Latest news with #Margate
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Swearing ban plan misunderstood, says Thanet District Council
A Kent council renewing its efforts to introduce fines for people who are caught swearing in public has said its proposals have been "misunderstood".Thanet District Council (TDC) will meet on Thursday night to discuss issuing £100 fines for anti-social behaviour and foul or abusive language if it causes distress, alarm or approved, the public space protection order (PSPO) would be enforced across Thanet, including tourist hotspots Margate, Ramsgate and Heather Keen said: "It's not about casual swearing. It's where language can upset people." A PSPO makes it an offence to refuse to stop drinking alcohol in public, leave the area or use foul and abusive language if requested by a police or council officer.A fine of £100 can be Keen added: "People should be able to visit our towns without experiencing that."So there aren't any words that people couldn't use – it's the impact those words would have on other people around them."It's a proportionate response. It's not a subjective thing, it's objective."The council last summer planned to enforce a PSPO, but those plans were rejected amid a threat of a legal challenge. 'Harassed, alarmed or distressed' Free speech campaigner Connie Shaw said the existing Public Order Act 1986 (POA) already covered swearing in public – and TDC's proposal could unfairly target people."The difference with the POA and this proposal is that in the public order act there is safeguarding against someone who might accidentally offend someone to the point that they are harassed, alarmed or distressed," she said."So in order to be prosecuted under the POA, there has to be intent. There isn't that safeguarding measure under the PSPO."Meanwhile, Margate residents have expressed mixed views about the resident said: "If you're being abusive and come across aggressive to a person, then I support that."Another said: "There should be more law enforcement on the streets to enforce it rather than the council using every excuse they can to raise cash."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Can't Sell, Must Sell viewers jump out of their skin as woman reveals VERY unusual collection of ornaments in 'cluttered' home - gasping 'it's my idea of hell!'
Can't Sell, Must Sell viewers jumped out of their skin as a woman revealed her very unusual collection of ornaments - gasping 'it's my idea of hell!' The Channel 4 programme sees property developers Scarlette, 38, and Stuart Douglas, 47, help guests transform their unsellable homes to become market ready. The fourth episode of the new show, which aired on Wednesday night, had the siblings visit two homeowners in Kent who had been struggling to shift their houses. They first headed to the seaside town of Margate where they met retired cleaner Gail, 68, who had lived in her four-bed home for 36 years. But in that time, she acquired a taste for some very unsettling collectibles - a series of life-like dolls, which cluttered every room in her house. Viewers found the eerily realistic toys very creepy, taking to social media to say it would have stopped them snapping up the property too. One said on X, 'Gah f***ing hate dolls', adding: 'There's a hotel in Broadstairs [in Kent] that's full of porcelain dolls and lots of lace. 'My parents say it's lovely (apparently the rooms aren't dated, just the hallways etc) but it's my idea of hell.' Another commented on the social media platform: 'Look like dead babies!' Someone else wrote: 'To be fair, I'd never buy that house in case the dolls came back.' In keeping with this, Gail - who was struggling with living alone amid various health struggles - had been advertising her property for seven months without success. She had managed to secure four viewings but had received zero offers. Presenter Scarlette invited some local property experts along to see the house, to figure out what might be putting buyers off. They said the jumbled house felt too 'busy' and like it had 'no space' - an assessment Gail was not impressed by, calling them 'rude'. She toured the camera crew around her doll collection too, explaining: 'They're very heavy because they're weighted, like babies... I just love them.' The homeowner even pointed out two particularly strange dolls in her collection of some 22, named for some notorious gangsters: 'They're Ronnie and Reginald Kray.' Speaking with her daughter on the programme, Gail said: 'Nobody's coming through my front door and I don't understand it. It's not a bad house.' Her daughter replied: 'It's not a bad house but it's very cluttered.' The mother shot back: 'It may be cluttered for you but I don't think it's cluttered for me.' Despite her determined defences of the current state of her home, Gail eventually embraced the renovation process. She liked a fair few of the changes the Douglases made, even jokingly asking the hosts whether they would like to move in to enjoy the transformed home with her. When the show caught up with her two months after the renovations, she was enjoying continuing decluttering and was feeling hopeful