Vintage Margate seafront telescope on display at hotel
She said: "Fred's relatives came and stayed at the hotel and decided the telescope should form part of the museum's collection of artefacts." Felicity Walker, Mr Shelley's great niece, said: "Fred set up the Walpole Bay Shipping Spotters Club in the 1930s to encourage boys into a seafaring career."He charged holidaymakers a small fee to look at the ships whilst he told them about them.
Ms Walker said: "By looking up Lloyds List every day he would know what ships were going around the foreland."He was able to inform viewers about the country of origin and goods on board."Mr Walker, a trained watch and clock repairer, lived into his 90s.
The telescope is the latest of over 1,000 artefacts placed around the corridors of the free museum.Items on display include old typewriters, vacuum cleaners, clothing and vintage milk bottles. Ms Bishop said: "Our museum is here to preserve the past and allow our visitors to reminisce."It brings back memories of the olden days, but is also a great educational tool for children."
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Times
a day ago
- Times
Dragging a reluctant child on holiday? Bring these books along
A surprising number of children's books about summer begin with reluctance to go wherever the summer is to be spent. Little-known relatives, newly blended families and resisted summer camps feature heavily. And yet summer still casts its spell in so many cases, and there is a good deal of falling in love with new places and communities, long sunny days, jolly larks, and the magic of the outdoors. For anyone taking recalcitrant children on summer adventures, here are some hopeful books that capture good times and prolong them in a shimmering heat haze. For the very young, and in the run-up to a new collaboration by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury (Oh Dear, Look What I Got!, out in September), the picture book that most encapsulates the breezy outdoorsiness of summer holidays is We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Walker £7.99, age 2-4), a bestseller since 1993. The story revolves around four siblings making their way through the long grass and mud of a Suffolk landscape. Oxenbury's vision makes that exciting even before the bear appears. An old favourite from 2000 that conjures up the seaside, with dreamlike additions, is The Visitors Who Came to Stay by Annalena McAfee and Anthony Browne (Walker, 4-7). It's out of print but easily available second-hand. This picture book is about Katy, who lives contentedly with her dad until his girlfriend and her son move in. The special alchemy of this book, besides the happy ending, lies in its surreal shape substitutions, which bring together distinct elements of holiday joy — fairgrounds, ice cream and the beach — all rendered in colours as intense as summer light. • Seven books to get kids reading again — Dr Seuss, Wimpy Kid and more Also about a blended family is Julia Moscardo's Changing Tides (Little Tiger £12.99, 3-6), in which little Lula gradually warms to her new big brother and stepmother. Dappled light, sand dunes, foaming waves, shells, sandcastles, a summer storm and a cosy caravan combine to create a setting that's highly evocative of the season. The author-illustrator Jeff Kinney sustains the originality and comedy of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series in its 19th instalment, with the British Book Award-winner Hot Mess (Puffin £14.99, 7-11). The book finds hilarity and chaos in Greg Heffley's beach house family gathering, with stress that will feel universally familiar — and inevitably daft things happen. Perfect for anyone who doesn't want summer reading to feel like a chore. In CS Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe it is always winter, never Christmas. But in the fifth chronicle, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (various publishers, ages 8+), Edmund and Lucy are struggling in the summer — 'It was dreadful having to spend the summer holidays at their Aunt's.' But then seawater splashes out of the frame of a picture of a Narnian ship. The pair are transported (with their odious cousin Eustace Scrubb) on board the Dawn Treader alongside the boy king Caspian and Reepicheep, the swashbuckling mouse. On a quest to the world's end, they visit islands where they end slavery, close down nightmares, engage in battle and witness Eustace's transformation from a dragon — saved by Aslan — into a nicer person. Not your average summer experiences, but the book is full of the smell of the sea and the light of sunsets. Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay (Hodder Children's Books £6.99, 8-11), is the first in the series about the unmissable and hilariously quirky Casson family, and follows a secret trip to Italy for the adopted heroine to find something from her past. It is somewhere she dreams of from the beginning: 'In the dream was a white paved place with walls. A sunny place, quiet and enclosed. There were little dark pointed trees and there was the sound of water. The blue sky was too bright to look at …. In the dream was the word, Siena.' This place will lodge in your memory just as it does in Saffy's. • Read more book reviews and interviews — and see what's top of the Sunday Times Bestsellers List First published in 1965, Over Sea, Under Stone (Puffin £7.99, 9-12) is the first book of what went on to become Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence, continued ten years later. In it, the three Drew siblings, staying with their great-uncle Merry in Cornwall, must overcome the forces of Dark. It merges Arthurian legend with a perilous treasure hunt for the Grail, with fishing trips and the local landscape woven in. An ideal way into the fantasy genre for children aged eight and above, it also bathes the southwest in an ancient, and sometimes sinister, magic. For older teenagers or young adults, Meg Rosoff's funny, wise and observant The Great Godden (Bloomsbury £7.99, 14+) evokes the feeling of being on holiday so vividly it almost puts sand between your toes. It is also an antidote to the clichés of a holiday romance: when a charismatic boy joins a family in their beach house, his manipulative behaviour reveals the dangers of infatuation. Finally, the pink villa in Corfu where the eccentric Durrell family stay in Gerald Durrell's autobiographical My Family and Other Animals (Penguin £9.99, 9+) is perhaps the most entrancing foreign abode imaginable — and unsurprisingly helped to boost local tourism. This book stirs a deep wanderlust, perfectly captured in its distillation of summer's enchantment: 'Each day had a tranquillity, a timelessness about it so that you wished it would never end. But then the dark skin of the night would peel off and there would be a fresh day waiting for us as glossy and colourful as a child's transfer and with the same tinge of unreality.' It is, of course, also irresistible because it is so funny. Buy from Discount for Times+ members
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Future of Dan Walker's Channel 5 travel series with Helen Skelton REVEALED after his TV disappearance and her blossoming romance with co-star Gethin Jones
The future of Dan Walker and Helen Skelton 's Channel 5 travel series has finally been revealed after his recent disappearance from screens. Dan, 48, previously issued a plea to fans to share their praise of the show with bosses after the first series in a bid to get it recommissioned. It worked, as Dan and Helen, 41, returned to screens last year to explore Yorkshire's stunning landscape and its hidden gems. Stops on their trip included checking out the vast moorlands, Malham Cove and the picturesque villages in Bronte Country. Now, MailOnline can exclusively reveal the duo have signed a new deal with Channel 5 to front another travelogue series. The pair have already started filming the next instalment, which will once again be set in Yorkshire. Dan told MailOnline: 'It's great to be back on the road with Helen and where better than Yorkshire? Everywhere we go we see breathtaking views, meet some brilliant characters and uncover those hidden gems. 'There's something really special about exploring a place which is so rich in history and culture and getting to do it all with Helen guarantees plenty of laughs along the way. Boots on, brew in hand and pockets full of biscuits. 'We are ready for whatever Yorkshire throws at us!' A TV insider added: 'Dan and Helen's chemistry on air is plain to see and viewers adore watching them together. 'They're both big names for Channel 5 and are already part of the family, resonating with their core demographic. 'Dan and Helen are really chuffed at how popular the show has become and absolutely love making it, at the end of the day it's just like two mates hanging out.' In series one, viewers watched as the pair donned their hiking gear to explore the Pennine mountains, known as the 'backbone of Britain'. Last week Dan was forced to address fans' concerns after he disappeared from television and radio, leaving them worried he had 'quit' the roles. It comes after Dan was forced to speak out following an extended absence from the airwaves as fans were left concerned he had 'quit' his roles The dad-of-three anchors Channel 5 News and also hosts a breakfast show on Classic FM. In a video message, Dan said: 'Hello, I've been asked by quite a few people if I've left Channel 5 and why I've disappeared from Classic FM. The answer is twofold.' He continued: 'First is, I'm on holiday with the family for a couple of weeks and the second is that I'm filming a new series for Channel 5 which you should be able to see I think in September, which I can't tell you too much about but it's going to be great fun. 'So that's why I've not been on the telly. The radio I'll be back on Monday and I'll be back on 5 News in a couple of weeks time once I've finished filming the series. 'There you go, that's the answer, it looks like the lovely weather is over, the rain has returned, have a great day.' Meanwhile, it was recently revealed how mum-of-three Helen is reportedly dating her Morning Live co-star Gethin Jones. After appearing on-screen together, the pair's friendship is believed to have blossomed into something more in recent months. A source previously told MailOnline: 'Helen and Gethin have an extremely close working relationship and there's a feeling in recent months their friendship has blossomed into a deeper connection. 'They're both keen to keep a lid on it to avoid public scrutiny but there's no denying their closeness both off and on-screen.' The co-hosts, who appear on BBC's Morning Live together on weekday mornings, first sparked rumours of a possible romance in March during a joint 24-hour roller-skating challenge for Comic Relief.
