Broadstairs

Leroy Ambrose

WTF happened to it? Used to love going there when i was a kid - it was a lovely place. Went there today on a day trip and it's just as much of a shithole as Margate is now. Like someone multipied the casts of Cocoon, TOWIE, Gippo Wedding and the Football Factory by 1000 and let 'em all loose there. I almost wept as I was walking back to my car.

Saga Lout

Very sad. Went to Margate a few weeks back and the wife said she thought it had potential - to be honest I think the only potential it has is to go even further down.

buckshee

Went to broadstairs with the kids on Monday and they loved it. Quite enjoyed it as well.

You're just getting old Leroy.

charltonJ

ha on my way back from there now, was a decent day out tbh.

_MrDick

charltonJ said:

ha on my way back from there now, was a decent day out tbh.

You're probably one of the people LA is referring to ;0)

Stig

I don't know Broadstairs. I know I've been there, but don't remember it. I can't help but wonder whether the symptoms Leroy described are just what's happening everywhere.

Clem_Snide

Went today. Beach was heaving, but it is a decent enough seaside town. Nowhere near as bad as Margate or Ramsgate.

Harry Gregory

I live in Broadstairs and it is a lovely safe town with great local people and a real community. One visit and it is a shithole eh? perhaps you mean the odd time when it is 27 degrees and lowlife from other parts of the country visit.

CharltonKerry

I have been lucky I have travelled the world and to me Broadstairs is amongst the top places in the world, it always seem like coming home whenever I go down there. I been going in Morellas for over 55 years and had a knickerbocker glory everyone of those years. Loads of great memories not forgetting the 6 weeks school holidays when I was packed off to my various Aunties who lived down there.

A slightly Rosie view you may say, but to me Broadstair sums up all that is great in the British seaside.

Leroy Ambrose

Harry Gregory said:

I live in Broadstairs and it is a lovely safe town with great local people and a real community. One visit and it is a shithole eh? perhaps you mean the odd time when it is 27 degrees and lowlife from other parts of the country visit.

TBF, that's probably what it is. Unfortunately, the only time most seaside towns get visited are at times when the general scum of society are there as well, so I guess it isn't exactly representative of what it's like most of the time. Thing is, when I was a kid, it wasn't ever a shithole like Margate - and I only ever went there in the middle of summer. I guess what stig says is true - it's just symptomatic of the fact that behaving like a selfish, thoughtless f***stain is now the norm, rather than the exception.

Harry Gregory

Leroy Ambrose said:

Harry Gregory said:

I live in Broadstairs and it is a lovely safe town with great local people and a real community. One visit and it is a shithole eh? perhaps you mean the odd time when it is 27 degrees and lowlife from other parts of the country visit.

TBF, that's probably what it is. Unfortunately, the only time most seaside towns get visited are at times when the general scum of society are there as well, so I guess it isn't exactly representative of what it's like most of the time. Thing is, when I was a kid, it wasn't ever a shithole like Margate - and I only ever went there in the middle of summer. I guess what stig says is true - it's just symptomatic of the fact that behaving like a selfish, thoughtless f***stain is now the norm, rather than the exception.

Unfortunately, this time of the year on a nice day everyone in Kent and South London seem to head here now including the lowlife who used to head to Margate and Brighton, the mess left behind on the beach is disgraceful. But they all go home by 6 o'clock and the beach is spotless again by 7:30 then us locals go out again and they actually actually opening nice pubs doen here not shutting them. Most "locals" down here by the way have moved from South London like myself.

ShootersHillGuru

Broadstairs is a lovely place for a day trip.

SoundAsa£

Love the place...crowded or otherwise.

richie8

We used to go for annual bus trip when I was at Primary school there and it was lovely.Went once about 12 or 13 years ago and it was still alright but I didn't remember it being so crowded.On the same trip we went to Margate and I was horrified at what a complete dump it was after a 10 year gap in visits,I would hate to see it now.

North Lower Neil

I like Broadstairs! Looking forward to Folk Week too.

Margate is a hole.

Stebo

Broadstairs is alright. Margate has seen better days.

SoundAsa£

To be fair Margate is improving, I believe it got a huge grant a year or so back.

johnny73

Broadstairs is on our list of day trips nearly every year. Went about a month ago. Had a lovely day but then the beach was practically empty. I do agree with leroy about the decline in a respectful society - we have to confront it every day.

Tommy Dowling

CharltonKerry said:

I have been lucky I have travelled the world and to me Broadstairs is amongst the top places in the world, it always seem like coming home whenever I go down there. I been going in Morellas for over 55 years and had a knickerbocker glory everyone of those years. Loads of great memories not forgetting the 6 weeks school holidays when I was packed off to my various Aunties who lived down there.

A slightly Rosie view you may say, but to me Broadstair sums up all that is great in the British seaside.

This definitely! We used to go to Broadstairs on August bank holiday weekend and always had a barbecue on the beach. I have no idea how many times I lugged stuff up the stairs from the 'Eastern Esplanade'. By the time we left it was always dark and the toilets at the top had no lights in them.

For years you could find still negotiate the smugglers passages that went from the beach up to the road but they're all bricked up now.

There always seemed to be an event going on in the back garden of Bleak House and I will also recommend Morelli's. Who remembers the fountain that had coloured lights?

The fish and chip shop in the very narrow high street is ace- the mural of the mermaid on the wall is of one of the former owners that was painted by her husband- at least I think that's how I heard it.

