Didn't we have a lovely day the day we went to...Margate

Last week I had a surprise invitation to go to Margate. I have never been to Margate but my friend was keen to go see the Turner and the Elements exhibition at the Turner Contemporary. Never one to miss a day out, I jumped out of bed, abandoned the planned work and off we went. The building is on the site of the place where JMW stayed so we battled the elements and took in the view, his view.

Turner Contemporary is a dynamic visual arts organisation that believes in making art open, relevant and fulfilling for all.

Inspired by JMW Turner’s sense of enquiry, we offer a space for everyone to embrace their curiosity and to discover different ways of seeing, thinking and learning.

It's a great building in a brilliant spot right by the sea. We had a delicious lunch in their delightful cafe, a glass of red to restore our windswept senses and immersed ourselves in the art.

The Turner Contemporary from the front all lit up at night........

and here is a glimpse of Rodin's The Kiss through the rear window.....

Afterwards, we went to the old town where, in a scene straight from Little Britain, we rang the bell and were allowed into the local museum of Margate at 4.15pm.

"We close at 4." said a kindly woman.

"But it says 5 outside." we queried.

"That's summer time," she said, "we don't bother to change the sign though....."

A tall man sucked the arm of his spectacles, worn loosely on a string around his neck, pulled a thick file from a room thick with files, and told me all about my famous ancestor who ran the circus that once resided in Margate and changed the town's fortunes forever. Then we had tea and cake and the tea shop in the square and I wrote this poem:

Google

Oh what would we do without Google?
No um
No ah
Just click
The tool bar
And all is known:
The name of
The guy
In that movie we love
Who married that woman
Who used to date
The guy in that show
Which one?
You know.
The quickest way
The shortest day
The highest mountain
How to find the Trevi Fountain
What’s on where
Who starred in
Where Eagles Dare?
No question unanswered
A result
It’s resolved
So when the menopause kicks in
And life becomes a forgotten blur
Of what’s it
Thingy
And you know the one
No need now
To feel quite such a tit
All you do
Is Google it……

Top tip: a trip to the seaside on a winter's day is an excellent way to blow away the cobwebs.