highbrow sleeping. Our pick of things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond this week.** “Lo-fi social space and lifestyle store” Lowlife on Northdown Road in Cliftonville will officially open its doors on Monday. Poet Raymond Antrobus is in conversation with Harry Baker at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Monday, marking the publication of his new book The Quiet Ear. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-quiet-ear-with-raymond-antrobus-updated-tickets-1634159698649?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Folkestone Fringe festival will run from Monday to October 19\. [More details](https://folkestonefringe.com/festivals/flintandclay2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This year’s London Podcast Festival begins on Monday and runs under September 14\. [See the full line up](https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/london-podcast-festival/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae9MEHyjrCDTtBMk8QM-bvonPQqIVgqrdksnOWCeSUWcyw8HlaHVh2kkHWniw%5Faem%5Fyyr-SQVijxqdFpg7CAttZg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre’s first in-house production The Party Girls, which tells the story of the Mitford sisters, opens on Monday and runs daily until Saturday. Mind The Gap micropub in Broadstairs holds its monthly cribbage night on Wednesday from 7.30pm onwards. Offvine Tours will be hosting the first of a monthly series of English wine tastings at Seabird in Ramsgate on Thursday. This month's winery is Ham Street. Free taster from 6pm. Smiths Coffee Bar in Broadstairs opens its new larger location, Smiths Townhouse on Belvidere Road, on Friday. Gadds’ Brewery celebrates its takeover of Ramsgate pub the Montefiore Arms on Friday from 6pm. Free welcome drink for all attendees. First Friday at Marine Studios will this month host Dan Thompson’s Seaside History Club with an evening on shipwrecks. Free entry. MOP collaborates with Margate Mushrooms to serve up another great menu on Friday and Saturday at Hoffs. Email [mopmarg8@gmail.com](mailto:mopmarg8@gmail.com) to book. Max Richter marks the tenth anniversary of his eight hour SLEEP concept album with two overnight performances at Alexandra Palace on Friday and Saturday. [Tickets £223.71](https://dice.fm/bundles/max-richter---sleep-10-live-tour-nek8?dice%5Fid=D1a8243ec0b3&%5Fgl=1%2A1699ef4%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMTUzMjQ4OTAxMC4xNzUyODQ4MTYw&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1484554403156366175&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=visit%5Fbundle&utm%5Fmedium=bundle&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1XcxTLQwMjFOTTZIMraPT8%2BxNVQ1cjQ0s7RMTTMBsuLTk3PiE0uBLN%2BQ0CrfrEAT%2FxDHCl9nkwq%2FqtBKf5dAE9%2BQyHK1uqLUtNSiosy89Pikovzy4tQiW%2BeMovzcVABR7%2FD2dAAAAA%3D%3D), including bed, bedding and a light breakfast. The first Broadstairs Pride takes place on Sunday, beginning on the prom at 11.30am before moving to The Pavillion where there will be speeches, performances, a market and music. The Greenwich+Docklands International Festival’s ‘festival within a festival’ Dancing City offers free dance performances around Stratford Town Centre and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on Saturday. [See the full programme](https://festival.org/dancing-city-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Brighter Days Market returns to the Turner Contemporary in Margate on Saturday and Sunday with stalls featuring high quality handmade crafts, including homewares, accessories, jewellery, and prints. The Detling Showground Antiques and Vintage Fair returns on Saturday and Sunday. There will be over 400+ stalls to peruse. [Entry from £5](https://lovefairs.com/detling-showground/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Updown Farmhouse’s English Wine Festival takes place on Sunday. [Tickets from £35](https://updown.mytoggle.io/shop/english-wine-festival-at-updown?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Broadstairs' Palace Cinema up for major award URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-broadstairs-palace-cinema-up-for-major-award/ Last updated: 2025-09-10T09:39:44.000Z **The Palace in the running for Cinema of the Year, Tides leisure centre plans, a fine art degree in Margate and more. The latest creative and cultural news from across Thanet and beyond.** **The Palace Cinema in Broadstairs has been longlisted for Cinema of the Year** at the British Independent Cinema Awards. The final decision will be made by a jury of experts next month, but there’s also a public vote that will be taken into account as they make their deliberations. Submissions close on September 22\. [**Cast your vote now**](https://www.bifa.film/coty-vote/?cinema=palacecinema&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-31.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-2.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) As if the coffee and buns weren’t great enough already, Walpole Bay refreshment horsebox **Afterparty has teamed up with Coldcuts Subs to offer freshly made sandwiches** from **midday to** **3pm Thursday to Sunday**. This weekend the options are Korean mayak egg and pistachio pesto mortadella. [**Follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/coldcutssubs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Dover District Council has voted in favour of a **major revamp of the Tides Leisure Centre in Deal**. Already closed for several months, the **£20 million project** will see it out of action for at least two years, as the old building is demolished. Once open though, the new centre will hold a 25 metre pool and gym. Sadly, there are no plans to build a new waterslide, which was always the main reason for going there. [**Find out more**](https://new-deal-leisure-centre.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Northdown Brewery Taproom will now be open on Wednesdays from 4-7pm**, and selling selected beers for just £3 a pop. Find the taproom behind B&Q, and maybe take the bus. **London Theatre Week ends tomorrow**, which is your deadline to nab discount seats to that West End show you never got round to booking tickets to, or taking a punt on a new show. [**Find discounts and participating shows**](https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/london-theatre-week?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Applications are now open for the Margate School of Art’s European Fine Art Masters programme**, which supports emerging artists in their professional development. The two year, full-time course will result in a Master of Fine Arts research-level degree. Beginning in October, there are 15 places available. [**Find out more**](https://www.themargateschool.com/european-fine-art-masters?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Let’s get quizzical: Thanet’s best pub quizzes URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lets-get-quizzical-thanets-best-pub-quizzes/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T14:32:01.000Z A pub quizmaster recently told us, "There's no August in Quizland." And that is absolutely true, except in the pubs where it isn't. But the point is, as we roll into September, many quiz hosts are awaking from their summer slumber. They're penning new questions, thinking up new bonus rounds, and lining up prizes. Thanet is absolutely brimming with great pub quizzes, with nights designed to test whatever your strongest area of general knowledge is. Music? Yes. Pop culture? Yes. The names of Thanet villages? Sure. Your ability to turn a teammate into an animal using only newspaper, bin bags and silver foil? That’s not an area of general knowledge, but there’s more than one opportunity a month to do that. So, put your phone away, grab a beer and sit down. Here are our picks of the best pub quizzes in Thanet. ### Mr Teds We love Mr Teds. His raucous quiz nights are always a huge amount of fun. As well as your standard quiz questions, music and picture rounds, you’ll also find yourself doing life drawing and costume making. There are catchphrases to learn, a prosthetic vagina and probably some ventriloquism too. Shots will be liberally handed out to teams who impress Mr Teds on the way, and the winners take away (or immediately consume) a bottle of prosecco. Such is the popularity of these nights that Mr Teds tours around the country each month (except August), which includes dates in all three Thanet towns. During the second week of each month, you’ll find him at the **Horse & Groom in Ramsgate** on Tuesday, **Margate’s Hoffs** on Wednesday, and **Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs** on Thursday. Entry is £3 per person, and it starts at 7.30pm (don’t turn up late and disrupt the opening performance). Contact your pub of choice to book a table for your team. [Follow Mr Teds on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mr.tedswalker/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Seabird, Ramsgate As well as offering an excellent food menu, this bar and kitchen on Addington Street also holds a monthly quiz night. Each month is themed - recently questions have focussed on pop music, film, the 80s and the 90s. Takes place on the last Wednesday of every month with a sharp 7pm start. Entry is £2.50 per person with a maximum team size of five. The winning team takes the whole cash pot. There are also spot prizes as the night progresses. [Details on the Seabird website](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/quiz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Xylo, Margate Another absolute favourite of ours is Xylo’s Ultimate Quiz. A bold title in a town with a thriving pub quiz scene, but they really do pull it off. If you’re a music fan, then this one is a real must, as it’ll test your knowledge of song lyrics and observation skills while watching a music video. Don’t just arrive with a load of music nerds in tow though, because there are also rounds going deep into local Thanet knowledge and beer. This one takes place at 8pm every penultimate Thursday of the month from September to May. Entry is £2 per person, with the winning team taking all the money. Second prize is free entry next time. Email [bookings@xylobrew.com](mailto:bookings@xylobrew.com) or book at the bar. [Follow Xylo on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/xylobrew/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Shakespeare, Margate A relative newcomer on the Margate pub scene (it just celebrated its first birthday), The Shakespeare has nonetheless built itself a solid reputation for holding a great quiz. Hosted by Linguist Laura, it tests what you have stored in the back of your brain with some tricky questions, and also has a round of Play Your Cards Right for a cash prize. There are a range of other prizes too, including “crisp tapas” for your team. Takes place every last Tuesday of the month from September to May, with an entry fee of £2.50 per person. Start time is 7.30pm. [DM the Shakespeare on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/theshakespearemargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or ask at the bar to book. ### Churchill Tavern, Ramsgate Always a sell out, this quiz is known for being a lot of fun but very difficult. The winning team gets the glory, but not necessarily the cash prize. In order to keep things interesting, the team name that’s pulled out of a hat at the end of the night gets the money. There are other spot cash prizes through the night. This is another weekly one, taking place every Monday. Entry is £2 per person. Starts at 8pm but turn up early to ensure you get a table. [Follow the Churchill Tavern on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070309651652). ### George & Heart, Margate The George & Heart’s doesn't quite run monthly currently, so it's worth keeping an eye on the pub's website. There will be trivia, of course, but your brain will also be tested with various weird games where you can win bonus prizes. If that’s all too much for you, you can just admire host Owain’s lovely, sparkly gold jacket. Currently there are two quiz nights booked in - an autumn edition on Wednesday, October 8 and a Christmas special on Wednesday December 10\. It costs £2 per person to enter. [Check the George & Heart website for other dates](https://www.georgeandheart.com/whats-on?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Queen's Head, Ramsgate "The" Andy Mack's Live Music Quiz tours all over Kent and can be found in Thanet at the Queen's Head pub. Not your standard quiz, this one comes with digital keypads and multiple choice questions. It also has merch and loyalty cards, because people do keep coming back. Musician Andy keeps everything rolling with over the top flair. The night of the month that it takes place is changeable, so keep an eye on social media for dates. Entry is £5 per person, which gets you some nibbles as well as your seat. The pub also serves curries to those seeking more brain fuel. [Follow Andy Mack on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/THEAndyMack/). ### Tap Room, Cliftonville We said the Xylo quiz was a must for music fans, but if we put you off by pointing out that there would be questions about other things too, then the Tap Music Quiz is the one for you. It’s all music all the time. Think you know music? Well, here’s where you’re going to find out. This one happens on the last Thursday of the month all year, starting at 7.30pm. Entry is £2 per person, with all proceeds donated to War Child. [DM the Tap Room on Instagram to book](https://www.instagram.com/thetaproomcliftonville/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Little Swift, Margate A really fun one that works slightly differently to others. The scoring system allows each team to double their points for one round - but only if they win that round. It can propel a team to victory or leave them lagging behind, building some real jeopardy into the night. Takes place on the first Thursday of the month (except August) at 7pm. £3 per person. The winning team gets their bar tab on the house. Spot prizes also given out through the night. [Check the Little Swift website for details](https://www.instagram.com/thetaproomcliftonville/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: The Love Booth, Broadstairs Pride, Frnt of House URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-the-love-booth-broadstairs-pride-frnt-of-house/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T07:00:49.000Z **A photobooth art exhibition, more Pride events in Broadstairs and Margate, experiments with sound and words and more. Upcoming events across Thanet.** **The Love Booth** art project will hold an **exhibition of photobooth pictures at Ramsgate’s Crane Shed on September 12-14**. Hundreds of pictures taken in a photobooth set up at The Queen’s Head pub earlier this year will go on show, celebrating love and connection. On the **final day at 2pm**, the artist behind the project, **Karen Vost, will be interviewed on stage by Strange Tourist’s Zita Whalley**. We’d love to see you there! [Analogue photo booth community art project in Ramsgate in JuneDogs and their owners, people recreating past photographs and a cheeky flash - a lot goes on behind the curtain at Ramsgate community arts project, The Love Booth![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-28.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/image-1747997952-1-1-1-1.JPG)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/dying-breed-photo-booth-art-project-brings-a-lot-of-joy/) **Broadstairs Pride officially launches next month**. Taking place on **Sunday, September 7**, It’ll kick off on the prom at 11.30am before moving to The Pavillion where there will be speeches, performances, a market and music. Entry is free but donations are welcomed and will go to toward **work on a larger scale event in 2026**. **Margate Black Pride** is putting on a **summer party at Margate’s Sundeck on Saturday, September 13** from 2-10pm. There will be **DJs, drag performers, food, drink and (hopefully) an awesome sunset**. As well as being a lot of fun, organisers stress that it’s also “about declaring, loudly and unapologetically, that Black and brown queer lives are powerful, beautiful, and here to stay.” **Ramsgate Historic Quarter** will be **opening up three of the old sea captains cottages** on Paradise in Ramsgate on **Saturday, September 13 from 12-6pm**. As well as tours of the buildings, there will be an exhibition of old maps and illustrations, and sea shanties from Men of Chalk. All attendees will also get some sea biscuits and a glass of grog. Hopefully there will be alcohol-free grog for children and non-sailors. [**Free entry**](https://ramsgatehistoricquarter.org/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Noise Institute returns on Thursday, September 11** as a warm up for Ramsgate Festival of Sound, which begins the next day. A space for people who work with sound to try out new ideas, it promises the audience “a mind-bending sonic experience.” Find it at Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate. [**Register for free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ramsgate-noise-institute-presents-an-evening-of-experimental-music-tickets-1605762752619?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Writing in Progress writers open mic night** will take place at **Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday, September 10**. If you’re working on something and want to try it out in front of a warm and supportive audience, this is the place for you. If you just want to hear creative work from a range of voices, it’s also for you. **Entry is free**. The next exhibition from **Frnt of House** \- an artist collective of people who work in local galleries - will be at **Joseph Wales Studios on September 11-14**. Titled Keep It Down Please, it will feature “postcard-sized works that say more than ‘wish you were here’.” Artists **Maud Whatley and Jack Coulson** have a joint exhibition titled **Thes Peces Wer Made By Me at Margate’s Liminal Gallery from September 13 to November 8**. Featuring sculpture and drawings, it explores armour as a physical shield and a symbolic concept. The title comes from a 16th century annotation made by armourer Jacob Halder. [**Full details**](https://liminal-gallery.com/collections/maud-whatley-and-jack-coulson-thes-peces-were-made-by-me?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Brighter Days Market** will take place at the **Turner Contemporary in Margate on September 6-7**. It will have stalls featuring high quality handmade crafts, including homewares, accessories, jewellery, and prints. It’s a great place to kick off your \*cough\* Christmas \*cough\* shopping. **Little Swift in Margate is making Monday night bingo night**. If Mecca’s a bit much for you, get in on some craft gaming in the cozy upstairs room. There will be cash prizes, fierce concentration and the opportunity to shout things like “House!” and “Line!” and “What is it called when you get all four corners?” Little Swift is at Lucky Seven to Garden Gate Marine Drive. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (August 25-31) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-august-25-31/ Last updated: 2025-08-27T00:23:24.000Z **Bank holiday things to do, family friendly events, your favourite secret woodland festival, and so much more. Our pick of things happening in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and further afield this week.** Today is, of course… Pirate Day! At Plunder Books in Ramsgate, at least. There will be children’s stories, games, flag designing, dressing up, dancing, temporary tattoos, and sea shanties. Number Nine in Ramsgate will be cooking up a Mexican bank holiday feast today from 1pm. [Book a table](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/experiences-availability?rid=293142&restref=293142&experienceId=500264&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs is holding a garden party today with DJs Rosy Ross and Synth Sound System, plus a live performance from The LKG Trio. 2pm until late. Free entry. Cocktail bar Daisy on Cliftonville’s Marine Terrace closes down tonight with one final ‘drink the bar dry’ event. The Thanet Games will take place in Cliftonville’s Dane Park on Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm. A day of sports, activities, mindfulness, self-care, crafts and more. Free entry. Broadstairs’ final beach fireworks display of the summer will take place on Wednesday night with live music from Ozzie & the Uglies. Kentish PIP will be at The Fermentorium in Ramsgate on Wednesday to showcase a range of the company’s ciders. [Tickets £10](https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QPB9N6RS?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Assembly is back at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday with acoustic sets from James Goodhead, Clementine Blue and Sam Furness. £7 on the door. Horniman Museum and Gardens in London will host a sunset performance of big band ditties by the South London Jazz Orchestra on Thursday. [Tickets £15](https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/big-band-on-the-bandstand/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Burning Hell return to Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday. [Tickets £17.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/the-burning-hell-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Smugglers Festival opens its gates on Thursday and runs through to the end of the weekend. [Limited tickets still available](https://smugglersfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Smugglers Festival’s journey to become a magical and mysterious summer highlightWith most of its stages hidden in woodland, Kent’s Smugglers Festival is an “inspiring and magical” experience, says programmer Stewart Hughes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-30.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Smugglers22-252-1-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/) LGBTQ+ night Club Climax returns to The John in Canterbury on Friday. [Tickets £5](http://slaycation/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Martha Wainwright will be playing a show at Dover’s Booking Hall on Friday, marking the 20th anniversary of her Melting Vinyl album. [Tickets £30](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2045?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ash Mukherjee will perform his brilliant coming of age show Vishnu’s Got My Back at the Tom Thumb Theatre on Friday and Saturday. [Tickets £12](https://billetto.co.uk/e/vishnu-s-got-my-back-pride-special-tickets-1467880?bref=eyJzIjoiYmlsbGV0dG8iLCJtIjoiYmlsbGV0dG8iLCJjIjoiZmluZCIsImNvIjoiMUdCIiwidCI6MTc1Mjg1ODExM30%3D&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Curry Mistress is at Gather& in Ramsgate on Friday, serving up a delicious three course Indian meal for £38 a head. Email [book@thecurrymistress.com](mailto:book@thecurrymistress.com) to book. The TKE Studios Summer Fair returns on Saturday from 1pm. Come along for art, games, performances, food and community. Join artist and bee keeper Dominic Rose for a bee walk, exploring Margate’s wild bee population and their favourite spots in and around Margate Station on Saturday. [Free tickets](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/margate-station-bee-tour-with-dominic-rose?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Falstaff on Ramsgate’s Addington Street hosts vocalist Lynne Wallis, accompanied by Steve Hennings and Phil Brown, for an afternoon jazz session held in the hotel’s gardens on Sunday from 1.30pm. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Gadds' saves Ramsgate's Montefiore Arms URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-gadds-saves-ramsgates-montefiore-arms/ Last updated: 2025-08-24T07:00:23.000Z **A new chapter for a much-loved pub, where to get the best food on the South East coast (according to Which?), your chance to have your say on a new town council. This and much more creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** **Gadds’ Brewery has taken over Ramsgate pub the Montefiore Arms**. "When it went up for sale, we knew we had to step in and save it," says brewery founder Eddie Gadd. “It’s a special place, full of character and warmth." New colour has been added to the outside of the pub with a mural commissioned for artist and pub regular Dani Flowerdew. An **official opening party is set for September 5 from 6pm**, with a **free welcome drink, nibbles and entertainment all night**. **Which? has named Broadstairs the best seaside town in South East England for food**. Awarded five stars for food and drink options, the town was given an **overall destination rating of 75%** \- brought down by a lack of parking - pipping Lymington in Hampshire to the top spot by 1%. **Deal, Whitstable and Folkestone also made the top five**. [The UK’s best seaside towns for food and drink - Which?We reveal the coastal resorts with the best restaurants, bars, pubs and cafés![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1.png)Which?Trevor Baker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/95257a4ebcda-broadstairs1827716072.jpg)](https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/the-uks-best-seaside-towns-for-food-and-drink-aIjnc8j2EB0K?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) After years of campaigning, **Thanet District Council has launched a public consultation on the formation of a Margate Town Council**. Doing so would bring the town in line with Ramsgate and Broadstairs. It would allow representatives elected by people in Margate to directly control things like parks and play areas, while giving the community a greater voice and work to improve quality of life in the town. [**Have your say**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/info-pages/community-governance-review/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeox3PAagyTkIVKlw5l0VhVFfBBMB6EYrLvrFR7dFfgIcFmv1dTH-i9rPOiHQ%5Faem%5Fvr4SjYtyXUru-%5FBDUsgFjg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The consultation closes on September 28\. **Local artists Jo Evans and Natascha Maksimov have donated artwork to a raffle** organised by Land Art Agency, **raising money for War Child** to support children affected by conflict in Gaza and beyond. There’s lots of great work up for grabs and [**tickets start at £10**](https://www.landartagency.com/raffle?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Entries close on Monday. **Smiths Coffee Bar in Broadstairs is moving** around the corner to Belvidere Road to **become Smiths Townhouse**. Still serving up the same great coffee and food, it’ll also now off a bar and hotel rooms. The finishing touches are going on it as we speak, and it’ll be **open for business on September 5**. Following a brief one night only not-quite-opening last month, **Lowlife on Northdown Road in Cliftonville will officially open its doors on Monday, September 1**. The “lo-fi social space and lifestyle store” will sell clothes, coffee and have a barber in the back. One of its USPs is that it will only sell filter coffee. “Our goal is to create a shop that offers the hard to obtain trifecta of a ‘good, cheap and fast’ cup of coffee,” say the owners. Filmmakers! Time is running out to **submit your work to this year’s Margate Film Festival**. All levels of filmmaking, regardless of budget or experience are accepted. **The final deadline is September 1**. [Submit via FilmFreeway](https://filmfreeway.com/MargateFilmFestival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Margate Film Festival 2024After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-27.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) **Writer Stephen Daly will publish his debut novel for young adults The Last Death Poet in April next year**. In the book, “the theme of queer identity intertwines with the ghosts of the city’s political past and the dark forces of Irish mythology.” Set in Belfast, it was **written in Margate** \- where Stephen is probably best known for his photography capturing the local LGBTQ+ community. **Patrick Wolf has released a new EP, titled Better of Worse**. It features three versions of the title track, which originally appeared on his **East Kent-themed album Crying the Neck**, plus two new tracks. “All the folklore of the east Kent tradition of The Hooden Horse and its metaphor of resurrection sits as the core mythology of the song,” he says. [**Listen to the EP**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM9ECWDmPzo&list=OLAK5uy%5FmOmkKB5Hq83QiMnpQ%5Fgo4RMT5WtrNA05Y&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Repair Cafe Ramsgate is now at Ramsgate Youth Centre every second Sunday of the month** from 10.30am to 1pm. Got something that’s not working? See if the team of volunteers there can fix it before you chuck it out. **The next one is on September 14** where they will hopefully be bringing my toaster back to life. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Bridget Riley, Max Richter, Mozart Estate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-bridget-riley-max-richter-mozart-estate/ Last updated: 2025-08-19T07:00:39.000Z **A massive Bridget Riley exhibition coming to Margate, a sleepover to remember, and indie legend in Ramsgate and more. Dates for your diary over the coming months.** **A major exhibition of work by artist Bridget Riley is coming to Margate’s Turner Contemporary later this year**. Exploring the evolution of her work that examines the sensory experience of sight, it will include work dating back to the 1960s, as well as painting from the last decade. Preparatory works will also be included, shading light on her creative process. **The exhibition will open on November 22**. Black, Asian and ethnically diverse arts and heritage organisation **Writing Our Legacy has announced a night of poetry at Margate Arts Club on Sunday, September 14**. Performing will be Akila Richards, Adriana Lord, Liz Ikamba, Kareem Parkins-Brown, with music from DJ Fever2Ray. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-room-in-margate-tickets-1531164818189?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Giant Coffee Broadstairs** is now hosting **beach volleyball** as a weekly thing. Head to **Stone Bay on Thursdays at 6pm** to dig, spike and serve in the sand. **Minimal skills required**. **For those of use who have £225.76 to spare**, contemporary classical composer **Max Ritchter brings SLEEP, his eight hour art-installation-music-lullaby to London this year**. Marking the performance’s 10th anniversary, this show will be the biggest rendition so far. **Held at Alexandra Palace overnight on Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6**. [**Your ticket**](https://dice.fm/bundles/max-richter---sleep-10-live-tour-nek8?dice%5Fid=D1a8243ec0b3&%5Fgl=1%2A1699ef4%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMTUzMjQ4OTAxMC4xNzUyODQ4MTYw&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1484554403156366175&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=visit%5Fbundle&utm%5Fmedium=bundle&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1XcxTLQwMjFOTTZIMraPT8%2BxNVQ1cjQ0s7RMTTMBsuLTk3PiE0uBLN%2BQ0CrfrEAT%2FxDHCl9nkwq%2FqtBKf5dAE9%2BQyHK1uqLUtNSiosy89Pikovzy4tQiW%2BeMovzcVABR7%2FD2dAAAAA%3D%3D) **will get you an allocated bed, bedding and a light breakfast in the morning**, as you leave one of the strangest yet loveliest sleepovers you’ll have. **Mozart Estate** \- led by eccentric popstar Lawrence of Felt and Go-Kart Mozart fame - will be returning to Thanet later this year. The band will return to **Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday, November 20**. It’ll come hot on the heels of new Mozart Estate album Tower Block In A Jam Jar, which is out on October 17\. The album features 12 reworks of older Go-Kart Mozart songs. Many of which you’ll also get to hear live at the Music Hall. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/mozart-estate-2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedian **Marcus Brigstocke** will be bringing his new tour show Vitruvian Mango to **Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday, October 8**. The show asks the pressing question, “What are men for?” Marcus explains, “Most heavy things can be lifted by machines and most problems can be solved by computers and most puddles can be crossed without us gallantly draping our capes over them - so are we fellas of any use at all?” [**Tickets £19**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/l86lbb-marcus-brigstocke-vitruvian-mango-8th-oct-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **TKE Studios Summer Fair** will be back on **Saturday, August 30 from 1pm to 6pm**. There will be stalls hosted by the various artists resident at the studios, as well as games, performances and more. Like Jazz, summer and Pimms? Boutique hotel on Addington Street, Ramsgate, **The Falstaff hosts vocalist Lynne Wallis**, accompanied by Steve Hennings and Phil Brown, for an afternoon jazz session held in the hotel’s gardens, Head over on **Sunday, August 31 from 1.30pm** for summery vibes. Jungle legend **Shy FX is heading to Margate**, DJing at **Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Friday, October 3**. Support comes from Sabrina and more TBA. [**Tickets £28.33**](https://dice.fm/partner/something-goes-right-ltd/event/avg3w7-shy-fx-3rd-oct-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs planty cafe **Foliage will host an autumn wreath making session on Saturday, October 11 at 10.30am and 3pm**, with a third workshop on Sunday at 11am. **Tickets are £45 per head and include a drink**. **Email Keely on** [**foliageplants@icloud.com**](mailto:foliageplants@icloud.com) **to nab a spot**. **Lido Open returns to Lido Stores in Margate September 20 to October 18**. The line up is massive, with over 100 participating artists chosen by Sophie von Hellemann and Kristen Healy from 1800+ submissions. **The winning artist will be announced on Saturday September 20 as part of the opening reception, which is on 7pm-9pm**. Ramsgate-based painter and illustrator **Ryan Jowitt presents You Are Here**, an exhibition and love letter to the area he grew up in, Thanet. On **August 22-24** at the **Margo in Margate Studio on Addington Street**, the exhibition includes landscapes, streetscapes and nightscapes of what will be familiar scenes to many. If you like games, head to **Mind The Gap micropub in Broadstairs** on the first Wednesday of every month for an **evening of cribbage**. The next Pub Crib night is on **September 3 from 7.30pm onwards**. The luscious **Updown Farmhouse will welcome back its English Wine Festival on Sunday, September 7**. The tasting will be held in the boutique hotel and restaurant’s charmed gardens, followed by a late lunch, also held in the gardens, which you’re invited to explore. You’ll be able to buy the wines - at shop prices - to go with your meal, with Nyetiumber, Westwell and Pleasant Land among the participating winemakers. **Starts at 11am, with wine-wasting only** [**tickets**](https://updown.mytoggle.io/shop/english-wine-festival-at-updown?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **£35, with dinner it’s £90**. **ABBA Karaoke is on at Margate’s Cinque Ports**. It’s sing whatever song you like, but dress like you’re Bjorn or Frida when you head down on **Thursday, August 21 from 7.30pm**. Best dressed wins a prize, **everyone gets £1 wings and £5 Margaritas**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (August 18-24) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-august-18-24/ Last updated: 2025-08-18T22:38:20.000Z **Fireworks, arts festivals, a cabaret all-dayer, lots of music and more. Here's our pick of events happening around Thanet and beyond this week.** Bottleneck in Broadstairs hosts a wine tasting sesh in its delightful courtyard on Monday. Hosted by Kent’s Biddenden Vineyard, [it’s £35 a head](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/biddenden-wine-tasting-10-09?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs beach will be lit up with a massive (and free) fireworks display on Wednesday night at 9.15pm. If you can make it down, there will be another display on August 27\. [Full details](https://www.broadstairsfireworks.co.uk/displays?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Unpacking the relationship between the patriarchy and representations of witches, Seed Talks brings talk The History of Witchcraft and Women with Dr Jennifer Farrell to Canterbury on Thursday. [Tickets £17.58](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-history-of-witchcraft-and-women-with-prof-diane-purkiss-tickets-1458392203339?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs is putting on a family-friendly mermaid life drawing class on Friday. £5 per person with all materials provided. The Rocky Horror Picture Show screens at the Carlton in Westgate on Friday and Saturday to mark 50 years of vampy campy fun and Tim Curry’s legs in fishnets. [Tickets £3.50](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/event/100597?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). MOP will pop up at the Bus Cafe on Friday and Saturday for bold and addictive bites like their beer battered tenderstem. The inaugural RIPE arts festival will take place at Margate Arts Club from Friday to Saturday. The line up includes DJs Narmy and OG, singer-songwriter Antony Hurley, a movement workshop, craft fair and cabaret night. [Individual events £9, full weekend £30](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28836/ripe-festival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Greenwich+Docklands International Festival in London will return on Friday until September 6, with a free programme of world class outdoor arts performances. [See the full line up](https://festival.org/gdif-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Queer Cuntry is putting on an all-dayer at Signature Brew in Walthamstow on Saturday from 2pm to 1am. [Tickets £20](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27047/queer-cxntry-all-dayer?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you’re into emo and pop-punk, the Beers & Tears festival at Curious Brewing in Ashford on Saturday is for you. Live music from 2-8pm, then DJs until late. Free entry. The Sex Pistols with Frank Carter on vocals will be playing Dreamland in Margate on Saturday with support from the Stranglers and the Buzzcocks. [Tickets £72.50](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/sex-pistols/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Lithuania DJ Manfredas headlines the next Movement night at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £11.50](https://ra.co/events/2173056?p=fismanimvmt&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Boing! International family arts festival returns to Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre on Saturday and Sunday, with a mix of free and ticketed events. [Full line up](https://boingfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Brogdale Cider Festival is on at the Brogdale Collections in Faversham on Saturday and Sunday with cider, live music, food, and family-friendly activities. [Family tickets £35](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/brogdale-cider-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate wine bar Penelope has Cafe Mambo Ibiza resident Jim Breese DJing on Saturday, then Al Sandler and Rory D from o.utlier on Sunday - both from 5pm. Screaming Alley is putting on an all day cabaret on Sunday from 2pm to 9.30pm at Radford House in Ramsgate. [Tickets from £5](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/screaming-alleys-summer-of-love?utm%5Fcampaign=d419da35-7e30-4f57-a72d-06f7f263b29c&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=863d629c-e894-4fe9-bbdd-b1728db5915f). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Venue changes on Cliftonville's Marine Terrace URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-venue-changes-on-cliftonvilles-marine-terrace/ Last updated: 2025-08-17T07:00:51.000Z **Changes afoot on Marine Terrace as Daisy announces its closer and Fusion gains a licence. This and more news from across Thanet and further afield.** Cocktail bar **Daisy on Cliftonville’s Marine Terrace is set to close later this month**. Owner Felix Cohen [announced on social media](https://www.instagram.com/p/DNNc8n2sjaA/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) this week that the decision had been made “due to some health issues”. The bar will be **open as normal until bank holiday Monday, August 25**, where punters will be invited to drink the bar dry. After that, **the space will be used by Cohen’s Manhattan’s Project business** to make canned cocktails that will be available in bars around Thanet and via mail order. Also on Marine Terrace, controversial nightclub **Fusion has been granted a licence by Thanet District Council**. Numerous concerns over noise and anti-social behaviour have been raised by local residents and businesses. However, at a hearing this week the council said that there had been **“no evidence of persistent or serious issues”** while the venue had been operating on temporary licences. Its previous licence application was rejected on fire safety grounds. **A maximum capacity of 100 has now been agreed with Kent Fire and Rescue Service**. [Fusion nightclub licence rejected over fire safety concernsThanet District Council’s licencing decision on Fusion nightclub, Margate Pride’s performance residency and Pomus’s new venue![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-26.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/krys-amon-CfBlMP12zT8-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-fusion-nightclub-licence-rejected/) **Ramsgate Festival of Sound is seeking volunteers** to help deliver its various events next month. There are lots of opportunities across a variety of activities, gigs and more. Donating a minimum of two hours of your time will be rewarded with free access to any ticketed performances. You’ll also get to be part of the team that makes this brilliant festival happen. **Email** [**volunteer@ramsgatefestival.org**](mailto:volunteer@ramsgatefestival.org) **to find out more**. Michelin starred pub **The Bridge Arms in Bridge, near Canterbury, has undergone a change of ownership**. Dan and Natasha Smith are handing over their reins to Elliot Hewitt, who previously worked with the couple at their other pub, The Fordwich Arms. He is also the former General Manager of The Rose, The Blue Pelican and The Zetland Arms in Deal. Hewitt is joined in the relaunched business by head chef David Gadd, formerly of The Sportsman. Want to get your hands dirty but in a nice way? **The Perfect Place To Grow is also on the hunt for volunteers** to help out in their kitchen garden. Sessions run every Wednesday between 10am-3pm, and run on a drop in basis. [**Register your interest**](https://www.theperfectplacetogrow.org/quex-volunteering-initial-signup?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaczOPJtaWCQ4lz-6tFPb9I%5FnW1tO%5FGxv%5FHLD4IURWwsaRqhs5QC9VWwMO681g%5Faem%5FTpHzAMoEoCYrV5T82mpXZw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Margate Ceramics Market is now accepting makers applications** for its next outing at the Turner Contemporary on Saturday and Sunday, November 29-30\. **The window opens for one week on Friday, August 29**. **Windmill Community Gardens is running a deal with their veg bag**. Sign up from now until September 1 and you’ll **get your fifth bag for free**. There’s two sizes to choose from, and you can collect from various drop off points across Thanet - and in Whiststable. [**More details**](https://windmillcommunitygardensmargate.com/veg-bag-scheme-faq/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Margate band Big Woes on the town’s “personal and human” music scene URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-band-big-woes-on-the-towns-personal-and-human-music-scene/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:47:16.000Z Describing themselves as a “two-piece softcore punk band”, Big Woes are one of a growing number of acts to emerge from Margate in recent years. Made up of musician and comedy writer Kit Proudfoot with songwriter and sound designer Joe Farley, the duo played their first shows as the house band of the Chump’s comedy night in 2023\. Joe’s bass heavy, lo-fi electronic backing to Kit’s funny, jagged-edged, disorientating spoken word semi-poetry between acts quickly became a reason to head to the gigs in themselves. Last year, they released their self-produced debut EP Heavy Work, featuring songs covering everything from befriending boxer Tyson Fury to becoming a titan of small business. This October, they are due to put out the follow-up, produced by Tunng’s Mike Lindsay. A track from that new EP, Man in American, features on the new compilation A Margate Sampler, which is out this week. The four track release puts them alongside other local acts Jolt, Fruit Band and Debdepan. It’s being released digitally and on cassette by Awkwardness Happening, a company set up by Sammy Clarke, owner of Margate music venue Where Else. The first of two launch gigs took place at the Shacklewell Arms in London on Monday night, with all four bands on the compilation performing. A home town show at Where Else follows tonight. In between shows, Kit and Joe spoke to Strange Tourist being part of the vibrant music community in Margate. ### How did Big Woes come together? **Joe Farley:** We met at a party and realised we were both doing music. When you get on with someone and also share music in common, you find a way to see each other again and make music. Our first studio session was almost ten years ago in December, right before Kit moved to Berlin. When he moved to Margate in 2019, we started writing together almost immediately. **Kit Proudfoot:** Then the pandemic hit. When we could see each other again, we picked it back up. We came together to do a session, and within 15 minutes we were working on our first Big Woes track without knowing what it was. A month later we did another, and another. In the first eight or nine months, I think we wrote 20 tracks. ### What happened with those tracks? **KP:** Most of them never got shared. We kept trying to be serious, and those songs never saw the light of day. It was the weird, fever dream mistakes that became the project. That was a real lesson in creativity. We honestly made songs where we thought, “This is too mad, we can't share this.” I’ve now learned to take that nervousness as a sense of anticipatory excitement that's being misfiled as anxiety. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/062660050006-2-1.jpg) "We’ve been called 'Jim Morrison meets The Fall meets John Cleese.'" **Photo: Luke Farley* ### How do you describe the sound of Big Woes? **JF:** Post-punk is a nice area to work within because it’s more about approach and atmosphere and you can make those things your own. Our sound is ever-evolving. The first EP was self-produced and had a definite sound. Then working with Mike Lindsay on the second EP we’ve expanded things out. The common thread is Kit’s voice and my bass with everything else built around the atmosphere or intent of the lyrics. **KP:** It’s interesting hearing how others describe us. We’ve been called “Jim Morrison meets The Fall meets John Cleese,” or “John Cooper Clarke meets Sleaford Mods meets Tim Key.” **JF:** Yeah, it's nice when people mention influences we haven’t even explored much, because obviously we do have influences like John Cooper Clarke and Ivor Cutler and The Fall. But everyone seems to have their own subjective take on what we sound like. I always think it's really kind when people do that because it's a way of connecting - like they're going to the effort of filing you in their mental musical rolodex. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/a-margate-sampler.jpg) Cover artwork for A Margate Sampler. **Photo: Awkwardness Happening/Melinda Bronstein* ### How did you end up on the Margate Sampler compilation? **KP:** Well, in the simplest terms, Sammy asked us. He’s always asked to hear music and when we’re playing, and two or three months ago I got a message asking us to be on this compilation. I assumed it would be about 70 bands! Like any musician in Margate, we both love and respect Sammy. Where would we be without his work and the people he works with? The bands I’m seeing, the inspiration I’m getting is all right there. I love it, because it’s such a natural link. It’s not like we thought, we’ve got to get in with the Where Else crew, it’s just been this magnetic attraction to the venue and the bands there. ### Why did choose Man in America as your track on the compilation? **JF:** It’s one of four new tracks on the new EP we’ve got coming out in October, and feels like the best representation of where we’ve taken things. It’s the most different from the first EP. It was the most fun we'd ever had making music together, and we're just super proud of the outcome. **KP:** It was the first one we did with Mike Lindsay, and we had the best time. We were just beaming. It was a joy and we were pushing ourselves musically. Sometimes in the studio you come up with a little riff and think, “Where did that come from?” I feel like we had that about five times working on Man in America. [Interview: Mike Lindsay on his new solo album and MargateTunng’s Mike Lindsay will release his new solo album Supershapes Volume 1 later this month. Strange Tourist speaks to him about the album’s celebration of “the majestic in the domestic,” the influence of the sea on his work, and making cucumber salad live on stage![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-25.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSCF2994.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/mike-lindsay-i-want-to-explore-with-no-real-rules/) ### Do you feel part of a scene in Margate? **KP:** I think I do, yeah. All my life, the closest I’ve felt to a scene was some of my DJing experience. In Ibiza, I felt really connected to the people there and some of the dance producers. But this is different. It isn’t a scene where people are ‘sceney’. It’s so much more personal and human than the scenes I thought I was a part of before. And then there’s something about this compilation that feels a little bit like scene glue. I often wonder who the “Sammy” of other towns is, and what if there isn’t one. What if there isn’t a Where Else? What if this is only happening here, and you just don’t know when you’re inside of something? You know, a fish doesn’t know what water is but it can feel there’s something there. And the music on Monday night was unbelievable, so I think something is happening. **JF:** If a scene is gonna be anywhere, Margate’s got all the right ingredients. The right sized place with enough happening, with interesting spaces, dedicated people setting things up, and just nice people that are a part of it, whether that’s the crowds or the bands. That’s what you would want a scene to be. I guess scenes like Athens, Georgia with REM or Seattle, they all had their sounds. But a more modern day thing is that scenes are more about a collective approach or ethos. That’s really nice, because you can carve out your niche without stepping on other people’s toes. And then I guess history, in 20 years, will tell us if people attribute a band to a scene. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/08/062660050027.jpg) "Modern scenes are more about a collective approach or ethos." **Photo: Luke Farley* ### What should people expect from Saturday’s Where Else show? **JF:** Well, the cassette is being released, so there’ll be an actual physical object. And it’ll be a home crowd for all the bands. And it’ll be a Saturday night, rather than a Monday. Even though the turnout at the Shacklewell Arms was amazing. **KP:** Yeah, it feels like a culmination of the build up to this compilation being released. You’ve got Fruit Band - endless energy - and you’ve got Jolt and Debdepan, they are just killers. Honestly, on Monday, it was packed. It was just great music, a great place, and cool people. So if the energy is like that, then I’m really excited for what potential it has on Saturday night. *A Margate Sampler is* [*on sale through Bandcamp*](https://awkwardnesshappeningrecs.bandcamp.com/album/margate-sampler?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *now. The launch show for the compilation takes place at Where Else tonight, August 16\.* [*Tickets are available now*](https://www.gigantic.com/a-margate-sampler-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-08-16-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *on their own or bundled with a cassette. Proceeds from the sale of the compilation will be donated to the Music Venue Trust.* ### Incoming: Comedy, cider, oysters and mushrooms URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-comedy-cider-oysters-and-mushrooms/ Last updated: 2025-08-12T07:00:50.000Z **A whole lot of new comedy shows, food and drink festivals, mermaid life drawing and more. Upcoming events in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and East Kent.** **Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre has just launched its autumn brochure**, with new shows going on sale for dates right into autumn next year. Highlights include [stand up Bridget Christie](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/bridget-christie-jacket-potato-pizza/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in February, [hip hop dance company Breakin’ Convention](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/breakin-convention-3/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in May, and [comedian Judi Love](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/judi-love-all-about-the-love/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in June. [**Full listings**](https://marlowetheatre.com/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you fancy seeing **Judi Love** sooner, Chump’s has her doing a **work in progress show at Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday, September 17**. Catch an early version of what she’ll be performing at the Marlowe nine months later. [**Tickets £19.06**](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/6drgr8-judi-love-work-in-progress-17th-sep-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Another brilliant comedian, **Helen Bauer will be performing her latest show Bless Her at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, October 1**. You might know her from shows like Am I Being Unreasonable or her podcast Trusty Hogs. [**Tickets £16.50**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/8eyy67-helen-bauer-bless-her-1st-oct-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Felix da Housecat is set to DJ at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday, November 29**. A true icon of house music, this is sure to be a great night. Support will come from Jit Exotic. [**Tickets £19.40**](https://ra.co/events/2229823?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **St George’s Church in Ramsgate** is running **tours of its tower and crypt over the summer**. If you’re quick, you can have a look around today. The next ones are on September 13 and 20\. [**Free tickets**](https://stgeorgechurchramsgate.uk/crypt-and-tower-tours/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Thanet Games** will take place in **Cliftonville’s Dane Park on Wednesday, August 27** from 1pm to 3pm. A day of sports, activities, mindfulness, self-care, crafts and more. **Free entry**. The **Whitstable Rocks Oyster Festival returns from September 12-14**. As well as the landing of the oysters ceremony, there will be various free activities, such as a mud tug o’ war and an oyster eating competition. Huey Morgan will also be DJing the East Quay venue on the Saturday and there will be lots of live music throughout the weekend. [**See the full programme**](https://whitstablerocksoysterfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Mushrooms will be putting on the **first ever Margate Mushroom Festival at Ark in Cliftonville on October 18-19**. Details are yet to be announced, so this is more of a save the date. **Ramsgate wine bar Penelope has DJ nights in the calendar every Saturday night** at the moment, but here we thought we’d alert you to their **two-day bank holiday line up**. Cafe Mambo Ibiza resident Jim Breese will be playing on August 23, then Al Sandler and Rory D from o.utlier will be on the decks on August 24 - both from 5pm. Cider fans, here’s a night for you. **Kentish PIP will be at The Fermentorium in Ramsgate on Wednesday, August 27** to showcase a range of the company’s drinks. Entry gets you cider, a cheeseboard and a Q&A with the head brewer. [**Tickets £10**](https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QPB9N6RS?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). For even more cider, you can grab tickets for the **Brogdale Cider Festival** for two days of fizzy apple booze (that’s what people call it, right?). Held on **August 23-24 at the Brogdale Collections in Faversham**, there’ll be live music, food, and family-friendly activities. And cider, obviously. Over 40 varieties of the stuff. There’s a free shuttle bus from Faversham station too. [**Family tickets £35**](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/brogdale-cider-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs is putting on a **family-friendly mermaid life drawing class on Friday, August 22**. It’s like any life drawing class but with less boob and bum. None at all, in fact. I said it was family-friendly, right? Your model will be sat out on the beach dressed as a mermaid. **£5 per person with all materials provided**. Relatively new **LGBTQ+ night Club Climax returns to The John in Canterbury on Friday, August 29**. This month is a ‘slaycation’ theme, so expect summer bangers, beach-worthy cocktails and a third summery thing to complete this list that I may or may not have thought of by the time we publish this. [**Tickets £5**](http://slaycation/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Mark Chadwick**, best known as **frontman of The Levellers**, will be playing a **solo show at Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday, September 18**. He’ll play a set of songs from his two solo albums plus some Levellers classics. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/mark-chadwick-levellers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (August 11-17) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-august-11-17/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T21:23:18.000Z **Art, theatre, photography, music and more. Here's our pick of things to do this week.** Megan Metcalf Studio is opening a pop-up at Margo Shop on Addington Street, Ramsgate from Tuesday to Saturday. Launch and late-night shopping on Thursday from 5-8pm. Actor Tom Cray performs his new one-person play Top16 at Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. [Tickets £15.50](https://billetto.co.uk/e/top-16-tickets-1307309?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). An exhibition of rare Blondie photographs and memorabilia opens at the Barbican Music Library in London on Thursday, running until January 5\. [Full details](https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/blondie-in-camera-1978?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The brilliant Dinosaur World Live will be at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre from Friday to Sunday. [Book tickets](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/dinosaur-world-live-2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Jurassic 5 legend Chali 2na plays Olby’s in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £24.45](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Margate/Olby%27s-SOUL-CAFE/Chali-2na/41094845/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The launch party for a new cassette compilation featuring local bands Fruit Band, Big Woes, Jolt and Debdepan takes place at Where Else in Margate on Saturday. [Ticket and cassette bundle £15.97](https://www.gigantic.com/a-margate-sampler-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-08-16-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Craft brewery Indie Rabble will be taking over the Fermentorium in Ramsgate on Sunday afternoon with a Q&A and beer tasting. Tickets £25\. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/the%5Ffermentorium/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Totoro peaks out from behind the curtain URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-totoro-peaks-out-from-behind-the-curtain/ Last updated: 2025-08-09T07:00:37.000Z **The West End's Totoro puppet revealed, a(nother) new club venue in Margate, Broadstairs pub draws closer to being named Pub of the Year, and more. All the latest creative and cultural news from the coast to the capital.** The **first ever official image** showing Basil Twist’s amazing **Totoro puppet from the stage production of My Neighbour Totoro** has been revealed. Previously kept under wraps until audiences saw him on stage, the new photograph captures the iconic bus stop scene where Mei and Satuski encounter the forest spirit Totoro for the first time together. The show is running at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in the West End until March 2026\. [**Book tickets**](https://totoroshow.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate has a brand new music and club venue, The Drill Shed**. Located in the Lido complex, the room has already hosted nights as part of this year’s Margate Soul Festival and will be the setting for **Cockles & Muscles’ Pride after party tonight** until 4am. **York Street Gallery in Ramsgate is closing** on Tuesday, after 13 years in the town. After putting on nearly 700 exhibitions in that time, owner Mike Samson is retiring. **Currently on display is work by collage artist Rachel Mae**. **Cafe del Margs is now open for business in Margate Old Town**, offering bottomless brunches and live DJs (or a quick coffee stop). You’ll find it at 4-5 Market Place, in the **space formerly occupied by Wildes**. **Margate Film Festival is seeking two Young Programming Assistants**. Two people **aged 18-26** will be given the opportunity to get involved with the festival, evaluating feature and short films and sharing ideas for what would be shown in this year’s programme. [**Apply by August 12**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/young-programming-assistant-volunteers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Just weeks after being named CAMRA’s Kent Pub of the Year, **The Royston in Broadstairs has had that prize upgraded to South East Pub of the Year**. Next, it’s **in the running for the ‘super-regional’ round**, which will whittle the competition down to four pubs. They will then **go up for the overall National Pub of the Year award**. **The Samhain Society has just launched** to bring together **witches, pagans, seers, shadow-walkers and magical misfits from across Thanet**. The new coven will **meet annually on October 31** for rituals, workshops, film screenings and more. The first event will take place at **Bar Nothing in Cliftonville** this year. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/the%5Fsamhain%5Fsociety/?hl=en&e=938625ef-a53e-4941-8232-c36ae3b07cb2&g=5&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Margate Pride guide 2025 URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-events-highlights/ Last updated: 2025-08-09T08:28:58.000Z Margate Pride is back for its 10th year and there’s a programme of official and fringe events bigger than ever before, including film screenings, workshops, theatre and talks. In fact, we’re already close to a month into it all. But now things are really ramping up with the launch of this year’s Pride Art Map, the official opening event of the Margate Pride Festival. Over 30 venues will be displaying artwork by LGBTQ+ artists from Margate and Cliftonville for the whole of August. Other official events include panel talks [Queer, Disabled and Unapologetic: Protest at the Margins](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28837/panel-talk-queer-disabled-and-unapologetic-protest-at-the-margins?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and [The Importance of Visibility in the LGBTQIA+ Art Community](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28804/the-importance-of-visibility-in-the-lgbtqi-art-community-artist-talk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a night of storytelling and song titled [Postcards from Margate](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/postcards-from-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), plus another event [Margate Queer Zines: 10 Years of Rumours](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28812/margate-queer-zines-10-years-of-rumours-with-bob-chicalors-and-special-agent-sheldons?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The wider programme includes lots more, like [an interview with author Daniel Harding](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/letters-to-my-younger-queer-self-with-daniel-harding-tickets-1496017601919?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) about his new book Letters to My Younger Queer Self, a [DIY strap on making workshop](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/diy-strap-harness-making-workshop-tickets-1533652589179?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), [Cirque du Mar-Gay’s Pride fundraiser](https://dice.fm/partner/faith-in-strangers/event/wwoder-the-gayest-showman-7th-aug-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), [guided nature walks](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/21336/enjoying-margates-green-spaces-with-queer-nature-lover-phoebe-apollo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), and two performances of Ash Mukherjee’s brilliant one-man show [Vishnu’s Got My Back](https://billetto.co.uk/e/vishnu-s-got-my-back-pride-special-tickets-1467880?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Right here, we’re focussing on Pride Day itself and the parties going on around it. Although, to be honest, that’s a programme so packed that it’s spilled out into three days. It’s amazing to see how much Margate Pride has grown in a decade. And while, of course, Pride is a protest, filling a whole town with fun and joy for days and weeks at a time is a massive realisation of its core goals. ![Pride 2023. Photo: Strange Tourist ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-05-at-10.23.29.png) Pride 2023\. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Pre-parties Get ready for a full day and night of Pride festivities with, well, a full day and night of Pride festivities on Friday, August 8\. A little practice run. **Pride and Pour** Disco and dance anthems that honour LGBTQ+ history and joy. *The Glass Jar, 15 Marine Drive. 12pm-2.30am. Free entry.* **The Sun Deck** Warm-up for Saturday with Baby Pompom, Elizabeth Whibley and AKA FOX. *The Sun Deck, Royal Crescent Promenade. 4-10pm. Free entry.* **Leztopia: Margate Pride Warm-up** Club night for lesbian and FLINTA communities. *Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road. 7pm-2am.* [*Tickets £8*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28868/leztopia-margate-pride?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Father JC’s Mic Drop - Big Pride Bonanza** Special Pride edition of the popular monthly open mic night. *CAMP, 125 Northdown Road. 8-10pm.* [*Tickets £15*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28005/jcs-mic-drop-big-pride-bonanza?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/Screenshot-2024-07-05-at-10.21.52.png) Social Singing Choir will perform on the Pride main stage. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Margate Pride Day The main event - what we’re all here for - Margate Pride Day officially begins on Saturday, August 9 with family-friendly events in the morning. The march will then make its way from Cliftonville down to Dreamland, where there’s a great line up of performances and speeches until the evening. **Walpole Bay Lawns** Children’s story time, dance class and children’s choir performance. *Walpole Bay Lawns. 10am-12pm.* [*Free tickets*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27545/margate-pride-day-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Pride march** Gather from midday for a 1pm start, marching from Cliftonville to Dreamland. *Walpole Bay Lawns. 12-2pm.* [*Free registration*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27546/margate-pride-march-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Dreamland** Lynks, Social Singing Choir, DJs, Youth Pride, Mx Margate beauty pageant, speeches and more. *Dreamland, Hall by the Sea Road. 2-8pm.* [*Free tickets*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27545/margate-pride-day-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Margate Pride Afters** The official after party with Jaguar, Meg Ward, Queer House Party, Tom Rasmussen and more *Hall By The Sea, Dreamland. 8pm-1am.* [*Tickets £16*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28075/margate-pride-2025-the-afters?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/DSC_0558-standard-3.jpg) Pretzel Cage at Margate Pride 2023\. **Photo: Stephen Daly* ## Pride Day parties Margate Pride has a big line up of events, performances, speeches and more inside Dreamland, but Pride will also be taking over the whole of Margate. Here are all the parties going on all around town on Saturday, August 9\. **Grey Pride** Aimed at over 50s, a quieter spot with food, drink and classical music. *Mill Place, 131 High Street. 8.30am-4pm. Free entry.* **Drag Me To Brunch** Drag royalty Just May hosts bottomless brunch. *The George & Heart, 44 King Street. 11am-2pm.* [*Tickets £45*](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/drag-me-to-brunch-2025-?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **La! x Lafayette's x The Lighthouse Pride Special** Drag acts and DJ’s take over Margate’s Harbour Arm. *The Harbour Arm. 12pm-8pm. Free entry.* **No. 42 rooftop bar** DJs and drag acts - including River Medway - with a view across the Margate seafront. *Guesthouse No 42, 42 High Street. 12pm to sunset. Free entry.* **The Sun Deck** DJs include Archie, Rosie Ross + Caley, Abbie Neill, Gaëtan, Lanta and Sophie Stirling. *The Sun Deck, Royal Crescent Promenade. 12-10pm. Free entry.* **Margate Black Pride x Olby’s** Margate Black Pride and Olby’s are taking over Duke Street for their party. *Duke Street. 1-7pm. Free entry.* **Margate Beach Club** Honey Foxx hosts a party out on the terrace with DJs, dancers and drag acts. *Margate Beach Club, 1 Albert Terrace. 1-8pm. Free entry.* **Queer Brewing Tap Takeover** Queer Brewing takes over Xylo, with 50% of profits going to Margate Pride. *Xylo, 2-14 High Street. 1-11pm.* ![Tom Rasmussen at Dreamland, Pride 2023. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2024/07/Screenshot-2024-07-05-at-10.26.18.png) Tom Rasmussen will perform at the official Pride after party. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Pride after parties Margate Pride officially ends at 8pm when the lights are turned off on Dreamland’s Scenic Stage. That doesn’t mean anyone’s stopping though, it’ll be close to dawn when the last DJ set winds down. **Margate Beach Club** After a day on the terrace, MBC moves inside for more DJs and drag performances. *Margate Beach Club, 1 Albert Terrace. 8pm-3am. Tickets £10\.* **La!** The La! team move the party back into the bar after a day on the Harbour Arm. *La!, 13-15 High Street. 8pm-2am. Tickets £10\.* **CAMP** A massive line up of DJs in this small space, including Real GC and Lagoon. *CAMP, 125 Northdown Road. 8pm-3am.* [*Tickets £18.80*](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/avme57-camps-margate-pride-after-party-9th-aug-camp-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Margate Arts Club** Always one of the hot tickets and free entry to Cockles & Muscles if you stay to the end. *Margate Arts Club, 276 Northdown Road. 7pm-2am.* [*Tickets £15*](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/28496?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Margate Pride Afters** The official after party with Jaguar, Meg Ward, Queer House Party, Tom Rasmussen and more *Hall By The Sea, Dreamland. 8pm-1am.* [*Tickets £16*](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28075/margate-pride-2025-the-afters?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **The Divine** London LGBTQ+ bar The Divine makes its annual trip to Margate for a Pride takeover. *The George & Heart, 44 King Street. 8.30pm-1am.* [*Tickets £15*](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/the-divine-london-pride-takeover?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Where Else** Lynks take the headline DJ slot, with Bimbeaux Collective and Will Materialise also on the bill. *Where Else, 21-22 The Centre. 9pm-2am.* [*Tickets £10*](https://www.gigantic.com/lynks-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-08-09-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **BOUDICA** Queer party collective BOUDICA bring DJs Samantha Togni, ASHTREY, and Sissy Cinnamon. *Faith In Strangers, 17 Ethelbert Crescent. 9.30pm-2am.* [*Tickets £16.50*](https://dice.fm/event/7dryp9-margate-pride-boudica-x-faith-in-strangers-9th-aug-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Cockles & Muscles** Pop bangers, queer anthems, dancing and drag. Djs include TeTe Bang and Buns Night Out. *Margate Lido Complex, 1 Ethelbert Terrace. 10pm-4am.* [*Tickets £15*](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/28457?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/Tidal_pool_landscape.jpeg) Wash away the cobwebs in Walpole Bay Tidal Pool. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Recovery and/or hair of the dog After a big night, you need something to shake off that hangover. On Sunday, if you make it out of bed at all, you can swim, hike, or get straight back on it - up to you. **Hungover Hike** Grab a bloody mary and then head out on a hike to shake out the night before. *CAMP, 125 Northdown Road. 12-4pm. Free.* **Margate Beach Club** Live jazz performances curated by Queer Jazz, then a disco funk DJ set from Inky Durrant. *Margate Beach Club, 1 Albert Terrace. 12pm-3am. Tickets £10\.* **Queer Brewing Tap Takeover** Queer Brewing takes over Xylo, with 50% of profits going to Margate Pride. *Xylo, 2-14 High Street. 1-9pm.* **Queer Swim** Leave your hangover in the sea, join Queer Swimclub Margate in the Tidal Pool. *Walpole Bay Tidal Pool. 2pm. Free.* **The Divine** After a brief break from their after party, The Divine will be taking over the Sun Deck. *The Sun Deck, Royal Crescent Promenade. 3-9pm. Free entry.* ### Incoming: Ed Gamble, Blondie, Rocky Horror URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-ed-gamble-blondie-rocky-horror/ Last updated: 2025-08-05T07:00:19.000Z **A massive Christmas comedy show, a workshop for budding young architects, a cabaret all-dayer, and more. Lots of dates for your diary with new events in Thanet and London.** **Chump’s Comedy have announced their annual Chumpsmas show**. This year they’re ramping things up a level. Taking place at **Dreamland on Thursday, December 11**, the line up is **Ed Gamble, Michelle de Swarte, Harriet Kemsley and a secret special guest**. Christopher Hall will MC the night. [**Tickets £32.80**](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/8enyp5-chumpsmas-ed-gamble-and-friends-11th-dec-dreamland-hall-by-the-sea-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Young V&A** wants young budding architects to join its **two-day live design and build workshop**. Participants (aged 11-14) will take on the architectural process, from creating a design brief to model-making to building a full-scale installation, guided by Studio Build and U-Build. **On Monday-Tuesday August 11-12** at Young V&A in Bethnal Green. [**Tickets £70**](https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/ALVlgnPAk7/summer-design-club?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Screaming Alley has announced a massive all day cabaret on Sunday, August 24**. From 2pm to 9.30pm at **Radford House in Ramsgate**, Pat Riarchy, Charlie Partridge, Elz, Danny Ash and friends will be putting on performances, competitions, an open mic, games, tombolas, stalls, and more. [**Tickets from £5**](https://www.screamingalley.co.uk/event-details-registration/screaming-alleys-summer-of-love?utm%5Fcampaign=d419da35-7e30-4f57-a72d-06f7f263b29c&utm%5Fsource=so&utm%5Fmedium=mail&cid=863d629c-e894-4fe9-bbdd-b1728db5915f). **Vintage and second hand market Treasure Trove** returns to **Gather& in Ramsgate** for fine threads and nice stuff on Sunday, August 10, 10am-3pm. **The Sunken Garden Eco Fair is set to return on Sunday, September 21** from 11am to 4.30pm. Taking place at Westbrook’s Sunken Gardens, the day will have workshops on wildlife, ecology, conservation, tree care, gardening and sustainability. [**See the full programme**](https://thesunkengarden.co.uk/sunken-garden-eco-fair-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Hoffs launches The Peachy Afterlight Sessions on August 7**, with disco, boogie and funk on vinyl, sunsets over the water and cocktails in hand. Dammit Janet, **The Rocky Horror Picture Show screens at the Carlton in Westgate on Friday and Saturday of August 22-23** to mark 50 years of vampy campy fun and Tim Curry’s legs in fishnets. **Bottleneck in Broadstairs** hosts a wine tasting sesh in its delightful courtyard on **Monday, August 18**. **Hosted by Kent’s Biddenden Vineyard,** [**it’s £35 a head**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/biddenden-wine-tasting-10-09?