Hastings Pier To Be Sold Again?!?

It appears the fake sheik is about cash in on his bargain buy, and put up for sale Hastings Pier (BBC), a landmark close to my heart, and which I have written about many times over the years, eg in this blog. Waiting to see the outcome, fingers crossed it's better than the last one!

Hastings Pier - Oh Dear!

Can you see anyone on the Pier in the above photograph? I can't! Whatever, I've left this blog for nearly a week, mostly, because I was waiting for the Pier management to get back to my message to them on facebook, which they haven't yet...

Halfway down the Pier are these fences, either side of the Deck Building in the centre of the Pier. So, I'm a lot fed up that you cannot get onto half the Pier, that is, the half that is furthest into the sea and includes the binoculars/scopes furthest into the sea, thus giving good vision to the east and west, let alone the Channel. The half you can see below is what you cannot walk along, because of the fencing, and because it is set up for football and music concerts.

So the hard earned pennies that many local people donated to help save the Pier, plus £millions from the Heritage Fund, basically to reopen it and extend the promenade for local people and visitors to enjoy. Well we can't! The latest management obviously just want to make money, and the owner just wants to make money until he can sell the Pier, that's capitalism for you, but the Pier was saved by the Community, not Capitalism! We now have to accept that during the Summer, you can't get onto half of the Pier, the other half set up for children, during the rest of the year it is closed down completely, but what could have been (blog), and what a shame!

Hastings Pier: An Architect's Evaluation

Yesterday I spotted an article written by a senior architect, Hayley Chivers, in the Architects' Journal (website) with a pun for a title, Pier Review, which does what it says on the label. I apologise for my late sharing (this was published just before Christmas), but not being an architect, 'tis not my usual reading matter. However, it says pretty much what many of us know even though we're not architects, so I'm sharing a couple of direct quotes below, and you can go to the article for the full review, which is well worth the read and is very pertinent indeed, good review Hayley, many thanks! 👍

"Yet almost as soon as the Stirling jury had, perhaps unwisely, declared it a ‘masterpiece of regeneration’, the charity that ran the structure went into administration and the People’s Pier was put up for sale. Rejecting a £477,000 crowdfunded bid* with accompanying five-year business plan, the administrators sold off the lottery-funded asset to Eastbourne hotelier Abid Gulzar, owner of the recently burnt-out Eastbourne Pier, for the princely sum of £60,000... 

...the pier requires £70,000 every year to sustain the structural repairs alone. The current owner has reportedly spent only a fraction of that since taking it over..." 

*Friends of Hastings Pier, although there was more finance available than just the crowdfunded money (blog).

Hastings Pier Closed Again...

Yes, Hastings Pier has closed its gates again for this year and for the winter presumably, I can't imagine the owner organising anything else, and after another great summer of entertainment provided by the team at Hastings Pier Entertainments, their contract is ending and they hand the keys back on Saturday. They have sent an email to me and said the situation is uncertain, but they have submitted another proposal to the owner and hope to reopen in the Spring, good luck and fingers crossed! 👍

Could be worth keeping an eye on their page on facebook over the coming months. 

Such a shame that the alternative ownership hadn't succeeded taking over the Pier 4 years ago (blog), we'd have had a new pavilion and an extension of the central Deck building allowing for all weather events, oh well, brown envelopes and all that. 😞

dRMM Architects New Year Honour

Co-founder of dRMM, the architects who designed the Hastings Pier rebuild and provided a free design (voluntarily) for the Friends of Hastings Pier proposed second phase of rebuilding the pier (blog), Sadie Morgan, is to receive an OBE in recognition of "services to architecture" (Building Design website); congratulations to her!

And what has the owner of Hastings Pier (blog) added architecturally since he was suspiciously sold the pier for just £60,000 over 18 months ago? As the photograph I took yesterday (above) shows, a few empty sheds have recently been added, although they are larger than the already existing empty sheds. What a waste of 18 months... 

