Stagecoach's Thanet customers were left confused and angry as no less than three diversions cut off stops across the isle with no indication of which roads were being services or where the buses would be going.

The three diversions are in St Lawrence, Ramsgate; Dumpton Park, Ramsgate; and Northdown Road Cliftonville. However there is almost no indication that stops are out of service or that routes have been changed. Buses display no signs alerting passengers and bus stops not in use still calmly reassure passengers of the arrival time of the next few buses.

The result has been confusion, delay and aggravation for both passengers and drivers. But this impacts not just on those of us choosing not to use a car. All of Thanet is hurt by this lack of communication.

...

» Continue Reading: Bus misery leaves customers fuming

Council led home invasion or just litter control - you tell me

Checking my inbox as I do quite often I saw an email from TV Choice. It included a TDC Press release about "operation clean sweep" eith the comment: First time I've heard of what seems to be invading people's homes and looking for illegal immigrants and fire hazards in the same initiative as litter! What do you think? Civil liberties issues????

Now this "operation clean sweep" is/was a targeted "multi partner agency" approach to dealing with problem areas. A bit of that "joined up thinking" so many have been longing for. As I understand it clean sweep works well when it is focused on one black spot. The result is that planning issues, derelicts, fire risks, illegal immigrants (or the housing of) and litter are all addressed along with anything else the authorities can find that they might not like.

...

» Continue Reading: Fears of invasive Council operation

With a projected minimum cost per head of £5.77 just for staff costs the Turner Centre is looking like an unlikely project. As a businessman let's consider what I would want to see happen to feel that my investment was safe.

1. The works of Turner or something very close. This is a vital aim. For me to put my money behind such a project (assuming I had any to put behind it) I would want to see a full time Turner expert heading up the team whose job it is to arrange for articles of Turners work to return "home". For this there would need to be a number of arts patrons to cover the costs. The only other option would be to have a centre that teaches artists to paint exceedingly good imitations.

2. Purple Cow. Assuming that all Art Galleries are regular cows this would need to be a Purple Cow. This could be the way in which the Europe's top art talents are drawn to Thanet (and with them the fans) or some other remarkable ellement that is core to the gallery. After all the ideal visitor count is a minimum of 500,000 and that means that the gallery itself from inception needs to worth travelling a long way to see. People should be considering taking a long weekend form all as far away as Tokyo, New York and Sidney just to look at it. Currently you'd be hard pressed to get people to cross the (now smaller) road for it.

3. New artists works for sale. I would also be looking to see a team made up of those skilled at selling works of art. These would head up a regular specialist auction house which should run from the centre. This turnover in works of art and sales (with commissions) would earn an income that could hope to pay some of the running costs of the business. Ideally it should draw more artists to the area cementing the centres reputation as something special.

...

» Continue Reading: 7 things that are needed to save the Turner Centre

It seems That Simon and Myself are bound to continue this dance forever.

The dance is of course the dance of Vroomfondel and Majikthise. Douglas Adams (Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy) fans will of course know well the scene where they try to stop the computer that will give the answer to the ultimate question about life the universe and everything but come away with some very sound advice instead.

"Yes," declaimed Deep Thought, "I said I'd have to think about it, didn't I? And it occurs to me that running a programme like this is bound to create an enormous amount of popular publicity for the whole area of philosophy in general. Everyone's going to have their own theories about what answer I'm eventually to come up with, and who better to capitalize on that media market than you yourself? So long as you can keep disagreeing with each other violently enough and slagging each other off in the popular press, you can keep yourself on the gravy train for life. How does that sound?"

Simon Moores should know why newspapers and bloggers write about stuff that seems controversial. It's the same reason the world over. Simon Moores should know why political figures that get close to the media get talked about good and bad. This is nothing new.

This is a dance of mutual promotion and I am honoured that Simon has chosen me as his dancing partner. We will whip up a storm that will drive lots of attention to ourselves and make us more interesting pundits. Keep reading for some interesting punditry on this subject.

...

» Continue Reading: Dr Moores should know

While I slave late into the night to bring you the Thanet Twitter Podcast (if you're quick: 08443 511 485). I want to share a thought with you.

Thanet Needs Heretics

A heretic takes a look at the status quo and says This will not stand. They face things as they are and they say there is a different way.

You can tell a heretic because they upset people, they unsettle people who have grown most comfortable, most rich, most lazy with things as they are - people that have forgotten that change is necessary for life to continue.

Heretics like Tony Flaig, Eastcliff Richard and Richard Card. People that are not universally liked, are not always addressed in glowing terms but are seeking to bring change nevertheless. The truth is that Thanet is dead on it's feet and all the while we hope that someone else is going to fix things Thanet will rot further away until there is nothing left to save.

Now is the time for the Thanet Heretic to rise. We need them.