Saturday 31 October 2015

A busy weekend!


Plenty to do, fish to eat and/or buy, and music to listen to! Starting with the Herring Fair down at the Stade Open Space, 31st October to 1st November, 11-16.00 both days (for more details see the website). The photograph below is of the marquee, early morning... 


Then, mucho music around town as usual on a Saturday evening, and not least a contribution by the 2015 Voodoo Fest: the afternoon Zombie Walk, evening Funeral Procession, and culminating with music at St Mary in the Castle (details at the website).   
Also, as I mentioned yesterday, the Fourth Black Huts Festival continues at The Beacon, with Carlyle Reedy and Pete Brown this afternoon, and Jonathan Coe, Elle Osborne and Brian Catling this evening (details at website).   

Have a nice day/weekend! 

Friday 30 October 2015

Fourth Black Huts Festival

Further to my blog of 6th October, a reminder that the Black Huts Festival is now in full swing at The Beacon (St Mary's Terrace) this evening and tomorrow, and at the Electric Palace (High Street) on Sunday. This evening, featuring the writers James Kelman and John Healey from 7.30pm, though doors opening for spicy food at 6pm (website).   

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Stacey Marie - RX134


This week, the Stacey Marie in Rock-a-Nore Road received her annual freshen up; whilst painting her, children were heard, more than once, asking parents "Why is that man painting the boat?" The answer should have been, to help preserve her from the elements and gulls, but that reply was not heard! The retired fishing boat has its own facebook page, should you wish to see more photographs, including from when she was a working boat, and to read a short description of her history, please go to that page.   


Looking at her with the East Hill in the background.


Looking back with the Dolphin Inn in the background...

Sunday 25 October 2015

World Crazy Golf Championship 2015


And there was me thinking that not a lot was happening in Hastings this weekend, but of course it was, at the Crazy Golf Course! (website


And here's the results, congratulations to the Champion, Michael Smith of Great Britain! 



Saturday 24 October 2015

Things to do?


Well, the Stade Saturdays events are over for this year, the Hastings Herring Fair isn't until next weekend, together with all the Halloween shenanigans, the weather forecast suggests this will be a dry day until this evening, though tomorrow will be bright and dry, if a wee bit chillier... So, what to do? The usual evening music venues continue, of course, Hastings certainly has plenty of music on every week, notably in pubs, and there are the museums to go to, eg up Bohemia Road or the Fishermen's Museum at Rock-a-Nore, if you haven't visited for a while, and, should you be happy to travel a few miles, there is the Battle Festival (website).   


Tuesday was a lovely day, and the gulls had fled the nest on board the Stacey Marie at Rock-a-Nore (facebook page), thus we managed to get on board and clean up and re-paint her deck, thankfully; we'll be doing a bit more restoration and painting over the coming weeks, she does need a wee bit of work, indeed, poor lass!   


Looking better already, though!

Friday 23 October 2015

Beast of a Beer or Two!


The Rutland Beast, brewed at Oakham in Rutland by The Grainstore Brewery (website)... Seven different types of malt and wheat are used for the grist, and three different hops in the brew, though Grainstore appear to be a little shy about sharing the names of the hops used!  


Also, I didn't really find it to be a "beast", but a well-balanced ale with a deep red colour and lovely to drink. OK, it's a wee bit strong at 5.3%, but with a lovely cherry beer aroma, and fruity strong taste and plenty of body, in fact, I'd describe it as an excellent strong 'ruby mild', but what do I know? I had this very recently at the Dolphin Inn at Rock-a-Nore, and the speed of it not being on any more provides evidence of what a good beer it is/was.      


So I thought I should give notice of another 'beast' of an ale, this time from an East Sussex brewer, and due to come on at the Dolphin this weekend, and that is the very seasonal Dark Star Green Hopped IPA (brewery website). Seasonal, because of the use of fresh (most brewers use hops picked within 12 hours to add to their brews of this type of ale) or green hops, rather than the dried hops usually used by brewers. Very different in style, a supremely dry pale bitter with a strong aroma and taste of citrus from the Simcoe hops used, and 6.5% of strength that you may not notice, unless you drink more than one pint! 