Lunch was often taken in the Tartar Frigate which has a great seafood restaurant above it.

So I hope the next time the OP goes to Broadstairs I hope he has a much better time of it!

North Lower Neil

Can't see it making a difference SoundAs - any half decent shops/jobs/bars are gone (with a couple of small exceptions on pubs).

Badger

Went to Margate last week and also visited Broadstairs and Ramsgate, always plenty to do and had a nice time.

Had a lovely meal at The Ambrette in Margate and Visited the Turner gallery to see the Tracey Emin Exhibition,Thought Broadstairs still has it's charm and the harbour in Ramsgate is worth a visit.

Fanny Fanackapan

Agree with that, Tommy. Great place for a day trip .

Last went a couple of years back and they still had a Punch & Judy on the beach !

Always favoured Margate when I was a little 'un - train, walk down to the beach buying rolls, ham etc on the way for the inevitable sandy lunch, deckchairs, swim in the sea however chilly, ice creams, fish & chip tea opposite the beach and finally the highlight of the day...DREAMLAND !!!! What a magical place that was to youngsters ! Big wheel, ghost train, caterpillar and scenic railway - with a lovely toffee apple to round it off. Never wanted the day to end....

Sadly, the Margate of bygone days is no more - maybe it will arise again phoenix like in the not too distant future .

PopIcon

Broadstairs is a decent seaside town, nice beach, crazy golf & whelks on the pier. What more can you ask for?

SE10

Anyone seen Dover lately!!

killerandflash

I went there a couple of years ago and thought it was very nice, busy with families, a happy atmosphere. Ramsgate was good too, a very pleasant walk from Broadstairs.

Margate was awful though, depressing and run down.

I thought Dover was OK, though it's always a concern when the public toilets have needle drops...

Senpai

I was born and brought up in Broadstairs but settled in London after University. After 10 years in the big smoke I couldn't wait to move back to Kent with my young family and now live in Whitstable. Although Whitstable is much nicer town than Broadstairs, I still love going back there. If people want to get away from the crowds on a nice hot day, avoid Viking Bay and go to Stone Bay which is a mile away. My parents still live in the same house from when they moved there 35 years ago. It still feels like home when I go back.

paulbaconsarnie

Senpai said:

I was born and brought up in Broadstairs but settled in London after University. After 10 years in the big smoke I couldn't wait to move back to Kent with my young family and now live in Whitstable. Although Whitstable is much nicer town than Broadstairs, I still love going back there. If people want to get away from the crowds on a nice hot day, avoid Viking Bay and go to Stone Bay which is a mile away. My parents still live in the same house from when they moved there 35 years ago. It still feels like home when I go back.

used to love the next bay along, Joss bay.
is the captain digby still there?

dickplumb

As a child my parents used to take me to Broadstairs all the time,I loved it there.As an adult I have been there many times and have not encountered any problems with people.In fact the people I have met have been friendly.Would hate it to turn into Chav by the sea as I am thinking of buying a property down there.

Harry Gregory

dickplumb said:

As a child my parents used to take me to Broadstairs all the time,I loved it there.As an adult I have been there many times and have not encountered any problems with people.In fact the people I have met have been friendly.Would hate it to turn into Chav by the sea as I am thinking of buying a property down there.

Don't worry it really isn't turning into Chav-on-Sea, I moved down here 4 years ago with my family and 95% of the time it is chav free and very safe, there is also a great array of decent pubs and resturants.

The hottest week after a long wet summer coincided with the start of the summer holidays, and nowadays most kids under the age of 22 appear to be on holiday from education during the summer. So everyone has headed to the coast. They all go to Viking or Joss Bay but there are five other bays that are normally not busy and only used by locals. The daytrippers have all gone back to South London and the Medway towns by 6:00 anyway.

Senpai

paulbaconsarnie said:

Senpai said:

I was born and brought up in Broadstairs but settled in London after University. After 10 years in the big smoke I couldn't wait to move back to Kent with my young family and now live in Whitstable. Although Whitstable is much nicer town than Broadstairs, I still love going back there. If people want to get away from the crowds on a nice hot day, avoid Viking Bay and go to Stone Bay which is a mile away. My parents still live in the same house from when they moved there 35 years ago. It still feels like home when I go back.

used to love the next bay along, Joss bay.
is the captain digby still there?

The Captain Digby is still there but I haven't been for a while. I've been told the food is quite good and it is good for kids with a play area indoors and outdoors. 15 to 20 years ago it used to be one of the pubs for the younger drinkers but they've changed towards a family friendly pub.

dickplumb

Harry Gregory said:

dickplumb said:

As a child my parents used to take me to Broadstairs all the time,I loved it there.As an adult I have been there many times and have not encountered any problems with people.In fact the people I have met have been friendly.Would hate it to turn into Chav by the sea as I am thinking of buying a property down there.

Don't worry it really isn't turning into Chav-on-Sea, I moved down here 4 years ago with
my family and 95% of the time it is chav free and very safe, there is also a great array of decent pubs and resturants.

The hottest week after a long wet summer coincided with the start of the summer holidays, and nowadays most kids under the age of 22 appear to be on holiday from education during the summer. So everyone has headed to the coast. They all go to Viking or Joss Bay but there are five other bays that are normally not busy and only used by locals. The daytrippers have all gone back to South London and the Medway towns by 6:00 anyway.

Thanks for that Harry,I have sampled most of the restaurants and pubs in the area and have never had a bad meal or drink.I would move down there tomorrow but I will have to convince my wife.