Madonna visited the town to see her artist pal Dame Tracey Emin, who her studio there and runs an artist residency programme for young people
IT was Chas and Dave’s favourite seaside resort and the location for Del Boy and Rodney’s Jolly Boys’ Outing on Only Fools and Horses.
But the Kent coastal town of Margate, once the go-to holiday spot for working class Londoners, now has the Queen of Pop as a fan. Madonna was so blown away by a recent visit that she gushed: “I feel like I’ve entered a dream.” The 67-year-old went to visit her artist pal Dame Tracey Emin, 62, who has her TKE Studios there and runs an artist residency programme for young people.
Madge, who visited exhibitions, posted: “The whole town seems to be inhabited and energized by creativity. This is my idea of heaven. I’ve been there a few times now and I’m always struck by the commitment and passion of all of these artists. On top of all of that, I get to eat at my favourite Italian restaurant which I’m not giving anyone the name of because then everyone’s going to go.”
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The Mirror can reveal the Holiday superstar dined at Cantina Caruso and enjoyed a plate of Cacio e pepe – spaghetti, pecorino cheese and pepper. Owner Simona Di Dio told us: “Madonna was here for a private dinner so we prepared a set menu.
“Cacio e pepe is not something we do all the time but we heard she liked it so we made it for her. It was a very lovely family-style dinner. It felt really intimate. She was very easy going.” Her business partner Harry Ryder added: “She was super nice and very into what we do.”
Locals hope the superstar’s visit will bring a summer tourism boom. Charlotte Kimber, 38, who co-owns the Little Swift bar on the seafront, said: “Anything that puts Margate on the map is always a good thing. It’s her second time in Margate so it’s nice to see her return. It might make people think, instead of Benidorm I’m going to give Margate a go.” The Madonna fan added: “If she fancies a margarita I’ll sort her out.”
Jimmy Edwards, 25, who works at Peter’s Fish and Chip Factory, said he’d welcome the singer but added: “Madonna would be treated as everyone else gets treated.
“We’ve had multiple celebrities in here from Rick Stein to Alan Carr and it’s always the same – here at Peters everyone is served with compliments and to the same standard.”
The resort town had suffered a lean spell in recent decades but visitors still flock to its Dreamland amusement park while its music festivals and Turner Contemporary gallery are part of a now-thriving arts scene.
Musician Pete Doherty and his Libertines banddmates also set up a boutique hotel and arts space The Albion Rooms there.
Fashion icons Kate Moss and the late Vivienne Westwood visited while graffiti artist Banksy created a spray-painting there. Chris McGuire, who owns Hoffs cafe bar, said: “Margate has a population of 64,000 people, it’s not huge but it packs a punch.”