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**, runs 6.30pm-8.30pm** and comes with shared plates of picky bits to graze on. **Learn about Margate’s wild bee population** with a **walking tour of their favourite spots** in and around Margate Station on **Saturday, August 30**. Programmed alongside the Turner’s current Anna Boghiguian exhibition, you will be guided by artist and bee keeper Dominic Rose. [**Free tickets**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/events/margate-station-bee-tour-with-dominic-rose?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Local punk band **Crabs have announced a free end of summer all-dayer at The Sun Deck in Margate on Sunday, September 28**. The Spike Direction and Harmony Bo will also perform, and there will be DJ sets from Sista G and Iain Aitch. **It’ll start at 3pm** **and run until 9pm**. A collection of **50 rare photographs of Blondie** are set to go on view at the [**Barbican Music Library**](https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/libraries/barbican-music-library?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **in London from August 14 to January 5**. Coinciding with photographer Martyn Goddard’s book Blondie in Camera 1978, the free exhibition will also feature other memorabilia from around the time they released their Parallel Lines album. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to in Thanet and beyond this week (August 4-10) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-august-4-10/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T21:26:52.000Z **Margate Pride, children's theatre, a Gorillaz exhibition and more. Lots of things to do in Thanet and further afield this week.** Brighter Days Academy begins a series of workshops to help makers build their businesses on Tuesday. Sessions are free to businesses in Thanet. [Find out more and book](https://brighterdaysmarkets.co.uk/brighter-days-academy/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Children’s theatre show Caspian’s Storm comes to Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs on Wednesday. Suitable for kids aged 4+. Starts at 1pm. Free entry. Ramsgate yoga studio Union hosts Margate Mushrooms founder Darryn De La Soul for an evening of lion’s mane and shiitake on Wednesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. [Tickets £10](https://www.unionramsgate.com/whats-on/medicinal-mushrooms?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Margate Bookshop puts on Letters to My Younger Queer Self with Daniel Harding, on Thursday at CAMP. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-margate-bookshop-36534200673?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafVm0kk5LcwzI48jdD4CX5hDRKM-p3vBDwGdGCrukzaUZRLqgHCXWW6W78w1g%5Faem%5FoNNiPG9LT6%5FgE-oDK0SvzA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Irish post-rock duo A Burial at Sea will be heading to Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday. [Tickets £17.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/a-burial-at-sea/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cirque Du Mar-Gay will be putting on a night of circus performance at Faith in Strangers on Thursday. [Tickets £10](https://dice.fm/partner/faith-in-strangers/event/wwoder-the-gayest-showman-7th-aug-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Gorillaz open a new exhibition chronicling their 25 years together at East London’s Copper Box on Friday, running until September 3\. [Tickets from £25](https://houseofkong.gorillaz.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Local sound artist Yuri Suzuki opens a new installation called UTOOTO at [Camden Arts Projects](https://camdenartsprojects.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) in London on Friday, exploring sound, utopia, and collective imagination. Broadstairs Folk Week’s 60th anniversary edition begins on Friday and will run until August 15\. [See the full programme](https://broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Pride marks its tenth anniversary on Saturday with a massive programme of official and fringe events taking over the whole town. Check out our guide: [Margate Pride guide 2025Everything going on at this year’s Margate Pride - parties, family events, the march, and how to spend your Sunday recovery time![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-18.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Margate-Pride-2022-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-events-highlights/) Local radio station Academy FM will be hosting its annual barbecue at the Racing Greyhound pub in Ramsgate on Saturday from 2-5pm. Free entry. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate chef makes National Chef of the Year final URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-chef-makes-national-chef-of-the-year-final/ Last updated: 2025-08-03T07:00:11.000Z **Local chef names one of the country's best, Ramsgate residents asked how to spend £20 million, a new rooftop bar and more. This week's creative and cultural news from Thanet and East Kent.** **Buoy and Oyster head chef Craig Edgell has made it through to the final of this year’s National Chef of the Year competition**. One of ten chosen from 40 semi-finalists, alongside the other finalists he will now cook the menu he designed during the previous stages at University of West London on October 7\. The overall winner will be announced that evening during a ceremony at the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square. **Thanet District Council has been awarded £20 million** in government funding to **invest in Ramsgate over ten years** from 2026 to 2036\. Councillors are now **asking locals to tell them where they’d most like to see the money spent**. “This is a significant opportunity for local people to change the face of Ramsgate, and getting a wide input is integral to getting this right,” says council leader Rick Everitt. [**Have your say**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuSNA-l8MBx8TIDxW4GP5QmTtEXGvblG9dQ9vtzUh286%5FV%5FA/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New rooftop bar Nao** has opened on the roof (obvs) of **The Granville Theatre in Ramsgate**. It’s serving up cocktails, pizzas and views across the harbour. Open Thursday to Sunday. [**Find out more**](https://www.noarooftop.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). East Kent Colleges’ new **Margate Digital Campus has officially launched**. Located on Margate High Street, it offers a range of **creative and design courses that will begin in September**. This includes a digital animation course co-created with Margate animation studio A+C. [**Find out more**](https://www.broadstairscollege.ac.uk/study-with-us/creative-and-design/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate drag cabaret night **Screaming Alley is opening a new members bar and performance space**. The latest tenancy secured with the support of regeneration project Ramsgate Space, Screaming Alley will take over the basement of 12 Queen Street, below the recently opened Salt House barbers. [**Find out more**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DMpYpyXsNG7/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Ramsgate Space’s town centre revival plansA town centre revitalisation project has big plans for Ramsgate, aiming to turn its downtrodden high street into a main artery reflective of the town’s best bits![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-12.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/alexis-mette-GcdxQVU5ZV0-unsplash-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-space-its-painful-to-see-the-high-street-of-a-town-you-love-so-much-struggle-to-survive/) **Handpoke tattoo artist Lily Hawkes is opening a new studio in Margate’s Old Town called Scrap**, which will also serve as a gallery and event space. Located on Love Lane, the studio’s name is “a nod to the historic metal merchant and scrapyard that once stood on this spot.” [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/scrap%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Already operating on Margate Main Sands, Whitstable Harbour and at Macknade in Faversham, **Sea Scrub Sauna has announced it will open a new operation on the beach next to Folkestone Harbour**. Building work will begin later this year for a 2026 opening. [**Read the full announcement**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DMqLoYMpu0L/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This year’s **Smugglers Festival is close to selling out**. Taking place in a secret location near Deal, it runs from **August 28-31**. Acts on the line up this year include This Is The Kit and Pictish Trail. Go and get lost in the woods for a weekend. [**Book tickets**](https://smugglersfestival.com/products/smugglers-festival-2025?se%5Factivity%5Fid=194656633205&syclid=d25j509l39vs73a8gqv0&utm%5Fcampaign=%F0%9F%8C%BF...a+walkthrough+our+Saturday+for+2025%2C+and+another+favourite+of+in+Margate+this+week...%F0%9F%8C%BF%5F194656633205&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=shopify%5Femail). [Smugglers Festival’s journey to become a magical and mysterious summer highlightWith most of its stages hidden in woodland, Kent’s Smugglers Festival is an “inspiring and magical” experience, says programmer Stewart Hughes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-13.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Smugglers22-252-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/) **Do you work in hospo?** Hoffs and The Shakespeare in Margate have your backs. Injecting life into a tumbleweed-filled **Monday Margate night, Hoffs** extends the weekend for all those who worked it, with **cocktail and hotdog deals all night long**. Meanwhile, cash up the till and ditch the apron before heading to **The Shakespeare** for a sunset knock-off on **Sundays**. Bring proof of workplace to get **20% off** a well-deserved pint or two from **5pm to 10pm**, you lucky ducks. **Faith in Strangers** in Cliftonville has announced a **new dining experience** **launching this autumn**. Dine Hard serves up **one-off menus based on cult films**. Full details are yet to be announced, but you can [**sign up to find out more**](https://mailchi.mp/1f0ce9969021/dine-hard?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) as soon as it’s announced. **The Oval Market in Cliftonville** has added **a boot fair section** to its weekly market, **every Saturday** from 8am-1.30pm. For small vehicles it’s **£10 and for larger ones it’s £15.** **Call 07971738239 or 07474139115 to book a spot**. **Folkestone welcomes a new micropub The Cat and Fiddle on Rendezvous Street**.Head over when you’re next that way for steins of European beers, homemade pies and pickled treats. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Canterbury Festival, Cirque du Mar-Gay, Diaries of Note URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-canterbury-festival-cirque-du-mar-gay-diaries-of-note/ Last updated: 2025-07-29T07:00:25.000Z **Upcoming cultural festivals, workshops for makers, whisky tasting and more. Lots of dates for your diary over the coming months.** **The Canterbury Festival returns from October 17 to November 1**, bringing a diverse range of arts performances and talks to the city. Among the names set to appear this year are Richard Ayoade, Bob Mortimer, Evelyn Glennie, Turin Brakes, Alistair McGowan, Sebastian Faulks, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, and Elf Lyons. [**See the full programme**](https://canterburyfestival.co.uk/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Brighter Days Academy** has announced a series of **workshops to help makers, artisans, craftspeople, and artists to build their businesses** and find new customers. There will be sessions on telling your story, photography and digital marketing. These will lead to the production of a Brighter Days magazine, in which you can feature. **Sessions are free to businesses in Thanet.** [**Find out more and book**](https://brighterdaysmarkets.co.uk/brighter-days-academy/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Kent Whisky Explorers tasting night** will turn its attention to Indian whisky on **Thursday, September 18 at Little Swift in Margate**. You’ll be guided through a range of different offerings by host Paul Vig. [**Tickets go on sale today**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kent-whisky-explorers-journey-to-india-tickets-1511718032329?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Greenwich+Docklands International Festival** has announced the line up for its **‘festival within a festival’ Dance City in the borough of Newham**. A total of 15 UK and international dance companies will present **free performances** in locations around Stratford Town Centre and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on **Saturday, September 6\.** [**See the full programme**](https://festival.org/dancing-city-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Currently touring the UK, **children’s theatre show Caspian’s Storm comes to Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs on Wednesday, August 6**. Created by LAS Theatre in collaboration with children from Margate primary schools Cliftonville, Drapers Mills, Palm Bay and Northdown, the interactive musical tells the story of a curious crab. **Suitable for kids aged 4+. Starts at 1pm. Free entry**. **Cirque du Mar-Gay** will be putting on a **night of circus performance at Faith in Strangers on Thursday, August 7**. Titled The Gayest Showman, the show’s ringmaster for the night will be drag king Mercury Rizing. Profits from the night will be donated to Margate Pride. [**Tickets £10**](https://dice.fm/partner/faith-in-strangers/event/wwoder-the-gayest-showman-7th-aug-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Stand up comedian Simon Evans** will be performing his new show Simon Evans is Staring at the Sun at **Ramsgate's Granville Theatre on Thursday, February 5**. That is a way off, yes. [**Ticket’s £21.45**](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/simon-evans-is-staring-at-the-sun/granville-theatre/tickets/C6E1A95E-44B2-42BE-9B3E-E3CFB9C09CED?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The [**Diaries of Note** **newsletter**](https://diariesofnote.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is becoming a **book and live show** later this year. The Letters of Note spin-off will be at **Cadogan Hall in London on Monday, October 13**. As well as the private musings of famous diarists, three members of the public will have their diary entries read on stage too. With permission, of course. Submit yours by emailing [shaun@lettersofnote.com](mailto:shaun@lettersofnote.com). Performing them will be Diaries of Note founder Shaun Usher, plus actors Louise Brealey and Matt Berry. [**Tickets from £39.50**](https://tickets.artist-tix.com/tickets/series/SUCH25/shaun-usher-presents-diaries-of-note-from-page-to-stage-1723750?startDate=10-13-2025&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Assembly** has announced its **first all-day event**, with eight hours of music from local musicians on a stage in **Margate Yacht Club’s storage yard on Saturday, September 20 from 1-9pm**. Full line up yet to be announced. [**Tickets £33.38**](https://dice.fm/partner/margate-assembly-ltd/event/xepnam-assembly-at-the-yacht-club-20th-sep-margate-yacht-club-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next regular Assembly night will be at Off Licence in Cliftonville this Wednesday. Local promoter **Awkwardness Happening will release a cassette sampler** featuring four Margate bands next month. Fruit Band, Big Woes, Jolt and Debdepan will have music on the release, and play a **launch night at Where Else on Saturday, August 16\.** [**Ticket and cassette bundle £15.97**](https://www.gigantic.com/a-margate-sampler-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-08-16-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (July 28-August 2) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-july-28-august-2/ Last updated: 2025-07-28T09:48:33.000Z **Puppets, a water gala, local musicians and artists, a new food residency and more. Here are some idea of things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, East Kent and London this week.** Little Angel Theatre in London’s Children's Puppet Festival is back for its fourth year on Monday until August 29\. [Full details](https://www.littleangeltheatre.com/childrens-puppet-festival-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Perfect Place To Grow hosts Tiles Of Joy, a community workshop and hospo demo at their lovely training cafe and kitchen at the back of the TKE Studios. Drop by on Tuesday between 11am and 1pm. Reserve your spot by emailing [ani@theperfectplacetogrow.org](mailto:ani@theperfectplacetogrow.org). This year’s Broadstairs Water Gala will take place on Wednesday with a day of free activities on the beach and along Victoria Gardens. It will finish with live music and a fireworks display. [Full details](https://www.broadstairswatergala.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Pride hosts family-friendly puppet-making workshops at Turner Contemporary Wednesday. Sessions are free, drop in on at 10am-12.30pm and 1pm-4pm. Deerhoof will play Olby's in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £22.87](https://dice.fm/event/dkbgbe-deerhoof-30th-jul-the-lido-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Kent Pop Exchange officially launches on Thursday with a mixer for young people involved in the local music scene and a showcase from Pynch and Debdepan. Get [free mixer tickets](https://www.gigantic.com/music-mixer-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-07-31-18-00?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacZfWHE77AUMgPBycfvsca57sLfJwebOPNXnY2QIbqyBBVAuONJB29e4zcD0w%5Faem%5F6PwS2gnHjS2xKr%5F95RlBeQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and [£5 showcase tickets](https://www.gigantic.com/pynch-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-07-31-20-00?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafgwViuEPwCMKYciXHMwjsgmL--UfZM11j%5F1oQo%5FUjvNzQdDosTXY9y389mEw%5Faem%5F0zoE-RKWyRZzDHbcL7kcEg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) now. Singer-songwriters Meg Bird and Poppy Prescott are on tour this week, with two local dates. They play The Music Workshop in Folkestone on Thursday and Joseph Wales Studio in Margate on Friday. [Tickets £16.69](https://linktr.ee/MBxPPSeasideTour?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet Alive, an exhibition featuring a mix of local artists working across various mediums, runs from Thursday to Saturday at Arts in Ramsgate on the High Street. Margate Pride Art Map launches Friday from 5.30pm, so take yourself on a self-guided tour, before ending up at The Pie Factory for music and drinks. A new exhibition telling the story of Margate’s sewage problem from the perspective of E. Coli launches at the Crab Museum on Friday with a night of entertainment headlined by comedian Alex Franklin. [Tickets £12](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/alex-franklin-live-e-coli-exhibit-launch?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Soul Festival runs from Friday to Sunday with gigs and DJ sets in venues all over the town. [Get tickets](https://margatesoulfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Herne Bay Cartoon Festival is set to run in venues around the town from Friday until August 14\. [See the full programme](https://www.beachcreative.org/cartoon-festival-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). London taco makers Ofrenda take over the kitchen at The Riding Wine Co (formerly Streets) in Cliftonville on Saturday for the first of a series of food residencies at the bar. Email ​​[theridingwineco@gmail.com](mailto:theridingwineco@gmail.com) to book. Madness headline Dreamland on Saturday. It’s sold out, but [check for returns](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/whats-on/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Thanet awards, designer clothes, fiction, new bars and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-thanet-awards-designer-clothes-fiction-new-bars-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-07-27T07:00:05.000Z **Ramsgate scores an award and a grant to develop its high street, awards nominations in Margate, a Broadstairs murder mystery, and more news from Thanet and beyond.** **Ramsgate has been named one of six winning towns in the British Retail Consortium’s Let’s Celebrate Towns Awards**. Winning the Small Business Support category, as well as a trophy, **the prize grants £20,000 to Ramsgate Space to continue its work developing the town’s high street**. The organisation's next project is to launch a hospitality incubator for food businesses to operate small scale residencies. [**Find out more**](https://brc.org.uk/news-and-events/news/corporate-affairs/2025/ungated/six-uk-communities-recognised-in-visas-2025-lets-celebrate-towns-awards/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: Ramsgate Space’s town centre revival plansA town centre revitalisation project has big plans for Ramsgate, aiming to turn its downtrodden high street into a main artery reflective of the town’s best bits![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-9.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/alexis-mette-GcdxQVU5ZV0-unsplash.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-space-its-painful-to-see-the-high-street-of-a-town-you-love-so-much-struggle-to-survive/) **Margate’s Dreamland has been nominated for the Best Seaside Park prize at this year’s UK Theme Park Awards**. It’s up against 12 others, including Clacton Pier, Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach and Pleasurewood Hills. **It all comes down to a public vote**, which is open now. If you have the time/inclination, there are 21 (!!) other categories in which to vote. [**Cast your vote**](https://ukthemeparkawards.com/vote?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Buoy and Oyster chef Craig Edgell has reached the semi-finals of this year’s National Chef of the Year competition**. One of 40 chefs to make it through, **the final ten are set to be announced on July 31**. If selected, he will go through to a head-to-head **cook off at the University of West London on October 7**. **Kent County Council** leader Linden Kemkaran has [confirmed in a letter to East Thanet MP Polly Billington](https://www.facebook.com/pollyblabour/posts/pfbid0xsRquWZVyn9ADJUQ3rp22MifKgpFNSodidNAm2xfZwYox3t5rK6cxHT1DW2oWQ7Yl) that the new Reform led administration plans to **go ahead with plans to sell off the buildings occupied by Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate and the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs**. Other cuts to services in Thanet are also set to go ahead as planned under the previous Conservative leadership. [Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls homeAs youth service Pie Factory Music fights funding cuts and plans to sell its Ramsgate HQ, CEO Zoë Carassik explains why “young people deserve better”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-8.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_4928.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/) **Author Anna Sayburn Lane** has published the sixth book in her Marjorie Swallows murder mystery series, **setting the story in Kingsgate Castle in Broadstairs**. The action takes place shortly after the castle was converted into a hotel in 1922\. [**Find out more**](https://annasayburnlane.com/murder-mysteries/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Fashion designer Matthew May has launched new Ramsgate-based womenswear brand MAI**. Born in Thanet, Matthew has designed for brands including Valentino in Rome. “Launching the brand from my hometown is an incredibly proud moment for me. **MAI clothing is a chance to do what I love in a very special place**,” he says. “I hope to grow the business and eventually work even more with the exceptionally talented people in Thanet. This is just the beginning, and the future is looking bright.” [**Find out more**](https://www.maiclothing.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Crab Museum is extending its opening hours for the school summer holidays**. From July 30, it will welcome crab fans of all ages from Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Make the most of the two extra days until September kicks in. [School summer holidays: Things to do in Thanet, Kent, LondonYour guide to keeping the kids busy through the school holidays this July and August in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, East Kent and London![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-7.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/540284-PARADOX-TUNNEL-1-a94e58-original-1717009912.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-broadstairs-ramsgate-kent-london-summer-holiday-survival-guide/) **A new bar called Henry’s is set to open soon on Margate High Street** with sea views over the main sands. It takes over the unit formerly occupied by Henry’s electronics store, which closed several years ago. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/henrysmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). When they [**closed The Folkestone Wine Company**](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-winter-gardens-nerina-pallot-community-hop-growing/#:~:text=The%20Folkestone%20Wine%20Company%20has,left%20to%20sample%20their%20menu.) in May, **owners Polly Pleasance and David Hart** promised to return. They’ve now **announced that they will open** [**new French restaurant and wine bar Franc**](https://www.instagram.com/francofcanterbury/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **in Canterbury** later this year. **Ramsgate’s Elephant & Castle pub has gone up for sale** promising its new owner a “profitable free house with predominantly wet trade”. Built around a central bar there’s space for 50 people inside and 40 in the beer garden, which overlooks Boundary Park. The venue is also known for putting on punk gigs and screening live sports. Sometimes at the same time. **It has a guide price of £375,000\.** [**More details**](https://www.fleurets.com/properties/la-524687/freehold-pubs-for-sale/elephant-castle-ramsgate-kent?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Ziah Ziah's artistic growth through creative freedom URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/tke-studio-fellowship-keziah-ziah-ziah/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T22:25:42.000Z “My overall experience has been one of growth,” says Keziah Stilwell, as she sums up her time undertaking the TKE Studios Performance Artist Fellowship. “It’s given me the space and time necessary to grow.” “It’s hard to \[create\] without both at the same time,” she adds. It sounds simple but as many creative people know, space and time to focus on artistic ideas is hard to come by. And for Keziah, this fellowship and the exploration it has allowed for has seen a shift in her creative practice and her perception of it. “The fellowship has opened my eyes to art in a way I haven’t experienced before,” Keziah says, adding that the critical thinking and possibility that has come with the fellowship play a part in this. “I’ve been in bands and done music for a while, but I never really thought of myself as an artist, and that has really changed for me.” ![Deeper Cut, TKE Studios. Photo: Ziah Ziah](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/LIVE-PROJECTION-DEEPER-CUT-2.jpg) Deeper Cut, TKE Studios. **Photo: Ziah Ziah* Keziah started the fellowship in October last year. A multidisciplinary performance artist whose pathway started in music, Keziah used to perform vocals for dark-wave pop band Black Buffalo Gold, while current solo project Ziah Ziah is leftfield synth-pop stylings. You may also know her from Sister Joan, the hairdressing salon that perched on the corner of Northdown Road and Crawford Gardens before it closed earlier this year, with her trade forming the basis of her first fellowship show. Performed in March, Deeper Cut looked at the relationship between identity, ritual, reinvention and hairdressing, as well as the relationship “between clients and hairdressers, and the magic that exists within us all to help you to realise yourself”. “And recognising \[the hairdressers\] as a healing space”, Keziah goes on, expanding on Fleabag’s apt sentiment that hair is everything. “It’s not considered one, but it is”. “It made me see hairdressing in a new light. It made me appreciate the skills I have. When you're young, all you learn is how to cut hair, how to colour hair. You’re not taught how to deal with real people, hairdressers deal with people during big life moments - deaths, marriages, break ups. “It’s quite ceremonial in a sense, and when you’re young, you’re not equipped to do that. You learn to tune into people and into someone’s self identity. ![Ziah Ziah's performance as part of Tracey Emin's I Followed You To The End, White Cube. Photo: Ziah Ziah](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/WHITE-CUBE-BERMONSEY.-I-FOLLOWED-YOU-TO-THE-END-TRACEY-EMIN-1.jpg) Ziah Ziah's performance as part of Tracey Emin's I Followed You To The End, White Cube. **Photo: Ziah Ziah* “Getting it right, and really seeing people transform within themselves; it’s really amazing. \[Deeper Cut\] made me feel really privileged to experience that with people.” Despite encompassing music, performance, visual arts and projections, Keziah stepped away from collaboration to produce and present the performance. “For this project it was important that every aspect came from me, as it is my fellowship. The whole concept; I did the film, the set, the music on my own. I wanted to push myself." “I really felt the audience were with me and incredibly present,” Keziah adds. “I suppose I was exploring a thing that everyone could relate to.” Deeper Cut was the first of two performance outcomes Keziah will perform as part of the fellowship. She also runs workshops with the TEARS - the Tracey Emin Artists in Residence. The rest of her time is left for creative play and exploration. “The main thing is exploration, time and space,” Keziah says. “Space has been the biggest thing. I have my own studio. I feel very lucky. I hadn’t had one before.” ![Ziah Ziah. Photo: Ziah Ziah](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/6T0A0036-1.JPG) Ziah Ziah. **Photo: Ziah Ziah* Through exploration, Keziah has found herself working with film - an unexpected twist spurred on by creating live projections that make her performances more immersive and which has led to Keziah shooting a short film shot at the recent Palm Bay fun fair which she is currently scoring. “Being in a visual art setting with artists who have works on walls that exist forever, whereas performance exists only in the moment; \[It led me to think\], how can I use my artform in a way that could exist forever, in a way that I don’t have to physically be there to exist?" “That’s been a surprise element in my journey,” she adds. “I feel excited about making work that can exist without me physically being there, I can move and travel as an artist without the ongoing output so I have given myself time to make new work.” Going into the fellowship, Keziah knew she wanted to explore non-traditional performance spaces, following her immersive Big Mars Energy takeover of Quench Gallery last year and performing in a church as part of POW for her first show as Ziah Ziah. “I really loved performing in a space that wasn’t a classic gig venue,” she says. “I loved how the audience could enter somewhere they’re not used to experiencing music in. And music is so healing. Churches, for so many, are healing as a place of worship. Art galleries to many are also sacred spaces. “In my time as a fellow, I’m incubating ideas on how to use space in unusual ways and to make immersive performances that move people.” ![Deeper Cut, TKE Studios. Photo: Ziah Ziah](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/deeper-cut-arms-out--1-.jpg) Deeper Cut, TKE Studios. **Photo: Ziah Ziah* Alongside this, Keziah has been exploring sound healing and the idea of experiencing art through body and sound, through her performances and her TEAR workshops. “I like to include a healing element in my performances; immersive shows that are a journey and that hold people," she says. "I’ve been working with the gong and other healing instruments to allow people to experience art differently.” Keziah first started to explore this idea as part of her October 2024 performance at the White Cube gallery, as a response to Tracey Emin’s show, I Followed You To The End. “I had to look at the painting a different way; look closely. Performance is all about how you move, and I guess looking at the art and embodying it as part of my performance. “You feel closer to the art and it connects the viewer and participant to the artist more.” She explains that her practice involves focussing on a specific work of art and then experiencing the work somatically, aided by exercises or activities like gong baths - or immersions, as Keziah calls them. “Holding these works in your mind and using a sound immersion, you go to all sorts of places. You never know what is going to happen.” ![Ziah Ziah's performance as part of Tracey Emin's I Followed You To The End, White Cube. Photo: Ziah Ziah](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/WHITE-CUBE-BERMONSEY.-I-FOLLOWED-YOU-TO-THE-END-TRACEY-EMIN-1-1-1.jpg) Ziah Ziah's performance as part of Tracey Emin's I Followed You To The End, White Cube. **Photo: Ziah Ziah* Looking ahead, Keziah has started to think about her second performance, which she will perform towards the end of her fellowship. In August and under Ziah Ziah, she’ll release Marble Eyes, an “empowering queer anthem” that pays homage to chosen families, and perform at Smugglers Festival and the TKE Studios Summer Fair. A Margate Pride performance looks likely as well, as part of the festival’s art trail. And beyond the fellowship, Keziah intends to continue making immersive work that “holds and heals” and “build worlds through music, film and performance as well as explore other mediums”. “I know where I want to go,” she says. “It’s exciting.” Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: David Bowie, Pride, London Film Festival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-david-bowie-pride-london-film-festival/ Last updated: 2025-07-22T07:00:25.000Z **East London's David Bowie Centre opening, lots of Margate Pride events, art pop-ups, a junior skateboarding competition and more. Scratch all of these dates into your diary right now.** **V&A East Storehouse opens its free David Bowie archive on Saturday, September 13**, with tickets opening up soon. The archive contains costumes, lyrics, sketches and things that reveal the icon’s inner workings. [**Full details**](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/david-bowie-centre?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Arts Club has launched Ripe**, a new arts festival held over **August 22-24**. Get ready for avante garde, pioneering and witty art, with performances, a craft fair, workshops and music on the bill. Come for Narmy and OG from Cheeky Sound Systems, cabaret scratch nights, burlesque, folk gigs and a stack more. [**Tickets £9-30**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/28836?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Megan Metcalf Studio pops up in Ramsgate** on Tuesday to Saturday, **August 12-17 from 11am to 4pm**. Head to Margo Shop on Addington Street for prints, cards, tablecloths and other lovely things. **Launch and late-night shopping on Thursday, August 14 from 5-8pm**. **Margate Pride events are coming up thick and fast:** - The Margate Bookshop puts on **Letters to My Younger Queer Self** with Daniel Harding, on Thursday, August 7 at CAMP. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-margate-bookshop-36534200673?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafVm0kk5LcwzI48jdD4CX5hDRKM-p3vBDwGdGCrukzaUZRLqgHCXWW6W78w1g%5Faem%5FoNNiPG9LT6%5FgE-oDK0SvzA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). - **Transcream £5 vegan soft serve** on Saturday, August 9 from 9am-12pm that comes with Doubloons sauces. Find this at Unit 2 Fullers Yard, Victoria Road. - **Margate Pride Art Map** launches Friday, August 1 from 5.30pm, so take yourself on a self-guided tour, before ending up at The Pie factory for music and drinks. - Winner of the Pride Art Map Open Call Gallery Show Exhibition, **Lady Kitt,** presents their multi-sensory exhibition Varda Dorcas at The Margate School August 1-10\. - The **Leztopia x Margate Arts Club** Pride pre-party is on Friday, August 8, from 7pm-2am. [Tickets £5-12](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28868/leztopia-margate-pride?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). - **Ash Mukherjee** will perform his brilliant coming of age show Vishnu’s Got My Back at the Tom Thumb Theatre on August 29-30\. [Tickets £12](https://billetto.co.uk/e/vishnu-s-got-my-back-pride-special-tickets-1467880?bref=eyJzIjoiYmlsbGV0dG8iLCJtIjoiYmlsbGV0dG8iLCJjIjoiZmluZCIsImNvIjoiMUdCIiwidCI6MTc1Mjg1ODExM30%3D&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Horniman Museum and Gardens** in London will host a **sunset performance** of big band ditties by the **South London Jazz Orchestra on Thursday, August 28**, with street food, picnic boxes and a bar to also enjoy. [**Early bird tickets from £7.50**](https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/big-band-on-the-bandstand/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Perfect Place To Grow hosts Tiles Of Joy**, a community workshop and hospo demo at their lovely training cafe and kitchen at the back of the TKE Studios. Folk are welcome to create a tile of joy, which will feature as part of a permanent display on the site, that represents strength in community. Alongside this, the TPPTG team will host a demo and whip up a buffet for you to get stuck into. **Drop by on Tuesday, July 29, between 11am and 1pm. Reserve your spot at** [**ani@theperfectplacetogrow.org**](mailto:ani@theperfectplacetogrow.org). You might think July’s too early to start talking about Christmas, but here we are; **Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre has just announced the cast for its pantomime**. The production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will star Sarah Hadland (Miranda, Strictly Come Dancing) and Phil Gallagher (CBeebies' Mister Maker). The show will run from Friday, November 28 to Sunday, January 11\. [**Tickets £18-70**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs/?utm%5Fcampaign=2953267%5F31.%20SWA7D%20-%20Cast%20Announcement%20-%20Everyone%20else&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=marlowetheatre&dm%5Fi=4A31,1RAR7,8V6XOB,89PG8,1). The BFI has announced that this year’s **London Film Festival will be opened with the premier of the third instalment of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series on Wednesday, October** 8 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The full programme for this year’s LFF will be announced on September 3\. The event itself runs from October 8 to 19\. [**Find out more**](https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Drum n bass duo **Sigma have announced that they will play an extended DJ set at Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday, November 8**. They will be joined by a still to be announced guest CM, and local DJ Sabrina will be on hand to warm up the crowd before the main event. [**Early bird tickets £17.10**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/avmxb7-sigma-lock-off-tour-8th-nov-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs Folk Week is back this year from August 8-15**. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, it will feature performances from acts including Lindisfarne, Martin & Eliza Carthy, Eddi Reader, Goblin Band, and Falle Nioke. There’s also a massive programme of events and activities beyond that, including a children’s festival. Many shows will also be livestreamed.[**See the full programme**](https://broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). British skateboarding’s national governing body (so, in charge of the Olympic team, among other things) **Skateboard GB** is bringing its **Survival of the Sickest junior skateboard competition** to Revolution Skatepark in Broadstairs on **Saturday, September 27**. There will be under 16 and under 12 categories for boys and girls. [**Entry £10**](https://skateboardgb.org/survival-of-the-sickest-events/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Kent Pop Exchange officially launches on Thursday, July 31**. It’ll kick off with a networking session for young people aged 16-30 on the East Kent DIY music scene. After that, there will be a showcase with performances from Pynch and Debdepan. **Get** [**free mixer tickets**](https://www.gigantic.com/music-mixer-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-07-31-18-00?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacZfWHE77AUMgPBycfvsca57sLfJwebOPNXnY2QIbqyBBVAuONJB29e4zcD0w%5Faem%5F6PwS2gnHjS2xKr%5F95RlBeQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **and** [**£5 showcase tickets**](https://www.gigantic.com/pynch-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-07-31-20-00?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafgwViuEPwCMKYciXHMwjsgmL--UfZM11j%5F1oQo%5FUjvNzQdDosTXY9y389mEw%5Faem%5F0zoE-RKWyRZzDHbcL7kcEg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **now**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to to in Thanet and beyond this week (July 21-27) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-to-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-july-21-27/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T07:00:22.000Z **Basement Jaxx's first live show for a decade, a festival for writers, drawing with wolves and your chance to get on a galleon. Those are just four of the amazing things happening in Thanet, East Kent and London this week.** Marlowe Theatre’s Writers’ Room Festival runs Tuesday to Sunday, boasting new writing and regional talent plus writerly discussions and workshops. [Full programme](https://marlowetheatre.com/festivals/writers-room-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Nao Santa María, a replica of the lead ship in Christopher Columbus’ fleet, will be docking in Ramsgate from Wednesday to Sunday ready for you to step aboard. [Tickets £10](https://www.ramsgatetown.org/ramsgate/ramsgate-news/news?p=10211642&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Short film Paradise screens at CAMP in Cliftonville on Wednesday at 7pm. Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and with pay what you can tickets going to support Margate Pride, the flick is about trans/non-binary artist and gardener Mol Benge and an exploration of their identity through horticulture and artistic practice. [Pay-what-you-can tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28556/paradise-short-film-screening-qa?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs’ Bottleneck will host an outdoors Portuguese wine masterclass in its courtyard on Thursday. [£55 per head](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/portuguese-wine-masterclass-24-07?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Life Drawing is back at Fort Road Hotel on Thursday and this time the models are wolves. [Tickets £35](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/85665/wild-life-drawing-wolves/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Windmill Community Gardens in Cliftonville will hold its Summer Fair on Friday from 12-3pm. [Family tickets £6](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens/iframe/e/ev-sscl-20250725120000?sifbst=tpsl1ds11mvljfqc2ia5mb609hnx&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Westwell Wines near Ashford is hosting a family workshop making ceramic plates decorated using foraged materials on Friday. [Places are £30](https://www.katharinegrayceramics.com/workshops/p/westwell-x-katharine-gray-ceramics-family-forage-plate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sea Spirit and Stones returns to Stone Bay for a family circle on Friday - a 2.5 hour session filled with meditation, a family swim, and healing music. [Tickets are £20 for adults](https://linktr.ee/seaspiritandstones?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), with children going for free. Head to Monkton Reserve on Saturday from 10.30am-11.45am for a gentle yoga and journaling session. [Tickets £14](https://monkton-reserve.org/product/monkton-nature-gentle-yoga-and-journaling-26th-july/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Northdown Road Block Party is here once again on Saturday with a stack of deals from local businesses and a general party vibe all along the street. As Pride celebrations ripple along the East Kent coast, on Saturday it’s the turn of Folkestone Pride. There are lots of activities planned, with the parade starting at 1pm. For the past few months, artist Jeremy Deller’s The Triumph of Art performance has been touring the UK. It comes to an end on Saturday with a massive free party in London’s Trafalgar Square. [Full details](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/the-triumph-of-art-26-07-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet Experimental has announced The Last Days of Sail, an evening of music, soundscapes and sculpture on Saturday at HOLD in Ramsgate. [Tickets £10](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-last-days-of-sail-tickets-1469347450779?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacfTymEMuz7gVyT6QVJ7bZXVM3lkQcy0fo324PoMErwGXl-tqaJZS6Ohgst5g%5Faem%5FWrDElu2IInEusFRWabnbMg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Catch is back at it at Gather& in Ramsgate for a dishy fishy dinner on Saturday. Four courses of locally sourced fish and seafood with accompanying wine, beer and cocktails. [Places are £38](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/catch-x-seabird-saturday-26th-july?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Basement Jaxx headline Dreamland on Saturday with their first live show for ten years. [Tickets £64.10](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/basement-jaxx/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate wine bar Penelope turns two on Saturday. Head down from 5pm for DJs and celebrations. Chef Sheba returns to The Falstaff in Ramsgate on Saturday. The Falafel Bar will stock wraps, salad bowls and dips. To book, email [sheba@chefsheba.co.uk](mailto:sheba@chefsheba.co.uk). The Delting Showground Antiques and Vintage Fair is on Saturday and Sunday. With more than 400 stalls of finds, steals and other people’s junk, it’s a thrifter’s heaven. Ramsgate Carnival is on Saturday and Sunday, with its rides, games,parade, market, sensory area, arts workshop, dog show and Miss Ramsgate. For the carnival’s 102nd edition, meet at Government Acre, for frolics and fun. The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever returns to Cliftonville’s Oval Bandstand on Sunday. Joining in the dance requires a minimum [charitable donation of £10](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-most-wuthering-heights-day-ever-2025-margate-tickets-964859178777?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Alive&Thrive Kitchen will be hosting a vegan cheese making workshop at Union in Ramsgate on Sunday. [Places are £40](https://momence.com/Union-Yoga/Vegan-cheese!-Probiotic-cultured-plant-based-cheese-workshop-/116563106?skipPreview=true&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). TKE Studios’ Spring Show wraps on Sunday, with a gong bath of sorts lead by Ziah Ziah, at 6pm. [Tickets are £12.50](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/closing-ceremony-with-ziah-ziah?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bring warm, comfy clothes, a mat and drawing materials if you fancy. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Green Flags for Thanet parks URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-green-flags-for-thanet-parks/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T21:32:07.000Z **Awards for Thanet parks, restaurants and pubs, plus Tracey Emin's donation to Margate Pride, summer menus, and a move towards Cliftonville's new skatepark becoming a reality.** **Ramsgate’s** [**Ellington Park**](https://www.greenflagaward.org/park-summary/?park=4190&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **and** [**Pegwell Bay Country Park**](https://www.greenflagaward.org/park-summary/?park=2386&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **have been handed Green Flag Awards**, recognising them internationally as a high quality green spaces. **Ellington Park also gets Green Heritage Site status** for its conservation and maintenance of historic features. **In Cliftonville, the** [**Oval Bandstand and Lawns**](https://www.greenflagaward.org/park-summary/?park=5082&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **have received a Green Flag Community Award** as “a shining example of a coastal community park.” **Tracey Emin has backed Margate Pride** by donating an artist proof of her print A Deeper Place (2025), **bringing in £10,000 for the not-for-profit**, which launched a [**fundraising campaign**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/margate-pride-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) earlier this year. A long time coming but welcome news, **Thanet District Council has set an October date for work to begin building Cliftonville’s new outdoor skatepark on Ethelbert Crescent**. A company to design and build the project is [now being sought via Kent Business Portal](https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=383cc83d-8b55-f011-813a-005056b64545&p=8691483f-2f3d-e711-80e1-005056b64545&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The listing states that “the project needs to be **delivered and operational by mid-July 2026**”. The project is funded with £750,000 from the Margate Town Deal and an additional £175,000 from the council. **TDC also recently said that new facilities at Walpole Bay will be open by next summer**. **Two Thanet restaurants have made it into this year’s Good Food Guide list of** [**Britain’s 100 Best Local Restaurants**](https://www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk/best-local-restaurant/britains-100-best-local-restaurants-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cliftonville Japanese restaurant **Mori Mori** is back on the list for the second year, and is joined by Broadstairs’ small and wonderful **Fifteen Square Metres**. Slightly further afield, John Dory Wine in Sandgate, JoJo's in Whitstable, and The Goods Shed in Canterbury all make the cut too. Unassuming gastro pub **The Sportsman in Seasalter** has been known for its excellent tasting menu for over 25 years. Could you cook like that though? Well, now you can give it a good crack, as its **owner and head chef Stephen Harris is putting out a cookbook**. The Sportsman at Home: Flavoursome Recipes for Nostalgic Eating will be published by Penguin’s Quadrille imprint on November 6\. [**Find out more**](https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/471434/the-sportsman-at-home-by-harris-stephen/9781837834440?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs micro pub The Royston has been named CAMRA’s Kent Pub of the Year**. The award was presented at the venue on Wednesday, with around 60 people turning up (and for the most part having to stand outside) to [see the certificate handed to landlord Andrew Smith](https://www.instagram.com/p/DMPnTAARn2N/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **It’s the first time a Thanet pub has won the prize for a decade**. Fancy living the beachside dream and whiling away your summer days going from the sea to your beach hut? **Your Leisure Kent will open up its beach hut (chalets, apparently) bookings on Wednesday, July 23** from 9.30am. [**Book online**](https://yourleisure.uk.com/beach-chalets/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**, or call 0333 3660 661**. Branching out from its home turf, **you can now find Margate Flowers in Ramsgate at the train station, Thursdays and Fridays**, for glorious bouquets, stems and a solid range of flowers to brighten up your day with. Like beer and find yourself in Walthamstow and/or Dalston often enough? **40ft Brewery is opening up a brewery and tap room on the Blackhorse Road Beer Mile and a rooftop in Dalston**. The company has [**launched a crowdfunder**](https://40ftbrewery.com/pages/crowdfunder?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to help things get on the way. For whatever amount you pledge, you’ll get **double that to spend at any one of the brewery’s three venues**, from August onwards. There are other incentives, but this one’s the best. Don’t fancy travelling? **You can also get a mixed-can slab delivered to your home if you donate £80**. The **UK Creative Festival** was on at Dreamland last week. If you missed it, **the festival’s talks, panels and sessions are all available to watch on demand**. Head to [ukcreativefestival.co.uk](https://www.ukcreativefestival.co.uk/sessions2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to listen to thought-provoking discussions of big ideas, AI, creativity and community, and Gen Z. **Northdown Brewery** would like to remind us of its **weekend meal deal**, with a pint (or wine or cider) + pizza is £13, and for + icecream, it’s £15\. Open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-6pm/1pm-4pm. **The George & Heart has launched its summer menu**, cranking up the grill for the next six weeks. A cut above your charred beach barbecue (no offence), the pub will be serving up whole sardines, chimula steak, grilled aubergine, red pepper burgers, a selection of side salads and more **until 9pm, Friday to Sunday**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Wild Life Drawing, Thanet Experimental, Seed Talks URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-wild-life-drawing-thanet-experimental-seed-talks/ Last updated: 2025-07-15T07:00:20.000Z **Draw a posing wolf, learn about witchcraft, and enjoy sculpture paired with music. This and more great events upcoming in Thanet and further afield.** **Wild Life Drawing is back at Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, July 24** and this time **the models are wolves**. British Lupine Wolf Dogs, to be exact, because putting actual wild wolves in a room probably isn’t the best idea. Whatever, if it looks like a wolf and moves like a wolf, let’s call it a wolf. As you draw, you’ll also learn about the animals, and 10% of your ticket price will be donated to Wolf Watch UK. [**Tickets £35**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/85665/wild-life-drawing-wolves/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Unpacking the relationship between the patriarchy and representations of witches, **Seed Talks brings talk The History of Witchcraft and Women with Dr Jennifer Farrell to Canterbury**. On **Thursday, August 21 at 7pm**, the talk will cast a feminist slant on medieval ideas on magic, gender, sexuality and ritual as well as the stereotype of a warty old hag on a broom to connect the dots between theology, demons and the emergence of witchcraft at the end of the middle ages. [**Tickets from £13.27**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-history-of-witchcraft-and-women-with-prof-diane-purkiss-tickets-1458392203339?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Northdown Road Block Party** is here once again on **Saturday, July 26**, with a stack of deals and discounts. The likes of The Good Egg, Mori Mori, Camp, Ghost Papa, Sunshine Tattoos and Tat Agent getting involved. [**Check Instagram for details**](https://www.instagram.com/northdownroadshops/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want to tap out from all the screens for a moment and tune into nature? **Monkton Reserve will host its next forest bathing session on Sunday, July 20 at 11am-12.30pm**. This guided session will encourage you to connect with your surrounds and will wrap up with a tea ceremony. [**Tickets £15**](https://monkton-reserve.org/product/forest-bathing-and-tea-ceremony-sunday-20th-july/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Catch is back at it at Gather& in Ramsgate** for a dishy fishy dinner on **Saturday July 26**. Running 6pm-11pm, it’s **four courses for £38**, with Iberian flavours and local grilled mackerel the star. [**Book now**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/catch-x-seabird-saturday-26th-july?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Pride** hosts family-friendly **puppet-making workshops at Turner Contemporary Wednesday July 30**. The crafting sessions are part of an ongoing project - a giant puppet that will take part in the Pride parade. **Sessions are free and drop in, and on at 10am-12.30pm and 1pm-4pm**. **Thanet Experimental** has announced **The Last Days of Sail, an evening of music, soundscapes and sculpture on Saturday, July 26 at HOLD in Ramsgate**. There will be performances from sound artist Stray Wool and multi-instrumentalist Benjin, alongside an installation by artist David Nettleingham. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-last-days-of-sail-tickets-1469347450779?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacfTymEMuz7gVyT6QVJ7bZXVM3lkQcy0fo324PoMErwGXl-tqaJZS6Ohgst5g%5Faem%5FWrDElu2IInEusFRWabnbMg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Local radio station **Academy FM** will be **hosting its annual barbecue at the Racing Greyhound pub in Ramsgate on Saturday, August 9 from 2-5pm**. As well as food and drink, there will be live music and a raffle. **Free entry**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (July 14-20) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-july-14-20/ Last updated: 2025-07-14T09:25:25.000Z **Confessions on stage, Shakespeare on the beach, Kate Bushes in the harbour and more. Here are the things you'll want to do in Thanet (or travel a little further for) this week.** First seen at Ark in Cliftonville earlier this year, Letters You’ll Never Send is back with more anonymous letters sent in by the public and performed by professional actors at the Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington on Tuesday. [Tickets £12.25](https://www.unrestrictedview.co.uk/katie-mcgarry-letters-youll-never-send/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [A jukebox of confessions: Letters You’ll Never Send brings anonymous confessions to the stageHave you got something you’ve always wanted to say to someone but don’t dare? Katie McGarry’s show Letters You’ll Never Send takes your deepest secrets and puts them on stage![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-5.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/KatieMcGarry383copy-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/p/5dac1004-d32f-4d2c-a42a-082ddb2b0935/) Comedian Catherine Bohart performs her show Again, With Feelings at Faith in Strangers on Wednesday. [Tickets £16.50](https://dice.fm/event/pymkvl-catherine-bohart-again-with-feelings-16th-jul-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Number Nine in Ramsgate has another Pizza Afternoon event coming up in its glass courtyard on Friday from 4-8pm. [Book now](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/experiences-availability?rid=293142&restref=293142&experienceId=489693&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Rob Auton and Public Service Broadcasting’s JFAbraham will perform their show Words With Music at Where Else on Friday. [Tickets £17.47](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/6d67g3-rob-auton-jfabraham-public-service-broadcasting-words-with-music-18th-jul-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Garden Gate Music Day takes place at the Garden gate Project in Northdown Park, Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £16.96](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/garden-gate-music-day-2025-tickets-1366038109759?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folkestone Flea takes over the Docker Brewery on Saturday from 12pm-5pm for vintage and thrifty finds, tunes, beers and pizza by the seaside. Find it at Unit C, Five Acre Estate, CT9 5DS. Gal & Gather and Don’t Cry Over the Hash Browns are teaming up for an organic wine and snack tasting evening at Salt in Broadstairs on Saturday. Places are £55\. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/galandgather/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Folkestone Triennial begins on Saturday, running until October 19\. The event will see 18 artists from 16 countries create new artworks across the town. [Find out more](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/folkestone-triennial/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Hastings International Ceramics Fair happens Saturday and Sunday. Find it at the Observer Building, 53 Cambridge Road, Hastings, TN34 1DT, between 9.30am-5pm (Sat) 10am-4pm (Sun). Kate Bush tribute dance event the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever returns to Folkestone Harbour on Sunday. [Find out how to get involved](https://mostwutheringheightsdayfolkestone.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Shakespeare on the Beach will return to Margate Main Sands on Sunday with a performance of Twelfth Night. [Tickets £21.50](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/phoenix-community-events-cic/t-ojkjpxd?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate Lido goes up for sale URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-lido-goes-up-for-sale/ Last updated: 2025-07-13T07:00:03.000Z **Margate's Lido complex goes up for sale for someone with deep pockets to bring back into proper use. Plus, yet more new openings around Thanet as the crowds continue to arrive for the summer.** **Cliftonville’s Lido complex has gone up for sale for an undisclosed sum**. The building is in need of a considerable amount of work to bring it back into use and houses the Grade II listed Clifton Baths seawater bathing pools. **It comes with a pre-application proposal to convert it into a spa hotel, apartments and a clifftop sculpture park**. The actual lido pool is not part of the land up for sale. [**Full details**](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/164213987?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#/?channel=COM%5FBUY). **Just when you think Walpole Bay is on its way to becoming the bougiest tidal pool in Britain, TDC shuts the carpark**. There was controversy and confusion this week as cars and campervans were blocked from pulling up on the promenade, leaving it unclear if even a blue badge would suffice. **The council has now said that a Public Spaces Protection Order has been in place since 2021** but fines would only be handed out “in instances where vehicles are parked irresponsibly and block access for emergency vehicles.” **Coffee van After Party has opened for business by the Walpole Bay tidal pool** and is perfect for a post dip coffee and bready treat. **Open 8am to 3pm daily**. **The Bus Cafe in Margate has added an extra day of service until the end of August**. The beach-side cafe is now open Thursday to Tuesday 9am to 2.30pm, with Wednesdays off. **Swanky farmhouse restaurant and hotel, Updown, near Deal, has just gotten a little more inviting**, with the venue’s **pool just mere weeks away from being finished**. If you need more of an excuse to treat yourself to a little luxury, the restaurant puts on a **three course set menu for £35 on Monday and Tuesday nights**, as well as weekday lunch set menus. Margate’s favourite NY-style pizza, **Palms has teamed up with Big Shot for a July pie special**, which reads kind of like a hot dog but in pizza format. Topped with **‘sliced big dogz’, red leicester cheese, crispy onions and mustard**, try it for yourself. Broadstairs is about to get a new eatery. **Twist’s on York Street is set to open on Friday** and promises to offer a **“refined take on pizza”** with “bold flavours, fresh ingredients, and carefully developed recipes”. There will also be a menu of desserts and cocktails to go with them. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### A jukebox of confessions: Letters You’ll Never Send brings anonymous confessions to the stage URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/a-jukebox-of-confessions-letters-youll-never-send-brings-anonymous-confessions-to-the-stage/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:14:37.000Z From a personal challenge to a fully fledged theatre show, Letters You’ll Never Send puts people’s deepest, darkest secrets on stage. Devised by actor Katie McGarry, the theatre show sees letters submitted anonymously by members of the public performed by a team of actors. The seed of the show came from a creative challenge that Katie set for herself, writing down the things she wanted to say to other people but never would. Curiosity got the better of her, and a call for other people to submit their own letter resulted in the first edition of the show, which took place at ARK in Cliftonville earlier this year. Next week, it returns with its first edition in London, ahead of more in Folkestone later this year and a tentative return to Margate. Katie tells Strange Tourist what goes into making the show, how the team of actors bring the letters to life and audience reactions. ### How did the show come about? Last year I turned 40, and as part of a creative challenge I wrote 40 letters to people I knew over the summer. At the end of it, I sealed them with a wax stamp and decided to never send them to the recipients. It was hugely cathartic and a lot of fun. 40 letters is a lot! I hid them and went on with my life. But something grabbed me about the idea of these unsent secrets, and I started to wonder who other people would write to, what things they had to say that they couldn’t, for whatever reason. So, naturally, because it’s me, I turned it into a show. Haha! The idea of taking people’s most inner thoughts, the things they never got to say, to release, find closure on or express, and give them a safe outlet, anonymously, through other people reading them, I thought might be interesting. ### When did you know it was going to work? I had no idea if it would work, to be honest. I was bored in January, and the winter was long and I needed a project to stop myself from going crazy. I put a callout on social media for letters and let the power of the internet do its job. I received a load of anonymous letters over the space of a couple of months, which I loved. It felt a privilege to be sent them and to get to read them. To be entrusted with such vulnerability is not something I take lightly. But I only knew it worked after the first show at the ARK in Margate. The audience feedback was overwhelmingly positive and it felt like I had touched on something. ### How was that first show in Margate? It was such a joy to do. I had basically assembled a dream team of professional and exceptional actors, who all happen to be local to Margate, to join me on this wild ride. They had no idea what to expect. They had only seen the letters a couple of days before and only rehearsed an hour before we went on. It was hard to know if the audience would like it at all. It was all one big experiment. We ended up selling out, so it was a packed room and a beautiful atmosphere. There was laughter, tears and lots of hugging after the show. I was surprised at how long people stayed after the show discussing it, processing and wanting to stay in the atmosphere. That was really lovely. ### Have you changed anything about the show since then? Well, each show is completely different, because they have new letters each time, so the very nature of the show means that no two shows are the same. ### How do you go about selecting which letters to include? This is the hardest job. I am sitting here surrounded by over 50 letters and have to pick and choose, which is brutal. I’d love to include all of them. But the show is only an hour long, so I must be mindful about the content of the letters, the themes and journey they take the audience on - and length. I like a good mix of emotions and try to keep it balanced with some laughter, but it entirely depends on what letters I get sent, so it’s not 100% up to me. The last show was quite dark, as I had kept the prompt quite vague and I think instinctually, the letter that you’ll never send is inevitably going to veer towards some dark truths and reveal quite deep stuff. This time round, I provided a number of different ideas for letters, which means that the intake I have just got had me cracking up and weeping in equal measure. It’s going to be a fun one for sure. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/484624674_18492418765032143_1289248224222120107_n-1.jpg) Nathan Lang delivers an anonymous letter at ARK. **Photo: Steph Dickinson* ### How deep do people get in their letters? People do go deep. This is the unsayable, after all. And often the things we keep closest to our chests are the things that are painful. There have been a number of letters that broke me when I read them. Some really heartbreaking and revealing truths. ### Have there been any letters that you’ve decided couldn’t be put on stage? Ultimately, my duty of care is to the audience, and when you only have an hour it’s hard to give space to all of it. But mostly, the reason letters don’t go in is because they are too long. There is one letter that I received that would be a one person show in itself. It was amazing. ### How much and what kind of direction do you give the performers? I have more time with the actors this time round, so we can get into it a bit more. The direction depends on the letter and character we have found for them together. ### Do you feel a responsibility towards people’s stories, even if they’re completely anonymous? I do feel a responsibility towards the real people behind the letters and it’s a fine balance between creating characters for the actors to make them their own and keeping the vulnerability and truth. Luckily, I’ve got amazing talented people who are great at their craft, so it’s an easy and fun job for me. ### How are letters divided up between the actors? It’s a juggling act of putting together the puzzle of the letters into an order that takes the audience on a journey and spreading out the casting, so everyone gets a variety of letters to read. There are some letters where I immediately know who I want to read that one, and others feel like it could be read by anyone. That’s the beauty of it being anonymous and taking out a lot of identifying markers, it makes them universal. Also, again, it helps that the actors are versatile and playful with them. I start off by matching the letter to the actor and spreading out the load so we all get an even amount, then create the arc and shuffle it all from there. I am still learning what works, to be honest. I am enjoying the process though. It’s a lot of post it notes, walking around with letters pinned up on the walls and on the floor like I’m a detective. And I stay hydrated. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/484935016_18492418780032143_3784748136810154605_n-1.jpg) Naomi Cooper-Davis finds a moment of light relief. **Photo: Steph Dickinson* ### Do you know if anyone heard a letter that was meant for them and realised they were the subject? No. Thankfully. The rules are important, to keep the writer and the recipient safe and anonymous. So, if someone has too much detail that could give it away, it doesn’t go in the show. ### Has anyone told you that their letter was performed? A couple of people did tell me which letter was theirs when they had sent it and some after the first show, but I do try and make it very clear, that we don’t want to know. We want it to be anonymous. I try and protect the actors from knowing, even if I do, because I want them to not have anything that’s going to compromise their performance. Also, that’s a lot for them to carry, so I have a duty of care towards them as well. ### Is the plan to make this a regular show? Yes! It hopefully will be. So, we’ll be in London on the July 15 at the Hen and Chickens, then in Folkestone on September 19 as part of Folkestone Live and at the Arden Theatre in Faversham as part of the Faversham Fringe on October 17 and we’ll definitely come back to home to Margate next year! ### Not to give anything away, but can you tease anything about what kind of topics are going to come up on Tuesday? No! Shhh it’s a secret… you’ll have to come and see the show! But there is an interesting story about the unusual use of a trowel, some tarp and a caravan… *You can see Letters You’ll Never Send at the Hen & Chickens Theatre in Islington on Tuesday, July 15\. Performing will be Nathan Lang, Phoebe Ladenburg, Jayne Edwards, Alex Ratcliffe, and Naomi Cooper-Davis.* [*Tickets £11.50*](https://www.unrestrictedview.co.uk/events/kate-mcgarry-letters-youll-never-send/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *You can also catch Katie McGarry’s You’re Not In The West End Now at the Camden Fringe on August 7-8 and 14-15\.* [*Tickets £13*](https://camdenfringe.com/events/youre-not-in-the-west-end-now/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *Find out more about Letters You’ll Never Send (and submit your own confessions) at* [*lettersyoullneversend.co.uk*](https://lettersyoullneversend.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Incoming: Joe Goddard, Thanet Alive, Folkestone Book Festival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-joe-goddard-thanet-alive-folkestone-book-festival/ Last updated: 2025-07-08T07:00:08.000Z **Joe Goddard's annual seaside jaunt, good eating, vintage rummaging, art, books and more. If you're planning out the rest of your year today, this is a great place to start.** **Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard returns to Thanet** for another night of inventive club tunes that pull together a wide range of inspiration including disco, house and garage. He’ll play an extended set from kick off until 2am on **Friday, December 5 gig at Ramsgate Music Hall.** [**Tickets £17.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/joe-goddard-all-night-long/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Folkestone Flea takes over the Docker Brewery on Saturday, July 19** **from 12-5pm** for vintage and thrifty finds, tunes, beers and pizza by the seaside. Find it at Unit C, Five Acre Estate, CT9 5DS. **Broadstairs’ Bottleneck will host an outdoors Portuguese wine masterclass in its courtyard this month**. On **Thursday, July 24** and running 6.30pm to 8.30pm quaff sublime drops and munch on cheese and charcuterie as you talk about tannins, textures, palates and top notes. [**£55 per head**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/portuguese-wine-masterclass-24-07?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Hastings International Ceramics Fair happens Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20**. More than 45 ceramicists and studios will take part including Blacklands ceramic studio, The Mudworks, Common Clay CIC, Eastbourne Studio Pottery and St Leonards Ceramics. The fair includes historical works from the Hastings Museum & Art Gallery archive too. **Find it at the Observer Building, 53 Cambridge Road, Hastings, TN34 1DT**, between 9.30am-5pm (Sat) 10am-4pm (Sun). **Arts in Ramsgate puts on Thanet Alive**, an exhibition featuring a mix of local artists working across various mediums. Dan Jones, Keziah, Hope, Rose London, Tristan Carrido and Romy are on the bill. The exhibition runs **Thursday, July 31 to Saturday, August 2**, with a free curators talk at 2pm, Friday, August 1\. **Head to 46 High Street, Ramsgate, C11 9AG to check it out**. **Tickets have gone on sale for this year’s London Podcast Festival**, which returns for its tenth edition on September 1-14\. Among the shows taking part are No Such Things As A Fish, History Hit, Wrestle Me!, nd Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil. [**See the full line up**](https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/london-podcast-festival/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae9MEHyjrCDTtBMk8QM-bvonPQqIVgqrdksnOWCeSUWcyw8HlaHVh2kkHWniw%5Faem%5Fyyr-SQVijxqdFpg7CAttZg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Folkestone Book Festival is set to take place at the Quarterhouse in the town on November 13-23**. There will be over 70 speakers across the 11 day event, including Irvine Welsh, Rupert Everett, Lisa Jewell, Caroline Lucas, Amanda Knox, and Will Young. [**Check out the full line up**](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/folkestone-book-festival/book-festival-events/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Number Nine in Ramsgate** has another **Pizza Afternoon** event coming up in its glass courtyard on **Friday, July 18**. Hand-stretched pizzas will be served from 4-8pm and you can pair it with a drink or two - selected cocktails will be two for £20\. Perfect for a chilled end of week decompress. [**Book now**](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/experiences-availability?rid=293142&restref=293142&experienceId=489693&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Further off, **Number Nine** will be **cooking up a Mexican feast for bank holiday Monday, August 25 from 1pm**. It’s family-friendly and everyone can enjoy building their own fajitas and chasing them with a handful of churros. [**Book a table**](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/experiences-availability?rid=293142&restref=293142&experienceId=500264&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (July 7-13) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-july-7-13/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T21:37:50.000Z **Test your beer knowledge, relive a 1965 cinema screening, network with creative industry bigwigs, and more. Here's what's going on in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and further afield this week.