Today's Weather for Cliftonville

Monday 12 March 2007

Welcome

Welcome! It couldn't really be a better day for starting something fresh and new. A glorious Spring day! And yes, there really are even parts of Cliftonville that look bright and hopeful on a day like this!

This blog concerns Cliftonville, a small residential and shopping district on the edge of Margate, Kent.

Wherever I have set up home during my life I have found something of which I can be proud. Having lived in Cliftonville since 2000, there are days when I find myself struggling in this respect. Some lovely stretches of coastline, yes, but I can't deny that I find much of the town grotty, grey and oppressive; once-proud buildings showing the unmistakable signs of years of neglect, shops that appear to be in terminal decline, streets awash with litter .

Introduced to Cliftonville by Sir John Betjeman's evocative and nostaligic poem "Margate, 1940", I want to look for the good. I'm not suggesting that time can be turned back to Cliftonville's heyday, but I wish that the people who have made their homes here would take notice, take care and then hopefully take pride in their surroundings.

This blog will be concerned with everyday life in Cliftonville. The good and the bad. On a sublime day like today I'd like to think that hope and optimism will end up as the overall tone. We'll see. Please feel most free to make suggestions and observations. Who knows, perhaps the odd seed might germinate.

4 comments:

yogi bear said...

Hi
I Have lived in Cliftonville since 2000 also. I know exactly what you mean by the difficulty in staying optimistic. However, I have lived in other even less celubrious places and believe me, Cliftonville comes out pretty well in comparison. Yeh, too many drunks, too many junkies, too many people who should be looked after instead of being dumped in some bedsit alone with only their mental or emotional difficulties to keep them company, but for me. this is a good reason to be here.
It is a beautiful place naturally and that means things can change, but only if there is the will. I have seen that will increase enormously over the last 5 years. All it needs now is the authorities to take their share of responsibility and things could be much better.

Cornelius said...

Thanks for your comment, Sue. I should have offered a prize for the first comment left on a new blog! I didn't. Sorry! If you have any suggestions for community links please let me know.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I've just moved to Margate from London and already share your enthusiasm and and note the neglect. Hope we might be able to join together, those with a little energy and optimism for the future to make it happen.

Kathy said...

Hi
I went to Laleham School 1969-1974, and then revisited when looking at special schools and units for my son. Afterward, I ate my lunch on the cliff top, and went for a wander. It was sad to see no sun-decks on Walpole and Palm bays, and no beach huts on the promenade. It seemed deserted, like a ghost resort. I hope a group of people can get together to breathe new life into the town. It was lovely when I was at school there, and we could wander safely at night (when we were doing what we shouldn't - a bit of harmless fun, no drugs or anything involved).