Broadstairs life - its people, its places and its charm

“Opening my own children’s bookshop is an absolute dream come true. Together with my outreach work with schools and the local community as The Kids Books Curator, the Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop represents the culmination of my ultimate goal – establishing a physical presence on the high street. This shop is more than just a place to buy books; it's a vibrant community hub where young readers can discover the joy of reading and where we can foster a lifelong love of literature in children. Our collaboration with the café and artisanal bakery STAPLE means that visitors can also enjoy a shared love of coffee, cakes, and books in a cozy and welcoming environment.” - Nicci Rosengarten, Founder, Happy Reading Children’s Bookshop, Broadstairs, Kent.

Discover a dreamy Children’s bookshop filled with books to inspire and nurture young minds (and also the slightly older)!! The Happy Reading Children's Bookshop is a collaboration with STAPLE, an artisanal baker and café that uses traditional techniques and seasonal ingredients to create delicious, handmade breads and viennoiseriee pastries. STAPLE has multiple highly popular cafés across the Isle of Thanet including Broadstairs, Margate, Ramsgate and Westgate-on-Sea. Founded by a multi-award winning bookseller Nicci Rosengarten (a Moon Lane alumnus), this delightful Children's literary destination at Staple Broadstairs is on the quaint and picturesque, and aptly named, Reading Street, located in the historic village of St Peters, just in land from Botany Bay and Joss Bay. Our store is 20 minutes walk from Broadstairs Station and free parking is available both on, and at either end of Reading Street.

https://www.happyreading.uk

Today you can listen as Kanndiss talks to us about her inspired Pies with a strong Caribbean influence made here in Broadstairs and sold across Thanet. Kandiss tells us how she started in October 2025 and where her inspiration came from. Her passion just flows as she talks about her background the joy of making pies and what inspires her.

She will be telling us about her Curry Goat, Mushroom & spinach, saltfish and jackfruit, leek & tempeh chicken & broccoli flavoured pies plus many other flavours that are available. There is also a hint of what is coming as a Christmas pie.

Importantly are pies made by her are free from Gluten, eggs and dairy making them available for all to eat and enjoy.

Kanndiss attends many events across Thanet and is also available for catering.

If you would like to get in touch and find out where you can try these amazing flavoured Pies from our Broadstairs based Pie maker visit https://www.facebook.com/primeeatscompany

Thank you to Lisa who is one of the people who we all know and see everyday about but very rarely hear about. To learn what our local Posties do and why they love the job they do listen as Lisa tells us all about her job... and it's not just wearing shorts all year!!!!

If you live between the chalk cliffs of Broadstairs and the quiet, flint-walled lanes of St Peter’s, you will know the rhythm of Lisa’s stride. While the rest of the town might be hunkering down against a North Sea gale or seeking shade under a colourful umbrella at Viking Bay, Lisa and her colleagues are on the move to deliver our post and parcels.

She isn't just delivering mail she’s there throughout all the Seasons

Broadstairs and St Peters are towns of moods, and Lisa sees them all before most of us have finished our first coffee or sometimes had our lunch.

• The Winter Haul: When the "Beast from the East" rolls off the water, turning the Promenade into an ice rink, Lisa is there. With a woollen hat pulled low and high-vis glowing against the salt-grey sky, she navigates the steep climb of Harbour Street. The wind might whip the letters in her hand, but it never stops her.
• The Summer Swell: Come July, the town transforms. Lisa walks on while the sun beats down on the baked brickwork of St Peter’s village, she keeps a steady pace, finding the short-cuts through the "culs-de-sac" that only a local truly knows.
• The Autumn Mist: There’s a specific kind of fog that swallows our town. In that damp, quiet chill, the only sound is the rhythmic clack-clack of letterboxes snapping shut—a signal that Lisa has passed through.

More Than Just Envelopes

In a world that’s increasingly digital, Lisa represents the tangible. To the residents of the Victorian terraces and the hidden bungalows, she is a constant.