Have a good weekend, cheers! 

Monday 19 October 2015

Older commercial vehicles at the Stade yesterday.

Just a few photographs I took before wending my way, via the Dolphin Inn, to the the Beer Festival at the FILO yesterday... 










... and the end of Hastings Week 2015...

Sunday 18 October 2015

Bonfire Beer Festival at the FILO

By Steve the Beermeister...


Whilst processions were being held, and bonfires and fireworks were being lit down on the beach, there has been a beer festival at the First In Last Out (FILO) in the High Street... Quite a few decent ales to drink there, indeed, and there should still be some left to sup this afternoon and evening, I'm having another go at them anyway! As usual, there are 4 of the FILO Brewery's own ales at the bar, their Crofters Best Bitter, Bourne Blonde, Old Town Tom, and Cardinal Sussex Porter.   


Of their 10 'guest' festival ales, I tried a few; Inveralmond Tight Head (4.2%) has plenty of malt in its flavour, as one would expect from a Scottish ale, though a bit too sweet for me, like liquid 'Caramac' (I love dry bitter pale golden ales, please take note, so don't let my preferences put you off, there are plenty of styles for everyone!). Another darker ale I tasted was the burnished copper coloured Tring Thunderdell (4.3%), rich with roasted barley in the flavour and taste, plenty of body and taste! Other darker ales include the 'brown ale' Kirby Lonsdale Devil's Bridge (3.7%), Hanlons 'porter' Devon Darkness (4.2%), and Dark Star Winter Meltdown (5.0%).   
Of the paler ales, I have regularly drunk before the golden hoppy Salopian Shropshire Gold (3.8%) and Moorhouse's Blonde Witch (4.5%). Also, I drank a pint of the excellent Burning Sky Aurora (5.6%), with its tangerine and grapefruit aroma and rich deep fruity flavour and body, with a dry bitter finish, quality! I also tried the 4.7% Springhead Barebones, another very decent ale with a hint of roasted barley in the flavour, with a deep amber colour and dry finish. Finally, the 10th ale was the Blackwater Brewery Voodoo (4.6%), contract brewed at Salopian Brewery, another excellent refreshing ale with a strong citrus aroma, grapefruit and an orangey flavours too (need to wink here), I wrote "NICE+++" in my notes, so it tied with the Aurora as one of my 2 favourite ales of the visit!

Still ales available today, oh yes, and 3 real ciders hopefully! Plus events still happening with Hastings Week too (website), enjoy, cheers!       

Saturday 17 October 2015

Another big day in Hastings!


A busy penultimate day of Hastings week today, Saturday, starting off 10am-4pm with the 2-day Hobbies & Crafts Fayre at Sacred Heart School on Old London Road, the 63rd National Town Criers Championships 11am at Priory Meadow, numerous guided walks, exhibitions and music, including "Two Battles, Hastings and Waterloo" at Hastings History House in Courthouse Street, and culminating in the annual torchlit procession, bonfire and fireworks. See Hastings Week website for more details.  


You may well have already noticed the bonfire being built on the beach for this evenings entertainment, but for further details of the Procession etc from 7.15pm, see the Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's website

Have fun!  

Thursday 15 October 2015

Beer Festival at the FILO this weekend!


There is a beer festival on at the FILO from today, with 14 real ales, including 4 of their own, and 3 ciders from Westons... I'll see if I can get Steve the Beermeister to write up about the ales available. 

Oh yes, and another guest blog will soon be here from John about the FILO...

Cheeky Peek Guide to Hastings & St Leonards


You have just one day to go if you want to pledge support for the Cheeky Peek Guide to Hastings & St Leonards, I have done, and am looking forward to the finished guide! Go to the website if you'd like to find out more and/or wish to pledge...