Hastings Pier, again...

I took this photograph a few hours ago, and it's a beautiful day as you can see... But Hastings Pier now has even less to do on it than when the charity was floundering, indeed, that's when it's actually been open, as we well know that the Pier hasn't been open many days, weeks, and even months in the nearly 1 year that the new owner purchased it for the knock-down price of just £60,000! 

The opportunity to join in enthusiastically with the many highly visited Hastings events has not been taken, the centre Deck building isn't being used, the owner has been squabbling with local groups rather than cooperating with some very knowledgeable and experienced local residents. Indeed, the excellent plan the Friends of Hastings Pier had produced (eg blog) looks to have been noticed with hints from the new owner, but NOTHING has happened, other than getting permission for slot machines and a shed that had sat on the Pier for ages without planning permission, and for another few sheds too, though the ones already there remain empty, sad days...

And there is nothing at the gates about opening times...

Oh yes! Incidentally, who made the decision to get rid of the cycle lane between Bottle Alley and opposite Robertson Street, I was so close to being hit by a cyclist earlier, who obviously wasn't looking ahead when I was in front of the Pier, ludicrous!

Following Hastings Parkrun, sort of!

The regular Saturday morning Hastings Parkrun has been going for nearly 4 years now (blog), starting at 09.00, and finishing whenever, at Seaside Road, in front of West Marina Gardens. Because I wasn't joining in, and because I live near the centre of town, I started at the Halfway point just east of Hastings Pier, a wee bit damp earlier.

Hastings Pier, closed

OK, I soon passed the Pier, whose owner very recently was found guilty at Hastings Magistrates Court (blog) of failing to pay 'security bonds' to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in respect of 'Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and National Insurance contributions' and, consequently, "trading illegally" at hotels in Eastbourne. He was fined on 2 counts and the 2 hotel businesses were fined, £2,000 each, thus £8,000 in total. Oh yes, of course it was closed, but you can just (faintly) see in the above image that the flags that used to be flying from the centre Deck pavilion are not there anymore...

Anyway, these were the first two runners coming towards me, before turning around at the Halfway point and returning from whence they started, the lad on the left passed me first coming back, about 10 yards in front of the other, no idea who finished first.

The Parkrun is over 5km, and not meant to be competitive, as parkruns held throughout the country were started in respect to improving individuals' health. However, it is timed, so I'd imagine individual runners become competitive with themselves, trying to improve their own times, probably. Here (above) are not so fast participants.

Goat Ledge, taken just before opening

Now, I've not reviewed Goat Ledge cafe yet, maybe I should soon, but the fact the pavilion cafe on the Pier hasn't been open for ages must be good for them, as Goat Ledge has been open over the winter from 09.00 to 16.00 every day! Oh yes, and I have noticed some excellent comments and reviews of others, and saw a photograph on social media the other day of many people sitting outside Goat Ledge cafe, notably a number of Friends of Hastings Pier supporters. The opening times change at the end of March, when Goat Ledge cafe will be open every day from 09.00 until sunset.

Coming up to the Finish of the Parkrun, (earlier the Start), and some finishers are already wandering back, but, as you can see, participants were still finishing when I took this photograph. Over 300 participants took part today, plus many volunteers to marshal and time the weekly event; if you would like to find out more details of the Hastings Parkrun, participate, or volunteer to help, go to their website. Please note, if you want to participate in other parts of the country, and there are nearly 6,000 clubs around the country, please go to the Parkrun UK website.

And I wandered back to the town centre, when I actually took this photograph (more dull at my start), and I should like to add my congratulations to all who took part in the Parkrun, runners and volunteers alike, nice one!

