April Fool's Day Crime - Not a Joke.

Spot the Police Car now at the Cornwallis Street end of St Andrews Market, which was broken into at about 02.00am early today. I say April Fool as it appears to have just been wanton damage caused, perhaps because there was nothing to steal? At least 3 windows were damaged, including in the door of what used to be the hairdressers but is now empty, pointless, or a grudge with the new management?

Whatever, if you do live close by and saw anything, there was quite a bit of banging reported between 02.00 and 02.30, or if you have any information by way of an alternative source, please get in touch with the Police by calling 101 or go to the police website. Or make a visit to the Police Hub in Hastings Town Centre between 12-13.00 or 15-16.00pm, Mondays to Saturdays (blog).

Apparently senseless... 😒

Hastings Pier Reopens & COVID-19 Latest Guidance - 1st April.

According to posts on the Hastings Pier facebook page, the Pier reopens tomorrow, Friday the 1st of April, honest, not a joke. 👌 Although, on the sidebar of that page it says it is open now, as I write a day earlier, maybe that is a joke!?! Whatever, I decided to share the news about the Pier reopening and the latest guidance about COVID-19 today, just in case anyone thought I may be joking tomorrow, that being All Fools' Day, so this blog is most definitely serious, and I shan't be blogging tomorrow...

The Bier Garden will be back, food in the Pavilion will now be provided by Rockpool Bar and Grill, and much live music will return too; details can be found on facebook. Spring opening times will be 09.00-21.00 Sundays to Thursdays, and 09.00-23.00 on Fridays and Saturdays; so Hastings Pier gates should be open tomorrow at 09.00!

I share below the basics of the latest Government advice, Living with Covid (Step Whatever!), particularly that free Lateral Flow Tests are no longer available free to the general public. For much more information and advice go to the Government website.

• Free COVID-19 tests will continue to be available to help protect specific groups including eligible patients and NHS and care staff once the universal testing offer ends on 1 April and next steps for adult social care set out
• Plans in place to enable rapid testing response should a new health threat emerge, such as a new variant of concern emerge
• Vaccines and treatments mean we can transition to managing COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses, with updated guidance published on 1 April

People at risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and eligible for treatments, will continue to get free tests to use if they develop symptoms, along with NHS and adult social care staff and those in other high-risk settings, Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid announced today (Tuesday 29 March).

Free testing for the general public ends on 1 April as part of the Living with Covid plan which last month set out the government’s strategy to live with and manage the virus.

Oh yes, and definitely not funny, English NHS staff can wave goodbye to free parking from tomorrow (BMJ), whereas MPs continue to get free parking (parliament website).

Not to forget that energy prices are rising exponentially! 😒

Stay safe folks, and enjoy the Pier!

Hastings Pier - All Fools Update!

Rumour has it that Hastings Pier is to reopen on Monday, April 1st 2019, indeed, on the official facebook page they are advertising to rent out Kiosks (huts), contact info@hastingspier.com and to hire catering and retail staff, and general assistants, send cv to the same address. If you're looking for a job, be aware that the owner has a bad record paying staff and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (blog); and don't forget that the Goat Ledge cafe is recruiting too, and they've been open all winter (blog). 

There was me thinking that the Pier was closed all winter for essential repairs, not much of that been going on, has there?!? Also, do not forget that Monday is All Fools Day!

And I just checked how our MP voted yesterday, she didn't...