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Battle of Hastings - 949th anniversary


Today is the 949th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, which was 're-enacted' at Battle last weekend, yet again, as it has been since 1932 (Guardian). Handy they found somewhere called "Battle" to have the battle, and where William (the Bastard; sorry, not being rude, but that was what he used to be called all those years ago, being 'illegitimate') built an abbey as penance for the slain folk...

My 300th blog, by the way, cheers!   

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Wonderful People of Hastings!


It was a month ago that I wrote about the Dolphin barmaid, Debs, and others, having their hair shorn to help raise money for a local 7 year-old girl who has been treated for cancer, when they went from this (above) to this (below):   


(Many) more photographs can be seen at my previous blog, however, all the money has now been collected, and passed over to the lass and her family, with even more money being donated since, particularly on quiz nights at the Dolphin, and from RNLI volunteers, who regularly visit the pub. The total donated was more than £2,300, £1,634.23 of which was collected at the Dolphin for Debs and Richard, before/on/since the day of the collective shearing. 

The lass herself will be taken on holiday soon, when she is feeling better from her treatment, and she has asked that the remainder of the donations be passed on to charity (website) to help educate people about children with cancer... 

I'm proud of the people of Hastings, indeed!     

Saturday 10 October 2015

Hastings Week starts today!


The 2015 Hastings Week kicks off today with the opening ceremony at 09.35 at the Town Hall in Queens Road, having started forming outside BHS 10-20 minutes beforehand. For more information on what's happening this week, go to the website.  


Stade Saturdays, in conjunction with Hastings Week, carries on with the Classic Car Show at the Stade, and continues on to Sunday (website). 

Wednesday 7 October 2015

East Sussex Announces More Cuts!


East Sussex County Council leader, Conservative Keith Glazier, has announced that the council needs to make 20% cuts over the next 3 years because of central government cuts to local authorities, ie £81 million worth of cuts... He said "Let's make no bones about this... we will have to stop doing services."

For more about this, see the BBC website.   

Hastings Development Management Plan


The Development Management Plan was adopted a couple of weeks ago, to see the details, go to website


And notice of work beginning on the Town Centre and White Rock Area Action Plan.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Hastings Black Huts Festival Benefit Night

The Fourth Black Huts Festival starts on 28th October, however, tomorrow evening, Wednesday 7th October, there will be a benefit night for the festival at the Electric Palace in the High Street. See website for details.   

Monday 5 October 2015

Developing Beach Refreshments - Below Warrior Gardens


For some time now, this seafront cafe has been here, somewhere I've often had a good mug of tea at, and a very nice full English breakfast at a reasonable price too! 


Then, this seafront chip shop appeared close by, as you can see, and run by the same family, though I've not tried food from here yet... 


Now the "Beach Bistro" has appeared in between the other two! 


I only discovered about this very recently, but was told that it has been open for a few months now, and again, it is run by the same family, a licenced bistro, and tastefully done out too, congratulations to that family!


Apparently, the Beach Bistro is open from 11.00 every day, until about 8pm, with an extensive menu... and on Sundays a proper roast dinner is available.

The range of refreshments on the beach here has certainly improved, nice one!

Sunday 4 October 2015

Nomadic Beach Huts!


I first saw these 10 beach huts here a couple of years ago, I think... then, last year, they had moved to just west of the toilets by the beach huts at Cinque Ports Way/The Haven, near to Bulverhythe... now they are back where they started to the west of the Azur Pavilion, opposite Marine Court, and I have never seen them used! 

What's it all about?!?  

Saturday 3 October 2015

Sonpikkante! - Stade Saturday 3rd October


At 7.30 this evening, Sonpikkante play the last planned gig of the Stade Saturdays performances of 2015, though there is more, non-musical, stuff to come over the next couple of weeks, notably with Hastings Week to come! 

Apparently, 'Sonpikkante' means "hot chilli"; and they play "raw Afro-Columbian roots music", including a fusion of Afro-caribbean rhythms, dub, Haitian, "classic 60s Cumbia, Vallenato and Puta" with a 'Salsa groove' - Sounds exciting, so get on down to the Stade open space at 7.30pm for a free music delight!      

For more details of Stade Saturdays 2015, see the website.