Happy 2021!
I am trying to stay positive even if the New Year has started in much the same way as the last one ended, which I think you’ll agree is miserably! Whilst we all languish in lockdown III, what is there to be positive about I ask myself? Well, living in Ramsgate is certainly a bonus and one of my reasons to feel happy! We have so many beautiful walking and cycling trails giving us the opportunity to enjoy our coastline, explore some of our architecture or learn more about our local history with around 20 trails to choose from. Dare I even say, ‘Every day’s a school day’ when so many of you are struggling with your new-found occupation as teachers?? We are also very lucky with our stretch of coastline which offers lots of different experiences from kitesurfing to wild swimming, which some crazy cats are partaking in even throughout this bracing weather! For tips and advice on staying safe in and around the sea, check out the RNLI website. We hope too, that the wildlife and nature trails will return later on this year due to popular demand – a fabulous way to explore the hidden, natural world that surrounds us. I will keep you posted once they can start again!
I am not one for New Year’s resolutions as I have little to no willpower but for this year I will endeavour to buy less and when I do, I will check out local options before I resort to purchasing elsewhere. That’s why I love initiatives like Thanet Virtual High Street , recently launched to support local businesses in the Isle of Thanet, Kent. They have already signed up around 100 local businesses, ready and waiting to serve the community! They have a facebook group page as well which is regularly updated with new business offers. We also have local lockdown maps for shops and restaurants offering an alternative to businesses’ usual way of working including click & collect, delivery and takeaways. Just search for the icons on our Google maps and the info for each business will appear along the side of your screen. Many of our lovely shops and restaurants are trying to do their best to support their customers and keep their businesses afloat so if you can, please check out the website link above and our lockdown maps for info on where you can still shop locally.
Other reasons to feel cheerful include looking forward to a more liberated summer and autumn when we can celebrate with our visitors! Hopefully, this year will see the return of the National Kitesurfing Championship Finals, Ramsgate Week and lots more of our annual events that were suspended in 2020. Festival of Sound, Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival and Ramsgreat Week will also feature in this year’s line up of events along with some special celebrations including the 200th anniversary of receiving our unique royal status for the harbour which we hope will go ahead in September. You can keep an eye on the harbour event plans at RAMSGATE2021. I will keep you posted on a few other events that should happen later on in the year when we have more idea of how long lockdown will continue but in the meantime, stay safe and well and if you’re missing Ramsgate, check out our ‘We Miss You’ video featuring the fabulous Kooks song, Seaside and lots of beautiful footage of our lovely Ramsgate!
Hope to see you all very soon!
(Images featured by Brian Whitehead & Keith Ross)
Rebekah Smith, Ramsgate Town Promoter on behalf of Ramsgate Town Council