** Extreme metal legends Cradle Of Filth play Hall by the Sea at Dreamland in Margate on Tuesday. [Tickets £31.80](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/cradle-of-filth/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Community Cinema puts on Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien Story on Wednesday at 7pm. The 2024 documentary features the 93-year-old Irish writer who recounts her extraordinary life filled with affairs, writing and stardom. Doors open 30 minutes before screening and tickets are sold on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis. Creative sector conference UK Creative Festival is back at Dreamland on Wednesday and Thursday. [Tickets £150](https://www.ukcreativefestival.co.uk/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedians Seann Walsh and Peter Rethinasamy will perform work in progress shows at Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £16.38](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/mxaokw-seann-walsh-peter-rethinasamy-9th-jul-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Fermentorium in Ramsgate will host a beer quiz on Wednesday. £15 per person (including two beers). [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/the%5Ffermentorium/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Architecture debate series The Negroni Talks is coming to Gather& in Ramsgate on Thursday, debating what needs to happen to help the town achieve its full potential. [Tickets from £16.96](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/negroni-talks-s18-quality-streets-tickets-1407391779699?msockid=0a87dda37bce61651551c8987a66606a&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (including a negroni). Branching out of Margate, Pomus opens its new restaurant in the old Brewery Tap on Tontine Street in Folkestone on Thursday. Golden Globe winner Rosamund Pike will make her National Theatre debut in Inter Alia. The play will run in the Lyttelton theatre from Thursday to September 13\. [Tickets from £10](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/inter-alia/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs’ Palace Cinema turns 60 on Friday. To mark the occasion it’ll be recreating its opening in 1965 with a matinee screening of the Wizard of Oz. There will be more screenings over the weekend and free talk on the history of the cinema on Saturday. [Full details](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/60-years-a-cinema/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs“Cultural institution” the Palace cinema’s 60 year journey to become “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-4.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_5202-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/) Neptunes Choir will perform their summer concert at Holy Trinity Church in Broadstairs on Friday. The event will raise money for local charity The Gap Project. [Tickets £14.25](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neptunes-choir-summer-concert-tickets-1376254687819?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Canterbury Children's Literature Festival takes place from Friday to Saturday. There’s a brilliant programme of events around the city and at the Wildwood wildlife park. [Full details](https://www.canterburykidslitfest.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Deal Pride takes place on Saturday, with a march at 11am and an evening party at The Astor. There are also various pre-Pride events happening over the course of this week. [Find out more](https://www.dealpride.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Port of Dover Regatta is set to return this year on Saturday and Sunday, with boat races and other sea-based displays, live music, food and gift stalls. [Full details](https://www.portofdover.com/corporate/about/regatta/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Venue openings galore across Thanet URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-venue-openings-galore-across-thanet/ Last updated: 2025-07-06T07:00:58.000Z **As the tourist crowd arrives for the hot weather, Thanet is alive with new business launches. One Thanet eatery has bucked this trend by branching out abroad instead. This and more news from Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond below.** **The Old Wine Warehouse in Ramsgate has officially launched**. Refurbished by Heritage Lab, the building comprises co-working space, a **60 seat arts venue**, and space for a café/restaurant with an outdoor seating area in Charlotte Court. The venue, called [**Ramsgate Arts Club**](https://www.instagram.com/ramsgatearts.club?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**, is currently open for drinks on Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm**. It will soon host live music, comedy, alt-cabaret, film screenings, spoken word and a range of community-led events. In a move that really feels like someone panicked in a marketing meeting and just screamed, “WHAT ABOUT SOMETHING IN MARGATE?”, fancy London department store **Fortnum & Mason has taken over the Margate branch of Peter’s Fish Factory until the end of July**. The popular fish and chip shop is currently selling a menu of food and drinks using F&M ingredients, including “Fortnum’s legendary 181 Sauce”. With Ramsgate and Westgate forming their own councils in 2009 and 2015 respectively, **the push for a Margate Town Council is happening**. Following a meeting on July 10, a **two stage consultation with the public** will begin looking at whether residents want **more focus and money spent in Margate**, with a deciding vote to come after. **Reform county councillor Paul Webb**, who is Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, has [bragged on Twitter](https://x.com/CouncillorWebb/status/1940460981303628167?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) that he has **told all Kent libraries to move any “trans ideological material and books” out of their children’s sections**. This was reportedly triggered by a complaint from a member of the public over a book titled [The Autistic Trans Guide to Life](https://uk.jkp.com/products/the-autistic-trans-guide-to-life?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), which offers “autistic trans and/or non-binary adults all the tools and strategies they need to live as their very best self.” So, if you’re looking for a positive here, it sounds like that one at least was placed in the wrong section and will now be easier to find for those who really need it. Kent Libraries has now stated that its 99 libraries will ensure that "no adult literature makes its way into areas specifically aimed at children." And as Reform-controlled council KCC ramps up its culture war rhetoric, take a moment to appreciate grassroots organisations like Margate Queer Library & Archive. [New DIY LGBTQ+ library a ‘form of resistance’A mobile library on a bike, donated books and a ‘Cats for Trans Rights’ banner; Margate Queer Library & Archive founder Sè Malaika on creating a new community minded space![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL-1.png)Strange TouristZita Whalley![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/image1--1--2-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-queer-library-and-archive-se-malaika-interview/) Ex-Margatonian **Rebecca Lucy Taylor (aka Self Esteem) will release her first book, A Complicated Woman, on October 30**. Not a novel, but “notes, lyrics and biting observational prose”, the work looks at the messiness of womanhood. Sharing its title with her latest album, the book, she says, explores the ongoing themes of her work “in a longer form and without the pressure to put it to a melody.” **Broadstairs’ ice cream parlour Morelli’s has launched a new Margate branch** on Marine Drive, underneath the Pearly Cow. Yes, the unit once occupied by Melt, for those keeping score. Replacing Guesthouse No 42’s private dining room and meeting space, the shop has done its best to echo the 1950s vibe of the original Broadstairs parlour. Sticking with ice cream, **Scoop is now open in Ramsgate**. Run by Staple Stores, it takes over their old cafe space, which has now relocated to a larger unit further up York Street. **Broadstairs’ Delilah’s Bar now has picky bits to snack on while you quaff their lovely, lovely cocktails**. There’s a Kentish cheese board with homemade chutneys, and a charcuterie plate that comes with homemade pickles. **All day eating spot and bar Hoffs opened up yesterday in Waverley House, Margate**. Come for brunch, snacks, cocktails and coffee. **Open seven days a week**. Head over in the morning or in the evening. **Margate's Palms Pizza has announced its Lisbon outpost will open this month**, for NYC-style slices, massive pies, natural wine and sun all year round. If you’re heading over for a visit, find it at Travessa Dos Mastros 25, 1200-265\. Potentially good news for your plans to visit Palms in Portugal - **EU lawmakers have voted in favour of a proposal to ban charging for carry on luggage**. If approved, passengers will be able to take on board up to 7kgs of hand luggage, which is in addition to the bag you cram under the seat. The law change will cover budget airlines too, so naturally, not everyone is happy about the proposal. This includes Ryan Air which made £4.1 billion last year in luggage add ons and extra fees. **A few steps away from becoming law**, the proposal still needs to be green lit in a parliamentary vote. While the law change wouldn’t affect the UK, **the British government may adopt the same rule to avoid confusion on flights between here and Europe**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### New Ramsgate bookshop mines Thanet treasures for literary gain URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/new-ramsgate-bookshop-mines-thanet-treasures-for-literary-gain/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T12:38:18.000Z Following a grand opening last weekend which saw underage pirates, books and Jack Sparrow making balloon swords and performing magic tricks, Ramsgate’s High Street now has a new shop. A multifunctional, slashie business Plunder is a bookshop, publisher, working space, and tea house all in one. Come the summer holidays, it will also be a ‘smuggler experience’ - a currently fairly opaque idea, which will no doubt reveal itself in due course. Plunder is the creation of local writers Seb Reilly, editor of mag Seaside Gothic, and ex-Broadstairs Beacon editor Melissa Todd, who met working on the community publishing project Thanet Writers. Combining a long talked about venture and Thanet’s history of smuggling and pirate life, the pair set up Plunder. Set to open up each of its arms, one by one, the bookshop and tea house are now open for business. Here, Strange Tourist speaks to Seb about Ramsgate High Street’s new treasure. ![Find Plunder on High Street. Photo: Plunder](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/07/IMG_1051-2-1.jpeg) Find Plunder on High Street. **Photo: Plunder* ### **How did Plunder come about?** Melissa and I have been talking for years about setting up a publisher together, but couldn’t figure a way of making it work. I then found myself in a position to change my career direction, and after looking into properties I suggested a partnership to Melissa. She embraced the idea wholeheartedly. I’m not sure which of us came up with the name, but it seems right. Books are treasure, and we have a lot of them! ### **Did you have any reservations opening up a business at a time when high streets are struggling?** I think we found that endearing. People need a reason to come to any high street. Ramsgate on market day is very busy, and plenty of shops do a good trade here. We wanted to invest in Ramsgate. ### **Will Plunder be a niche pirate bookshop?** We sell all kinds of new books, from just released hardbacks to special editions of old classics, paperback fiction and non-fiction, and our tastes are broad. We try to maintain quality in what we sell, so everything from Plunder should be a good read. We have a healthy selection of kids books too, several of which are pirate-themed. ### **What sort of books will Plunder publish?** Our publishing arm will launch later this year, and we will be publishing fiction and non-fiction. We’re not looking specifically for pirate-themed writing, but more a fearless attitude. ### **Tell us a bit more about the Smuggler Experience** The Smuggler Experience is a mixture of museum-style exhibits and walk-though experience. There will be plenty of Ramsgate’s smuggling history in there, along with that of Thanet as a whole, but also a lot of fun. It will open at some point during the summer holidays. There will be a small entry fee, but we are committed to keeping it affordable and accessible. ### **What’s in store for Plunder’s future?** At the moment we need to finish the Smuggler Experience and open it and the boardroom, which is a rentable space with its own small kitchen and toilet, making it ideal for training, meetings, or working. After that we will be launching our publishing arm, and then we will see what is on the horizon! *Plunder is open Thursday to Saturday, 10am-5pm, 32 High Street, Ramsgate CT11 9AG. Find out more at* [*plunderbooks.com*](https://plunderbooks.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Incoming: Naima Bock, James Acaster, The Fermentorium URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-naima-bock-james-acaster-the-fermentorium/ Last updated: 2025-07-01T07:00:47.000Z **A coffee shop gig, a massive comedy name, lots of food, a beer quiz and more. Things to do in Thanet and further afield over the coming months.** Bringing folk music back to the coffee shop, singer-songwriter and ex-Goat Girl **Naima Bock plays an intimate gig at Curve Coffee Store in Margate on Tuesday, October 14**. Her new album Below a Massive Dark Land is out on September 27\. **Tickets, £17.04, are limited so** [**be quick to nab one**](https://www.gigantic.com/naima-bock-tickets/kent-curve-coffee/2025-10-14-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs’ Foliage Plants** **launched its new home on Albion Street last night**, but the party is still going. Now **open in the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays**, head down for some picky bits, a cocktail and perhaps a chain of hearts or two. **Louie-on-Sea hosts The Adobros** for one evening of fine **Filipino food and music**. Expect zippy flavours, regional traditions, family recipes and a soundtrack by DJ Pinoy Grooves. There’s plenty of vegan dishes, or you can just get stuck into the likes of deep-fried pork belly with lemongrass and garlic or gin-cured market fish. [**Spots are £45 per head**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theadobros/1694008?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **and the dinner starts at 7pm**. Do you love chicken and bargains? **Chix Stock at Cinque Ports** has got you covered with its on-going **Thursday special of £1 wings** \- AND THERE’S NO LIMIT. Smash your way through original, BBQ or Nashville Hot marinated bird, and wash it down with £5 margaritas. **Available between 4pm and 9pm**. **Chump’s Comedy is bringing James Acaster to Margate** for a work-in-progress show on **Wednesday, November 26**. Tickets went on sale yesterday and sold out within seconds, but why not [**join us on the waiting list**](https://dice.fm/event/7drv3v-james-acaster-work-in-progress-26th-nov-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). How well do you know your yeasts and your hops? **The Fermentorium in Ramsgate will host a beer quiz** for beer geeks who would like to sample beers as part of the quiz’s beer tasting round. **Tickets are £15 a pop** (including two beers) and teams have a max of four people. It’s on **Wednesday, July 9 at 7pm**. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/the%5Ffermentorium/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Not for a while, but always fun, the **TKE Studios Summer Fair returns Saturday, August 30 from 1pm**. Come along for art, games, performances, food and community. Disco punk duo **AK/DK return to Ramsgate Music Hall** for synths, drums and sweaty dancing. On **Sunday, September 28 with** [**£15 tickets**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/ak-dk-pistole/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), one man techno band Pistole comes along for the support. **Broadstairs’ Neptunes Choir hosts their Summer Concert on Friday, July 11** with proceeds going to The Gap Project, a Broadstairs charity supporting locals in need. Held at **Holy Trinity Church on Nelson Place**, CT10 1HQ. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. [**Tickets £14.25**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neptunes-choir-summer-concert-tickets-1376254687819?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara** is on display at the **Hayward Gallery on London Southbank until the end of August**. The exhibition is the largest ever retrospective of her work in Europe, featuring more than 150 paintings. [**Tickets £20**](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/yoshitomo-nara/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **On Friday July 25, Sea Spirit and Stones returns to Stone Bay for a family circle**. Bring the partner and the kids, for a 2.5 hour session filled with mindful stuff like mediation, a family swim, and healing music. [**Tickets are £20 for adults**](https://linktr.ee/seaspiritandstones?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**, with children going for free**. The event starts at 5.30pm. An ongoing treat, **Seabird in Ramsgate hosts a happy hour, Wednesday to Friday, 3pm to 6pm**. Drop by for two margaritas or martinis for £14\. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 30-July 6) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-30-july-6/ Last updated: 2025-06-30T07:00:57.000Z **Ramsgate Day, a strawberry festival, Jimmy Carr, alt karaoke and more. Lots to do in Thanet and beyond this week.** Margate Old Town ice cream parlour Follow the Swirl has announced its first ever Strawberry Festival, from Monday until July 14\. Sea Spirit and Stones will host a women’s circle on Wednesday at Stone Bay. Not sure what a woman’s circle is? It’s a little bit of woo-woo that helps you to feel good about yourself by setting some intentions, cleansing those chakras, and letting go of stuff that doesn’t serve you, amongst other fairly abstract but lovely things. The session is held on the beach, from 7pm to 10pm, and [tickets are £35](https://tr.ee/7NTBl8TtAx?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Alternative karaoke night I’m Not Karaokay is back taking place at Where Else in Margate on Thursday. You’ll be able to sing all your favourite punk, rock and metal songs to an eager crowd. [Tickets £10](https://dice.fm/event/53nrvw-im-not-kara-okay-alt-karaoke-3rd-jul-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Deal Music and Arts Festival runs from Thursday until July 13, featuring classical music, theatre, literary talks, film and more, in venues across Deal, Sandwich and Dover. [Check out the full line up](https://dealmusicandarts.com/festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s original taco joint Dive is turning five. Head to the harbour arm on Friday from 6pm-9pm for £5.55 margaritas and taquitos. Scene Change comes to Where Else for a night of dancing, disco and detours on Friday from 9pm. Not your average club night, somehow the crowd calls the shots over the direction the music takes. Probably, if not definitely, better experienced than explained. Jimmy Carr brings his stand up to Canterbury, cracking savage jokes over two nights on Friday and Saturday. [Tickets for that are £38](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/jimmy-carr-laughs-funny/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). MOP pops up at High Dive on Margate High Street over two nights Friday and Saturday to plate up a Mexican inspired menu. [Places are £38](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28180/date-night-high-dive?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wine and music festival Low Margate returns for its second year from Friday to Sunday across more than 20 venues for tastings, live music, dinners, talks and fun stuff. [Tickets £30](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/avon77-low-margate-tasting-rooms-5th-jul-old-primark-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Art gallery Quench in Cliftonville holds a coffee morning to explain more about its new programme for working class artists living in Thanet on Saturday from 10am-12pm. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/working-class-in-the-arts-coffee-morning-tickets-1412785111299?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bask in the glory of Ramsgate with Ramsgate Day on Saturday, 10am-5pm. Look out for the vintage trail, film screenings and stuff for kids and teens, including a market featuring the works of talented young people. There will be music, arts, a BBQ at Slice, and a slew of independent businesses getting in on the action. On all around Ramsgate town centre, and along Addington Street. Windmill Community Gardens host a Very Hungry Caterpillar Picnic on Sunday, 1pm-3pm. Families can get stuck into caterpillar crafts, a bug hunt, make a fruit salad to share and read stories in the garden. [Tickets from £2 or £10 for families](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#focus=ev-sd0i-20250706130000). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Ramsgate Clock House renovation project progresses URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-ramsgate-clock-house-renovation-project-progresses/ Last updated: 2025-06-29T07:00:10.000Z **The latest update on Ramsgate's slow moving plans to renovate the harbour's Clock House, plus new walking routes, honorary degrees, grassroots music support and more.** **Thanet District Council has approved its own plans for a multi-million pound refurb of the Grade II listed Clock House in Ramsgate**. Using government funding, the building will be converted into a cafe, museum and community space. The neighbouring Pier Yard will also be converted from a car park to a space for markets and other outdoor events. **The renovation project was previously halted in 2023 after a bid for National Lottery funding was rejected**. **A new section of the King Charles III England Coast Path has opened in Kent**. The 28 mile stretch **runs along the edge of the Isle of Sheppey**, and can be accessed from Swale Railway Station (around an hour by train from Thanet). You could also, if you really want, walk most of the way there, starting on the Viking Trail. [**Find out more**](https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en%5FGB/trails/england-coast-path-south-east/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pop star PinkPantheress and filmmaker Andrea Arnold** are among the list of people set to receive **honorary degrees from the University of Kent** this summer. They will receive their doctorates in music and the arts respectively in a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral on July 22\. [**Find out more**](https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/kentlife/36797/pinkpantheress-among-university-of-kent-honorary-graduands-for-july-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Where Else in Margate has announced that it is relaunching the **Kent Pop Exchange** with a programme of **gigs, events an workshops focussed on developing the local grassroots music scene**. The nine month initiative is funded by Arts Council England, meaning **workshops and talks will be free to attend for musicians aged 16-30**. A launch event is set to take place on July 24, with the full programme announced in August. **The Piecycle Coast-to-Coast challenge has smashed its £4000 fundraising target**. The 240 mile bike ride saw three youth workers from Pie Factory Music ride across the UK to raise funds to support the youth centre’s bid to buy its building from Kent County Council. While the ride was completed earlier this month, [**you can still donate here**](https://justgiving.com/page/piecycle-challenge?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Tracey Emin Foundation** has announced its **12-week live in residency** which will take place from **mid-September** at Victoria House in Margate. Emerging artists based in the UK, who will have graduated from their degree or equivalent course this summer can apply. [**Apply** ](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/victoria-house?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**by July 12\.** **Reign Bar in Broadstairs is up for sale**. Located on Albion Street, the bar and terrace comes with a 19 year lease. It has a guide price of £160,000\. [**Check it out on Rightmove**](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/163475273?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#/?channel=COM%5FBUY). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Palace cinema celebrates 60 years at the heart of Broadstairs URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/palace-cinema-celebrates-60-years-at-the-heart-of-broadstairs/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T22:40:30.000Z Housed in an Edwardian building originally erected in 1911 to store a private collection of mediaeval armour, Broadstairs independent cinema The Palace first opened its doors to the public 60 years ago in 1965 this July. Then known as the Windsor Cinema, it was opened by local cinema entrepreneur Jack Field, filling a gap in the market left after the closure of the town’s two larger picturehouses. Prior to that, the building had been used for puppet shows and screenings of cartoons since the 1950s. It changed hands in the 80s and early 2000s, before coming under the ownership of Corinna Downing and Simon Ward in 2016, then recent transplants from South London to Broadstairs. Despite their background in the film industry, their switch to becoming cinema owners was not through any traditional route. “We found out at a kid's birthday party that the place was for sale,” recalls Corinna. “We walked straight from that party into the cinema and started a conversation which wound up with us getting the keys a year later. “It was really not the plan,” she adds. “We had the classic DFL dream where, you know, we'd work part time and then other days we'd be walking along the beach by ourselves composing poetry or something. And then suddenly we bought a business that was open seven days a week.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/DSC_5210.jpeg) The screen and stage for Q&As and talks. **Photo: Strange* Tourist With the keys in their hands, the couple set about updating the Grade II listed, 111 seat, single screen theatre, putting in a new sound system, changing the lighting, installing air conditioning and securing an alcohol licence. But “the key thing”, Corinna explains, were the changes they made to the cinema’s programme. “It had been broadly a mainstream programme for 50 years before we arrived,” she explains, which had particularly been aimed at drawing in tourists. While they still show the big blockbusters, one aspect that sets The Palace apart from other cinemas in the area now is the variety in its programming. “We want this to be a real space for film culture as well as just going out for the night,” she says. The Thanet Film Society had booked out the cinema on Tuesday nights since the 90s, which gave Corinna and Simon the confidence that there was an appetite for more diverse film screenings among locals. “It wasn't immediate,” she admits. “Three months after we started, we put on our first subtitled film, just in a regular slot as opposed to this Tuesday night slot. Five people came and we were absolutely thrilled because there could have been no one. We were just like, okay, I think we're alright.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/DSC_5225.jpeg) The Palace cinema. **Photo: Strange Tourist* Now the cinema is known for its strongly curated programme, which has recently included a season of David Lynch films, a Q&A with the costume designer of The Salt Path, and a rare screening of classic 90s DJ culture documentary Hang the DJ. Alongside everything from A Minecraft Movie to Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Mission Impossible. “As a cultural institution, I think we're now a different space and we've made the Palace something different in ten years, which is rewarding,” she says. “Especially on the days when more people come in.” However, there have been challenges, not least the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the lockdowns, “some people just haven't come back to the cinema.” Other issues common to many entertainment businesses continue to make operating difficult as well, particularly the ongoing cost of living crisis that means “people are working out where to spend their spending money in a different way.” [Thanet music venues “hanging in there” as others closeRamsgate Music Hall’s André Dack and Sammy Clarke of Margate’s Where Else on the existential threat facing hundreds of independent music venues in the UK![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange_Tourist_Vector_DOT_SMALL.png)Strange TouristAndy Malt![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Konformer---RMH---05.09.24---Copyright-of-Rich-Broome-Photography-6895.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/) One perhaps less considered problem is the 2024 Hollywood writers strike, from which Corinna says the industry is still recovering a year later. “The strike held up production, not just on the West Coast of America, for a year. And that's still having an impact now. “If you've only got one screen, every film has got to have the best possible chance of working … but there's not a good percentage of sure fire hit films being released every week. So that's had an impact on numbers.” This has meant difficult decisions “in terms of making the business work”, most noticeably, since March, cutting the number of days per week the cinema is open from seven to four. “We are showing the same number of films but managing those overheads is essential for us to keep going. Also, I think it's much nicer for audiences to come to a show where there's 30 people in there rather than ten. It just feels like a different experience.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/DSC_5222.jpeg) Grab your drinks and snacks from the foyer. **Photo: Strange Tourist* That’s not to say Corinna isn’t positive about the future. “We've built an audience,” she says. “And we've definitely got an identity and a role to play in the town and in Thanet.” Recognition also spans further than the local area. The Palace has twice been named one of the best cinemas in the UK by Time Out, and was nominated for Cinema of the Year at the Big Screen Awards in 2023. “Those sorts of things mean we're having an impact here, but also the impact has meaning beyond here.” As they continue to build the cinema’s rich history, in the coming week’s they are turning their attention to the past as the Palace turns 60\. And Corinna, who is also working on a PhD in Thanet cinema history at Canterbury Christchurch University, is keen to tell that story. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/DSC_5231.jpeg) The Palace sits at the heart of Broadstairs. **Photo: Strange Tourist* Part of both her doctorate research and the anniversary celebrations are recording sessions to collect an aural history of the Palace across its 60 years. A series of interviews were conducted earlier this month with people who have worked in the cinema and attended as audience members over the years. Now Corinna is on the hunt for people who remember it even further back. “What I've been really keen to do is to get people in who remember it in the 50s, when it was used for summer entertainment for families, like cartoon shows and puppet shows. “There are people who remember the puppets,” she says. “And who remember this space before there was a balcony, before there was a rake, when all the windows were open and not boarded up and remember it as that big light space. “When you get slightly obsessive about the history thing, you're trying to think, what would it have felt like in here as a big Edwardian hall filled with light?” Visitors to the cinema will find an exhibition in the foyer with pictures, stories and memorabilia running until the end of August. To delve even further, Corinna will give a talk on the building’s past on July 12\. But to really transport you back in time, the cinema will be recreating its very first screening on July 11, 1965, 60 years to the day - a matinee showing of The Wizard of Oz with mid-60s cinema ads, short films, and an interval where an usher will head around the auditorium with a tray of drinks and snacks. The ticket prices will be as close to the two and six downstairs and three shillings upstairs that people would have paid in 1965 - the (albeit temporary) return of a pricing policy that some people will be pleased to see. “People still come in sometimes and ask if the prices are the same upstairs and downstairs,” smiles Corinna. “It's just like, no, that ended in the 80s.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/DSC_5213.jpeg) The balcony (usually the same price as the stalls). **Photo: Strange Tourist* Other birthday celebrations include the launch of a revamped website, a new membership scheme, and a movie poster sale. The latter is the first of what is to become a regular event raising funds to subsidise the use of the venue for charitable events. “We get approached quite often by charities wanting to do fundraisers here,” says Corinna. “But because we are we don't get funding from anyone else, we can't give it to them for free. We just can't afford to do that.” Proceeds from holding poster sales once or twice a year “will go towards offering those community hires for free or for much less money.” While much of what’s happening at the Palace over the coming weeks will be looking to the past, it’s also about thinking about the future and trying to secure the cinema’s next 60 years without losing its place in the local community. As pressures on independent cinemas continue, says Corinna, those with the best chance of success are “the ones that offer something a bit different and don't feel generic.” And that’s why she and Simon will continue to make the Palace “a place that really is about film as opposed to two hours of entertainment.” *The Palace cinema’s 60th anniversary celebrations:* *June 29: Poster sale at the Pavilion* *July 1: Membership launch* *July 1 to August 31: 60 Years a Cinema exhibition* *July 12: 60 Years a Cinema talk* *July 7 - 13: The Wizard of Oz screenings* *For full details,* [*head to the Palace website*](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/60-years-a-cinema/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Strawberry Festival, MOP, The Negroni Talks URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-strawberry-festival-mop-the-negroni-talks/ Last updated: 2025-06-24T07:00:30.000Z **Strawberries, seafood, cocktails, some alternative karaoke, Shakespeare on the beach and more. Dates to scribble into your diary for the next few months.** Margate Old Town ice cream parlour **Follow the Swirl has announced its first ever Strawberry Festival**. For two full weeks from **June 30 to July 14**, there will be **strawberry real fruit ice cream, strawberry sundaes, strawberry lemonade slushies, punnets of fresh strawberries, and even strawberry plants on sale**. There’ll also be a strawberry scavenger hunt, temporary tattoos, and more. If you’re not a fan of strawberries, this is not the event for you. **MOP is popping up again**, this time at **High Dive on Margate High Street**. Over two nights on **July 4-5**, they’ll serve up a **Mexican inspired menu** of delicious dishes. This includes tomato and watermelon chilli salad, beer battered tenderstem, and homemade flatbread. [**Places are £38**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28180/date-night-high-dive?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Architecture debate series The Negroni Talks is coming to Ramsgate**. Taking place at **Gather& on Thursday, July 10**, a panel will discuss what needs to happen in Ramsgate to help the town achieve its full potential. And more importantly, who or what is currently standing in its way? [**Tickets from £16.96**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/negroni-talks-s18-quality-streets-tickets-1407391779699?msockid=0a87dda37bce61651551c8987a66606a&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **(including a negroni)**. The **V&A Museum in London** will open a new exhibition exploring the **life and style of Marie Antoinette**, exploring her lasting influence on fashion. **Opening on Saturday, September 20**, it will include over 250 years of design, fashion, film and art. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/marie-antoinette?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It bowed out with what was supposed to be one final party at the beginning of the year, but **alternative karaoke night I’m Not Karaokay is back**. Taking place at **Where Else in Margate on Thursday, July 3**, you’ll be able to sing all your favourite punk, rock and metal songs to an eager crowd. Unleash your inner rocks star. [**Tickets £10**](https://dice.fm/event/53nrvw-im-not-kara-okay-alt-karaoke-3rd-jul-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Catch and Seabird** are teaming up for a night at **Gather& in Ramsgate**, cooking up a **seafood menu centred on the mackerel on** **Saturday, July 26**. Four courses of locally sourced fish and seafood with accompanying wine, beer and cocktails. [**Places are £38**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/catch-x-seabird-saturday-26th-july?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Windmill Community Gardens in Cliftonville** will hold its **Summer Fayre** on **Friday, July 25 from 12-3pm**. There will be lots of activities for kids, including crafts, a bee walk, pond exploring, sensory play and more. [**Family tickets £6**](https://bookwhen.com/windmillcommunitygardens/iframe/e/ev-sscl-20250725120000?sifbst=tpsl1ds11mvljfqc2ia5mb609hnx&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Shakespeare on the Beach** will return to **Margate Main Sands on Saturday, July 20** with a performance of **Twelfth Night**. Performed by Changeling Theatre, the show will feature new original music. “Our cast will be actor musicians playing live new music to Shakespeare’s lyrics,” says director Rob Forknall. “We’ll look at love in a world where gender and identity are ambiguous. Anyone who knows Netflix’s Heartstopper will love this show.” [**Tickets £21.50**](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/phoenix-community-events-cic/t-ojkjpxd?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 23-29) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-23-29/ Last updated: 2025-06-23T07:00:04.000Z **Haim in Margate, a beer tasting workshop, a celebration of independent shops in Broadstairs and more. Here's what's happening in Thanet and beyond this week.** Margate Trans Club's fundraiser for their Queer Fight Club - a weekly self defence class for LGBTQ+ and trans people in Thanet - is on Tuesday at Where Else. Tickets £2-£5, or [available on Eventbrite in advance](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queer-fight-club-fundraiser-tickets-1349750392759?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Fermentorium in Ramsgate launches a new series of events titled How To Train Your Palette on Wednesday, this one delving into IPAs. Places are £20\. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/the%5Ffermentorium/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Assembly is back at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday. Performing this month are Debbie Cement, David Ellis, The Soulark Ensemble and United Freedom Collective’s Robbie Redway. £7 on the door. Seabird is bringing back its pop quiz on Wednesday. Brush up on your Devo, Kylie, Britney, Talking Heads and your Radio 2 faves and head down to Addington Street, Ramsgate from 6.30pm for a sharp 7pm start. Art-rock band Legss will be performing at Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday. [Tickets £12.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/dulcie-moreno-sextet/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate’s Petticoat Lane Emporium indoor market opens a second space on Sandgate Road in Folkestone on Friday. Haim headline Dreamland on Friday, supported by Margate’s own Social Singing Choir. [Tickets £64.10](https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/haim-i-quit-tour-margate-27-06-2025/event/35006297E1F28457?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Miley Cyrus’s new visual album Something Beautiful will be screened at the Carlton Cinema in Westgate on Friday. [Tickets £8](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/event/98829?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate's Gather& teams up with The Curry Mistress for an evening of Indian homestyle cooking on Friday from 6pm. It's £40pp. Email [book@thecurrymistress.com](mailto:book@thecurrymistress.com) to nab your spot. Independent Broadstairs brings together independent shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and galleries on Saturday. [Follow on Instagram for updates](https://www.instagram.com/independentbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first outing of Over Easy Brunch Club will be at Gather& in Ramsgate on Saturday. [Places £40](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/over-easy-brunch-club-saturday-28-june?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Ramsgate branch of Staple Stores is set to reopen in its new larger location, slightly further up York Street, on Saturday. Plunder Books on Ramsgate High Street is set to hold its grand opening ceremony at midday on Saturday. Sunshine Tattoo in Cliftonville is holding its official opening party on Saturday, with drinks, live music, a raffle and, of course, tattoos. Beer & BBQ Fest will be back at Macknade in Faversham on Saturday. [Tickets are £12](https://macknade.com/products/beer-bbq-festival-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (under 18s free). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: POW Thanet to close URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-pow-thanet-to-close/ Last updated: 2025-06-22T07:00:19.000Z **POW Thanet announces its closure after ten years of championing gender diversity, Margate choir bags big support slot, plans for new RNLI lifeboat station. This week's key culture and creative news from across Thanet.** Gender equality charity **POW Thanet has announced that it is closing after ten years** “due to the increasingly challenging funding climate” that has made continuing its work “unsustainable”. Yesterday’s POW in the Park festival in Ramsgate was the organisation’s final event. There are plans to create a legacy mural in partnership with Rise Up, Clean Up to mark the charity’s important work over the last decade. [**Read the full closure announcement**](https://www.powthanet.com/pownews/2025/6/19/we-have-an-announcement?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: POW Thanet International Women’s Day festivalPOW Thanet CEO Rosanagh Fuller on harnessing the power of dissent and creativity in the fight for equality for women, girls and non-binary people![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-18.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/GOLDEN-SLUMBERS--MOVING-MEMORY-.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/international-womens-day-2025-pow-thanets-rosanagh-fuller-we-wanted-to-reflect-on-our-past/) **Ramsgate Festival of Sound** has put out an **open call for submissions for its sonic trail** in September. This year’s theme is ‘acoustic architecture’, and the festival is looking for work that reflects and interacts sonically with the diverse buildings and public spaces in Ramsgate. Up to five works will be **selected for a paid commission** of £400\. **Email** [**ramsgatefestivalofsound@gmail.com**](mailto:ramsgatefestivalofsound@gmail.com) **with your ideas**. The deadline is June 30. **Margate’s Social Singing Choir** has been announced as the **support act for Haim at Dreamland** this Friday. The announcement comes after a social media campaign, which saw the choir sing a different Haim song each day in an effort to get the band’s attention. It worked, and they brought the campaign to a close with [**a drone-shot video on Margate Main Sands**](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLAfqirsCsv/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Art gallery **Quench in Cliftonville** has announced a **free ten week programme for working class artists living in Thanet**, offering creative workshops, funding support, one-to-one mentoring and more. Twelve artists will be selected to take part, with applications due to open next month. There will be a **coffee morning on Saturday, July 5 from 10am-12pm** to hear more about it all. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/working-class-in-the-arts-coffee-morning-tickets-1412785111299?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Pride** has announced **sculptor Lady Kitt** as the **winner of its Pride Art Map Open Call Gallery Exhibition**. Kitt’s practice includes crafting, performance and research to create objects and events with the aim of dismantling and re-crafting discriminatory spaces and systems. **They will create an exhibition at the Margate School in August as part of Pride’s art trail**. The **RNLI has unveiled plans for a new lifeboat station in Margate**, standing on the same site as the existing building (following a previously rejected plan to move to the middle of Margate Main Sands). The current station was erected in 1978, after the collapse of Margate Pier. Work is scheduled to begin in September, and the RNLI has launched a campaign to raise the £3.5 million needed to complete the project. [**Find out more**](https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2025/june/19/rnli-reveals-brand-new-plan-for-margate-lifeboat-station?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### 'Dying breed' photo booth art project brings 'a lot of joy' URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/dying-breed-photo-booth-art-project-brings-a-lot-of-joy/ Last updated: 2025-06-21T07:00:38.000Z Ramsgate artist Karen Vost dedicated her community art project The Love Booth to her ex-partner Michael Dowling, who died earlier this year. “One of the last conversations I had with Michael was about a photo of him and myself and \[their children\] Esme and Jack taken in a photo booth,” she tells me. “He sent me a number of really lovely photos of us all, but not that one. And that was our last moment.” It wasn’t until Karen showed the pictures to her daughter, now 21, did she learn that Esme had the family photo booth snap that had been taken long ago. ![Some of the photos taken as part of the project. Photo: The Love Booth](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_7354-1-1.jpg) Some of the photos taken as part of the project. **Photo: The Love Booth* This family exchange echoes a number of conversations that have taken place during The Love Booth, where the experience of taking a pic in a photo booth has sparked a memory of an old photo of friends, family or lovers. “People pull out old photos or ask ‘where’s that photo of me and dad’ \[for example\]. A lot of \[the project\] is about looking back as well as looking forward.” There was a couple - the timeline suggests they were an older couple - who dated while young but broke up only to get married after rekindling their relationship 35 years after first parting ways. The pair turned up to the photo booth to recreate a strip of photos they had taken together the first time round, and which they brought with them in a frame. A simple and accessible project, and one that encapsulates community and personal histories, The Love Booth is based around an analogue photo booth, supplied by Autofoto, which has been temporarily homed inside The Queen’s Head pub on Ramsgate’s seafront. One of just around 150 analogue photo booths still in operation in the UK, it will be there until June 30\. Since the photo booth arrived in May, Karen and her current partner Paul Collins, who oversees the project’s technical aspects, have been hosting events and taking workshops based around having your photo taken in the photo booth, while documenting the stories that have emerged as people interact with it. ![Karen Vost and Paul Collins, the team behind the project. Photo: The Love Booth](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/46E3EBE3-7F0D-412D-9B2F-DDFCD1E21674-1.JPG) Karen Vost and Paul Collins, the team behind the project. **Photo: The Love Booth* “We chat while they are waiting and ask what their thoughts are,” says Karen, who is also a teacher and arts psychotherapist. “There’s nothing formal about any of it. It’s more spontaneous - telling a story or asking what people thought of it.” People then have the option to contribute their photos and stories to become part of an exhibition at Ramsgate Train Station in July and August, and as part of an audio-visual installation at The Crane Shed during Ramsgate Festival of Sound in September. Karen however, who hates having her photo taken, stresses that people don’t have to contribute their photo, they can just “enjoy the experience”. It’s a happy coincidence that The Love Booth coincides with the 100th anniversary of the analogue photo booth and 200 years of British Rail passenger trains, as Karen says “none of this was planned”. Instead, it was her photo booth-reminiscent light box installation at Margate Arts Club as part of Margate Pride 2024, and the research that went into that project, which first sparked the idea. "Watching people's reactions and their response to the work, I thought there was something quite magical about it,” Karen explains. “It just seemed it had legs on it.” Aside from providing a space for the LGBTQ+ community and people whose relationships were considered a social taboo at the time, photo booths became a “really well used machine” by families and folk who couldn’t afford to hire a professional when the contraption came into operation in Britain during the 60s. The absence of a photographer “freed people up” says Karen. ![One of 150 in operation in the UK, find this one at The Queen's Head pub in Ramsgate until June 30. Photo: The Love Booth](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/a1464ff1-79f0-48c9-ac01-0a446c2a3a7c-2.JPG) One of 150 in operation in the UK, find this one at The Queen's Head pub in Ramsgate until June 30\. Photo: The Love Booth “It was a lot about families and marriages and friendships. People used photo booths on dates, at that awkward bit where they wanted to get closer to someone. It was a kind of a bridge.” Has this understanding shaped the project? “I’m a really inclusive person,” Karen says, adding she is aware that history is made up of paintings of aristocrats, the upper middle class and those who could afford having their portrait taken. “I wanted to be able to represent everyone, and do something people could connect to,” she goes on. “I wanted The Love Booth to be an inclusive project and to be attractive to the young, old and to different racial groups. I wanted people to experience art with the understanding that the picture they give us becomes part of a collaborative piece of art and archive and that they are the artist.” To this extent, placing the booth in a pub rather than a gallery or community centre, or say the Tate Modern or Selfridges where two are located, makes the project more accessible and removes any barriers to art people might have. “\[Those places\] are where a certain type of person goes, and I really didn’t want that,” Karen says. Practically however, the booth “had to be in a public place” for their mechanics. “The machine had to be in regular use,” Karen explains. “It had to be around a lot of people. We’re lucky to have one in Thanet. This kind of booth is a dying breed.” Since its launch, The Love Booth has “brought a lot of joy” says Karen, who adds: “and that’s what I wanted. ![The Love Booth is dedicated to Michael Dowling. Photo: The Love Booth ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_7276-1-1.jpg) The Love Booth is dedicated to Michael Dowling. **Photo: The Love Booth* “We can easily find our differences but not our commonalities, particularly politically. And \[the photo booth’s playfulness\] irons that out.” For Karen, she gets a kick from seeing people’s legs under the curtains, rammed in and sitting on each other; the flicking of the photo as it develops and dries; and watching younger generations interact with pre-digital processing and a physical photograph rather than an Instagram post. “They’ve not had that experience of waiting for the four minutes for the photo to come out,” she says. Karen estimates around 550 people have had their photos taken as part of The Love Booth, with 200 strips contributed to the wider project. People have come dressed up or in an outfit, while “lots” have had their photo taken with their dogs. Perhaps surprisingly, only one person gave the camera a cheeky boob flash. “Someone said I can’t come because I don’t have a partner,” says Karen, “but the project is about loving yourself. “People have taken photos of themselves and that’s fine. You don’t have to snog someone in the booth, or be in a family or have loads of friends.” *The photo booth will remain in The Queen’s Head until Monday, June 30\. There are no remaining public-facing workshops scheduled. However, you can use the photo booth during pub opening hours for £5 and submit the image to the project by tagging* [*The Love Booth on Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/atthelovebooth/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*. Follow on social media for details of a potential closing event.* ### Incoming: POW in the Park, Margate Pride, Seann Walsh URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-pow-in-the-park-margate-pride-seann-walsh/ Last updated: 2025-06-17T07:00:50.000Z **Power of Women Thanet's outdoor festival, Margate Pride's official after party, Chali 2na down on the coast, and new book shop and more. Get these events around Thanet, East Kent and London in your diary now.** ****Join us at POW in the Park on Saturday, June 21!** Come and meet the Strange Tourist team at our stall at the festival in ****Ellington Park, Ramsgate**. Alongside Paddle Media CIC, we will be inviting children to report on the day, contributing to our POW newspaper. ****We’ll also be hosting a workshop for children where they will don their press passes and create their own newspaper front page**. [Learn more ](https://www.powthanet.com/whats-on/2025/6/21/pow-in-the-park?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Margate Pride** has announced its **official after party** at **Dreamland’s Hall by the Sea on Saturday, August 9**. The DJ and performer line up includes Jaguar, Meg Ward, Queer House Party, Tom Rasmussen, Maleigh Zan, and Lori Mae. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/28075/margate-pride-2025-the-afters?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedians **Seann Walsh and Peter Rethinasamy** will be in Margate to perform work in progress shows at **Olby’s on Wednesday, July 9\.** [**Tickets £16.38**](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/mxaokw-seann-walsh-peter-rethinasamy-9th-jul-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Gal & Gather and Don’t Cry Over the Hash Browns** are teaming up for an **organic wine and snack tasting evening at Salt in Broadstairs on Saturday, July 19**. All wine will be sourced from female run businesses or producers - in keeping with G&G’s female community building events. **Places are £55\.** [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/galandgather/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This is pretty amazing. **Jurassic 5 legend Chali 2na is coming to Margate**. Hitting **Olby’s on Saturday, August 16**, the rapper will be performing J5 hits as well as solo material. [**Tickets £24.45**](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Margate/Olby%27s-SOUL-CAFE/Chali-2na/41094845/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Bob Log III is coming to Margate**. The helmeted one-man blues band will be bringing his guitar (and his toaster) to **Where Else on Saturday, September 13**. If you haven’t seen him before, it’s very important that you go to this. [**Tickets £17.50**](https://www.gigantic.com/bob-log-iii-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-09-13-19-30?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The hardest thing about going vegan is the number of awful bits of vegan cheese you have to put in your mouth (or just smell and dump straight into the bin) before you find a good one. One of the best things about going vegan is realising you can make your own whenever you want and it’s great. So, if you’re vegan or vegan curious, head to **Union in Ramsgate** for a **dairy free cheese making workshop** with Alive&Thrive Kitchen on **Sunday, July 27\.** [**Places are £40**](https://momence.com/Union-Yoga/Vegan-cheese!-Probiotic-cultured-plant-based-cheese-workshop-/116563106?skipPreview=true&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Plunder Books on Ramsgate High Street** is set to hold its **grand opening ceremony at midday on Saturday, June 28**. Not just a book shop, inside you’ll also find a tea room, Thanet smuggler experience and meeting rooms. It will also have an in-house publishing business too. The **Garden Gate Music Day in Northdown Park, Cliftonville** will take place this year on **Saturday, July 19**. An utterly delightful day out and an important fundraiser for the Garden Gate Project charity, this year marks the event’s tenth anniversary. It always sells out in advance, so don’t hang about. [**Tickets £16.96**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/garden-gate-music-day-2025-tickets-1366038109759?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Light and sound artist duo Luxmuralis will be taking over Rochester Cathedral this autumn with their show Time**. Through a series of installations throughout the building, the show will explore humanity's relationship with the concept of time. **It will run from September 30 to October 4\.** [**Tickets £10**](https://www.rochestercathedral.org/lightshow?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Greenwich+Docklands International Festival in London** will return for its 30th year this summer. Running from **August 22 to September 6**, it will once again offer a **free programme of world class outdoor arts performances.** [**See the full line up**](https://festival.org/gdif-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Fancy a go on a galleon?** The Nao Santa María, a replica of the lead ship in Christopher Columbus’ fleet will be **docking in Ramsgate** next month as part of a tour of the UK. Ticket prices don’t include the discovery of any new worlds, but you will be able to explore the ship and find out what life was like on board back in the 15th century. **It will be in port from July 23-27\.** [**Tickets £10**](https://www.ramsgatetown.org/ramsgate/ramsgate-news/news?p=10211642&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 16-22) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-16-22/ Last updated: 2025-06-16T09:33:53.000Z **Damn good coffee, brilliant character comedy, fun in the park and much more. The best events coming up this week.** Streaming service Mubi is opening a Twin Peaks themed diner in London for one day only on Wednesday. Find the diner at New River Café on Stoke Newington Church Street. Surrealist stand ups Lucy Pearman and Frankie Monroe will be performing work in progress shows at Where Else on Wednesday. [Tickets £16.50](https://dice.fm/event/nvgeq8-lucy-pearman-joe-kent-walters-as-frankie-monroe-18th-jun-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate author David Whitehouse discusses his second non-fiction book Saltwater Mansions at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/saltwater-mansions-with-david-whitehouse-tickets-1396171268849?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). American essayist Jeremy Atherton Lin discussed his new book Deep House at CAMP in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deep-house-with-jeremy-atherton-lin-tickets-1392829483479?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2Aovo38b%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMjA3MzQ2MjQ4OS4xNzQ5MTM1NTMz%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NDkxMzU1MzMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NDkxMzU1MzMkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Power pop duo ARXX will play Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday. [Tickets £16.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/arxx/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Brazilian artist Gustavo Dias-Vallejo will be connecting strangers to reimagine the world in Dane Park in Cliftonville on Wednesday. [Suggested donation £5](https://billetto.co.uk/e/utopiarium-tickets-1306296?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). LA ‘fairy-doom’ trio Faetooth will be performing at Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday. Support comes from the brilliant Cwfen. [Tickets £16](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/faetooth/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The POW in the Park festival takes place at Ellington Park in Ramsgate on Saturday. There will be music, activities and stalls from Margate Bookie, Heritage Lab, Kent Coast Volunteering, something called Strange Tourist and more. [Find out more](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/powerofwomenthanet?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cockles & Muscles will mark the tenth anniversary of its first party in Margate with… a party in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £7](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27175/the-cockles-and-muscles-10th-bithday-bash-june21st?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Jenny Saville and actor Cate Blanchett will be in conversation at the National Portrait Gallery in London on Saturday. It’s sold out, but you can still watch a live stream. [Tickets £10](https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/event-root/june/jenny-saville-cate-blanchett-conversation?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadQORxLCvWJzEz1d8aETX3GN05HtPBLMBpACpjeYRAhUxytVrLl28B33A2EIA%5Faem%5FdUgVCuIaCfLKu4E2CE2tIQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chef Jemma Harrison will take over the kitchen at Sète in Cliftonville on June 21-22\. [Book now](https://www.setemargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New York-based actor Kate Valentine brings her one woman show Women of a Certain Rage to Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre on Sunday. [Tickets £12](https://billetto.co.uk/e/a-woman-of-a-certain-rage-tickets-1279218?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Heritage Lab to revive 1930s East Cliff shelters URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-heritage-lab-to-revive-1930s-east-cliff-shelters/ Last updated: 2025-06-15T07:00:45.000Z **The ambitious plan for Ramsgate's East Cliff promenade, Thanet's Staple Stores bakery chain expands, a great opportunity for young people looking to work in live music and more. Here's this week's creative and culture news from Thanet and wider East Kent.** **Heritage Lab** has agreed a 20 year lease with Thanet District Council to **take over and redevelop the eight Art Deco shelters along Ramsgate’s East Cliff lower promenade**. While one shelter will be restored to its original purpose, with seating and local information, the other seven will be put to new uses. Ideas include a food and drinks outlet, a sauna, water sports and fishing facilities, beach huts, toilets, a community and educational space, and art space. A **public consultation** is now open. [**Find out more**](https://www.heritagelab.org.uk/projects/east-cliff-shelters/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Ramsgate branch of Staple Stores is moving**. Later this month, you'll have to walk **a few doors up to the former Corby’s Tea Rooms** to get your coffee and pastry fix. The good news is, your effort will be rewarded with more space and an expanded menu, which will include hot food offerings. Even better, early next month the old cafe will reopen as **new ice cream parlour Scoop**. The **grand opening of the new Staple Stores branch is tentatively set for Saturday, June 28**. **Plans to reopen the Port of Ramsgate have stalled** after no ferry operators came forward to manage services at the site and fund £15 million of necessary upgrades. Local councillors will meet on Thursday to consider a proposal to end the Ramsgate Pathfinder Port Infrastructure project and reallocate its £7.6 million of funding to other projects. [**Read more**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/cabinet-to-consider-report-on-the-future-port-delivery-project/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The retail unit formerly occupied by the **Sister Joan hair salon in Cliftonville is going up for auction with a guide price of £135,000**. The amazing frontage seems ready made for a pub or restaurant. But maybe you’ve got another idea for what to do with those huge windows. [**See the listing**](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/162799475?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#/). **Are you 18-25 and looking to get experience working in live music?** Margate Soul Festival and Flat Lemonade have launched Behind the Bass, a **paid programme offering training, mentoring and experience working behind the scenes on the festival**. This looks like a really fantastic opportunity. [**Apply now**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScX0sAyrj%5FMFICx5MhGPVtiHAfVSKZ-jLU4MwEf-fIYDytmOQ/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The deadline is Monday, June 23\. **Streets in Cliftonville has had a rebrand and is now the Riding Wine Co**. This is actually a return to the name of owners Jesal Thakker and Vikram Mertia’s former wine bar in Ealing, West London, which they closed in 2022 when they moved to Margate. Having recently launched their bicycle drinks delivery service, **Drops have now revealed that they will be opening a bottle shop in Cliftonville** too. They’ll be selling a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for independent companies, plus tasty snacks to go with them. Find the shop at 46 Northdown Road. **There will be an official opening party at 4pm on Saturday, June 21**. The **Curzon Riverside in Canterbury** is bringing back its **outdoor cinema** for the summer. There will be **film screenings from Friday to Sunday**, with £5 tickets, free popcorn for kids, five hours of free parking, and refreshments brought to your seat (deckchair or beanbag, depending on your preference/knees). Also look out for free screenings of live sporting events. [**Find out more**](https://www.curzon.com/open-air/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folkestone’s **Compass Music grassroots music festival** will return to the town on **October 17-19**. Organisers have just **put out a call for independent artists to perform**. Last year saw 32 acts play across seven venues. The deadline for applications is Monday, July 7\. [**Find out more**](https://www.compass-music.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **A Broadstairs home recently featured on Tinie Tempah’s Channel 4 property show Extraordinary Extensions is up for sale**. The main thing that’s extraordinary about this extension is how green it is. So very, very green. Oh, and also that it completely changed the orientation of the end of terrace house so that it now faces the sea. Nice, right? If you like green houses, sea views and have at least £900,000 to hand, [**check it out**](https://benmorris.exp.uk.com/property/wings-close-broadstairs-ct10/1114334/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### In pictures: Anna Boghiguian's The Sunken Boat at Turner Contemporary URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/in-pictures-anna-boghiguians-the-sunken-boat-at-turner-contemporary/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T22:03:18.000Z This week we had the chance to take an early look at Turner Contemporary's latest exhibition, The Sunken Boat: A Glimpse Into Past Histories, by Egyptian artist Anna Boghiguian. The exhibition features three installations, The Salt Traders; The Square, The Line and The Ruler; Ambiguous Philosophers/Ambiguous Politicians; and The Sunken Boat, which is a new commission for Turner. Playful and conjuring up pop-up picture books, shadow puppet sets and children's drawings, the whimsical childlike qualities belie weighty themes. The works explore systems of power, oceanic trade histories and geopolitical power plays of the past and present. They also look at the impact of climate change on our seas. Anna spent three weeks in town making The Sunken Boat, which is something the gallery hopes to do more of, Turner's director Clarrie Wallis told me. Clarrie described Anna as an artist's artist; well respected and well-known in the art scene, but perhaps lesser known outside. She hopes the exhibition will put Anna's art in front of a new, and wider audience. For me, the highlight of the press show was Anna herself. A formidable and decisive woman who will return to Margate to celebrate her 80th birthday on January 1 next year. She had a fierce curiosity and asked more questions than answered. When asked if she would like to comment on the exhibition, following an introduction by the show's curator Sarah Martin, Anna's reply was a succinct "no". After smelling cigarettes on one journalist, Anna wanted to know more about what brand of fags he smoked and the price of a packet than to talk about her work. Our chat was not much different. After a lengthy conversation about a popular ful (an Egyptian stewed bean dish) we both knew about in Cairo and another about the man who potentially triggered one of Melbourne's Covid lockdowns, I asked her what was it about the sea that lured her in. "It's very hard to draw the sea," she said. Had she spent much time living coastal, I wanted to know. "No," Anna replied. And that, was that. While you might miss out on delightfully awkward conversations with the artist, you can still see her work, and her razor sharp depiction of Putin, as the Sunken Boat opens today and runs until October 26\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4080-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4081.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4087.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4090.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4100.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4104.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4109.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4112.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/IMG_4118.jpeg) Anna Boghiguian's The Sunken Boat: A Glimpse Into Past Histories at Turner Contemporary. **Photos: Strange Tourist* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Ramsgate Pride returns for second year with drag pageants and family raves URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-pride-returns-for-second-year-with-drag-pageants-and-family-raves/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:11:02.000Z Young Pride event, Ramsgate Pride returns to Thanet today, Saturday, June 14 for its second run. Many of the Sugar Rush crew - who wrapped up Salon du Miel early year - are behind the LGBTQ+ protest, along with community members, community groups and business owners, who put together the grassroots event on a voluntary basis. With funds raised going to trans Not a Phase charity, one of the organisers, Heidi Moran, says that there is no one lead on the team, so that “focus is on Pride rather than it turning into an event about one or two people”. She adds that the idea behind Ramsgate Pride is to “bring the whole community together” and to “provide safe, inclusive spaces for the whole town”. Here, Heidi gets Strange Tourist up to speed on Ramsgate Pride version 2.0\. ![The march starts at 11am. Photo: Ramsgate Pride](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/1000109412-1.jpg) The march starts at 11am. **Photo: Ramsgate Pride* ### The first Ramsgate Pride took place last year. How did it go? Last year was fantastic. It was put together with no budget in just two weeks by the Sugar Rush Events team. It was amazing to see the whole community come together to support. The march was a highlight. Not only were there a wonderful amount of people taking part and marching for the cause, but so many local shops supported us by decorating, and lots of locals were waving and cheering the march on. ### How does this year differ from last? This year, there is an actual Ramsgate Pride volunteer team, and we have many more local businesses onboard. This has allowed us to have different zones and stages for the whole day, providing a family zone, wellness zone, party zone and creative zone. There is something for everybody, to bring together LGBTQ+ and allies to learn, support, be heard and celebrate achievements together. ![The march will make its way down towards Perico Lounge. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/1000109415-1.jpg) The march will make its way down towards Perico Lounge. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ### What organisations and groups are taking part in the march? There are lots of organisations and groups taking part, from local theatre groups, sports teams, other local Prides, local businesses and of course our own local LGBTQ+ community. ### Besides the march, what other events will take place on the day? We will have a community stage with speeches, musicians and drag acts. There is a dog show and fancy dress parade. We have a creative poetry and comedy stage. A theatre stage, drag pageant, market, picnic, family zone with arts and crafts, drag queen storytime and a family rave. Plus, in our wellness zone there are various workshops and events to book onto. Throughout the day and evening there will be DJs, tribute acts, music, shows and entertainers at various venues within our party zone. Plus an epic after party happening in our main stage venue. ![There's various stages and activities, including drag story time. Photo: Ramsgate Pride](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/1000109418-1.jpg) There's various stages and activities, including drag story time. **Photo: Ramsgate Pride* ### What is Kent Prides United and how does Ramsgate Pride fit into it? Kent Prides United is a group which has been set up for around a year now, with organisers from the Kent Prides in one group. We all support each other, give recommendations and share each other's events. We attend as many of each other's events as possible and have even started hosting events together throughout the year. It's a great way to help spread the word about our events to captive audiences around the county. It is a great, supportive group to be part of. ### Does Ramsgate Pride have any other events coming up? After our own Pride event, you will find us supporting many of the Kent Prides over the summer. We will also host different events and fundraisers throughout the year for our chosen causes. ![One of the organisers says Pride is for everyone. Photo: Ramsgate Pride](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/1000109413-1.jpg) One of the organisers says Pride is for everyone. **Photo: Ramsgate Pride* ### How can people get involved in Ramsgate Pride? People can [follow us on social media](https://www.instagram.com/ramsgatepride/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), or sign up to march or come along to line the march route. Other than that we just want you to come along and enjoy the day. *Ramsgate Pride takes place today, Saturday, June 14\. The march starts from King George VI park and goes along the seafront towards the community stage at Perico Lounge, where speeches take place. Arrive at 10.30am for 11am start.