Tuesday 29 November 2016

ASLEF joins the fray!


Members of the Aslef union (the train drivers) are to walk out for 48 hours from December 13th, for 24 hours on the 16th, and between January 9th and 14th. This will add to the industrial action by the RMT (train guards) already being enacted in the Southern rail (dis) service! See BBC website

Surely it must be time for Southern to lose the franchise, please! 

Monday 28 November 2016

Hastings Library: New Opening Times


Hastings Library, still in its temporary home at the Children's Library in Robertson Passage until the Spring, has new opening times, starting today, Monday 28th November 2016, following public consultation, see website

Monday: 10am to 5pm 
Tuesday: 10am to 5pm 
Wednesday: 10am to 1pm 
Thursday: 10am to 6pm 
Friday: 10am to 5pm 
Saturday: 10am to 5pm 
Sunday: closed

Sunday 27 November 2016

Hastings Pier, well, there's...

The Pirate Ship and Wee Funfair 
and...
The Snow Slide

For more information about events on the Pier, see their website.

Friday 25 November 2016

Another Full Hastings Weekend, Fun and Terror!


As usual, there is plenty happening in Hastings this weekend, and we all know about the decent pubs, and music in pubs and bars, that will be enjoyed, but, in St Leonards, during Saturday daytime, there will the Frost Fair, see internet link.


In the town centre, at Priory Meadow, there is the annual Christmas ice rink...


On, and from, Hastings Pier, mucho stuff happening too! The Snow Slide, Neverland at Christmas, the Pirate Ship, Fishing from the Pier, and so much more (website).


And the terrorists?!? Well, the Cycling Fascists appear to have decided to break the law, yet AGAIN, as in, many cyclists are happy to jump traffic lights, and pedestrian and zebra crossings, on the odd occasion that they actually do use the road (which they're allowed to use legally), many don't use the cycle lanes they have been crying out for for years, and many prefer to use footpaths, as it is so much easier to ride into pedestrians, very soft targets, obviously...

and they now appear to be ignoring the fact that the cycle route through Alexandra Park hasn't actually been approved yet! The Borough Council does not seem to be supporting the safety of nature lovers, pedestrians, mothers and pram pushers who enjoy the Park, indeed, a shame if it ever does get approved (council website), let's trust the County Council looks after the law abiding people of Hastings, pretty please!

Be very careful on Sunday... cyclopaths/psychopaths are on the loose!

Thursday 24 November 2016

November... no, really!


As a friend said to me yesterday, there'll be Easter Eggs in the shops soon! Christmas appears to have arrived in the Old Town...

Monday 21 November 2016

Southern's Intransigence is Intransient!


The industrial action continues from midnight tonight until midnight on Wednesday, don't expect peace before the end of the year, thanks to Government interference (see my blog of 6 August)! So, travelling from Hastings is going to be much easier on South Eastern for a couple of days, indeed, even on a non-strike day, travelling on Southern can be farcical, noting that no-one knew what was going on at Bexhill yesterday, and my return to Hastings on a bus that should have been retired years ago...

Though even Southern have accepted they made one mistake, see BBC website, if only because this tactic resulted in a torrent of criticism!

Friday 18 November 2016

A weekend of fun and frolics starts today!


Starting today, on Hastings Pier, and running until the 2nd of January 2017, is Neverland at Christmas, yes we really are talking about Christmas already! This includes fun for children and adults, with rides, festive kiosks, food, a pirate ship, a covered Christmas Market and a snow slide (website); there are also other events, details of which can be seen on the website, and fishing from the pier continues too. Oh yes, and Lego have suggested they may create a Lego Hastings Pier, if you'd like to see this happen, apparently they need 10,000 votes at Lego Ideas site, so get your votes in!


Starting today, at Hastings Motor Boat & Yacht Club, at the end of Rock-a-Nore is the Hastings Fleadh (Festival of Traditional Irish Music and Song - facebook page), from 8.30pm. On Saturday, music starts from 11am in the Jenny Lind, High Street, and at the Stag Inn, All Saints Street. 


Of course, the usual music venues continue with their own gigs, and the museums, pubs and clubs, castle, parks, aquarium, and other amusements remain open, mostly. And, if you're up for a wee bit of high culture, The Nutcracker is on at the White Rock Theatre on Saturday evening (website).

Have fun!

Fireworks and Jollity earlier...


This time in the centre of town at Priory Meadow, because...


the Christmas lights are back on, festive greetings! 

Monday 14 November 2016

Pevensey to Beachy Head walk...


Recently, taking advantage of good weather, my brother, Dan, and I ventured out on the decent value Family Dayrider bus ticket (Stagecoach, covering East Sussex and Kent), that costs £12 for 2 adults (and 3 children or 1 adult and 4 children), and we visited 3 Norman churches, including 2 we'd never visited before. Of course, this image is of Pevensey Castle, which was built at the beginning of the 13th century within the 3rd century walls of the original Roman defences; the Normans knew how to take advantage of an already existing fortification!


In Pevensey itself, after having a surprise chat with a friend, Alan, who had dropped off his van with a local mechanic, we visited the Grade I listed St Nicholas Church, built around the same time as the castle, on the site of a Saxon church, which in those days overlooked the sea, as did the castle. St Nicholas is the patron saint of seafarers, and this early Norman church is considered the most unspoilt church of the time, as in few alterations, particularly from the Victorians! See the website for further information.


