Hastings Half Marathon 2023 Results

I had a wee bit of trouble finding the final results, but found them at the Nice Work website, first 3 male and female results with times:

Male:

1) Charlie Brisley (Newham)   1:11:03

1) Adam Clarke (HY Runners) 1:11:03

3) Luke Grenfell-Shaw (HY Runners) 1:11:28 

Charlie and Adam decided to come in together in first place, nice one! Many thanks to Sussex World for publishing the photograph (above) and story.

 Female:

1) Beth Kidger (Brighton Phoenix) 1:16:27 

2) Alexandra Millard (Invicta East Kent) 1:18:01 

3) Grace Baker (Hastings AC) 1:19:37 

All results can be found at that website.

Congratulations to all the nearly 2,000 entrants! 👍

The time is going forward overnight...

Indeed, do not forget that we shall be 'time travelling' overnight 😉 so don't forget to put your timepieces one hour ahead when off to bed tonight, we wouldn't want to be an hour late for anything... (RMG).

Hastings 39th Half Marathon on Sunday

No doubt you won't have missed these signs around Hastings, heralding the 39th Hastings Half Marathon, to be held this Sunday the 26th of March (website).

As usual, the Half Marathon begins at 10.30 by West Marina Gardens at Sea Road, runners will then run up Harley Shute Road and Queensway to The Ridge, along to Winchelsea Road and down to the Old Town via Harold Road, then back along the seafront to the finish. Looking like a damp start, good luck to all the competitors! 👍

Hastings Lifeboat Volunteer Recruitment Event 25th March

I spotted this poster advertising the Hastings RNLI Volunteer Recruitment Event which is being held tomorrow (Saturday 25th of March), from 11.00 to 13.00 at the Lifeboat Station at The Stade TN34 3AR. They are looking for volunteers to join their Water Safety Team, Fundraisers, Visitor Centre Guides, and Lifeguards (facebook).

As ever, much respect. 👍

Council Tax 2023/24

If it hasn't already dropped through your letterbox, the Hastings Council Tax Bill for 2023/24 should be appearing very soon; mine arrived yesterday. Of course, we're expecting a rise, what with inflation peaking at over 11% in the autumn, now at around 10%, but it is expected to fall throughout this year to low single figures, fingers crossed.

For a change, the increase is well below inflation, and increased 4.9% from 2022/23, the higher rate increased significantly by the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner's 6.7% and East Sussex Fire Authority's 5.0% increases. Hastings Borough Council's rate of increase is 2.99% (website). So don't be surprised if services in Hastings decrease with an increase 7% lower than inflation, and bearing in mind that in 2010 the Central Government Revenue Support Grant was £14 million, which was reduced annually until it became zero grant in 2019 (blog), now to be 5 years with none.

Keep on soldiering on folks! 

Paddy's Night in Hastings

A few pubs will be celebrating Paddy's Night around Hastings this Friday 17th March. 

From 8.30-11.00pm, Garry Blakeley and Bear Lucas will be fiddle-dee-deeing at the Stag, 14 All Saints Street TN34 3BJ (Blakeley website).

From 9.00pm, The Twitten Revellers will be playing an acoustic set at the Crown, 66 All Saints Street TN34 3BN (website).

From 8.30-10.30pm, there will be more fiddlin' and jigging as Sistie Moose play at the Jenny Lind, 69 High Street TN34 3EW (website).

In the town centre, near the station, the 17th and 18th promises a Paddy's Day (or 2) Party at the Seadog, 32 Station Road TN34 1NJ (facebook), with music, rugby and "having the craic" - well the landlord is an Irishman, so to be expected, sláinte!

Up on the West Hill, at the Plough, 46 Priory Road TN34 3JJ (facebook), Fire in the Meadow will also be playing fiddle-dee-dee music from 8.30pm, many thanks Rebecca. 

