Many Thanks to Paul and Louise for bringing this clip to my attention... it is absolutely brilliant. Fantastic dancing and gorgeous swimwear all in one clip! Brillo!

Best tap dancer and drummer in the world

British Pathe Archive: Seaside Day (Margate, Kent) 1954

Lido

Here's a picture I took of a part of Margate Lido that is still standing. The rest is too depressing!

Margate

It may be a dump now, but once upon a time Margate was the place to be. Probably dating back to the turn of the last century Margate was one of Britain's most popular coastal resorts. It's heyday lasted well into the 1960's, but after some battering storms in the 1970's the Town went into steady decline. The most memorable storm being the one in January 1978 which destroyed Margate pier and the Lido, particularly the outdoor pool area. Sadly reconstruction was not even considered, and in my opinion, from here began the decline of Margate.

The Lido now faces certain demolition, but even though it has been filled in with concrete, traces of the past still exist underground. These area's are off limits to the public due to it being extremely hazardous, but I found the pictures above on a website. They were taken in the last couple of years of the cafe and changing area's that still exist hidden away, untouched since the day of that fateful storm.

As some may already know, a group of determined, strong willed individuals have got together and raised millions of pounds to help put Margate back on the map. Dreamland, Margate's famous amusement park is in the process of being re-built as the world's first Heritage theme park. Vintage rides have been purchased from all over the world (some dating back to the 1920's), transported to storage facilities in Kent and will be re-assembled on the original Dreamland site. there will be a cinema, a museum and lots of other attractions which will all celebrate the history of the British seaside in Kent.

I have a little flame of hope within, that someone, somewhere will have the power to save the Lido from certain demolition. With my love of the seaside and everything Beachy, it means a great deal to me, an I am sure many others, that this side of seaside culture is not forgotten. There are so few seaside Lido's left in the UK... please lets not loose another.

Watch the film I have posted, it's images are of Margate at the peak of it's popularity in the 1950's. Times are changing, the British are falling in love with the Seaside once again, so let's make sure we preserve these hidden treasures.

oooh cheeky!

I just realised I haven't shown you any of the two piece swimsuits from the collection yet. I can't really call them bikini's because that just conjures up an image of itsy bitsy dental flossy type scraps of fabric, strategically placed to cover one's modesty. These babies are robust and supportive to the max. The bottoms shown here are for ladies with tummy confidence who want to opt for a lower waist line, but we have high waisted options too.. just watch this space.

I am obsessed with detail and really wanted to make sure every piece had a little something added to make it a little more fun. Check out the cheeky bow that goes on show when your skirt catches the wind.

Ray Caesar

Time to introduce you to someone else who inspires me... digital artist Ray Caesar.

I first laid eyes upon Caesar's prints in a bookshop in LA and was completely mezmerised by what I saw. Very quirky, eccentric and sometimes slightly disturbing, his work is a feast of colour of rich reds, Titian blues and heavenly turquoise.... I find them truly breathtaking and fascinating.

I know they are not everyone's cup of tea, but I felt really emotional when studying some of the images and was instantly hooked by the naivety of the beautiful adult like children.

Caesar spent some time as an artist in the Medical art facilities department of a children's hospital in Canada, and I sense that some of the horrors and suffering he witnessed here are reflective in his work. There is a great deal of escapism where these children have obviously invented make believe worlds where they can live free from their diseases and deformities. Nothing makes us grow up quicker than pain and suffering and these images portray the child in us all, and shows that these children hold on to that youth no matter how awful their reality may be.

I look at these images and am reminded of dreams I had as a child, the places I visited in my imagination. Now I had a happy childhood at home, but I spent the first 14 years of my life feeling like an outsider and struggling to be accepted in the world around me. I felt like I never quite fitted in, and found it very hard to make friends. So I spent a lot of time alone with my imagination. I look back and am thankful for this, because I feel that it was the beginning of creativity for me, and as painful as it was I loved escaping to the recesses of my imagination... and still do... maybe a bit too much at times!

Anyway, one day I hope to own one of these prints. When I make it, this will be my reward. A genuine Ray Caesar to wake up and covet every day, to remind me to love the child within, warts and all.