Covid-19 & Face Covering Update

From today, Saturday the 8th of August 2020, more indoor public spaces where face coverings must be worn in law have been added to those I mentioned in a blog I posted in July. The new places include museums, galleries, aquariums, cinemas, funeral homes and places of worship (BBC).

Failure to comply with the law could see culprits fined up to £100, and the Prime Minister has promised more police officers "out and about... more active in their role enforcing these Covid-19 rules." - You have been warned by Johnson!

Weekend Out & New Covid-19 Guidelines for Face Covering

Some things are getting back to normal, and the new stewardship of Hastings Pier appear to be using their grey matter, at last! Anyway, they have a large seating area, with a capacity of 600, on the far side of the Deck building in the middle of the pier and calling it a bier garden, thus for eating and drinking at. On Fridays there will be free live music on the pier with Live & Unlocked from 4-11.45pm (facebook). Also, on Saturdays they will be providing free live music at this outdoors venue, tomorrow (25th July) Funk Jam will mean live music from 2pm to midnight! (facebook). Last week saw the 'inaugural' pier gig with local act Sam Calver playing, and you can see many photographs at flickr showing just how many people were enjoying the day!

It does look a bit damp tomorrow, so be dressed appropriately (Met Office).

And the pubs and restaurants keep reopening, for example, yesterday saw the reopening of The Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street (corner with Crown Lane) TN34 3BN (website). They are open 10am-10pm, with food served 12-5pm and 6-9pm. There is table service, like for most places now, and on the website they state there will be a limit to numbers and recommend to book tables required from noon, which can be booked online. You do not need to wear a face covering at any of Hastings pubs, bars or restaurants, but from today there are new Government guidelines for elsewhere...

As I write we are a little over 7 hours into the new guidelines about wearing face coverings in public in England, following the already well publicized guidelines that we must wear face coverings on public transport. This now includes, with some exceptions for health conditions and age, we must wear face coverings when travelling on public transport, and in shops, supermarkets, shopping centres, banks, building societies, post offices, and transport hubs (indoor train stations and terminals, airports, maritime ports, and indoor bus and coach stations or terminals).

We must also wear face coverings when visiting takeaway food businesses, unless we are going to sit down to eat on the premises, in which case we are allowed to take off our face coverings once we are sitting down, but we must put a face covering back on once we leave the seating area. I trust that is clear... 

For more details go to the Government website.

Whatever, do please be careful folks, and enjoy your weekend!

Hastings Library Reopening Monday 13th July

Hastings Library, Claremont, is reopening this Monday with new opening times (see below) to allow for other changes brought about because of the Coronavirus Crisis, Hygiene/Cleaning, Social Distancing etc. There are also other changes, including restricting the number of visitors allowed into the building at any one time (website).

There will be fewer books on the shelves so less browsing, no DVDs, newspapers or periodicals, fewer computers and less time allowed on computers (45 minute sessions, and staff will clean each computer in-between users); you are advised to book computers in advance (eg online), although a member of staff will be available at the entrance to book a computer for you if you don't have internet access elsewhere.

Because of the fewer books available in the library, a Select + Collect system has been set up to enable you to take out up to 20 books at a time, usually available within 5 days, but you will be contacted when they are available. These can be ordered either from the online catalogue or by telephoning the enquiries number 0345 6080196. Books can be returned at the bookdrop outside the library.

Further details an be found by reading the Libraries Reopening Plan (website).

Hastings Library Opening Times: 

Monday/Tuesday 10.00am to 4.00pm;

Wednesday 10.00am to 12.30pm; 

Thursday 10.00am to 5.00pm;

Friday/Saturday 10.00am to 4.00pm;

Sundays CLOSED.

Pirate Day Weekend, Covid-19 Update and More!

OK, Hastings Pirate Day 2020 has been called off (facebook), and Hastings Pirate Day 2021 is now planned for 18th of July 2021. However, it appears that hasn't put off some folk wandering round in pirate gear today, mee 'arties!! And Coronavirus/Covid-19 guidance has changed a wee bit from yesterday, and changing more from tomorrow, I'd suggest looking at the Government's FAQs for details (website).

Hastings, collectively, is now welcoming people back, please bring lots of money and spend it in local businesses, many thanks, including the newly opened...

