Love Charlie

 Herne Bay is a coastal town in Kent, it isn't as flashy as nearby Margate and Ramsgate or as picturesque as Whitstable but what it is, is a more relaxed, quieter destination somewhere to take things easy. where life seems to slow down and if that is what you are after then you could do a lot worse than spend some time in Herne Bay. One of the main attractions Herne Bay has to offer is its pier, the original pier was nothing more than a mooring platform that stretched out into the water but during the late Victorian era as holidays became more and more popular the town along with its pier were developed and expanded so much so that by 1897 Herne Bay was home to the country's second longest pier. Throughout the Edwardian era and early C20 the pier was renovated several times accumulating in a grand structure featuring a pavilion theatre. Following World War II the pier seemed to fall on harsh times and on January 11 1978 a large storm destroyed a large section of the structure l...

  Welcome back to Herne Bay and following on from my previous  post  detailing the attractive clock tower known simply as The Clock Tower, I turn my attention to another striking building, not Herne Bay Pier nor the Art Deco bandstand but to a distinctive row of Georgian houses that line the promenade, known as Central Parade. Built towards the end of the Georgian period in the 1830s as Herne Bay was experiencing an expansion a terrace of nine homes originally known as Telford Terrace was constructed. Georgian townhouses were usually tall, narrow and white or bare brick and in contrast to the incoming period, Victorian, these were simple in detail featuring large windows and panelled front doors with a fanlight  (window)  above . The most distinctive feature of our row however are their curved fronts. Gorgeous George A mixture of three and four storeys with semi basements (only partly below ground level) and three windows wide Telford Terrace has stuccoed or ren...

Tick Tock It's Herne Bay Clock When we think of the seaside towns dotted along our beautiful coastline images of grand hotels fronting a sandy beach, flashy amusement arcades with a multitude of vibrant lights beaming into the night, piers packed with tourists taking a short stroll over the waves and the distinctive smell of fish and chips filling the air come to mind but what many will miss is the usually charming, decorative and often centrally, located clock tower informing us that there are many hours of fun to come, that it's time for a rest or indeed that the hour has arrived when we should think of heading home. These handy timekeepers can be found in a long list of our seaside destinations including Margate, Morecambe, Skegness and Weymouth, many erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's jubilee, the Kent town of Herne Bay however has the granddaddy of them all and it is this clock tower that this post is all about. It's Time For Some Perfect Skies In Herne Bay Bu...

LIGHTS CAMERA ODEON The former Odeon Cinema in Scarborough, built in 1936 is a prime example of the company's 1930s Art Deco designs, with it's tile and brick facade, tall tower with simple detailing, it's large, neon Odeon sign and it's many curves, taking advantage of it's corner plot is has long been admired for being a 'classic' Odeon and as the years have gone by and while many of these original cinemas have been demolished it is a testament that old buildings can be reused and have a purpose in our modern world. The former Scarborough Odeon Cinema is now the Stephen Joseph Theatre and is still entertaining audiences over 85 years since it was first built. The Odeon chain opened it's first cinema in Perry Barr, Birmingham in 1930, despite a world wide depression attendances during the 1930s were high and by the end of that decade the chain had over 250 cinemas dotted around the country. Each week millions flocked to see the latest film by their favo...

Scarborough is a town situated along the North Sea Coast in North Yorkshire, England. Following the discovery of mineral water flowing from its cliffs in the 1620s the historical town became the country's first seaside resort and with beautiful sandy beaches and picturesque cliffs Scarborough continues to be a popular destination with holidaymakers to this day.  High upon the cliff head sits Scarborough Castle which has looked out across the town and sea since the 1130s, the old town is nestled below along its harbour and marina while its town centre is found adjacent on an elevated stretch of coast. Scarborough has managed to be both an evergreen tourist spot while managing to maintain a large amount of its historic architecture and it is that which this post is dedicated to, so come with me and explore some of the interesting buildings Scarborough has to offer! Information on buildings can be difficult to find especially if they aren't well known or classed as an important si...

Visiting Weymouth I am going to start blogging about the towns and cities that I have visited on my travels around the UK, to those that live there, most of these places don't seem that special and true these days there are very few destinations that can offer something totally unique to the traveller but in their own right each town and city is special. A popular 'calling' for me is the coast, growing up in the midlands, the furthest you can get from the seaside in the Uk, it's not surprising that the watery shores of our fair isle have always interested me. The connection to family holidays when growing up is obvious and so the association with enjoyment and happiness will probably be forever buried in my psyche. Most recently I spent my first holiday at the popular seaside town of Weymouth, nestled on an attractive stretch of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. Weymouth I had always been told was a nice place to visit, no one I had spoken to had ever told me that they...