Sunday 9th January 2022

The good news was that the weather was due to be better on Sunday, so for the morning I planned a trip to Ramsgate to snap a blue plaque where Vincent van Gogh once taught and lived.

We got up very late due to the heavy meal and booze from Saturday night, had coffee, croissants and more coffee before driving to Thanet.

I worked in Ramsgate pretty much every weekday from 2010 to 2014, and so I got used to walking round the harbour. But it has been several years since we were last here, maybe five or six years, so about time for a return.

And the reason for going was to check out where Vincent van Gogh worked in the town for a few weeks as a teacher in a boy's school, but for a combination reason, he only lasted a month.

But he did draw the view from his bedroom window, which is recognisable today as the view past the Churchill pub overlooking the harbour.

Once we found where the school was, and also found where he lodged too, both had a blue plaque. Then we went for a walk round the harbour, to take in the air and for me to take nearly 400 shots in the glorious winter light.

Upper Ramsgate, the part that overlooks the harbour and the streets behind, at Georgian glorious. I mean row up on row, street after street of wonderful stylish houses, and once you have no trouble imagining Vincent living in.

My wife is a Lady of Kent, and she thought she knew Kent, and had rather a low opinion of Ramsgate, and she was blown away by how wonderful the area still is. Some streets open into fine green squares, others have tennis courts. I mean, who wouldn't want to live in that kind of place?

The only downside I can see is the piss poor parking on the streets, and moor signage meant I did, at one point, drove the wrong way down a one way street. Nothing was coming the other way, and I don't think anyone saw me.

But easy to do.

On the wide sloping road that leads to the harbour, another famous man once lived, Charles Darwin, or at least another fine Georgian house has a blue plaque dedicated to him.

We walked down the stops leading to the harbour, past the Sailor's church, then along the road along which freight for the port used to travel along. Not any more, the port has closed, just as the link road was completed from Thanet Way.

I meet a group of technicians from the windfarm, they are no longer emplyed by Vestas, but two remember me and we swap news and how our lives have gone. They had been to a cafe for a "fat biy's breakfast" before sailing out to the windfarm. Nice day for it.

We walk round the harbour, past the row of restaurants and bars so I could snap the Edward VIII post box, very rare, and then an amble back, via the fish quay, then back along the harbour and up the steps beside the harbour road.

There's worse places to live.

On the way back to the car, we stopped at a cfe under the Yacht Club for a coffee and to look at the view. It was warm enough, just, to sit outside.

Back to the car for a quick drive home, by which time it was lunchtime.

Ham from M&S in rolls bought also from M&S, which Jools notes are three times as expensive as from Tesco, but not three times better.

I go to the pet food shop for bird seed and peanuts, £70 worth! But we enjoy seeing the little buggers in the garden, and gives the cats something to watch and stalk.

Then there is football, though I listen to the radio rather than watch TV. Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal. Which was nice.

We have party food for supper, which was also nice. Nice not to have to cook, though we stay off the booze.

And somehow, the weekend had slipped by.

I read for half an hour, then turn the light out.

Night all.