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Among my souvenirs
Over the last
couple of years
I have been
regularly drawn to
the Thanet coast
for my seaside
breaks out of
London.
Donald Urquhart
on his Margate Alphabet
Margate is about an hour and twenty
minutes on the high speed train from
St. Pancras. With many clean sandy
beaches and jolly local pubs it is an
ideal weekend getaway if you are
looking to unwind. It also has many
hidden delights such as its famous
Shell Grotto and recently restored Tudor
House.
In Margate I became friends with Dinah
Parrett and helped her to curate and
install a show of her drawings last
year. Dinah was then battling cancer
and, though weakening, she managed
to complete many beautiful wildlife
drawings over her last summer.
It was at Dinah’s opening that I was
introduced to Victoria Pomery, director
of the Turner Contemporary Gallery;
then still being built. Victoria asked
what I was up to. “Oh you know. More
alphabets,” I said.
When Victoria asked if I might do an
alphabet of Margate I wondered if she
might be joking. ‘A is for alcoholics, etc,’
I thought. A few weeks later I received
an e-mail inviting me to discuss this
with a view to producing fund-raising
merchandise for the new gallery. I
was thrilled to be making seaside
town souvenirs. It was quite a task;
describing the history and character of
a near derelict resort that is seeking
to claw itself out of decline - in 26
alphabetical images.
After much research, including asking
around in bars and many afternoons
in Margate Library, I came up with the
above. certain letters were problematic:
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should D be for Dreamland or Donkey
rides (Margate was the first seaside
resort to have donkey rides so the
donkeys won).
The letter O was singularly elusive,
and following much head-scratching,
a local expert pointed out that the
first pneumatic fairground ride was
The Orbiter, which made its debut at
Dreamland Margate. I struggled to find
photos on the internet of what it looked
like but came up with a blurry picture of
its prototype boxy cars.
After the alphabet had been completed
and printed on mugs and tea towels, etc.
- I found out that a friend in Margate,
Charlene’s grandad was the man who
had bought the blueprints and created
the Orbiter. She has loads of photos.
Certain links are debateably tenuous:
Van Gogh actually lived in Ramsgate,
but given that it is within walking
distance - and while locals may argue
that V should be for V.D. Clinic - I only
thought it fair to include him.
Arlington House, while hardly an edifice
to beauty is perhaps Margate’s most
striking feature. You can’t miss it and in
summer it casts a massive shadow over
the beach.
At the Turner Contemporary Gallery
opening I asked Tracey Emin what she
thought ? “I love it, but you made my
hair really unkempt and messy,” said
the Unmade Bed woman with unwitting
irony.
Turner Contemporary Gallery
The Parade, Margate