After walking through the castle fortifications, we came to Westham, another ancient parish, to the immediate west of the castle, with another Norman church...


Though having more alterations over the centuries than St Nicholas, St Mary's Church in Westham was the first Norman church built in England. Another Grade I listed building, constructed 1080-90: see website, but not too much information about the history of the church, which is a shame... there's a job needs doing! 


From Pevensey, we walked down to the seafront and headed westwards toward Eastbourne, on the way through the modern Sovereign Harbour, we saw 2 grey seals lounging on the beach, apparently, not a care in the world! Following a touch of our packed-lunch, we carried on into Eastbourne, and uphill to the Old Town and St Mary's...


Actually, this is St Mary the Virgin church, our third Norman church of the day, built circa 1180, though enlarged in the 14th century, and with considerable restoration under the Victorians in the 19th century. Plenty of further information at the website of this church.


Oh yes, and before we wandered off to Beachy Head, we had a couple of pints of Harveys at one of the oldest pubs in the country, The Lamb Inn (website), which dates from 1180.

Then we walked across to Beachy Head, coming back into the town to catch our bus back to Hastings, a good day out, 3 lovely Norman churches and well worth doing!

Saturday 12 November 2016

Sea Defence Scheme


In the early hours the other day I noticed the rocks for the 2 new/strengthened groynes had been arriving overnight!


There they are!

Wednesday 9 November 2016

Memorial for Pete "Squeaky" Pepper


On Monday evening, a further small memorial was held for Hastings fisherman, Squeaky, and a small plaque placed where he used to sit in his regular pub for many years, the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road.

R.I.P. Pete.

Fishermen's Museum Christmas Cards


Christmas Cards are on sale at Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road, and going fast... Thankfully, I've already bought mine!

Monday 7 November 2016

Hastings Pier Opening Times



Hastings Pier is open 7 days a week. Current opening times are as follows:

Monday-Wednesday: 10am-5pm
Thursday: 10am-9pm
Friday: 10am-10pm
Saturday: 9am-10pm
Sunday: 9am-6pm

The Deck building is open from 10am-5pm every day.

Please note that these hours are subject to change dependent on weather. Opening times vary depending on events and the time of year.




Sunday 6 November 2016

Hastings Storytelling Festival

The festivals just keep coming, that's a beautiful thing about living in Hastings, yes, Hastings Storytelling Festival is from the 7th to the 13th November 2016; see website.

Herring Fair 2016


As usual, the Herring Fair is dominated by music, ale, wine, all types of food, but not too much in the way of fish stalls, thank God for RX Fisheries! Having spoken to a local fisherman on Friday, who suggested this festival is, as usual, too early for much local herring to be caught, but would do better by waiting until further into the month by a couple of weeks, luckily, locally caught herring was suggested, though not much on show... 

Come on organisers, learn and push it back a couple of weeks next year! 

Friday 4 November 2016

Southern Rail Strike for 2 days


Southern Rail workers are on strike again, due to end tomorrow night at 23.59 hours, so expect a difficult journey if travelling on Southern; see website for details.

Hastings Herring Fair 5-6 November 2016


This weekend sees the fifth Herring Fair at the Stade, 11am to 4pm both days (free entry). There is music, classes and cooking demonstrations, children's activities in the Stade Hall and face painting on Sunday, ales, stalls galore, and, of course, fish, and I hear that some herring has been caught locally very recently! For more details visit the website.


Yesterday morning I saw that the marquee was already fully erected, so no worries about the weather, though the forecast looks clear all weekend it will be colder than recent times, so wrap up appropriately for the temperature, and, no doubt, chilly wind!


Oh yes, and a special Stade Guided Walk returns just for the Saturday morning, meeting up at the Fishermen's Museum in Rock-a-Nore Road at 11.00, bring strong shoes for walking on the uneven pebbles and warm clothing, as above. The guided walk is free (website) and organised by the Old Hastings Preservation Society, but donations to Hastings Fishermen's Museum would be appreciated, many thanks.

Whatever you do, enjoy the weekend!

Wednesday 2 November 2016

Stacey Marie 'Makeover' almost complete...


OK, sadly, she'll never go to sea again, but she's looking pretty good on show!


Still a couple of things to do, but she's probably safe for at least another winter, though a wee bit more structural work wouldn't go amiss early next year!


The Stacey Marie, RX134, Rock-a-Nore Road, was built in the 1940s in Newhaven, originally fishing out of Eastbourne until the early 1960s (Registration then was NN39), when she was brought to Hastings and fished until near to the end of the 20th century. She is now owned by Hastings Fishermen's Museum; more information can be found at the Museum, or on her facebook page.

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Moving into Hastings Rumours!

Rumoured to be moving into Hastings soon, celebrities...

 

Academy Award winner, Gwyneth Paltrow, actress, singer, cook book writer and Save the Children ambassador, amongst other charity work, and... 



Amanda Holden, television presenter, actress and singer, and a supporter of various charities too, including breast cancer awareness.

Hmmm...