Turner Contemporary and Margate

[PeckhamRose]

Dear East Dulwich friends!

Many of you will know I grew up in Margate, and that I visit Thanet regularly (and sometimes I even visit my parents!) and often upload photos specially of Broadstairs in particular. I normally go on week days when the beaches are empty. Well, today me and MrPR went for a ride around the coast as usual and stopped off at the Turner Contemporary which opened yesterday. I saw on the news that Tracey Emin - when she opened it yesterday - was quite emotional. I am here to tell you that as we rode down Fort Hill and saw all the thousands of people around the building and along the sea front, in the sea and along Stone Pier (now called Margate Harbour Arm, even though it is a Pier made of Stone!) and parked the bikes and entered the Galleries, that I began to cry with pride for my home town's new bright beating heart. I love Thanet but have never seen so many people on Margate sea front since I was a teenager in the 70s working on the seafront cafes. It was such a joy to see. The news reports said that the Turner Gallery could be for Margate what Guggenheim was for Bilbao. I am not quite so sure about that but it will certainly help, and when the Dreamland Victorian theme park opens in a few years Margate will see a resurgence in visitors for sure.

The exhibitions in the gallery were great, and there is just one actual Turner Painting in there, although in January there will be a whole exhibition of Turner paintings. I loved what was in the show though today. There was a 100 strong choir and orchestra and they performed an amazing song about a volcano: the subject of one of Turner's paintings currently in the Gallery. Afterwards the applause was deafening and again I was moved to tears!

As for the architecture of the gallery, well I am not that keen. Others have also criticised it saying it looks just like big white sheds. But the best thing is that you can't see that when you are INside it, but when you ARE inside it, you can see the beautiful sweep of views of the Margate Sands and today the sun was strong and shining on the water. The cafe is also lovely and well stocked AND the staff were friendly, and helpful!

The roads are great quality and you need the A2 then M2, A299 and A28. After Blackheath there are no stops till the Birchington roundabout and you hang a right there and head through Westgate till you get to Margate Sands. It takes us about an hour and a half or so.

The ONLY problem specially on a motorcycle is that going down there in the morning the sun is in your eyes.

And coming home in the evening, the sun is in your eyes!

I strongly recommend it as a day out. And here are the links!

Turner Contemporary

Visit Thanet

Thanks for reading!

[womanofdulwich]

(tu)

[PeckhamRose]

Incidentally, if anyone wants to come down with me in the summer, on the back of my bike, you'd be more than welcome.

Share the petrol costs! We could arrange a mutually convenient day to go down one day. I'd prefer a week day.

Form a queue!