What's so special about Margate

A. Aha. You've obviously been taken in by the recommendation of soon-to-be-nicked great train robber Ronnie Biggs.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Q. Oh yes. He's prepared to have his collar felt just to have a pint of bitter in his favourite Margate pub - so it must be a bit special.

A.� Indeed. Much of the town is enchanting, although it has fallen on bad days. It has a beautiful beach and a lovely old town. The fish 'n' chips are superb. In its heyday, it was the place where everyone wanted to go on holiday. Now, vastly more people go abroad - and poor ol' Margate has been missing out.

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Q.� So when did it first become a resort

A.� About 1700. An earlier visitor, however, was Julius Caesar in 55BC. The Roman visitors - invaders, in fact - arrived at nearby Richborough, having sailed from Boulogne in France.

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Q.� What did he think

A.� Not much. Caesar reported that the Britons were a strange breed. They dyed themselves blue and were barbaric. Until that moment, the Romans weren't sure if Britain really existed or if it were just a myth. Now they knew ... thanks to Margate's finest.

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Q.� Moving swiftly on ...

A.� Good idea. As I said, seasides were becoming fashionable in the early 1700s and interesting people were beginning to visit them - especially the Isle of Thanet, which comprises Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs.

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Q.� Still an island

A.� Theoretically, yes. A tiny channel, called the Wantsum, still separates it from the mainland.

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Q.� Famous people

A.� The great artist J M W Turner, for a start. He said: 'The loveliest skies in Europe are over the Isle of Thanet.' You can see some in his seascapes. And there's Charles Lamb, famous English essayist, who went to Margate in 1801, travelling on the Old Margate Hoy boat, which was the title of the records of his experiences on the journey. Three years later, Emma, Lady Hamilton, notorious mistress of Admiral Horatio Nelson, attended a ball nearby. The body of Nelson, killed at the Battle of Trafalgar, was kept offshore at nearby Broadstairs in 1805 while the ship's captain was waiting for the weather to improve.

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Q.� Literary connections

A.� Charles Dickens lived at nearby Broadstairs. George Bernard Shaw visited Margate, and went straight to the Theatre Royal to coach a new actor appearing in his play John Bull's Other Island. He made quite an impact. In 1921 T S Eliot stayed in Margate while convalescing from a nervous breakdown. While there he wrote large sections of his great work, The Waste Land.

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Q.� This is all a long time ago. Anything more recent

A.� Former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath lived in Broadstairs as a boy. His keen interest in sailing stays with him. Frank Muir, the great writer and television personality, was born and raised in Ramsgate. His memories are recalled in his delightful book, A Kentish Lad.

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Q.� So will Ronnie Biggs, if he ever makes it, enjoy Margate

A. Yes, probably. A lot of it hasn't changed. The people have, though. The local council does its best to promote it as a place to visit in the early 21st Century - but has a battle on its hands. The council leaders are also sensitive to any criticism and may not think that attracting an escaped villain is in keeping with its modern image.

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By Steve Cunningham