It's A Small World

The Model Village,

Westcliff,

Ramsgate,

Kent.

Oi, kid! That’s someone’s house, someone’s life. They might be in the bath, or on the toilet. But the kid doesn’t care, he’s come to stare, and stare is what he will do, the big faced bastard.

It's A Small World

The Model Village,

West Cliff, 

Ramsgate, 

Kent.

It's all very picturesque, but I wouldn't want to live in the shadow of trees that big. Until I noticed his companion, I thought the blond haired chap was alone and just staring blankly into space, which would have made for a much more interesting picture. I'm surprised the little neighbours haven't got on to the little council about that little blue house or warehouse or whatever it is on the quayside. It's a bloody eyesore.   

It's A Small World

The Model Village,

West Cliff,

Ramsgate,

Kent.

There's something quite poignant about this image: the little girl (who has hopped the fence, I should point out) looks down sadly on an event that she would dearly like to attend but, if she did, would just end up trashing the place with her great clonking feet, like a Home Counties Gojira in Start Rite sandals. The little model people try and ignore her, hoping desperately that she'll go away and menace the High Street or the water mill instead.

Ramsgate Model Village opened in 1953, and closed for good fifty years later, which is rubbish, but more or less exactly would you expect from a crappy year like 2003.

Interesting Postcards

The Viking Ship and Hovercraft,

Pegwell Bay,

Ramsgate,

Kent.

At first this looks like a tremendously exciting race between three very different modes of transport with, ironically, the most archaic just in the lead. Then you realise that the Maxi and the longboat are parked, so the hovercraft is going to wipe the floor with them. I travelled to France on a hovercraft once. As I recall it was like riding a spinning washing machine over a ploughed field. They look great though, don't they? And so much faster than stationary vehicles.