Margate and Broadstairs

We continued our monthly visits to see Helen. Nick and Ernie in Margate.

For our July trip, the apartment that we had used previously in the Royal Seabathing in Margate was not available, so we stayed in a another apartment in the old town centre. As our visit covered Helen's birthday, she and Nick took the opportunity to have a night away together while we had our first 'solo' night with Ernie. Here he is being an angel in the bath.

We were surprised at just how busy Margate can be on a sunny Saturday in July - it was quite like the the English summers of my childhood, with the beach full of people.

The beach is cleaned everyday in the season

Here we are getting our feet wet. an expression used by Pat's mother, which Ernie now uses.

 

There are some good cafes in the centre, Angela's and Huckleberry's. At Angela's we accidentally got a small adult's fish and chips, rather than a child's fish fingers and chips. We described the small cod as a ginormous fish finger and It went down very well - in fact, so well that we went back another day for the same thing!

The 'Viking ship' playground is always popular with Ernie

as is nd the Turner Contemporary cafe with ice cream and crisps.

The lifeboat returning to its overnight parking place by the Turner contemporary gallery.

As always, we made good use of the train service (Ernie can recite all the stops of the fast train to London). One day we went to the park in Canterbury with a picnic.

The weather was mixed, so we were happy that the 'soft play' that is part of Margate's Dreamland was open. Dreamlinand itself opened at the beginning of July, but is not really suitable for a 3 year old and certainly not priced for one who is too young for many rides!

Our parting view of Margate as we left early in the morning to take the train to Ashford and the onto the EuroStar to Avignon.

We returned home in time for the cultural festival in the area, Les Nuits du Terrasse et del Catet. This always starts in the centre of Thezan, close to the church, where there is a narrow street that makes a tiny amphitheatre. Later, we heard the theory that this small passage is all that remains of a roman amphitheatre - the theory could be correct, there are plenty of columns around in houses, including our own.

This is the audience for the first event

The week has a fixed structure: the second event is always a concert outside a tiny chapel in Paihes

Another night we were at a concert in Chateau Coujon

Plays were performed at Domaine de Ravennes

 

Later in the week, there is always a jazz concert at Chateau de Mus. This year there were two concerts, but the first was rained off. This was the second.

In August, we returned to Broadstairs to help Helen and family to return to their house after the restoration. The finishing date was the day after we arrived in the evening, but, as with many projects, the work overran, so we extended our planned stay by 10 days.

As it happened, John's second cousin, Georgina from South Africa,was in London at the time of this visit. We managed to overlap for breakfast and with Michael Cooper, another cousin of Georgina.

We also managed a flying visit to Cambridge for a last meal at our favourite restaurant; Michael and Susan retire at the end of September

We spent 4 nights in a B&B in Broadstairs and then moved into Helen's house with the work continuing around us. Fortunately, Jim and Sophie were around and came down to spend a night in the same B&B, Belvedere House, so that the whole family could be together for a great breakfast.

Jim and Sophie on Jim's bike

There were various events taking place while we were in Broadstairs, including a festival which finished with fireworks

As usual, we went to the park

A trip to London to the transport museum

A walk by the sea in Margate

The big move happened on Thursday. Ernie went to his child care, we went to Broadstairs to see the furniture out and Helen and Nick were in Broadstaoirs, directing operations from that end. At the moment, it's still chaos, but it's going to be lovely. The top floor (of four) where the family sleep, is painted and carpeted. On the floor below, where we sleep, our room and the bathroom are in use. The basement kitchen is still being built and there is some major glass fitting to be done on Tuesday. There is still plenty of work to be done, but I expect there to be a big difference when we return in 16 days time to help out when the next child is born.

Views from the top of the house

 

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