Hastings Pier Video

Here is a link to a film on YouTube showing how sad an empty Pier looks, indeed, the new owner still hasn't done anything with it except add a few plastic 'statues' and close it down because he can't afford to pay staff wages. Even those who moaned about the Charity have to see that this charlatan is much worse, there is NO-ONE on Hastings Pier, people cannot even promenade on the Pier! Indeed, the Friends of Hastings Pier had a serious plan to improve facilities on the Pier (one of previous blogs, for example) and a new pavilion designed by the architects who built the Eden Project in Cornwall (drMM Architects) would have already been under construction by now, sad days...

You still can have a say on Gulzar's application to get planning permission to have a further 4 sheds on Hastings Pier for 5 years, plus permission for a shed already there without planning permission/approval; go to the Hastings Borough Council website.

Hastings Pier

You'll notice these photographs were taken yesterday (blue sky), anyway, I only found out yesterday that Hastings Pier now opens at 09.00 in the morning... Most people already were aware, I'd imagine, so sorry if a bit late with the news!

Second point, and maybe they need a change of bar and/or cellar manager, but you shouldn't really be storing full kegs of beer in the open, particularly in the sun... That's 200 gallons of lager, bitter and cider warming up nicely!

I do intend to write very soon with an update about the Friends of Hastings Pier, but everyone else keeps beating me to it, though I will write again soon, promise 😉

A visit to Hastings Pier yesterday...

OK, not the most picturesque photograph (better below), but important as these are the 2 certificates that show there is an 'alcohol licence' for Hastings Pier now; something I'm not surprised about as it is pretty much a necessity if they want to make any money! But, to the right is the copy of the Certificate of Employer's Liability Insurance for the HASTINGS PIER CHARITY, not for Lions Hastings Pier Ltd, the new owner...

Now, as many of you will know, a valid Certificate of Employer's Liability Insurance has to be on display for staff to see by law, though not necessarily in view of the public like the Charity posted whilst they managed the Pier. So I ended up talking to a man who said he is the 'manager' and suggested he'd better check if they have this insurance, and that a copy of the certificate is on display for staff to see, otherwise they're breaking the law. He said they must have a copy somewhere, and he'd better take down the invalid Charity certificate, which he did. I wished him good luck!

If you didn't visit St Leonards Festival yesterday you will have missed the Friends of Hastings Pier stall in Warrior Square Gardens, and a chance to speak with people who really care about what should be a community-owned asset, and whose excellent plan for the future of the Pier had been spurned by the administrators in favour of Mr Gulzar and Lions Hastings Pier Ltd.

The principles of Friends of Hastings Pier can be read at their new Crowdfunder page, where you may also contribute to their campaign, but essentially it is about the people in a community having a say in what happens to community assets and that they should stay in community ownership. My best wishes to Friends of Hastings Pier and their campaign, which I do and will continue to support.

Hastings Weekend June/July 2018

So it's to be another busy fun-filled weekend in Hastings & St Leonards, to begin with, this Saturday (30th June, 12 noon to 10.30pm) and the St Leonards Festival provides a culturally diverse delight (website). There will be music, food and drink, a wonderful street market and street art, the carnival parade, and much more! Indeed, look out for a Friends of Hastings Pier presence too (we shouldn't forget there are many people who live and work in Hastings who still care about the Pier with a passion!). By the way, the £ Half a million they had raised through Crowdfunder has been returned to those who contributed (well mine has been returned anyway, so I'm presuming), and now they have a new Crowdfunder page so that they may continue to campaign and have a reserve fund should they get the opportunity to purchase the freehold of Hastings Pier. Good luck and my best wishes to the activists/supporters of Friends of Hastings Pier!

Talking about Hastings Pier and this weeked may well see the last Vintage & Retro Indoor Market  on there (website), open 11am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, as we still have no idea what the new owner is going to do with the Pier, he having no plan! Retrobella includes nearly 20 stallholders selling quality vintage garments, homeware, collectibles and vinyl. Good luck to this event too!