"It’s never just a bill or a postcard," says one resident In St Peters "It’s the nod, the 'Morning!', and the fact that she knows exactly which gate has the sticky latch."

Regardless of whether the sky is a brilliant "Broadstairs Blue" or a bruised, stormy purple, Lisa remains the reliable thread connecting the town. She is the keeper of secrets in envelopes and the silent witness to the changing seasons of the Kentish coast.

So, next time you hear that familiar shuffle on the doorstep while the rain lashes against the glass, know that it's just Lisa—undeterred, upbeat, and onto the next house.

Empowering Broadstairs: The Youth Action Campaign

Amelie and Angel, two dedicated students from Dane Court Grammar School, have launched a vital initiative aimed at tackling youth crime within the Broadstairs community. Their campaign focuses on a proactive, educational approach to steer young people toward positive paths.

Key Pillars of the Initiative

• Community Funding & Support: Securing local investment to provide better resources and safer spaces for young people.
• Curriculum Integration: Introducing specialized educational sessions within schools to address the realities of modern crime.
• Expert Guest Speakers: Hosting impactful talks on the severe consequences of drug abuse and the dangers of "county lines" exploitation.
• Prevention through Awareness: Shifting the focus from punishment to prevention by empowering students with knowledge.

Campaign Vision

By bridging the gap between local authorities, schools, and the youth, Amelie and Angel hope to foster a safer, more informed environment for their peers. The goal is to replace the cycle of crime with a culture of opportunity and community responsibility.

Visual Identity

To represent this movement, a logo has been developed that combines the iconic Broadstairs clock tower with images of unity and growth. The design features:

• A Protective Shield: Representing the safety provided by community funding.
• Youth Leadership: Depicting young people looking forward to a brighter future.
• Local Pride: Integrating local landmarks to emphasise that this is a grassroots, Broadstairs-focused effort.

We have to thank Darren Cowd TDC museums manager & Curator of Dickens House.

Dickens House Museum celebrates Charles Dickens' long connection with Broadstairs (1837-1851). It is housed in the cottage that was Charles Dickens' inspiration for the home of Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield. According to the reminiscences of Charles Dickens son Charley, they regularly had tea there with Miss Mary Pearson Strong, and her belief of her right to stop the passage of donkeys in front of her cottage became the donkey incident for the character of Betsey Trotwood.

The parlour, described by Dickens and illustrated by Phiz, will be known to readers of David Copperfield. The cupboard in the corner may be recognised as the "press" from which Miss Betsey produced the concoctions she gave poured down the throat of young David Copperfield.

Visitors to Dickens House Museum will see items that once belonged to Charles Dickens including letters written about Broadstairs, his writing box and mahogany sideboard, along with a fine collection of prints by H K Browne (Phiz), one of Dickens' principal illustrators. There are also displays of Dickensian memorabilia, Victorian costumes and Victoriana, as well as a feature on "Our English Watering Place". It was in 1851 that Charles Dickens wrote this affectionate record of the town and its inhabitants.

​2026 Season: Wednesday 1st April - Sunday 1st November: Wednesday to Sunday, 1pm to 4.30pm (last entry 4pm) For more information and to book

Email: [email protected]

• Phone: 01843 577646
• Website: Visit Thanet Museums

Festival 2026 - Friday, 12th to Sunday, 14th June

2026 will be the 89th year, and we are pleased to confirm the dates for our 3-day festival. Friday, 12th to Sunday, 14th June

Charles Dickens visited Broadstairs in Kent regularly from 1837 until 1859 and immortalised the town as "Our English Watering Place".

In 1937, to commemorate the centenary of the author's first visit, Gladys Waterer, the then resident of Dickens House, conceived the idea of putting on a production of David Copperfield and of having people about the town in Victorian dress to publicise it.

Thus the festival was born and, with the exception of the years of World War 2, has been held annually ever since.

