Some Still Closed BUT Some Opening...

Good to see the Bottle of Hastings premises has been taken over (and the same website address!) by another Wine Bar (and coffee) Shop, Hastings Wine & Coffee, 91-92 Queens Road TN34 1RL (website). I shall write more after a visit, plus about buying wine in Hastings, including Penbuckles, which shall also be coming into another blog soon!

Interesting that apparently unsellable building's frontages are being decorated, for example Debenhams (above) and the St Mary in the Castle Restaurant. I recently mentioned that Peacocks closed down 5 years ago (blog), but all that's happened since was immediate redecoration, some other work was done (?), and the doorway was boarded up when a couple of tents set up residence there; I do understand why it was boarded up, and it has happened elsewhere, but is this really the way to sort out housing problems, just push them away?

Observer Building Returning to Action and Open Days.

I first mentioned this redevelopment in a blog a couple of years ago, but now it is coming to fruition. Indeed, the first of 2 open days at the Observer Building, 53 Cambridge Road TN34 1DT, is being held tomorrow (Saturday the 21st of May) from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm, and a second will be held on Wednesday the 25th May between 4.30 and 7.30 pm. The reopening of the building is planned for August, further information about their wide ranging plans, including homes, shops, workshops, and offices, is at their website, and, should you be interested in visiting on one of the open days, please register on their EventBrite page, which contains further information too.

With congratulations and best wishes to the regeneration team!

The Observer Building was designed by the prolific local architect Henry Ward in the early 1920s, who also designed the Queens Road Town Hall (blog) and Debenhams (blog), as well as being involved in many other local landmarks. 

Henry Ward (1854-1927) was buried at Hastings Cemetery in September 1927.

Pop-Up Covid Vaccination Clinic in Hastings Town Centre Today

Just spotted this in the town centre outside 'Debenhams' (Hastings Borough Council website for more information). The 'pop-up clinic' will be there until 4pm this afternoon and is for people who are aged 18 years or older, for First dose, Second (if over 8 weeks since First) and Booster (if at least 3 months since Second).

Also, as said recently (blog), from today face coverings are not required in law in indoors public spaces and on public transport, but be sensible and stay safe folks!

Covid Pop-Up Vaccine Clinic in Hastings Town Centre Today

From 10.00am until 4.00pm, First, Second (8 weeks after First) and Booster (3 months since Second) vaccinations are available to anyone aged 18 years or older, as appropriate, in the Town Centre outside the old Debenhams building. Details of this and other vaccination centres/sites can be seen at the HBC website.

Continuing Covid-19 Vaccine Walk-in Clinics in Hastings

Walk-in/Pop-up Covid-19 Vaccine Clinics remain in Hastings, including outside the old Debenhams building in the town centre this week, Monday to Friday, 11.30-6.30, which I wrote about in a blog last week; also at Broomgrove Community Centre today and outside Tesco at Hollington tomorrow. I have missed a couple too, so please do keep your eye out for information, notably from Hastings Online Times (website), and many thanks to them for further information! Stay safe folks!

 

Don't forget Pfizer Vaccine is available at a Pop-Up Clinic today!

Yesterday

Don't forget, as I said in my blog yesterday, the Pfizer vaccine is available TODAY (16th July) in front of the ex-Debenhams in the town centre (blog) between 11.30am and 6.00pm. No appointment is required, adults of all ages are welcome, but please take with you a form of identification and your NHS number, if you know it; if you have already had your first dose, please leave 8 weeks before your second dose.

For further details of vaccinations and tests locally see Hastings Online Times.

Stay safe folks, it ain't over yet!

More Pop-Up Covid-19 Vaccinations!

 

Because of the rise in Covid-19 cases locally, as I explained in my last blog, and due to the uptake in Hastings of vaccinations being below the national average, local authorities are, justifiably, panicking a wee bit, so more pop-up/emergency places are available to get vaccinations from today (thank you to Hastings Online Times).

This includes Pfizer vaccines being available TODAY and TOMORROW (15th and 16th July) in front of the ex-Debenhams in the town centre (blog) between 11.30am and 6.00pm. No appointment is required, adults of all ages are welcome, but please take with you a form of identification and your NHS number, if you know it; if you have already had your first dose, please leave 8 weeks before your second dose.

For further details of vaccinations and tests please see Hastings Online Times.

Be safe folks!

