The Shell Grotto in Margate, England

[RJNorton]

Thank you to Laurie for sending this. Laurie writes, "Many of us know about the lovely woodwork and craft work involving shells that Dr. Mudd is said to have created while "vacationing" in the Dry Tortugas for four years. However, his work cannot compare to this."

Here is the link.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Breathtaking - thanks for sharing. I've always thought to know Britain well, but this I didn't. It's not in any of my UK travel guides either!!!

What, respectively who would instantly come into mind with regard to Margate however is William Turner.

Joseph Mallord William Turner, RA (1775– 1851) was an English Romanticist landscape painter. Around 1786, when he would have been 11 or 12 years old (his precise date of birth is unknown, but he was baptized on May 4, 1775), due to his mother showing signs of mental disturbance, Turner was sent to Margate. Here he produced a series of drawings of the town and surrounding area foreshadowing his later work, like this drawing of St John's Church, Margate:
   
Turner's drawings were being exhibited in his father's barbershop window and sold for a few shillings. His father boasted to the artist Thomas Stothard that: "My son, sir, is going to be a painter," and he did.

If you are interested in more, please go here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._W._Turner

Turner returned to Margate many times in later life, not only for painting, but also for his landlady-turned-lover, Mrs (Sophia Caroline) Booth...

Turner never married but finally died in her secret Chelsea house after, after the death of her husband, living for about 18 years there as 'Mr Booth', calling himself "Admiral Booth".

He is commonly known as the "painter of light", and his alleged last words were:"The Sun is God".
   
Sunrise, Whiting fishing at Margate, 1822.

(I apologize for being way off course once more...)

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PS: In 2014, this Cannes awarded movie was released - I highly recommend it:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn4zSR_5ioI