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Miley Cyrus, Palace Cinema, Over Easy Brunch Club URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-miley-cyrus-palace-cinema-over-easy-brunch-club/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T16:57:50.000Z **Miley Cyrus on the big screen, a big cinema birthday, bottomless brunch, book talks, summer beach fun and more. All the Thanet events you need to add to your diary (and a pop-up diner in London too).** **Enjoy Miley Cyrus’s new visual album Something Beautiful on the big screen** at the **Carlton Cinema in Westgate on Friday, June 27**. A pop opera written and directed by the singer herself, it features thirteen new songs. “Something Beautiful is my dream project come true - fashion, film, and original music co-existing in harmony,” she says. [**Tickets £8**](https://westgate-on-sea.picturedromecinemas.co.uk/event/98829?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs’ Palace Cinema turns 60 next month**. To mark the occasion it’ll be **recreating its opening in 1965** (then known as the York Gate Cinema) on **Friday, July 11** with a **matinee screening of the Wizard of Oz**. There will be other screenings of the film across that week, as well as other special birthday events from June 21 to July 13\. [**Full details**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/60-years-a-cinema/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **team behind seafood supper club Catch** have announced the **Over Easy Brunch Club**. There will be a choice of meaty or vegetarian set menus, plus a fine selection of bottomless cocktails and other drinks. The first one will take place at **Gather& in Ramsgate on Saturday, June 28\.** [**Places £40**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/over-easy-brunch-club-saturday-28-june?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This year’s **Broadstairs Water Gala** will take place on **Wednesday, July 30** with a day of free activities on the beach and along Victoria Gardens. It will finished with live music and a fireworks display. [**Full details**](https://www.broadstairswatergala.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). American essayist **Jeremy Atherton Lin** will be discussing his new book Deep House at **CAMP in Cliftonville on Thursday, June 19**. Part history of the fight for gay rights, part intimate memoir, the book follows 2021’s award-winning Gay Bar: Why We Went Out. Jeremy will be interviewed by Margate writer Mendez. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deep-house-with-jeremy-atherton-lin-tickets-1392829483479?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2Aovo38b%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMjA3MzQ2MjQ4OS4xNzQ5MTM1NTMz%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NDkxMzU1MzMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NDkxMzU1MzMkajYwJGwwJGgw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate author **David Whitehouse** will discuss his second non-fiction book Saltwater Mansions at the **Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday, June 19**. The follow-up to 2022’s brilliant About A Son, the book explores the life and disappearance of Margate resident Caroline Lane, as well delving into the stories of those who lived around her in her block of flats. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/saltwater-mansions-with-david-whitehouse-tickets-1396171268849?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Irish post-rock duo **A Burial at Sea** will be heading to **Ramsgate Music Hall on Thursday, August 7\.** [**Tickets £17.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/a-burial-at-sea/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Two new shows announced at **Where Else in Margate** this week. **Gurriers** are set to play the venue on **Wednesday, October 22\.** [**Tickets £15**](https://www.gigantic.com/gurriers-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-10-22-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Meanwhile, **The Bug Club** will then be on the stage on **Thursday, November 6\.** [**Tickets £16**](https://www.gigantic.com/the-bug-club-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-11-06-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chef Jemma Harrison** **will take over the kitchen at Sète in Cliftonville on June 21-22**. She will be cooking up a menu shaped by seasonal ingredients, zero-waste principles, and her Ashkenazi heritage. [**Book now**](https://www.setemargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs’ Neptunes Choir** will perform their **summer concert at Holy Trinity Church on Friday, July 11**. The event will raise money for local charity The Gap Project. Folk duo The Woolfs will also perform. [**Tickets £14.25**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neptunes-choir-summer-concert-tickets-1376254687819?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Do you like damn good coffee? A **Twin Peaks themed diner** **is popping up in London** for one day only on **Wednesday, June 18**, marking the David Lynch-directed show’s 35th anniversary. The work of streaming service Mubi, you’ll find the diner at **New River Café on Stoke Newington Church Street**. You’ll also be able to watch the original and 2017 series of the show on Mubi from June 13\. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 9-15) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-june-9-15/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T16:58:12.000Z **A weekend of Charles Dickens-inspired fun, Ramsgate Pride, the unveiling of the World's Funniest Fart and more.** Creative writing open mic night Writing in Progress is on at Margate Off Licence on Wednesday. [DM to book a spot](https://www.instagram.com/writinginprogress.margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or just go along to listen. Whitstable artist Catman and Fatboy Slim launch a new can design collaboration for the DJ’s coffee company Pepita at Thirty Nine Whitstable on Thursday. [Tickets (including collectable coffee tins) from £50](https://www.catmanartist.com/event-details/catman-fatboy-slim-live?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs-based Toki Doki will be taking over Mori Mori in Cliftonville on Thursday for a Japanese curry night. Email [hello@mori-mori.co.uk](mailto:hello@mori-mori.co.uk) to book a table. Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet launches a new monthly night called Creative Connection Club on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://ndft.org.uk/2025/05/29/creative-connection-club-found-sound-with-steph-dickinson-part-1/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Film critic Ryan Gilbey discusses his new book It Used to be Witches: Under the Spell of Queer Cinema at the Fort Road Hotel on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/it-used-to-be-witches-with-ryan-gilbey-tickets-1378531999319?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New second hand clothing store Howiya on King Street in Margate holds an opening party 6-8pm on Friday. There’ll be drinks and snacks to enjoy while you peruse the racks. Margate Electronics will be at Margate Arts Club on Friday, with performances from Sculpture, Bülbül and Richard Pike. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26885/margate-electronics-8?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs Dickens Festival runs from Friday to Sunday. Get down and party like it’s 1839\. [Find out more](https://www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Pride is back for its second year on Saturday with various events planned around the town. [Register to join the march](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27433/march-with-ramsgate-pride-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Queer Library & Archive opens its doors with an all-day launch party on Saturday from 11am to 3pm. Find it at 7 Thanet Road in Cliftonville. The Crab Museum will name the World’s Funniest Fart at a ceremony on Saturday night. [Tickets £10](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/fartaward?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Warp Records takes over the Barbican in London on Saturday. [Full details](https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/series/a-warp-happening?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artists including David Shrigley and Noel Fielding take part in the Jealous Summer Show at St Michael’s Church in Shoreditch on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is £10 or free with a food bank donation. Iceage frontman Elias Rønnenfelt plays a matinee show at Where Else in Margate on Sunday at 4pm. [Tickets £14](https://www.gigantic.com/elias-r-nnenfelt-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-06-15-15-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Get involved with this year's Margate Film Festival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-get-involved-with-this-years-margate-film-festival/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T16:58:25.000Z **How you can be a part of this year's Margate Film Festival and Margate Pride, a new club opening, a Ramsgate restoration project and more. Here's what's happening in Thanet right now.** **Margate Film Festival** has put out a **call for collaborators** to get involved in this year’s event, which is set to take place in the autumn. If you have an idea for an event or have a weird space that would be great to use, [**they want to hear from you**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/mff25-beyond-the-screen/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You can also [**submit films**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/submit/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for consideration, pitch to [**design this year’s festival artwork**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/mff25-artwork-commission/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), or [**volunteer as a pre-selector**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/festival-pre-selectors-viewers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to review submitted short films. [Interview: Margate Film Festival 2024After a two year hiatus, Margate Film Festival returns with its most ambitious programme yet. We find out how it all came together and what the future holds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-10.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chuck-Chuck-Baby-MARGATE-FILMMAKER-Kent.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-film-festival-we-want-to-be-a-beacon-for-bold-boundary-pushing-cinema/) **Margate Pride** is **seeking volunteers** to help with the running of this year’s programme. Roles cover everything from stewarding to online admin. If you have skills and spare time, **contact** [**margatepridevolunteers@gmail.com**](mailto:margatepridevolunteers@gmail.com) **to find out more**. [Interview: The powerful evolution of Margate PrideMargate Pride co-founder Amy Zing on growing the grassroots festival from a three-minute walk into a whole town takeover![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-11.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Amy-Zing-Margate-Pride-2023-1.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-amy-zing-interview/) **The venue formerly occupied by Sundowners has** **reopened as Margate Beach Club**. The bar, club and now seaside retreat on Albert Terrace has been fully refurbished and, of course, retains the amazing sunset views from inside and out on the terrace. You’ll also be able to grab drinks (and more come July) from the downstairs Beach Club Kiosk. [**Follow on Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/margatebeachclub/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Goodbye Sundowners, hello Thanet LGBTQ+ venuesWhile one of Thanet’s iconic queer spaces shuts up for good, there are a number of LGBTQ+ spaces you can still head to![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-12.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Sundowners_landscape_2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/goodbye-sundowners-hello-thanet-lgbtq-venues/) Property developer **Arcvelop** has completed a **full restoration of a former office building on Albion Place in Ramsgate**. The impressive transformation **converts the Grade II listed terrace into 24 flats**. The project involved installing “canter-levering new balconies at first floor, excavating the old basements \[and putting in\] over 160 new windows”, explains Arcvelop founder Marc Turner. [**See the transformation**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DKgr5O9o5dk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Cliftonville Dining Room** \- which takes over the space previously occupied by Bangkok Thai - has **completed its refurb** and is now **putting out the call** for anyone wanting to use it for a pop-up food residency. [**DM for more details**](https://www.instagram.com/cliftonville%5Fdiningroom/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Green energy company Hydrogen TE** has submitted plans to build the **UK’s first waste-to-hydrogen operation** on a ten acre site in Manston. If approved, the site is set to open in 2027, converting waste earmarked for landfill or incineration into low carbon energy. The company also says it will create around 100 jobs locally. [**Find out more**](https://hydrogen-te.com/our-projects/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#project). **Ramsgate’s Petticoat Lane Emporium** indoor market is opening a **second space on Sandgate Road in Folkestone**. It will offer a similar collection of vintage fashion, antiques and crafts. **The grand opening is set for Friday, June 27**. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### New DIY LGBTQ+ library a ‘form of resistance’ URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-queer-library-and-archive-se-malaika-interview/ Last updated: 2025-12-18T15:44:41.000Z “I was actually going to set up a mobile queer library on a bike,” says Sé Malaika, founder of the soon-to-open Margate Queer Library and Archive. Sé bought a cargo bike two-and-a-half years ago and has been working on it while finishing a PhD in architectural history and theory, where they looked at lesbian activism as a form of place-making. Their wife Tara Li-an, a jeweller, however, took over a shopfront on Thanet Road to open jewellery studio Smith & Sun, and the couple decided to open the library in the premises’ basement instead. “\[The library\] has been in conception for quite a long time, but it’s happened quite quickly in the last six weeks,” Sé says. “Our hearts are full, but we are very tired.” While the PhD ended up pulling priority over kitting out the bike, through their studies, Sé accessed queer history and theory for the first time - the starting point for the library. “Other people come to queer history in other ways but it took me to get to that level of education to access it,” they say. “I always felt really frustrated that queer history was something quite impenetrable but actually, once I started reading it, I gained access to this whole understanding of my sense of being. “I really wanted to make some of those books, some of those texts, some of those histories more available in a way that felt more community grounded.” “I’ve been on the fringes of activism,” Sé continues, “but I’m also not a direct action \[person\]. But creating spaces like this, for me, is a form of resistance particularly in the climate we are in now, in the UK and globally. “Recording that we are here and also having spaces to record that we have been here… It just feels really important.” ![The library's reading room. Photo: Margate Queer Library & Archive](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/image4-2-1.jpeg) The library's reading room. Photo: Margate Queer Library & Archive Not yet finished and in between coats of paint when I looked around, the library is a brightly coloured space that already has two large plush armchairs in place. Piles of books are stacked in what will become the archive, soon to be filed on semi-constructed shelving. When it opens on Saturday, June 14, the library, while set up and ready to go, will still be somewhat a work-in-progress, ready to be moulded further by those who use it. “The space will open as something imperfect but organic and growing,” Sé says. “And I want it to be something people can feed into how it looks.” The plans for the space are big; a reading garden out the back, a creative studio up the stairs, a shelf for locally made and independently published zines, and reading windows for people who are unable to navigate the basement stairs. There are also hopes for reading groups, discussions and initiatives for people looking to access the library and archive to research points of interest for art, studies and the like. “I’m really excited about seeing someone sitting in those big chairs with a book,” Sé says. “We’re going to have coffee and the invitation is to come and linger. That would be something I would really love.” “I’m excited for the conversations that might happen between other people; the conversations I will have; the ideas people might have from interacting with the stories and themes of books, and also with what is being presented as an ‘archive’.” Not yet open, the library has 35 members and counting, which Sé says is “so exciting”. All books - 201 at the time of our interview - have been donated, including 25 books from Herne Bay Library which got in touch over Instagram. “I haven’t bought a single book. That’s mad to me,” says Sé who adds that each donated book “means the world”. Sé’s old academic texts are in the collection, as well as donations of young adult literature, art books and novels like Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters and Rosa Rankin-Gee’s Dreamland. People who sign up for membership are asked what sort of books they want to read too. “There’s been requests for kids books, comics and for books around queerness and psychotherapy, and neurodivergence and disability and the environment,” Sé says. Queerness and the global majority, indigenous knowledge, ecologies and nature, as well as graphic novels are also on the wanted list. Unexpectedly, LGBTQ+ thrillers are also in demand. “I was like, this is a whole genre I don’t read, necessarily," Sé says, excited and amazed. “People really want queer thrillers.” ![All books have been donated. Photo: Margate Queer Library & Archive](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/06/image0--2--2-1.jpeg) All books have been donated. Photo: Margate Queer Library & Archive While Sé hopes the community will shape the library’s direction, they hope the archive will become a co-production, filled with transcripts, documents, artifacts and things from the local LGBTQ+ community, and which is “performative, porous and playful”. “It’s the idea that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure,” Sé says, recalling the time they were able to order up a giant paper mache penis at the Bishopsgate Institute on Liverpool Street. “I didn’t need to see it, but I wanted to see it.” The archive is “definitely local” says Sé, who would like to see it extend beyond Margate and into wider Thanet, as the community helps to build the collection. “The archive needs a lot more conversation with the community. There’s the thing of who makes the choice of what goes into it. That’s not a position I want to be in, I want it to be co-produced and community-led. “I really don’t want to be speaking on behalf of and on entire communities,” they continue. “We are a very diverse group of people.” Like the library, items in the archive will be donated, and have already started to trickle in. “We got a donation of a shell with a collage of Shelly Grotto in it. It’s my most favourite thing. “We’ve got quite a few banners coming through too, one of which is ‘cats for trans rights’. As a dog person, I’m a fan.” There are various projects Sé would like to include in the archive, including one looking at Margate’s past LGBTQ+ spaces. But the archive just doesn't aim to just document the community’s history. “Queerness has always existed. Organically, there is a lot happening right now, and Margate is a place that has a lot of people doing incredible stuff. “An archive doesn’t just represent things of the past. It can be an alive thing, about what’s happening right now.” Right now, for Sé, is the last mad stretch before opening - one last lick of paint, sorting books, assembling shelves and all the running around and faffing about that goes into setting something up when you're running on empty. They tell me how they recently collected a bag of books from drop off point Sunshine Tattoos on Northdown Road when they were having a day. “A person had put a note inside the bag and I’ve been carrying the note for a couple of days now because it was one of those days where I was like, ‘I’m so tired, what are we doing?’ and somebody had written this very simple note that just said, ‘this is going to be a wonderful resource for Margate’. “And I was like, thank you. I really needed to hear that.” *Margate Queer Library and Archive opens on Saturday, June 14 at 7 Thanet Road, CT9 1UA, 11am-3pm. Library hours are currently Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 11am-4pm. Membership is free, and the library is still accepting donations.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Rosamund Pike, Jah Wobble, Herne Bay Cartoon Festival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-rosamund-pike-jah-wobble-herne-bay-cartoon-festival/ Last updated: 2025-09-10T09:34:22.000Z **Kitchen takeovers, emo festivals, a cartoon festival and Rosamund Pike.** **Broadstairs-based Toki Doki** will be **taking over Mori Mori in Cliftonville** on **Thursday, June 12** for a Japanese curry night. Choose from Wagyu beef, chicken katsu, or vegan aubergine curry. **Email** [**hello@mori-mori.co.uk**](mailto:hello@mori-mori.co.uk) **to book a table**. If you’re into **emo and pop-punk, grab tickets for the Beers & Tears festival at Curious Brewing in Ashford on Saturday, August 23**. Headlined by Suds, other acts on the bill include The Young Hearts, Loose Leaf and Had Sandy. Live music from 2-8pm, then DJs until late. **Free entry**. **The Herne Bay Cartoon Festival** is set to run in venues around the town from **August 1-14**. There will be exhibitions, workshops and live drawing demonstrations. Full details to come, but you can [**book into some free events now**](https://www.beachcreative.org/learning-events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The definitely legendary **Jah Wobble** is coming to **Margate** for a show **with his band The Invaders of the Heart at Where Else on Friday, October 10**. Their reputation for great live shows precedes them and this one **will sell out**, so don’t hang around. [**Tickets £28.59**](https://dice.fm/event/l86oor-jah-wobble-and-the-invaders-of-the-heart-10th-oct-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Independent Broadstairs** hosts its next day celebrating **home grown shopping, drinking and dining across the town** on **Saturday, June 28**. A long list of independent shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and galleries will be putting on special activities throughout the day. [**Follow on Instagram for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/independentbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Golden Globe winner **Rosamund Pike will make her National Theatre debut this season in Inter Alia**. The play is a “searing examination of motherhood and modern masculinity”, and will run in the **Lyttelton theatre from July 10 to September 13**. It will also be broadcast through National theatre Live, screening in cinemas from September 25\. [**Tickets from £10**](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/inter-alia/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet** will launch a new monthly night called **Creative Connection Club at Queens Road Baptist Church in Broadstairs on Thursday, June 12**. The first edition will be a workshop exploring the everyday environment through the lens of sound and songwriting, led by musician Steph Dickinson, aka KKailou. No musical experience required. [**Free tickets**](https://ndft.org.uk/2025/05/29/creative-connection-club-found-sound-with-steph-dickinson-part-1/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (June 2-8) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-26-june-1-2/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T17:19:15.000Z **Björk (on screen) in Broadstairs and Betty Boo (in real life) in Dover, plus a whole lot more.** Björk’s new concert film Cornucopia screens at the Palace cinema in Broadstairs on Tuesday. [Tickets £9](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/bjork-cornucopia/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Shakespeare in Margate will host its last quiz before summer kicks in on Tuesday. [DM to book your table](https://www.instagram.com/theshakespearemargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedians Rosie Jones and Marjolein Robertson will be performing work in progress shows at Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £16.38](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/8ebyn7-rosie-jones-marjolein-robertson-4th-jun-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Bottleneck in Broadstairs is hosting a cigar tasting on Wednesday. [Tickets £85](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/davidoff-cigar-tasting-04-06?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Windmill Gardens in Margate is having a plant sale Thursday, 11-4pm. Head down for veg plans, herbs, fruit, trees and flowers. Betty Boo’s 35th anniversary stops off at The Booking Hall in Dover on Thursday. [Tickets £26](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2155?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Seafood supper club Catch holds its first Margate event at The George & Heart on Thursday. [Places £35](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/il5u5cbu417ys3nv5j8suqww70gwws?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Queer Cuntry’s Little Gay Line Dancing Club has its first monthly class at Margate Arts Club on Thursday. [Tickets £12](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27240/little-gay-line-dancing-club?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Social Singing Choir is putting on a show to raise funds for Margate Pride at Olby’s in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £8](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/the-social-singing-choir-margate-pride-fundraiser-5th-june-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate writer Kit Proudfoot has a live reading of his new sitcom script Goons at the Museum of Comedy in London on Thursday. [Free tickets](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/bbdvvk-goons-script-reading-5th-jun-museum-of-comedy-london-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Opening on Friday, London’s Victoria Miro gallery marks its 40th anniversary with a new exhibition featuring many of the artists it has worked with since opening in 1985\. It’s First Friday at Marine Studios in Margate on Friday. This month’s theme is DIY publishing. Head down to make zines, badges and vegetable block prints. Where Else in Margate is holding a first birthday party for Charli XCX’s Brat album on Friday. [Free tickets](https://dice.fm/event/oelqxm-a-birthday-party-for-brat-6th-jun-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate bakery Modern Provider’s final day of trading is Saturday. Bring a jar to take away a piece of sourdough starter. Ross From Friends DJs under his new alias Bubble Love at Faith In Strangers on Saturday. [Tickets £16.03](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/92qqon-ross-from-friends-presents-bubble-love-7th-jun-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Feast Club is cooking up a mega seafood spread at The Albion Rooms in Cliftonville on Saturday. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/feastclub.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Join That Running Club for a 10km run ending with beers at the Flock Taproom in Canterbury on Saturday. The Crab Museum in Margate will be launching its new children’s book A Natural History of Bums with two events on Saturday and Sunday. [Tickets £2](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/book-launch-kids-event?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Crab Museum reveals what bums can tell us about evolutionHow do you get kids excited about science? Make it about bums. Margate’s Crab Museum is bringing this knowledge to the wider world in a new children’s book![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-6.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/20250320_145732-1-3.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/butt-of-the-joke-book-teaches-kids-about-evolution-one-bum-at-a-time/) Marine biologist Helen Scales will be discussing her new book What the Wild Sea Can Be at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Sunday. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-the-wild-sea-can-be-with-helen-scales-tickets-1371211252769?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2Ahxd9p7%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANTEzNjI4Mjc2LjE3NDc5MjczOTQ.%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NDc5MjczOTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NDc5MjczOTMkajAkbDAkaDAkZE9sV2NXZ1VVdV9lcWM4bmRXcV9fZS1zbkVPWUpTRU5uMVE.&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Fusion nightclub licence rejected over fire safety concerns URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-fusion-nightclub-licence-rejected/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T17:20:01.000Z **A round up of the week's culture news from in and around Thanet.** **Thanet District Council has refused to grant a premises licence to new Cliftonville nightclub Fusion**. Many local residents and businesses raised concerns about noise, safety and public nuisance at Thursday’s hearing. However, the refusal was based on Kent Fire & Rescue’s finding that the building does not meet the necessary fire safety requirements. If these issues are addressed, the club can reapply in a month’s time. **Watch the full hearing on YouTube:** **Margate Pride has launched its performance residency**. Facilitated by Pink Suits and hosted at Margate Arts Club from July 28-31, it's an open call for performance artists to develop new work to be performed at Dreamland on August 9 as part of Margate Pride. [**Find out more**](https://www.margatepride.org.uk/performance-residency-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s a big year for **Margate’s Pomus**. The small plates restaurant and wine bar turned one, opened up a sister restaurant on Margate’s harbour arm, Pom on the Pier, and will **soon launch in a third restaurant in Folkestone**. Pomus Folkestone will take over **the old Brewery Tap pub on Tontine Street.** The space will continue to host art exhibitions and events, which have filled the venue since the original pub closed in the 90s. Open seven days a week, Kent chef Keiran Golding (ex-The Blue Pigeons, Deal, Wyatt & Jones, Broadstairs, and Number Nine at Chapel House Estate, Ramsgate) will oversee the menu which promises to be just as tempting as the other venues. **Opening this summer**. **The Body As Data** project is returning for 2025, **telling the stories of people who have arrived in the UK as refugees through sound, movement and surveillance technologies.** Numerous events are planned over the coming months, including workshops in Dover, Folkestone and Margate. [**Find out more**](https://www.eventbrite.com/o/sidonie-carey-green-the-body-as-data-86696385103?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Interview: The Body As Data director Sidonie Carey-GreenStrange Tourist speaks to Sidonie Carey-Green about The Body As Data, a new film documenting real life stories of forced migration through dance and spoken word![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-1.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/BodyAsDataPinesCalyx-315-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-body-as-data-we-are-all-human-we-all-have-a-right-to-connection-expression-and-safety/) **Folkestone and Hythe District Council** will carry out **work on the cliffs about the Leas to prevent landslides this autumn**. This follows an incident in February last year. This will precede recently approved plans for a £750,000 refurbishment of the Lower Leas Coastal Park play area. **East Kent Open Houses will return this October and today is the final day to register to take part** \- either as an artist or someone with a space to exhibit work. Now in its 25th year, last year the event saw over 250 artists show work across more than 80 houses and studios. [**Apply now**](https://ekoh.org.uk/take-part/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Joss Bay Surf Club has been taken over by** [**Kent Surf School**](https://kentsurfschool.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Broadstairs operation still is open for lessons, whatever your level, and will also run first aid and open swimming sessions too. An area of **Margate Main Sands was cordoned off by police** earlier this week following **reports of human remains** being seen on the beach. Upon investigation, it turned out to be a **large dead fish.** [Check out the photos](https://www.facebook.com/frankleppardphotography/posts/pfbid05M5hTk42iRwh7jkpEnPNw131vmV8YDk12ZcpcgVCwC8Zi6Di1V4wL9ubkPpsSdDSl). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Nick Mohammed, POW in the Park, Letters You'll Never Send URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-nick-mohammed-pow-in-the-park-letters-youll-never-send/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T17:20:42.000Z **Stand up comedy, spoken word, running for beer, community events and more. Get the jump on what's coming up in Thanet and further afield.** **POW in the Park** **returns to** **Ramsgate’s gorgeous Ellington Park on Saturday, June 21**. There will be a full day of fun, including stalls, activities, workshops, performances and a makers market, with live music in the evening. And **all for free**. We’ll also be in attendance - more news on which soon. Following its first outing earlier this month, **Writing in Progress** has announced that it will be back in June. A **creative writing open mic night**, it sees writers of poetry, prose, non-fiction, letters, scripts, comedy, whatever, take the stage to share their work. It returns **Wednesday, June 11, at Margate Off Licence.** [**DM to book a spot**](https://www.instagram.com/writinginprogress.margate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) or come along to listen. **Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start**. **Comedian Nick Mohammed** brings his self-deprecating humour and show Mr Swallow: Show Pony to **Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Sunday, June 1**, and there are [**still £31 tickets**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/nick-mohammed-is-mr-swallow-show-pony/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **left**. In July, **Jimmy Carr** will also bring his stand up to Canterbury, cracking savage jokes over two nights, **July 4-5\.** [**Tickets for that are £38**](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/jimmy-carr-laughs-funny/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Kentish vineyard, **Westwell Wines** are hosting a **walk and talk and drink on Sunday, September 14 at 11am**. Led by writer Gemma Purkiss, this is a **12km walk along the Pilgrim’s Way**, an ancient path that runs above Westwell, that finishes with a glass of vino. The walk takes around three hours. [**Tickets £15**](https://www.westwellwines.com/products/pilgrims-pelegrims-walk-and-wine-sunday-september-14?utm%5Fsource=copyToPasteBoard&utm%5Fmedium=product-links&utm%5Fcontent=web). [Offline wine tours on the magic of Kentish wineRachel Proctor, founder of Offvine wine tours on why you don’t want to drive to a Kentish vineyard![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-7.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2024-06-26-at-08.28.10.png)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/offvine-wine-tours-kent-wine-vineyards/) First seen at the Turner Contemporary as part of last year’s Margate Pride, **Letters You’ll Never Send** will be back with more anonymous letters performed by professional actors at the **Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington, on Tuesday, July 15**. Is there a memo to a specific person you continually redraft in your mind? A conversation you never felt finished? A comeback that you never pistol-fired? Whether it’s to a lover, family member, boss or missed connection, you can **pen your letter and send it into** [**Letters You’ll Never Send**](https://lettersyoullneversend.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **anonymously by July 10** to be considered for an on stage reading. For beer-drinking runners, **That Running Club** are heading out for a **10km run on Saturday, June 7** followed by **beers at the Flock Taproom in Canterbury**. Can’t make this one? Don’t worry, it’s become a monthly event. **Warp Records** is taking over the **Barbican in London on Saturday, June 14**. There will be a programme of events across the centre from noon until late, including live music and video screenings. You’ll also be able to experience a new sound work by producer Kwes for free. [**Full details**](https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/series/a-warp-happening?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next **Northdown Road Shops Block Party** is set to take place in Cliftonville on **Saturday, July 26**. As usual, there will be music, art, exhibits, activities, discounts, food and drink, and more. **Marine biologist Helen Scales** will be **discussing her new book What the Wild Sea Can Be** with photographer and filmmaker Rebecca Douglas at the **Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Sunday, June 8**. Nominated for the Women’s Prize, the book is both a history of the deep sea and a call to protect our oceans. [**Free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-the-wild-sea-can-be-with-helen-scales-tickets-1371211252769?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2Ahxd9p7%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2ANTEzNjI4Mjc2LjE3NDc5MjczOTQ.%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NDc5MjczOTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NDc5MjczOTMkajAkbDAkaDAkZE9sV2NXZ1VVdV9lcWM4bmRXcV9fZS1zbkVPWUpTRU5uMVE.&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Marking the opening of her new exhibition at the **National Portrait Gallery in London**, on **Saturday, June 21 artist Jenny Saville will be joined by actor Cate Blanchet** for a conversation about what it means to be an artist today. The bad news is, it’s already sold out. However, **the event will also be live streamed**, which at least saves you a train journey. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/event-root/june/jenny-saville-cate-blanchett-conversation?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadQORxLCvWJzEz1d8aETX3GN05HtPBLMBpACpjeYRAhUxytVrLl28B33A2EIA%5Faem%5FdUgVCuIaCfLKu4E2CE2tIQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 26-June 1) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-26-june-1/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T17:20:57.000Z **Get your bike fixed up for summer, dance indoors and out, keep the kids entertained over half term, and lots more. It's a bumper week of things to do in Thanet and further afield.** If your bike’s not roadworthy, wheel it down to Harbour Bikes at 20 Military Road, Ramsgate on Monday morning for a free basic check on brakes, chains and puncture repair. [Full details](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/active-ramsgate-the-big-bike-revival-free-bike-fix-at-harbour-bikes-tickets-1360717244909?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&%5Fgl=1%2A1k3cijy%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AODYzMjY0NDYxLjE3NDc5MjgxMjQ.%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AczE3NDc5MjgxMjMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NDc5MjgxMjMkajAkbDAkaDAkZElGUjh3SWVMVG11Tkg5U2JGcnkzVHowTERkalZMMnpNVGc.&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Queer Cuntry take over The Sun Deck in Margate on Monday from 3-9pm. Free entry. Number Nine restaurant at the Chapel House Estate in Minster hosts a Bridgerton-inspired afternoon tea on Monday. [Tickets £37](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/experiences-availability?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A new immersive Moomin installation opens on London’s Southbank on Tuesday until June 1, including a recreation of the Moominhouse on the Riverside Terrace. [Full details](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/spring-family-fun/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New poetry and music night The Bohemian Embassy takes place at Ramsgate Community Cinema on Tuesday. Free entry. The Happy Reading Bookshop in Broadstairs hosts a morning of activities based on Rosie Revere, Engineer on Wednesday morning - one of a number of activities happening throughout half term. [Tickets £5](https://www.happyreading.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Pride hosts two puppet-making workshops at Olby’s in Margate on Wednesday. The morning session runs from 10am-12pm while the afternoon workshop is 1-3pm. Writer Adam Weymouth launches his new book Lone Wolf at Faith in Strangers on Wednesday. The book tracks the path of a wolf 1000 miles across the Alps, on the way learning about the lives and opinions of people living along the route. [Tickets £5](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/adamweymouth/1667974?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (donated to Kent Wildlife Trust). Margate Assembly returns to Off Licence on Wednesday. On this edition’s bill, Sarah Daly, Andrea Kempson, Rosie Taylor and Easyclear. £7 suggested donation. Comedian Rhys James will be performing a work in progress show at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £15](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/92q75n-rhys-james-work-in-progress-28th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pomus has paired up with Sandgate wine shop John Dory for a pop-up £45 set menu feast on Wednesday. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/pomusmargate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Kids can explore Stone Bay beach in Broadstairs with Tide & Seek on Wednesday afternoon, 2.30pm-5pm. £20 per child, with siblings getting a discount. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/tideandseekbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Noise Institute is back at Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate on Thursday for a night of experimental music and sound performances. Free entry. The Bottleneck in Broadstairs is holding a wine tasting evening on Thursday. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/bottleneckbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New Margate night club Power will open in The Centre on Friday with a night of rap, grime and drum n bass from H.O, DJ Sky and DJ Nova. [Tickets £10](https://www.designmynight.com/uk/whats-on/clubbing/launch-night?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). La! puts on retro vintage music night Tutti Fruitti on Friday from 9pm to late. [Free entry](https://www.instagram.com/p/DJjerCZsWkK/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Drift Weed Artist will host a seaweed pressing workshop in Broadstairs on Saturday. [Tickets from £80](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seaweed-pressing-workshop-4hr-broadstairs-tickets-1331184541799?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep%5Ftld=1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pendulum headline Dreamland in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £57.94](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/pendulum-live/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sports Team launch their new album Boys These Day at Where Else on Saturday. [Tickets from £10](https://www.gigantic.com/sports-team-tickets/margate-where-else/2025-05-31-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Frost, Deep Sea Internet Cables, Drinkpen and The Scoleri Brothers play the Superliminal Sound night at 101 Social in Cliftonville on Saturday. [£5 suggested donation](https://www.instagram.com/p/DJOlyqlgEOs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Björk’s new concert film Cornucopia screens at the Palace cinema in Broadstairs on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, June 3\. [Tickets £9](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/bjork-cornucopia/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Margate Pride launches crowdfunding campaign URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-margate-pride-launches-crowdfunding-campaign/ Last updated: 2025-06-13T17:21:14.000Z **Margate Pride is calling on the community to help keep it corporate sponsorship free. This and more news from across Thanet, including a photo booth art project and the quest to find the world's funniest fart.** **Margate Pride has launched a major fundraising campaign**. Bearing in mind Margate Pride don’t use corporate sponsorship, the team are **looking to raise £20k to keep the programme free, accessible and community-minded**. Funds raised support not only Pride Day in August but the summer festival programme too, which comes off the back of a year round programme of advocacy, events and support for the LGBTQ+ community in Thanet. [**Donate now**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/margate-pride-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Pride has also announced that all official Pride Day events on August 9 will be totally free**. The day will kick off at Walpole Bay Lawns for family activities (10am-1pm), then go to the march, which will snake its way through town and into Dreamland (1-2pm) where the rally and party will take place on the Scenic Stage (2-8pm) including music, speeches, and alternative beauty pageant Mx Margate. [**Register to take part in the march**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27546/margate-pride-march-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). And watch this space for details of a big afterparty. I know a gal who was born for this challenge - we all do. **Margate’s Crab Museum wants your farts**. Whether you’re after a new family bonding experience, home from the pub with mates, or just Jerusalem artichoke-gassy, get guffing. Let rip and record your best trumpet as a voice note and [**submit it**](https://www.crabmuseum.org/fart?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for your chance to **claim the prize of World’s Funniest Fart**. A panel of judges including comedians **Lou Sanders, Nish Kumar, Stevie Martin and Alex Franklin will sniff out the 10 best parps** you’ve got to give. The winner will be crowned at an **awards ceremony on Saturday, June 14**. And what a winner they will be. [Crab Museum reveals what bums can tell us about evolutionHow do you get kids excited about science? Make it about bums. Margate’s Crab Museum is bringing this knowledge to the wider world in a new children’s book![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-2.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/20250320_145732-1-1.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/butt-of-the-joke-book-teaches-kids-about-evolution-one-bum-at-a-time/) **A community art project involving an analogue photo booth, The Love Booth, has gotten underway in Ramsgate**. Led by artist Karen Vost, the project invites people to take portraits, snap smooches, and share stories which will form a growing archive of everyday love. Some images submitted will go on **display at Ramsgate train station from July to August**, and there will be more exhibitions/installations at The Crane Shed during Ramsgate Festival of Sound. **Find The Love Booth at The Queens Head Pub**. It’s **free to use during workshops and events**, otherwise it’s **open to everyone for £7** and you can share your pics with the hashtag #AtTheLoveBooth. Fun fact: analogue photo booths turn 100 this year. **Folkestone grassroots music venue and community space The Music Workshop is under threat following a noise complaint**. The venue’s owners say that they were served a formal notice by Folkestone & Hythe District Council, threatening a £20,000 fine, loss of their licence and even equipment being seized. This, they say, is the result of “repeated complaints from one individual who’s made it very clear they want us closed.” A [**petition has now been launched**](https://musicworkshopfolkestone.co.uk/sign-our-petition/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) calling for support from the local community. **Local writers Melissa Todd and Seb Reilly are set to open a** **new bookshop on Ramsgate High Street called Plunder**. “Opening a bookshop in 2025 may seem a bold move - or brave, or bonkers - but I think the timing’s perfect,” writes Melissa in [her KentOnline column](https://www.kentonline.co.uk/news/opinion/opening-a-bookshop-in-2025-may-seem-bold-brave-or-bonkers-324651/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). “The world is loud, online, and a bit unhinged. People are craving something real, quiet, and full of possibility. Like a book. Or better yet — a whole bookshop.” **The shop is set to open next month**. The new owner of a Grade II listed **former language school on Hawley Square in Margate** has applied for **planning permission to convert the building into two flats and a 45 seat theatre venue**. Documents submitted say that the theatre would “prioritise acoustics, accessibility, and seating arrangements”, and would also include an “intimate bar area”. The new venue would sit only a short walk to the Theatre Royal, which is set to include a 50 seat theatre space alongside the main room when it reopens in 2027\. Another Grade II listed building in Margate, **the Britannia pub is set to be converted in to flats**, following approval by Thanet District Council this week. A similar application was refused in April last year. Despite opposition from the local branch of CAMRA, **councillors agreed with its owners that all efforts to reopen the venue as a pub had been unsuccessful**. Closed in 2022, the building has been a pub since the 1840s. **Local food businesses can develop and scale new products at the new EKC Innovation Kitchen in Broadstairs**. Based at The Yarrow - a training hotel owned by East Kent Colleges Group - it offers access to specialist equipment and will have a technical consultant on hand to offer advice. [**Find out more**](https://www.ekc-innovate.co.uk/innovate/food-innovation/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Perfect Place to Grow in Margate is now open as a cafe**. Tucked away in the corner of TKE Studios grounds, it will plate up **modern British-inspired breakfasts and lunches** fuelled by the programme’s trainee cohort with the help of local chefs and ones from further afield too. **Open Tuesday to Friday 9am-3pm**, with a Saturday opening on the horizon. **Smoke & Co in Margate launched a breakfast menu yesterday and it is meaty**. Sausage patties, sausages, blood sausages, crumpet stacks, beans, eggs and hashbrowns - there’s not a piece of greenery in sight. It comes in a **four person platter**, or you can get single serves too. I imagine this would be a good feed after a big night, or when preparing for hibernation. Looking for a quirky new abode? What’s being billed as a **“one bed detached bungalow” is up for auction in Ramsgate** with a guide price of just £105,000\. A more accurate description would be “converted former toilet block on the edge of a car park,” but who are we to argue? It’s more likely to be sold for commercial use and has had various uses in the past, including as a pop-up events space. But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t live in it. It’s very handy for Waitrose too. **Bidding closes on June 9\.** [**Find out more**](https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/69987257/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Smugglers Festival’s journey to become a magical and mysterious summer highlight URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/smugglers-festivals-journey-to-become-a-magical-and-mysterious-summer-highlight/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:08:16.000Z Smugglers Festival has been a hidden gem in Kent’s live music scene for almost fifteen years. Nestled right at the end of festival season, as August rolls into September, the 2000 capacity event takes place at a secret location near Deal. Split across five stages, much of what’s on offer is hidden in woodland, which only adds to the magical feel of it. Launched in 2011 by Will Greenham of the band Cocos Lovers and a few friends from the local music scene, the first event was pulled together in a matter of weeks and played host to about 500 people. “At the beginning it was a totally mad, very, very buzzy energy, but quite anarchic,” says Stewart Hughes, who now programmes the festival. “By some magic it just worked and people came.” Originally focussed on acts from around East Kent, the festival expanded its outlook to the wider world music scene in its early years, and now books a diverse selection of artists across a vast array of genres. “Back at the beginning, it was a real testament to the strength of the local scene that it was any good at all,” says Stewart. “And now it's a real testament to the underground grassroots.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/Smugglers22-174-1.jpg) The Smugglers main stage. **Photo: Tilly May* This year’s headliners are This Is The Kit, Zawose Queens, Vieux Farka Toure and Heliocentrics. Elsewhere, you’ll find artists including Pictish Trail, Samba Toure, Honeyglaze, Colossal Squid, Blind Yeo, Ziah Ziah, Shelf Lives, and Mara Simpson. These may be names that fill your playlists or a baffling collection of seemingly random words. Either way, a lot of effort goes into curating a programme Stewart and the rest of the Smugglers team are confident you’ll love. But as well as that, a great deal of effort goes into making the festival an experience in itself. “The way we’ve laid it out means there's lots of different areas you can go into, lots of different vibes that you can curate and you can create a sense of multiple spaces,” says Stewart. While the main stage is out in the open, the festival’s four other stages are hidden in the woods, each offering something different once you’ve sought them out. There’s second stage The End Stage, nestled - as the name suggests - right at the far end of the site; Gilly’s Wood, a tiny amphitheatre; Nomad’s Land, built for more interactive performances; and late night area Chai Angles. As well as music, you can watch theatre, take part in craft workshops and more. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/Smugglers22-331.jpg) Nomad's Land is home to more interactive performances. **Photo: Tilly May* Much of what you’ll find across the site now has developed over multiple festivals, and new tweaks continue to be made each year. “We used to have a secret bar called The Absinthe Bar, which was a really fertile place for lots of different ideas,” explains Stewart. “In there was a cupboard that you could go through and then you were in a gambling hall. And then, if you’d got a ticket from the bar at the beginning, you could go through that into some sort of immersive theatre performance.” While that labyrinthine venue no longer exists, ”it’s dissolved into a few different constituent parts.” Ensuring that each festival is a memorable experience for its audience is key to what makes it such a special event. But the team behind it are also focussed on making sure that the musicians who play come away feeling good about the event too. “Completely invariably, they have an amazing time because the crowd is really nice. It just is a lovely crowd. And that's partially because it's small. It's got a bit more of a sense of identity.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/Smugglers22-221.jpg) Just a lovely crowd. **Photo: Tilly May* Not only that, he adds, the attention to detail behind the scenes is as important as what is seen out front. In particular, that means making sure the sound on stage is as good as it possibly can be, which “really informs the performance”. “A lot of festivals do get it a bit wrong,” he says. “The sound on stage will be a complete afterthought - it'll sound good out front, but the performance won't be as good. There's lots of festivals that do it really well, but I think we punch quite above our weight in terms of production values.” This isn’t theoretical on Stewart’s part. Formerly the drummer in Cocos Lovers, he still plays with various acts and last year performed with Will Varley on the main stage. “I really noticed how everything is so clear, so you really get in the moment because you're feeling the music,” he recalls. “It made me realise that that's what everyone's experienced, whenever they come and play. That makes such a difference.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/Smugglers22-194.jpg) Bass Clef on the main stage. **Photo: Tilly May* In recent years, many UK festivals have been cancelled or gone out of business entirely as [rising costs and other financial constraints spiral](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/). Despite those high production values and around 400 staff on site over the weekend to keep it all running smoothly, Stewart says that Smugglers has managed to avoid these commercial pressures. That comes down to the fact that Smugglers is “more about the experience” and therefore doesn’t rely on having big household names on its posters to sell tickets. So while it does have “certain fragilities,” Stewart admits, “it's amazing and it is strong.” While [putting on any festival](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/margate-pride-in-pictures/) is “always a bit of a risky undertaking,” he goes on, “Smugglers is lucky that it's got such a nice community around who recognise its value and support it.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/Smugglers22-075.jpg) Strength in community. **Photo: Tilly May* The communal feel of the event is one of the festival's big positives, and unlike many events you won’t find any brands or advertisers taking up space on the site. “There's no risk of us taking on advertising partnerships or anything like that,” Stewart insists. “I don't think that will ever happen. It's a really unusual, important thing to be able to run a festival anywhere without huge financial backing and it takes a whole village of people to make that happen.” While it does face “new pressures” as it develops, Stewart says that he feels they are “ultimately positive things”. Putting on the event has become “a bigger responsibility to hold” over time, he says, “because there's more people involved now and because it is an important thing.” The biggest concern about the future of the festival is its location, which remains a secret partly to maintain the mystery of the event and partly because “it's someone's garden. It just happens to be a very big garden.” “We might not be able to stay on that plot of land forever,” he says. “It’s owned by a couple called Paul and Linda. And they're amazing. They are incredible. They really get it and they understand it's an important thing and they want to support it. So it wouldn't work without them. If they ever move, then we don't know if we'll be able to continue there.” While that’s “not going to happen any time soon”, he says it’s important right now to “make the festival strong” and “more well known”. Doing so will “give us more of a chance to retain what Smugglers is somewhere else in Kent, if we ever did have to move.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/Smugglers22-153.jpg) The End Stage hidden in the woods. **Photo: Tilly May* Having now worked on the festival for over a decade, Stewart is heavily invested in its past and future development. But it goes far beyond being a job, he says. “Obviously I'm biased, but I do think it's amazing. I'm inspired by it. Pulling it together is a heck of a lot of work. But each year is so inspiring, it's so magical being there. How much spiritual and intellectual energy you get from it is amazing. It really tides you out throughout the year and it keeps it moving forward and growing. It’s a funny kind of positive feedback loop.” *Smugglers Festival 2025 takes place on August 28-31\. Day and weekend tickets are available now.* [*Find out more and book*](https://smugglersfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Lou Sanders, Crab Museum, Ramsgate Pride URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-lou-sanders-crab-museum-ramsgate-pride/ Last updated: 2025-05-30T23:31:48.000Z **Stand up comedy, a bum-focussed kids book launch, the second Ramsgate Pride march, a pub quiz and more. So many things to do around Thanet in the coming months, as well as East Kent and London too.** **Lou Sanders** will be bringing her new show No Kissing in the Bingo Hall to **Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre on Friday, September 19**. It is, she says, “a deep, dumb show … about being human” And, she adds, “just like Tom Cruise does all his own stunts, I'm going to do all my own jokes!” [**Tickets £21.83**](https://dice.fm/event/k6vm5p-lou-sanders-no-kissing-in-the-bingo-hall-19th-sep-the-granville-theatre-ramsgate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Crab Museum** in Margate has announced **two launch events for its new children’s book A Natural History of Bums**. A whole launch weekend, in fact. Taking place on **June 7 and 8**, both events start at 10.30am. There will be readings from the book, a kid-friendly talk about the importance of bums, and a game of pin the anus on the animal. [**Tickets £2**](https://www.crabmuseum.org/store/p/book-launch-kids-event?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The book itself is out on June 5. [Crab Museum reveals what bums can tell us about evolutionHow do you get kids excited about science? Make it about bums. Margate’s Crab Museum is bringing this knowledge to the wider world in a new children’s book![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-3.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/20250320_145732-1-2.jpg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/butt-of-the-joke-book-teaches-kids-about-evolution-one-bum-at-a-time/) **Ramsgate Pride’s second march takes place Saturday, June 14**, raising funds for trans+ charity Not A Phase. If you want to nab a spot in the protest (10.30am registration 11am start), [**register now**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27433/march-with-ramsgate-pride-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Marching spots are limited, so if you miss out, you can still show your support by cheering everyone on. Recently seen performing solo in Margate, **comedian Rob Auton will be back again in July**, this time combining his spoken word **with music from Public Service Broadcasting member JF Abraham**. Called Words With Music, the show premiered at last year’s End of the Road festival. **It’ll be at Where Else on Friday, July 18\.** [**Tickets £17.47**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/6d67g3-rob-auton-jfabraham-public-service-broadcasting-words-with-music-18th-jul-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pomus has paired up with Sandgate wine shop John Dory for a pop-up feast**. On **Wednesday, May 28**, the **£45 set menu** includes luscious morsels such as Whitstable oysters with strawberry and sorrel mignonette, aged beef tartare, whole grain sole slathered with sea herbs and smoked butter as well as a rhubarb tart to finish with. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/pomusmargate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Shakespeare in Margate** will host its **last quiz before summer kicks in on Tuesday, June 3**. Hosted by Laura Bailey, a linguist, expect some high-brow, tricky questions as well as some curveballs and some wordplay. [**DM the pub to book your table**](https://www.instagram.com/theshakespearemargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wanna get your groove on to **remixes of all your favourite 70s, 80s and 90s hits**, as well as some hidden gems and modern chart toppers? Margate’s newest gay bar **La! puts on Zoo!** \- a night that does exactly that on **Friday, May 30** from 9pm to late. [**Free entry**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DJjerCZsWkK/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs** is running a **Dickens-themed art competition** to mark this year’s Broadstairs Dickens Festival. Open to everyone of all ages, the **exhibition will run June 14-15**. An afternoon tea for two is up for grabs, with customers voting for their favourite pieces over the weekend. **Enter by June 12**. **Feast Club is back with its Stupid Sexy Seafood Boil**. Taking place on **Saturday, June 7 at The Albion Rooms in Ramsgate**, don’t take anyone you want to look good in front of, because this is the type of meal that usually comes with a bib. With whole lobster and whole brown crab alongside snow crab clusters, king prawns, mussels and corn on the cob, you’ll be sucking and slurping and crunching and snapping and gnawing and creating a right old mess as you make your way through the hefty feast. We haven’t even mentioned the jalapeno cornbread, pickles and mac n cheese. Oof. What a meal. **£50pp with a minimum of two people per boil.** [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/feastclub.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chump’s Comedy** co-founder **Kit Proudfoot has written a sitcom**. Goons “follows two overlooked henchmen stuck on the sidelines of a crime syndicate.” **There will be a live reading of it at the Museum of Comedy in London on Thursday, June 5\.** [**Free tickets**](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/bbdvvk-goons-script-reading-5th-jun-museum-of-comedy-london-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). [Chump’s Comedy Margate: Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, crab jokesFrom an idea shared on a train home to sell-out shows featuring the likes of Ed Gamble and Phil Wang, Andy Malt speaks to Margate’s Chump’s Comedy about how it all came together so successfully, so quickly![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/icon/Strange-Tourist-4.png)Strange TouristStrange Tourist![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/thumbnail/Chumps-team.jpeg)](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) **Margate’s Social Singing Choir** will be hosting a **Margate Pride fundraiser at Olby’s in Margate on Thursday, June 5**. Get along to hear some choral versions of Pride classics, and get involved in other fundraising activities. These are always a lot of fun. [**Tickets £8**](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/the-social-singing-choir-margate-pride-fundraiser-5th-june-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Fancy “an evening of experimental beats and punishing rhythms”? Of course you do. **The Superliminal Sound night** will be returning to **101 Social in Cliftonville on Saturday, May 31** with performances from Frost, Deep Sea Internet Cables, Drinkpen and The Scoleri Brothers. If live drums, electronic music and complex rhythms are your thing, this is a must see. [**£5 suggested donation**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DJOlyqlgEOs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New York-based actor **Kate Valentine** will be bringing her **one woman show Women of a Certain Rage to Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre on Sunday, June 22**. “A romp, a rant, a bloodletting, about living in a female body in the 21st century,” says the blurb. “A vivisection of the American medical system. Your doctor is in, and he has been diagnosed with white male privilege. Ms Valentine is filling your prescription for dismantling the patriarchy!” [**Tickets £12**](https://billetto.co.uk/e/a-woman-of-a-certain-rage-tickets-1279218?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 19-25) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-19-25/ Last updated: 2025-05-19T07:00:04.000Z **Rare music film screenings, free wine tasting, weird morris dancing, a club in a car park and more. All the best things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and further afield this week.** Broadstairs’ Curiosity Shop will host a watercolour workshop with artist Karen McKenzie on Monday evening. Tickets £18\. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/curiosityshopbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedians Red Richardson, Sean McLoughlin and Josh Weller play Where Else in Margate on Tuesday. [Tickets £14](https://dice.fm/event/8eykev-red-richardson-20th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pomus in Margate is hosting a free wine tasting with English winemakers The Heretics on Wednesday. Book to eat in the restaurant on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday for access. The Palace cinema in Broadstairs will screen rare 1998 DJing documentary Hang the DJ on Thursday, followed by a Q&A with journalist Joe Shabadu and an after party at Neptunes Hall. [Tickets £11.55](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hang-the-dj-charity-screening-tickets-1303327159619?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Barbican in London opens its new immersive Feel the Sound exhibition on Thursday, running until August 31\. [Full details](https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/feel-the-sound?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This year’s Margate Fringe Festival begins on Thursday and runs until Saturday. Performers include Nick Helm, Rosie Holt, and Janine Harouni. [Book tickets](https://linktr.ee/margatefringefestival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wide Awake Festival takes place in Brixton’s Brockwell Park on Friday, headlined by Kneecap. [Tickets £69.50](https://wideawakelondon.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Musician Venn Smyth brings his gay ceilidh Deep Fried Sausage to CAMP in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £8](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26707/deep-fried-sausage-a-gayly-ceilidh?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Oli Keens brings his Big Juicy House Party to Faith in Strangers in Cliftonville on Friday. [Tickets £5](https://ra.co/events/2172128?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The new Ramsgate Space HQ officially opens on Saturday, offering a new hub for tackling town centre shop vacancies and supporting regeneration, creativity, and enterprise in the town. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ramsgate-space-hq-launch-day-tickets-1366023385719?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Plant and coffee shop Foliage will be marking its last day trading in St Lawrence, Ramsgate this Saturday, before moving to a new shop in Albion Street, Broadstairs. The Broadstairs and St Peters Community Festival takes place at Pierremont Park on Saturday. Free entry. Artist Job Muscroft displays his new exhibition The Joy Of Cats at Margate’s Pharmacy Gallery on Saturday until Monday. Ramsgate Music Hall will screen a rare film of Prince’s 1992 performance at Live at the Glam Slam on Saturday. Later there will be live music from London collective Parade, and then a Prince-inspired rave with TAYO3000\. [Tickets £15-20](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/purgatory-is-hell/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A Night For Weird Folk returns to Margate Arts Club on Saturday celebrating three years of the folk club night and 10 years of organisers Bower Street Morris. [Tickets £8](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26596/a-night-for-weird-folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stereolab will be playing a one-off UK show at The Booking Hall in Dover on Saturday as a warm up for their world tour. Sold out but check for returns. Folkestone band Yesterday's Flowers and Thanet’s own Diet Jesus will be playing a show at Folkestone Park Bowls Club on Saturday. [Tickets £8](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2131?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: Thanet beaches head into summer with Blue Flag Awards URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-thanet-beaches-head-into-summer-with-blue-flag-awards/ Last updated: 2025-05-18T07:00:34.000Z **Beaches across Thanet have been given the nod of approval by Keep Britain Tidy, plus there have been updates and calls for support from various community projects. Check out all the latest creative and cultural news from Thanet and beyond.** **Six Thanet beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status** by Keep Britain Tidy, recognising them as some of the best in the country for criteria such as management and water quality. The awarded beaches are **Minnis Bay, St Mildred’s Bay, Margate Main Sands, Botany Bay, Joss Bay, and Ramsgate Main Sands** \- the first time the latter has received the award since 2016\. These and six other beaches - West Bay, Westbrook Bay, Walpole Bay, Stone Bay, Viking Bay and Louisa Bay - were also handed Seaside Awards. The **Off Season art festival will return to Margate in January 2026**, once again helping to support bars, cafes, shops and more through the difficult winter months by filling them with art. The first edition this year was pulled together very quickly, and for the second run they’re getting organised. **It will be** **bigger, better, more curated and easier to navigate**. To do this, organisers have launched a crowdfunder to help cover the event’s costs. [**Find out more and donate**](https://www.spacehive.com/off-season-2026/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Having announced a temporary closure in April, **Ramsgate Community Cinema has announced that it will return next month** having secured new funding. “Thanks to your incredible patience and support during our break, we're excited to announce that we'll be back starting in June,” reads a statement. “Behind the scenes, we've been planning some fantastic film nights, and we can't wait to share them with you.” **Artist Paul Hazelton** has begun work to **recreate what** **a lost wall in Margate’s Shell Grotto** would have looked like nearly 100 years ago. The East Wall in the attraction’s Altar Chamber was destroyed by a bomb during the Second World War in 1940\. Paul is now **painting a mural on the concrete wall that replaced it**. Additionally, conservator Rob Smith has been undertaking repair work at the base of the Grotto’s altar, ensuring its continued preservation. **A new campaign has been launched** to help fund the restoration of the 140 year old **Lower Leas Lift funicular railway in Folkestone**. Donors will be offered the chance to place a message inside a time capsule buried in the cliff face where the lift sits. Anyone who pledges £250 or more will also have their message engraved on a brass plate, which will be attached to one of the railway’s sleepers. It’s hoped that the campaign will raise £45,000\. [**Find out more and donate**](https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/folkestone-leas-lift-time-capsule-campaign?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Space** ([read our interview](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-space-its-painful-to-see-the-high-street-of-a-town-you-love-so-much-struggle-to-survive/)) has put a **call out for businesses and organisations looking to test ideas** before committing to a long term space. Its HQ on Albert Court is available to hire on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for whatever you want to put on. It’s also available to run workshops on Mondays. [**Put forward your proposal**](https://spaceenquiry.fillout.com/t/p6Njx58o6Sus?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You can also head down for the official launch of Ramsgate Space HQ on May 24\. [Free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ramsgate-space-hq-launch-day-tickets-1366023385719?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **A new weekly acting workshop** is set to launch at **Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre** next month. Called **KAST**, it offers “regular practice, solid guidance, and a supportive space to build confidence and trust your instincts.” You can book a block of four sessions for £80 or a one-off taster for £10\. [**Find out more**](https://www.kastacting.