TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

For some reason Fairport forgot all about South and East Kent for about 30 years, but they came back to Margate in May and got an amazing welcome from a fantastic crowd at the West Coast Venue. Well, they enjoyed it so much that we have managed to pursuade them to come back, and they will be playing the Theatre Royal Margate on January 30th as part of their 2010 Winter Tour! The Theatre Royal Margate is the second oldest theatre in the country rather like the 'Good Old Days' theatre in Leeds. It will be an intimate gig in a really amazing setting, and tickets have now gone on sale. Inside info - the best seats are available through the Theatre Royal box office rather than booking online through the Marlowe, so call now!!

Theatre Royal (http://www.theatreroyalmargate.com)
Addington St
Margate, CT9 1PW
01843 293397

Looks like Margate's gain is High Wycombe/Reading's loss - boo hoo!!!

Awwww sorry guys. I know we got one of the last available slots on the tour. Maybe the other promoters weren't quite quick enough. Why don't you come to 'Down to Margate' instead and make a weekend of it?! Info about stuff on the 'Visitors to Margate' page of www.margateharbourarm.co.uk.

Just reading the thread about the winter tour - the theatre in Leeds that Margate reminds me of is called the City Varieties - should know, I used to live there!

Just as my folks leave Margate for East Lothian. Fairport never go there.

Not a bad idea, it's an interesting place, visited The Grotto last month - Amazing!!!!

Is the Bembom Brothers Dreamland still at Margate? What fun i had there as a student in the early 80's ;D

No I'm afraid not. Margate has been through some hard times in the last few years and Dreamland was a casualty. There's a new plan to turn the site into a heritage amusement park but it's going to take a couple of years, so the strip behind the beach is pretty run down at the moment. There's a 'new' Margate as well though now - lots of cultural stuff going on.

Didn't you see the Apprentice's take on revitalising Margate? :-)

Yeah dreadful! And I was in it!!!!

I spent a year living in Margate about 5 years back...above a lovely little art gallery in the Victorian part of town nr the harbour.  Unfortunately its had so many 'false dawns' in terms of regeneration 'big projects' (hello Turner Gallery etc etc) that one won't really believe it is on the up again until one sees it with one's own eyes.  Fascinating part of the world though....winter walks along the coast are just wonderful.  And I quite like all that seedy seaside tat actually.  

It will be a great venue to see Fairport....much more fun than the awful soul-less Marlowe in Canterbury (now thankfully being replaced) in any case.

Until the next property investor burns another bit down  ::)

hmmm you thinking someone who may have the initials JG who was very (Im)famous when i lived in Fokestone in the 1980's

Blimey Mr G's antics seem to be known far and wide!

indeed, I know of him too.....(brought up outside Ashford)....

Not J**** G***** surely!  ;)

Yes, still at it. But seemingly immune.

Does anyone know when Fairport last played Margate/Thanet/East Kent before the gig last May? Someone told me they had played The Winter Gardens in the 70s. Slightly before my time!

Certainly nothing after 1979, AFAIK. The local gig was Canterbury for 30 years.

Just an update about the Margate gig next Saturday 30th Jan. Tickets are nearly sold out but there are still a few decent ones left so if you were thinking of coming I'd recommend you call the Theatre Royal Box office asap.

Most cultural thing I remember about Margate was that Turner painted "The Fighting Temeraire" there.

Played a couple of gigs in Margate myself a few years ago. Can't remember the name of the pub.  And the following day we took a few publicity shots in Margate Caves.

However, it's most memorable because the first time I stayed in a hotel that made Fawlty Towers and it's proprietor look like the Ritz. I remember whilst the guitarist "negotiated" with the dragon that ran it, the rest of us went to a nearby premier inn to try and arrange (unsuccessfully) alternative emergency accommodation.  I got my own back a few years later though - thanks to Google Earth.

So if you go, don't stay there!!!

Oh Neil that's so unfair! Things change you know! Anyone coming to stay over should try the www.thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk, www.walpolebayhotel.co.uk, www.royalharbourhotel.co.uk or www.whitelodge.co.uk (or the Premier Inn, Margate or Holiday Inn Express, Ramsgate). The Fayreness, Smiths Court and the Burlington are OK too. Granted there are still some B&Bs that should be avoided! For pre-show food, the amazing Indian Princess restaurant is the first in Kent to get into the new Michelin guide. Also open at this time of year is Giorgios Italian, The Harbour Cafe, The Rice Bowl and No6 Brasserie. Please don't be put off by other peoples' preconceptions of Margate! By the way, the nearest car park to the theatre is College Square pay and display.

Whoops!!!  I ONLY meant that *particular hotel - NOT Margate itself - which is quite a lovely place.

Sorry for any misunderstanding!

*(Having read a number of very negative reviews about that particular establishment (not one of the ones you mentioned), I would be very surprised if they are still in business.)

Thank you Neil xx

Gig in Margate went swimmingly. Full house at the Theatre Royal and a wonderfully appreciative audience. Enjoyed by everyone I spoke to, both back and front of house. Hopefully we can make it a regular fixture on the tour. Big thanks to Stevie, Nigel, Kiran and all the lovely people who made it happen and made my job so easy xx

I enjoyed the gig at Margate.  It has to be said that the theatre is an old one with lots of pillars and a surprisingly high proportion of the seats must have a restricted view.
From the extreme left hand end of the circle I had to peer between a pillar and an array of lights and even so had very little view of Ric but no real problem.   The music was fine, even the new songs.

Sorry about that Mike. About 45 of the seats are restricted view and were therefore half price. The rest are supposed to be OK. Can you remember the number of your seat?

I think the seat number was B4 (in the circle).
Someone else bought the tickets and I can't remember what we were charged.
It was not a serious problem but is the sort of thing that you get at this type of older venue.

On the upside, however, I was pleased that the bar had got in some proper local beer, which I presume is not always available there.

Apparently yes this was a restricted view ticket and the purchaser would have been told. Please let me know if this was not the case. Cool what you said about an older venue but just want customers to be happy!

Mike - forgot to say - theatre bought in beer specially - glad it was appreciated!