Thursday 16 February 2012

THANET GETS ITS OWN "PRIVATE EYE"

 New Magazine Aims To Be Scourge Of Local Corruption

A brand new investigative magazine is to be launched in the Isle of Thanet,
East Kent.

With its first issue out on March 1st, Thanet Watch is a new monthly
magazine which promises to search out corruption and incompetence in the
locality.
 Editor Norman Thomas said: "Stories of dodgy goings-on and underhand deals
are legion in Thanet, but hard evidence is too often thin on the ground. I
hope Thanet Watch is going to change all that."

The magazine's slogan is "keeping an eye on the Isle" - and Mr Thomas says
it will be untiring in its exploration of the shadier side of life in
Thanet,

"Buildings which mysteriously burn down, money meant for regeneration being
used for private gain, scams, bribes and cover-ups - these are the stories
people are going to find in our pages," Mr Thomas said.

The first issue has stories of gangsters in Thanet, mysterious goings on in
Ramsgate harbour and a councillor calling for an end of a "culture of
secrecy" in local government.

But, Mr Thomas said, the magazine won't confine itself to exposes.

"For example, in this issue we have one architect's alternative vision for
Margate seafront. It's the kind of thing which I think will make people stop
and think about what's happening in this area and how things might be
different."

"Also, alone in Kent we have an Occupy camp here, an extremely exciting
development and we have a major piece on what that's all about."

Mr Thomas has been a journalist for over 25 years, working on newspapers,
magazine and documentary films.  "The first ever magazine I edited was a
weekly paper in Cardiff and we uncovered many stories of corruption there.
But the sort of stuff we've been digging up in Thanet really makes all that
look like kids' stuff."

The magazine will also contain a what's on listing, giving what Mr Thomas
claims is a "unique guide to all the events, arts and entertainments" of the
area. "There's lot going on in Thanet, more than in most localities, and it
really isn't covered adequately at the moment. Thanet Watch is going to help
its readers make sure they don't miss out."

30 comments:

  1. Good luck Norman. Will you be starting a fund to pay your legal costs? If so, stick me down for a few quid. You shouldn't need very much money. Remember, they can only sue for libel if it isn't true.

    P.S. Are you interested in retrospective investigation? Where do we send our info?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. email inmeds@yahoo.co.uk. look forward to hearing from you.

      Delete
    2. Such libel advice is untrue and dangerous! It is possible to sue whether or not allegations are correct. It is then down to the defendant to prove the story is true - and that can prove difficult, particularly when the person/company bringing the action has unlimited resources. Many actions have been won by the party with the biggest money pot, not the person "in the right".

      Delete
  2. Septic Isle Herald! Good Luck Norman!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So the Socialist Workers Party of Broadstairs, or should that be the Hammer and Sickle Club located in the Red Hall, is to have its own local rag, rag being the operative word. For investigative read make it up as we go along, twist it, add a drop of spin, not to mention a tissue of half truths, and, hey presto, we have a totally unbiased account of everything vaguely blue. Can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So pretty much the same as usual then, ineffective, outdated, unloved, rehashing of the truth, to try to re address teh utter failure of socilaism and the defeat of communism in every major country of the world.

      Christine will enjoy finding new things to wave her tired, sorry and unfeasably out of date placards around for, for no effect whatsoever.

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  4. I wonder if he will be "silenced" just like ECR was.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good luck with this! Plenty to be exposed in Thanet and it is certainly time that people were aware of what goes on behind closed doors.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is not about exposing, but political mischief making. Like China Gateway, where all their claims were found to be unwarranted, these usual suspects simple hint, create smoke and then allow the gullible to draw conclusions. Facts will be sadly missing, but allegations based on prejudice will abound. Waste 20p if you must, but at least get a laugh out of it, it is not likely to produce much else. Perhaps Mr Thomas might be better employed running for office and then he can sghow us all how it should be done.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. ECR was critical of most things, regardless of politics, whereas this man true red, anti-establishment commie.

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    2. SO IS THAT GOOD OR BAD?

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    3. I haven't heard him say anything nasty about Laura Sandys.....

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  8. No one says anything nasty about her. She's a lovely lady.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Laura Sandys transcends politics because she cares about local issues and local people. Norman Thomas simply opposes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's a Tory you idiot!

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    2. She cares as much about local people as is necessary to keep her in power. Any notion of her transcendancy of her designation or role in this community is based on your belief in an illusion.
      She has nice manners, she is very approachable and interested, she has a bad hair day every day and has chosen to live in Spencer Square as opposed to say, Trove Court or Kennedy House.

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    3. Being a Tory does not make her a bad person. Whatever happened to a one nation people or must we hate simply based on politics. Perhaps politics should be added to the race, gender, creed, age, infirmity, religion or sexual orientation outlawed prejudices. (12.57 You will note I excluded JW)

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  10. I hope Norman will have a special 'pull-out and keep' section on the debacle that is the Thanet District Council's consultation process on Charles Manston's bed-time flying juggernauts policy. The new cabinet is clearly incapable of listening to good advice, and promises to make a catalogue of mistakes in the time-served (HMPS?) tradition of previous administrations, where the bastards, once in power, don't give a flying fig for their voters or residents.

    Another exasperrated Ramsgate Eastcliff resident

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. why not send a letter to Thanet Watch explaining that?

      Delete
  11. Well somebody managed to make Manston fail again! Wasn't Thanet Watch....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was it Christine & her protesters?

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    2. No, "it was the economy Stupid!"
      Christine

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    3. Actually, Christine, I think it was down to the anti-airport lobby, the no-to-night-flights mob and a council too worried about a few votes in Nethercourt to offer the airport owners any support to expand the business.

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    4. Christine and both her professional protesters have never achieved a single result on any issue. They are simply a minor annoyance.

      Delete
  12. Didn't Manston fail because of the aquifer now being reported and missing monitors? Let's hope the 0% salary fraud at TDC, and Thor mercury are picked up by Thanet Watch too. We seem to be funding civil servants and councilllors to cover up these crimes.

    ReplyDelete

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