Whitstable is a popular destination for Londoners due to its proximity to the capital. It has much to offer, but reporter Adam Toms shall remember it most for its slightly odd cultishness
A seaside town on the southern coast is beautiful but “a little cultish”, according to a recent visitor.
Last weekend MyLondon reporter Adam Toms and his girlfriend decided to head to Whitstable, a town which sits on the east of Kent that is known for its plentiful and delicious oysters.
“The train journey from Victoria took just over an hour and a half. It was a very pleasant one, with nice views. Although, passing through Rainham station was confusing until I remembered that there are two of them. The time whizzed by as I enjoyed a read of my book and felt a sense of excitement reminiscent of the one I experienced during my childhood at seeing the sea. Upon arrival, we followed a crowd of people out of the station and down the road to the high street,” Adam reported of his time making the trek from London to the coastal spot.
His first impressions were that the high street seemed “healthy”, despite having a smattering of closed shops.
“We strolled in the direction of the beach, scoping out what shops and café we’d visit a bit later on. It seemed a healthy high street, with a variety of independent businesses. I thought to myself that this would be the peak time of the year for businesspeople in the area, and wondered how they fared during the autumn and winter,” Adam continued.
“Next to each other were a closed down café and fish and chip shop. You’d think that these would be the most resilient businesses in a town such as this one. Presumably, they were casualties of the Covid pandemic.”
An early highlight came in the form of a soft-boiled scotch egg Adam bought from Polly’s Handmade Pies – the best he had ever had.
“After a disappointing effort on my part to skim some stones across the incoming waves and a sit down on the beach (which was comprised of small stones and, thankfully, not sand), we grew hungry. In the end, we settled on eating at the Whitstable Produce Store,” Adam said as he continued his food tour of the town.
“My sandwich – ham, cheese and chutney on granary bread – was immense. My arteries won’t thank me for it, but life wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable without these small pleasures. It was accompanied by a tangy orange ‘zinger’ juice. Delicious.”
Having loaded up on delicious carby treats, the pair headed to the town’s museum which was free to enter on the day he visited.
“By far the stand out memory from the experience was, after sampling the interesting history of the area, dropping into its Peter Cushing section. The Star Wars actor had lived in Whitstable, and inevitably now more mature fans flock to the town to see where he chose to call home,” Adam said.
“There was no photography allowed, which is a pity because what we saw is quite difficult to describe. You’ll have to swing by and see it yourself. With the best will in the world, it felt slightly cultish. The exhibition featured a Dalek, which did not exactly look production standard, and a mummy, complete with googly eyes. Cushing references were not contained here.
“There was the local Wetherspoons, which looked like a former cinema, that is named after the actor. This was by no means the only reference. I won’t tell you them all to save you from spoilers. Being a big Star Wars and Doctor Who fan, as well as being amused by Alan Davies’ tale of a local band writing a song about seeing Mr Cushing buying vegetables and riding his bicycle, it was a novelty at first. But I was thoroughly Cushinged out by the time I got on the train back to London.”