And Stade Saturdays brings us free "high energy music with African and Jazz influences," another culturally eclectic mix, when Hexagonal play on the stage at the Stade Open Space from 7.30pm (website).

So, together with all the regularly arranged gigs, and delights to visit, this weekend will again deliver fun for all, plus an excellent weather forecast (Met Office), and not to forget Hastings Fringe events; see website!

Hastings Pier is OPEN!

Well, Hastings Pier has reopened, but little change yet, other than the owner, indeed, there's even less on the Pier now! The bar wasn't open, though the restaurant part of the Pavilion was open and serving food and drink (presumably not alcohol), the Deck building wasn't open, nor the cafe above, though yoga was happening on the Upper Deck, and that is about it really! ITV were interviewing people, so expect something on television this evening, including interviews with a spokesperson of Friends of Hastings Pier and, presumably, Mr Gulzar.

The Certificate of Employers Liability Insurance in the Pavilion is still in the name of Hastings Pier Charity so I have no idea if it's insured or not; sorry about the image, I couldn't get a good angle as a bit difficult to get near.

So far no one-armed bandits or games machines, Hut 6 is, apparently, their 'office' however no-one was there, and nothing painted 'gold' yet, though there were gold balloons, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the roof of the Pavilion painted gold soon, and maybe the railings, not a lot else to paint; watch this space!

Hastings Pier update...

Well, this is from yesterday, and I have to admit they didn't say which Friday Hastings Pier would open again, but now it appears that, following the new owner not knowing he had to have 3rd Party Liability Insurance for the Pier (see previous blog), now the reopening will not be until Monday, hmmm, watch this space...

Yesterday, all our troubles seemed...

Anyway, I did a bit more research as I am a concerned person, notably, what is happening with the archives previously gathered, and what about the staff? Regarding staff, it appears that the majority have left already, but I was assured that the archives remain with friends, so are in safe hands! Oh yes, and the Heritage Lottery Fund Interactive Tables and Exhibition is going to Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, so at least some things are safe!

In addition, Friends of Hastings Pier are continuing to exist, primarily to secure a sustainable future for Hastings Pier "that serves the community's interests" and to explore ways of working with the new owner to achieve mutually beneficial objectives. If you wish to support or volunteer to work with the Friends of Hastings Pier and aren't already on their mailing list, email FriendsofHastingsPier@gmail.com 

Oh yes, and I have written to some major players, I shall share answers with you, though I doubt I'll get much different to what others are receiving...

Hastings Pier Sold & Closed!?! And Online Petition...

Hastings Pier this Lunchtime, CLOSED!

I've been away over the weekend, and guess what happened, indeed, Hastings Pier was sold to the owner of Eastbourne Pier, Mr Gulzar, a businessman who doesn't appear to be too successful when taking note of comments about the other Pier miles over from our west side! Even more worrying is that he doesn't appear to have any plans about what to do with it, he got it for less money than Friends of Hastings Pier were prepared to pay, reported to be a mere £50,000, for a pier that has had £14 million or so from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and, again it is reported, that he can sell it after 2 years... it doesn't look too promising does it, but it does look suspicious!?!

I've regularly reported about Friends of Hastings Pier, who actually do have a plan, and today I read Jess Steele's excellent explanation of funding 'How the Money Works' (link), which is well worth the read, please don't have an opinion until you do read it, else you'll not really have an informed opinion! I'm guessing there will be some sort of demonstration tomorrow, because the Pier is reported to be reopening tomorrow (Tuesday 19th June), presumably with labour coming in from Eastbourne? 

In the meantime, there is an online petition 'Why have the Heritage Lottery Fund sold Hastings Pier?' (link) to sign, if you, like me, believe what has happened to be very suspicious, consequently it really does need to be investigated by someone in authority, surely?!? Whatever, watch this space, there's something fishy going on...

And I've not even mentioned shareholders being ignored and getting no recompense, supporters buying planks and making donations, etc etc...

