Margate ranked among the world’s best in Rough Guide 2013

[DaveD]

Courtesy of Kent News:

Sitting proud alongside the likes of Stockholm, Puerto Rico and Valparaíso in Chile, Margate has been selected as a must-see destination.

Rough Guides wed editor Tim Chester heaps praise on the town, which is in the throws of a renaissance, with the opening of the Turner Contemporary last year and plans for the world’s first heritage theme park at the former Dreamland site.

Mr Chester says: “From the Turner Contemporary gallery to the proliferation of other indie art spaces, vintage shops and cute cafés in the Old Town, Margate now offers much more than its golden sands and dilapidated seaside charm.


It shows how far the resort has come. The good thing about clone towns is that it will eventually (as it is starting to now) start driving people to places like Margate because it offers something different, regardless of whether it is a little rough around the edges. This is why we need to keep the momentum going with Dreamland and continue to oppose thoughtless development, like we have been with Tescos.




Dave D

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Another piece on this...

The Kent seaside town of Margate has been listed as one of the top 10 places to visit in the world by bosses at the Rough Guide

The run-down town in Kent, known for 'kiss me quick' hats and donkey rides, was put in seventh place in the new Rough Guide book's 'must see' destinations for 2013.

Bosses at the travel guide say that the town offers more than just 'golden sands' and 'dilapidated seaside charm', saying it is packed with 'cute cafes' and home to the £17.5m Turner Contemporary gallery which opened last year.

It's come a long way since Chas and Dave celebrated the town's charms in this 1982 classic, Margate - which rhymes with 'target' apparently:

A spokesman for the book said this week: "From the Turner Contemporary gallery to the proliferation of other indie art spaces, vintage shops and cute cafes in the Old Town, Margate now offers much more than its golden sands and dilapidated seaside charm.

"The gem on the Isle of Thanet constitutes one of the highlights of the forthcoming Rough Guide to Kent, Sussex and Surrey for many good reasons."

Amazingly, Margate is the only place in the UK listed, with the top 10 being:

Norrth Cyprus
Stockholm
Dubrovnik
Kosice (Slovakia)
Dresden (Germany)
Northeast Iceland
Margate, England
Valparaiso, Chile
Puerto Rico
Nowhere (festival in the desert of northern Spain)


Locals, however, slated the book, saying it was 'totally ridiculous' to put Margate in the top 10 places to visit in the world.

One, calling himself Car Driver, said: "Great stuff - they say a good laugh dispels the symptoms of mild depression. Now I'm all set until Spring!"

Another, Robert Spires, 41, said: "If this guide causes tens of thousands of people to descend on Margate from around the world I am afraid they will be very, very disappointed.

"Margate is run down, half of the shops are closed or in the process of closing down, there are yobs on every corner and amusement arcades all over the place.

"It is not the kind of place you really want to live in, let alone go on holiday to."

Deputy director at Turner Contemporary, Richard Morsley, said: "It is brilliant to see Margate highlighted by Rough Guide as a key international destination."

[Cheryl]

What should be a good advert for Margate, again. has to be ruined by a Margate resident. Just what is wrong with some of the people in the town?

So now instead of approx 20% of shops closed this resident cites 50%. Yobs on EVERY street corner, really? I have not witnessed it to be any worse than any other town or city I have visited. Amusement arcades all over the place, well what a surprise on the promenade of a seaside town. Really, this type of hyperbole does nothing to help and some people really need to get a grip and start to feel a little bit of pride. I have seen a massive change over recent years and all for the better. There is just no pleasing some people and I also think that some just will never accept that things are improving.

Wait until Dreamland is up and running!

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Much though I love Margate, I would have to say that I was surprised to see it listed as one of the top ten places in the world to visit, to say the least. Personally I would have put St Petersburg, say, or maybe North Sentinel Island slightly higher up on the list...

[Phillerz]

I laughed so much when i saw it , i agree that the potential is there. Investment and dreamland is needed tho. :/

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Yes, let's be honest, next year is a bit too soon.

[Cheryl]

Margate in top ten places in the world to visit is very, well, 'avant-garde' and we all laughed our socks off.

But I do wish people would not over exaggerate Margate's woes. Some of these really need to come and see some of the inner city areas here in Birmingham, that would shut them up!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

[Jim Douglas Jr.]

Good or bad, the name is planted in people's minds which keeps up interest. Key in the future.

[Vince, Charlie and Sam]

Good or bad, the name is planted in people's minds which keeps up interest. Key in the future.

I think my concern would be that if thousands did descend on Margate next year, they would probably be rather disappointed and would possibly write reviews which were less than flattering, to the point of heaping ridicule on Margate. There is no point in pretending otherwise, Margate is extremely run down at the moment, has the highest percentage of closed shops in the UK at over 37% (2011 figures, unlikely to have been lower in 2012) and there are derelict eyesores from one end of the town to the other.

It is true that the Old Town has been regenerated to a degree by the Turner Centre, but this only comprises a very small part of Margate.

I would describe Margate to anybody as a place worth visiting, with many local curiosities, with a long history and beautiful seascapes, I just think it might be pushing a bit to say it was one of the top ten places in the world to visit.... although when Dreamland re-opens this would of course change!