Compare the volunteer run run Lark in the Park with Margate's Big Event. Lark in the Park cost less than £455 a day (£5,000 was the grant they were given to run with) which filled 11 days with end to end activity. Margate's Big Event could well come in at over £50,000 a day when you start to consider all factors (says Big News Margate).

So which was better value for money?

The Big Event reached London but was described as a bit disappointing as seemed to be scaling back resulting in a ridiculously expensive fairground (even by London's standards.

By the standards of the Lark team it would cost a mere £165,620 to make Thanet a year round interesting place to be. A veritable party town with something for everybody. At that price we could afford to fill every park in Thanet with Larking.

Not so the Big Event. 4.5 Million a year would be the price of an overpriced disappointment that might not attract people all year round.

Compare the £4.5M a year of the Big Event to the less than £0.17M a year long Lark and I think the value for money challenge has a clear winner.

A suspect package in Margate Magistrate Court has caused town centre chaos in Margate's Cecil square.

Updates as they come in. (feel free to update us).

I see that the first high speed rail links will begin this September bringing the time into London down from just over two hours to around one and a quarter hours (give or take a little). Is 1.25 hours fast enough to make a difference to Thanet?

If Mr Smith starts work in London at say 9am then he would need to arrive by 8:50am. So he would need to have made the tube journey before that. Let us assume that regardless of where he leaves from the tubes take no more than a quarter of an hour to get him to work. That means that he must get on an underground train at 8:35am and as they run every 3 to 4 minutes he needs to enter the station by 8:31am. Assuming it takes 3 minutes to get there (if he runs and there is no other problems) that means the train needs to get in by 8:28am.

Assuming his train runs on time and perfectly in sync with this by the current speed he would need a train that departs no later than 6:18am. With the new higher speed trains he would need to be off by 7:07am.

So Mr Smith needs to be at Ramsgate station by 7am washed, breakfasted and dressed. I'm guessing he sets his alarm clock for 5:30am.

He would arrive in Ramsgate if every connection was perfect no earlier than 6:43pm or more likely 7:30pm. To get a full 8 hours kip he would need to be home and in bed by 8pm.

So while the new high speed link bring plausibility to Thanet will it actually bring that much change? Can you imagine a well paid executive pulling a 12 hour work day to live cheaply in Ramsgate or Margate? Maybe you can but I'm not as confident as our current leaders. Not at all.

There seems to be a lot of news with Thanet at the centre today so here is a rough round up of what is going on.

Let's stat with some congratulations to Tany Flaig for getting mentioned in the corridors of power: Read more here.

In green news the Guardian is critical of Thanet Earth suggesting that it is not ecologically sound. Green Moral is talking about growing potatoes while Tim Garbutt (Green Independent MP hopeful) is talking about Berties favourate topic - Thanet's drinking water.

For Broadstairs Folk Week: Michael Child wonders why TDC "forgot" to promote Broadstairs Folk Week on it's website (not in Margate perhaps?) Adam also has coverage of Folk Week.

Meanwhile Thanet District Council is under fire from the Telegraph Council spends £30,000 on saucy burlesque festival shouts the headline. This is picked up on by the Tax Payers Alliance calling it a totally inappropriate use of taxpayers' money.

...

» Continue Reading: Thanet News Roundup

Myth: Matt is a member of INSERT PARTY HERE. While Dr Moores seems to content to suggest to the local newspapers that my actions are motivated by my political elegances he should know better. At the time of writing I have no membership of any political party. What I do have is a strong revulsion to specific characteristics of specific political figures however if and when I choose a party to become a member of it will be only to serve Thanet as a councillor for my community and my choice will be based on which party offends me least.

Fact: Matt is not strongly political enough for his friends. I have strong Labour and strong Conservative friends. Both groups often protest that I clearly am in the other camp. Sooner or later one group will be proven right and one will be surprised. I do not strongly endorse a single political ideology because I believe that every issue should be judged on it's merits and not on an arbitrary "articles of political faith".

Myth: Matt dislikes the politics of INSERT NAME HERE. I am largely unaware of most councillors having any definable politics. Therefore I am largely indifferent to them on this score. I do disapprove professionally of Dr Moores' SEO and promotion, I strongly disapprove of the attitude of Sandy Ezekiel and I am unimpressed with the application of effort of Stephen Broadhurst. However I am strongly disappointed with the effort all parties have made for Dane Valley in the last few terms.

Myth: Matt is the one behind Thanet Strife. I'm sorry no. It's a good blog and one to watch but I am no fan of blogger.com and feel the need identify myself. I'm not even sure how this one got started.

Fact: Matt strongly disapproves of Sandy Ezekiel. While I have never met the man I don't much want to. His character comes accross strongly enough through the reports of his actions to cause me to strongly dislike his behaviour and not want to be politically aligned with him. I feel his attitude leaves a lot to be desired. He is welcome to try and prove me wrong.

Myth: Matt is a Labour party activist. According to Dr Simon Moores' comments to Your Thanet Matt is a Labour activist intent on ruining his [Simon's] reputation. Quite aside from the fact that I feel Simon is quite able to do that for himself Mr Moores does not figure significantly on my political compass. Were I to choose a party and stand it would be for Dane Valley and therefore my best efforts would be focused on Dane Valley Councillors.

Fact: As of 7th August Matt is politically undecided. It's true that I feel that I may be compelled by my concern for Dane Valley to stand as a councillor but were it not for the presence of one Sandy Ezekiel in the Conservative party I might have had a hard time making up my mind. Politically I favour justice, democracy and local prosperity. I am strongly for that which erradicates the cycle of poverty, that which improves Thanet and that which increases choices for those in my community.