Hastings Old Town Carnival Monday 1st August!

Well, according to the Met Office the weather for this first week in August will continue to be pretty much fine, so there shouldn't be any problems with the rest of the Hastings Old Town Carnival Week 2022 events, fingers crossed; I've lived in this country for too long to feel secure about weather predictions! 😉 Anyway, the events on Monday include the Seaboot Race (above), where competitors have to run the length of Courthouse Street wearing a top hat and seaboots, round a lobster pot, and back again, great fun! The race starts at 6.00pm and is held in memory of an Old Towner who died 20 years ago, Peter Tricket, and the winner is presented with Peter's walking stick as the trophy, to keep until next year; but all entrants receive 'Timed Certificates.'

In addition the ongoing events continue, and other events on Monday include Ancient Streets of Hastings Old Town, Lost Pubs and Breweries and Stade guided walks; Old Town Treasure Trail (register by 6.30pm at Winkle Island); Open Garden, Owlers Cottage; Coffee Morning with Tombola in the crypt of St Mary Star of the Sea Church and an Organ Concert at All Saints Church at 7.30pm.

Oh yes, and at St Clements Church, until Saturday 6th (although I can't see that it's on for Friday 5th, so maybe give that day a miss) there is the St Clements Rossettis in Love Exhibition. Regular readers will be aware that I have a big interest in the Pre-Raphaelites, indeed, I wrote a blog about the Pre-Raphaelites in 19th Century Hastings some years ago now. Included in that blog are details regarding Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Elizabeth Siddal getting married in St Clements Church in 1860, with some more details of their relationship with each other, and their relationship with Hastings, not to mention further details of other Pre-Raphaelites in relation to Hastings. What a great venue in which to hold this exhibition, I'll be there! 👍

For further details of all events on Monday go to the website and enjoy!

A weekend wander East and West...

I ensured I got out early, before it became too warm, but we do have a few steep hills in Hastings, notably these 2, and it wasn't chilly at all! As I live in the centre of town I began by walking up the West Hill, first of all to take this photograph from outside Hastings Castle (images within are included in my older blog).

Taken of the 'old town' looking down from the West Hill, most will already be well aware that the 'old town' is actually the Norman New Hastings. This became the new centre following the great storms of the 13th century, which altered the local coastline, depositing a vast bank of shingle which helped to create the America Ground at the west of the new town centre, and filled in the old harbour over which the castle stood, got that? Maybe it's better explained in an older blog about the America Ground.

I then headed down to the 'old town' and passed one of our two Norman churches on the corner of the High Street and opposite Swan Terrace, St Clement Church (blog).

I then crossed The Bourne, now a road, but once a river running through the centre of the old town, and part of local drains I do believe. I walked up to and along Tackleway to above All Saints Church, the other Norman church, where I took this photograph (more about this church, and photographs inside and out, on this older blog).

I then walked up the East Hill, from where I took this photograph looking down into the 'old town' and across to the West Hill. Oh yes, by the way, there are iron age forts at the top of both hills too!

Before I had an early drink at the Dolphin Inn, and then visited the Sussex Street Food Festival on the Stade Open Space (blog), and then had a drink at the Jolly Fisherman (I was thirsty!), I wandered down the steps that start by the top of the East Hill Lift, and down to Tackleway, and then turned left down to Rock-a-Nore Road.

What to see in Hastings?

Recently, I've been asked to suggest what to see in Hastings "apart from the obvious tourist attractions" - hmmm... the only way I think I can answer this, is to list a number of things/places that are mostly free, and if anyone else wants to add anything else in the comments below, please feel free to add, cheers! The comment was added to my blog about Hastings Castle, so I thought I'd say, to start with, the views from the West Hill (above, where the Castle is situated) and the East Hill  are gorgeous! Can be a wee bit tiring walking up to the top of both, but they do both have lifts (not free), from George Street and Rock-a-Nore Road appropriately.

I'm, sort of, starting from east to west, but will go off at a tangent every now and then, eg here, when considering the 2 Hastings parks that recently won national awards (blog), ie Hastings Country Park Local Nature Reserve (above) and Alexandra Park. Hastings Country Park is accessed from the East Hill, running eastwards and along the top of the cliffs, though a deviation is sign-posted thanks to a landslip (I won't go into the politics of that here!), and great views and interesting wildlife! Alexandra Park, meanwhile, is situated further west just above Hastings town centre (blog). 

Rock-a-Nore Road

Coming down from the East Hill (seen in the background in the photograph above the buildings to the left), you get to Rock-a-Nore Road, from here all the way down to the end of Rock-a-Nore, there is plenty to see and do! This is the heart of the local fishing industry, with the fish market a third of the way down to the right, the fishermen's huts to the right, and the Stade, the shingle beach from which the fishing boats are launched (Visit1066 website), and landed; if you turn up at the right time, depending on tides and weather, you could well see a boat coming in to land! As you'd expect, plenty of fish is available to buy, either from the shops to the left, and in front of the market to the right, or direct from the fishermen in huts in-between the road and the beach on the right.