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet drinks delivery service Drops has now launched**. Same day alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from independent brewers, delivered by bike to CT9 and CT10 postcodes. [**Fill your fridge**](https://dropsmargate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A dad and son outfit recently opened **Vizio, an Italian-style coffee shop in Westcliff**. Head over for a strong espresso and a morning cannoli. **Find it at 19 West Road, Westcliff**. It looks like a lovely spot and we really like their cute logo. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Small but mighty: Margate Fringe returns URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/small-but-mighty-margate-fringe-returns/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:47:06.000Z Margate Fringe Festival returns for its third year and biggest programme of shows yet this week. Running from Thursday to Sunday in venues around Margate, performers this year include Nick Helm, Rosie Holt, and Janine Harouni. The festival was launched in 2023 by Faye Bowker, who has a background in events management, and Sam Moulton, who has previously worked in live comedy in London and at the Edinburgh Fringe. Taking over the Tom Thumb Theatre for its first edition, it expanded into other venues in 2024 and will put on performances at the Tom Thumb, Olby’s and Justine’s this year. We speak to Faye who tells us about how the event has developed since it began, what’s in store this year, and plans for the future. **How did Margate Fringe Festival start?** We started Margate Fringe Festival in 2023\. I was working at the Tom Thumb Theatre at the time and after talking to them about bringing more comedy to the Tom Thumb suggested a small comedy festival. Sam was thinking of moving to Margate and constantly asking me questions about living there so with his background in comedy I asked if he’d run the festival with me - a great excuse for him to spend more time in Margate! **How did the first one go?** The first one went really well, we were surprised with how popular our little festival was. We had a lot of support from Sara and Alex from the Tom Thumb who basically let us take over their venue for the whole weekend. It's been quite a lot of work for the two of us as well as programming, we're also the ones designing the artwork, doing the promotion, doing the door and the tech so it's a pretty exhausting weekend, but it's worth it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/Tom_Thumb_landscape_2.jpg) The Tom Thumb Theatre, where it all began. Photo: Strange Tourist **How has the event developed since then?** In our second year we added a few more venues, Olby’s and Margate Arts Club, which meant we had bigger rooms (which sold out, thankfully). This year we have another new venue in Justine’s and are promoting the most shows we’ve ever put on. **What have been some highlights of past festivals?** Sam’s highlight was Jordan Brookes (his favourite comedian) asking from the stage if he had any requests and doing an old bit from a few years ago. That was on the first night of the first festival and it felt like something special had been created. Jordan is back this year on Sunday 25th at the Tom Thumb. My highlight was seeing Christopher Hall pack out Margate Arts Club in 2024, it was such a perfect setting and I'd never seen him before, now I'm a lifelong fan. He's back this year with a new show at Justine’s. **Is there an overall ethos to the festival?** We both just love Margate and comedy really. **How do you decide who to book?** I think the main thing is we only book acts that we know we like, we wouldn't book anyone who we don't find funny. We like to have a mix of established acts and those that are more up and coming. For example, last year at the Tom Thumb we had Rob Copland with his work in progress show Gimme One With Everything. The show was in its early stages and by the time he took it to Edinburgh he won the The Victoria Wood Award 2024\. Fatiha El-Ghorri also performed a work in progress there and is right now starring on Taskmaster on Channel 4\. So yeah, if you come to Margate Fringe you might even see an award winner or TV star in the making. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/nick-helm-credit-ed-moore-1.jpg) Nick Helm opens this year's Margate Fringe Festival. Photo: Ed Moore **Is there anyone you’re particularly excited to see on the bill this year?** We're excited to see everyone! But we're particularly excited to see Nick Helm at Olby’s on Thursday, May 22\. He’s obviously a comedy and TV superstar (starring in Uncle, Loaded, Nick Helm’s Heavy Entertainment and Eat Your Heart Out) and totally unique and exhilarating live. **Is your audience primarily locals, or do you see this as an event to attract people from further afield?** I think it's a real mix of familiar faces and those that have come from further afield. We get people from Margate and the rest of Thanet, of course, but also people travel from Canterbury, Brighton, Dover, London and once even Bristol. **How would you like to see MFF develop in the future, are you keen to include other types of performance outside comedy?** We'd like for it to take over Margate for a whole month and be as big as Edinburgh Fringe! Not really, but we'd love to include some more venues, and maybe even get a spiegeltent - and include some other types of acts such as circus and cabaret. Although we're primarily comedy we have over the years had other types of performance, such as poetry from Harry Baker in 2023 and the play Dead End in 2024, this year we've got another play, Rosie Holt's Churchill's Urinal - although I guess all of those shows are comedy adjacent. But yes, we're open to other types of performance! *Margate Fringe Festival kicks off this Thursday, May 22, with a work in progress show from Nick Helm. There’s then a bulging programme of performances at the Tom Thumb Theatre and Justine’s.* *Check out the full line up and book tickets here:* **Thursday** *Nick Helm at Olby’s.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/pop-comedy/event/3ovw7p-nick-helm-masterworks-in-progress-25-22nd-may-olbys-soul-caf-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Saturday** *1pm: Rosie Holt at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/pop-comedy/event/bb682m-rosie-holt-churchills-urinal-wip-24th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *4pm: Bella Hull at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/pop-comedy/event/bbwq2v-bella-hull-doctors-hate-her-work-in-progress-24th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *5.30pm: Janine Harouni at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/dkegaq-janine-harouni-work-in-progress-24th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *8.30pm: Joseph Morpurgo at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/v3rpbg-joseph-morpurgo-work-in-progress-24th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *9.45pm: Jessica Aszkenasy at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/pop-comedy/event/92qe66-jessica-aszkenasy-titclown-wip-24th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Sunday** *1pm: Josh Weller at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/pop-comedy/event/6dqy87-josh-weller-work-in-progress-25th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *2.30pm: Bilal Zafar - New Show at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/pop-comedy/event/oex2qa-bilal-zafar-new-show-25th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *4pm: Daniel Foxx at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/mxk3nw-daniel-foxx-work-in-progress-25th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *5pm: Ed Night - Your Old Mucker at Justine’s.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/pop-comedy/event/6dq3w8-ed-night-your-old-mucker-wip-25th-may-justines-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *5.30pm: Ria Lina at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/yo9a52-ria-lina-is-going-on-tour-wip-25th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *6.30pm: Christopher Hall at Justine’s.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/xex6ge-christopher-hall-work-in-progress-25th-may-justines-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *7pm: Jordan Brookes at Tom Thumb Theatre.* [*Tickets*](https://dice.fm/event/l8l59l-jordan-brookes-likelihood-of-impact-remains-v-low-25th-may-the-tom-thumb-theatre-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Cockles & Muscles, Legss, Broadstairs Dickens Festival URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-cockles-muscles-legss-broadstairs-dickens-festival/ Last updated: 2025-05-13T07:00:08.000Z **Newly announced events in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Whitstable and London to fill your schedule, including parties, supper clubs, drag brunch, live music, wine tasting and more.** **Cockles & Muscles will be celebrating ten years** of putting on queer parties in Margate with a special night at **Margate Arts Club on Saturday, June 21**. There’ll be an early start with a happy hour and shows in the garden from 6pm. Full line up TBA. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27175/the-cockles-and-muscles-10th-bithday-bash-june21st?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). We’ve been hoping to see art-rock band **Legss** live for a while now, so it’s very exciting news that they’ll be stopping off at **Ramsgate Music Hall** as part of a UK tour on **Thursday, June 26\.** [**Tickets £12.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/dulcie-moreno-sextet/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Queer Cuntry** has announced **two all-dayers in Margate and London** over the coming months. First up, there’ll be a takeover at The Sun Deck in Margate on **bank holiday Monday, May 26, from 3-9pm. Free entry**. Then on **August 23 from 2pm to 1am**, the QC team will be at **Signature Brew in Walthamstow.** [**Early bird tickets £15**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27047/queer-cxntry-all-dayer?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). There’ll also be a **Little Gay Hoedown at Margate Arts Club on July 4** followed by a car wash on July 5, both raising money for future Queer Cuntry projects. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27242/little-gay-hoedown?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If that's not enough, **Queer Cuntry** are also running the **Little Gay Line Dancing Club** so you can perfect your bootscooting for the next gig. **First class is on June 5**, with five more following over the next five months. There are [**packages, passes and by the class rates**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/27240/little-gay-line-dancing-club?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **(£12-£100)**. Bootscooters get entry into the Paisley Fields gig following the first class. This year’s **Broadstairs Dickens Festival** is set to take place from **June 13-15**. Events include a beach party, parade, country fayre, tours of the Dickens Museum, lawns games and more. Get down and party like it’s 1839\. [**Find out more**](https://www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Start your **Margate Pride** celebrations off right on **August 9** with a **bottomless brunch at The George & Heart**. Hosted by former Drag Race contestant Just May, there will be bubbles, food, sweet treats and laughs. Places are limited, so don’t hang about. [**Tickets £45**](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/drag-me-to-brunch-2025-?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Punk band **Panic Shack** have announced a show at **Where Else in Margate on Thursday, October 9**. By that time you should have learned every word to their eponymous debut album, which is out on July 19\. [**Tickets £20.58**](https://dice.fm/event/pykyy8-panic-shack-9th-oct-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also coming up at **Where Else**, math-punk quartet **University** will be playing the venue on **Tuesday, September 16**. Their debut album McCartney, It’ll Be OK is set for release on June 20\. [**Tickets £11.85**](https://dice.fm/event/avdvmq-university-16th-sep-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Seafood supper club Catch** is breaking out of Ramsgate and holding its **first Margate event at The George & Heart on Thursday, June 5**. It’ll be a four course meal out in the garden. [**Places £35**](https://www.georgeandheart.com/shop/p/il5u5cbu417ys3nv5j8suqww70gwws?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pomus in Margate** is hosting a **free wine tasting** with English winemakers The Heretics on **Wednesday, May 21**. If you want to take part - because there’s no such thing as free wine - you will need to be booked in to eat at Pomus on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of that week. Not a massive hardship though. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DJXhbWqM5aC/?img%5Findex=1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Another tasting - but not wine and not free - **Bottleneck in Broadstairs** is teaming up with Davidoff for a **cigar tasting on Tuesday, June 4**. Your [**£85 entry fee**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events/products/davidoff-cigar-tasting-04-06?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) gets you a welcome drink, two cigars, plus whisky, rum or coffee pairings. Whitstable artist **Catman** has designed a new collection of cans for **Fatboy Slim’s coffee company Pepita**. Both will be on hand for a **signing event at Thirty Nine Whitstable on Thursday, June 12**. Meet them, have photos taken, get stuff signed, buy original artworks, and hang around for music spun by DJ Masterbreaks. [**Tickets (including collectable coffee tins) from £50**](https://www.catmanartist.com/event-details/catman-fatboy-slim-live?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 10-18) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-10-18/ Last updated: 2025-05-12T07:00:25.000Z **Stand up comedy, writers performing work in progress, live music, parent-friendly clubbing, wine tasting and more. Lots of things to do in Thanet and beyond this week.** Stand up comedian Amy Annette performs her new show thick skin at Where Else on Wednesday. [Tickets £12](https://dice.fm/event/928r89-amy-annette-thick-skin-14th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Writers read their latest work at new night Writing In Progress at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday night. Free entry. Queer Fight Club launches free weekly self-defence classes for trans and queer people on Thursday. [Book now](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queer-fight-club-tickets-1337296242059?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Design and paint your own tote bag with illustrator Kali Wilson at The Red Lion in Ramsgate on Thursday evening. It’s £25, with two cocktails included. Call 01843 586713 to book. Stand up comedian Ellie Taylor performs her new show Palavering to The Granville Theatre in Ramsgate on Friday. [Tickets £23.65](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/ellie-taylor-palavering/granville-theatre/tickets/ACE91FB7-6C1B-4F92-BAB3-3DF900A712AF?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Jeffrey Lewis performs at Where Else in Margate on Friday. [Tickets are £22.87](https://dice.fm/event/7dn8lb-jeffrey-lewis-and-the-voltage-16th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The PRAH record label is hosting a night at Margate Arts Club on Friday. Uh and Thoo will perform live. [Tickets £7](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/26266?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Lido Stores in Margate holds a drinks reception on Saturday from 7-9pm to mark the opening of painter Julia Warr’s new exhibition, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. Kent winemakers will be in the spotlight at the Canterbury Wine Festival at Westgate Hall on May 16-17\. [Tickets £45](https://www.westgatehall.org/canterbury-wine-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sandwich pop-up Sarns will be back at Thao Thao in Margate Old Town on Saturday from 12-4pm. Last time they were there they sold out early, so don’t hang about. Multi-instrumentalist Mara Simpson will be performing live at Ark in Cliftonville on Saturday, May 17\. [Tickets £10](https://billetto.co.uk/e/mara-simpson-hughie-gavin-live-at-ark-tickets-1173482?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Kelly Lee Owens will be DJing at Faith In Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday. [Tickets £20.70](https://ra.co/events/2125368?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Family-friendly day rave Creche Out hosts an adults-only party at Ramsgate Musical Hall on Saturday starting and finishing early so that you can wake up fresh on Sunday morning. [Tickets £5](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/creche-out-is-out-out/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### News Blast: All change for Thanet retailers as summer approaches URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-all-change-for-thanet-retailers-as-summer-approaches/ Last updated: 2025-05-11T07:00:13.000Z **Nothing stays the same for too long in Thanet, and this week we've seen announcements of relocations, changes of ownership and one closure of venues and retailers in the district. All that and more updates from Thanet and beyond in this week's news update.** **Ramsgate Space** has put a **call out for HQ collaborators**. If you've got an idea that could fill the Albert Court space [**get in touch**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DHawcHisAzu/?img%5Findex=1&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The shopfront is open to businesses and organisations on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for things like pop-ups, exhibitions and events. On Mondays, the venue is available for workshops, meetings and creative sessions. **Margate Black Pride** is setting up a **community hardship fund for global majority trans and non-binary people in Thanet**, in light of the recent Supreme Court judgement and the continuing anti-trans rhetoric and violence. With the aim to remove cost as a barrier to accessing even the smallest of vital things, **the fund offers up to £50 per person** to help cover things like travel to and from appointments, compression garments, personal hygiene products, healthcare-related costs and other necessary or urgent expenses. **MBP is looking to raise funds for the fund with an initial target of £300, although the more money raised, the more people helped.** [**Donate via PayPal**](https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/margateblackpride?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Allyson Jones** has been named as the **new boss of the Tom Thumb Theatre**. "I personally believe theatre can be a chance to express life, and also be an escapism for people," she says. "My intention for this theatre is to invite artists who evoke imaginations, demonstrate creativity, show inclusiveness, and perhaps most importantly, incite joy and a sense of community." The former dancer has a range of experience in events and production, and will be known to many as the one time owner of now closed Margate High Street venue Morgans. **She officially takes over on May 14**. **The Royston in Broadstairs** has been named **Thanet Pub of the Year** for the third time in a row by The Campaign for Real Ale. “We’ve won on merit not by lobbying but by doing things right,” says Andy Smith, owner of the micropub, which first opened in 2021\. **Runners up this year were The Magnet in Broadstairs and the Honeysuckle Inn in Ramsgate**. Margate High Street hair salon **Marcella** **has announced that it is moving** into the first floor of the building formerly occupied by restaurant Waverly House. So you’ll get a lovely view over the seafront as you get your locks snipped. Bar and events company **Flat Lemonade will also have a permanent residency in the salon**, serving up coffee and cocktails. The **V&A Museum** is planning an **exhibition on London’s lost music venues**. As part of this, it has put out a **call for flyers, photos, and anything else** members of the public might have from now closed spaces. **Email** [**musicvenues@vam.ac.uk**](mailto:musicvenues@vam.ac.uk) **by May 31**. Submitted material may be used in the exhibition itself, as well as blog posts and on the V&A website. [**Read our recent article on the existential threat facing many live music venues**](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/). Margate bakery **Modern Provider is set to close** next month. “This is a decision that I’ve been going over for the past six months or so, and then an opportunity came along that really cemented it in my mind,” says owner Ben Wykes. Originally operating out of Ben's flat and then a shop space in Charlotte Square, Modern Provider moved to its current premises in The Centre in 2019\. **The bakery’s final day of trading will be June 7**. Plant and coffee shop **Foliage** is leaving its current home in St Lawrence, Ramsgate and **moving to Albion Street in Broadstairs**. The shop opened three years ago and also host a variety of workshops. **The last day in Ramsgate will be May 25**. **Margate Pride** has put out an **open call for artists** to take part in this year’s **Pride DIY Art Map**, celebrating the town’s “creative queer energy.” Artists, makers and creatives are invited to put on exhibitions around Margate throughout August to be included in the annual art trail. [**Find out more and apply**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBM13sjULTYhaclvlmOCMzCr8hNKN77O10uH1yVhhv3ZxHqg/viewform?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A new **drinks delivery service called Drops** is set to launch in Thanet soon. Drops will offer same day delivery by bike to addresses in the CT9 and CT10 postcodes. The company's focus is on craft beer from small independent breweries, but will also stock a range of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks too. [**Follow for updates**](https://www.instagram.com/drops.margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Folkestone Fringe** **is inviting applications for events and activities** to be part of this year’s festival. Proposals must fit under one (or more) of three key themes: What connects us? What divides us? and (Un)Imagined Futures. The festival will run from September 1 to October 19\. [**More details**](https://folkestonefringe.com/festivals/flintandclay2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pie Factory Music youth workers Connor, Jeff and Luis** are **cycling 240 miles across the UK** in five days from June 5-9\. Starting on the Welsh coast in Portishead and making their way back to Ramsgate, they will raise funds for Pie and awareness of the need for dedicated spaces for young people. **They are aiming to raise £2000\.** [**Donate here**](https://www.justgiving.com/page/piecycle-challenge?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Haim, Rhys James, Queer Fight Club URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-haim-rhys-james-queer-fight-club/ Last updated: 2025-05-06T07:00:50.000Z **Lots of things to do in Thanet and wider East Kent, including live music, craft, stand up comedy, spoken word, self defence and more.** **Haim have announced a one-off summer show at Dreamland on June 27**, ahead of a wider UK arena tour in October. It will be their first UK concert since 2023, and will come a week after the release of their new album I Quit, which is out on June 20\. [**Tickets £64.10**](https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/haim-i-quit-tour-margate-27-06-2025/event/35006297E1F28457?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs’ Curiosity Shop** will host a **watercolour workshop with artist Karen McKenzie on Monday, May 19 from 5-7pm**. It’s **£18 for the session** which is open to all levels, plus a drink and some cake. You’ll learn how to mix, so you’ll just use three colours to create your works of art. The **Curiosity Shop also hosts Crochet Club every other Friday, from 2-4pm**, starting from yesterday - so the next one is on May 16\. It’s BYO materials, and a pro crocheter will be on hand for any questions and guidance. **Trans Club Margate launches Queer Fight Club**; self-defence classes for trans and queer people. The **weekly outdoor sessions will be free**, thanks to support from trans awareness charity Not A Phase, but donations are also welcomed. **Begins on May 15, 6pm-7pm.** [**Book now**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queer-fight-club-tickets-1337296242059?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Family-friendly day rave Crèche Out** has announced an **adults-only party later this month**. The twist, it’ll give you six full hours of dancing time and still allow you to be back at home before midnight. Local DJs Joe Corbani and Craig Gardner will be playing a mix of house, techno and electronica from **5-11pm on Saturday, May 17\.** [**Tickets £5**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/creche-out-is-out-out/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Mark Steel** will be bringing his new stand up show The Leopard In My House to **Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre on Friday, October 31**. As well as offering his take on the state of the nation, he'll explain why being diagnosed with throat cancer "was one of the happiest moments of my life." [**Tickets £21.45**](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/mark-steel-the-leopard-in-my-house/granville-theatre?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate’s Tonetic Records** is hosting a **panel discussion on Kent’s grassroots music scene at Canterbury Christ Church University on Saturday, May 10**. Aimed particularly at people aged 16-25 looking to build a career in live music, the talk will feature Sammy Clarke from Margate’s Where Else, Geraldine Zanaska from Compass Music in Folkestone, and Sam Bailey from Canterbury's Free Range. [**Suggested donation £5**](https://lu.ma/1m5vijns?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Creative sector conference UK Creative Festival** will be back at **Dreamland on July 9-10**. Once again, there will be a programme of talks, networking opportunities, parties and more. [**Early bird tickets £50**](https://www.ukcreativefestival.co.uk/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (full price £150). **The Bohemian Embassy** is a new **poetry and music night at Ramsgate Community Cinema**. The first edition will take place on **Tuesday, May 27** with a line up of local acts still to be announced. **Free entry**. The next **Margate Electronics** night will be at **Margate Arts Club on Friday, June 13**. Performing will be audio-visual duo Sculpture, sonic experimenter Bülbül, and producer Richard Pike. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26885/margate-electronics-8?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Martha Wainwright** will be playing a show at **Dover’s Booking Hall on Friday, August 29** as part of a tour to mark the 20th anniversary of her Melting Vinyl album. [**Tickets £30**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2045?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Also celebrating an anniversary at the Booking Hall,** **The Wedding Present** will be bringing their 40th anniversary tour to the venue on **Sunday, October 5\.** [**Tickets £30**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/1867?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you’re a real Wedding Present head, then also get yourself up to Leeds for the premiere of [Reception](https://www.weddingpresentmusical.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a new musical based on the band’s songs. Comedian **Rhys James** will be performing a work in progress show at **Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, May 28**. It's a rare chance to see him in such an intimate setting. [**Tickets £15**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/92q75n-rhys-james-work-in-progress-28th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **New Margate night club Power** will open in **The Centre on Friday, May 30** with a night of rap, grime and drum n bass from H.O, DJ Sky and DJ Nova. **£10 entry**. **The Driftweed Artist** will host a **seaweed pressing workshop on Broadstairs' North Foreland Estate on Saturday May 31, from 10am-2pm**. In the workshop you’ll learn how to turn seaweed into works of art, just like a Victorian. [**Tickets are £80**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seaweed-pressing-workshop-4hr-broadstairs-tickets-1331184541799?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and they will go on sale May 15\. New writing night Inkling has been much missed since coming to an end at the beginning of the year. Good news though, taking up the mantle is **Writing In Progress**, a new event allowing **writers of all kinds to read their work in front of an audience**. The first edition is set to take place at **Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday, May 14**. Kent winemakers will in in the spotlight at the **Canterbury Wine Festival** at **Westgate Hall on May 16-17**. There will be over 70 wines available to try, and their makers including Barnsole, Nine Oaks, Chartham and Gusbourne will be on hand to tell you about them. [**Tickets £45**](https://www.westgatehall.org/canterbury-wine-festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. If you like what we do, please consider becoming a Strange Tourist Supporting for just £3 a month, or £30 a year. Every penny goes towards our independent coverage of culture and creativity in Thanet. [Become a Supporter ](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (May 5-11) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-beyond-this-week-may-5-11/ Last updated: 2025-05-05T07:00:09.000Z **Courtyard pizzas, stand up comedy, live folk music, a children's book launch and more. Lots of ideas for things to do in Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and wider East Kent this week.** Ramsgate restaurant Number Nine will be serving pizzas and drinks in its new glass courtyard on bank holiday Monday from 2-6pm. [Book a table](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/experiences-availability?rid=293142&restref=293142&experienceId=451615&utm%5Fsource=external&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=shared). Sète in Margate is opening up for the bank holiday Monday, 1-8pm. Head down and enjoy a wine and some food in the newly reopened garden area from 1-8pm. Ivo Graham, Stephen Bailey, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Helen Bauer, Sharon Wanjohi make up the bill for Chump’s Comedy at The Gulbenkian in Canterbury on Wednesday. [Tickets £16](https://dice.fm/event/2wvldo-ivo-graham-stephen-bailey-fatiha-el-ghorri-helen-bauer-sharon-wanjohi-7th-may-gulbenkian-canterbury-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Suzi Ruffell will be doing a tour preview at Where Else on Thursday. [Tickets £15](https://dice.fm/event/8ep2q7-suzi-ruffell-tour-preview-8th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folk musician Sam Amidon will play Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday. [Tickets £22.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/sam-amidon/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Head to the Pink Pony Club night at Justine’s in Margate on Friday to dance to the best recent pop hits. £5 on the door. Writer and illustrator Em Cosh officially launches their debut children’s book Kip and the Squiggledoodle at High Tide Social in Cliftonville on Saturday, 3.30pm to 5.30pm. MOP will serve up flatbread wraps and sides at The Bus Cafe on Margate’s Sun Deck on Saturday and Sunday from 5pm until late. Broadstairs Folk Week’s monthly Folk Week Presents night at the Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable will be headlined by Tim Edey on Sunday. [Tickets £17.50](https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Neurodivergence awareness organisation STAK.life is hosting a fundraising afternoon at The Pavilion in Broadstairs on Sunday from midday to 4.30pm. Free entry. Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. If you like what we do, please consider becoming a Strange Tourist Supporting for just £3 a month, or £30 a year. Every penny goes towards our independent coverage of culture and creativity in Thanet. [Become a Supporter ](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) ### News Blast: Popular Margate venue announces five month closure URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-popular-margate-venue-announces-five-month-closure/ Last updated: 2025-05-04T07:00:42.000Z **A temporary closure for a popular Margate venue, opportunities for creative young people, a rare chance to eat out on a Monday night. Here's this week's creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** From early June through to October, **ARK will be closed for building work**, however the team said they will **continue to present work in other venues around Thanet** for the duration. **Open School East** has opened its **2025-2026 Associates Programme**. Open to people who have challenges accessing arts education and practice-based development opportunities, the programme is free and will guide you through your practice in a collaborative working environment, whether you’re a filmmaker, writer, artist or performer or working in another medium. [**Applications close on June 20**](https://openschooleast.org/open-call-2025-26/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Are you a young person (probably not, let’s be honest) or have some in your orbit? **The Turner has put out its final call for artists, filmmakers and creatives under 25 years old** living in Kent and Medway to enter the Young Creatives exhibition. This year’s theme is Force, taking its inspiration from the sea, Margate’s light and strength in community. **Apply by Thursday, May 9**, to take part. [**More details**](https://turnercontemporary.org/learning/young-people/young-creatives-rnli?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). From Monday May 5, **Sète in Margate will be open from Mondays**. For the bank holiday, the French-style bistro and wine bar will open its doors 1pm-8pm, and **regular Mondays 4pm-10pm**. For those wanting some food, the Sète menu - 1, 2, 3 courses for £16, £18, £23 - will be available. Got any budding young writers in your midst? The **Canterbury Children's Literature Festival** \- which holds its first edition on July 11-13 - is **running a competition for 6-13 year olds**. Submit a short story or poem about nature or animals **by May 30** to be in with a chance of winning a range of prizes. The winning entries will also form part of a new trail at Wildwood. [**Full details**](https://www.canterburykidslitfest.co.uk/writing-competition?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Butt of the joke: book teaches kids about evolution one bum at a time URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/butt-of-the-joke-book-teaches-kids-about-evolution-one-bum-at-a-time/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:11:20.000Z One of Margate’s best, most popular and strangest tourist attractions is the small but perfectly formed Crab Museum. Opened in 2021, it gives visitors an impressive insight into the lives of crabs, but also uses the topic and a hefty dose of humour to discuss wider topics, including climate change and the nature of truth. A key crab fact that every visitor leaves with - especially if they have kids in tow - is that crabs poo from their chests. Next month, the museum takes things a step further with the publication of its new children’s book, A Natural History of Bums. Beautifully illustrated by Inga Ziemele, the book sees a duo of crab narrators guide readers “from prehistoric patooties to modern mudchutes”. More than just a vessel for fart and poop gags, however, it explains why bums helped to create life on Earth as we know it and how vital they are to our existence. Ahead of the book’s publication in June, its author and Crab Museum co-founder Bertie Suesat-Williams explains why he chose to explore evolution through the lens of bumholes (metaphorically) and how the museum has changed birthdays for him and his fellow directors forever. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/20250320_145802.jpg) All life through bums in 64 pages. Photo: Crab Museum **Why did you want to write a book for children?** We wanted to write a kids book because there are only so many children that can come and visit the museum in person. As a local publication, the kids of your readership are the lucky ones - they can hear us waffle about bum evolution any time they like (provided we’re open). A Natural History of Bums is an attempt to expand our audience and get more kids interested in science, whether or not they live by the sea. **Why bums? What can bums tell us about evolution?** Bums are a remarkably popular body part, scientifically speaking. Almost all animals have one. Having a bum makes you a tube, rather than a bag like the earliest animals. This means you can eat more, and when bums appeared some 600 million years ago (give or take) life on Earth really kicked off. All life is interconnected, and a focus on any feature of living things can be used to explore evolution. But bums might be funniest, and they have a lot to say if you’re willing to listen. **Does the book have a narrative or can readers dip in and out of it?** The book begins in the mysterious and ancient oceans where life first appeared. Our crab narrators take the reader on a journey from bumless prehistory through the many aeons of life on Earth, following the changing shapes and uses of patooties. The book toots through Earth’s history to the present, and celebrates the wide diversity of bums on display today. So whilst there is a story - the story of life itself - there are plenty of facts and tangents to go off on, and lots for readers to dip into or revisit. **What’s one of the best bum facts you discovered while writing the book?** Animals have a vast and bewildering range of bottoms. There are armoured bums, glowing bums, sticky bums, even a type of sea worm with a thousand bums. But one of the most interesting is actually our human tush - and how it changed the course of history. The evolution of muscular buttocks helped our ancestors stand up and take over the world. Without our bottoms, our planet would be totally different. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/CrabMuseum-2023-31-31-1.jpg) Using crabs to get kids excited about science. Photo: Joe & Charlotte **How does the book relate to the Crab Museum and its message?** Like the museum itself, the book aims to take something overlooked and underappreciated and give it the credit it deserves. Both bums and crabs are part of the chaotic and beautiful mess of life, and both can help us look differently at our shared world and personal experiences. Both are funny too. It’s important to remember that bit. **Does the Crab Museum have any other creative projects brewing?** We do! We might have another book in the works, but we won’t say any more on that yet. We have plans to add more material to the museum, and are always trying to improve what we do. That’s a pretty mysterious answer, but… that’s what you’re getting. **The Crab Museum turns four this year. Did you imagine back at the beginning that it would become as popular as it has?** Nope! Looking back we’re not sure what we expected, and we didn’t have any plans for either success or failure. Opening the place was so much effort that it didn’t leave much room for wondering whether it was a good idea. In hindsight that was probably very reckless. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/05/CrabMuseum-2023-35-35-1.jpg) A police crab patrols the streets during the 1926 General Strike. Photo: Joe & Charlotte **What have been some of your highlights of running the museum?** Talking to kids at the microscope is always the most rewarding, in ways that you often don’t expect. A young girl recently said to us, excitedly, “I didn’t know there was so much to know”. We’ve each had lots of experiences like that with our visitors, and we’ve been reduced to blubbering mammal wrecks more than you’d think. **What impact has running the museum had on you?** Running the museum has made us hopeful and enthusiastic amidst the crumbling horror of societal collapse. Also, everyone just buys us crab-related stuff for birthdays and Christmas. Which is fine, but we do have other interests. **What’s next for the Crab Museum after the book comes out?** No idea! We don’t usually plan that far ahead! *A Natural History of Bums will be published on June 5\. It is* [*available for pre-order now*](https://www.crabmuseum.org/bums?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*. The Crab Museum is open Friday to Sunday, 11am - 5pm at 9 Broad Street, Margate, CT9 1EW.* Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Björk, John Cooper Clarke, Red Richardson URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-bjork-john-cooper-clarke-red-richardson/ Last updated: 2025-05-02T21:39:53.000Z **Lots of things to do in Thanet, East Kent and London over the coming months, including film, comedy, art exhibition, community events, live music and more.** **Björk’s new concert film Cornucopia** is set to be **screened at the Palace cinema in Broadstairs on May 31, June 1 and June 3**. Featuring music from her Utopia and Fossora, the acclaimed live show blended virtual reality and digital theatre. [**Tickets £9**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/bjork-cornucopia/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Time for a **Chump’s update**! The comedy promoter has a load of great shows coming up in the near future. Newly announced is **Red Richardson at Where Else in Margate on Tuesday, May 20\.** [**Tickets £14**](https://dice.fm/event/8eykev-red-richardson-20th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Also set to descend on Margate are Suzy Ruffell, Amy Annette, Sarah Keyworth, Lucy Pearman, Joe Kent, Helen Bauer and Josie Long. And if you want to get out of Thanet, there’s a mixed bill headlined by Ivo Graham at The Gulbenkian in Canterbury on May 7\. [Full details](https://dice.fm/promoters/chumps-comedy-k5wq?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Neurodivergence awareness organisation STAK.life** is hosting a **fundraising afternoon at The Pavilion in Broadstairs on Sunday, May 11** from midday to 4.30pm. There will be live music from local acts including Bamboozle and Neon Rush, as well as a raffle, a seal bid auction for a guitar signed by The Libertines and more. **Free entry**. **John Cooper Clarke** will be making a stop at **Kings Hall in Herne Bay** on his upcoming UK tour. He will play the venue on **Friday, October 10\.** [**Tickets £26**](https://www.thekingshall.com/events/dr-john-cooper-clarke-and-special-guests/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pop-up restaurant MOP** will be appearing again next month. This time they’ll be serving up **flatbread wraps and sides at The Bus Cafe on Margate’s Sun Deck on May 9-10 and 16-17** from 5pm until late. The full menu is yet to be announced, but if their recent stint at Louie On Sea is anything to go by it’ll be one not to be missed. **Iceage frontman Elias Rønnenfelt** is set to play a **solo show at Where Else? in Margate on Sunday, June 15**. A compelling performer whatever the project, he’ll be performing music from his excellent 2024 indie-folk album Heavy Glory. It’s an all ages show with a 4pm start time, so why not get the whole family involved? [**Tickets £16.18**](https://dice.fm/event/eovxy6-elias-rnnenfelt-matinee-show-15th-jun-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bringing a touch of Ibiza to your bike ride, **Cycle Del Mar** returns to Margate for a **sunset bike ride**, complete with the Rickshaw Sound System. Head to the Turner at **7pm tonight, Saturday, April 26** for beats, pedals, and hopefully a smashing sunset. Moving at a leisurely pace, the ride should last around 1.5 hours and everyone is welcome. [**Tickets are free, but book**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cycle-del-mar-tickets-1325034005379?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate welcomes May with a big ol bank holiday bash, put on by the Margate Action Group. **Margate Vintage Weekend**, running **Friday May 2 to Sunday, May 4**, will be filled with street parties, choirs, music, a historical trail and other fun things. A raffle will raise funds to support The Veterans Association. Where exactly is it? All across Margs. Fancy creating your own unique bag? **Illustrator Kali Wilson** will be at **The Red Lion in Ramsgate on Thursday, May 15** at 7.30pm (sesh runs for two hours) to guide you through the steps of painting a design on your own tote bag. **It’s £25**, with two cocktails included. **Call 01843 586713 to book**. Both **Sète and Margate Arts Club** are **opening their gardens** up for summer. Margate Arts Club's is already opened (7pm-10pm), with a happy hour 7pm-8pm. Sète will reopen its alfresco area on Friday May 2\. Let’s hope March weather vibes return soon. **Manspace** is running a **walk and talk in Blean Woods tomorrow, Sunday, April 27**. It’s a chance to meet some people, find out more about the organisation and bask in the wood’s charm. **Meet at the East Blean Woods car park at 11am**, Forstal Road, Canterbury, CT3 4NA. London gallery **Jealous will take over St Michael’s Church in Shoreditch** for a two day bash. The **Jealous Summer Show** will have exclusive launches and free stuff. David Shrigley, Noel Fielding, Yinka Shonibare, Miss Bugs and even Blur are among the big names involved. **On June 14-15, it’s either £10 or free with a food donation**. Tickets will be released soon, so [**keep your eyes peeled on Insta**](https://www.instagram.com/jealous%5Flondon/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). 74-76 Leonard Street, EC2A 4QS. The **Broadstairs and St Peters Community Festival** is set to take place at **Pierremont Park on Saturday, May 24**. There will be live music, workshops, market stalls and a bar. **Free entry**. London’s **Victoria Miro gallery** has announced a **new exhibition to mark its 40th anniversary**, celebrating many of the artists it has worked with since opening in 1985\. Among those set to display work are Doug Aitken, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Idris Khan, Yayoi Kusama, Grayson Perry and Flora Yukhnovich. **The show will run from June 6 to August 1**. Ramsgate restaurant **Number Nine** will be serving **pizzas and drinks in its new glass courtyard** this bank holiday **Monday, May 5** from 2-6pm. The bar will be serving up wine, craft beers, cocktails and spritzes. [**Book a table**](https://www.opentable.co.uk/booking/experiences-availability?rid=293142&restref=293142&experienceId=451615&utm%5Fsource=external&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=shared). Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Things to do in Thanet and beyond this week (April 28-May 4) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-east-kent-and-london-this-week-april-28-may-4/ Last updated: 2025-04-28T07:00:11.000Z **Live music, craft, stand up comedy, daytime clubbing and more. Here's everything you'll want to be doing this week in Thanet, East Kent and London.** Margate Creative Land Trust will cover the screen and fashion industries in the organisation’s final consultation on its plans to support the Margate creative economy on Wednesday, 5-30pm-7pm. [Register your interest](https://margatecreativelandtrust.org/opportunities/digital-meet-up/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Illustrator Megan Metcalf will lead a crockery doodle workshop at Our Curated Abode in Ramsgate on Wednesday. [Tickets £36](https://www.ourcuratedabode.com/workshops/crockery-doodles-megan-metcalf?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Assembly turns one year old this week, so the acoustic night is bringing back the line up from its first ever event. Meg Bird, Jacob Berry and Lo Barnes will all return to the stage at Off Licence in Cliftonville this Wednesday. Free entry. Artist Vicki Griggs hosts Paint & Pizza at Louie On Sea in Margate on Thursday - a guided painting session with food from Hot Wood Pizza. [Tickets £38.62](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/paint-pizza-at-louie-on-sea-margate-tickets-1297370362679?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s Turner Contemporary will unveil a new artwork by Cassi Namoda on the floor to ceiling windows of its Sunley Gallery on Friday. This follows the success of Beatriz Milhazes’ window installation O Esplendor in 2023\. Queer Cuntry is heading back out of Margate and will be at Signature Brew on Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow on Friday. [Tickets £15](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/25278/queer-cxntry-spring-fever-london?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sound installation Sixty Beats Per Minute opens at Saint George’s Church in Ramsgate on Friday, running until June 29\. It will be open to the public three days a week, as well as being live streamed 24/7\. [More info](https://artandchristianity.org/events/60bpm?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The audience become mythmakers in kids’ theatre show The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth at The Gulbenkian in Canterbury on Saturday. [Tickets £8](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/the-story-forge-make-your-own-myth-by-rubbish-shakespeare-company/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Margate School launches its new Schwarzman Gallery with a retrospective of the work of its namesake, Arnold Schwarzman, on Saturday. Comedian Kerry Godliman will be performing her latest show Bandwidth at the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate on Saturday. [Tickets £22](https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/kerry-godliman-bandwidth/granville-theatre/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New music showcase On Margate Sounds returns on Saturday at Where Else, with performances from Lime Garden, Adult DVD, Hot Stamp and Blue Mirror. [Tickets £18.88](https://dice.fm/event/l8v5yx-on-margate-sounds-lime-garden-adult-dvd-more-3rd-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). At the Turner Contemporary on Sunday afternoon is panel discussion Environmental Campaigns: Past and Present. Speaking will be environmental experts Dr Toby Butler, Tom Burke, Fiona Harvey and Fatima Ibrahim. [Tickets £5](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/environmental-campaigns-past-and-present/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Daniel Avery headlines Movement at Faith In Strangers on Sunday, which will kick off at 4pm and run through to 10pm. [Tickets £20.74](https://dice.fm/partner/faith-in-strangers/event/8ey7kw-movement-day-party-daniel-avery-friends-4th-may-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### News Blast: New venues and management changes as the summer season approaches URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-tom-thumb-seabird-pie-factory-music/ Last updated: 2025-04-27T07:00:00.000Z **Four new venue announcements and changes of management at established haunts, a call for supporters of Pie Factory Music, and new artist opportunities. Here's this week's creative and cultural news from across Thanet.** After eight years, **Alex and Sara Ratcliffe have announced that they are stepping down from running Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre**. They originally announced their plans to hand over the venue to new custodians in 2023\. “Running the Tom Thumb Theatre for the last eight years has been the best, most bonkers yet most fun thing we’ve done to date,” they say in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/DI06Yjzs3X6/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Keep your eyes peeled for news of who is taking over**. The team behind **Seabird in Ramsgate have acquired The Margate Coffee Shed** on the seafront edge of the Old Town. The **management switch happened on Friday**, and it will continue to operate under the same name for the summer season - although you will start to see the food and drink offerings change. **A full Seabird refurb is scheduled for the winter months**. **Pie Factory Music in Ramsgate** has put out a **final plea for supporters to contact their local council candidates** in the run up to May 1 election. Kent County Council has agreed to wait until after the vote to put Ramsgate Youth Centre, where Pie operates, up for commercial auction. [**Find contact details here**](https://piefactorymusic.com/building-update/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Read out more about Pie and its campaign to save its home in [our recent interview with CEO Zoë Carassik](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/). A **new nightclub called Fusion** is set to open on **Cliff Terrace in Cliftonville**, in the basement under Bar Nothing. The site has been home to many different clubs dating back as far as the 1920s. Former occupants include Tops, Harriet’s, Rumours, and El Chico. This latest incarnation has announced **plans to on Thursday, May 1**. **Another new Margate nightclub, called Power**, is planned to **open in The Centre this summer**. Taking on the space previously occupied by Cry Baby, it will offer DJ nights, karaoke and cocktails. It’s [currently advertising](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/bar-supervisor-at-power-margate-4183002573/?originalSubdomain=uk&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for a Bar Supervisor. **No firm opening date has been announced as yet**. A **new cocktail bar and diner inspired by 1987 movie The Lost Boys** is also set to open in The Centre this summer. **The Santa Carla** \- named after the fictional town in which the film is set - will be located **next door to Pomus**, and run by the team behind Lost Souls Pizza in Camden, London. Newly opened on **King Street in Ramsgate** is **The Fermentorium** bar, bottle shop, fermentation station, and community events venue. It's a great space, with an excellent selection of beers on tap. Its **soon to be opened beer garden** will also make it a great location for an al fresco drink on your way to Ramsgate Music Hall. [**Find out more**](https://www.fermentorium.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Suicide prevention initiative **The Baton of Hope is making its way to Margate** as part of a UK tour on September 22\. Ahead of that, the organisation is putting out **a call for local artists to contribute artwork** to be displayed around the town as part of the event. [**Find out more**](https://forms.office.com/e/uuYan33Xdn?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Arts organisation **Thanet Experimental** has announced its **first gallery programme**. Artists Lily Hughes, Laure Meloy, Dandy and Ellie Graham will display artwork at Hold in Ramsgate and The Shop Front in Margate on various dates between July and January. [**Full details**](https://thanetexperimental.org/gallery-programme-no-1/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Ramsgate STEM outfit closes High Street doors - but it's not goodbye URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/ramsgate-stem-outfit-closes-high-street-doors-but-its-not-goodbye/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:08:28.000Z Discovery Planet was set up in 2014 after three women set out to bring the stars to Ramsgate Town centre. Along with Nikki Hildesley and Dr Vicky Mason, Xanthe Pitt planted an inflatable astrodome at the disused King Theatre in what would become Discovery Planet’s first pop-up STEM event. Representative of what was to come, the star show was science-y and educational, but also a lot of fun. Since then, Discovery Planet has carved out its name delivering fun and interactive STEM workshops for children in Ramsgate. The pop-up outfit made use of the various empty spaces across Thanet, before opening up on the Ramsgate High Street in 2021 to offer more STEM workshops more regularly. Four years on, the team shuttered up their premises earlier this month for good. However, they say this isn’t a goodbye and have plans to continue the project, albeit in another form. As the Discovery Planet High Street shop front prepares to become a tattoo parlour, Xanthe reflects on the team’s achievements and the decision to return to pop-up events - but not before taking the time to prop up the feet with a beverage in hand. ![But the organisation will continue in pop-up form. Photo: Pete Bateson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/CAM17245-1.jpeg) But the organisation will continue in pop-up form. Photo: Pete Bateson **Why set up Discovery Planet in the first place?** I moved to Ramsgate in 2012, having worked on community regeneration projects for several years in London. I saw that there was lots of potential to do some exciting small scale interventions on the High Street to liven things up and bring people together, and I knew how to access grant funding. Inspired by the artist, Turner, having said that “the skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all Europe,” I spotted that there was a grant available from the Institute of Physics to involve adults in astronomy-based activities. A Google search also showed that the University of Kent had an inflatable astrodome that they could set up in the Town Centre. Luckily, I had a crazy friend, Nikki, who was willing to help, and Vicky at the University also saw that the idea was doable, if a little out there! We treated over 400 people to a free star show. They were given deely-boppers to wear as they left so that the town would be filled with aliens. We also gave them cardboard planispheres so they could spot the constellations in their own back gardens later on. We got people to write wishes on wooden stars as they left and hung them on trees up and down the High Street so people could reflect on the project over the longer-term. The whole thing was a huge success, so we formed a social enterprise and continued to operate on a pop-up basis for the next eight years from empty shops, market stalls, a café, theatre and even a disused nightclub. ![The team moved into the High Street in 2021. Photo: Pete Bateson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/Credit-PeteBateson-DP3.jpeg) The team moved into the High Street in 2021\. Photo: Pete Bateson **Why are you shuttering up the Discovery Planet shop?** Based on the positive impact our evaluator reported, we were able to get continuation funding to keep the shop open until this year. We were also able to secure several more grants and earn some income from sub-letting, so could have continued to keep it open. We decided, however, that we were spending too much time simply running the space as a venue and wanted to go back to our creative roots as a pop-up enterprise. ![Discovery Planet delivers interactive and engaging STEM workshops. Photo: Pete Bateson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/IMG_0674.jpg) Discovery Planet delivers interactive and engaging STEM workshops. Photo: Pete Bateson **What lessons have you learnt from running a bricks and mortar operation?** It’s been lovely having our own space, but we really underestimated the time and cost involved in practicalities like ongoing cleaning and maintenance, and just getting the bills paid each month. If other organisations are setting their sights on finding a venue, we’d say think long and hard about the commitment. It can be more beneficial for all concerned to share the burden with another organisation, or sub let as and when you need to. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/DiscoveryPlanet_May2022-3.jpg) While the shop enabled Discovery Planet to try new things, running the space took up a lot of time. Photo: Pete Bateson **How did having the shopfront help evolve Discovery Planet?** Having the shop front enabled us to build a deeper relationship with our local audience. School groups and members of the community were able to come in at least once a month, build up an understanding of STEM concepts over time, and get to know us and each other. We began to feel like one big family. The shop also enabled us, and other organisations, to try new things. Happy Mondays, for example, is a fabulous creative community project which became a High Street fixture, and will continue to run after we’ve closed. A group of disabled artists were also able to hold a month-long open studios to gain exposure and build their confidence. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/CAM16727.JPG) The team hope to reach a wider audience across Thanet with their pop-up events. Photo: Pete Bateson **Discovery Planet will continue despite the shop's closure. What might this look like?** Popping-up is fun. It enables us to be more creative and to reach a wider audience across Thanet, so that’s what we’ll be doing in the future. Watch out, as we might be popping up somewhere near you! ![The team's first pop-up was an inflatable planetarium. Photo: Pete Bateson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/Electricity-Selects-11_22-CAM13268-1.jpeg) The team's first pop-up was an inflatable planetarium. Photo: Pete Bateson **Are there any other changes or initiatives the team are considering?** We need to put our feet up, have a gin and tonic and reflect on the last few years in order to work out what’s next. We also have an active stakeholder group to consult with and establish what they want. One thing’s for sure - we’re never short on ideas. ![Before the shop, the team ran events in empty shops, cafes, and event a disused nightclub Photo: Pete Bateson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/Electricity-Selects-11_22-DSCF5977.jpeg) Before the shop, the team ran events in empty shops, cafes, and event a disused nightclub Photo: Pete Bateson **What is a favourite memory from the Discovery Planet High Street HQ?** Too many to count: We’ve smashed bananas, eaten insects, shot a real gun at homemade spacecraft shields, put our heads in a cloud, debunked trickle down economics using a marble run, and danced an Ethiopian limbo. And there’s loads more to come. *To find out what's next for Discovery Planet,* [*stay tuned to their website*](https://www.discoveryplanet.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *and* [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/discovery%5Fplanet%5F0/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### How to spend your time in Broadstairs URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/broadstairs-guide-eat-sleep-drink-things-to-do/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T15:58:56.000Z With a gentler vibe to its rowdier sibling Margate, Broadstairs is a real gem of the Kent coastline - particularly for foodies. Whether relaxing on the beach or in the well kept cliff top gardens, you’re surrounded by great restaurants, bars and cafes, for once you’ve sunned yourself enough. The seafront and town’s layout are perfectly designed for meandering between them, discovering as much of what’s on offer as possible. Twice a year in April and October you’ll also find the Broadstairs Food Festival setting up a vast array of stalls, workshops and other activities. And if music’s more your thing, in August, Broadstairs Folk Week takes over the town, bringing an amazing atmosphere. There’s plenty to see and do whenever you make a trip to Broadstairs - whether it’s a weekend away or a longer break. Here are just a few ideas for making the most of the town. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/Broadstairs_beach_landscape_1.jpeg) Broadstairs' Viking Bay beach. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Things to do in Broadstairs ### Viking Bay One of Thanet’s loveliest beaches, Viking Bay is a vast stretch of soft sand with plenty of amenities at hand. Use the wooden walkways to find your spot for the day, and take a dip in the relatively shallow waters that warm up nicely on a sunny day. Grab refreshments from the Funicular Coffee House built into the cliff, and head up the stairs to Morelli’s for an ice cream when you need to cool down. ### Palace Cinema Palace cinema is one of Broadstairs' jewels. A stone’s throw from the beach, it seats just over 100 people in its single screen. As well as new releases, it also hosts special screenings of classics, concert films, rare documentaries and more. It also organises talks and walking tours delving into local cinema history, further cementing its deep ties to the local community. *Harbour Street, CT10 1ET.* [*thepalacecinema.co.uk*](https://www.thepalacecinema.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Morelli’s No trip to Broadstairs is complete without a trip to Morelli’s Gelato. Originally opened by Mario Morelli in 1932, it has remained a Broadstairs institution ever since, serving up incredible ice cream, cakes and drinks to tourists and locals seven days a week. It’s also always worth stopping to marvel at its iconic front canopy and interior design, which have been in place since the 1950s. *14 Victoria Parade, CT10 1QS.* [*morellisgelato.com*](https://www.morellisgelato.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/IMG_2833.jpeg) Delicious small plates at Fifteen Square Metres. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Restaurants in Broadstairs ### Bar Ingo Run by Swedish chef Tomas Eriksson and his son Rio and open seven days a week, Bar Ingo is a warm and welcoming place serving up a delicious selection of small plates alongside carefully selected wines. With an intimate atmosphere that works just as well for a quick bite as a special occasion, it’s well worth heading off the main drag to seek this place out. *9 York Street, CT10 1PD.* [*bar-ingo.co.uk*](https://www.bar-ingo.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Twenty Seven Harbour Street Sitting under the historic York Gate just off the seafront is Twenty Seven Harbour Street, a family-owned restaurant serving up small plates of locally sourced ingredients Thursday to Sunday. If you’re visiting outside of July and August, you can also grab one of their incredible roasts on a Sunday. *27 Harbour Street, CT10 1EU.* [*twentysevenharbourstreet.co.uk*](https://www.twentysevenharbourstreet.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Fifteen Square Metres Hidden away on a quiet residential street, Fifteen Square Metres is a cosy and intimate spot. Run by chef Tony Rodd and his wife Becky, who works front of house (as much as front and back exist in this tiny space), it feels like sitting in your own private kitchen as each amazing dish is passed from the stove top to your table. *15 Oscar Road, CT10 1QJ.* [*fifteensquaremetres.co.uk*](https://www.fifteensquaremetres.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/IMG_2440.jpeg) Stop for a dizzying selection of craft beer at Sonder. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Bars and pubs in Broadstairs ### Sonder We challenge you to find a wider range of draft beers anywhere in Thanet, not to mention its impressive array of wine and spirits. Sonder's high ceiling and huge windows make it wonderfully bright and airy, and there are several more intimate seating areas off the main bar, if you’re looking for a different vibe. *11-13 Charlotte Street, CT10 1LR.* [*instagram.com/sonderpub*](https://www.instagram.com/sonderpub?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Neptune’s Hall A beautifully decked out old boozer, Neptune’s Hall also serves up fresh pizzas six days a week and roasts on Sundays too. One big draw is its commitment to great music, with regular appearances from DJs spinning tunes that even the hardest to please muso will have to admit is well beyond your usual pub jukebox. There are also open decks nights, and if you time it right you’ll be able to experience the incredible Mr Teds quiz night. *1-3 Harbour St, CT10 1ET.* [*instagram.com/neptuneshall/*](https://www.instagram.com/neptuneshall/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### Delilah’s Hidden down a tiny side street, Delilah’s cocktail bar is one well worth seeking out. Open Thursday to Sunday, it’s got real speakeasy vibes. The menu of cocktails change by the season, and there’s a decent selection of alcohol free mixes if booze isn’t your thing. There’s also a great selection of wines and snacks - tough call, but theirs might be our favourite olives in Thanet. *28 Thanet Road, CT10 1AN.* [*instagram.com/delilahs.bar/*](https://www.instagram.com/delilahs.bar/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/04/Broadstairs_sea_front_landscape_2.jpeg) The promenade just outside the Royal Albion Hotel. **Photo: Strange Tourist* ## Hotels in Broadstairs ### Royal Albion The Royal Albion has been overlooking the Broadstairs seafront for nearly 250 years and was once a regular haunt of Charles Dickens (this is a claim you should get used to hearing as you visit more buildings in Broadstairs - he certainly seems to have got about). One of the town’s larger hotels, its big draw is definitely the sea views from both rooms and its terrace bar. *6-12 Albion Street, CT10 1AN.* [*albionbroadstairs.co.uk*](https://www.albionbroadstairs.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Yarrow This striking Jacobethan-style building erected in 1894 is operated by further education provider EKC Group, offering hospitality students the opportunity to gain real world experience alongside professional staff. Not scrimping on the luxury and with an in-house beauty salon and spa, it aims to send you back from the seaside fully rejuvenated. *Ramsgate Road, CT10 1PN.* [*yarrowhotel.co.uk*](https://www.yarrowhotel.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### The Corner This boutique bed and breakfast offers twelve bedrooms across a former (very large) family home. Run by husband and wife Phil and Claire, the couple aim to ensure that your stay is a memorable experience by paying close attention to the smallest of details. It’s just a short walk from the main seafront, ensuring a quiet retreat that’s still close to the action. *49 West Cliff Road, CT10 1PY.* [*thecornerbroadstairs.co.uk*](https://www.thecornerbroadstairs.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Want more? [Subscribe to our newsletter](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning. ### Incoming: Sixty Beats Per Minute, Boing! Festival, TKE Studios URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-sixty-beats-per-minute-boing-festival-tke-studios/ Last updated: 2025-04-22T07:00:25.000Z **A sound installation church takeover, Kent's international family arts festival, a gig on a bowling green, and a gay ceilidh. Just some of the great events around Thanet and East Kent to add to your calendar.** **A sound installation by music producer Phil Coy** will be taking over St George’s Church in Ramsgate from May 2 to June 29\. Called **Sixty Beats Per Minute**, it will use an array of microphones set up around the church’s pendulum clock to create **an immersive sonic experience**. Hear it live Friday to Sunday, 12pm-5pm and tune in to a live stream 24/7\. The event will close with a performance by Coy and Adrian Sherwood. [**More info**](https://artandchristianity.org/events/60bpm?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Boing! International family arts festival** returns to C**anterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre on August 23-24**. As ever there’ll be a stunning array of performances, workshops and more, and entry remains free. The line-up is yet to be announced, so [**stay tuned to the festival’s website**](https://boingfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Join geologist Richard Hubbard for a walk along Kingsgate’s white cliffs this Tuesday, April 22, at 11am** to explore the geology, history and secrets of the bay’s coastline. The **two hour walk** and talk organised by Thanet Coast Project will also mark this year’s Earth Day. [**Suggested donation £5**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/white-cliffs-of-kingsgate-walk-talks-2025-tickets-1299267537179?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs Folk Week** has launched a **year-round programme of performances at the Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable**. Folk Week Presents takes place monthly, with some of the finest acts from across the folk genre. **Next up is the award-winning Tim Edey on Sunday, May 11**. Tim is originally from Broadstairs and is now the festival’s Patron. [**Tickets £17.50**](https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Tracey Emin’s TKE Studios in Margate** opens its **spring show on Saturday, April 26**. The show will feature works from resident artists including Laura Footes, Lindsey Mendick, Layla Andrews and Emin herself. It will also unveil works created by TM Davy and Alina Zamanova as part of the first Victoria House Residency. The same day, TM Davy will also open his first solo exhibition at the nearby Carl Freedman Gallery. [**Full details**](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/tke-studios-spring-show?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Multi-instrumentalist Mara Simpson** will be **performing live at Ark in Cliftonville on Saturday, May 17**. Combining electronic, acoustic and orchestral sounds, Mara will release her fourth album Living Matter on May 30\. Support at the Ark show will come from Hughie Gavin. [**Tickets £10**](https://billetto.co.uk/e/mara-simpson-hughie-gavin-live-at-ark-tickets-1173482?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Right, here’s a test of how into nu metal you are. Did Limp Bizkit turning up at Dreamland last summer strike you as a little too obvious? Well, **Drowning Pool and Spineshank** are going to be playing a **co-headline show** there on **Friday, November 21**. And they’ll be supported by (hed) pe. Baffling. Actually, I saw Spineshank support Fear Factory in 1998 and they were pretty great. [**Tickets £31.25**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/drowning-pool-spineshank/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Where do all the cool kids hang out these days? That’s right, **Folkestone Park Bowls Club**. Well, possibly. All I know is that **Folkestone band Yesterday's Flowers and Thanet’s own Diet Jesus** will be **playing a gig there on Saturday, May 24**. “A gig at a bowls club. Zero bowls taking place,” stresses the poster. I repeat, zero bowls. [**Earlybird tickets £8**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2131?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Deep Fried Sausage - A Gayly Ceilidh** is coming to Margate. Musician Venn Smyth’s queer take on the Scottish ceilidh has previously taken place at The Divine in Stoke Newington. Now it’s set to make its way to **CAMP in Cliftonville on Friday, May 23**. As well as music and dancing, there will be comedy, games and a quiz. [**Tickets £8**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26707/deep-fried-sausage-a-gayly-ceilidh?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Margate School** will officially launch its new **Schwarzman Gallery** with a **retrospective of the work of its namesake, Arnold Schwarzman, on Saturday, May 3**. The new gallery is being opened in honour of the designer, filmmaker and author, who is patron of the school. **Sandwich pop-up Sarns** will be back in action twice in May. First up, you’ll find them at **Bar Nothing in Cliftonville all day on Sunday, May 4** as part of the Hipsville A Go Go weekend. Then they’ll be back at **Thao Thao in Margate Old Town on Saturday, May 17 from 12-4pm**. Last time they were at Thao Thao they sold out of sandwiches, so don’t hang about. *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Things to do in Thanet and East Kent this week (April 21-27) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-in-thanet-and-east-kent-this-week-april-21-27/ Last updated: 2025-04-21T07:00:58.000Z **A vintage market, wine tasting, Dr Who chat, a snakebite bar, a Korean seafood feast and more. Here's everything you'll want to be doing this week in Thanet and East Kent.** Join geologist Richard Hubbard for a walk along Kingsgate’s white cliffs on Tuesday at 11am, marking this year’s Earth Day. [Suggested donation £5](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/white-cliffs-of-kingsgate-walk-talks-2025-tickets-1299267537179?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). New ‘curated and vintage’ marketplace Margate Bazaar opens up in Bar Nicoletta in Cliftonville on Wednesday, 6-10pm. [Full details](https://margatebazaar.