about making a sale. Speaking with her daughter on the programme, Gail said: 'Nobody's coming through my front door and I don't understand it. It's not a bad house' Her daughter replied: 'It's not a bad house but it's very cluttered' Elsewhere in the episode, a woman named Nicky was trying to sell the property she inherited after her father passed away. She put it on the market shortly after his death but 18 months later, there had not been any enthusiastic interest, with only 12 viewings in that time. Nicky choked up as she told of how difficult this period had been: 'Everything is starting to hold me back.' But everything changed after her appearance on the show, with the renovations pulling in more viewers - and even a possible buyer. It comes after Scarlette spoke out some of the most memorable moments from filming Can't Sell, Must Sell - which included discovering Gail's doll collection. The property expert, known as a presenter on Channel 4 house hunting programme A Place In The Sun from 2015 to 2022, just launched the show earlier this month. She co-hosts the first series' six episodes with her retired footballer-turned-property expert brother Stuart. It follows the pair's presenting collaboration on Channel 4 renovation programme Worst House On The Street. The property expert (left, with her brother and co-host Stuart), known as a presenter on Channel 4 house hunting programme A Place In The Sun from 2015 to 2022, just launched the show earlier this month Before the new show's release, Scarlette recalled working on Gail's house. 'One lady was very attached to her house and its Victorian style - she has lots of dolls', she said. 'When you walked in, everything felt oppressive. It was dark, dingy and scary. Even her daughters were trying to get her to sell it. She didn't want to listen.' It was not the only tricky project Scarlette found herself helping with, having also worked on a quaint cottage that unfortunately stank of dogs. The presenter explained: 'I love dogs but you can become nose-blind to them. 'One of the properties was a really beautiful cottage but the minute you walked in, it smelled of dog. 'They were so used to the smell that they couldn't get their head around it. Those are things you're not going to see but they affect a sale.' Stuart recalled fondly how happy the renovation made the guest: 'What made it important for me was how important it was for the owner. Before the new show's release, Scarlette (pictured on Lorraine in June last year) recalled working on Gail's house 'She was a really lovely lady. The transformation of the house itself was amazing but the transformation in her was memorable. She was so grateful.' Filming got even more emotional when the siblings visited a widow, whose home was stuffed full, overflowing with memorabilia, particularly china plates. Scarlette explained how this had happened: 'Her husband did the DIY. She couldn't do anything around the house. 'She was so grateful at the end, I was an emotional wreck.' The siblings also emphasised that throughout the shoot, no one on set, including them, was afraid to get their hands dirty. 'We're not just walking in, saying our piece and walking out. We really do get involved, even off-camera', she said. Her brother agreed: 'We had great teams. But we needed lots of hands on deck to complete the transformations. 'Even the cameraman took things to the skip. Everyone chipped in.' Scarlette added: 'That level of involvement was essential, given the scale of the jobs – and the tight turnaround. It was hard and stressful. 'We started around 8am and wouldn't finish until about 11pm. We cover two houses in a week. But the end result made it all worth it.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: a depressing look at how TikTok Shop is making us spend
12.05am, Channel 4Anyone else find themself sheepishly asking for Dubai chocolate at the local corner shop earlier this year? Thank TikTok for that. Beyond making products go viral, TikTok Shop is a thriving platform where millions use videos to buy and sell items, often via livestreams. Content creator Mariam Musa takes an insightful, if depressing, look at this world and how easy it is to get sucked in. Hollie Richardson 8pm, Channel 4'It's my haven and my prison,' says Gail of her four-bed in Margate, drowning in faux-Victoriana and co-habited by 22 lifelike dolls. (Property expert Stuart: 'Every time I look at a doll, they're telling me to get out of the house.') Elsewhere, Nikki's Herne Bay property, with its gothic decor and dated bedrooms, needs a facelift. Ali Catterall 8pm, U&WAs season one of the girlboss answer to Dragons' Den comes to a close, it's time to invest. From pop-up dog crates to emergency undies, there are plenty of novel ideas – but which of the fledgling entrepreneurs will convince supermodel Ashley Graham and Kardashian business partner Emma Grede to part with their dosh? Hannah J Davies 8pm, U&AlibiJoely Richardson guest-stars as a film star in this fun period crime drama about a bookshop owner – Mr Book (Mark Gatiss) – who likes to solve cases on the side. When an actor drops dead on set after eating poisoned