The Stade

If you go down Rock-a-Nore Road, past the market, there is the Blue Reef Aquarium (website), which costs to visit, but well worth the visit! Opposite the Aquarium is the Shipwreck Museum (website), both on the right-hand side as you go down the road, and which is free to enter. And just before that is Hastings Fishermen's Museum (blog), which has great exhibits, and a wealth of knowledge about the local fishing industry and its history, this is also free to enter, and its outside exhibits start well before you reach the museum itself, with RX134 The Stacey Marie (I have to mention this and the blog again!) and a rather large anchor, right opposite the Dolphin Inn, which is below the cliffs in Rock-a-Nore Road.

If you go up the first turning to the left in Rock-a-Nore Road, ie All Saints Street, you will find a wonderful road with many medieval, and newer, delightful buildings. This leads up to one of Hastings two remaining Norman churches, All Saints Church (blog), not often open, but it could be worth checking when it is, as it is a delight inside.

Down in front of the church is the Cyril and Lilian Bishop (blog), the Hastings lifeboat at the time of World War II, and which went to help the evacuation of troops at Dunkirk, and is a great memorial. This is on the corner with Old London Road, and if you walk a little further up Old London Road, on the right, is another retired lifeboat (worked from Eastbourne, I believe), the Priscilla MacBean (blog). In addition, down by The Stade and beach you can visit the RNLI Hastings Lifeboat Station (website).

If you cross the road, The Bourne (roughly above what was the old river Bourne), come back downhill and on the right is High Street (nearly opposite the Cyril and Lilian Bishop), another road full of wonderful buildings, though not as old as in All Saints Street, but most of the way down, just up a road to your right, Swan Terrace, is the other remaining Norman church of Hastings, St Clements (blog). Also, in this road, and in George Street, a little further down towards the seafront and on the right as you walk down the hill, there are a whole stack of shops full of interesting things to peruse!

But, if you want to explore above High Street and up to the West Hill, or back in All Saints Street and up to the East Hill, there are a maze of old lanes and alleys, which in Hastings are called twittens, another free delight, with a few dead ends here and there!

Coming back down to the front, obviously there are a couple of miles of promenade to enjoy, and below the castle up on West Hill there is St Mary in the Castle and Pelham Crescent, built nearly 200 years ago (blog). The restaurant below has access to the crypt (the toilets are there), now and then an exhibition is on in the crypt, and if you can get to visit the old church itself (eg if a concert is being played in there), it's well worth the visit, gorgeous building! Carry on westwards and you reach Hastings Pier, where you may promenade, or investigate, or have a drink or meal.

But before you walk too far, have a walk up Cambridge/Bohemia Road and you will reach Hastings Museum and Art Gallery (blog), well worth the visit!

Marine Court

Indeed, there are some amazing buildings along the front, not to mention in-between the Pier and Warrior Square Gardens (worth looking at) on the Lower promenade there is Bottle Alley (blog), quite a thrill to walk through there after dark with it's lighting display, which seems to begin as soon as dusk arrives! You are now at St Leonards (still Hastings Borough), and you reach the wonderful art deco/modernist Marine Court (website), built copying the design of the Queen Mary ship, this was the tallest apartment block in the country when it was built in the 1930s!

Carry on past Marine Court and you soon reach the Royal Victoria Hotel, turn right just after and walk up past the Freemasons Hall, and you reach St Leonards Gardens (blog), another beautifully designed oasis of peace to walk around!

Of course, in addition to all this and the shops, there are numerous restaurants, bars and pubs to enjoy, not to mention a fish & chip shop or twenty, and much more...

I trust this helps someone to enjoy the wonderful town that is Hastings!

Christmas Remembrance Procession

The Hastings Winkle Club Christmas Remembrance Procession 2017 will be meeting up this evening (Saturday, 16th December) at 6.30pm at the Cyril & Lilian Bishop Lifeboat, in front of All Saints Church at the top of All Saints Street, then leaving for Winkle Island at 7pm. In addition to the Act of Remembrance there will be hot soup and carols sung; see the Hastings Winkle Club facebook page.

Hastings Norman Churches Part II - All Saints Church

It's a while since I wrote about St Clements Church (blog), one of the two remaining Norman churches in Hastings, so here is my rather delayed blog about the Grade II listed All Saints Church at the top of All Saints Street and below the East Hill.

