Margate gets a makeover from TV apprentices
The hit Bafta-winning show, now in its fifth series, made a trip to Margate last October to record an episode for BBC1.
With only eight contestants left, the budding business hopefuls were tasked with rebranding Margate for the 21st century.
Yasmina Siadatan, Mona Lewis, Lorraine Tighe, Kate Walsh, James McQuillan, Debra Barr, Howard Ebison and Ben Clarke came to the town along with Sir Alan’s lackys Margaret Mountford and Nick Hewer.
In the show, the teams have just two days to produce an eye-catching series of posters and an information leaflet to attract new tourists to the town.
Team one, led by Debra, decide to go for the pink pound by rebranding Margate as a gay resort. Contestant Ben slams Margate and tries to edit out the parts of the town he does not like.
He comments: "We don’t want any of this horrible stuff in the front; more of the sea, less of Margate."
Yasmina’s team decide to appeal to the family. Lorraine and James organise a photo shoot taking pictures of a family enjoying pottery at The Gallery in Marine Drive and playing on the beach.
Both teams then present their ideas to a board of officials and townspeople at Margate’s Media Centre.
Among them is Thomas Reeves from the Flower Lab in the Old Town and Shell Grotto owner Sarah Vickery. Margate mayor Brian Sullivan, Walpole Bay Hotel owner Jayne Bishop, Turner Contemporary art gallery director Victoria Pomery, pub chain boss Phil Thorley and some Thanet College students.
Also on the panel was Derek Harding, the man who, as director of the Margate Renewal Partnership, has the real job of turning around Margate’s fortunes.
On Yasmina’s efforts Mr Harding called it "solid, safe and pretty pedestrian."
He said: "We’re trying to promote this town in terms of the arts and the cultural offer. I think you’ve missed a trick."
Apprentice wannabe Howard Ebison presents his gay resort ideas but gets them described as "awful" by fellow judge and Flower Lab boss Thomas Reeves.
The 28-year-old, who is set to appear on BBC2 after-show The Apprentice: You’re Fired, said: "The whole idea was really dated."
Unfinished posters and leaflets also fail to impress Sarah Vickery, who also leads the Dreamland Trust, a group campaigning to restore Margate’s old fun park. She told the apprentices: "Your visions are dreadful. They’re just dreadful."
Margate stands in stark contrast with the exotic locations featured in previous series, but the international task was axed to reflect the fact that fewer people are travelling abroad during the recession.
A BBC source said: "By sending the candidates to Margate rather than overseas, we can do more than ever before to bang the drum for British business and tourism during the recession whilst maintaining quality and audience enjoyment."
With an average audience of 7.9 million, watching the latest series the town will be at the forefront of people’s minds when they tune in to find out who Sir Alan gives the boot to at 9pm on BBC1.
Brian Day from Garlinge wrote to say: "I was very disappointed by the apprentice's slogans for Margate."
He has come up with his own suggestions: Margate: Where the arts meets the arcades. Something for ever taste. Margate: Where the old meets the new and Margate: Where the sky meets the sea.
Can you do better? Let us know what you think of the show and the two team's ideas. Email over your suggestions to thom.morris@krnmedia.co.uk or leave a comment.
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