Thursday January 1st 2015

Welcome to the new year. But before we deal with the new year, we must revisit the old one.

Wednesday.

New Year's Eve.

These days of wine and roses and cake and bacon butties are drawing to an end, and work is creeping over the horizon, with thoughts of my first trip back to Denmark already foremost in my mind. But more of that in my next, forward looking blog.



We are waking up later and later for the most part, we even sleep through the heating switching on at seven, and Mulder dribbling over us hinting it might be breakfast time.Outside the sky looks like it is on fire, as another stunning sunrise is in mid-rise. It will be another glorious winter day, cold but with lots of sunshine.



After breakfast we decide, or I decide if truth be known, to drive to Thanet and visit Margate. It has been some time since we were there, and what with the glorious weather, what could be better than a walk along the sun-drenched prom, even if it was middle of winter? What indeed.

We avoid Westwood Cross, driving back out along Thanet Way before doubling back along through Birchington into Margate, the vista of the wide sandy bay opening up before us: it looked glorious in the sunshine I have to say. We park just above The Tate, walk along the prom then into the gallery itself. The Tate Contemporary changes regularly, so there is something new every few months, and in the time since we were last here, it is all new. We had a fine hour looking at the art on display, watching the video installation.

And then to tea! Like Arthur Dent, we were on the search for tea. Mainly thanks to my good friend in NZ, Tony, as he had a cream tea over the festive period nd posted a shot of it on Flickr:



Well, it reminded me that it is ages since I had a proper cream tea, so the very best place for such on Thanet is at The Mad Hatters in Margate. We hoped it would be open, but it was a short walk into the old town from the gallery. Sadly, it is only open on Saturdays now, so we were tea-less. Or I was. But, there are many other places in Margate to get something to eat.



Before walking back to the seafront, we looked into a couple of retro emporiums to look at what was for sale: I bought a tie and a book of aerial photography of East Kent. Happy with the purchases, we walk to a cafe we know well, G's, and take a table. We have coffee and a pannini, both of which were good.



We walk back along the seafront to the clock built to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, from there it was just a short walk to the art deco grandeur of Dreamland, still looking down at heel, but work has begun on restoring the wooden roller coaster behind. But that is for another day, perhaps.

Back in the car, on with the heating and off we go, heading through Ramsgate towards Ramsgate, but I did not realise we were heading to the jam that is Westwood Cross. In the centre of Thanet is Westwood, now a major shopping mall, with cinema, casino and pub. And it is always jammed. That people enjoy shopping so much is a mystery to both of us. But by luck, we head out of the traffic towards Cliffsend and home. Away from Thanet traffic is quiet, and with the sun shining, it is a pleasure just to be out and about.

That is, until a warning light went on in the car; something wrong with the engine. I look at the dials and see nothing untoward, but I ease off the speed, and we limp home, once home, Jools books the car in for Friday morning in the garage, and we hope it is just an electrical fault. But we shall see.

More coffee was drunk once we were home, I put on a radio show on the i player. Outside the sun sets one final time this year.

We watch Puss in Boots in the early evening, then see in the New Year playing cards, me drinking port, and on the CD player, a selection of 80s twelve inches plays on. Just before midnight we put the TV on the see Big Ben strike midnight, then watch the wonderful firework display. And it is all over.

Happy New Year, and time for bed.