Courthouse Cooperative

Courthouse Cooperative (facebook page), situated in Courthouse Street, in-between the High Street and The Bourne in Hastings Old Town., a group of people selling "preloved mid-high end clothing, antique toys and dolls, furniture, jewellery, art and other design classics." I was going to suggest you could pop into the Jenny Lind at the end of the road in the High Street before or after visiting, but its reopening has been slightly delayed, but you could go round the corner to the Standard if you like Shepherd Neame beers, or into Rock-a-Nore Road and visit the Dolphin.

Talking about pubs and bars, The Cutter (above), opposite 'Swan Lake' looks rather spiffing after its impressive redecoration during the Lockdown, nice one! And, most establishments have been doing their best to ensure Government guidelines are being adhered to, if not, the Police and Licensing Authorities have been going round town inspecting premises, indeed closed down a couple of bars recently due to overcrowding, thus not maintaining social distancing inside and outside... So, publicans beware, DO ensure the guidelines are met as you are under threat of closure, and no doubt you may well have problems with future license applications too.

Good to see the West Hill Lift is back up and running, excellent! And you may have heard a whisper of an incident at the East Hill Lift early yesterday morning, or have witnessed the large Coastguard, Ambulance, Police, Fire & Rescue and Helicopter presence, apparently a young lad fell whilst climbing onto one of the cars, a local resident tells me only minor cuts and bruises were suffered, thankfully...

RX134, and you can see East Hill Lift top!

And finally, for now, The Stacey Marie in Hastings - RX134 has advised me that she has nothing to do with any political propaganda being distributed through letterboxes, and hasn't given her permission to be used in support of any political parties (this is the second time a political party has used her image, that I know of). RX134 (facebook page) is a non-political retired fishing boat, and an outdoor exhibit for Hastings Fishermen's Museum, and not a political football, thank you very much!

Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers

So, here I am at Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers, Birds Part III, you will have noticed that I haven't tried for a catchy title like my previous Bird Blog (I'm not naturally a comedian, though some people who know me may disagree), but I took a serious thought about what to call this one. I was worried that it may come up on search engines used by porn seekers and young boys (I was a young boy once, honest, and, like most, giggled very easily at certain words), but it is the title of the chapter, it's nonsense for me to worry, and should it happen to even one person, then maybe they'll see something they should have a healthy interest in. So welcome if you are such a reader, many thanks for clicking on this blog. And many thanks to the rest of you for bearing with me and my waffle, enjoy the blog!

Primarily, this was going to be about the Tit Family as these were the only birds from this chapter of the book* that I have noticed during my daily exercise from east to west, and back again, across Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve. These birds are historically woodland birds, however, now many are seen regularly in urban gardens too, they are very adaptable. They are also very gregarious. Although being territorial during the breeding season, they can often be seen to come together in mixed flocks at other times of the year, particularly the winter, indeed Nuthatches and Treecreepers may also join in these mixed flocks!

As the image from The Complete Birdwatcher's Guide is of 2 Nuthatches, I shall start with that bird, as, although I hadn't noticed any in the last few months, one may well have been in my eyesight, honestly, how many times do birds flit across in front of you and you have no idea what it was? Many times, really, and this is true of the last 4 months for me. But the Nuthatch, this colourful little (about the size of a Great Tit), woodpecker-like bird, is an interesting bird to observe, I have never noticed one 'in the wild' but I have seen them in the days I had a garden, climbing upside down on a tree searching for insects, or breaking seeds and nuts.

I include this photograph of a Blue Tit because it is probably one of the birds that most people can recognize, and is a frequent garden visitor, and I have seen many over the months, including 'juveniles' more recently, with their pale greener plumage and crown. They are exotic, colourful, and very interesting to watch. Indeed, the only time in my life I have had a nesting box, Blue Tits nested there, I observed the pair choosing their nest site and flying to and fro whilst feeding their young ones. I also had the great honour of spotting the last half a dozen young leaving the nest; they typically have 8-12 chicks, sometimes as many as 20! You could see the nesting box from our kitchen window, and I was washing up the breakfast dishes at the time, not that I ever needed to find an excuse to watch the box, but I was fortunate that morning.