chocolates, suspicion points to the movie's leads. HR 9.50pm, PBS America This two-part documentary undertakes a retrospective of the second world war Pearl Harbor attack by Japan. Expect plenty of archive footage and talking heads as it analyses the incident that led to the US entering the conflict. Alexi Duggins 10pm, BBC FourWriter Patrick Marber was once best known for comedy such as Alan Partridge, so it was an unexpected turn when he reimagined Strindberg's 1888 play After Miss Julie in 1995. Before it airs (at 10.15), he talks about making it, and working with Kathy Burke and Phil Daniels. HR Tin Soldier (Brad Furman, 2025), Prime Video Well, this is a weird one. Tin Soldier is a film where Scott Eastwood attempts to infiltrate a cult and overthrow its leader. What makes it odd, however, is how heavily this is overshadowed by its supporting cast. Robert De Niro features in a typically underpowered late-stage role as a kind of military adviser. But even he recedes into the shadows next to Jamie Foxx, playing the aforementioned cult leader. He has huge hair. He has silly glasses. He has questionable facial hair. His name is The Bokushi. None of it makes any sense. It's sort of incredible. Stuart Heritage Emma (Autumn de Wilde, 2020), 11pm, BBC TwoThis 2020 Jane Austen adaptation was the directorial debut of photographer Autumn de Wilde, who brought all the experience of her old career to the table. The story of a wealthy woman who attempts to act as a matchmaker, with far-reaching consequences, has been told over and over again. What sets this version apart are the lively performances – from Anya Taylor-Joy, Josh O'Connor and Bill Nighy – and visuals that are modern enough to cut through all the period stuffiness. SH Test cricket, England v India 10am, Sky Sports Main Event. Day one of the Fourth Test.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Baton of Hope: Britain's Got Talent group to dance after Kent leg
An over-40s dance troupe from Kent that featured on Britain's Got Talent will perform at an event supporting the Baton of Hope suicide prevention Movers will be among performers at Dreamland in Margate on 22 September, marking the relay's passage through the performance will follow the Olympic torch-style baton travelling through Medway, Maidstone, Canterbury and Thanet as part of a nationwide dance group appeared on the ITV talent show in 2024, and organiser Debs Forsyth said the group was "really looking forward to being a part of the Baton of Hope". Ms Forsyth said she felt strongly about the campaign's message after a member of her extended family took their own life in 2023."He was fun, lovely, everybody loved him," she said, and his death came as a "big shock". If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, help is available from BBC Action Line. The dance instructor added that Midlife Movers, which she started in 2022, had helped its members' mental health by establishing social groups and keeping participants busy."A lot of people say that for that hour they're concentrating on something else other than their problems," Ms Forsyth group has members aged between 40 and 86 about 300 "movers" at its sessions across Kent. More than 130 people will be involved in carrying the baton as it crosses the well as raising awareness of suicide prevention support, the Baton of Hope campaign aims to encourage people to talk openly about their mental health and Medway Baton of Hope Tour coordinator, Alice Scutchey, thanked the people working for helping baton bearers and communities "remember loved ones, celebrate hope and stand up to suicide stigma". The Baton of Hope will tour 20 locations around the UK in 2025, passing through East Sussex on 23 first toured the country in 2023.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Margate's The Oval wins Green Flag Award status
A community-led park in Kent has been awarded Green Flag Oval Bandstand & Lawns in Margate has received national recognition for excellence in green space management and community is Margate's only Green Flag accredited park and only the second in Thanet to achieve the status – after Ellington Park in Todd MBE, Green Flag Award scheme manager, said: "Quality parks and green spaces like The Oval make the country a healthier place to live and work in." He added: "Crucially, The Oval is a vital green space for the community in Margate to enjoy nature, and during the ongoing cost of living crisis, it is a free and safe space for families to socialise."The Green Flag Community Award celebrates green spaces that are managed by voluntary and community Oval receives no local authority funding and is run by Grass Cliftonville Stephen Darrer said: "We manage everything from dog waste disposal to mowing the lawns and trimming the hedges – all without any council provision."We are based in one of the UK's most deprived areas, so for a site like ours to receive this level of national recognition is truly extraordinary."The judging panel praised The Oval's transformation since 2021, highlighting its welcoming atmosphere, accessibility improvements, sustainability focus and its innovative community-led programmes.