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Creative Land Trust holds its next online consultation on Thursday, 5.30pm-7pm. This week’s session will cover film, TV, animation and digital design. [Register your interest](https://margatecreativelandtrust.org/opportunities/digital-meet-up/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cliftonville’s Lido Stores’ new joint exhibition by sculptor Sheila Vollmer and painter Jackie Askew titled Two Singers, One Song opens on Thursday. There will be a private view on Saturday, April 26 from 7-9pm. The Good Egg in Cliftonville marks its second birthday on Thursday from 6pm until late. They’ll be serving up £5 margaritas and £5 bowls of scran. Local fine winemaker Barnsole will be hosting a tasting at Little Swift in Margate on Thursday. Places are £25\. Email [hello@littleswift.co.uk](mailto:hello@littleswift.co.uk) to book. Writer and cultural historian John Higgs will be discussing his new book on Doctor Who, Exterminate/Regenerate, with Dan Schreiber at the Fort Road Hotel in Margate on Thursday. [Book your free seat](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exterminateregenerate-with-john-higgs-tickets-1317672175949?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This month’s Lounge Wizards psychedelic music night is on Thursday at Daisy in Cliftonville, with live performances from cosmic pop artist Apollo Ray and poet Mark from the Zoo. Free entry. Parallel Action will be DJing at Seabird in Ramsgate on Friday. Head to the Addington Street venue for cocktails and small plates, trip hop and cinematic tunes. Booking advised. Chef Songsoo Kim will be cooking up a Korean seafood feast for one night only at Colina in Margate on Friday. [£45 per person](https://www.opentable.co.uk/r/colina-at-the-fort-road-hotel-margate?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae0mVG9xrAJwn%5FRPsOA9u8lJnPEJ2Jk%5Fo6xu8HPRDoaSnwcjKOcy%5FrjOd5ePg%5Faem%5F%5FmMdyKYT7dFjSZU5zuejGA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Pop-up snakebite bar Fangs A Lot will be setting up shop at Bar Nicoletta in Cliftonville on Friday. Head down for a range of interesting cider and lager combinations. Queer Cuntry is back at Olby’s in Margate on Friday. Deck yourself out in rhinestones, tassels and cowboy boots and head out for a hoedown. [Tickets £15](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/25277/queer-cxntry-spring-fever-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). TKE Studios in Margate opens its spring show on Saturday from 4-6pm. Featured in that show, TM Davy will also preview his first solo exhibition at the nearby Carl Freedman Gallery from 6-8pm. [Full details](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/tke-studios-spring-show?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Simon Amstell headlines Live at the Marlowe at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre on Saturday. Also performing will be Alison Spittle, Lily Philips and Ian Smith. [Tickets £35](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/live-at-the-marlowe-42/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### News Blast: BBC sitcom begins filming in Ramsgate URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-bbc-sitcom-begins-filming-in-ramsgate/ Last updated: 2025-04-20T07:00:45.000Z **Top TV and music being made in Thanet, longer opening hours for a Margate High Street bar, discounted festival tickets for locals. Here's our weekly round up of creative and culture news from Thanet and beyond.** **Filming has begun in Ramsgate** on the second series of **BBC Three sitcom Things You Should Have Done**, written by and starring **Margate-born comedian Lucia Keskin**. Joining for this series will be comedian **Bridget Christie**, who says, “I’ve always wanted to play a bisexual therapist in a Lucia Keskin TV show that films near the sea. Living the dream folks. Living the dream.” **Filming of BBC drama The Dream Lands - based on Rosa Rankin-Gee's dystopian novel Dreamland - is set to begin in Margate today**. The six part series will star Pascale Kann at 17 year old Chance, who is forced to become head of her family amid climate collapse. **Margate’s newest LGBTQIA+ bar La!** has secured a licence to **extend its opening hours** from 11pm to **midnight Sunday to Thursday and 2.30am on Friday and Saturday**. The bar opened last year, run by Iain Maxstead and Gareth Braithwaite of Proud Pink Inns, which previously operated Sundowners. **Patrick Wolf** has announced that his **first album for 13 years**, Crying the Neck, will be released on June 13\. The album was **written and recorded at Wolf’s home studio in Ramsgate**, and features contributions from Serafina Steer and Zola Jesus. Out now is new single [Hymn of the Haar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taxwoJwghpc&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The band **Caroline** have released the first single from their **new album Caroline 2**, which was **recorded at Big Jelly Studios in Ramsgate**. The new track, Tell Me I Never Knew That, features **guest vocals from Caroline Polachek**, who **joined the band in the town** for the recording session. [Watch the video for Tell Me I Never Knew That](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAg3YuHkMHQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Soul Festival** is selling a limited number of **discounted tickets for local residents**. People living in the CT7 to CT12 postcodes can grab a **weekend pass for £92.74** \- almost £30 off the full price. The festival this year takes place in **20 venues around Margate on August 1-3**, with more than DJs and performers on the line-up. [**Book here**](https://margatesoulfestival.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#tickets). Announced at the beginning of the year, **Margate Queer Library & Archive** now has an **opening date**. You will be able to peruse the shelves at **7 Thanet Road in Cliftonville** from **Saturday, June 14** from 11am to 3pm. [**Follow on Instagram from further updates**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIjKXLRKY0p/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you fancy wine and snacks in the sunshine (that ‘if’ probably isn’t necessary), **Bottleneck in Broadstairs has reopened its courtyard bar**. It’ll be open Fridays and Saturdays until 10pm, and Sundays until 6pm. Also look out for weekly wine and cigar tasting events. [**Check the website for details**](https://www.thebottleneck.co.uk/collections/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Incoming: Stereolab, Ross From Friends, Colina URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-stereolab-ross-from-friends-colina/ Last updated: 2025-04-15T07:00:13.000Z **A one-off gig by one of Britain's finest electronic bands, a kids show in the vein of Horrible Histories and a supper club by Chef Songsoo Kim - just a few of the fab dates in the calendar coming your way.** Make the most of daylight savings with an evening social cycle. **Col’s Kent’s Bike Tours runs a weekly ride every Tuesday departing at Margate station at 6.30pm**. It’s free, and should last around two hours and take you along some cracking coastal paths. **Stereolab will be playing a one-off warm up show at The Booking Hall in Dover on Saturday, May 24** before they jet off on a world tour. The show also coincides with the release of their new album Instant Holograms on Metal Film - their first LP since 2010\. If you miss them in Dover, there are further dates around the UK in December, but none so close or anywhere near as intimate as the 330 capacity Booking Hall. [Tickets £25](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2175?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Rare DJing documentary Hang the DJ** is set to be screened in a handful of cinemas around the UK for the first time in 27 years this May, including The **Palace in Broadstairs**. Made in 1998, the film features interviews with A-Trak, Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Junior Vasquez, Mix Master Mike, Larry Levan and Roger Sanchez. The Broadstairs screening on **Thursday, May 22 will also feature a Q&A with journalist Joe Shabadu, followed by an after party at Neptunes Hall.** Proceeds go to the charities We Are With You and Endometriosis UK. [**Tickets £11.55**](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hang-the-dj-charity-screening-tickets-1303327159619?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Writer and cultural historian **John Higgs** will be **discussing his new book on Doctor Who, titled Exterminate/Regenerate, with Dan Schreiber at the Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, April 24**. If you haven’t read his book on The KLF, you should do that right now, by the way. Anyway, this is the latest in The Margate Bookshop’s series of author talks. [Book your free seat](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exterminateregenerate-with-john-higgs-tickets-1317672175949?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Deal Music and Arts Festival is set to take place from July 3 to 13**. Featuring classical music, theatre, literary talks, film and more it will take over venues across Deal, Sandwich and Dover. **Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 22\.** [**Check out the full line up**](https://dealmusicandarts.com/festival/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Ramsgate interiors shop Our Curated Abode will host Margate illustrator Meghan Metcalf on Wednesday April 30 for a crockery doodle workshop**. In this two hour workshop, participants will create their own decorative wall plate, crafted on vintage ceramics. The workshop casts £36 and includes a glass of fizz. Tickets available at [ourcuratedabode.com/workshops](https://www.ourcuratedabode.com/workshops?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Ross From Friends will be DJing under his new alias Bubble Love at Faith In Strangers on Saturday, June 7.** That’s the electronic artist Ross From Friends - aka Felix Clary Weatherall - not David Schwimmer, for the avoidance of doubt. More playful and club-focussed than his main project, this will be a rare opportunity to see him in such an intimate setting in either guise. [Tickets £16.03](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/92qqon-ross-from-friends-presents-bubble-love-7th-jun-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A show that sounds utterly brilliant (and for kids, but whatever), **the Rubbish Shakespeare Company and Silly History Boys are teaming up for The Story Forge: Make Your Own Myth.** Silly historians Lee Hithersay and Robert Rhys Bond will be inventing three new myths, using only the minds of the audience and some cardboard props. **Aimed at children aged 7+, there will be two performances at The Gulbenkian in Canterbury on Saturday, May 3\.** [**Tickets £8**](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/the-story-forge-make-your-own-myth-by-rubbish-shakespeare-company/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** This month’s **Lounge Wizards psychedelic music night at Daisy in Cliftonville will take place on Thursday, April 24**. There will be live performances from cosmic pop artist Apollo Ray and poet Mark from the Zoo. Free entry. There’s also **a co-promotion from Lounge Wizards and Freak Out! coming up at Where Else on Saturday, June 7, featuring The Echograms, Charlie Hannah and Tony Westcliff.** [**Tickets for that are £8.61**](https://dice.fm/event/oex32m-the-echograms-plus-support-7th-jun-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Ramsgate’s Micro Museum has now reopened for the summer season**. You can drop in to check out the impressive collection of vintage computers and games consoles every weekend until the end of October. [Full dates](https://www.themicromuseum.org/visit?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Chef Songsoo Kim will be cooking up a Korean seafood feast for one night only at Colina in Margate on Friday, April 25**. The set menu is inspired by the food found in Korea’s seaside towns, such as raw fish soups, soy-pickled crab, and charcoal-grilled squid. [£45 per person](https://www.opentable.co.uk/r/colina-at-the-fort-road-hotel-margate?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAae0mVG9xrAJwn%5FRPsOA9u8lJnPEJ2Jk%5Fo6xu8HPRDoaSnwcjKOcy%5FrjOd5ePg%5Faem%5F%5FmMdyKYT7dFjSZU5zuejGA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Sample the produce of local fine **winemaker Barnsole at Little Swift in Margate on Thursday, April 24.** Vineyard owners Sally and Phil will run you through their red, white and sparkling wines and share the stories of how they are made. **Places are £25\. Email** [**hello@littleswift.co.uk**](mailto:hello@littleswift.co.uk) **to book.** **A Night For Weird Folk returns to Margate Arts Club on Saturday, May 24** for a **special night celebrating three years of the folk club nights and 10 years of organisers Bower Street Morris.** There will be performances by morris dancers from around the country, live music, drag, tarot readings and more. [Tickets £8](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26596/a-night-for-weird-folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Good Egg in Margate is two years old**. I’m not sure how it could be that long already, but I don’t see why they’d lie about it. Whatever, they’re having a party and you’re all invited. Yes, even you. **From 6pm until late on Thursday, April 24 they’ll be serving up £5 margaritas and £5 bowls of scran.** What’s in a bowl of scran? Doesn’t matter, it only costs a fiver. **Cliftonville’s Lido Stores** hosts a new joint **exhibition by sculptor Sheila Vollmer and painter Jackie Askew titled Two Singers**, One Song from **April 24 to May 10**. There will be a private view on Saturday, April 26 from 7-9pm. Have you always dreamed of being able to paint and eat pizza at the same time? Well, let’s make that dream a reality. Local **artist Vicki Griggs will be leading a guided painting session at Louie On Sea in Margate on Thursday, May 1.** She’ll lead you step-by-step through creating two artworks, while you **wolf down pizza from Hot Wood Pizza** and quaff a complimentary drink. [**Tickets £38.62**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/paint-pizza-at-louie-on-sea-margate-tickets-1297370362679?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-easter-brewery-bus-tour-and-more/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Things to do around Thanet this week (April 14-20) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/things-to-do-around-thanet-this-week-april-14-20/ Last updated: 2025-04-14T07:00:55.000Z **From crusty pie-filled evenings to Phil Wang's work in progress and a DJ set by Idles frontman Joe Talbot, here's what to do this week in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate.** Pie-focussed support club Crimp returns to Oast Bakery on Monday night. There are meat and veggie options. £40 a head. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/crimp%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Creative Land Trust will be hosting an online consultation about its plans to support music, performing arts and live production in the town on Tuesday evening. [Register your interest](https://margatecreativelandtrust.org/opportunities/digital-meet-up/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Phil Wang is bringing his new work in progress show to Chump’s Comedy at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday. [Tickets £16.50](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/oe56bm-phil-wang-ed-night-16th-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wild Life Drawing returns to Margate’s Fort Road Hotel on Wednesday, with three owls set to pose. [Tickets are £35](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/71878/wild-life-drawing-owls?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), with 10% donated to the Barn Owl Trust. Self Esteem launches her new album A Complicated Woman with a residency at the Duke of York’s Theatre from Wednesday to Saturday. [Tickets from £55](https://www.thedukeofyorks.com/self-esteem-presents-a-complicated-woman?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). One half of The Delightful Sausage, Chris Cantrill headlines the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury’s Alternative Comedy Show on Thursday night. [Tickets £16](https://marlowetheatre.com/shows/the-alternative-comedy-show-27/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0BMABhZGlkAAAGEXN3OY4Bp4DXHV0hfJAdwQ3ZcYOnZexXko3WGQk7bstLWW1-px2TmmpPcwQVMZomhWp1%5Faem%5FUm4En0ATkKRz%5Fdlu3xYhhg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Easter edition of Broadstairs Food Festival runs from Friday to Sunday. There will be demonstrations, stalls, workshops and more. [Full details](https://broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedian Alasdair Beckett-King will be previewing his new show King of Crumbs at The Lighthouse in Deal on Wednesday. [Tickets £14](https://thelighthousedeal.co.uk/tc-events/alasdair-beckett-king-ravi-holy-edinburgh-fringe-preview-comedy-special/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJJRdpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcG5XYFmbHFFj1S%5FbqvWKJQLRlMQBstSoFnU41eY9SzwvTnK%5FbAzOmNU5A%5Faem%5Fcc6dz7artBoDIIIHobo2pw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Enjoy a Good Friday local beer bus tour between the Gadds, Northdown and Wantsum breweries. [Tickets £5](https://www.ramsgatebrewery.co.uk/online-store/Easter-Brewery-Tour-Coach-Ticket-p738238143?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZ1Q3-YF0J9LBSECTdRi7CXWKdUsi0sW-n6hOeOAN63PLOtQHj8vqkxkus%5Faem%5FWXulHh0X6ILdBCNv6LrPew&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bottega Caruso is putting on a special Good Friday supper, with a menu of recipes from co-owner Simona’s village in Italy. [£45 per person](https://www.bottegacaruso.com/workshops-events/goodfridaydinner?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Orbital’s Phil Hartnoll is DJing at Justine’s in Margate on Saturday. [Tickets £17](https://dice.fm/event/oebx5m-phil-hartnoll-orbital-dj-set-19th-apr-justines-margate-tickets?lng=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Idles frontman Joe Talbot will be DJing at Faith In Strangers in Cliftonville on Sunday. The event has an early 9pm finish. [Tickets £22.66](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/53vq2w-idles-dj-set-20th-apr-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=5444378&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1428803715938722103&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1a8wMzIzMDZJNTRMM7GvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBADLUEGNOwAAAA%3D%3D). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-easter-brewery-bus-tour-and-more/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### News Blast: What do you do when Banksy paints your house? URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-what-do-you-do-when-banksy-paints-your-house/ Last updated: 2025-04-13T07:00:38.000Z **A tidal pool closure, the story of Banksy's Valentine's Day Mascara, Black Mirror filming in Kent, here's our round up of the latest cultural news in Thanet and beyond.** **Walpole Bay Tidal Pool** will be **closed for maintenance** **week commencing April 28**. The pool will be drained in order to carry out a survey and repairs. New escape ladders are also set to be installed. The pool is expected to be open again by the weekend. BBC Radio 4’s **The Banksy Story podcast has kicked off its second series**, looking at what happens when a piece of work by the street artist suddenly appears on the side of your house. Presenter James Peake investigates two such experiences, including that of the **Margate homeowners whose house became the canvas for The Valentine’s Day Mascara**. [Listen now on BBC Sounds](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0029rvr?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Thanet has been named one of the 30 best places in the entire world to go for a holiday in August by Condé Nast Traveller - pipped by Copenhagen in Denmark and Koh Samui in Thailand**. “While nothing’s guaranteed in the UK, August offers some of the best chances of balmy days, which invite flustered visitors into the calm waters around hotspots including Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate,” it says. **We look forward to the influx of flustered and confused visitors in a few months’ time.** [Read the article in full here](https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/where-to-go-on-holiday-in-august?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Production on the seventh series of **Black Mirror** is underway, and the makers have been down in Kent to get that classic dystopian vibe. [According to Kent Film Office](https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/filmed-in-kent/2025/04/black-mirror-season-7-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), parts of an episode exploring past memories starring Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones, and Chris O’Dowd were **filmed at Beacon House and Tankerton beach in Whitstable, as well as Herne Bay Pier.** The **former Penfolds reptile shop in The Centre**, Margate is to become a **new bar and diner, called The Lickedy Split**. Next door to Pomus, refurbishment of the two storey unit is set to begin, after planning was approved by Thanet District Council. No opening date has yet been announced. [Follow the bar on Instagram for more updates](https://www.instagram.com/the%5Flickedy%5Fsplit/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **A message in a bottle thrown into the sea by a girl from Ramsgate has been found in Denmark**, [reports the BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn80rkjr39yo?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s one of three bottles dropped into Ramsgate Harbour last November by John Moore and his granddaughters. While the other two are yet to be discovered, ten year old Olivia’s message reading, “If you find my bottle please ring my granddad John” has now been found twice. It previously washed up in The Netherlands in December. As with that previous occasion, the finders have sent it back on its ocean-bound journey. **The Good Space Tap on Ramsgate’s Harbour Parade is now open.** The bar is the work of the No Frills Joe Brewing Co, which started out brewing beer in a Ramsgate basement in 2014, before upscaling to a full scale brewery in Greenhithe, near Dartford. Open five days a week, the venue serves beers from a range of breweries, wine and spirits, plus smash burgers to soak it all up. Are you bored with your hair or up for a totally new style? **Margate hair salon Marcella are looking for models for competition cuts** \- defined lined, bold colours and strong looks. If you’re up for a fresh do [DM the salon](https://www.instagram.com/marcellamargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for more information. **Cleopatra Yoga is hosting Well Woman yoga classes in Broadstairs**. Designed especially for women and lady issues, the gentle, all ability sessions aide pre and post menopausal symptoms, balance hormones, boost energy and emotional wellbeing while increasing flexibility and strength. Fridays at 11.30-12.30 at Vale Church Hall, Broadstairs CT10 1RB. £7.50 per class and drop-ins welcome. [DM Cleopatra Yoga](https://www.instagram.com/cleopatrayoga/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for more information. **Vintage clothing and homeware shop** [**Cover**](https://www.instagram.com/cover%5Ffashion%5Fworld/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **has opened up on King Street Margate**. Rumour has it down the track the shop will serve tea and have frocks for hire. *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-easter-brewery-bus-tour-and-more/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Incoming: Easter brewery bus tour and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-easter-brewery-bus-tour-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-08T07:00:59.000Z **A Good Friday brewery bus tour, a movement day party, the return of the Fangs A Lot snakebite bar, a Folkestone art takeover and more dates for your diary over the coming weeks.** The **Gadds and Northdown breweries Easter tour** is back, and this time they’re bringing a friend. This year, on **Friday April 18**, the **beer bus will also take you to the Wantsum Brewery near Canterbury**. Pick your starting brewery, then get on the bus for the next stop to sample a different set of pints. [**Tickets £5**](https://www.ramsgatebrewery.co.uk/online-store/Easter-Brewery-Tour-Coach-Ticket-p738238143?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZ1Q3-YF0J9LBSECTdRi7CXWKdUsi0sW-n6hOeOAN63PLOtQHj8vqkxkus%5Faem%5FWXulHh0X6ILdBCNv6LrPew&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **The Movement** night is back at **Faith In Strangers on Sunday, May 4** and this time they’re getting started early. It’ll **kick off at 4pm** and run through to 10pm. **Founders Daniel Avery and Matt Walsh are on board to DJ**, with the remaining line-up still to be announced. [**Tickets £20.74**](https://dice.fm/partner/faith-in-strangers/event/8ey7kw-movement-day-party-daniel-avery-friends-4th-may-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** The **PRAH** record label is hosting a night at **Margate Arts Club on Friday, May 16**. There will be live sets from brilliant experimental electronic acts Uh and Thool, plus a DJ set from Kate Hutchinson. PRAH is at the forefront of boundary-pushing, exciting underground music in the UK, so this is definitely one not to miss. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.outsavvy.com/ticketshop/829/0/26266?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s been over a year since **snakebite bar Fangs A Lot** last popped up spat its venom at us. Not literally. But popping up it will be, at **Bar Nicoletta** in **Cliftonville on Friday, April 25**. Once again, they will be serving up a range of cider and lager combinations, attempting to show that interesting things can be done with the drink that might loosely be called a cocktail. Remember when **Betty Boo** was doing the do? Well, she still is. She’s touring to mark the **35th anniversary of her UK hip hop classic** (fight me) **Boomania** this summer. You’ll be able to catch her at **The Booking Hall in Dover on Thursday, June 5\.** [**Tickets £26**](https://good-show.co.uk/events/2155?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** This year’s **Folkestone Triennial** takes place from **July 19 to October 19**. The event will see **18 artists from 16 countries create new artworks across the town**. Curated by Sorcha Carey, **this year’s theme is ‘How Lies the Land?**’, and will explore shifting landscapes, histories, and futures. Artists set to take part include Celine Condorelli, Emilija Škarnulytė, and Sara Trillo. The **Bottleneck in Broadstairs** is holding a **wine tasting evening on Thursday**, **May 29** where you’ll get to sample the English sparkling wines of **Nyetimber**. Charcuterie and cheese will also be included. Head into the shop or [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/bottleneckbroadstairs/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Big Penny Social** in **Walthamstow** is opening **new games hall Flukes on Thursday, May 8**. It’ll have **darts, shuffleboard, pool and karaoke**. A good spot to meet up with friends who haven’t yet made the inevitable move down the coast. [Follow on Instagram for more info](https://www.instagram.com/flukes%5Fe17/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-things-to-do-thanet-owl-life-drawing/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### The best things to do this week in Thanet and beyond (April 7-13) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-things-to-do-this-week-in-thanet-and-beyond-april-7-13/ Last updated: 2025-04-07T17:03:49.000Z **Stand up comedy, live music, cherry blossom events, festivals. All the best things to do in Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond this week.** Stand up comedian Stevie Martin will be filming her new show Clout over two performances at Where Else in Margate on April 7-8\. The first is already sold out, but you can still [grab £15 tickets for the 8th](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/6dmgr2-stevie-martin-clout-live-recording-8th-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You can also [read our recent interview with Stevie](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/stevie-martin-interview-clout-stand-up-comedy-filming-in-margate/). The Blue Pelican in Deal is celebrating Japan’s cherry blossom season, Wednesday to Saturday, with a new spring menu and selection of breezy cocktails. There’s also a sake tasting session on Thursday. [Full details](https://www.thebluepelican.co.uk/home?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#events). Author Helen McCarthy delves into Studio Ghibli’s inspirations and connection to Japanese cultural traditions on Thursday. She leads a talk at Canterbury Christ Church University’s Augustine House & Hall. [Tickets £13.27](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-art-history-of-studio-ghibli-with-helen-mccarthy-tickets-1247098267489?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Sun Deck just off Margate Main Sands reopens fully for the summer season on Friday. The Bus Cafe, Garage Coffee, Po’Boy and the main bar are all back, this year joined by Pizza By The Sea, run by the team behind Casa. Margate’s Fort Road Hotel’s new programme of live music continues with a performance from the brilliant Night Works on Friday night. Free entry. Joan As Police Woman plays the Quarterhouse in Folkestone on Saturday. [Tickets £25](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/whats-on/melting-vinyl-joan-as-police-woman/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Saturday is Record Store Day. Grab some exclusive releases at Vinyl Head in Ramsgate, Smugglers Records in Deal, Vinylstore Jr in Canterbury, Gatefield Sounds in Whitstable, and Saturnalia Records in Faversham. It’s the Cockles and Muscles annual Easter bonnet party at Margate Arts Club on Saturday. [Tickets £7](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26334/the-cockles-and-muscle-spring-bonnet-12th-april-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). This year’s Brogdale Collections Hanami Festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy a picnic under the cherry blossom, as well as activities and performances. [Book your spot](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/hanami-blossom-day/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s the Ramsgate Through the Senses Festival on Saturday and Sunday, with a range of events spanning food, music, theatre, and more. [More info](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/through-the-senses?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Thanet Urban Forest is laying on two Japanese cherry blossom viewing walks on Sunday in Margate’s Dane Park and Ramsgate’s Ellington Park. [Tickets are £4](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/hanami-cherry-tree-walks-with-peter-hasted-4186663?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Pop-up Bookshop hosts the next Broadstairs Book Fair on Sunday at the Pavilion Broadstairs and will feature the works of many Thanet writers. Denai Moore is cooking up a vegan Jamaican feast at Louie On Sea in Margate on Sunday. Five courses, including saltfish tostadas, crispy oyster mushrooms and a miso caramel chocolate mousse. [Places £43](https://www.deestable.com/event-details/plentiful-by-the-sea-at-the-turner-contemporary?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZpzxcLlFGrbODecLjFVWZhj-Bs%5FnHGiw8D4IZwe8GrWHHzAIHLQl%5F2EGE%5Faem%5FV-VaZiR5E0FqPViZC4wpYw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-things-to-do-this-week-in-thanet-and-beyond-march-31-april-6/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### News Blast: Big changes at local venues and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-big-changes-at-local-venues-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-04-06T07:00:19.000Z **Changes afoot at various local venues, plus new openings for the summer season, opportunities to share your creative projects, here's our round up of the latest creative news in Thanet and beyond.** **Ramsgate Music Hall boss André Dack** has announced that he is **moving on**. “Almost a decade on from my first shift at this special venue, my time at Ramsgate Music Hall has come to an end,” he says in [a statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/DH09auRM2fW/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). “Rest assured the venue is in incredibly safe hands going forward. This team has an immense level of grit and determination. I’ve no doubt that the future will be fruitful, especially with your continued support.” [**Read our recent interview with André**](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/). **Broadstairs’ Sarah Thorne Theatre** says that it is **confident for its future**, despite the building that houses it being **put up for sale by Kent County Council**. The theatre is currently attempting to negotiate a five year lease with KCC “as an interim measure”. A spokesperson says, “We hope the politicians see sense and allow this building, built by public subscription, to remain in the hands of the town. We are so confident of our future that we have announced our pantomime for this year, Dick Whittington and also our plans for 2026 when we will stage Jack and the Beanstalk." **Margate’s Theatre Royal** is one of ten at risk venues set to receive **funding from the Theatres Trust**. The organisation has awarded £5,325 to carry out a survey of the **historic plaster work** in the ceiling of the theatre’s auditorium. The Theatre Royal closed in 2022 and has been on the Theatre Trust’s At Risk Register since 2018\. The building is currently in the early stages of redevelopment, funded by the Margate Town Deal. It is currently scheduled to reopen in 2027. **Deal’s Museum of the Moving Image** has reopened, having closed in December in order to carry out essential work to its collection and exhibitions. As well as the full spruced up museum, there’s a **final chance to see the Ealing Studios exhibition**, before the unveiling of a new production design exhibition this summer. The museum is open Friday to Sunday and bank holidays. [**Find out more**](https://www.kentmomi.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **London’s Tate Modern** has announced a **new Tracey Emin exhibition**, set to open next year. The career retrospective will include artworks spanning 40 years, including paintings, videos, textiles, neons, writing, sculpture and installations. **It will include works that have never before been exhibited**. The show is set to open on February 26 2026 and run until August 31 2026\. [**More details**](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tracey-emin?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Open School East** has announced an **open call for Associate Artists**, set to open for **applications in May**. The Margate-based art school is seeking emerging artists and practitioners to join its annual free artist development programme. Applications will open on May 1 until June 20, with interviews in July. The programme will then run from September this year to July 2026\. [**Further details**](https://openschooleast.org/open-call-25-26/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pomus** is opening a **second space on Margate’s Harbour Arm**, just a stone’s throw away from its main restaurant in The Centre. This much smaller space, called **POM, will be open for wine, cocktails and snacks in time for the summer months**. **The Cookie Man is back!** Not that he ever went away, but after a few years of pop-ups and markets stalls around Thanet and beyond, he’s got a **permanent space** again. As of **today at 11am**, you’ll find him in the **Old Kent Market** serving up those incredible cookies **Wednesday to Sunday**. Never again will you have to wonder where you’re going to get the best cookie of your life at short notice. **Margate Film Festival** is now **open for submissions** and wants your shorts and features. The festival is expanding its remit to include artist moving image and audio-visual installations also, so send in your six-hour video-interpretive dance piece on the Salem witch trials. [**More information**](https://margatefilmfestival.co.uk/submit/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Broadstairs welcomes a new cafe** to the hood. Margate’s **Giant Coffee**, which comes with an array of plant-based counter treats, has opened up on Albion Street for more of the same. The **Tate** has announced **former Vogue editor Edward Enninful will curate The 90s**, an exhibition looking at a decade far more hopeful than current, and filled with pioneering creativity. Expect big fashion photographers, designers like Alexander McQueen and Vivianne Westwood and artists such as Damian Hirst. Sounds excellent, but keep calm - the exhibition won’t open until **October next year**. *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-thanet-east-kent-margate-winter-gardens/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Incoming: Owls striking a pose and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-things-to-do-thanet-owl-life-drawing/ Last updated: 2025-04-01T07:00:43.000Z **New dates for your diary, including live owl drawing, Thanet's biggest queer Easter event, cherry blossom walks and more.** **Broadstairs Food Festival** brings its **Easter edition** to the clifftops **Friday-Sunday, April 18-20**. Artisan, craft and independent gastronomy will back the stalls, with many vendors local to Kent. While the line up of chefs and restaurants are still to be revealed, look out for some of Thanet’s finest culinary whizzes whipping up delicious grub or showing you a thing or two in a live demo. [**Full details**](https://broadstairsfoodfestival.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Phil Wang** is coming **back to Margate** with a work in progress show for **Chump’s Comedy at Where Else in Margate on Wednesday, April 16**. Warming up proceedings will be another returning name, Ed Night. That’s two very funny fellas letting you hear their new material before anyone else. What a treat. [**Tickets £16.50**](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/oe56bm-phil-wang-ed-night-16th-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Save Our Scene** and electronic music collective **wonk** are coming together for a special night at **Faith In Strangers on Friday, April 18**, raising money to support the wider grassroots live music community. DJing will be lau.ra, Storm Millison, Kiimi, BRUX and LANTA. Expect a mix of house, UKG and more. [**Earlybird tickets £11.50**](https://ra.co/events/2130594?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). £1 from every ticket will be donated to the SOS [Liveline Fund](https://livelinefund.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Following a sold out night of greyhound drawing earlier this month, **Wild Life Drawing** returns to **Margate’s Fort Road Hotel on Wednesday, April 16** with a new subject - **owls!** Three models will pose, Fred the grey grey, Daisy the eagle owl and native barn owl Solo. As you draw, you’ll also learn about owl conservation, habitats and breeding. [**Tickets are £35**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/71878/wild-life-drawing-owls?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), with 10% donated to the Barn Owl Trust. The **Fort Road Hotel** is also launching a **new programme of live music every Friday** night starting next month. April will see performances from Callum Sutton (April 4), Night Works (April 11), Will Rees (April 18), and an Is Tropical DJ set (April 25). **Free entry**. **Westwell Wines near Ashford** is hosting a **family workshop** **making ceramic plates** decorated using foraged materials this summer. Local potter Katherine Gray will teach you about the ceramic process before you gather up materials found around the vineyard to make your own plate. It’s not until **Friday, July 25** but likely to sell out well in advance. [**Places are £30**](https://www.katharinegrayceramics.com/workshops/p/westwell-x-katharine-gray-ceramics-family-forage-plate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), which includes firing and postage of your finished plate. Are you going to keep on dancing at the **Pink Pony Club**? Down in West Hollywood? Sure, fine. But I just thought I should let you know that there’s one in Margate too. The night returns to **Justine’s on Friday, May 9**. The playlist includes music from Chappell Roan (obvs), Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift. **£5 on the door**. **Cockles and Muscles** are putting on their annual **Easter bonnet party at Margate Arts Club on Saturday, April 12**. There will be DJ sets from Buns Night Out, Cookie Man and LANTA. There will be performances from Shelly Grotto, Casey Sea and Vipul. And most importantly, absolutely everyone in the club will have a massive Easter bonnet on their head. Get thee to Hobby Craft forthwith. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26334/the-cockles-and-muscle-spring-bonnet-12th-april-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Hanami events keep coming in thick and fast. **Thanet Urban Forest** is laying on **two Japanese cherry blossom viewing walks on Sunday, April 13**. Join tree expert Peter Hasted in Margate’s Dane Park or Ramsgate’s Ellington Park. Or both, if you like. [**Tickets are £4**](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/hanami-cherry-tree-walks-with-peter-hasted-4186663?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (or more if you can afford it), with proceeds going to support the work of TUF. **Ramsgate Noise Institute** have announced their dates for the rest of the year. There will be three more nights of experimental music and sound performances at **Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate on May 29, September 11 and December 4**. Entry is always **free** but donations are welcome. [**Follow on Instagram to stay up to date**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DHtJ3ZPM%5FK2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### The best things to do this week in Thanet and beyond (March 31-April 6) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-things-to-do-this-week-in-thanet-and-beyond-march-31-april-6/ Last updated: 2025-03-31T10:06:36.000Z **Restaurant openings, live music, knights’ quests and more. Don’t miss these great events happening this week.** New co-working space Ramsgate Works opens on Tuesday in the historic Charlotte Court. [More information](https://www.ramsgate.works/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chefs Rob Cooper and Will Devlin are cooking up a one-off collaborative menu at Angela’s in Margate on Tuesday. Places are £70, email [info@angelasofmargate.com](mailto:info@angelasofmargate.com) to book. Queer Ramsgate Social is back at wine bar Penelope on Thursday. The bar will be open from 6.30pm for wine, snacks and queer socialising. ​​This week’s Film Club screening at 101 Social in Cliftonville is Pan's Labyrinth on Thursday. Doors at 6pm for an 8.30pm start. Pay what you can on the door. Horrible Histories will be inviting children to become knights and head out on a quest at Leeds Castle from Friday and through the Easter holidays. [Full details](https://leeds-castle.com/events/easter-at-leeds-castle/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). NāMAKA at Stone Beach Bay will reopen on Friday at The Hut, and stay open for all of the Easter holidays for sandy family days. Ramsgate smoked BBQ joint Smoke & Co opens its new Margate seafront restaurant on Friday. [Book a table](https://www.smokeandco.co.uk/book-a-table?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cliftonville’s Faith In Strangers’ new restaurant opens on Friday, helmed by chef Jackson Berg (ex-Barletta). [Reserve a table](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you’re eating at Faith In Strangers on Friday, you can then dance off your meal on the venue’s dancefloor, where Eats Everything will be playing an extended set. [Tickets £24.93](https://dice.fm/event/v3wlgd-eats-everything-extended-set-4th-apr-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Tap Takeover is back and running from Friday to Sunday. It will pair 14 venues around the town with top independent breweries. [Full details on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/margate%5Ftap%5Ftakeover?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Summer must be on the way because Dreamland in Margate will be opening its doors again on Saturday. A number of new rides have been added for this year’s season, including a log flume. Assembly Acoustic is hosting a special kids edition at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Saturday, 12-2pm. Four young solo performers and the Margate Children’s Choir will take to the stage. Donation on the door. Cliftonville gallery Quench is celebrating its fourth birthday at The Belle Vue on Northdown Road on Saturday night, including an unveiling of special edition works by Lindsey Mendick. Black Midi’s Geordie Greep will headline Margate Lido on Saturday night. [Tickets £20](https://www.gigantic.com/geordie-greep-tickets/margate-the-lido/2025-04-05-19-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Transglobal Underground play Ramsgate Music hall on Saturday night. [Tickets £22.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/transglobal-underground/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Fern Brady is at Olby’s on Sunday night, performing her new show I Gave You Milk To Drink. [Tickets £18](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/v3mqvg-fern-brady-tour-warm-up-6th-apr-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### News Blast: Margate Winter Gardens restoration and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-blast-thanet-east-kent-margate-winter-gardens/ Last updated: 2025-03-30T07:00:45.000Z **From plans to revive the derelict Margate Winter Gardens to an exhibition inspired by the Walpole Bay tidal pool, get a round up of the latest culture news from Thanet and beyond.** **Thanet District Council** has **officially approved plans** for Westwood One Theatre to **renovate and reopen Margate’s Winter Gardens**. It’s not clear how long the full project will take to complete, but councillors have said that the venue’s two main halls **could be back open to the public in 15-18 months**. The multi-million pound restoration will also add a theatre school, nursery, cafe/restaurant, rooftop bar and training centre to the complex, which closed in 2022\. Westwood One previously returned Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre to use in 2022\. **Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre** has announced the **first play from its new production arm Marlowe Theatre productions**. Written by Amy Rosenthal and directed by Richard Beecham, **The Party Girls tells the story of the Mitford sisters**. "I couldn’t be more delighted to launch Marlowe Theatre Productions with this world premiere,” says chief exec Deborah Shaw. “It showcases our commitment to creating world-class theatre in Kent.” The show will open at the Marlowe from September 1-6 before touring the UK. **Tickets go on sale on April 7**. **Oast in Cliftonville** has been named **one of the 50 best bakeries in Britain** by the **Good Food Guide**. Hard to argue with that one, it’s really great. I mean, we’re willing to go and try as many other bakeries as you like, but not if it takes us away from Oast’s pastries for too long. In trying to single out highlights, [the GFG review](https://www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk/restaurant/oast/id/81846?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) basically just lists the entire menu, as well as mentioning the “window stools” and “great local vibe.” **London’s Design Museum** has launched its new exhibition, **Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style**. Notable because, well, who doesn’t love stylish swimming? But also, it’s **guest curated by TV presenter and Margate resident Amber Butchart**. The seed of the idea for the exhibition came from her daily swims in the Walpole Bay tidal pool during the pandemic. Through over 200 items, the show tells the story of the evolution of swimwear from the 1920s to the present day. [**More info**](https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/splash-a-century-of-swimming-and-style?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Creative Land Trust** is inviting locals involved in various creative sectors to **have a say in the organisation's plans to support the Margate creative economy**. There will be three online events covering music, performing arts and live production (April 15), film, TV, animation and digital design (April 24), and fashion and design (April 30). Each session will run 5-30pm-7pm. [**Register your interest**](https://margatecreativelandtrust.org/opportunities/digital-meet-up/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate’s very own **Chump’s Comedy** have been announced as the **programmers for this year’s comedy stage line up at the End Of The Road festival** in Dorset this summer. Among the names they’ve book are Stewart Lee, Adam Buxton, Grace Campbell and Michelle de Swarte. Chump’s hasn’t been going for two years yet and they’ve got so big. Brings a tear to our eye. [**Read our interview from last May**](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/chumps-comedy-how-did-margate-get-so-funny-so-fast/) when they talked about plans to put on a few more shows in Margate. *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Incoming: Unmissable events and the best things to do in Thanet URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/incoming-unmissable-events-and-the-best-things-to-do-in-thanet/ Last updated: 2025-03-28T16:05:06.000Z **Add these dates to your diary so you don't miss out on these fab parties, family days out, gigs and exhibitions.** **Cliftonville gallery Quench** is celebrating its **4th birthday**, and wants you to come along. Head to **The Belle Vue Tavern** on **Northdown Road on Saturday, April 5 from 8pm** for cake, balloons, game, dancing and an unveiling of special edition works by Lindsey Mendick. The **Blue Pelican in Deal** is celebrating **Japan’s cherry blossom season, April 9-12**. Book to scoff items off the **new spring menu and quaff breezy cocktails**. There’s also a **sake tasting session on Thursday, April 10 at 6pm**, if that’s your thing. [**Full details**](https://www.thebluepelican.co.uk/home?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#events). The cutely named **Tide & Seek Beach School in Broadstairs** has announced its **Easter Beach Club**. On **Wednesday April 9 from 1pm-3.30pm and April 16 9.30am-12pm at Stone Bay**, there will be sandy fun along with drawing sessions, storytelling, and exploring the shoreline. [**DM**](https://www.instagram.com/tideandseekbroadstairs/?hl=en&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **to book or email** [**sophie@tideandseekbeachschool.co.uk**](mailto:sophie@tideandseekbeachschool.co.uk)**. Session £20**. Fall even more in love with **Studio Ghibli**, with this **talk from Helen McCarthy**. On **Thursday, April 10, 7pm-9.30pm at the Canterbury Christ Church University’s Augustine House & Hall**, Helen will dig into Ghibli’s creative practice to explore the animation house’s inspirations and connection to Japanese cultural traditions. [**Tickets from £13.27**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-art-history-of-studio-ghibli-with-helen-mccarthy-tickets-1247098267489?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Music Hall** will host Canadian act **The Burning Hell** on **August 28 and** [**tickets are on sale now for £17.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/the-burning-hell-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you like bands like the Mouldy Peaches and songs that are novels, these guys might be up your alley. Bleak by name, but not by nature, the **Bleak House Gardens** open up **June 14-15**, as part of the **Broadstairs Dickens Festival (June 13-15)**. With **Ramsgate Croquet Club, Northdown Brewery**, treats from **RoRo’s Ice Cream** and a ride on miniature railway among the various activities, you’ll probably have a better time at the clifftop bolthole than Dickens did. Stuff on 10am-5pm. With spring officially here, now’s the time to step outside. **Thanet Coast Project** has a number of activities that will get you and the family trawling along the coastline. You could **hunt for shark eggs** (Walpole Bay April 8 2pm, Botany Bay April 9 2pm, Ramsgate Main Sands April 10 2pm), **investigate seaweed** in all it’s slimy, important glory (Walpole Bay March 27 4pm) or discover the **stories of Kingsgate’s white cliffs** (April 22, 11am). These guided walks are **family friendly** and come with a suggested donation ranging **between £2-£5**. For more info go to [**thanetcoast.org.uk**](http://thanetcoast.org.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![Blue Pelican in Deal will celebrate Japan's cherry blossom season in April. Photo: Blue Pelican](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/Blue-Pelican-2024-015-1-1.jpg) Blue Pelican in Deal will celebrate Japan's cherry blossom season in April. Photo: Blue Pelican **Kelly Lee Owens is set to DJ at Faith In Strangers in Cliftonville on Saturday, May 17**. Expect a transcendental experience on the dancefloor, as she creates pure escapism. Very excited about this one. [**Tickets £18.40**](https://ra.co/events/2125368?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist **Job Muscroft** will be unveiling his new exhibition The **Joy Of Cats** in May. Purr-use a range of feline-focussed artwork at the **Old Town’s Pharmacy Gallery on May 24-27.** **Margate Fringe Festival** has begun announcing shows for this year’s multi-venue event in **May**. Performers already announced include **Nick Helm, Rosie Holt, Daniel Foxx, Ria Lina, and Christopher Hall.** [**Book tickets**](https://linktr.ee/margatefringefestival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Multi award-winning and very funny stand up **comedian Alasdair Beckett-King** will be previewing his new **Edinburgh show King of Crumbs at The Lighthouse in Deal on Wednesday, April 18**. Support comes from **Ravi Holy**.[**Tickets £14**](https://thelighthousedeal.co.uk/tc-events/alasdair-beckett-king-ravi-holy-edinburgh-fringe-preview-comedy-special/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJJRdpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcG5XYFmbHFFj1S%5FbqvWKJQLRlMQBstSoFnU41eY9SzwvTnK%5FbAzOmNU5A%5Faem%5Fcc6dz7artBoDIIIHobo2pw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** More stand up - **Fern Brady** is coming back to **Margate** for another **Chump’s** show on **Sunday, April 6 at Olby’s**. Set to perform her new show **I Gave You Milk To Drink**, she’ll be down to get warmed up for her US tour, which starts later the same month. [**Tickets £18**](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/v3mqvg-fern-brady-tour-warm-up-6th-apr-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **first batch of acts** set to play this year’s **Smugglers Festival** has been announced. They include **This Is The Kit, Vieux Farka Touré, The Heliocentrics, Honeyglaze, Colossal Squid, and Blind Yeo.** It will run from **August 28-31** this year. [**Day and weekend tickets are available now**](https://smugglersfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Horrible Histories** is coming to **Leeds Castle near Maidstone** for the **Easter holidays, from April 4-21.** Blending history and humour, children will become knights, making their own armour and shields before heading off on a quest through the castle grounds. [**Full details**](https://leeds-castle.com/events/easter-at-leeds-castle/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Missed the **Young Knives** at Ramsgate Music Hall earlier this year? They’re coming back to Thanet for a show at **Justine’s in Margate on Wednesday, November 26.** They’ll be cracking out the hits and their also very good new material. [**Tickets £21.47**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/mxklmr-young-knives-26th-nov-justines-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### The best things to do this week in Thanet (March 24-30) URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/the-best-things-to-do-this-week-in-thanet-beyond-march-22-28-2/ Last updated: 2025-03-28T16:05:18.000Z **From quiz nights to secret gigs, to food pop-ups and vintage trails, don't miss these great events happening this week.** Soup Mother will be serving up a Dutch split pea soup and other delights at Bar Nicoletta on Tuesday night. There will also be wine. [Book your £12 seat](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/soup-mother-bar-nicoletta-tickets-1289771494259?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabU-vfMzUc6TBjNGaks9fvMOo3vpco-3Z2aMSxl4oAO2AI68QdLqKfQokI%5Faem%5FmU2OtSjpjqX9plw4fRVvRQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). On Wednesday at Where Else, Chump’s Comedy returns with its first mixed bill of the year, featuring Rob Copland, Marty Gleeson, Rohan Sharma and Paul Hilleard. [Tickets £15](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/dkw36o-rob-copland-marty-gleeson-rohan-sharma-paul-hilleard-26th-mar-where-else-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=5206060&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=Chump%27s+Comedy&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1418928223121361157&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=Chump%27s+Comedy&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fdKS7Y0NDMxSTNKSbWvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2ydc4oys9NBQCGkCInOwAAAA%3D%3D). This month’s Assembly Acoustic is at Off Licence in Cliftonville on Wednesday. It’s a brilliant line up, featuring Barbarossa Adventurine, Yassassin and Sisyphes. £7 suggested donation on the door. Seabird in Ramsgate’s next quiz night takes place on Wednesday night. It has an 80s theme, so dust off the leg warmers and watch old episodes of Telly Addicts on YouTube to prepare. [Book your team a table](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/quiz?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Another Wednesday night quiz, The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs is hosting a night to raise funds for Pie Factory Music. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGumoECsxY%5F/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate punks Crabs will be playing a gig to launch their new single Make Margate Shit Again on Saturday. The top secret location will be announced on the day. [Join their WhatsApp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/J9SUbNVOA7KKlmj2ezecoO?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to find out where to head. Our Curated Abode’s vintage market will take over Addington Street on Saturday and Sunday between 11am-5pm for goodies, nik-naks, bargains, finds and scores. It’s Margate Radio’s fifth birthday party at Cliftonville Community Centre on Saturday from 7-11pm. [Tickets £10](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/margateradio/1611653?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Thanet Blast: Faith In Strangers, Thanet Experimental, TKE Studios URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanet-blast-faith-in-strangers-thanet-experimental-tke-studios/ Last updated: 2025-03-28T16:05:30.000Z **From restaurant openings to artist opportunities, stay in the loop with our weekly round up of Thanet culture news.** **Margate’s Faith In Strangers** **new restaurant** will see chef Jackson Berg (ex-Barletta) helming the kitchen. Initially opening for Friday and Saturday dinner and Saturday and Sunday lunch, [**reservations are now open**](https://faithinstrangers.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **for sittings from April 4\.** **Hold Creative Spaces and Thanet Experimental** have announced a new programme of artist **residencies for 2025**. Two participants will be fully funded to undertake artistically-focused research projects over two months later this year. [**Full details**](https://thanetexperimental.org/hold-residency-programme-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **A studio** has come up at **TKE Studios** that would work for a painter working at a postgraduate level. On top of having a nice studio with lots of natural light, you’ll get to take part in talks, life drawing, exhibitions and all that sort of fun stuff. [**Get in touch now**](https://linktr.ee/traceyeminfoundation??ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to express interest. **Margate’s Turner Contemporary** has commissioned **artist Cassi Namoda** to **paint the floor to ceiling windows of its Sunley Gallery this summer.** This follows the success of Beatriz Milhazes’ window installation O Esplendor in 2023\. The painting of the windows for the summer months is now to become an annual tradition. Cassi Namoda’s work will be officially unveiled in **May 2**. A new **‘curated and vintage’ marketplace** will open up in **Bar Nicoletta** at Cliffs on **April 24** for cocktails and clothes. **Margate Bazaar** will host clothing swap events too, so stay tuned for more details. *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Comedian Stevie Martin talks online success and her return to the stage URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/stevie-martin-interview-clout-stand-up-comedy-filming-in-margate/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:46:53.000Z Comedian Stevie Martin originally gained recognition as a member of sketch trio Massive Dad, before going solo in 2018\. She’s also a familiar face on TV shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Starstruck and The Mash Report, host of the Nobody Panic podcast, and a writer published everywhere from Vice to the Guardian. Her live stand up career upended by the pandemic, Stevie quickly pivoted to making sketches on social media, gaining a massive following as a result. Last year she returned with her first show for five years, Clout - in part a document of her time making digital content. Having previewed an early version of the show at Chump’s Comedy in Margate last June, she brings the finished product back for two nights in April, which will be filmed ahead of tour dates in the autumn. Ahead of all that, Strange Tourist caught up with Stevie to talk about the perils of a show heavily reliant on tech, being a “slow perfectionist, and why filming the new series of Taskmaster felt like “weird dream under anaesthetic.” ## Sign up for Strange Tourist Your go-to guide for culture, events and coastal life in Thanet Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **What's the premise of Clout?** Clout is basically about the difference between online and live comedy, and how I went from being an online comedian to doing a live show, and how that made me have an absolute meltdown. But mainly it’s got 400 jokes in it that I find funny. It’s a very silly show. **What took you away from live performance, and what brought you back?** The pandemic physically took me away, but also gave me a good excuse to experiment with doing jokes in a different way and I loved it. Doing online stuff, not the pandemic, obviously. When the world opened up again I really wanted to do a live show again because it turns out churning out content for algorithms does something mad to your brain. You end up obsessing over metrics rather than being genuinely creative. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/STEVIE43148-1-1.jpg) "Very fast, lots of jokes, barely breathing, lots of stuff to look at" Photo: Avalon **How has the show changed since you first started performing it?** The show has changed constantly as the world evolves. For example, I had various bits on Twitter that I couldn’t really do now and had to update an AI joke as AI evolved. And also as I think of better and funnier ways to say stuff. **Does having visuals and tech as part of the show make it more difficult to adapt when you have new ideas?** The fact I have 304 slides and constant tech makes adding new stuff an absolute nightmare that involves me learning the lines as well as learning exactly the rhythms to tap my little clicker to control the slides. Making the new slides in the first place takes ages because I’m a slow perfectionist. A lot of the slide images look crap but that’s because I find it funny to be slightly crap. It takes a lot of time to make them the perfect level of crap! **How does your enjoyment of performing and creating differ between online and live work?** With live you create a connection with the room, and the room is different every show so you’re making a new and different connection - the skill of live is never to break that connection, even if a bit dies. You can feel it when it breaks, and you can get it back, but you can never take a time out. Online, I’m in total control so am able to have a break and come back to it or delete it if I regret it. And it’s like it was never there! On the down side, the algorithm hides jokes you make if they don’t adhere to its stringent rules which totally compromises the creativity. So there are pros and cons of both. **If audiences primarily know you from online videos, do you find they have different expectations of a live show to a more traditional stand up audience?** It’s ideal if people know me from online videos, because my style of live complements that, I think. Very fast, lots of jokes, barely breathing, lots of stuff to look at. If I was doing a traditional anecdotal standup show, or was talking about deep stuff or political stuff, people who liked my online stuff would be slightly confused. I've also very much made a show that works if you’ve never seen or heard of me before - it was important to me to do that because I want everyone to have a good laugh when they come out to see me. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/StevieAdam-CHUMPS-046A1568-1-1.jpg) Stevie on stage at Chump's last summer. Photo: Joe & Charlotte **Why did you choose Chump's for the recording of the show?** I love Chump’s. They know exactly what makes a great comedy gig - good audiences, free pizza and helpful, knowledgeable people running the night - so it always feels really relaxed. I’ve loved previewing Clout there! **What's the plan for the recording? Where will people be able to see it if they can't make it to Chump's?** Social media clips! Of course! I’m taking it on tour in the autumn and if people miss it then they can maybe come see the show at the Marlowe in Canterbury - dates for the tour are released April 3 so if anyone wants to be kept up to date then they should [follow me on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/5tevieM?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)! **You're on the next series of Taskmaster. I assume you're not able to say much about it but how was the experience?** It was like a weird dream under anaesthetic. Someone sent me a screenshot of people on Reddit saying I am the least known contestant to ever go on Taskmaster, which I agree with - it was a real shock to get the offer and I can’t really believe I got to do it. Let’s just say I shouted “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ABOUT” after quite a lot of the prize task scoring. Let’s just say that. **What's coming up next for you?** I’m filming Mitchell and Webb’s new sketch show that’s out later this year. I’m talking to you while sitting in the makeup chair being made up to look like an old sunburnt Australian woman! And of course the tour! Mainly the tour. Did I mention I’m going on tour? *Stevie Martin will film Clout at Where Else in Margate on April 7 and 8\.* [*Tickets are available for both shows on Dice for £15*](https://dice.fm/artist/stevie-martin-dk6no?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *Clout will be on tour around the UK this autumn, including a show at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on October 16\.* [*Full dates on Stevie's website*](https://steviemartin.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* *Want more?* [*Subscribe to our newsletter*](#/portal) *for a hit of arts, culture and fun things to do around Thanet and beyond in your inbox every Saturday morning.* ### Pie Factory Music’s fight to save the building it calls home URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/pie-factory-musics-fight-to-save-the-building-it-calls-home/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T10:54:08.000Z For over 23 years, Pie Factory Music has worked with young people in Ramsgate, and for more than ten of those it has operated out of Ramsgate Youth Centre. However, in April 2024, the charity - along with youth services across Thanet - saw its funding cut by Kent County Council. It was then told that the building it calls home would be put up for sale. “We've moved before,” says CEO Zoë Carassik. “We could move again. But for me, it's the symbolism of the fact that this building was built in 1969 as a youth centre. You're talking about generations of lives, of stories, of experiences and memories that would just disappear. “This is the last dedicated, purpose built youth centre in our district,” she adds. “I think it would be a travesty if this was lost.” The charity hopes to buy the building itself, allowing it to continue to offer a wide range of services, from recording sessions for budding musicians to free counselling. However, despite launching a campaign to raise £500,000 to fund the purchase, the council plans to put the building up for auction later this year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/image0-2-2-1.jpeg) Zoë Carassik became Pie's CEO in 2023\. Photo: Zoë Carassik “Pie will survive,” she says. “Pie has always been an agile and reactive organisation. Even if this building is sold, we'll move somewhere else.” However, moving to a new site would change the provision offered, and would likely mean that decisions would have to be made about reducing or cutting some services. “It would be very unlikely that we'd find a comparable facility somewhere else,” says Zoë. “So there would be compromises in terms of what we were able to carry on running. We have a recording studio here; you can't just up that and plant it. You could, but it would probably be a choice of that or a football court. And here we’ve got both.” “What's really important is that our provision speaks to any young person,” she continues. “The more targeted you get, the more you're closing doors, and what we're all about here is open doors.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/DSC_4949--1-.jpeg) One of Pie's social areas. Photo: Strange Tourist Pie Factory Music launched in 2002, initially running hip hop and grime workshops around Thanet. In those early days, its team went out and found young people, rather than waiting for them to come to them. “For many years, we had what we called a mobile music unit,” Zoë explains. “It was basically a van with decks and speakers that went out to street corners and parks and the beach doing satellite music workshops.” Pie’s first physical base was on Chapel Road in Ramsgate, in what is now the Big Jelly recording studio. There, it expanded its workshops, giving young people the chance to learn how to use recording technology, play instruments, write and record their own music and more. In 2013, Kent County Council outsourced its youth service provision across the county, with Pie signing a contract to provide services in Ramsgate. It was at this point that the charity moved into Ramsgate Youth Centre and expanded its offering. Music remains a core focus, with a recording studio set up in the building from the beginning, but Pie also then began offering “provision that looked more like your traditional youth clubs”, says Zoë, who took on the role of CEO in 2023, just before the cuts to those youth services were announced. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/DSC_4940.jpeg) Pie offers space for young people to play and record music. Photo: Strange Tourist The centre offers a place for young people to come and socialise. There are also cookery workshops, and a bicycle maintenance programme where young people learn how to fix up and repair donated bikes. A pastoral programme to improve young people’s mental wellbeing operates alongside all this, with a free counselling service, creative interventions, and one-to-one sessions with youth workers. “Our whole ethos is that we're here for all young people and spaces like this shouldn't be a privilege for those who are most in need, we should be here for everyone,” says Zoë. “What has been really degraded over the last 15 years in terms of the youth work sector is those spaces that are open for anyone.” [According to Unison](https://www.unison.org.uk/news/2024/06/closure-of-more-than-a-thousand-youth-centres-could-have-lasting-impact-on-society/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), between 2010 and 2023 almost 1250 youth centres were shut down by councils in England and Wales - more than two-thirds of all centres. Over 40% of councils were found to offer no youth centre provision at all. Meanwhile, [a study by the National Youth Agency](https://nya.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Times-Running-Out-v6.pdf?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) found that youth services in England and Wales have faced a 73% real-terms funding cut from local authorities since 2010\. Among the fallout from this is the loss of around 4,500 frontline youth workers and more than 40,000 adult volunteers. Pie offers three open access sessions per week - two for young people aged 11 to 19, and one for ages eight to 12\. Each session draws between 35 and 40 attendees. “There'll be whole social groups who revolve their weekly plans about coming to Pie,” says Zoé. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/DSC_4946.jpeg) Artwork created by Studio Spranks. Photo: Strange Tourist The funding cut by KCC last year meant that the charity had to “immediately start fundraising at an epic level” to cover the sudden £240,000 shortfall in money needed to keep the service running. Although forced to end services it provided in Dover, Pie has been able to secure the funds required to continue in Ramsgate. However, other local services have simply disappeared. This includes The Quarterdeck in Cliftonville, another purpose built youth centre, which saw up to 60 people attend each of its open sessions. When the cuts came into effect last April, that provision and engagement simply disappeared when the facility became a Family Hub, says Zoë. “We really saw Quarterdeck as our sister“, she says. “It was perfectly placed in terms of supporting young people in the most need \[in Cliftonville\] and it's such a shame that that is no longer a youth centre. There's been a cliff edge drop off of provision for young people.” It’s not the case that those young people would seek services from Pie instead. “There has always been a Margate/Ramsgate divide with people and lots of young people won't leave their locality,” she explains. “A lot of the young people who were attending to provision at Quarterdeck are living in poverty and experiencing very difficult life circumstances.” She adds that since the Quarterdeck closed, she and her team are increasingly “hearing reports of increased anti-social behavior, increasing youth violence, and that services supporting young people experiencing domestic abuse in the home are seeing an increase in demand.” “All this stuff was plainly obvious to us when KCC said that they wanted to make the cuts,” she continues. “Without sounding really bleak, it will get worse until KCC actually confronts the issue.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/DSC_4942.jpeg) Pie's main hall. Photo: Strange Tourist As soon as the intention to sell was announced, the Pie team made clear their desire to acquire and improve the building, setting about raising half a million pounds to do so. “From the beginning, my worry wasn't about the fundraising,” insists Zoë. “It was always about whether KCC would actually sell it to us or not. That's much more difficult than raising the funds.” Ramsgate Youth Centre is officially designated an “asset of community value”, meaning that there are additional processes the council must go through before putting it up for sale to private buyers. This includes a six month moratorium where bids can be submitted by community organisations. That deadline expired earlier this month with no response to Pie’s bid. “At the moment, we're in a position where we really just have to sit and wait to see what the council do and then if the building sells or not.” A spokesperson for Kent County Council told Strange Tourist that Ramsgate Youth Centre is being put up for sale because the council “has no operational need for the building”. It plans to put the building up for sale via auction, with that process “anticipated to be in May”, and “any proceeds from its sale will be reinvested into KCC services.” The spokesperson added that while KCC “did not invite bids during the six month moratorium which was required under the ACV legislation”, Pie did “put forward a proposal during this period but it was not taken forward at that time." Instead, they said, “the auction process will allow Pie Factory Music and others that may be interested in the property to come forward in an even-handed and transparent way.