I am writing this at the beginning of May, so I do hope that we are still on the right track with the recovery road map and enjoying being able to meet family, friends and visitors once again! Oh, and some nicer weather would be good too please!
We have several events to look forward to in the coming months, kicking (or should that be sailing?) off with Ramsgate Week from July 18 - 23, which always creates a buzz around town with visiting sailors from all over Europe. This popular event is often referred to as ‘the friendly regatta’ and I’m sure that has a lot to do with the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere created by Ramsgatonians!
On August 21 – 22, we will see the return of the British Kitesurfing Freestyle Tour on Ramsgate Main Sands where you can watch the juniors, pros and amateurs from all over the UK, perform tricks and race against each other. Hopefully, there will be opportunities for people to try out paddle boarding as well and also watch a relatively new addition to the sport called ‘Wing Foiling’.
The Maritime Museum looks set to open its doors again in July after some much-needed exterior restoration but they do need volunteers to make this happen. If you are interested and have a couple of hours to spare each week, please call Janet on 01843 852780 for more info.
Ramsgate Costumed Walks involving famous characters that lived or visited our town will be resuming in July and August and you can pick up one of their leaflets from our Visitor Information Centre at The Custom House.
Rotten Ramsgate Tours will also continue, telling the gruesome tales of Ramsgate’s murderous history. These are every Friday at the Obelisk. Book a place to avoid disappointment.
The Festival of Sound has a fun-packed 10 day event in store for us from August 27 to September 5, taking advantage of the Bank Holiday and hopefully lots of visitors! Keep an eye out on their website for updates and their downloadable programme of events –
www.ramsgatefestival.org.
We also hope to see a return of the awesome Addington Street Revival Fair in September so keep an eye out for more info on their Facebook page!
The Royal Harbour 200th Anniversary Festival will also go ahead with a full programme of activities from September 24 - 26. You can find out more about this event and the fundraising efforts to get the magnificent sculpture of King George IV bronze-cast by visiting
www.ramsgate2021.co.uk. The sculpture was created by the late and very much missed, Dominic Grant, who gifted his masterpiece to the town in the hope that he would inspire people to follow in their creative dreams, like he did, and to discover more about Ramsgate’s maritime history.
Hopefully, you will all get to appreciate some of the town’s offerings over the high season even if it’s just to bask in the sunshine on our beaches or sit outside one of our fabulous bars, cafes or restaurants watching the world go by, as it should be! Let’s have some fun in 2021!