The Broadstairs Dickens Fellowship was formed the same year - 1937 and constitutionally 'requests' the festival each year.

https://www.broadstairsdickensfestival.co.uk/

[email protected]

This is an inspiring Podcast with two truly amazing people who talk candidly with passion and some humour thrown in about why over the years they continue to help others.

Local Broadstairs residents Lorraine and Graham Burns have a passion. To raise much needed funds for Breast Cancer Now. Their lives were changed forever when Lorraine's Mum was to lost to Breast Cancer. Since that time they have dedicated ourselves to supporting Breast Cancer Now—a charity that provides world-class research and life-changing care for everyone affected by this devastating condition.

Our commitment to this cause has become a central part of our lives. Over the years, we have raised over £160,000 through various charity events. You may have heard of Graham as the

"Karaoke Runner," a title he earned by completing 10 London Marathons while singing yes singing to keep spirits high and donations flowing. In 2026 along with so many other charity events, in April they completed the

“500 Miles and 500 More” Sponsored Walk in aid of Breast Cancer Now around Broadstairs

https://www.justgiving.com/team/500miles500more?utm_medium=TE&utm_source=CL

For more information about Breast Cancer Now visit https://breastcancernow.org

Visit Grahams youtube channel for more of his fundraising and singing. https://youtube.com/@dynamicloop?si=_gK6t_vbLSPhDHHM

PC James Absolon has been a Police Officer in Kent for 8 Years and has served in Margate and is now The Broadstairs Community Beat officer. Here you will listen to james as he tells us about his important role in our community. He has a real passion for being part of the local community explaining the type of Police work his role covers. It's a fascinating chance to listen to a Police Officer who you will see in our town talk candidly about the issues that affect many here. Also how is available to meet you his community to discuss local issues and put a plan in to try and tackle them.

You can contact James via this link or if urgent call 999 non urgent 101 and if your information and would not like to give you name call crime stoppers.

https://www.kent.police.uk/area/your-area/kent/thanet/viking/about-us/top-reported-crimes-in-this-area

Self taught and now a teacher and instructor Michelle Wharton introduces needle felting as a versatile dry felting method. By using specialised barbed needles to mesh wool fibre's together, she helps through her workshops crafters produce everything from intricate 3D sculptures to detailed 2D art. This accessible hobby requires minimal equipment—primarily wool, a foam mat, and needles—making beginner kits for ornaments or animals an ideal starting point. Key skills involve precise vertical stabbing, tight rolling, and strategic layering to build structure and density. Michelle also exhibits her art in local galleries.

If you would like to join a class in Broadstairs or in other areas of Thanet you can contact Michelle via her email [email protected]

You can follow Michelle on her facebook page to see her work and people in her classes https://www.facebook.com/michelle.wharton.338

From the Largest Theatre Group in the World to The Oldest Stage in England and the Future of the Theatre

Michael Wheatley-Ward has had invaluable experience of the theatre management business. Here is a colourful entertainment all of its own of the risks involved in production management from the wings as well as front of house. A wealth of knowledge which has been gained through knowing and working with some leading actors, directors and producers in the theatre business over fifty years. From some of London's West End play houses, cinemas and provincial picture houses to the second oldest theatre in England, the Theatre Royal Margate. This centre was one of local controversy in 2007, which led to the creation of the Sarah Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs.

Michael said: “There are several reasons why I fought to save the Sarah Thorne Theatre site in Broadstairs. For those who have read Michael Flagg’s biography of me, entitled “Surviving in the Theatre” which during Covid, Cameron Macintosh told me was a very apt title, readers will see I have spent a life in the entertainment profession.

“Community theatre plays an important part in life and especially now where we need places for people to learn and develop their skills. Also in later years it offers employment and a purpose to get up in the morning which for me is another reason. Like our Patron Judi Dench says retirement is not a word in our dictionary.