After a long stint in my tiny Flat in Ashford it was a relief to escape to the seaside, the weather was lovely and warm, perfect time for a beach getaway. I was looking forward to spending time on the beach walking along the waters edge and over the week I had done several long walks along the beach in Margate going from the Turner up along past the gap in the cliffs. I thought about how so many seaside resorts have aged, it reminded me of my time in Brooklyn and in particular Coney Island. It is a space full of immigrants and artist it is a town between revivals, next to a fancy plant coffee cafe a derelict car wash. An artist gallery next to a person drinking a beer on the stoop at 9 in the morning, long rows of terraced housing at varying states of dereliction to refurbished.

The air was think with heat and humidity and the stench of decomposing seaweed as the summer heat and the water from the Themes estuary having a super bloom. Walking down from the housing estate to the beach you could see the areas former glory but the recent surge of tourist who would otherwise be tanning themselves at all inclusive resorts on Spanish beaches had left a strain on the local community.

The Lido beach area in particular was full of litter from the current flood of tourists, it was disheartening to see the amount of smashed beer bottles and black trash bags full of waste.  I had found one Tesco bag after the next and filled it with plastic trash drifting into the ocean. It was just a small pact because I could see all of the trash that went on the sand to the sidewalks and that was blowing over the cliffs edge. So many bottles and crisp bags. I wanted to focus on collecting glass and metallic waste for my piece but thought it was important to pick up as much waste as I could. There were several areas where people had written in chalk on the pavement encouraging people to pick up their trash but the beach was so full of waste it almost seamed like a fruitless plea. There was an incredible charm to the area, it was so lovely and warm and the water was pleasant that one could understand why the Victorians flocked to the area, it’s underlying natural beauty was still there but unfortunately one had the sense that since the area is mostly populated by marginilized communities little was done to maintain the area. There was a sense of the bitter winters and the grey months ahead when the few tourist had gone the depressed state the area would take. That is what stood out in particular and really reminded me of parts of Brooklyn the lost possibility of the place and the temporal state of its appeal that after the summer moths have passed its once again forgotten. 

 

 

Kat August 2o2o