Whitstable Weirdo's

As Sunsettown is no longer with us here is a series of pages

devoted to past Whitstable Moans home

Have Your Say - Here are your Moans

Archive 2 Archive 3 Archive 4 Archive 5
From: "Andrew"
To: <FEEDBACK@
Subject: Face the truth !!
Date: 30 April 2003 12:22

Subject: Waterski Club and Harbour Lights Pub

The pictures showing how thing have changed over the last few years MUST be
updated to show how things have surely changed as a result of all the
visitors within the last few years !!

eg: The Harbour Lights pub was a drug infested night club / pub that
everyone tried to stay well clear off !
Having been there when the police raided it and arrested everyone I felt
that it was s a positive move for Whitstable in the early Ninetees to be
without the Harbour Lights pub.

We were regularly offered drugs when we entered the club and all evening
people were trying to sell us stuff / drugs - It was then closed down and
after a period became the Hotel Continental -

Hotel or Drug infested Club - you choose !!

Having lived in Whitstable for 10 years in the 80's and attended SWNS
I cannot remember Whitstable without the Water Ski Club that - a few tatty
old fairground rides once stood outside in the early 90's but that area of
ground has also been used to sell old cars !

An excess of visitors will change any town and I agree that things must be
controlled but don't turn into journalistic people turning and twisting the
truths for any advantage !

AM
Whatever
From: "martin more" <MARINMORE11@
To: <MOG
Subject: Whistable House prices
Date: 17 March 2003 12:07

Locals of Whistable should not moan too much they live in a attractive town on the coast and at least property has gone so high they could afford a house in another good part of Kent. If you lived in Sittingbourne as I do, you would be in a far less attractive town with it own problems (Coniston) and you would still not be able to buy a house as you need Ł80,000 for a two up two down. So look at the good parts of your town you have alot more to smile about than others in Kent.
From: "Nat Victor" <NATVICTOR@
To: <MOG@SUNSETTOWN.
Subject: Whitstable RIP
Date: 28 February 2003 12:37

As a Whitstable born and raised man, I often trawl the web looking for
remains of my past life. This time I came across your site and it's moany
old git page.

Brilliant

Anyone brought up in the town knows that it is now in it's last throes. The
DFL market will soon dry up ( or they will resent the ' newcomers' ruining
'their' seaside idyll).
What will be left? Shops selling dried and painted driftwood, galleries,
overpriced eateries and boutiques. I wonder if it still possible to buy eggs
in the town now?

I have very personal knowledge of Whitstable and its 'Troubles', I was one
of the first chefs at the Oyster Company and at the time thought it would be
great for the town. Time has shown however that the Greens plans for the
town did not include it's former inhabitants. Later I worked at, and ran The
Tank until it's closure for redevelopement. Apart from being possibly the
best pub in the town (if you forgive me blowing my own trumpet), it housed a
significant amount of affordable rented accommodation. When it closed many,
including myself were forced into the inflated rental market in the town.

After The Tank we moved downtown to The Fountain. I was so surprised and
shocked at the level of support we received from ex customers when we
reopened. These people had been searching the pubs in town for a new home
but everywhere else was changing over to dfl trade (the duke, Neptune, bear
& key) We had so many people trying to get into our 'locals ' pub that they
often spilled over into the street. This however caused the new owners of
'fishermans cottages' (HA, HA) in Sydenham st. to complain bitterly until we
were hauled into the Police Station and told that if anyone was found
outside the premises with a glass or even without they would revoke our
license. It seemed that what we were doing did not fit into the plan for the
area.

Anyway, since that time I have emigrated to Faversham of all places where I
find the people and the town council are very keen to keep the town working
for the locals. I still visit Whitstable but find it a shell of it's former
self. Friends that come over to see me tell me of the lack of anywhere
decent to drink or socialise and the house prices are purely laughable. I
one day hope to return and bring up my son in the town but I will not be
doing so in the near future. It was a beautiful town and I miss it dearly,
but until it becomes Whitstable again I'll stay away

Nat Victor
Cheers Nat, A true reflection of what is going on
From: "David" <
To: <MOG
Subject: re: Right, I've had it with all this DFL stuff
Date: 16 November 2002 14:39

Cheers Sarah,

I've taken a few deep breaths, had a medicinal shandy and the world (especially Whitstable) seems a lot rosier.....
You're right, natives moaning does have an important function - but it's also good for them to realise they're not alone. Spoke to my brother this week who tells me there are plans to effectively double the size of our home village with executive homes, while the village primary school is threatened with closure; the roll is falling because young families can't afford to live there (the place is in the grip of a bloke who makes Mr Popular look like Mother Theresa's kinder little brother)....AAARRGHHHH!!! Another medicinal shandy and I'll be fine....
Anyway, I bloody love Whitstable and can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else.
David

PS
I miss the Fountain too - what the bloody hell is going on THERE?
From: "Parsons Sarah (Marketing)"
To: <MOG
Subject: re: Right, I've had it with all this DFL stuff
Date: 11 November 2002 11:09

David, it sounds as though you have a fine grasp of what a DFL is. Chill
out. The natives restless grumbling is a good thing. Without complaints
and moaning the town would be a very different, some say c**p place to be.
As you might agree, insensitive development, poor town planning and rising
house prices are the inevitable price to pay for living in the UK, let alone
Whitstable. But if you can rise above the flak, perhaps one day your
great, great, grandchildren will be able to claim 4th generation status,
cause, err... that's what matters isn't it?