The other tits I have seen include the largest, the Great Tit, more frequently at the beginning of the lockdown period, but am still seeing them now and then. Similar the Coal Tit, which I have not seen for at least 2 months now. All the tits are omnivores, eating insects and seeds, and anyone with a Nut Feeder will have seen them tucking in there too, though mostly going for the kernel of the nut, with bits and pieces of nuts flying off for ground feeding birds to take advantage of! I have also seen Marsh Tits, maybe Willow Tits as well, difficult to tell the difference, although their song is different (YouTube), hence why I know I have seen Marsh Tits, but... Oh yes, and the video shows other tits and birds at garden feeders and tables too, so well worth the watch.

It has been a pleasure to observe these gregarious birds, but onwards I go, and the next chapter of the book* is called Warblers and Flycatchers, consequently, so will the Birds Part III blog, please watch out for it.

Sorry, as far as I'm aware, I haven't seen a Treecreeper ever, let alone recently...

* John Gooders The Complete Birdwatcher's Guide.

Photograph of the Nuthatch with many thanks to Derek Middleton, and of the Blue Tit to Bob Eade, and to the Sussex Wildlife Trust for both.

A pint in a pub and Covid-19

By Steve the Beermeister:

As we said recently (blog), it is the personal choice of every one of us, from the 4th of July 2020, whether we go to a pub, restaurant or bar, providing we take into account Government Guidance (website). Our opinion, expressed in that blog, is that, shamefully, the Government is passing the buck, indeed, passing on as much responsibility as they can, and Government Policy and Guidance is a Pig's Ear!

Whatever! I drank a wonderful pint from Kent Brewery (website) on Monday, their gorgeous 4.8% version of an American Pale Ale, Prohibition, a finalist in the 2019 CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain contest, and up there with the best. I have drunk it since lockdown and the Coronavirus Crisis began, recently thanks to the life preserving delivery service of The Jolly Fisherman (website) a couple of weeks ago, but that first pint, fresh from the cask, was wonderful. Prohibition is a very pale golden bitter, straw coloured even, with a big citrus/tropical fruit aroma and taste, particularly grapefruit flavour. A good strength and body ensures you know you have had a drink, and it finishes with what I always rave about, a dry bitter aftertaste, gorgeous!

And, knowing I can't travel far these days because of travelling restrictions brought in by the Government thanks to the Coronavirus Crisis, my drinking has to be in Hastings, or within walking distance of Hastings. So where did I have my first post-lockdown ale in a pub? The Dolphin Inn (website) at 11-12 Rock a Nore Road TN34 3DW, reopened on Monday (I stayed in at the weekend), and it was great to meet up with people I'd not seen for a while, appropriate social distancing of course, and table service! As you can see from the interior photograph above, they have redecorated and re-planned the inside to a warm hospitable environment, not that it hasn't always been so.

Everything has been reorganized so that only one person can use each toilet at a time, during busy periods there will be someone on the door to ensure the numbers of customers in the pub are restricted at any one time, and service is to the tables inside, although customers sitting outside have to go inside to a set point for their drinks, and there is off sales provision too. 

In the short-term there will be just the 4 ales on at any one time, including their 3 regulars still, Dark Star Hophead, Young's Special and Harvey's Sussex Best. This week the guest ales at the 4th pump will be from Kent Brewery (website), and as I said, they started off with Prohibition, of which they had 2 firkins, hurry if you want to drink Prohibition, as it is going quickly, but if you do miss it, it will be replaced by another excellent ale from that brewery, so no real concern. Oh yes, and they have a new chef, Tim, who many of us know from elsewhere, dishing up some very interesting looking food (website), specials on the menus are to be introduced as reopening lengthens, and a Japanese Evening is planned to be held soon.

(Ed) Not all licensed premises in Hastings are open yet, but a few reopened on Monday in addition to the Dolphin, and some will be open again very soon, but during my early morning walks (I have continued this institution!) I noticed that The Retreat Bar up at Shear Barn in Barley Lane, has reopened, although not at the hour I pass. 😉 Indeed, I noted their opening times for now as 4pm to 7pm Mon/Tuesday; closed Wednesdays; 4pm to 7pm Thursday; 5pm to 9pm Fri/Saturdays; 2pm to 6pm Sunday. Their restaurant is closed until further notice.

