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As I drive the route from my house into the Old Town I have to go past Westwood Cross. Slowly of course, the roads are often snarled and on more than one occasion I have been amazed at the skill, or lack of it that some people have on the road… but that’s a whole other blog post! And as I sit in traffic, with people desperate to get a parking space to go and buy mass produced generic goods for loved ones, I wonder to myself ‘What are they doing?’.

I finish my route in the Old Town, parking in Morrison’s car park for £1.90 for four hours, or £2.70 if you fancy really making a day of it, and amble through the beautiful little streets on the way to my shop. My shop that is, which has just been selected by ‘The Good Web Guide’ for selling goods from gifts to furniture from selected artists in Beijing, with beautiful handpicked pieces to be proud of. As at Qing we only work with specific designers and try and promote them showing customers there is more from China than just the ‘Made in’ variety. Great ideas for Christmas and other times too.

If I need a gift for a friend I go to Blackbird to get one of her beautiful handmade pieces, or treat myself to a card. Other times I pop into Margate Gallery, I absolutely love her paper flowers and often have to stop myself from buying all her art work that hangs on her walls. Friends and I can often be found in the Cupcake Cafe drinking their lovely coffee and eating them out of stock, or I admit there are times that you can find me at the Lifeboat… drinking that is, nice cider, not getting ready to save someone!

I have oodles of choice when it comes to vintage and retro, Etcetera, Madam Popoff, Betty B, Helter Skelter and My Old Dutch have everything covered from frocks to clocks from the ‘40’s upwards. Two new galleries, Outside the Square and Margate Modern Art add flavour and gift ideas for Christmas along with The Seventh Magpie. Remembrance Angel is quickly running out of her gorgeous advent Santas and finally it really is… well nearly, Christmas in the Mad Hatter’s tea rooms.

Photos at Immi are always a nice gift, you can buy a book at the bookshop on the Piazza and Revitalize beauty salon has just changed hands and has a whole new up to date look, great for getting your nails done in before you go out of an evening… to The Ambrette, the Lighthouse, Theatre Royal, BeBeached…

The Old Town must be smaller than Westwood Cross actually, no parking is not always free forever, though there are free bays here. But choice, quality, atmosphere, customer satisfaction… well, we knock Westwood Cross into a cocked hat. Try something a little different this Christmas, you might be surprised!

www.margateoldtown.co.uk