No Deal Is Worse Than A Good Deal
Jul. 19th, 2019 11:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
millionreasonsSome observations about Deal and Sandwich:
Southern seaside towns are obsessed with two things and two things only: olden times smuggling and the second world war. If they can incorporate the latter into an air-show, they are good to go. We walk the five miles to Sandwich, along an an ancient highway and dusty flora-filled lanes, passing a golf course, a private road which actually states who can travel along it (no houses on wheels i.e. no gypos) and a WW2 pillbox aimed at the sea. Now the loyal burghers of Kent could defend themselves against Jean-Claude Junker landing and attacking with a EU Bren gun.
Deal pier is quite unimpressive but has a lovely cafe at the end. Also, we went all the way to Kent and found Forest Gate beer in the craft beer bar.
Sandwich used to be a port because the sea ended at its harbour until it all silted up - Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs were on their own island (the Isle of Thanet). That would put an end to the DFL-ers* if they were to re-flood the area, I suppose.
*Down From Londoners
I failed to eat a sandwich in Sandwich, but did have a nice cheese "sausage" roll in Smuggler's bar, which is also a record shop and craft beer bar and was the only young person's thing in a town of OAPs. I did have to walk out of the local history museum when an over-65 in a blazer was just following us round telling us things, unbidden.
Deal has a gorgeous conservation area, full of 16th and 17th century houses, saved from 1960s town planning. Unfortunately many of these houses have been ruined by twee little signs in their windows or on doors: "Beware of the wife", "On this spot in 1834 nothing happened", "The Bank Of Mum and Dad is closed".
In St Mary's church in Sandwich, there is a guestbook, where you can note your reason for visiting: "Jesus" is one. "It was raining" is one more prosaic entry. My fave though is a complaint about a dead frog lying on the floor.
In Deal, there is a plaque to Charles Hawtrey, who was apparently banned from many of the town's pubs, and one to J.B Priestley, who wrote The Good Companions whilst staying here. Having recently found that I am tenuously related to J.B., I was quite pleased by this.
On Deal prom there are many benches, all of them commemorating a dead relative, although in some cases this has got quite out of hand, with plastic flowers, teddies and birthday cards attached to the benches. Soon they will lose the essence of bench, i.e. there won't be room to sit down.
Ban cars in seaside towns, imo.
Southern seaside towns are obsessed with two things and two things only: olden times smuggling and the second world war. If they can incorporate the latter into an air-show, they are good to go. We walk the five miles to Sandwich, along an an ancient highway and dusty flora-filled lanes, passing a golf course, a private road which actually states who can travel along it (no houses on wheels i.e. no gypos) and a WW2 pillbox aimed at the sea. Now the loyal burghers of Kent could defend themselves against Jean-Claude Junker landing and attacking with a EU Bren gun.
Deal pier is quite unimpressive but has a lovely cafe at the end. Also, we went all the way to Kent and found Forest Gate beer in the craft beer bar.
Sandwich used to be a port because the sea ended at its harbour until it all silted up - Ramsgate, Margate and Broadstairs were on their own island (the Isle of Thanet). That would put an end to the DFL-ers* if they were to re-flood the area, I suppose.
*Down From Londoners
I failed to eat a sandwich in Sandwich, but did have a nice cheese "sausage" roll in Smuggler's bar, which is also a record shop and craft beer bar and was the only young person's thing in a town of OAPs. I did have to walk out of the local history museum when an over-65 in a blazer was just following us round telling us things, unbidden.
Deal has a gorgeous conservation area, full of 16th and 17th century houses, saved from 1960s town planning. Unfortunately many of these houses have been ruined by twee little signs in their windows or on doors: "Beware of the wife", "On this spot in 1834 nothing happened", "The Bank Of Mum and Dad is closed".
In St Mary's church in Sandwich, there is a guestbook, where you can note your reason for visiting: "Jesus" is one. "It was raining" is one more prosaic entry. My fave though is a complaint about a dead frog lying on the floor.
In Deal, there is a plaque to Charles Hawtrey, who was apparently banned from many of the town's pubs, and one to J.B Priestley, who wrote The Good Companions whilst staying here. Having recently found that I am tenuously related to J.B., I was quite pleased by this.
On Deal prom there are many benches, all of them commemorating a dead relative, although in some cases this has got quite out of hand, with plastic flowers, teddies and birthday cards attached to the benches. Soon they will lose the essence of bench, i.e. there won't be room to sit down.
Ban cars in seaside towns, imo.