Whatever, wherever, remember to be careful folks!

Government Covid-19 Guidance, July 4th Weekend and Pubs etc

It seems like we get daily new 'guidance' (law, basically!) regarding Covid-19 and the Coronavirus Crisis from Her Majesty's Government, well, I'm sure you must be aware that newer guidance will be in force from the 4th of July, but hardly 'independence day' (website). So what major changes will there be from tomorrow? 

Your household will now be able to meet up with one other household, indoors or outdoors, however, you need to continue with social distancing from people not in your household or bubble (a group larger than 30 can be broken up by the Police!), and it continues that you may meet up outdoors as long as you maintain social distancing in a group of 6 maximum, from up to 6 different households.

Social Distancing will remain at TWO METRES or ONE METRE PLUS (website), that is "plus mitigations" which will depend on the setting. "For example, on public transport, people must wear a face covering... In other spaces mitigations could include installing screens, making sure people face away from each other, putting up handwashing facilities, minimising the amount of time you spend with people outside your household or bubble, and being outdoors."

All this is pretty much passing responsibility on to others, quite frankly, because, as we all know, the economic cost of the Coronavirus Crisis has been quite high to the Government, and they appear to want to get out of paying to support businesses, particularly in the Hospitality Sector, as early as possible, but not necessarily at the most sensible speed health-wise. So, guidance has been written up for Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services (website) to 'support' pubs, restaurants and bars to reopen, and visiting such places ain't gonna be what we're used to!

I am not going to say 'yay' or 'nay' to whether people should visit pubs, bars and restaurants, that is our personal choice, bearing in mind the restrictions within the guidance offered by Government, how this is interpreted by local authorities and the Police and Courts, and not to forget, how the publicans, restaurateurs and managers interpret and implement guidance. It's a pig's ear frankly!

I have been asking around, and it looks like less than 50% of establishments in Hastings & St Leonards will reopen on the 4th, with many planning to open on Monday the 6th, quite a few later bearing in mind work being carried out in the meantime, some much later. I have added a photograph (above) of The Tower pub in London Road, which will be reopening tomorrow morning (it has been making off-sales during lockdown - blog) with details of changes to how it will appear, should you visit the pub.

The landlady has advised me that they are continuing today with the off-sales, as per my earlier blog, and will be open at their usual hours from the 4th of July, 11.00 am to 11.00 pm I believe. There will be table service only, no standing at the bar, so all customers will be seated, and no reservations in advance. I think this is pretty much the way it will be everywhere, except those with outside gardens/patios may have a few differences. Hygiene will be maximized and hand washing facilities and the use of sanitizing gel will no doubt be increased everywhere. Best wishes to Louisa and others! 

I can't provide details of who is opening, or when, throughout Hastings, but feel free to add proper details in the comments section, cheers! Certainly in the 'old town' it appears that more pubs and bars will be closed than those open over this weekend. 

Enjoy your weekend, whatever you do, but do be careful folks!

Sheer Barn, Carpentry, Decking AND Priory Meadow Car Park

In a recent blog I mentioned that Shear Barn (website) was reopening soon with a clear 3 phase plan for 2020, and, on that day, there were 2 large new toilet block units arriving (since arrived blog), well, they're not where I last photographed them (above), in the past 2 days they have been moved to a more permanent location in the touring field, and two units are uniting and becoming one toilet block!

Here's a toilet block prepared from last year, with decking around, looking good (above). I had an idea I know who carried out this work, checked since, and I am correct. It is Lee of L S Carpentry, who previously voluntarily helped us out using his considerable carpentry skills, unpaid, thus helping Hastings Fishermen's Museum too, when we carried out refurbishment of the Museum's outdoor exhibit RX134 Stacey Marie (facebook page). I've referred to him before, because one good turn deserves another, and it isn't just that one time he has helped us out with her, but on many occasions. Therefore, and this is unsolicited, again, if you want a good local carpenter, Lee fits the description, and can be contacted at stockleylee@hotmail.com 👍 

And the 2 new toilet block units? Well, as you can see from the photograph above, they are becoming one, which I hadn't figured out until I received some advice from Yvonne on twitter, many thanks. They are now waiting to have their union completed, electricity and water supplies connected and Lee's decking to be added, presumably. I returned this morning (Sunday 28th) to take this photograph and, have edited this blog to include the new information and to be more accurate; I own up to never having walked through these fields before, mainly because they've had people camping in them, therefore I always use Barley Lane, anyway, thanks again to Yvonne!