An All Saints Church appears to have existed in Hastings from as far back as the 13th century, and maybe even earlier, but that church was damaged in the French raids of 1339 and 1377 and had to be rebuilt. All Saints may have been rebuilt on the same site, or close by, either would seem likely, but I cannot find any provenance giving evidence of exactly where the older church was situated.

All Saints was rebuilt of stone and flint between 1417 and 1430, in the Perpendicular Gothic style with chequered stone parapets and tiled roofs, and the exterior is mostly early 15th century in appearance. The tower is substantial with three stages and an embattled parapet in chequerboard flintwork. A large graveyard surrounds the church.

Although restored by Butterfield in 1870, the interior architecture is also mostly genuine 15th century, that is the nave, chancel, north and south aisles, and above the chancel arch is a 15th century 'doom' painting of the Last Judgement with Christ painted seated on rainbows. From the 19th century are a timber and stone pulpit, large reredos extending up either side of the East window, windows, and choir stalls with open arcaded fronts, foliage carving and kneeling angels on the arms. For more details, see the British Listed Buildings website, where there is plenty more information!

An interesting event of the English Civil War is celebrated by a plaque at the bottom of the stairs up to the church, when Parliamentary forces on 9th July 1643, under the leadership of Colonel Herbert Morley of Glynde (then MP for Lewes, later MP for Sussex, and for Rye) and meeting no resistance, took Hastings from Royalist control and captured all weaponry. The rector of All Saints ran away, but was caught and thrown into jail, and that night some Parliamentary troops were billeted in the church.

More recently, in June this year, the Cyril and Lilian Bishop was pulled up All Saints Street to its resting birth below the church (see blog), you can't miss either, though this photograph was from before she arrived! More photographs elsewhere, eg this blog.

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop docked.

A couple of images of the Cyril and Lilian Bishop taken yesterday (Sunday) without a herd of people surrounding her! If you haven't already read anything about her history read this earlier blog, though if you're a regular reader of my blogs you probably have!

So, congratulations to Tush and Dee-Day, and their wives and everyone else involved with this great project, and, if you want to get a closer look at this past Hastings' lifeboat, walk up The Bourne or All Saints Street, and she is now moored below All Saints Church. 

Nice one!

Moving the 'Ghost of Dunkirk'

Jonathan Mendenhall sharing the history of the Cyril and Lilian Bishop, the 'Ghost of Dunkirk', with us before her final journey...

Judy Rogers, Mayor of Hastings, gives her account...

Michael Foster, ex-Member of Parliament and Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex, and Hastings' resident all his life ("I've never stayed away from Hastings for more than 2 weeks, all my life", though he did attend the University of Leicester, so I'm guessing he included that as living in Hastings...), joins in!

I was surprised that All Saints Street was actually empty of parked vehicles by 10.00, well done folks!

The stewards do a typical steward thing and push people out of the way as if we are children, give someone a high viz jacket and the think they're God!

Despite listing to starboard for a short while, there was little problem with hauling her up through the narrow early part of All Saints Street.

Then, she sat outside the Crown for 20 minutes whilst the bar was overwhelmed!

Coming up to the Cinque Ports Arms

 Sitting outside the Stag Inn

More singing - She's arrived! 

Well done Hastingers, the Cyril and Lilian Bishop docked below All Saints Church.

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop being towed onto the beach this morning; I've written about this lifeboat, the "Ghost of Dunkirk" a few times now, for more information about her and her history, go to one of my previous blogs, for example here...

Tush and Dee-Day supervising her movements, thanks to the help of volunteers...

Now sited on the Stade Open Space, just below All Saints Street, and from where the annual Blessing of the Sea will be made this evening, just after 6pm.

The Cyril and Lilian Bishop will remain on the Stade until she is towed up All Saints Street on Saturday at 11.00 am to her final dry dock below All Saints Church. Tomorrow evening will see some musical events held on her, and on Friday evening there will be an auction from her deck of numerous donations, where the proceeds will go to her upkeep. 

Another important piece of Hastings history being preserved, nice one!

Cyril & Lilian Bishop update.

Early this month, and the site for where the Cyril & Lilian Bishop will be docked, in front of All Saints Church and opposite the Stables Theatre, on The Bourne. I have written a few times about this retired lifeboat, one of the "Little Ships" that evacuated troops from Dunkirk during WW2, indeed, the only Hastings boat that brought troops off the beach then (though many others helped with other duties during the evacuation process), eg see this blog, which provides a potted history of the boat and the actions of local characters who have brought her 'home' and been restoring her since.

Work on the site started soon after the first photograph was taken, if you would like to know a bit more about the Cyril & Lilian Bishop, here is a little factsheet.

The site is getting nearer to being finished now, I took these last 2 photographs yesterday, and am now waiting eagerly for the boat to be hauled up All Saints Street on the 17th of June 2017, to her final dry dock. By the way, the boat also has a facebook page.