Sarah
From: "David" <
Subject: Right, I've had it with all this DFL stuff
Date: 05 November 2002 20:42

Can some bugger PLEASE give me a definition of what a DFL is? I moved to Whitstable from London 18 months ago, after living in London for 16 years and was pig sick of the place. I come from Cambridgeshire originally and wanted to go back there to live, but hey! Guess what? I couldn't bloody afford to! People with loads of dosh have moved into the village where I grew up and I don't have a snowball in hell's chance of ever living there again. I'm not a big earner, but I do okay. I've visited and loved Whitstable for about 17 years and I'm really glad to live here. I can't afford to buy somewhere to live, so I pay an exorbitant rent instead. I make a point of doing all my food shopping in town (NOT at Tescos or Sainsburys) because I want to support local businesses. In fact I buy everything I can in town for that reason (clothes are a problem though - anyone want to sort that one out?).
The way that the changes to Whitstable have priced a lot of local first-time buyers out of the housing market is a tragedy, but it's not something that just affects Whitstable. In fact, Whitstable at least gets some benefits from the influx of people with cash (my home village now has no shops and barely has a bus service). If I'm a DFL then I'm proud to be one who is doing his best to support the community he lives in.
God I feel better for that.
From: "Parsons Sarah (Marketing)"
Subject: The Fountain
Date: 21 October 2002 09:52

I'm missing my favourite pub - I know it's hard, but I'm about to suggest
moving on from the greatest days of The Tank, so get ready for this... -
when will The Fountain reopen?

This was a fantastic pub, sadly gutted by a fire. It was great to walk in
to see friends and recognise other faces from around town. Because of it's
location away from the High Street it didn't attract trouble and always
played cool tunes. I really want to see the place reopened by Christmas

Run by the Toby and Martin from The Tank, it continues a fine tradition of
pub room debate - oh what rational, sensible conversations, what witty
sparring punning matches. Ok, so you had to be there.

The Fountain is a unique community and music pub. A locals-run freehouse,
welcoming and friendly (as a moany old git, I imagine you'll want to
question the vibe) and, of course, a great venue for Dub Organiser and
Subway Sounds. Please will you give it your support to see it reopen as
soon as possible.

Regards

Sarah
From: <MAIL@WHITSTABLEBEACHCAMPAIGN.ORG>
Subject: Development on Whitstable's beaches
Date: 20 October 2002 12:50

The aim of the Whitstable Beach Campaign is to safeguard Whitstable's
beaches for the enjoyment of the public by protecting against commercial
development. Yes, it's Mr Popular again.

Visit the website on:

www.whitstablebeachcamapign.org
From: "scott wood"
Subject: hobsons and general whinging
Date: 19 October 2002 11:27

hi,

just a simple moan about the inaccurately and inefficient published 'news'
about the demise of the hobsons/sherrins establishment,
i find it amusing that the papers, police and council presume that all the
trouble in Whitstable is developed from the pub but if this is so how come
various windows were smashed at 1am in the morning ( 2 hours after pub
closing ) when the night club section of the pub was closed for '
refurbishment '?
yes i will agree that fights are a common sight in that pub but that has
always been the way and the latest fights would not have been caused if it
were not for the heavy handedness of the doorstaff these incidents would
have been prevented if tact and politeness were used a tactic used by the
landlady but doorstaff being doorstaff said that if they were doing the door
it is up to them how things are done, is it any wonder that the landlady
left? she is a good friend of mine and i know that she doesn't just quit i
mean come on she used to run the sovereign of all pubs!!!
for all you arrogant DFL's out there im not going to say this next thing and
blame you because that is not strictly true as most fights are caused by
locals but fights are quite often revolved around you, one instance of this
is when a few DFL's were giving locals a look of ' if it wasnt for us you
wouldnt have a town' and 'my s**t dont stink' and locals being locals said '
whats your problem' and it ended up in a fight with locals sticking together
isnt that what a community needs? locals sticking together? im not saying
that we should all beat the crap out of DFL's (although this is a bl**dy
good idea!!) but simply put we dont want you here what right have you got to
treat whitstable like a holiday camp,
i will agree that DFL's bring in the tourist quid but i agree with MOGs
comment that we need people to live here and not leave us for dead in the
winter.
yours sincerely
disgruntled pure oyster
From: "Christine Hammond"
To: mog
Subject: Mr Popular
Date: 17 October 2002 21:27

As a Whitstable Native (my great grandfather landed fish here long before Mr.popular or myself were ever thought of) I feel that Mr.popular will not be happy until he controls the entire foreshore of this town.

He should not be too surprised that local people [like myself) are unhappy with this situation.

I accept he is in business to make money, but in my 46 years of living here I have never known one businessman so hell - bent on owning all the seaside facilities this small town has to offer (or create them for himself in their absence ie. Red Spider).

Could he not diversify his operations somewhere else? Afghanistan - there must be miles of unspoilt shoreline there!

Rod Hammond
Whitstable Native
(of 4 Generations that I know of)

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