And Priory Meadow Car Park? I mentioned in a blog way back in early April that the car park was free, well, as I was walking back home from my daily early morning walk, I noticed they are charging again now, a sign of the town centre getting back to normal... Indeed, not now left to just the 4-10 'social drinkers' that loiter, and generally appear to have a good time, near the bus stop by Jempson's, the public is returning!

Be careful out there folks, Covid-19 is still about!

Battening Down the Hatches this Weekend!

This was the Pelham car park earlier this week, and evidence in the background the RNLI Lifeguards are back, if only at this one place on Hastings beach, plus evidence it wasn't too busy in Hastings... Well this photograph was taken not long after 9 am, and already people were turning up in their cars, so ignore that last comment! Personally, I tend to avoid beaches at the best of times when the sun worshippers are around/in the summer, and it's not just on the beach it's busy, on my way walking back from the blood donor session up on The Ridge (blog), Monday afternoon, I came back down through Alexandra Park, and it was packed, it was like the summer holidays it was so full, and this was only on Monday, the temperature to carry on increasing until yesterday!

And this was the scene at Bournemouth yesterday, where they had to declare a major incident because of the overcrowding, and we are well aware of the problems there has been recently, including yesterday, in nearby Camber Sands (Kent Live News)! Again, because I'm not a beach lover, consequently, I have avoided the seafront like the plague after 10 am, but please feel free to add a comment and tell me what it was like in Hastings. Whatever, it will only get worse this weekend... 

and I dread what it will be like Saturday week, the 4th of July, with pubs reopening, and social distancing being reduced to one metre plus!

So I shall be battening down the hatches over the next few weekends, as soon as I get indoors following lovely peaceful early morning walks, fingers crossed. 😾

Another Weekend - What is Normality?!?

Another weekend is upon us, the FOURTEENTH without pubs being open, and we are hoping to return to 'normality' some time soon? Holiday parks are soon to reopen, but with limitations, public toilets have reopened with limited hours, shops have reopened, well some of them, but with limitations, takeaway food and even drinks have got going again, but with limitations, from this weekend there will be a RNLI Lifeguard on Pelham Beach, so you are limited to swimming in that 'safe' spot... You can meet up with up to 5 people from other households, in an open space, and providing you all stay at least 2 metres apart, indeed, you can go into a partnership with anyone and make your own 'support bubble' and behave as if you live in the same household as that partner. In England you can drive to anywhere you like, in England, but you cannot travel on public transport to anywhere you want unless you have a reason agreed to by the Government, or whatever officialdom interprets as an acceptable reason... 

In fact, you are actively discouraged from travelling by public transport, which creates a divide regarding civil liberties, people with cars are allowed to travel to wherever they want, in England, but if you do not have a car or motorbike you are stuck within walking distance so you have not got true freedom of movement. Also, after years of trying to convince people that for health reasons, and environmental reasons, they should use public transport and get out of the car and walk, we are now being told to jump in a car and drive to anywhere we want, which is okay if you have a car, but what a contradiction! I can go into a 'support bubble' with anyone I want to, providing they want to too, indeed can hug that person if we both agree to, but I cannot visit my next of kin and hug family members. This is NOT normal... 

Trying to get frustration off my chest, thank you 😥

Have a good weekend and stay safe...

Barley Lane Today and Shear Barn Reopening Soon...

Friday 19th June 2020: So, apart from Shear Barn being in Barley Lane, what's the connection, and specifically for today? Well, the management of Shear Barn have put out notices (under windscreen wipers and tied to posts, see below) which suggests there could be traffic problems during the middle of today, please be warned. The notice asks that local people please not be parked between 10am and 2pm as a "toilet block is being delivered" to the holiday park, presumably it is going to be a wide load...

Which itself suggests that Shear Barn will be reopening soon, and you would not be wrong for presuming that too, though not opening for all types of visitors this summer. From Friday the 3rd of July 2020 they will be reopening for 'Lodge Holidays' and owners of Lodges will be welcomed back, and from Friday the 10th of July they will be reopening their touring field, but only for "self-contained motorhomes, campervans, caravans" and only those with their own washing and toilet facilities (website).