A Sad Goodbye to Debenhams

Well, the final closures of Debenhams stores countrywide happened yesterday (BBC), but did you know that the Hastings branch at 3 Robertson Street was originally a drapers store run by William Plummer? He opened his store in 1871, before merging with his neighbour from 1-2 Robertson Street, George Roddis, (and another chap, Reginald Tyrrell of Bournemouth, who later left their arrangement), to become Plummer Roddis until bought out by Debenhams in the early 1970s.

The building had been rebuilt in 1927, to a fine design by the local architect Henry Ward, in the last year of his life, and who designed many other local buildings, including the town hall in Queens Road (blog). 

Sad to see Debenhams go...

Debenhams, Business Rates and an Election?

I'm a wee bit concerned that, following the announcement that Debenhams has lost almost half a £billion for the year to September, they are now planning to close down up to 50 of their stores over the next 3-5 years (Financial Times)! This is a bit worrying for Hastings Town Centre, what would happen to this large building if it closed down, and add another reason for people not to shop in Hastings, indeed, Debenhams is the only department store we have...

Though help may just be at hand, excuse the pun, following the Prime Minister's recent announcement at the Conservative Party Conference (Independent) that everything is great now, thanks to the British people coping with austerity, austerity measures are nearly over, "when we've secured a good Brexit deal for Britain..."

So, noises are being made that more money is to be made available to fix roads (already reported early this year in this blog), and local councils will receive more money from central government, for example, to help lower business rates to help town and city centres. OK, if you believe this will happen and, frankly, we've just wasted more than 8 years with austerity measures rather than investing in the economy, then you may also recognize that this sounds like a build up to another early general election, particularly noting that our MP keeps turning up around Hastings...

So, Hastings Borough Council, now has to be the time to negotiate with Debenhams, and others, regarding reducing business rates, or Hastings will just fill up with even more cafes, estate agents and charity shops!

The Jungle Moved to Hastings Beach?!?

If you wondered where all the tents from the Calais Jungle moved to! Yes, we appear to have our own 'jungle' on the beach in front of Debenhams... 😕

A new Groyne...

...opposite Debenhams, planning permission requested! 

Hastings 'Gothic' Town Hall

The 'new' town hall was opened in Queens Road by the mayor, Mr William F Revill, on 7th September 1881, replacing the smaller town hall in the High Street (built in 1823), which is now the Old Town Hall Museum; itself under threat of closure because of recent spending reductions dictated to Hastings Borough Council by central Government. 

Hastings 'new' Town Hall

The architect was Henry Ward (1854-1927), who briefly worked under the guidance of local architect Walter Liberty Vernon when he first moved to Hastings, soon succeeding Vernon, and working for 50 years in Hastings, becoming a prolific architect, based in his practice at 8 Bank Buildings, Hastings. 

As a young architect Ward entered the winning design in the competition for the new Hastings Municipal Buildings. The site of the building was an awkward shape to deal with, and the winning design was a clever piece of ingenuity. It brought Ward recognition that ensured his election as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects, an honour conferred only following significant professional success. 

Council Chamber

Consequently, one of his first designs was the Grade II listed 'Gothic Revival' Hastings Town Hall, which originally included the local Police Court and cells at the end of the ground floor corridor. The bench was at the east end of the room, with the dock in front, and the west end given over to a public gallery. Next to the court room was the police station, which took up the central part of the Station Road frontage. 

External walls were built using local blue stone, having Bath stone dressings, and the roofing was green slates. Inside, the staircase included scagliola marble columns and stained glass windows. The southern chimney place is made of Bath stone, having a carved statue of St Michael (the 'patron saint' of Hastings) and large painted tiles of Kings William and Harold. 

No more clocks -

Early sign of austerity measures?

Having recently visited the 'Council Chamber' I can confirm it is a reminder of Victorian municipal splendour, the Victorians certainly didn't hide their lights under bushels! Sadly, it is now showing slight signs of neglect, needing a fresh lick of paint at least, presumably another result of austerity measures. Indeed, the clocks outside the town hall disappeared ages ago, due to the expense of fixing them apparently. 

The opening ceremony for the town hall was followed by a luncheon in a large marquee in the adjoining cricket ground, with over a hundred guests enjoying fine food and the entertainment of a local band. Indeed, the first council meeting at the new town hall received a petition protesting about the cost to ratepayers of such an expensive event. The council refused to discuss the petition... 

Ward's Grave

Henry Ward died at the age of 73, at home in 22 Magdalen Terrace, Bohemia Road, having designed numerous other local buildings in his career, including many churches, the Observer Building, Bexhill Town Hall, and a few days after his death the Plummer Roddis department store (now Debenhams) was opened. 

A man of substance, locally a significant architect, he was buried in September 1927 at Hastings cemetery.