And at the Tower, 251 London Road TN37 6NB (facebook), there will be music, but apparently not Irish music. However, all weekend they're selling pints of Guinness at £2.99 a pint, can't be bad.

Anyway, enjoy as you wish, sláinte!

Anna Campbell R.I.P.

 

It was 5 years ago today when Anna Campbell, from Lewes in East Sussex, died fighting in Syria against ISIS and Turkish-backed jihadists, and for equality for people regardless of gender, race or religious belief, a young woman for whom I will have enormous respect for always...

Anna Campbell R.I.P., 1991-2018 (inews) 

Hastings Lifeboat looking for Volunteers

The Hastings Lifeboat, and other nearby RNLI services, are seeking volunteers, if you are interested, go to their website, a worthwhile charity to support indeed. 👍

George Street Update

 

All the fuss (blog), and the arson attack on the building, and not to forget wasting the fire brigade's time, risking lives, and resources that are Hastings taxpayers' money, the CCTV unit is still there, but Oasis Developments Hastings Ltd has withdrawn its application to redevelop. Suspicious, or not?!? 

Pickled Quails' Eggs!

OK, the jar had already been relieved of a few eggs by the time I took this photograph, but I couldn't resist the pickled quails' eggs that were on sale yesterday from the bar of the Albion (website), and which I've written about before (eg blog), they're wee and they're very tasty! And many thanks to Claire for her generosity, cheers m'dear! 👍

It's not just a great place for ale, pies and pasties in Hastings Old Town... 

Just £5 for a tastefully packaged and well-packed jar, I'll be back!

Seafront Walk & Changing Face of Hastings

Before reaching the seafront I walked past Priory Meadow, noting that the car park is free to enter for now, although the hours of opening are now 07.00 to 19.00 (above). Presumably this is connected to the recent flood and ongoing work, still, free, eh?!?

Then, turning right onto the seafront after walking through Robertson Street and the America Ground, I wandered up to Hastings Pier, which remains closed, but the promise of its reopening very soon under new management (Sussex World). Indeed, the Pavilion to the front and west (above) is to become an Italian/Mediterranean Restaurant, and the central Deck Pavilion is to become a French Bistro and bar, with other food offerings from the huts, so, good news, and roll on!

Where the waste pipe from the drain opposite The Carlisle and Albert Road was damaged what seems like years ago, well, that appears to being worked on at last!

Hastings Jewel in the Crown, St Mary in the Castle (blog), and the restaurant, remain closed, with its own Shanty Town in front; be wary if you have small children or a dog as you go by, as detritus in the vicinity includes drug use throwaways. People either loved Jeremy Birch (R.I.P.) or didn't, but I tend to believe he would not have let this situation develop for what he called Hastings Jewel in the Crown if he had still been leader of the Council. However, there does appear to be expressions of interest being made to the Council including from a community consortium, so, fingers crossed...

Oh yes, and The Deluxe Bingo Hall closed at the weekend, although it appears that the amusement arcade is still functioning, at least the machines are still lit; I've heard their lease lasts for a while longer. And another Hastings seafront building that made an obvious cameo appearance in the film Byzantium (blog).

So, things do change, stay safe folks!

Early Jack in the Green Request.

I saw this request on the Jack in the Green facebook page, cut & pasted below:

𝗕𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀! 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱𝘀! 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀! 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀! 𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀! 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀! 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀! 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀! 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀! 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗸 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀..!

Have you been a part of Hastings Jack in Green between 1983 and 2023? We would love to hear from you.

This year is the fortieth anniversary of Hastings Jack in the Green and we are running a special one-off project to gather stories, oral histories, memories, photographs, artworks, programmes, records of costumes and artefacts from the past forty years.

These will be put together in a free exhibition, commemorative publication, digital trail and archive, plus we will run a series of special free events, 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙣𝙙.

If you would be happy to talk to us, to share your stories and memories, or if you have old photographs/ costumes languishing in the loft, do please get in touch - email: lornacrabbe@gmail.com