Great to see local businesses coming out of the Coronavirus lockdown at last, and I wish Shear Barn and their customers/clients well, but please remember to stay safe!

Respect each other and please respect social distancing and hygiene advice.

Public Toilets Reopen in Hastings!

Never thought that would be a headline! Yes, not just 'non-essential' shops reopening today, but public toilets have reopened too, from 09.00 to 18.00 daily, I'm informed.

Ignore the sign, about to be removed just after I took the photograph.

And after all my musing too, amused me as well 😄

Now relax 😉 

Public Toilets Musing...

I got my inspiration for the public toilets part of my blog yesterday from this wee (excuse the pun, but it is intentional, though I do use the word 'wee' a lot 😉) piece I wrote as a facebook post, cut & pasted below, slightly different emphasis than the blog:

"Apparently, the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government have “published guidance to help them (Councils) ensure facilities are safe where they are open including increasing cleaning of touch points.” Try and find that guidance! I've been reading through pages and pages of the stuff with no luck, except them saying people should be discouraged from using public toilets, if they do they should wash their hands as per guidance, and toilets and surfaces need cleaning after every use, basically referring to every other guidance. In fact, they're leaving it up to Councils to shoulder responsibility and the cost, and all that cleaning will be costly! Loo management to keep down numbers inside public toilets, loo cleaners, cleaning equipment, bleach or whatever, hand sanitizer etc etc...

Local Council Tax payers to foot the cost, of course, as if Council Tax isn't already high in Hastings and, since the year before last we haven't had any Central Government funding, same as about 50% of councils now."

I hope that clarifies where I was coming from on this subject?

Another Weekend...

Having just returned from the Tower pub with a few pints of ale, working out at just £2.20 a pint now (also see previous blog), so I thought I'd sit down with a pint and write this... Indeed, another weekend arrives, and it's been 12 weeks since pubs were closed from that Friday evening, and the full lockdown arrived on Monday 11 weeks and 4 days ago. Hastings has since been besieged by visitors at weekends, hopefully PLEASE not ruining our place as having the lowest Covid-19 infection rate in the country (blog).

Having tried all types of tactics to discourage visitors, and making note of the beaches being left with rubbish galore, and visitors urinating and defecating in public places because the toilets are closed, the top image appears the latest poster around, plus the 2 immediately above. I've seen all sorts of arguments for and against opening the public toilets and, on reading through numerous Government advice pages on the internet, I feel it's all pretty difficult to enable opening public loos (also see this interesting Guardian article). The Government advice is ambiguous of course, basically, please don't travel anywhere that is too far to without using the loo, but you can travel as far as you like within England, to Councils, do open public toilets, but you have to ensure 2 metre distancing and that the toilets are cleaned after every time it's used!

A knife in the back for councils, making them shoulder responsibility without giving any extra resources, meaning it's us good old Hastings Council Tax payers who have to foot the bill! Some councils around the country have opened some toilets, but not all, or for limited periods, others remain closed, as in Hastings. The organisation of this would be very difficult, and we've already seen, and have known for a long time, that left to their own devices, some of the public are, frankly, dirty buggers! So, attendants would have to make sure people going into toilets didn't go in when a maximum number were already in, imagine the comments they would receive from people crossing their legs because they're keen to empty their bowels and/or bladders! Then the attendant would have to keep going in to ensure cleanliness, not nice to imagine, nor easy...

And I love this idea for seating in Priory Meadow (above), I bet that works! 😉

Anyway, have a good weekend, and be careful. I shall be battening down the hatches after my early morning walk, with a few pints and DVDs, enjoy!

I have since added another blog that clarifies (I hope) where I was coming from concerning the closure of public toilets etc...

Hastings Pier 2 Years On...

OK, I took this photograph yesterday, hence not as sunny as the weather is right now, but with the Coronavirus Crisis and all that's been going on, I hadn't walked by the Pier for a while... Of course, it hasn't been open, even just to let people have socially distanced promenades along it, not that visitors to Hastings seem to give a toss about social distancing, let alone Hastings. Anyway, nothing has happened, although I read on one of the facebook pages that a health & safety assessment was being made recently, also a hint that something interesting may be about to happen...