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/DSC_4934.jpeg) Pie has space for a wide variety of activities. Photo: Strange Tourist Most of the funding for a potential purchase by Pie will be raised through grants. However, a public crowdfunder was launched to raise a small portion of the amount required, largely as a means of getting the story out more widely. Now more than £12,000 of the £15,000 target has been raised by donations from local people. “I've been somewhat overwhelmed by the level of community support and generosity,” she says. “What it shows is that our community sees this as something of real value and they are prepared to put their own money towards try to save it and that is huge. Especially because our community in Ramsgate are often very, very poor. “So while I felt really strongly at the beginning that it's not the job of our community to save this building - it's mine and our team’s and KCC's if they choose to - people have given and that's been incredibly heartwarming and moving.” Partly that support is because the successes of Pie are plain to see and have been seen over and over again for more than two decades. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/DSC_4941-1.jpeg) Many Pie attendees have continued to make music into adulthood. Photo: Strange Tourist Many of the young people who have started out making music at Pie have also gone on to have success outside the charity’s recording studio. Just recently, artists such as Evan Williams and Harmony Bo have begun to make names for themselves in the wider music industry. “What young people achieve here and just generally in life is often undervalued and underestimated,” says Zoë. “What we try to do here is to show people that young people are worth it and they are amazing and they contribute so much. That they can go off and do so much if they're given the right tools or opportunities. But they can't just be left and that's kind of what is happening now by the local authority.” “I think it really speaks volumes about how young people are seen and valued by decision makers. If this place is sold, what does it tell young people in this area about what they're worth? The message it sends is, ‘you don't deserve this’. “I think that's absolutely devastating,” she concludes. “And I think young people deserve better.” *Find out more about Pie Factory Music and contribute to the crowdfunder at* [*piefactorymusic.com*](https://piefactorymusic.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### News and things to do: Dreamland, Moomins, Idles URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-dreamland-moomins-idles/ Last updated: 2025-03-23T22:09:07.000Z **Dreamland in Margate** is set to welcome the public back through its doors on **Saturday, April 5**. Marking the park's 105th anniversary and ten years since it reopened, a number of **new rides** will be added for this year’s season, including a log flume. There is of course **live music** throughout the summer too, with acts including The Sex Pistols, Basement Jaxx, Pendulum, and Supergrass set to play, An **immersive Moomin installation** is popping up in **London**, and it’s free. A collaboration between the Southbank Centre, Counterpoints Arts and Moomin Characters Ltd, **Moomin 80** marks 80 years since the advent of these pudgy critters. A **recreation of the Moominhouse** will take over the Riverside Terrace and is open for exploring, storytimes and workshops from **May 23 to June 1 between 2pm and 5pm**. If you're not too stuffed full of chocolate, you can dance the evening of Easter Sunday away to records chosen by **Idles frontman Joe Talbot**. He’ll be turning in a **two hour DJ set at Faith In Strangers in Cliftonville on Sunday, April 20**. The event has an early 9pm finish, so you can either go and get into those eggs then, or ride off into the bank holiday weekend sunset. [**Tickets £22.66**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/53vq2w-idles-dj-set-20th-apr-faith-in-strangers-margate-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=5444378&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1428803715938722103&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1a8wMzIzMDZJNTRMM7GvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBADLUEGNOwAAAA%3D%3D). **Job alert:** Like a crisp tucked bed sheet and keeping things nice and tidy? **Albion House in Ramsgate** is looking for a **housekeeper** that must be available for weekend work. For more info or to send through your CV email [enquiries@albionhouseramsgate.co.uk](mailto:enquiries@albionhouseramsgate.co.uk). For nice handmade stuff, **Margate Ceramics Market** returns to **Turner Contemporary on March 22 and 23**. **Another job alert:** The unfussy but sensational **Bar Ingo in Broadstairs** is looking for hospo people to help them out in **front of house roles**. Part and full time positions available. Send your CV through to [hello@bar-ingo.co.uk](mailto:hello@bar-ingo.co.uk). **Our Curated Abode**’s vintage market will return in the form of a whole street **vintage trail**. Head to **Addington Street on Saturday and Sunday March 29 and 30 between 11am-5pm** for goodies, nik-naks, bargains, finds and scores. **More job alerts:** Know the difference between mixing drinks and mixing your drinks? Does your expertise on coffee extend beyond ‘it’s not tea’? **Seabird in Ramsgate** is also on the lookout for savvy hospo folk as the bar and kitchen gears up for summer. The team is looking for people with 1-3 years experience, however there will be training to fill in gaps. Pop down to the bar at 2-3 The Broadway, Ramsgate CT11 9JN, or send your CV through at [info@seabirdramsgate.com](mailto:info@seabirdramsgate.com). Congratulations to **The Rose in Deal**, which The Sunday Times has named the **UK’s best boutique hotel**. “Locals and visitors alike enjoy beer, cocktails and sensational gastropub grub in the various nooks and crannies of its theatrical wraparound bar,” says the paper. “The eight bedrooms have been blasted with colours as vibrant as a stick of rock, perfect for a cheeky seaside break.” [**Read the full article**](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/best-places-to-stay-in-the-uk-vz5nq7x0q?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate has a new co-working space, **Ramsgate Works**, which **opens on April 1**. The Heritage Lab Ramsgate project has rejuvenated an historic building in Charlotte Court and turned it into the kind of space creatives and remote worker professionals will want to use. Hotdesks and memberships available, and you can book a tour of the place if you fancy too. **For more information head to** [**ramsgate.works**](https://www.ramsgate.works/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Want stage mums and child prodigies? The always popular **Margate Assembly** will host its first kids edition at **Off Licence, on April 5** at the child friendly time of 12-2pm. The line up includes four young music makers as well as a handful of members from the utterly charismatic Margate Children’s Choir. **Donation on the door**, with profits going to Margate Youth Pride. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/madeirawaterfall.png) Ramsgate’s Madeira Walk Waterfall will start flowing again soon. Photo: Thanet District Council **Repair work** has begun on **Ramsgate’s Madeira Walk Waterfall**, which has been out of action since 2022\. In the first phase, the ponds will be drained, with plants cut back and invasive species removed. Work to repair leaks in the pond will be carried out, before the power and control system is overhauled and feature lighting added. Work is expected to be completed before the summer season. [**Find out more**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/work-starts-to-repair-ramsgates-madeira-walk-waterfall/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Yet another job alert: Margaux in Margate** is looking for a fashionista with women's retail experience up their sleeve. The role is part-time and includes working weekends. If you’re keeping up with trends and like talking to people, send your CV to [hello@margauxhome.co.uk](mailto:hello@margauxhome.co.uk). Now that the sun is shining, it’s time to get on your bike. **Col’s Kent Bike Tours** will hold a **group ride** that is suitable for families and new riders on **Tuesday, March 18**. If you don’t have a bike, don’t worry, free bike hire is available. Meet at The Bike Shed at Margate train station at 6.30pm to feel the wind in your hair and the setting sun on your face. **For more information and to sign up go to** [**@thebikeshedkent\_margate**](https://www.instagram.com/thebikeshedkent%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Who would like to see a bunch of middle aged men, one in red jocks and a crab suit, potentially leg it while holding amps and a drum kit when their **top secret guerrilla gig** gets closed down? Here’s your chance. **Margate band Crabs** will launch their new single Make Margate Shit Again on **Saturday, March 29** **at 4pm** at a very top secret location, which will be announced on the day. [**Join their WhatsApp group**](https://www.instagram.com/crabsband/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to find out where to head. **And one more job alert: Bombo Donuts** in Margate’s Old Kent Market is looking for a helping hand. There’s free donuts in it, but that’s likely not the only perk. Send CVs to [hello@bombodoughnuts.com](mailto:hello@bombodoughnuts.com). **Xylo in Margate’s quiz** returns on **Thursday, March 20**. It’s a sharp 8pm start, with teams of up to 6 people. Play for beer, play for pounds, play for free entry next time round, play for glory. £2 a head, and **reserve your table at** [**booking@xylowbrew.com**](mailto:booking@xylowbrew.com) **or over the bar**. Not your quiz? [Try one of these quizzes instead](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/lets-get-quizzical-thanets-best-pub-quizzes/). **Two of Ramsgate’s shuttered up shops will welcome in new residents.** **Godessa Jewellery** takes on the former Stanley’s Goldsmiths site on **Harbour Street**, while a multi-use space will also open up on Harbour Street. **Silvers Show Bar** is a cocktail bar and event space on one level and the Silver Slipper dance school in the basement. **Costume Storage** will make up the third level. The excellent **Joan As Police Woman** is coming to the **Quarterhouse in Folkestone on Saturday, April 12**. It’ll be an intimate solo set, showcasing her latest album Lemons, Limes & Orchids, as well as material from her extensive back catalogue. [**Tickets £25**](https://www.creativefolkestone.org.uk/whats-on/melting-vinyl-joan-as-police-woman/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Old Curiosity Shop in Broadstairs** is hosting a **quiz for charity**. This one is on **Wednesday, March 26 at 6.30pm**. It’s £5 a head and money will go towards Pie Factory Music, which you’ll know (if you read this week’s feature) are hoping to buy their purpose built youth centre. **Denai Moore**, author of Plentiful - Vegan Jamaican Recipes To Repeat, **comes to Louie On Sea on Sunday, April 13** to cook up a feast for one night only. Dee’s Table Supper Club will plate up a **five course meal** of the likes of saltfish tostadas, crispy oyster mushrooms and a miso caramel chocolate mousse. [**Tickets are £43**](https://www.deestable.com/event-details/plentiful-by-the-sea-at-the-turner-contemporary?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZpzxcLlFGrbODecLjFVWZhj-Bs%5FnHGiw8D4IZwe8GrWHHzAIHLQl%5F2EGE%5Faem%5FV-VaZiR5E0FqPViZC4wpYw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate smoked BBQ joint **Smoke & Co** **are opening a Margate site** and bookings are now open. Seatings start from Friday, April 4, so [**book away**](https://www.smokeandco.co.uk/book-a-table?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for burgers, ribs, bagels, wraps and wings. **Crimp** returns to **Oast Bakery** for another atmospherically lit evening of pies. This third rendition takes place on **Monday, April 14**. It’s **£40 a head** and vegetarians can be catered to - vegans and gluten free folk alas will have to skip this one. [**DM to book**](https://www.instagram.com/crimp%5Fmargate/https://www.instagram.com/crimp%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/telescope-7015088_1920.jpg) Learn all about telescopes at Discovery Planet. Photo: Jacqueline Macou/Pixabay ## ICYMI - previous tipped events happening in the next week Ramsgate’s Discovery Planet will be offering children and adults the chance to get to grips with and learn more about telescopes today. Hourly sessions run between 10am and 3pm. Legendary disco DJ collective Horse Meat Disco will take over The Lido in Margate tonight. [Sold out but try for returns](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Margate/The-Margate-Lido/Horse-Meat-Disco---MARGATE/40361038/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Grilled fish supper club Catch is back with its first event of the year. The team will be at Gather & (formerly Archive) in Ramsgate tonight. Places are £38 per person for a four course meal. [Sold out but check for last minute cancellations](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/catch-x-seabird-saturday-15th-march?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZZhhP6wmrpQAzGCYzKOWoCeyxiGV7LV8vbELEUUJHb1-vzE5wCC3-er0Y%5Faem%5FeUVYDnzBLL1MKhxWONLhjQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Palace cinema in Broadstairs screens more David Lynch movies this weekend, with Mulholland Drive on Sunday. [Tickets on sale now](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs’ Palace Cinema is also looking for volunteer ushers work from April to September, putting in two three hour shifts per month. The deadline to apply is Sunday. [Full details](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/palace-volunteer-ushers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate chef Billy Stock will be moonlighting at The Blue Pelican in Deal on Sunday. He’ll serve up a lunch featuring sharing plates, pickles and carefully paired wines. [Book a table](https://www.thebluepelican.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The first London Soundtrack Festival takes place March 19-26, with a programme including Q&As, screenings of films with intros from their soundtrack composers, masterclasses, and more. [Find out more and book tickets here](https://londonsoundtrackfestival.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Author and journalist ​​Jason Okundaye discusses his new book on the social history of Black gay Britain, Revolutionary Acts, at CAMP in Cliftonville on Thursday. [Book free tickets](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/revolutionary-acts-with-jason-okundaye-tickets-1263776642959?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1r0yee4%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTQ1OTM2MDQ3Ny4xNzQxMjY3NzYw%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AMTc0MTI2Nzc2MC4xLjAuMTc0MTI2Nzc2MC4wLjAuMA..&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Big Mad Andy's Peep Show Quiz is coming to Olby’s in Margate on Thursday. It’s [£10 a head](https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Margate/Olbys-Soul-Cafe/Big-Mad-Andys-Peep-Show-Quiz---Margate/40524159/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) and hosted by Liam Noble, aka the actual Big Mad Andy from Peep Show. Kent Whisky Explorers hosts an Irish whiskey tasting at Little Swift in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets £27.80](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/irish-whiskey-tasting-upstairs-at-little-swift-tickets-1225295956189?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Spring Sesh at Floc Brewing in Canterbury runs from Thursday to Sunday. Head down for session beers and the chance to win your round for free. [Details here](https://www.instagram.com/p/DG3PsQ%5FsiDt/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### The Dinosaur That Pooped illustrator: ‘Trust what comes out of the pencil’ URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/garry-parsons-trust-what-comes-out-of-the-pencil/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:11:43.000Z I’m speaking to illustrator Garry Parsons after he’s had a day of going in and out of Medway schools as part of World Book Day. He’s been drawing dragons and creatures with kids, with some sessions whole school assemblies of up to 400 children. It must be quite a feat to get that number of children drawing with focus, I ask. “Yes,” Garry laughs. “It’s a bit of a polarity,” he adds, explaining the gear change between the autonomous work of an illustrator and his draw-along workshops. “I go from being on my own for hours on end to talking to 400 children. It can be a bit crazy.” The workshops held on this particular day were based on The Dragonsitter series by Josh Lacey, and children were asked to create their own fantastical beast. “I give them tips on how to draw things like faces,” he explains. “The idea is to keep it simple, so they don’t get too hung up on being perfect and can just get their idea out. ![Art made in a draw-along session. Photo: Garry Parsons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_6164.jpeg) Art made in a draw-along session. Photo: Garry Parsons Garry continues: “Dots for eyes, a curve for a nose, then they add a hairstyle, which could be their own, and suddenly \[the drawing\] becomes them, which is just magic.” “You can get anything from a griffin to a hamster that might be too big to get through the double doors of the library,” he says about what kind of creatures children come up with. “The kids always come up with whacky ideas. “One of my favourites was when I was asked to draw an eyeball having a picnic in a park so I drew an eyeball eating cake.” ![Garry's hungry eye. Photo: Garry Parsons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_8476-1-1.jpeg) Garry's hungry eye. Photo: Garry Parsons When it comes to his own work, Garry says he usually has an idea about how an illustration is going to look in his head, “but how it transpires on the page is a different story,” he adds. “What I’ve learnt is, trust what comes out of the pencil. That often produces interesting results and that’s the bit of magic I like about drawing.” In his 20-odd year career, the Herne Bay local, who once thought he was due for a career in animation, has added warmth and colour to scores of beloved tales. This includes the George’s Secret Key to the Universe series, written by Lucy Hawkins and her famous astrophysicist father, The Who’s Whonicorn of Unicorns and A Daisy Story series, both by Kes Gray. He’s worked with some of Britain’s biggest children's authors including Dick King-Smith, Ian Whybrow, and Jeanne Willis. ![The smash hit series. Photo: Garry Parsons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_7633-1.jpeg) The smash hit series. Photo: Garry Parsons Garry's first book, Billy’s Bucket by Kes Gray, won The Red House Book Award in 2004 in the younger children category. However, Garry is probably most well known for The Dinosaur That Pooped series; a string of books about a boy and a tubby dinosaur who has an insatiable appetite for anything in front of him and the ability to expel floods of fecal matter that has become a worldwide hit - naturally. Written by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter of pop band McFly, the series has sold more than two million copies globally and is currently being turned into a live action show that will tour next year. Alas, Garry tells me he doesn’t have much to do with the stage show and therefore doesn’t know how the jet streams of poo will work on stage. He also didn’t have a hunch that the series would become so big, this staging issue would become a reality. “I had no idea how the series was going to turn out,” Garry laughs. ![This is not the dinosaur that will be used in the live action show. Photo: Garry Parsons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_8188-2.jpeg) This is not the dinosaur that will be used in the live action show. Photo: Garry Parsons “But I certainly think it started a genre of more tastefully gross topics for children’s books. It sparked a whole series of poop books in general and stories on the more…” he pauses as he searches for the right word, “‘domestic’ side of things.” Treading toilet humour’s fine line, Garry, who worked closely with Tom and Dougie to create the look of the dinosaur, remembers considering colour usage when he first began working on the series. “We wanted to be gross and funny, not gross, so \[the illustrations\] had to stay on a certain level so it didn’t take you anywhere too horrible.” His approach to the series’ gross out factor is to treat it with “as much humour as possible”. “When the animals are coming out,” Garry says, “being swooshed along in a wave of dinosaur poop; I like those particular spreads.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_8550-2-2.PNG) But it's not all dinosaurs and poo for Garry. Photo: Garry Parsons “In the Halloween book, where the werewolves and vampires are being flushed out and floating along in a pleasant, toffee coloured…” he trails off, “that was one of my favourites.” “I don’t want it to be gross. I want it to be funny,” he adds. “Humour is the most important part. “If you read these books out loud with kids, the part they enjoy the most is shouting out ‘poo’. It’s giving children license to say something a little big frowned upon by parents and a daring freedom, which is nice.” ![He can draw camp llamas also. Photo: Garry Parsons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/C8709CAB-63DD-4233-873B-184116965E3C-1-1.JPG) He can draw camp llamas also. Photo: Garry Parsons Away from the Dinosaur That Pooped series, one particular book which holds a special place for Garry is My Daddies!, written by Gareth Peter. “I’m very fond of it,” he says. “It’s a touching story about fathers as parents. “The book talks about children who are adopted, and that’s close to my heart because my kids are adopted. It’s written in a way that is very caring and loving, which is good. Fathers are a slightly neglected topic in picture books.” Indeed, a [recent study](https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2024/june/fatherhood-depictions-childrens-literature-bill-lewis/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) found that children’s books presented a “narrow view of fatherhood” with the role still stuck in traditional gendered parenting patterns, which risks reinforcing fathers playing a lesser role in family units. ![And brought life to Daisy. Photo: Garry Parsons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-01-09-at-13.19.15.PNG) And brought life to Daisy. Photo: Garry Parsons “Parents in picture books are often seen as buffoons or aloof when they appear,” Garry says. “Or they are busy tinkering in the garden shed and not actually taking a serious role in parenting, which certainly is not representative in many dads’ cases. “I do enjoy a book when a dad is shown to be a really positive parent figure.” *Garry will host two draw-along sessions today, Saturday, March 8 at The Whitstable Children's Festival of Books, which also features Margate author and illustrator Em Cosh. His workshops will be based on the Dinosaur That Pooped (10am) and Daisy and the Trouble with Unicorns (11.30am).* *The new literature festival for East Kent is co-founded by Tamara McFarlane of bookshop Tales on Moon Lane and who co-produces Margate Bookie’s children programming. Held at The Horsebridge Arts Centre, more information and last minute tickets are available here* [*thehorsebridge.org.uk*](https://thehorsebridge.org.uk/talks-events/whitstable-childrens-festival-books?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### News and things to do: Winter Gardens, Nerina Pallot, community hop growing URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-winter-gardens-nerina-pallot-community-hop-growing/ Last updated: 2025-03-08T07:01:00.000Z The team behind the refurbishment and reopening of **Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre** have been identified as the **preferred partner to bring Margate’s Winter Gardens back into use**. As well as regenerating the main venue, Westwood One Theatre Ltd hopes to add a theatre school, nursery, cafe/restaurant, rooftop bar and training centre to the complex, which closed in 2022\. Thanet District Council is expected to make a decision on the proposals later this month. [**More on the TDC website**](https://www.thanet.gov.uk/thanet-district-council-identifies-preferred-partner-for-margate-winter-gardens/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Nerina Pallot** has announced an **intimate solo piano show at Ramsgate Music Hall on Saturday, November 29** as part of her All Roads Leads To tour. “I’ve played the grand concert halls and the sticky-floored backrooms, and everything in between,” she says. “But the heart of music is connection – real, unfiltered, human. That’s what this tour is about. Finding the people who need these songs, wherever they may be.” [**Tickets £20**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/nerina-pallot/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Folkestone Wine Company** has [announced](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGleVxxM%5F5w/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) that it will **close at the end of May**, as its lease comes to an end. The restaurant has been featured in The Good Food Guide and a Time list of the UK’s best seaside eateries. Owners Polly Pleasance and David Hart have said that they **will return with a new project** in the future, but until then you still have **a few weeks left to sample their menu**. To mark International Women’s Day today, **Séte in Cliftonville begins a series of events celebrating women in hospitality**. Northdown Brewery co-founder Katie Spanjar talks beer today, 3-6pm. There’ll then be a vintage cutlery and crockery pop-up and lunch with Keepers Finds on March 15, winemaker Emile Wines taking over the bar on March 22, and a kitchen collab with Flossy Phillips on March 28-29\. [**More details**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGyTcCHIAiR/?img%5Findex=2&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Fancy growing your own hops? **Hop Along Thanet** is a community organisation that **encourages people to grow the vines in their gardens and allotments**, engaging in a Kentish tradition. Come harvest time in the autumn, your hard work will be turned into beer by Northdown Brewery. **Head to the HAT** [**Facebook page**](https://www.facebook.com/HopAlongThanet/) **or email** [**hopalongthanet@gmail.com**](mailto:hopalongthanet@gmail.com) **to find out more**. Wine and music festival **Low Margate** returns for its second year on **July 4-6**. Across more than 20 venues there will be tastings, live music, dinners, talks and more. The full programme is yet to be announced but [**tickets are available now for £30**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/avon77-low-margate-tasting-rooms-5th-jul-old-primark-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). That fee gets you access to the central tasting venues, plus discounts on official events. If you like the sound of that but would prefer it to be more beer focussed, then take a look at **Margate Tap Takeover**, which is also back for a second go. Taking place on **April 4-6**, it will team up 14 venues with top independent breweries. The full line up is TBA but we do know that Off Licence will be pouring Pretty Decent Beer Co, Streets will have Hand Beer Co, and Big Shot will be paired with Hackney Church Brew Co. [**Follow on Instagram for more updates**](https://www.instagram.com/margate%5Ftap%5Ftakeover?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). What? You want a drink even sooner than that? Okay, head over to the tap room at **Floc Brewing in Canterbury** between **Thursday, March 20 and Sunday, March 23 for Spring Sesh** \- a celebration of session beers. As well as Floc’s own, there will be guest beers on tap from a range of breweries. Also, each time you go to the bar you’ll be given the chance to win your round for free. [**Details here**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DG3PsQ%5FsiDt/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/IMG_2450.jpeg) Become a counter usher at the delightful Palace Cinema. Photo: Strange Tourist **Broadstairs’ Palace Cinema** is looking for **volunteer ushers**. There are five places up for grabs to work in the venue from April to September, putting in two three hour shifts per month. Successful applicants will be trained up and given a torch. **The deadline is Sunday, March 16\.** [**Full details**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/palace-volunteer-ushers/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Author and journalist ​​**Jason Okundaye** discusses his new book Revolutionary Acts at **CAMP in Cliftonville on Thursday, March 20**. The book is a social history of Black gay Britain as told through the lives of seven men. Okundaye will be interviewed by writer and broadcaster Emma Dabiri. [**Book free tickets**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/revolutionary-acts-with-jason-okundaye-tickets-1263776642959?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&%5Fgl=1%2A1r0yee4%2A%5Fup%2AMQ..%2A%5Fga%2AMTQ1OTM2MDQ3Ny4xNzQxMjY3NzYw%2A%5Fga%5FTQVES5V6SH%2AMTc0MTI2Nzc2MC4xLjAuMTc0MTI2Nzc2MC4wLjAuMA..&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Radio** will mark its **fifth birthday** with a party at **Cliftonville Community Centre on Saturday, March 29 from 7-11pm**. Jah B, Paul Camo, Felicia Buena, and Jerry & Raggamuffin will DJ. Drinks will be provided by Big Shot and Northdown Brewery, with food on offer from Jack Goldstein and the International Food Centre. [**Tickets £10**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/margateradio/1611653?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The **Port of Dover Regatta** is set to return this year on **July 12-13**. As well as boat races and other sea-based displays, you can expect live music and a range of food and gift stalls. [**The full line up will be announced in the coming weeks**](https://www.portofdover.com/corporate/about/regatta/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Angela’s in Margate Old Town** will be hosting a **one night only menu collaboration** between its own Rob Cooper and Will Devlin from Michelin Green Star restaurant The Small Holding. There will be two sittings at **5.30pm and 8.30pm on Tuesday, April 1**. Places are **£70** and will raise funds for training kitchen A Perfect Place To Grow. **Email** [**info@angelasofmargate.com**](mailto:info@angelasofmargate.com) **to book**. **Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Theatre** has just announced that it will be hosting five performances to the stage production of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s **Stick Man from Tuesday, September 30 to Thursday, October 2\.** [**Tickets £15**](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/stickman/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you want some live Julia Donaldson fun sooner than that, the theatrical version of [**The Detective Dog**](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/the-detective-dog/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **is on April 8-9**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/03/Harriet-Kemsley-1.jpeg) Catch Harriet Kemsley at Ark in Cliftonville tonight. Photo: United Agents ### ICYMI - previous tipped events happening in the next week Stand up comedian Harriet Kemsley performs at Ark Cliftonville tonight as part of POW Thanet. Also performing are Helen Hackerty and Amber Topaz. [Tickets £15](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/powerofwomenthanet/1553346?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). My Neighbour Totoro transfers to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London’s West End today. It is set to run until Sunday, November 2\. [Tickets on sale now](https://totoroshow.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Bedford Inn hosts a tasting afternoon today, 3pm-5pm. [£35 per person](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thebedfordinn/1582977?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Phil 'Swill' Odgers from legendary folk rock band The Men They Couldn't Hang at Ramsgate Music Hall tonight, in aid of local charities. [Tickets £17](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/phil-swill-odgers-bobby-valentino/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Whitstable Children’s Festival of Books is on at the Horsebridge Arts Centre today. Lots of fun sessions with top authors and illustrators. [Tickets still available](https://www.talesonmoonlane.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Catch a screening of art film From Here On at Dover Museum on Sunday. [Tickets are free](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-here-on-film-screening-in-dover-tickets-1232984813769?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Broadstairs’ Palace cinema continues its David Lynch season, screening Blue Velvet at 7pm on Sunday. [Tickets £9](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/blue-velvet/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Community Cinema hosts a screening of Chuck Chuck Baby followed by a Q&A on Sunday at 2pm. Entry is free for young people aged between 15 and 25, or £3.50 if you’re older. See the first two episodes of the upcoming second series of Bridget Christie’s excellent sitcom The Change on the big screen at BFI Southbank in London on Wednesday. [Tickets £17](https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam%3A%3AWScontent%3A%3AloadArticle%3A%3Apermalink=change-tv-preview-qanda&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYo-6B1F2KHu-OTBl3Ji0mKEd-RFBfIm2tN-PqK8hN1fCA59b5V3KKAI0g%5Faem%5FhczIoWsb9MmIdPlppN24yg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Join a Wild Life Drawing at Margate’s Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, where you’ll be drawing a group of rescue greyhounds. [Places are £35](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/71514/wild-life-drawing-greyhounds/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), with a tenner donated to Kent Greyhound Rescue. Breakbeat pioneer Krafty Kuts will be DJing at Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday. [Tickets are £22.66](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/g5pp7p-krafty-kuts-all-night-long-28th-feb-ramsgate-music-hall-ramsgate-tickets?dice%5Fid=4742515&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1396081767591713977&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1Q9IS0syTDZMMTNITbWvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBADWFhaWOwAAAA%3D%3D). Dub Pistols are playing Dover’s Booking Hall on Friday. [Tickets £20](https://good-show.co.uk/events/1591?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Electronics takes place at Margate Arts Club on Friday. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/23965/margate-electronics-7?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### 'Old dried up prunes' take the stage in a playful protest against ageism URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/moving-memory-creative-director-sian-stevenson-the-piece-is-about-saying-sod-off-we-deserve-a-break/ Last updated: 2025-03-13T16:07:25.000Z “It does things to you,” says Sian Stevenson, Creative Director of Moving Memory, as she describes the luxurious gold four poster bed made for the company’s show Golden Slumbers. “Liz \[White, Set Designer\] has made it so sumptuous. You get in there and think ‘no one has been this nice to me in years’.” The bed is the hero stage piece in Golden Slumbers, a show that explores the unthanked domestic and emotional graft made by women. It also builds on the Welsh notion of cwtch (pronounced cootch) - a kind of super hug that envelops you in love and comfort. The Folkestone-based theatre company, which challenges preconceptions of ageing, brings the show to Margate on Saturday, March 8, as part of POW Thanet’s Decade of Dissent festival. Golden Slumbers expands on themes already explored by the company in previous shows. “Ideas for new shows grow from old shows; you will see echoes as we go,” explains Sian. It’s a conscious decision, she goes on to say, because issues around misogyny “continue to occur”, and as they age, the ensemble revisit ideas from slightly different perspectives. Both political and personal, and performed by older women, the show’s roots go back to Covid times and revisits themes of ageing and death. Although Moving Memory has dealt with these subjects “from the beginning”, Sian says they became more relevant when two company members - the oldest and the youngest - were diagnosed with lymphoma. “I was struck that despite all the health issues, company members were running around like blue-assed flies looking after others. I was aware of how little value was put on emotional and domestic labour and was seeing women - primarily women - do all the donkey work. It’s invisible, it’s not celebrated.” ![The performance builds on the Welsh idea of cwtch. Photo: Moving Memory](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/GOLDEN-SLUMBERS--MOVING-MEMORY--2.jpg) The performance builds on the Welsh idea of cwtch. Photo: Moving Memory The performance’s press notes describe the show as exploring the “endless cycle of labour”, which brings to mind the point in life when a mother is still working, still rearing children but now also looking after elderly parents and relatives. While only partially accurate, Sian says her mum, who was from a Welsh background and who died not long ago, impacted the work. “For me, my mum influenced \[Golden Slumbers\] a lot,” Sian says. “She was a midwife, worked nights, and she raised five children. She provided endless care and logistical sorting. “But we work with women who don’t have children and I see the same in them in terms of sorting friends, others’ children, whatever. There’s a sense of, if you don’t do that, you’re a bad woman.” It’s a universal story that women carry out the lion share of unpaid work. Globally, women carry out around 75% of all unpaid work, committing more than four hours a day to caring and domestic work, as well as household chores. In the UK, women do 60% more unpaid work than men, with the economic value of unpaid care work alone estimated to be around £184 billion per year. “The piece is about saying, sod off, we deserve a break,” Sian says. “All that unpaid labour that is done by women - a lot of men are having a laugh, and if we didn’t do it, the economy would fall flat on its face.” Sian has more than 35 years working as a choreographer and director, and left her lecturing role at University of Kent two years ago to work on Moving Memory full time. She set up the company in 2010, after she became “aware of a lack of older women centre stage”. “At the same time, my dad was dying of cancer and I saw how he was treated both in hospice and in the NHS and I became aware of ageism in all its forms. And as an older woman and as a performer, I began questioning where the older bodies and older stories were,” she adds. ![Moving Memory challenges preconceptions of ageing. Photos: Moving Memory](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Golden-Slumbers-3-1.jpg) Moving Memory challenges preconceptions of ageing. Photos: Moving Memory A University of Kent associate company, Moving Memory was set up following a project between the university and a care home. “At the care home, I met a very lovely couple,” Sian recalls. “The woman was in the very late stages of dementia and she was visited every day by her husband. “I was struck by the tenderness of these people and the huge amount of stories we’re not hearing.” While Sian says Moving Memory “honours those stories via the core company”, over time the company’s work has become autobiographical. Indeed, Golden Slumbers draws directly from the performers’ experiences - some of whom have been with the company from the beginning. Of the seven core ensemble members, three or four original members remain. Aged between 52 and 92, and trained up to be professional performers by Sian, the women all come from non-traditional theatre backgrounds, with ex-teachers, designers and secretaries amongst them. “It’s a very tight ensemble,” she says. “They've grown up together for 13 years - their relationships are very close.” The combination of personal experience and political drive runs through Moving Memory’s heart, with performers’ stories used as a starting point in the rehearsal room. Following the success of that very first care home project, Sian had intended to start touring. However she became “incredibly frustrated” by “unspoken resistance” to the idea that a show performed by older women could put “bums on seats”. Knowing there was an appetite for the ensemble’s work, Sian says she “didn’t expect it”, adding: “I thought ‘sod it’ and I created works for the street.” “I thought how do we overcome this ageism and misogyny \[and the idea of\] why do we want to see an old dried up prune at the heart of the work,” she adds. “All the work we do is in response to that.” ![And the company brings untold stories to the stage. Photo: Moving Memory](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Golden-Slumbers-4-1.jpg) And the company brings untold stories to the stage. Photo: Moving Memory This initial resistance also opened up a creative opportunity for the company. After touring one of their early shows, Cracking The Crinoline, guerilla-style across Kent, the South East, London and Paris, working in public and community settings became one of the company's central principles. “People were just not seeing themselves represented,” Sian says. “On the streets, we met people from non-traditional theatre backgrounds and it was really exciting. Now our work is about reaching these so called hard-to-reach audiences, about creating a practice and a programme that is accessible to all. “It’s not a prescriptive approach. It’s about what are the stories you want to tell. It’s about empowering and giving agency to our participant movers and makers so they are the producers of the work - they’ve got the juicy stories.” In fact for Golden Slumbers, the core company is joined by ‘The Glories’, an ensemble of women who have participated in Moving Memory’s Groovin Well workshops. These movement-based sessions are held in the “hard-to-reach” communities around Kent, and as a gradual development over time, participants have had the opportunity to work alongside the core performers. Moving Memory doesn’t just challenge the public’s perceptions of ageing - setting up the company has changed Sian’s own perception of ageing. “I was challenged by an older tea dancer, who pulled me up short and sent me back to question myself,” she says. “I’m very glad they did because it has led me down a different path of working with older people. I find older women so interesting and such a joy.” ***Moving Memory brings Golden Slumbers to Margate as part of POW Thanet on Saturday, March 8, at Ark 10am and at Turner Contemporary at 2.30pm and 3.30pm. The workshop (10.30am) following the Ark performance is suitable for all ages. Tickets are free and can be booked at*** [***powthanet.com***](https://www.powthanet.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### News and things to do: Cherry blossom, a festival of the senses, a sneaky movie and more URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-cherry-blossom-a-festival-of-the-senses-a-sneaky-movie-and-more/ Last updated: 2025-03-01T07:00:48.000Z **Work has begun** to transform the **former Marks & Spencer building on Margate High Street** into East Kent Colleges’ new **Margate Digital campus**. Empty since 2017, the building’s repurposing has been made possible with over £7 million of funding from the government’s Levelling Up and Town Deal funds. It will deliver **courses in subjects including animation, TV and film production, and app design** to up to 300 students per year. The facility is expected to open in time for the 2025 autumn intake. The **Royal Shakespeare Company**'s award-winning stage production of **My Neighbour Totoro** transfers to the **Gillian Lynne Theatre in London’s West End** on Saturday, March 8\. It is set to run until Sunday, November 2\. [**Tickets are on sale now**](https://totoroshow.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). It’s **Pancake Day** on Tuesday, and if you don’t fancy flipping them yourself at home, French chef **Geoffrey Papin is taking over Thao Thao in Margate’s Old Town** for the day, renaming it Le Rendez-Vous. **From 9am to 9pm, he’ll be serving up savoury galettes and sweet crêpes.** Margate chef **Billy Stock** will be moonlighting at **The Blue Pelican in Deal** on **Sunday, March 16**. He’ll be serving up a lunch featuring sharing plates, pickles and carefully paired wines. [**Book a table**](https://www.thebluepelican.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Catch **Bach Reimagined at Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Theatre tonight**. The show is a collaboration between the brilliant **James Wilton Dance** company and Canadian cellist **Raphael Weinroth Browne** \- an athletic ballet with pulsating, distorted cello. [**Tickets £15**](https://thegulbenkian.co.uk/events/bach-reimagined/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Palace Cinema in Broadstairs** begins a **series of David Lynch movie screenings** this weekend, showing **Eraserhead** **on Sunday night**, March 2\. **Blue Velvet follows on March 9**, and then **Mulholland Drive on March 15 and 16**. There will be coffee and doughnuts served too. [**Tickets on sale now**](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Josie-Long-Matt-Crock.jpg) Josie Long returns to Margate this autumn. Photo: Matt Crock A long way off, but forgive us for being excited, because **Josie Long is coming back to Margate** for the first time in ages. Eight years, I reckon. She will perform her new show Now is the Time of Monsters at **Where Else on Wednesday, October 29**. Like I said, a way off. But [**tickets are available now**](https://dice.fm/event/7dv87b-josie-long-now-is-the-time-of-monsters-29th-oct-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **and cost £20**. The **Ramsgate Through the Senses Festival** returns this spring, aiming to excite your sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. The full programme is yet to be announced, but it will include food, music, theatre, and more. It’s set to take place on **April 12 and 13\.** [**More info**](https://www.ramsgatefestival.org/through-the-senses?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). TKE Studios’ current artist in residence **Ziah Ziah** will perform her first show in the role on **Saturday, March 22**. Combining sound, music, film, and sculpture, the performance will draw on her fifteen years as a hairdresser, marking her transition into a full time artist. She’ll be joined on stage by producer Geoffrey Pain and saxophonist Jorja Chalmers - both excellent in their own right. [**Tickets £13.70**](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/ziah-ziah-live-at-tke-studios?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZpHgDiwpwrJzs79VFka5%5FYes1H51VeAM2VVcXVqMWnIodLU540ONspZKA%5Faem%5FDU4IXykiHucKrPQZuQRJwQ&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **London's** **Tate Modern**’s new exhibition on the life and career of the multi-hyphenate **Leigh Bowery** is now open and runs until the end of August. The show features a collection of Bowery’s costumes, as well as collaborations with other artists, including Fergus Greer, Nick Knight and Lucian Freud, and a look into how he blurred the boundaries between art and life. [**Full details**](https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/leigh-bowery?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Sam Amidon** will play **Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday, May 9**. The folk musician recently released his ninth studio album, Salt River. [**Tickets £22.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/sam-amidon/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Kent Whisky Explorers** will be hosting an **Irish whiskey tasting at Little Swift in Margate on Thursday, March 20** \- coming just after St Patrick’s Day. There will be five different whiskies to sample, showcasing the variety in what Ireland has to offer. [**Tickets £27.80**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/irish-whiskey-tasting-upstairs-at-little-swift-tickets-1225295956189?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/DSC_3072.jpeg) Get under the blossom at the Brogdale Collections. Photo: Strange Tourist **Brogdale Collections**’ always delightful **Hanami Festival** takes place on **April 12-13** this year. Go and **enjoy a picnic under the cherry blossom** at its peak, take part in the various activities on offer, and then have a wander around the living archive of fruit trees. [**Book your spot**](https://brogdalecollections.org/event/hanami-blossom-day/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Following a triumphant show at **Margate Lido** last year, **Deerhoof** are coming back to do it all over again. They will return to the venue on **Wednesday, July 30**. The last one was a sell out, so don’t wait around. [**Tickets £22.87**](https://dice.fm/event/dkbgbe-deerhoof-30th-jul-the-lido-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Community Cinema** has announced three **free screenings for young people** this month. **Peanut Butter Falcon will be shown today at 2pm**, with **Chuck Chuck Baby set for Saturday, March 9** and **Unicorns on Saturday, March 22**. Entry will cost nothing for those aged between 15 and 25 - everyone else is welcome on a pay-what-you-can basis (suggested donation £3.50). [**Further details**](https://kentfilmfoundation.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Faversham foodie wonderland **Macknade** has announced that its **Beer & BBQ Fest** will be back this summer on **Saturday, June 28**. As well as beer and barbecued food, there’ll be live cooking demonstrations, live music, kids activities and more. [**Tickets are £12**](https://macknade.com/products/beer-bbq-festival-2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (under 18s free). **Sneaky Sneaky Film Club** returns to the **Tom Thumb Theatre on Friday, March 7**. What film are they showing? Well, that would be telling. Also, we don’t know. That’s the point. You turn up and take your chances on whatever mystery flick has been selected. As an added bonus/consolation, your **£10 entry fee** also gets you access to **unlimited popcorn**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/SQUID-by-Harrison-Fishman--2024--5.png) Squid play Margate's Lido tonight. Photo: Harrison Fishman ### ICYMI - previous tipped events happening in the next week Squid play Margate Lido tonight in support of their excellent new album Cowards. [Tickets are £23](https://dice.fm/event/pyvaww-squid-1st-mar-the-lido-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols will be playing a solo show at Ramsgate Music Hall tonight. [Tickets are £27.50](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/glen-matlock/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Parallel Action will be playing a two hour DJ set at Ramsgate wine bar and kitchen Seabird tonight. [Booking advised](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The tenth edition of Thanet’s Power of Women festival begins on Sunday and runs in venues across Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs until the end of the month. [Read our interview with CEO Rosanagh Fuller](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/international-womens-day-2025-pow-thanets-rosanagh-fuller-we-wanted-to-reflect-on-our-past/) and head of [powthanet.com](http://powthanet.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to book tickets. The GATHER wedding fair takes place around Thanet this weekend. It has [various events](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/gather/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) that sound like fun even if you’re not planning to get hitched. Classes begin later this month, but new students can enroll on the next term of Screaming Alley and Pat Riarchy’s drag class at The Pub on Wednesday from 6-7pm. [DM for more info](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGQq0ndRq3E/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Poetry slam Babeslam returns to Where Else on Wednesday. Previous winner Cassie O’Connor headlines. [Tickets £7.52](https://dice.fm/event/g5ng7p-babeslam-5th-mar-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ramsgate Noise Institute presents an evening of experimental music on Thursday at Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate. [Entry is free](https://www.instagram.com/p/DF-qsTfsWBA/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian converts Piccadilly Circus in London into a cosmic playground from Thursday to Saturday. [Find out more](https://artoflondon.co.uk/art-after-dark?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Wave Pictures play Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday. [Tickets are £20](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/the-wave-pictures/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### POW Thanet's Decade of Dissent a reflection of festival's past says CEO Rosanagh Fuller URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/international-womens-day-2025-pow-thanets-rosanagh-fuller-we-wanted-to-reflect-on-our-past/ Last updated: 2025-03-13T16:05:54.000Z Thanet celebrates International Women's Day for the full month of March, thanks to the Power of Women festival, which returns to our coastline March 1-31\. Marking its 10th anniversary, this year's festival looks at the evolution of women and their creativity in society and where they are heading, under the theme a Decade of Dissent. With a line up of music, visual arts, comedy, performance and film, the festival is also an opportunity for POW Thanet to take a beat and look back at the festival's past and its place within feminism and the pursuit for equality for women, girls and non-binary people, as the festival's CEO, Rosanagh Fuller explains. ![Rosanagh Fuller, CEO of POW Thanet. Photo: POW Thanet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Rosanagh-s-headshot-1.jpg) Rosanagh Fuller, CEO of POW Thanet. Photo: POW Thanet **How did POW come to decide on this year's theme and how does it follow on from 2024's Restival?** 2025 is our 10th anniversary of running an annual multi-arts festival celebrating International Women's Day. We wanted to reflect on our past, and how it sat within the wider history of feminism and the fight for gender equality, celebrate our present and our place within a really special community of creativity and activists, and reflect on the future - where is gender equality heading? How can we ensure equity in areas such as technology and climate action for new generations? 2024's Restival really highlighted the weight of women's labour, the legacy of our predecessors who fought for workplace equity, rights for carers and discussions around unpaid work. Gender equality impacts all facets of life so we wanted to explore the idea of women's creativity and place in society yesterday, today and tomorrow. ![Dance Dance Dance's short film, Swan Lake in a bath. Photo: POW Thanet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/DanceDanceDance-SHorts_SWAN-LAKE-IN-A-BATH.png) Dance Dance Dance's short film, Swan Lake in a bath. Photo: POW Thanet **With a Decade of Dissent, what is the overall picture POW is presenting?** POW Thanet began with 20 women gathering in a room to discuss how Thanet could creatively celebrate International Women's Day. We now engage over 20,000 people with live and digital events and content each year. Our mission is to show how the arts and culture have the transformative power to make the world more equal. Our history is rooted in a wider narrative of women gathering, creating something out of nothing, collaborating, discussing and bringing awareness to issues impacting women and girls. Today we're opening up themes of gender equality for all ages and genders showing how culture impacts our society and vice versa. ![Jessica Lauren's Rhythms of Resistance. Photo: POW Thanet](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Jessica-Lauren_Rhythms-of-Resistance.jpg) Jessica Lauren's Rhythms of Resistance. Photo: POW Thanet **Why is dissent important in the fight for equality?** The cost of living crisis, funding cuts and a woeful lack of services, resources and ambition mean things are getting worse - women in Thanet live 10.2 years less than the UK average and we have the highest rates of rape, sexual assault and domestic abuse in the county. We're in the top 10% most deprived in the country and one in three children live in poverty. We have to be loud, get visible and draw attention to gender inequalities in our community and beyond. POW convenes businesses, venues, creatives, community organisations and residents to come together to bring about change. Women, girls and non-binary people are simply not prioritised in our society yet we know that if gender equality is achieved, everyone benefits. We work with our community to creatively find ways to challenge perceptions, attitudes and ways of being. ![POW 2023 Festival. Photo: Cemanthe McKenzie](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/POW-2023--Credit_-Cemanthe-McKenzie-4-.JPG) POW 2023 festival. Photo: Cemanthe McKenzie **Dissent has punky connotations. Creatively and artistically, is this always the case? How can dissent play out in art?** It really does and we're inspired by the feminist history of using creativity to convey messages of equality. Our recent schools project saw children learn about art in protest with local artist Karen Vost - from the Suffragettes to Greenham Common, art has been used to create humour, empathy, shock and action when fighting for our rights and freedoms. Women creatives receive very little funding, recognition or sector support and are often caregivers, neurodivergent or disabled. We want to show that while grassroots art and activism is important, policy change, sector support and statutory changes are needed for women and non-binary creatives to be truly valued in society. ![POW 2023 festival. Photo: Shannen Lythgoe](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/POW2023---Credit_-Shannen-Lythgoe-2-.jpg) POW 2023 festival. Photo: Shannen Lythgoe **What can people expect from POW on Tour?** We worked with theatre maker Susan Crothers at the 2022 IWD Festival and she has developed her show Troubled which is a 60 minute one woman show about love, death and division told with tea and biscuits. A key aim of this project is to encourage tangible change in the understanding of mental health conditions, such as BPD, as well as awareness of the impact of the Troubles for Northern Irish/ Irish individuals and communities. We're really excited to be supporting Susan with three stops on her UK tour. Plus, we'll be hitting the road and raising awareness of social isolation at different summer festivals across Thanet so keep your eyes peeled! ![POW 2022 festival. Photo: Frances Beach](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/POW-2022_-Credit-Frances-Beach-1.jpg) POW 2022 festival. Photo: Frances Beach **What are some of the events you're most looking forward to in this year's festival?** Scary Little Girls are bringing menopause-themed cabaret to Margate, we've got a gorgeous jazz trio led by Jessica Laurens for our headline music gig, and an impactful exhibition on Maiden, Mother, Crone by artist Rebecca Strickson. Plus we've got our own Decade of Dissent exhibition featuring the story of POW, a mixer event for Creative Professionals and lots of dance performances, workshops and shorts. Age Against The Machine is a panel talk on ageism and creativity, plus screenings of some seminal feminist docs and new shorts created by local young people. We've got comedy from Harriet Kelmsly and Helen Heckety and we're kicking off the month with Screaming into the Void - a beachside collective screaming workshop to vent our rage at the inequalities of the world. There's something for everyone and we've got free tickets for young people and those on no income. Plus we've got new sweatshirts and I can't wait to see the whole of Thanet wearing them in solidarity! Great art needs to be funded and this is a visible way for people to show their support. *POW Thanet runs March 1-31\. For more information or to book tickets, visit* [*powthanet.com*](https://www.powthanet.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ### News and things to do: Drag classes, wild life drawing, costume sell-off URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-in-thanet-drag-classes-wild-life-drawing-costume-sell-off/ Last updated: 2025-02-27T18:01:57.000Z We all know how delightful **The Margate Bookshop** is, so it’s no surprise they have been chosen as **a regional finalists for the the British Book Awards Independent Bookshop of the Year award, again**. In fact, it’s their fifth time at this rodeo. While you can just leisurely peruse the shop’s titles, look out for their book clubs and book related events too. **Ramsgate Festival of Sound** has announced that it is shifting its dates this year, taking place on **September 12-14** instead of over the August bank holiday weekend as in previous years. The team **will also be collaborating with other events over the summer** \- [look out for updates on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/ramsgatefestivalofsound/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Grilled fish supper club Catch** is back with its first event of the year. The team will be at **Gather & (formerly Archive)** in **Ramsgate on Saturday, March 15**. Places are **£38 per person** for a four course meal.[**Book now**](https://www.seabirdramsgate.com/store/p/catch-x-seabird-saturday-15th-march?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZBh9GFZkIAYidS35EUFoCKF8oj840Ll66WJayWvahs8nK0fDuDSkyAWzo%5Faem%5FkP%5FwMIXy93CjUeFoL5usdA&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Pomus** has announced a tasting evening with **English winemaker Matt Gregory** on **Thursday, February 27**. There will be five wines to try, as well as snacks provided by Pomus. Places are **£45 per head**. **Email** [**enquiries@pomus.co.uk**](mailto:enquiries@pomus.co.uk) **to book**. Do you like drinking wine and making stuff? Head to **Margate Creatives’ next Art Bar event at Bar Nicoletta in Cliftonville on Thursday, February 27**. From **6pm to 10.30pm** the space will be given over for crafting, reading, writing or whatever creative endeavour you like. [**Pre-order a bottle of wine to secure your place**](https://barnicoletta.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Queer Ramsgate Social** is back at wine bar **Penelope** on **Thursday, April 3**. The bar will be open from 6.30pm for wine, snacks and queer socialising. **Power pop duo ARXX** will play **Ramsgate Music Hall** on **Thursday, June 19**. The duo’s live shows have gained them a strong reputation, with Loud Women saying that they will “thrill \[you\] to the bone.”[**Tickets £16.50**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/arxx/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/the-change-C4-banner.jpg) Get a sneak big screen preview of Bridget Christie's The Change. Photo: Channel 4 The second series of **Bridget Christie**’s excellent **sitcom The Change** will be out later this year. You can **get an early peek** (and on the big screen too) at **BFI Southbank in London on Wednesday, March 12\.** [**Tickets £17**](https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam%3A%3AWScontent%3A%3AloadArticle%3A%3Apermalink=change-tv-preview-qanda&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYo-6B1F2KHu-OTBl3Ji0mKEd-RFBfIm2tN-PqK8hN1fCA59b5V3KKAI0g%5Faem%5FhczIoWsb9MmIdPlppN24yg&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Want to get into drag but don’t know where to start? **Screaming Alley and** **Trudi Jackson - aka Pat Riarchy** \- are here to help with **Screaming Mary's Drag Class**. The **four week course** runs upstairs at **Ramsgate’s Queen’s Head** pub from **Wednesday, March 12**. New students can **enrol at The Pub on Wednesday, March 5 from 6-7pm**. [**DM for more info**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGQq0ndRq3E/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up **comedian Stevie Martin** will be **filming her new show Clout over two performances at Where Else in Margate on April 7-8**. The first is already sold out, but you can still [**grab £15 tickets for the 8th**](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/6dmgr2-stevie-martin-clout-live-recording-8th-apr-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Space** has identified a **number of vacant commercial properties** on Harbour Street. **Suitable for retail, hospitality and gallery mixed use ventures**. [Get in touch](https://www.instagram.com/ramsgate%5Fspace/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) for more information. Green thumbed and crafty? **Foliage in Ramsgate** is hosting **terrarium workshops** on **Saturday, March 22 and Saturday, May 10**. Both sessions start at **10.30am and are £45**, which includes everything for your glass garden and a drink for yourself as well. **Call or text Keely on 07784249702** to save a space. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/P1031307--2-.jpg) A lovely spot for some quizzing. Photo: Seabird **Seabird** is gearing up for spring. The **Ramsgate wine bar has two quizzes on the cards**. The first, **Wednesday, February 26**, with the following quiz taking place a month later on **Wednesday, March 26**. Book via the website, and it’s £2.5 per head. The venue has also launched **a lunch set menu**, available Wednesday to Friday, 12pm-3pm. It’s **two or three plates for £16/£24**. The team is also buddying up with Catch for the March 15 supper club. Life drawing is great and all, but you can be pretty sure the model won’t get distracted and start shouting at a passing bicycle. If you see that as a negative, why not try **Wild Life Drawing**? Classes that feature actual animals as the subjects. Having run in London for some time, they’re now coming to Thanet. The first class will see **a group of rescue greyhounds posing for you**. It takes place at **Margate’s Fort Road Hotel on Thursday, March 13\.** [**Places are £35**](https://wildlifedrawing.eventcube.io/events/71514/wild-life-drawing-greyhounds/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), a tenner of which will be donated to Kent Greyhound Rescue. New film **From Here On** captures performances of a physical theatre piece about displacement, movement and being forced to find a new home, **created by award-winning theatre companies Good Chance and Gecko**. Catch a **free screening at Dover Museum**, as well as a short film from recently-arrived young people in Dover and Folkestone, and a Q&A with the creative team and cast. It’s on **Sunday, March 9 and** [**tickets are free**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-here-on-film-screening-in-dover-tickets-1232984813769?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Margate’s **multi-venue new music showcase festival On Margate Sounds will return on Saturday, May 3**. No word yet on the line up, but previous years has seen then emerging acts including Yard Act, Squid, Du Blonde, Warmduscher, Divorce and O. [**Sign up to the Where Else mailing list**](https://whereelse.eo.page/signup?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) to be the first in the know on this year’s bill. If you’re at a loose end **today,** the **Royal Albion Hotel in Broadstairs** is hosting a number of **Blues Bash workshops**, and they are **free**. At 10am, there’s a slide blues guitar session, with a fingerstyle guitar sesh following on at 11am. Pull out your harmonica at 12pm, and the day will finish off with a songwriting workshop at 1pm with Richard Townend. You’re welcome to listen, or join in with your own harp, harmonica in C or guitar. Head to the hotel’s dining room. Looking for a hospitality gig? **Reign bar in Broadstairs is looking for bar and waiting staff as well as chefs and kitchen crew**, with full time positions available. **Email** [**hello@reign.bar**](mailto:hello@reign.bar) for more info. **Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Theatre** is having a wardrobe clearout and **selling off a stack of costumes**. Head to the Colyer-Fergusson Hall in the Gulbenkain Arts Centre **this weekend 10am-2pm** to find something glorious and at a bargain. Money raised will support the centre’s work with children and young people. Card payments only. ![Iraq War demonstration, as part of Turner Contemporary's Resistance. Photo: Andrew Wiard ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/10.-Andrew-Wiard--Demonstration-against-the-imminent-invasion-of-Iraq-by-Stop-the-War-Coalition--the-Campaign-for-Nuclear-Disarmament-and-the-Muslim-Association-of-Britain--15-February-2003----Andrew-Wiard-reportphotos.com.-Courtesy-of-Andrew-Wiard..jpg) Iraq War demonstration, as part of Turner Contemporary's Resistance. Photo: Andrew Wiard ### ICYMI - previous tipped events happening in the next week The new exhibition at Margate’s Turner Contemporary opens today. [Resistance](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/resistance/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) is curated by film director Steve McQueen and examines “how protest shaped Britain and photography shaped protest.” Queer House Party is at Margate Arts Club tonight, hosted by Taali Not Charlie and Lori Mae. [Tickets are £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24757/queer-house-party-does-margate-again?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). French singer-songwriter Laura Cahen performs at Cliftonville’s Tom Thumb Theatre tonight, close to where she recorded much of her latest album De L'autre Côté. [Tickets cost £10](https://www.musicglue.com/lauracahen/events/2025-02-22-laura-cahen-at-tom-thumb-theatre-tom-thumb?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Punk band Blyth Power will play Ramsgate Music Hall in aid of local charities Arts In Ramsgate and St George’s Community Meal. [Tickets are £15](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/blyth-power/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Tracey Emin’s TKE Studios will be hosting a live recording of Russell Tovey and Robert Diament’s Talk Art podcast on Sunday at 5pm. Sold out but [check for returns](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/tke-studios-presents-life-is-excellent?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wine consultant Natalie Suta - aka Wine Rocks - hosts a wine tasting evening at Fort Road Hotel on Thursday. [Places cost £38.62](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/love-in-a-glass-an-evening-of-award-winning-wines-tickets-1213476554039?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Artist Dr Melanie King and astronomer Dr Claudia Mignone launch new exhibition In Praise Of Raw Data at Salon in Cliftonville on Thursday from 6pm. Musician Clementine Blue will perform live. [Full details](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFpqPD-Myft/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### February 2025 half term survival guide URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/february-2025-half-term-survival-guide/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T10:11:56.000Z It was only Christmas about seven minutes ago, and now somehow the kids are back at home again. Have you planned what to do with them? Hell no! Not with all the going to work and having to feed the family and all that. Who has the time to found out what’s going on? We do, that’s who. This is your guide to the best events on offer during the February half term. We’ve broken it down by location and tried to cover a range of age groups, budgets and interests. We’re hoping this removes as much thinking for you as possible for you. As well as events in Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, we’ve also dug around what’s going on out in the further reaches of East Kent, and picked a few choice events up in London too. Because a 90 minute train ride is an activity, right? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/reign-abarintos-jMFo7nlYpUc-unsplash-1.jpg) Make some insect friends at Windmill Gardens. Photo: Reign Arbarintos/Unsplash ## Margate **Bug Week at Windmill Community Gardens (Mon, Wed-Fri)** Learn all about bugs through a variety of games and activities. Each session focusses on a different type of bug. *Dane Valley Road, CT9 2SH. 10am - 12pm, Feb 17, 19-21\. All ages.* [*Free*](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/margate/windmill-community-gardens-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Year of the Snake at the Shell Grotto (Mon-Fri)** Complete a free worksheet celebrating the Chinese year of the snake as you explore the Shell Grotto. *Grotto Hill, CT9 2BU. Feb 17-21, 11am - 4pm, Feb 17-21\. All ages.* [*Free with admission*](https://www.shellgrotto.co.uk/events?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Margate Pride medal workshop at Turner Contemporary (Wed)** As part of LGBT+ History Month, the Turner Contemporary is hosting this workshop to make a medal inspired by activism or social change. *Rendezvous, CT9 1HG. 10am - 12pm and 1pm - 3pm, Feb 19\. All ages.* [*Free*](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/margate-pride-medal-workshop-with-charlee-piper-for-lgbt-history-month/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Scalextric racing at WonderWorks (Thu-Sun)** Fancy yourself a Scalextric champ? Put your skills to the test at WonderWorks, with a chance to win a set worth £149.99 and other prizes. *Westwood Industrial Estate, CT9 4JX. 10am - 2pm, Feb 20-23\. All ages.* [*£2 entry fee*](https://www.wonderworksmargate.co.uk/event/scalextric-racing/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Half Term upcycling session at Waste Will Save Us (Fri)** Take something old and turn it into something new, using fabrics, stencils and paints. Stay for *the full session or just drop in.* *UpMargate, The Centre, CT9 1JG. 12pm - 3pm, Feb 21\. All ages.* [*£20 per person*](https://www.wastewillsaveus.com/product-page/21st-feb-12-3pm-half-term-upcycling-session-with-wwsu-x-margate-art-therapy?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/ivan-diaz-dTVYuKG4n-8-unsplash-1.jpg) Fly in to see the lego exhibition at RAF Manston. Photo: Ivan Diaz / Unsplash ## Ramsgate **Bricks at the Museum at RAF Manston History Museum (Daily)** See an amazing collection of Lego displays and join a Lego figure hunt to win a prize. *821 Manston Road, CT12 5DF. 10am - 3pm, Feb 15-23\. All ages.* [*Free with admission*](https://www.rafmanston.co.uk/event/bricks-at-the-museum/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Ramsgate Harbour on the High Street at Discovery Planet (Tue, Wed)** On Tuesday, design and build a boat from junk modelling materials. Wednesday's drop-in sessions will have a variety of activities to demonstrate harbour skills and find out about maritime employment opportunities. *47 High Street, CT11 9AG. 10am - 2pm, Feb 18-19\. All ages.* [*Free*](https://www.discoveryplanet.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Circus workshop at Centenary Hall (Wed)** These workshops hosted by This Bean Spins are loads of fun. Kids will get to learn circus skills, play games, be put inside a bubble, and have an LED hula hoop disco. *Hardres Street, CT11 8QP. 2pm - 3.30pm, Feb 19\. 6+.* [*£10 per child*](https://www.thisbeanspins.com/service-page/half-term-circus?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **The Micro Museum (Sat)** This vintage computer and retro gaming museum is very briefly opening its doors today, before closing them again until April, so be quick! Combine your visit with one to the neighbouring This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete. *11 Church Hill, CT11 8RA. 1pm - 4pm, Feb 15 & 22\. All ages.* [*£6 per person*](https://www.themicromuseum.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/revolution.jpg) Hone those skateboarding skills. Photo: Revolution Skatepark ## Broadstairs **Kinder Crafts at Kinder Collective (Daily)** Children’s clothes shop will offer craft making and activity sheets throughout half term. *8 Nelson Place, CT10 1HQ. 9.30am - 4pm, Feb 17-23\. All ages.* [*Free*](https://www.kindercollective.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Bookmark making workshop at The Old Curiosity Shop (Mon-Fri)** Free drop-in bookmark making workshops to keep the kids occupied with you sit and drink six coffees. *9 Harbour Street, CT10 1ET. 2-4pm, Feb 17-21\. All ages.* [*Free*](https://www.instagram.com/p/DEasWK7s7YG/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Skate & Scoot Camp at Revolution Skatepark (Mon-Fri)** Helmet up and hone those skateboarding and scooting tricks, as well as other activities. *Oakwood Industrial Estate, Dane Valley Road, CT10 3JJ, 11am - 3pm, Feb 17-21\. 