Will be spending a bit of time in Canterbury from now on as there’s a fair chance I’ll be moving there within the next few years… Is there anything going on? Or, will I have to go over to Margate or up to London?
I visited for a weekend break a couple of years ago. Some nice enough pubs and interesting shops. Went in one record shop with a very overbearing owner who wouldn’t stop talking at me. The assistant, who must get it all day long, looked at me with great sympathy as I made my excuses and left 
Also it was the first time i’d seen an American Candy store and marvelled at the £15 price ticket on a box of cereal. In hindsight that doesn’t look too terrible these days No idea about nightlife as was there with my folks but i’m guessing it’s a squaddie town?
There’s a cathedral and a cricket ground. That’s it. That’s all i’ve got. 
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Lived in Whitstable for a year/so, so went to Canterbury a bit…theres The Good Sheds for food, a few nice pubs, the Curzon cinema, Copperfield for garms…but honestly nothing major, just your typical high street town/small city really. Where it really excels at though is its location - by the countryside (with cool inns), easy to get to Whitstable / Margate etc so it’s a lovely part of the world…I’m just not not sure theres ‘a scene’…BUT…maybe take inspiration from that and make something happen?
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Exactly what i thought… make it happen
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Also…theres a user here I think puts on Balearic stuff on in Ramsgate? Sorry, name and specifics escape me now, but im sure a search will come up with something. As said, lovely part of the world so enjoy your time there!
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Is that Jim Breese? Travelled down from south London a couple of times after lockdowns etc for do’s at the Boating Pool which were great and also a sunday afternoon at the Royal Albion Hotel he was involved in…but I’m not local so not sure what’s happening there now
Thanks Tim… i’ll keep an eye out for those venues
oh… looks like those places are Ramsgate, not Canterbury… right train line, i guess
Yeah, sorry, i was responding to Sam’s post that did indeed refer to ramsgate not canterbury… not far though 
I applied to kent uni there in ‘93 and someone at the open day said there was only one club in the whole town, which put me off! Nice river in the summer though. Going way back though so may all be different now?
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Another Whitstable resident (london/Melbourne exile) here! Depends what your definition of ‘going on’ is, but for Canterbury, definitely +1 on Goods Shed and the various record shops all have something to recommend them. The grizzly owner of Canterbury Rock is to be celebrated, rather than reviled! These outsiders and strange little shops will be missed when they’re gone… I haven’t been but the cringey-named Socialite bar has a rooftop and has been doing Dj’s on a house tip (dj jojo seems to be regular). Margate is popping as you probably know and some great stuff from time to time in Ramsgate, particularly at the Music Hall. Whitstable has a 35 year pedigree in the Tvc soundsystem crew but sadly they are not very active recently.
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also…The Cumberland Arms in Whitstable often has some surprising live gigs - apparently some ex-bookers in the area = amazing reggae and hiphop artists surprisingly turning up. Also Gatefield records occasionally do instores…i remember UNKLE did a little one for RSD once.
@Sam_Campari +100000 for Canterbury Rock and totally with you about the outsider shops there that will be missed in a generation oro two
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Just for clarification it wasn’t Canterbury Rock I mentioned it was a shop called Sounds Records. A quick look at reviews shows a mixed bag with a few having a similar experience as me.
I totally agree with your sentiments about independent shops being the heart and soul of any town.
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Ah yes. Sorry, that will be me jumping to conclusions!
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