This blog from 2 years ago suggests that it may have been bought to sell on, and I've made many remarks about how fishy the whole business has been, also suggesting 'stuffed' brown envelopes may have been involved. Well, the 2 years have nearly passed, and I believe Hastings Pier can be sold on soon, not holding my breath...

Please Don't Use Hastings As A Toilet... AGAIN!

Most visitors over the past few weekends no doubt have been as responsible as they could be, but you now know the public toilets in Hastings are CLOSED, as are pubs! Which means it is IRRESPONSIBLE to visit again, unless you can keep it in, which is very unlikely if you come down from London, say... 

So, please be respectful and stay away if you can't hold it in, many thanks.

Be careful folks, WE are all in this together!

Friday: Early Morning Walk

I haven't written for a few days mostly because these days nothing much changes from day to day, I still go for an early morning walk as my daily exercise, and just because I can go out more times a day if I so wish (latest Government guidleines), I still keep up my new 'institutional' daily walk (usually about 8 miles) anyway to ensure I don't put on weight, and I have lost a few pounds... 😇

Indeed, this morning I saw a pair of exotically coloured goldfinches up in Barley Lane; this isn't my photograph (above), but has been copied from the Sussex Wildlife Trust website, many thanks to them! I nearly managed my own photograph as one sat tantalizingly close to me at the end of a bough, pretty much in the pose of the image above, except s/he was looking straight at me... then, just as I'd pulled my mobile phone out to photograph him/her... it flew off, cheers for that! 😉

Anyway, let's keep Hastings safe, and be careful folks...

And I'm thinking of gradually blogging about the variety of birds I have seen in the last few months, mainly thanks to the 'lockdown' - not all bad! 👍

Filsham Reedbed Fire: People Need to be Vigilant!

There was a fire at Filsham Reedbed yesterday evening, which was attended by East Sussex Fire & Rescue, extinguished, and classed as "accidental" (Sussex Wildlife Trust website, from which the above image is copied too, many thanks). Sadly, 10,000 square metres of open reedbed was burnt to the ground. 

Regular readers will know my fondness of this wonderful Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve, which I last visited towards the beginning of the Coronavirus Crisis lockdown (blog), when I, as ever, took delight in the beauty, peace and tranquility...

But there was no "peace and tranquility" yesterday evening when, not only was significant damage caused to the reedbed, undoubtedly much wildlife, birds and animals, would have suffered and died in the fire too... caused by perhaps what may seem as insignificant an incident as someone throwing away a cigarette. This is a reminder, just a small thoughtless act may cause death and destruction after the long dry period we have experienced.

As Sussex Wildlife Trust add "Vegetation everywhere is tinder dry, so it is vital that people visiting nature reserves and the wider countryside do not have barbecues, drop cigarette butts or leave any litter behind, as glass bottles and other reflective material can easily start a fire. Please be vigilant and if you see an unattended fire, phone 999 to report it immediately" (website).

Please please be careful, and vigilant, people, we don't want to hear of anymore incidents where suffering, death and destruction has been caused by thoughtless acts. Because of the pandemic, and the dry weather over the last couple of months, we need to be extra careful, let's look after each other and nature, many thanks...

Goat Ledge Cafe Reopens for Takeaway...

Update: I noticed on 19th that the cafe is opening until 19.00 now!

About 08.00 I saw activity at the Goat Ledge Cafe, so I made enquiries and they have reopened this morning for takeaways, from 09.00 to 17.00. At my time of writing they have not updated their website yet, which states they are closed until further notice, but their facebook page is up to date, and includes a photograph from half n hour ago, nice one, best wishes to the business!

Remember folk, look after yourselves and be careful out there!

What can I do now then? Latest Guidance...

From today, the only real changes in England to Social Distancing and Lockdown rules appear to be that up to 6 people from different households may meet up, including children, in an outside area and remaining 2 metres apart from each other. People previously isolating as they had been deemed clinically vulnerable are allowed out now, however, they are still advised to stay at home as much as possible and, when out, to avoid contact with people from other households as much as possible. People deemed clinically extremely vulnerable should remain 'shielded' (more at BBC).

Please be careful still folk, and stay well.