7+.* [*£30 (day)/£100 (week)*](https://www.revolutionskatepark.co.uk/skatepark-lessons?ref=strangetourist.co.uk#skate-scoot-camp)*.* **Book readings and activities at The Happy Reading Bookshop (Wed-Sat)** Various authors, including Isadora Moon writer Harriet Muncaster, will be at the Happy Reading Bookshop to read from their stories, lead creative activities and sign their books. *Staple Store, 30a Reading Street, CT10 3AZ. Various times, Feb 19-22\. Various age groups.* [*£5 per child (includes book)*](https://www.happyreading.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Olaf-Falafel.jpeg) See Olaf Falafel at Faversham Literary Festival. Photo: Alan Powdrill ## East Kent **Bushcraft Experience at Wildwood (Daily)** Try your hand at bushcraft and learn more about the animals that live at Wildwood. *Canterbury Road, Herne, CT6 7LQ. 11am - 12.30pm and 2pm - 3.30pm, Feb 15-23\. All ages.* [*Free with admission*](https://kent.wildwoodtrust.org/events-experiences/february-half-term/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Half Term History Makers at Dover Castle (Daily)** Enjoy some Victorian-style screen time with Happening History's lantern show, revealing how moving pictures were first shown over 100 years ago. *Castle Hill Road, Dover, CT16 1HU. 10am - 4pm, Feb 15-23\. All ages.* [*Free with admission*](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/dover-castle-half-term-history-makers2/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Mischief at the Museum: The Bugs That Came Too at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge (Daily)** Solve six interactive Bug-themed puzzles to be in with a chance of winning £100 worth of Curzon cinema vouchers. *18 High Street, Canterbury, CT1 2RA. 10am - 5pm, Feb 15 - Apr 21\. All ages.* [*£6 per entry*](https://canterburymuseums.co.uk/events/mischief-at-the-museum-the-bugs-that-came-too/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Various activities at Monkton Nature Reserve (Tue-Fri)** Monkton has lots of outdoor activities for children of different ages over half term, including craft, learning about animals, making mud cakes and more. *Canterbury Road, Monkton, CT12 4LH. Various times, Feb 18-21\. Various age groups.* [*£5-10 per child*](https://monkton-reserve.org/events/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Faversham Literary Festival (Fri-Sun)** The Faversham Literary Festival has a great programme of kids and family events over two weekends. We highly recommend booking in to see the funny, archaic and a bit rude Olaf Falafel. *Various venues in Faversham. Various times, Feb 21 - Mar 1\. Various age groups.* [*£8 per person*](https://www.favershamliteraryfestival.org/programme/flf-children-family?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/8.-Inside-Making-Egypt-at-Young-V-A-in-Bethnal-Green--which-runs-from-15-February---2-November-2025---David-Parry-courtesy-of-Victoria-and-Albert-Museum--London.jpg) Discover ancient Egyptian creativity at the Young V&A. Photo: David Parry ## London **Making Egypt at Young V&A (Daily)** The Young V&A’s new exhibition explores ancient Egyptian creativity and its influence on art, design and popular culture today. *Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PA. 10am - 4pm, Feb 15 - Nov 2\. All ages.* [*£10 per person*](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/making-egypt?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **The Robot Zoo at the Horniman Museum (Daily)** Robotic animals and interactive exhibits will teach you how everything from grasshoppers to chameleons get their amazing real life powers. *100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ. 10am - 5.30pm, Feb 14 - Nov 2\. All ages.* [*£9.75 adults, £6.50 children*](https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/robot-zoo/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Nadia Shireen’s Monster Funfair at Discover Children’s Story Centre (Daily)** Characters including Billy and Fatcat, The Bumblebear, and the animals from Grimwood come to life in this magical interactive exhibition. *383-387 High Street, Stratford, E15 4QZ. 10am - 3pm, Feb 14 - Mar 3\. Under 8s.* [*£5 per person*](https://discover.org.uk/event/monster-funfair/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* **Imagine Festival at the Southbank Centre (Tue-Sun)** There’s an amazing array of shows and workshops at the Southbank Centre’s annual children’s festival. *Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. 10am - 4pm, Feb 18-23\. Under 11s.* [*Tickets £0-16*](https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/imagine/imagine-festival/?view=all-events&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### News and things to do: Car park raves, Sugababes, POW URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-car-park-raves-sugababes-pow/ Last updated: 2025-02-15T07:00:50.000Z **Margate Creative Land Trust** has nabbed the former **St George’s Garage** on **Harold Road**, and have plans to turn it into a **new creative workspace**. It’s the trust's first site, and they’ve enlisted architects IF DO to turn the 30,000 sq ft space, which includes three industrial units and a forecourt into a space, into a space that works for various creative practices. **IF Do will also lead on meanwhile uses**, while the Trust is in talks with several ‘lynchpin’ organisations as potential residents. **The Barbican** is turning one of its **car parks** into a **pop up club for spring and summer**. The car park club is held in conjunction with the centre’s **Feel the Sound exhibition**, which looks at the noise and vibrations that shape life and the environment. In addition to the 11 commissions and installations, Irish pop-up rave makers Temporary Pleasure will turn Car Park 5 into Joyride - an **aural experience made with modified car sound systems**. **Runs May 22-August 31\.** **Chump’s Comedy’s** first mixed bill for the year is a winning line up, literally. It features, **Rob Copland, Marty Gleeson, Rohan Sharma and Paul Hilleard**, who all won various awards last year, including BBC New Comedy Award, the Victoria Wood Award and LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year. Head to **Where Else? On Wednesday, March 26, 7pm.** [**Tickets £15**](https://dice.fm/partner/chumps-comedy/event/dkw36o-rob-copland-marty-gleeson-rohan-sharma-paul-hilleard-26th-mar-where-else-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=5206060&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=Chump%27s+Comedy&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1418928223121361157&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=Chump%27s+Comedy&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1fdKS7Y0NDMxSTNKSbWvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2ydc4oys9NBQCGkCInOwAAAA%3D%3D)**.** **Sugababes and Melanie C** are set to play **Dreamland on Friday, September 12**. Subscribe to the Dreamland newsletter before 10am, Thursday February 20 for presale tickets or wait until tickets go on general release the following day. [**Ticket**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/sugababes/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **prices are yet to be announced**. **Roni Size is coming to Faith in Strangers** in Cliftonville on **Saturday, April 26**. He'll be playing a two hour DJ set at the venue, which will definitely be one not to miss. [**Early bird tickets are £23**](https://ra.co/events/2103495?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Margate Arts Club has announced punk art duo Pink Suits will take over the venue from next year.** They’ll spend this year learning the ropes while planning for a big 2026\. Expect the same inclusive, welcoming and varied club nights, with the addition of more performance nights, film nights, food nights and relaxed hangs during the week. ![The Turner is just one place open for a gander as part of The Coastal Venue Trail. Photo: Manu Palomeque](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Empty-Foyle-Room--credit-Manu-Palomeque--1-.jpg) The Turner is just one place open for a gander as part of The Coastal Venue Trail. Photo: Manu Palomeque **Little Simz** has been announced as the **curator of this year's Meltdown Festival at London's Southbank Centre**. It'll be the 30th edition of the event, and this year will run from June 12-25\. **The line up will be announced in the spring.** Like pizza? Like plants? **Foliage Plants in Ramsgate** are now serving up **stone baked pizza, Friday, Saturday and Sundays from 11am**, with takeaway also available. Head to the High Street for a margarita, and a Swiss Cheese plant on the side. **Margate children’s author and illustrator Em Cosh** brings their first book, **Kip and the Squiggledoodle** to the **Whitstable Children’s Festival of Books.** Head to **The Horsebridge, 11 Horsebridge Road, Whitstable, CT5 1AF on Saturday, March 8 from 2pm-3pm.** [**Tickets, £7.50**](https://www.talesonmoonlane.co.uk/product/squiggledoodle-story-time-with-em-cosh/20?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You can also [pre-order the book](https://www.happyreading.uk/product/kip-and-the-squiggledoodle/1843?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **The Pop-up Bookshop hosts the next Broadstairs Book Fair on Sunday, April 13** at **the Pavilion Broadstairs** and will feature the works of many Thanet writers. If you are a local writer and would like to get involved, tables are £10 and you can share with another author. **Email** [**popupbookshopkent@gmail.com**](mailto:popupbookshopkent@gmail.com) **for more info or to book.** **POW Thanet turns 10 this year and runs all through March, 1-31.** Bringing us a decade of dissent, programming focuses on gender equality - where we’ve been, where we’re at and where we’re heading. With more events to be announced, picks include the screening of Rebel Dykes (March 9) and a discussion on aging, technology and social change, and where the three meet (March 9) a night of music from Thanet’s next generation of musicians (March 6) and another night of shorts from upcoming filmmakers ( March 13) and a dance piece looking at women’s cycles of labour by Moving Memory, a dance-theatre company working with older people (multiple dates). **Book and peruse events** [**powthanet.com**](https://www.powthanet.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) ![Pop icons the Sugababes come to Dreamland in September. Photo: Dreamland](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Dreamland-Margate_Drone.jpeg) Pop icons the Sugababes come to Dreamland in September. Photo: Dreamland **Ramsgate wine bar and kitchen Seabird** has put two new DJ dates in the calendar. Head to the Addington Street venue for cocktails and small plates, trip hop and cinematic tunes **Saturday, March 1 and Friday, April 25\. Bookings advised.** You don’t have to be in the market for a wedding venue, for this one, even though it’s the brainchild of **GATHER 2025 wedding fair**. As part of GATHER, **The Coastal Venue Trail** is a kind of open house for some of Thanet’s most stunning venues (and ones which are available for weddings) - **it’s your chance to take a look around and take a long walk**. Held over **March 1-2 weekend, from 11am-4.30pm, venues include Turner Contemporary, Fort Road Hotel, Faith in Strangers, Quex, Pierremont Hall, The Albion House and the Chapel House Estate. You can** [**download a map** ](https://turnerc-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/02/12103225/Coastal-A3-Map-for-website-REWORK.pdf?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**and full list of participating venues.** To be fair, **GATHER** sounds quite weird and glorious itself - **would you like to make streamers**, or learn how to scent your event? Perhaps you’d like to pipe a cake or decorate a candle or try your hand at embroidery? Listen to some live music? Why not. Head to the **Turner on Saturday, March 1, 11am-4.30pm**, whether you’re getting hitched or not. **GATHER is free, some sessions may** [**require tickets**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/gather/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **NāMAKA at Stone Beach Bay will reopen on April 4** at The Hut, and stay open for all of the Easter Holiday for sandy family days. **Babeslam** returns to **Where Else on Wednesday March 5**. A) Turn up and watch, B) If you’re a babe - that’s every kind of girlie babe-identifying babe - who has a way with words, sign up for one of the **six open mic spots** quick. Previous Babeslam winner Cassie O’Connor headlines. **Tickets £6 or £8 on the door**. Share the love today, **Saturday, February 15, with Arts in Ramsgate’s Valentines family fundraiser**, held in **partnership with United Together**. Join in on card-making, face-painting, cake decorating and a singing workshop. Grab some homemade cakes and baked treats while you’re at it. F**unds raised will go directly to a family in Gaza** \- Esam, Manar and their two children Habeeba, 5, and Hour, 1\. The money will go towards food, supplies and help the family rebuild their lives. **Drop by Arts in Ramsgate, 46 High St, CT11 9AG from 2pm-5pm.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/WhereElse-Sign2024-013046A4013.jpg) Babeslam will be back at Where Else next month. Photo: Joe Lang **Dory’s** in Margate thought that **Margate Restaurant Week** was the craic, so much so, the fish-forward gaff has launched a lunch **set menu, available Thursday to Monday, alongside its a la carte menu**. It’s £24/£28 for two or three courses. Dory’s sister restaurant **Angela’s** also wants you to know they do a weekday **set lunch**, school holidays excluded. This one is also £24/£28 for two or three courses. **Bedford Inn** puts on a **wine tasting afternoon Saturday, March 8, 3pm-5pm**. Quaff, swill and swirl six wines, with nibbles provided. [**£35 per person**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thebedfordinn/1582977?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate Noise Institute** presents an evening of experimental music on **Thursday, March 6, 7pm-9.30pm**, which sees three artists and musicians will share their sounds **Head to Unit 2, St Lawrence Industrial Estate, CT11 0QZ**. Entry is free, and it’s bring your own booze. **Folkestone Documentary Festival** is **open for submissions**. Taking place on **October 22-26**, you’ve got until **March 9 to** [**submit**](https://filmfreeway.com/FolkestoneDocumentaryFestival?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) your short, mid length or full length documentary. ![The Albion Rooms are also on The Coastal Venue Trail. Photo: Strange Tourist](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Albion_Rooms_landscape.jpg) The Albion Rooms are also on The Coastal Venue Trail. Photo: Strange Tourist ### ICYMI - previous tipped events happening in the next week Margate’s Bomba Doughnuts opens a second outlet in Whitstable’s pop-up market shop We Sell By The Sea today. They’ll be offering half price doughnuts to mark the occasion. T33n\_Angst's Valentine’s Disco will be playing love songs all night at Margate Arts Club tonight. The twist is that the tracks will get progressively faster, rising to 170bpm by closing time. [Tickets £7](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24635/t33nangsts-valentines-disco?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The deadline to enter this year’s East Kent Photographic Competition is Sunday. Entry is free and there are various categories for children and adults. [Full details](https://www.thanetcoast.org.uk/projects-and-issues/east-kent-coast-photographic-competition/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Experience the Sunday Papers Live at Park Village in West London on Sunday. There will be talks, arts and crafts, pub quizzes, music and stalls. [Tickets are £20](https://www.sundaypaperslive.com/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk), with the option to add a roast lunch. Secondhand clothing market She Sells By The Sea will be at Cinque Ports in Margate on Sunday. Rifle through vintage and pre-loved clothing and accessories, then grab a beer or two and some hot snacks. Sooshi Sushi is hosting sushi making workshops at Cliffs in Cliftonville this week. For kids aged 7-11, the class is on Sunday and costs £15\. The adult workshop takes place on Wednesday and costs £45\. Email [sooshisushi@outlook.com](mailto:sooshisushi@outlook.com) for more details. Singer-songwriter Anna B Savage will be returning to Where Else in Margate on Wednesday night. [Tickets are £17.26](https://dice.fm/event/7d697b-anna-b-savage-19th-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Stand up comedian Paul Foot will perform his critically acclaimed show, Dissolved at Olby’s on Wednesday. [Tickets £18](https://dice.fm/event/wwvoxx-paul-foot-dissolve-19th-feb-olbys-creative-hub-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Pride will be raising funds for this year’s edition with an LGBT+ History Month Special Legendary Quiz & Raffle on Thursday night at Margate Arts Club. [Tickets £10](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24666/margate-pride-quiz-raffle-lgbt-history-month-edition?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Open > Project: Session is a new monthly meet up for bedroom music producers to connect with other creatives in East Kent. There will be a launch party at The Ballroom in Canterbury on Thursday. [Full details](https://www.instagram.com/p/DE751PDg6gu/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Comedian Joey Page will be performing at Justine’s in Margate on Thursday. [Tickets are £12.50](https://dice.fm/partner/ruby-raphael/event/k6x668-joey-page-20th-feb-justines-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Faversham Literary Festival kicks off on Friday, running through to Saturday, March 2\. Speakers include Miranda Sawyer, Zandra Rhodes, and Michael Rosen. [Check out the full programme](https://www.favershamliteraryfestival.org/programme/2025?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Thanet's Alternative Valentine’s Day Guide URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/alternative-valentines-day-guide-2025/ Last updated: 2025-02-08T08:00:03.000Z Valentine’s Day is coming up fast. Have you made plans? Sure, you’ve booked a table at a restaurant you can’t really afford. Perhaps flowers are involved. Jewellery? All the classics. Of course, you may not have planned anything at all. Maybe you forgot. Or you don’t have a significant other. Or you just don’t want to fall in with convention. You don’t have to have a reason at all, it’s fine. But this year February 14 falls on a Friday, so you should go out anyway. If you’re looking for something to do that doesn’t quite fit the traditional options, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of events that leave room for you to be think-out-of-the-box romantic, completely cynical, or just attempting to maintain ignorance of the whole thing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/2R9A7663.jpg) Man/Woman/Chainsaw headline Where Else. Photo: Ella Margolin ### Man/Woman/Chainsaw at Where Else A noisy teenage art-punk band with a name I assume is a reference to Carol J. Clover’s book on the horror film genre from a feminist perspective sounds like the perfect Valentine’s night out. They’ve even got a violin player, and violins are the most romantic musical instrument. Whatever, let’s stop awkwardly trying to bend this to a theme, Man/Woman/Chainsaw are one of the most exciting new bands around right now. A definite must see. *Where Else, The Centre, Margate. Doors 7pm.* [*Tickets £12.40*](https://dice.fm/event/pymavl-manwomanchainsaw-14th-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Lonely Hearts Club Jam Night at Messiah Riff Audio Making music with other people is one of the most fun things you can do with your clothes on. Or off. I assume that clothes on will be expected here though. Margate recording studio and rehearsal space Messiah Riff Audio is inviting anyone at a loose end to grab their instrument and head down for a fiddle about. *Messiah Riff Audio, The Centre, Margate. 7pm onwards.* [*£5 suggested donation*](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFcTa3yIyHZ/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Craig Richards: Lovers Ball (All Night Long) at Faith In Strangers Fabric’s resident DJ Craig Richards is being let out for the night to play an all night set at Faith In Strangers. Expect slow dances throughout. No, obviously not. Although the title suggests an evening of romance, you should be ready for a sweaty night of getting down to one of Richards’ alway legendary tech house sets. *Faith In Strangers, Ethelbert Crescent, Cliftonville. 9pm doors.* [*Tickets £22.50*](https://ra.co/events/2043857?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/long-truong-Y5PXVs1LpY4-unsplash.jpg) You could be dancing, yeah. Photo: Long Truong/Unsplash ### A Complete Unknown at Palace Cinema Sure, the cinema is a pretty classic date night venue. What you’re forgetting though is that the big Valentine’s Day movie release this year is the new Bridget Jones movie. No shade on anyone planning to go and see that, but I assume that any cinema showing it will be a nightmarish hellscape. Instead, why not go to one where the only movie showing will be this biopic about a selfish and egotistical man who proves himself to be a less than perfect romantic partner? Does some quite good music too. *The Palace Cinema, Harbour Street, Broadstairs. 7.30pm.* [*Tickets £9*](https://thepalacecinema.co.uk/production/a-complete-unknown/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Lovers Dance at Olby’s Lovers of all kinds are welcome at this night of soul, reggae, lovers rock, afrobeats and more, courtesy of DJ EL. Sure, there’s a romantic connotation in the billing, but maybe you’re just a lover of life. Or music. Or wool. No one’s going to ask at the door. It would help if you were a lover of getting a free glass of prosecco upon arrival, because that’s happening. And Mama’s Street Food will be serving up jerk wings, BBQ ribs and BBQ jackfruit until 10pm. *Olby’s, King Street, Margate. 8pm - 1am.* [*Tickets £8*](https://olbyscreativehub.co.uk/event/nuff-luv-presents-lovers-dance-14th-february-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Bricks at the Museum at RAF Manston History Museum Your idea of a perfect Valentine’s night might be sitting at home building Lego. That’s a perfectly valid thing to do, and don’t let anyone else say otherwise. You can get some inspiration for your big build at the new exhibition at the RAF Manston History Museum, which opens on February 14\. Entry is included with the standard museum ticket price. *RAF Manston History Museum, Manston Road, Manston. 10am - 3pm.* [*Admission £6*](https://www.rafmanston.co.uk/event/bricks-at-the-museum/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/jam-_LVxIR_qnJM-unsplash.jpg) Lego is love (or something). Photo: JAM/Unsplash ### Pitch Perfect workshop at Radford House Do you always struggle to find the right words, stumble over what you really want to say, feel like you’ve made a fool of yourself? Well, this workshop will help you to craft the perfect pitch for your events when trying to sell them to venues and audiences. Hot. You’ll come out able to tell anyone who’ll listen exactly why you’re a total catch. *Radford House, Effingham Street, Ramsgate. 12pm - 3pm.* [*Tickets £10*](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/loopingtheloop1/1533490?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Dyke Night at CAMP Cliftonville queer bar CAMP’s quarterly Dyke Night returns for its first edition of 2025 on Valentine’s Day. Have a sweaty good time while you drink and dance your heart out to DJs All The Lovers, Flinta, Real GC, Princess Worldwide, Sophie Stirling, and Kimberly Clarke. *CAMP, Northdown Road, Cliftonville. 8pm - 12.30am.* [*Free entry*](https://www.campmargate.com/events-at-camp/dyke-night-q1?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Indie Amnesty at Justine’s Just six weeks on from their big NYE party, the Indie Amnesty teams are back at Justine’s for a Valentine’s special. It’s a grubby indie disco like they used to have in the olden days, with Britpop, nu rave, dirty rock n roll and more on the playlist. Mainly those ones though. Go grab a pint of snakebite and black, then get ready to shout the lyrics to Girls & Boys at the ceiling. *Justine’s, Marine Gardens, Margate. 9pm - 3am.* [*Tickets £8*](https://www.designmynight.com/uk/whats-on/clubbing/indie-amnesty-margate-valentines-special?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabjK8URXaZNkHaX73vdUrqhg2gnogmQ2AAwG2%5FEJ-gCOcZGfOjW31czJ9w%5Faem%5FtcIYaswRUWSj26u-6tuOnw&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/CrabMuseum-2023-11-11.jpg) All prospective romantic partners must pass the Crab Museum test. Photo: Joe & Charlotte ### Crab Museum reopening Right, you’re all expecting that this is just in here so that I can make some crass jokes. Well, you’re wrong. You already made them all in your head and they weren’t that funny anyway. Honestly, you have really disappointed me. We just really like the Crab Museum and having taken a pretty luxuriant Christmas break, it will be back open again on February 14\. Not liking the Crab Museum is a major red flag, if you ask me. All first dates should happen there. *Crab Museum, Broad Street, Margate. 10am - 5pm.* [*Free entry*](https://www.crabmuseum.org/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### Where Else? Valentine’s Doubles Pool Tournament Let’s end where we began, because Where Else has not one but two events for you to attend on Valentine’s Day. Upstairs in the bar, the venue hosts a pool tournament on the last Thursday of each month. It’s breaking from its usual schedule to put on an extra doubles tournament on February 14\. There are no rules about your partner having to be a romantic one. Maybe they will become one during the tournament. Who knows? *Where Else, The Centre, Margate. 7pm start.* [*Free registration*](https://dice.fm/event/8epdw7-where-else-valentines-doubles-pool-tournament-14th-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?pid=bfdbd984&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1416022235782807374&utm%5Fmedium=partners%5Fapi&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1XdMTDRITbM0NkoxTLEvyEyxTUpLSUqxtDBRqytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsg1OTEssygQAKek4kUgAAAA%3D&ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### News and things to do: Harriet Kemsley, Sunday Papers Live, Lambrini Girls URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-harriet-kemsley-sunday-papers-live-lambrini-girls/ Last updated: 2025-02-10T12:47:57.000Z Stand up **comedian** **Harriet Kemsley** is coming to **Margate** for a special show at **ARK in Cliftonville** to mark **International Women's Day** on **Saturday, March 8 at Ark**. She will be supported by Helen Heckety, while Amber Topaz will MC the night. [**Tickets are £15**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/powerofwomenthanet/1553346?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). If you’re in **London on Sunday, February 16,** and up for a leisurely day, head to **The Sunday Papers Live** at their new venue, **Park Village, One Park Village East, Regents Park, NW1 7PX**. It’s like reading the paper, but better, with talks, arts and crafts, pub quizzes, music and stalls that bring all the classic weekend read segments to life. Doors open at 12.30pm, with the show running **1pm-9pm**, with talks between 1pm-6pm. [**Tickets from £20**](https://www.sundaypaperslive.com/tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**, and pre-order a roast (£21).** Tonight is **Record Roulette at Neptune’s Hall in Broadstairs**. It’s the night where anything could happen. Musically, at least. Who’s DJing? You are! It’s open decks all night. Just **turn up with five records** you deeply believe that a pub full of people need to hear and wait your turn. **Starts at 8pm, but get down early to ensure your name is on the list to DJ**. **Kate Bush** lovers can run up that hill to **Folkestone**, when **The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever returns**. On **July 20**, at Folkestone Harbour, donn your most romantic red threads to join in the mass performance of Wuthering Heights, or wear what you like to watch the spectacle. There’s dance practices in the lead up, but no doubt you can just turn up and twirl. **Follow** [**mostwutheringheightsdayfolke**](https://www.instagram.com/mostwutheringheightsdayfolke/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **for updates.** Alternatively, as previously mentioned, tickets are available now to take part at the [**Oval** **Bandstand in Cliftonville**](https://theovalbandstand.co.uk/oval-whats-on/the-most-wuthering-heights-day-ever-2025-margate?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)on **Sunday July 27 from 12pm**. **Creek Creative Studios** in **Faversham** will host an **Experimental monoprinting workshop on Saturday, March 1** with artist and The Margate School alumni **Erin Byrne**. **Suitable for beginners**, participants will play around with layering and blending marks and creating textures with a variety of techniques, as you create your own Kent nature-inspired artworks which you can then hang on your wall. **Running 11am-3pm, tickets are free, but there’s a £5** [**booking fee**](https://www.facebook.com/events/1653701552208813/)**. All materials are provided.** **Broadstairs wine bar, Salt** is hosting **acoustic live music** session **Softly Softly on Sunday, March 9**. Trot down between **3.15pm and 5.30pm** for a chilled afternoon of unplugged music, wine, cocktails and picky bits. **Tickets £5, book through** [**@softlysoftlyuk**](https://www.instagram.com/softlysoftlyuk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **Ramsgate’s Our Curated Abode**’s first **vintage market** was so good, they’ve announced dates for a second. Head to the DIY and Interiors store on **Addington Street** on the weekend of **March 29-30** for more preloved homey treasures. Punk band **Lambrini Girls** **released their debut album Who Let The Dogs Out** at the beginning of the year, gaining critical and public acclaim after a wait of several years. Now the album’s out though, what is there to look forward to? Oh, there are things, but most relevant is the band’s show at **Margate Lido**. You have almost the whole year to look forward to that, because it won’t happen until **Friday, November 21**. It’s going to be so much fun. [**Tickets are £16.50**](https://www.gigantic.com/lambrini-girls-tickets/margate-the-lido/2025-11-21-18-00?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/Lambrini-Girls_Press-Picture_WLTDO_1_16x9.JPG) Lambrini Girls will be living it up at the Lido in November. Photo: John Gottfried **French singer-songwriter Laura Cahen** has just released her third album **De L'autre Côté**, most of which was recorded in **Margate** with [**producer Mike Lindsay**](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/mike-lindsay-i-want-to-explore-with-no-real-rules/). Later this month, on **Saturday, February 22**, she will kick off a UK tour at **Margate’s Tom Thumb Theatre**. Supporting her will be the also great Alexander Carson. [**Tickets are £10**](https://www.musicglue.com/lauracahen/events/2025-02-22-laura-cahen-at-tom-thumb-theatre-tom-thumb?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Ready to bring the sunshine vibes, the latest act added to the line up of **Margate Summer Series shows at Dreamland** are extreme metal legends **Cradle Of Filth**. As many of you will know, the sound from these shows is crystal clear in parts of Cliftonville. Very excited to hear what our neighbours make of this gig. It’s set for **Tuesday, July 8\. Supporting will be Nervosa.** [**Tickets are £31.80**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/cradle-of-filth/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Coming up at **Salon** **in Cliftonville**, artist **Dr Melanie King** and astronomer **Dr Claudia Mignone** will launch new exhibition **In Praise Of Raw Data**. The collection of images highlight “the beauty of raw data artefacts resulting from cosmic interactions with telescope sensors.” There will be a launch event on **Thursday, February 27 from 6-9pm**, with a live performance from musician **Clementine Blue**. The exhibition will then run until **Tuesday, March 4\.** [**Full details**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFpqPD-Myft/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Speaking of **Salon**, the **gallery is currently raising money to repair its beautiful antique curved glass window**, which was recently broken.**"While we have insurance, there is a premium of £300 which we cannot afford,”** they explain. [**Throw in a quid (or two)**](https://salon-superstore.sumupstore.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Wine consultant **Natalie Suta** \- **aka Wine Rocks** \- has announced a **wine tasting evening at Fort Road Hotel** later this month. She’ll guide you through sipping **five award-winning wines and paired charcuterie**. There’ll also be a **wine-based quiz** where you can win a prize (hopefully wine). [**Places cost £38.62**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/love-in-a-glass-an-evening-of-award-winning-wines-tickets-1213476554039?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** A fun edition to your **Valentine’s Weekend** (absolutely not a thing) is **T33n\_Angst's Valentine’s Disco at Margate Arts Club** on **Saturday, February 15**. The playlist will be love songs all night. The twist is that **they’ll start slow but get progressively faster**. Those who make it to the end will be throwing shapes at 170bpm. [**Tickets £7**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24635/t33nangsts-valentines-disco?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). A date-night treat but also good for the gaggle, [**The Blue Pelican**](https://www.instagram.com/thebluepelicandeal/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **in Deal** has launched its **Cellar Bar**. **Open Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm**, it’s got cocktails and luxe small bites such as croquettes, oysters, pickles and other various gourmet picky bits. **Booking not required**. If you want to really brave the cold, [**Mental Health Swims Margate**](https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthswims%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) meet on **Sundays at Walpole tidal pool** for a chilly dip. **Meeting times change week to week**, with this **Sunday’s** bracing dip taking place at **9.30am**. Don’t forget to bring all your warm gear for after. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/02/IMG_1970.jpeg) Have a bracing Sunday morning dip. Photo: Strange Tourist ### ICYMI - previous tipped events happening in the next week Margate Pride’s programme of events for LGBT+ History Month continues. This week at CAMP, on Tuesday, there’s the talk, Me and HIV – An Intergenerational Talk About the Changes, Wins, and Struggles of Living. [Pay what you can tickets](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24657/me-and-hiv-an-intergenerational-talk-about-the-changes-wins-and-struggles-of-living-with-hiv?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The next Crimp supper club takes place at Oast in Cliftonville on Tuesday. Enjoy a four course India-inspired pie-based menu. Places are £40 per person. [DM to book](https://www.instagram.com/crimp%5Fmargate/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate-based artist Bianca Raffaella’s debut solo exhibition Flowers opens at the Flowers Gallery in London on Wednesday. [More details on the Flowers website](https://www.flowersgallery.com/exhibitions/604-bianca-raffaella-faint-memories/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Chump’s Comedy has two shows coming up in the next week. In Margater, catch [Catherine Bohart at Ark](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/pymkvl-catherine-bohart-again-with-feelings-12th-feb-ark-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) on Wednesday. Then at [Kiln in London](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/pyvp7l-chumps-suzi-ruffell-olga-koch-lou-wall-roger-osullivan-andrew-mensah-13th-feb-kiln-cinema-london-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) on Thursday, there’s a mixed bill show featuring Suzi Ruffell, Olga Koch, Lou Wall, Roger O’Sullivan and Andrew Mensah. Séte and Palms Pizza are teaming up for a night of pre-Valentine’s romance on Thursday night. Pizza, Viennetta and a Barry White tribute act are on the menu. [Book now](https://lu.ma/zzgjuecu?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Rakookoo and The Larder in Whitstable launch their new monthly curry club on Friday. It’s £38 per head and will be oh so worth it. [Book a table](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFD3G3itoMQ/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Looping the Loop is hosting Pitch Perfect - a workshop for performing artists and producers on crafting the perfect pitch - at Radford House in Ramsgate on Friday. [Tickets are £10](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/loopingtheloop1/1533490?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Hazen Vaughan, Great British Bake Off: 'You don’t see the chaos. People are stressed' URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/hazen-vaughan-great-british-bake-off-you-dont-see-the-chaos-people-are-stressed-2/ Last updated: 2025-03-17T13:32:42.000Z There’s a lot that goes into the feel-good, wholesome charm that Great British Bake Off exudes. While it may be free of the ruthlessness of reality shows such as The Traitors, behind the twee facade is a pressure cooker environment and a gaggle of really stressed home bakers. Westbrook local Hazel Vaughan found this out when she made it onto the Channel 4 show as one of the 12 contestants of last year’s 14th season. “You don’t see the chaos,” she says. “People are stressed.” The retired nail-technician found her way into baking through making her children’s birthday cakes. She missed out on a spot five years ago, after she was caught off guard by a phone call from the programme’s production team who wanted to quiz her on baking techniques while she was driving. This time round, Hazel was more prepared. She sent off the initial application form, then blitzed through the follow up questions, then Zoom meetings, which led to Hazel baking a loaf of bread and a cake in what looked like the toy oven she used to play with as a girl, complete with a ticking timer, kettle and firelighter. She then travelled to Wales, armed with her carriable Louis Vuitton bag cake and some fresh cream slices, where she was asked to do a blind technical - a Swiss cream roll. Medical and mental health assessments followed, and then finally, after all that, she received the call to say she had been whittled down to the top 12 out of 16,000 applicants. Again, Hazel was in the car. ![Hazel was selected from 16,000 applicants. Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/75228_1_S15_Ep1_-Embargo-0001-Tuesday-17th-Sept--The-Great-British-Bake-Off-Series-15-Ep1-1.jpeg) Hazel was selected from 16,000 applicants. Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon “I pulled up straight away,” she says, “and I just screamed. “I said ‘Oh my God’, and then I panicked.” From there on, Hazel says “it was all go, literally”. With a month lead-in before filming, the grandmother had to plan out nine weeks of baking, provide 18 recipes and include exactly how she was going to make each of them. Every recipe had to be her own or one that she had adapted. Hazel’s wearable Louis Vuitton bag made the list. She has baked “hundreds” of illusion cakes in her time, including Rolex watches with ticking time parts, a Bentley car and a remote controlled campervan which she made for her son’s birthday - driven out to him from behind the bar at Giorgios in Margate. However, it was her baked designer bag that saw the cake requests roll in, when she made it for the first time 10 years ago for her nephew’s then girlfriend. Another cake Hazel planned to show off to the viewing public was her Paris-Brest, a flaky ring of choux pastry filled with hazelnut praline cream and topped with sugared hazelnuts and flaked almonds. Hazel adds a chocolate Eiffel Tower to hers which soars out from the dessert’s centre. It’s one of the bakes she is most proud of. “It’s beautiful,” Hazel says. However, once in front of the cameras, things did not go to plan for Hazel. There was a burnt batch of jam on the first technical. During biscuit week, she had a run in with some butter while making her Viennese coffee and hazelnut wells, and she wasn’t able to pop her shortbread Punch and Judy Show - Hazel’s homage to family outings in Margate - into the fridge. It all added up and she was eliminated on the second episode. “I think once I had done something wrong, I just panicked, because I was behind everyone else,” Hazel says, reflecting on how she bowed out. ![Hazels with her 'new family'. Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/75228_S15_-Embargo-0001-Tuesday-17th-Sept---The-Great-British-Bake-Off-Series-15.jpg) Hazels with her 'new family'.Hazel Vaughn Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon “It’s more psychological, trying to keep cool and not panic,” she goes on, explaining the difference between baking at home and on the show. “But that’s difficult because you’ve got a cameraman coming up to you and asking, what have you done wrong? I felt like saying go away and leave me alone.” While Hazel never got the chance to show off her Paris-Brest, she did get to carry her bag cake by its handle to the judges during the first episode, which she says was a highlight of her time on the show. “Everybody cheered and clapped,” she says. “Then \[the judges\] tore my sponge apart. They said it was dry,” Hazel adds. “But my sponges are never dry.” Even though Hazel’s time on the show was brief, she felt her air time was even briefer - and when she did have the camera on her, she wasn’t portrayed as she had hoped. In particular, Hazel was asked why she baked designer bags, as she toiled away on her Louis Vuitton knock off. While detailing her collection, she told the crew she started collecting designer bags because her husband, an ex-London cabbie, “buys such awful presents, bless him” she tells me, adding: “So I decided a few years ago he could just get me a nice designer handbag - a Mulberry or a Louis Vuitton - and my granddaughters can choose one when they are 18.” ![Her Punch and Judy show was made with shortbread. Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/75228_2_S15_Ep2_--Embargo-2200-Tuesday-24th-September---The-Great-British-Bake-Off-Series-15-Ep2-1.jpg) Her Punch and Judy show was made with shortbread. Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon However, of that conversation, all that was aired was: “I’ve got 10 Louises, a couple of Burberrys, a couple of Fendis. They’re my guilty pleasure.” “I knew they would do that,” Hazel says. “They just didn’t show anything else, which I was really upset about.” Grumbles aside, Hazel says walking into the tent for the first time was “surreal”. “You’ve seen it so many times, but to be there, you can’t explain it. It’s just amazing, absolutely amazing.” Each episode was shot over two days, starting at 5.30am and finishing at 7pm at the earliest. Contestants were being filmed “constantly all day”, she recalls, with the aisle separating baking stations down the middle clogged up with support people washing up, getting cups of tea, and four sets of cameramen, sound guys and lighting techs who covered three contestants each. “Every time you do something - you go to the fridge, go to the oven - they have to take a look.” Contestants would swap stations daily for unknown reasons. “You bake one day on one side, then you bake on the other, so your drawers are all wrong and you don’t stay in the one station,” she says. And the cold. “It was crazy cold,” Hazel recalls. “Freezing.” ![Hazel was eliminated on the second episode. Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/75228_1_S15_Ep1_-Embargo-0001-Tuesday-17th-Sept--The-Great-British-Bake-Off-Series-15-Ep1-1-1.jpeg) Hazel was eliminated on the second episode. Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon “For the first episode, there was a heater for everybody, hand-warmers, extra jumpers, legwarmers, hot water bottles. “Chocolate set cold and you’d be measuring out flour as it blew across the tent. My hands were numb.” And in that cold, the contestants had to sit facing the back of the tent for the technical judging, which would take around two and half hours to shoot. “It was too cold,” Hazel says. “We had no watches and no idea of time. Alison would announce we had an hour left then Noel would say we had 10 minutes left - we were like where did all the time go? He’s a joker, but it was really stressful." In such a strange, pressurised environment, Hazel learnt she was very easily distracted. “I would chat and then think, what am I doing now?” she laughs. “I like to be on my own when baking.” After exiting the show, some of her mistakes still run through Hazel’s head - “not doing what I practiced” for one. “I didn’t think it would affect me, but after I left, I baked constantly, proving I could do what they said I couldn’t do. ![Hazel, whose sponges are never dry. Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/75228_S15_-Embargo-0001-Tuesday-17th-Sept---The-Great-British-Bake-Off-Series-15-1-1.jpg) Hazel, whose sponges are never dry. Photo: Channel 4 / Mark Bourdillon “It still plays on my mind. We all knew we could do better.” “I’m proud of getting on," she adds. “I was disappointed that I was eliminated, and I still am. But I’m proud of my handbag.” Although missing out on the crown, Hazel left the show a winner, finding a “new family” in the other 11 contestants. “We’re so tight,” she says. “We’ve all stayed at Mike’s farm for the weekend and went to Birmingham to see Alison in her pantomime. “We’re all really close. Mike’s getting married on his farm and we’re all going to that." ***Taste one of Hazel’s creations yourself at Crumb & Deli, 52 Station Road, Westgate.*** ***If you want more Bake Off, the contestants for this year’s Celebrity Bake Off have*** [***just been announced***](https://www.channel4.com/press/news/great-celebrity-bake-stand-cancer-new-judge-and-new-bakers-revealed?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)***, including Rebecca Lucy Taylor (aka Self Esteem), Adam Buxton, Meera Syal, Phil Wang and more. The show will air this spring.*** ### News and things to do: Best restaurants, Self Esteem, Galaxy Season URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-best-restaurants-self-esteem-galaxy-season/ Last updated: 2025-02-03T11:59:01.000Z **The Times** has published a list of the **21 best places to eat on the southeast coast**. Thanet is well represented with Seabird in Ramsgate, Twenty Seven Harbour Street and Kebbells in Broadstairs, Angela’s, Sargasso, Dory’s and Sète in Margate all making the list. Meanwhile, The Sportsman in Seasalter comes out number one and Deal makes a strong showing with the inclusion of The Zetland Arms, The Rose and The Blue Pelican. [**The full (paywalled) article is here**](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/21-best-places-eat-uk-coast-kent-east-sussex-pb0qqzv7x?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Tracey Emin’s **TKE Studios will be hosting a screening of Life Is Excellent**, a new documentary about visual artist and poet David Robilliard, who died of AIDS aged just 36 in 1988\. It will be followed by a **live recording of Russell Tovey and Robert Diament’s Talk Art podcast**. They will be joined by special guest Susie Hall - who co-produced the film with Tovey - to discuss Robillard’s life and career. It takes place on **Sunday, February 23 from 5pm.** [**Pay-what-you-can tickets available now**](https://www.traceyeminfoundation.com/events/tke-studios-presents-life-is-excellent?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Shelly Grotto’s new book The Lonely Thanet Guide to Queer Margate** was released into the world this week. It promises “Semi-comprehensive directories of queer businesses, venues and community groups, insider tips for authentic LGBTQ+ experiences”, as well as “maps, itineraries, when to visit guide to help you have the gayest time possible.” **Copies are available for £7 from CAMP.** March is **‘galaxy season’**, when the distant galaxies in the night sky are at their most visible. **Ramsgate’s Discovery Planet** will be gazing up at the sky in mid-March, giving children and adults alike the opportunity to join them. Mega Zooming will run as part of British Science Week, offering you **the chance to get to grips with and learn more about telescopes. Sessions begin hourly on March 13-15, between 10am and 3pm.** If you fancy a trip up to London for an even **bigger cosmic experience**, artist **Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian will be taking over Piccadilly Circus on March 6-8.** There’ll be asteroid-sized inflatable moon rocks, giant cat sculptures inspired by physics experiments, soundscapes being bounced off the moon, and state-of-the-art telescopes placed for public use across the West End. [**Find out more**](https://artoflondon.co.uk/art-after-dark?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The iconic **Prince Charles Cinema** on London’s Leicester Square is under threat. Operators say that its landlords appear to be **angling to force the cultural institution out of the building** in order to redevelop it. The cinema has been in operation since 1962, and was a theatre prior to that. It’s a massively important venue for UK cinema, and I’m sure many of you have sat in its seats at some point. The cinema is currently **gathering signatures** in support of keeping it going for years to come. [**Add your name now**](https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-prince-charles-cinema?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Margate Radio** curated an [excellent night](https://www.instagram.com/p/DFOR6URMlUt/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) of music and meditation at the Turner Contemporary earlier this month. However, the station itself has been quiet for the month of January. After a short hibernation, it’s **back on the air today**, returning to its usual weekend schedule. [**Tune in from 10am**](https://margateradio.co.uk/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/Self-Esteem---2025---03---please-credit-Scarlett-Carlos-Clarke-1.jpg) Self Esteem will launch her new album with a West End residency. Photo: Scarlett Carlos Clarke Forever Margate royalty **Self Esteem** will release her **new album A Complicated Woman** on Friday, April 25\. Out now is the LP’s first single [Focus is Power](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgVqgud0L1c&ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The week before it comes out, she’ll be **launching the record with a theatrical version of it in London’s West End.** She’ll be at the **Duke of York’s Theatre on April 16-19\.** [**Tickets go on general sale**](https://www.thedukeofyorks.com/self-esteem-presents-a-complicated-woman?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **on Wednesday, February 5 at 10am** (but you can get early access by [pre-ordering the album](https://shop.selfesteem.love/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)). **Margate’s Turner Contemporary** is currently closed as it wipes away the rotting apples and flowers left by Anya Gallaccio’s brilliant Preserve exhibition. Next up at the gallery is a **show curated by film director Steve McQueen** called Resistance. It will examine “how protest shaped Britain and photography shaped protest.” **It will run from February 22 to June 1\.** [**More info**](https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/resistance/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Hughie Gavin** of Institute Studios and the Social Singing Choir will be performing some work-in-progress new music at **Rosslyn Court in Margate on Thursday, February 6.** He will be playing new songs for his JAKL project as well as some solo piano pieces. His work on the soundtrack for the last season of True Detective was nominated for an Emmy, so it’ll be exciting to hear what he’s got in the works now. [**Tickets are £12**](https://wegottickets.com/event/641910/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Looping the Loop** is hosting Pitch Perfect - a w**orkshop for performing artists and producers on crafting the perfect pitch** \- at **Radford House in Ramsgate on Friday, February 14.** If you put on great shows but struggle to explain them to programmers and audiences, then this is for you. [**Early bird tickets are just £10**](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/loopingtheloop1/1533490?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Heavy music promoter **Mother Brain** has announced its **first show of 2025**. LA ‘fairy-doom’ trio **Faetooth** will be performing at **Ramsgate Music Hall on Friday, June 20.** A way off, sure. But if you like the sound of a band that merges doom metal, black metal, shoegaze and sludge (I see no reason why you wouldn’t) then don’t hang about. [**Tickets are £16**](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/faetooth/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Margate’s Bombo Doughnuts** is spreading its wings, **launching a second outlet in Whitstable.** It will take up residence in pop-up market shop **We Sell By The Sea on Saturday, February 15.** Until February 17, they’ll be offering **half price doughnuts** before launching their full coffee and doughnut offering the following weekend. The original Bombo stall launched in Margate's Old Kent Market last summer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/sportsteamcrowd-3-1.jpg) Independent Venue Week finishes this weekend. Photo: Shannen Long ### ICYMI - previous tipped events happening in the next week London’s Barbican kicks off a season of alt-folk shows tonight (Feb 1) with a performance by Roo Panes. On Monday night, catch a tribute to David Crosby. [Full details](https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/series/alt-folk?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Folkestone Pride and the Silver Screen Cinema host a screening of camp cult comedy But I’m a Cheerleader tonight. [Tickets are £6](https://folkestonecinema.com/whats-on/events/but-im-a-cheerleader/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Margate Pride is celebrating LGBT+ History Month with a programme of good stuff. Coming up in the next week there’s [a letter writing session](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24229/the-old-bureau-letter-writing-workshops-with-kit-griffiths?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (Feb 2), and [New Rumours: Celebrating Margate’s LGBTQ+ Venues of the 80s & 90s](https://tockify.com/margate.pride/detail/7/1738870200000?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) (6 Feb). Independent Venue Week 2025 draws to a close this weekend. Marking it by heading to the [Kent Pop Exchange All-dayer](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/92mndd-the-kent-pop-exchange-ivw-all-dayer-1st-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) at Where Else on tonight, and [Keg](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/keg-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) at Ramsgate Music Hall on tomorrow. We recently spoke to the owners of both venues about the existential threats facing small venues in the UK. [Read the article](https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/). Folkestone’s Winter Beer Festival is here to welcome you out of Dry January. It’s on at The Board Room at Folkestone Harbour all weekend. Chump’s Comedy is putting on two improv workshops for performers at [beginner](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/5397k8-the-free-association-improv-taster-class-beginners-2nd-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=4565131&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1412475713593324612&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1S81NjVPSrS0SLY0tbSvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBABzT%2FvJOwAAAA%3D%3D) and [intermediate](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/xew28e-the-free-association-improv-taster-class-intermediate-2nd-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?dice%5Fid=4565332&dice%5Fchannel=web&dice%5Ftags=organic&dice%5Fcampaign=DICE&dice%5Ffeature=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Fmatch%5Fid=1412475713593324612&utm%5Fsource=web&utm%5Fcampaign=DICE&utm%5Fmedium=mio%5Fmarketing&%5Fbranch%5Freferrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8nMy9ZLyUxO1UvL1S8yMTRMtDA3NU02MbGvK0pNSy0qysxLj08qyi8vTi2yDU5MSyzKBABKK6F9OwAAAA%3D%3D) level at Where Else tomorrow. Both are sold out but you can add yourself to the waiting lists for last minute places. Margate Restaurant Week runs February 3-7, with eateries all around the town offering set menus for £20.25 per head. [Find the full list of participating restaurants on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/margaterestaurantweek/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). The Kent Poetry Slam takes place at The Venue in Canterbury on Thursday, February 6\. Eleven poets will duke it out, and there will also be a headline performance from Vanessa Kisuule. [Tickets are £5](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/kentpoetrycic/kent-poetry-championship-slam-canterbury/e-qyagqm?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Cinque Ports in Margate reopens with a kitchen residency by Chix Stock. There’s an opening party on Thursday, February 6 from 5-11pm. Writer Ellen Jones will be in conversation at the Fort Road Hotel to launch her new book Outrage, about the fight for LGBTQ+ equality on Thursday, February 6\. [Join the waiting list for seats](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ellen-jones-outrage-tickets-1205330930259?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Illustrator Megan Metcalf hosts a Valentine’s card and rosette making session on Thursday, Feb 6 at Louie on Sea in Margate. [Tickets £20](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/valentines-crafty-card-rosette-workshop-tickets-1135749610659?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ### Thanet’s independent music venues “hanging in there” as others shut their doors URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/thanets-independent-music-venues-hanging-in-there-as-others-shut-their-doors/ Last updated: 2025-03-17T13:32:51.000Z Times are tough for independent music venues in the UK. An array of colliding factors have seen more than a third forced to shut their doors permanently in recent years. This week the Music Venue Trust, the charity that supports the grassroots venue sector, published its annual report. It states that in 2024, nearly a quarter of its 810 member venues required its assistance to avoid permanent closure. A total of 86 did close or cease acting as music venues last year. That’s an improvement on 2023, when an average of two a week went out of business, but still a shocking figure. And with nearly 45% of venues reporting that they are running at a loss - an increase on 2023 - the situation remains precarious. Rising costs, shrinking profit margins, people less able to afford to buy tickets, and bands struggling to cover travel costs are just some of the issues. In Thanet, there is a vibrant music scene, with several venues of differing sizes, festivals like Broadstairs Folk Week, and a huge number of talented musicians living among us. However, that doesn’t mean the risks are any less than elsewhere around the country. The key issue facing live music right now, says Sammy Clarke, owner of Margate venue Where Else, is the cost of living crisis because “it affects absolutely everybody”. “Ticket buyers, musicians, the whole chain is affected,” he says. “It just impacts all of our livelihoods, and our spending choices.” André Dack, who runs Ramsgate Music Hall agrees. “It's just extraordinary and I'm not entirely sure how any of us are supposed to survive,” he says. “When your energy bill has tripled, you can't suddenly counter that by drastically increasing ticket and bar prices.” “It's a labour of love,” continues Sammy. “And for the benefit of something that's greater than ourselves. But burn out is a prominent feature of running a music venue at the moment. It’s all consuming. You know, you wake up thinking about it, you go to sleep thinking about it. It can be very spiritually rewarding, don't get me wrong. But it can also be economically crippling, and emotionally crippling sometimes as well.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/WhereElse-Sign2024-013046A4013.jpg) "It's where the energy for new music comes from.” Photo: Joe Lang Neither André and Sammy set out with owning a music venue in their career plans. Both started out putting on occasional shows and gradually worked their way up. “I got the bug fairly quickly,” says André, who initially worked behind the bar at Ramsgate Music Hall, before being given the opportunity to book his own shows. He then took over the venue in 2018\. “I never imagined my future being in the world of live music, but it happened so naturally.” Meanwhile, Sammy started out booking a monthly night at Margate’s Tom Thumb Theatre after he discovered a spoken word night there and “fell in love with the place.” He then began booking shows around the town before the opportunity to open Where Else - original under the name Elsewhere - also in 2018\. Being in charge of a physical space was a “steep learning curve”, Sammy readily admits. However, both his and André’s passion for the job and deep knowledge and insight on the subject is undeniable. All of this is certainly a big part of why both venues continue to exist. Although at one time the same could have been said of many other venue bosses who were eventually forced to close the doors for good. Spiralling costs are just one factor to consider, as is getting punters through the door in the first place. Another increasing issue is getting bands through the door as well as their own costs rise and the time and distance they are able to travel reduces. “Artists just aren't touring as much nowadays,” says André bluntly. In 1994, the average UK tour ran for 22 dates, with the majority of shows spread across 28 locations around the country. When Oasis went out on their first UK tour that year, they played 34 shows. In 2024, the average length of a tour is now 11 dates, with most dates taking place across 12 locations, all of which are major cities. Venues in smaller cities and towns are simply seeing fewer opportunities to book acts. In part, this is why only 11 of the venues that Oasis played all those years ago are still running today. This is particularly stark with bands traveling from overseas, says Sammy. “They'll come and do the key cities - that would be Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol and London. And that's considered lengthy.” Thanet does a good job of attracting artists down to the seaside, aided in no small part by the strong reputations of Ramsgate Music Hall - named Britain's Best Small Venue by NME in 2015 - and Where Else. There is also a large pool of local acts, which has grown in the last decade and helped to boost live music in the area. “It feels like there are more gigs in Thanet than ever, and that's a huge positive,’ says André. “There's a real buzz. It's tricky to balance that, however, when there aren't as many touring artists in the UK.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/ramsgate_music_hall_portrait-1.jpg) "At the moment, it's a case of hanging in there." Photo: Strange Tourist ‘Buzz’ is a key word when discussing grassroots venues. Building buzz is traditionally part of their role in the music industry. These are the places where emerging musicians learn their craft and find their early audiences. Small venues are one of the sources that feeds the higher levels of the music industry the stars of tomorrow. It’s notable then, that conversations about struggling to keep the lights on do not span the entire live music industry. Many smaller venues are still impacted by debts accrued during their forced closure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the top end of the industry emerged from the lockdowns to a much different story. Arena and stadium tours are booming, with the big live music companies reporting huge profits. For several years now, the Music Venue Trust has campaigned for the introduction of a ticket levy on large scale shows. This would see £1 from each ticket sold for arena and stadium gigs put into a fund to help support the UK’s smaller venues, allowing them to continue setting new acts on the path to bigger things. “The way the market operates is at odds with the values and motivations of small venues,” says Sammy. “In my opinion, it's the best bit. It's the kind of nucleus, it's where the energy for new music comes from.” There has been some support for a ticket levy, with a number of artists such as Coldplay and Enter Shikari committing to donate a portion of their ticket sales to MVT. However, those bigger companies have always been resistant to the idea. Last year, after extensive lobbying, the government instructed the live industry to put in place a voluntary levy system in 2025. “I dread to think where RMH would be without the constant campaigning the Music Venue Trust does,” says André. “The ticket levy will come into effect soon and, to be perfectly frank, it would not have happened without MVT.” “A slither of those Live Nation profits trickling down to grassroots venues” is the single biggest thing that would help grassroots venues right now, he adds. The fact that the biggest live music company in the world has been so resistant to providing this support, he goes on, shows a “level of greed \[that\] is abhorrent and unacceptable.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/sportsteamcrowd-1.jpg) Sports Team at Where Else. Photo: Shannen Long Until now, say both Sammy and André, it is the support of the local community which has ensured that they have been able to stay in business. Both venues operate membership schemes and Where Else was saved from closure in 2022 thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign. “Simply put,” says André, “the venue would close without the support of our beloved members. That has been the most effective way to combat the drastic increase in our expenses. We have a close relationship with our members, regularly emailing them about potential bookings and arranging quiz nights held at the venue.” Sammy, meanwhile, recalls vividly the night supporters were asked to assemble in front of Where Else for a photoshoot to launch the £25,000 crowdfunder. With only two days' notice, hundreds arrived to show their support. “That was probably one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” he remembers. “People just kept on arriving in their droves from all directions. I couldn't quite believe it, to be honest. It really hit home how important \[the venue\] was for the community that surrounds it and how many lives had so far been touched.” For all the challenges they face, there is certainly optimism for the future. For all the problems they’ve faced in recent years, Sammy and André show no signs of slowing down or turning their backs on what they’ve built. “Things will absolutely get better," says André. “The aforementioned ticket levy will soon come into effect and that will ease an enormous amount of pressure on grassroots music venues. At the moment, it's a case of hanging in there and to keep delivering stunning shows.” *The UK’s annual celebration of grassroots venues, Independent Venue Week, runs in venues around the UK from from Monday, January 27 to Sunday, February 2\. As part of that, Where Else will host the* [*Kent Pop Exchange All-dayer*](https://dice.fm/partner/dice/event/92mndd-the-kent-pop-exchange-ivw-all-dayer-1st-feb-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *on February 1 and Ramsgate Music Hall will have a show headlined by* [*Keg*](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/tc-events/keg-2025/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *on February 2\.* *For more details on upcoming shows visit* [*whereelse.live*](https://www.whereelse.live/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) *and* [*ramsgatemusichall.com*](https://www.ramsgatemusichall.com/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)*.* ### News and things to do: Pendulum, Sugar Rush, The Traitors URL: https://www.strangetourist.co.uk/news-and-things-to-do-pendulum-sugar-rush-the-traitors/ Last updated: 2025-01-27T17:11:30.000Z Graduate of the Tracey Emin Artist Residency, Margate-based artist **Bianca Raffaella** will have her debut solo exhibition at the **Flowers Gallery in London from February 12 to March 15**. Faint Memories features a collection of floral paintings, which reference the beauty she finds in braille, which is how the partially sighted artist first learned to read and write. [**More details on the Flowers website**](https://www.flowersgallery.com/exhibitions/604-bianca-raffaella-faint-memories/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** Following the sad death of **David Lynch** last week, **Don’t Walk Gallery in Deal** has announced **a group show featuring work inspired by the film director**. It will run from **April 1-21**, with an official **launch show on Saturday, April 5**. Exhibiting **artists include Noel Fielding, John Rogers, Fabienne Jenny Jacquet, Joseph Lynn** and more. **Broadstairs Palace** cinema brings its **Broadscares** season to a close this afternoon. A screening of **Nosferatu** will be preceded by a **Q&A** with **the film’s 1st Assistant Editor Caroline Rowlands**. Be in your seat by **3.45pm** to hear about her work on the film and other aspects of her career to date. [**Tickets are £9**](https://palacecinemabroadstairs.savoysystems.co.uk/PalaceCinemaBroadstairs.dll/TSelectItems.waSelectItemsPrompt.TcsWebMenuItem%5F867.TcsWebTab%5F868.TcsPerformance%5F517850?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Jeffrey Lewis is coming back to Margate**. He and his band The Voltage will return to **Where Else on Friday, May 16** to promote new album The EVEN MORE Freewheelin’ Jeffrey Lewis (out in March). Last year’s show at the same venue was a sell out and a huge amount of fun.[**Tickets are £22.87**](https://dice.fm/event/7dn8lb-jeffrey-lewis-and-the-voltage-16th-may-where-else-margate-tickets?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). ![Are you a big fat liar? Photo: BBC](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/504174.jpg) Could this be you? Photo: Euan Cherry/BBC Already wondering where you’re going to get your Traitors fix now that the third series has come to an end? Why not book tickets for **Mothers of the Brides at Ramsgate’s Granville Theatre on Thursday March 20**. Starring Diane Carson from series two of the show it promises “a fun-filled, sketch-packed, gag-fuelled, laugh-heavy trip through the marital maze of getting your offspring to the altar.” [**Tickets are £34.65**](https://www.thegranvilletheatre.com/whatson/mothers-of-the-brides?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). That not enough of a **Traitors** fix for you? Well, if you’re really good at lying, can create drama out of nothing, like to throw shade, brew scenarios in your head which you then believe to be reality, and always wanted 15 minutes of fame, you should **apply to be on the next series of the show**. People who live by the sea are notoriously trusted by everyone. Or you could just pretend to be Welsh. [**You can apply now**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/take-part/the-traitors?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). You have until **February 9** to do so. Writer **Ellen Jones** holds her **Margate launch of her new book Outrage** on **Thursday, February 6, at Fort Road Bar, Fort Road Hotel, 7pm-9pm**. Her book is about ‘why the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is not yet won and what we can do about it’. She’ll be joined by writer and educator Milly Evans, for an in-conversation. [Book your free seat](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ellen-jones-outrage-tickets-1205330930259?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Open > Project: Session** is a **new monthly meet up** for bedroom music producers to connect with other creatives in East Kent. Supported by Youth Music’s NextGen Fund, the events will take place at Fruitworks in Canterbury every **first Wednesday of the month from March to June**. Before that, there will be a launch party at **The Ballroom in Canterbury on Thursday, February 20\.** [**Full details**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DE751PDg6gu/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk)**.** **Queer House Party** is making the trip back to the seaside with a party at **Margate Arts Club on Saturday, February 20**. Taali Not Charlie and Lori Mae, DJs on the night will be Harry Gay, Passer, Lanta and Mikey Snooze. This will sell out, so move fast. [**Tickets are £10**](https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24757/queer-house-party-does-margate-again?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Pendulum** are the latest addition to this year’s **Summer Series at Dreamland**. They will **headline the Scenic Stage on Saturday, May 31**. Support will come from Bob Vylan, Normandie and Wargasm. Tickets go on **general sale on Friday, January 31**. Or you can get access the day before if you [**sign up for the pre-sale**](https://www.dreamland.co.uk/event/pendulum-live/?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). Newish DIY interiors store **Our Curated Abode in Ramsgate** is holding a **vintage market** this weekend that will be filled with retro, mid-century and secondhand interior gems. It's on **Sat & Sun, January 25-26, 11am-5pm at 26 Addington Street.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/06/39/0639efc0-b873-4e30-ac06-2893b029d0e0/content/images/2025/01/Broadstairs_beach_signs_landscape_1.jpg) Broadstairs beach. Photo: Strange Tourist **Secondhand clothing market, She Sells By The Sea returns to Margate on Feb 16, 11am-5pm**. Drop by **Cinque Ports, 50 Marine Terrace**, to rifle through vintage and pre-loved clothing and accessories, while you grab a beer or two and some hot snacks - it's a far better experience than scrolling through Vinted. **Broadstairs Happy Reading Bookshop** hosts a storytime and bunting session on **Friday, January 31 at 11.30am**. Suitable for kids aged 3+, it's with author **Eva Wong Nava and illustrator Natelle Quek and their book Dancing Dumplings**. [Tickets are £5](https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLJCHPMZ67NCE/checkout/66VQ4B2RWXP7ORQYVEMDT7VR?ref=strangetourist.co.uk). **Ramsgate's delicious Rakookoo** is teaming up with **The Larder at 19 Harbour Street, Whitstable** for their **first curry club of the year** on **Friday, Feb 14\. £38pp** will get you a sumptuous three-course dinner featuring to-be-announced curries. **Booking is essential and you can DM The Larder or email jono@thelarderwhitstable.co.uk** to get in on it. More good news, The Larder is hoping the curry club will become a monthly thing. Sad news for the **Sugar Rush** crew who have grafted hard to turn their new space into a community arts and performance hub in Ramsgate. As they near the end of their one-year pilot, they've announced **they are unable to push on with the project beyond its pilot period and will close the venue**. This is thanks to rising bills and essential building repairs that will cost upto £40k to sort out. Keep an eye out for what comes next from the team, and go to the remaining events which include [**Valentines Throwback Party**](https://www.instagram.com/p/DE0g840M5w-/?hl=en-gb&ref=strangetourist.co.uk) **on Friday Feb 14.** Don't forget **Ramsgate Market** pops up every **Friday, 9am-3pm**, covering **High Street, King Street and Queen Street** with fresh produce, crafts and other goodies. Another book launch for **Margate, sex educator, broadcaster and author Ruby Rare** has penned a how-to guide to non-monogamy, with her latest book, **The Non-Monogamy Playbook**. Join Ruby as she talks about the ins and outs of polyamory and her experience of it, with **Margate Black Pride founder Gaëtan Gauthier, also at Fort Road Bar, on Thurs, Jan 30, 7pm-9pm**. Free but book at [**eventbrite.co.uk**](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-non-monogamy-playbook-with-ruby-rare-tickets-1217819443739?ref=strangetourist.co.uk) Bring some old school romance into your relationship(s) with a love letter collage created by you, but with help from Margate illustrator, **Megan Metcalf**. She's hosting **a loved-up snail mail collage session on Thurs, Feb 6pm at Louie on Sea**, at Turner Gallery. [**Tickets, £20+booking fee**](https://linktr.ee/Meganmetcalfstudio?utm%5Fsource=linktree%5Fprofile%5Fshare