Scotsman
09-07-2025
- Scotsman
Two Scottish restaurants named best in UK for ‘authentic' French cuisine by national guide
If you're a fan of classic French cuisine then you're in luck, as the Good Food Guide has published its favourite places in the UK for French food, and two are in Scotland. The Guide, which publishes regular reviews and features 'best of Britain' articles, showcased 24 French restaurants, with the Scottish two the only ones outside of England. The two Scottish French restaurants that made the cut are both in Edinburgh - Cafe St Honore and L'escargot Bleu. Of Cafe St Honore, the Good Food Guide said: 'Among the network of lanes in Edinburgh's New Town, north of Princes Street, this 'wonderful oasis of calm' looks like a piece of heritage Parisian 'restauration' airlifted from Montmartre. Cafe St Honore 'Bentwood chairs on the robust side of rickety, a black-and-white tiled floor, properly clothed tables, dark wood walls and mirrors all form the backdrop to the kind of classic French bistro cooking that visitors love to stumble upon. 'Start the ball rolling with, say, ham 'hough' terrine or St Bride's smoked duck breast with a salad of orange, pickled fennel and raddichio. 'Main course veer towards the sturdy end of things: roast lamb rump is accompanied by ratatouille, buttery mash and tapenade, while a serving of East Coast cod comes with a rich shellfish bisque, heritage potatoes, samphire and aïoli. 'It's all gloriously satiating, right up to desserts such as raspberry frangipane tart with crème normande or Perthshire cherry clafoutis with woodruff ice cream. 'The fixed-price 'café classics' menu is a bargain for lunch or dinner, with mains such as Borders venison cottage pie or smoked haddock fillet with wilted spinach and green sauce. Glasses in two sizes lead off a serviceable French-based wine list. 'We arrive to smiles and leave with a warm glow,' mused one regular.' While they said L'escargot Bleu 'buzzes', writing: 'Frederic ('Fred') Berkmiller's classic French bistro has spread a blanket of joy across Edinburgh since it opened in 2009. It's fair to say that the place buzzes and the atmosphere is 'unbeatable'. 'And it's no wonder that fans are quickly seduced by the unmistakable Gallic vibe: 'You could easily be sat in a wee French restaurant in Paris,' noted one reporter who felt fully transported to another world. 'The conviviality extends to the assured combination of French cooking with Scottish raw materials, including hand-dived Orkney scallops and venison as well as home-grown vegetables and herbs from Berkmiller's four-acre plot at Monkton Gardens. The menu itself is built around established standards, which brings people back because they know the quality won't waver from one visit to the next. 'I had the côte de boeuf again – one of my favourite dishes anywhere. 'Beautifully served medium-rare with dauphinoise, salad, roasted onion, garlic and peppercorn sauce.' Fish soup with rouille, steak tartare, escargots in garlic butter and beef bourguignon are all present and correct, too. 'For dessert there could be a not-to-be-missed crème brûlée as well as griottines in kirsch and îles flottantes. Expect 'great service from knowledgeable staff', a wine bar in the basement for post-prandial relaxation, and a thoroughly commendable list of French wines with an excellent choice by the glass.' To see the full list, visit the Good Food Guide.