Here is the Heritage Lottery Fund Statement.

Hastings Pier Sell Out?!?

This was what the Pier looked like after 'private enterprise' last had possession... It was resurrected because of the efforts of local people, but now it appears the promise of good times ahead, with the project envisaged by the Friends of Hastings Pier that the Pier be retained in the ownership of the local community, is likely to be be kicked into touch by the administrators, backhanders?

A friend of mine, a shareholder, has been told nothing about this other than the odd email telling him what is going on, not asking his opinions, as no doubt similar has happened to many other shareholders, though it also looks like some have never been contacted at all by the administrators! Will shareholders get any money back from the buyer, and who will profit from ownership being exchanged?

Something smells very fishy!

Another Month in which to save Hastings Pier!

OK, an extension to the 30th of June 2018 has been given so that the Friends of Hastings Pier may put into reality their plans to keep Hastings Pier in community ownership, thus preventing another private owner from having another go at failing! Originally, the Administrators had allowed the fundraising of the Friends to continue until the end of May, and they are already less than £90,000 short of the £500,000 they were trying to raise through Crowdfunding, nice one!

For further details see my many blogs, for example this blog, or go to Crowdfunding and please join us in making donations, many thanks!



Less than a week to save Hastings Pier!

So, less than a week in which to support Friends of Hastings Pier, save Hastings Pier, yet again, incidentally, they helped save the Pier in the first place, but had no part in the running of the Pier for the last 2 years. They have come up with a Stage 2 Plan to ensure Hastings Pier remains in the ownership of the local community, but they still appear short of the necessary funds to get the Administrators to pass on ownership of the Pier, indeed, have recently tried to get the Foreshore Trust on board (see previous blog). Here is the Crowdfunding Link, if you would like to support their bid.

Indeed, with just 10 days to go, time is getting short, so, if you know someone who lives quite locally with plenty of money to share, Paul McCartney maybe, or a philanthropic businessman like Bill Gates, or even the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, or anyone who would like to support Hastings Pier being kept in community ownership, after all, private enterprise tried to have it burnt down, yet it was the community who resurrected the Pier, then please encourage them to come and support the Pier, maybe have a new pavilion named after them! Please get them to, or go yourself to Crowdfunding and make a pledge, all pledges would be very gratefully received, many thanks!



Fishing from Hastings Pier Update.

My apologies for being a few months late sharing this (though not since this photograph was taken, and many thanks again to Sandra Bryant for sharing this image), but I only realised how big the changes to rules for fishing from the Pier have been since the Administrators took over running Hastings Pier (see below) after speaking to Paul (facebook)... Essentially, on the days when people are more likely to have time off, and children can participate, they are the days fishing has been banned from the Pier, ie at weekends, public holidays, and school holidays! What kind of administrator/manager would create such rules?!?

Helps emphasise just how important it is to ensure Hastings Pier remains in the ownership of the local community, as I've said numerous times, and we've less than 9 days now to help raise necessary funds (see blog), although the Friends of Hastings Pier are trying to raise alternative funds too, not least by inviting the Foreshore Trust to seek ownership of the Pier. If you haven't already, or know someone who is willing to pledge funds towards this project, please go to Crowdfunding, many thanks!

10 Days in which to save Hastings Pier... AGAIN!

I have written quite a few times now about Friends of Hastings Pier, who helped save the Pier in the first place, but had no part in the running of the Pier for the last 2 years, have now come up with a Stage 2 Plan to ensure Hastings Pier remains in the ownership of the local community, but they still appear short of the necessary funds to get the Administrators to ensure that happens (see previous blog, and blog, for example). Well, this is the Crowdfunding link, if you would like to support their bid.

Indeed, with just 10 days to go, time is getting short, so, if you know someone who lives quite locally with plenty of money to share, Paul McCartney maybe, or a philanthropic businessman like Bill Gates, or even the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, or anyone who would like to support Hastings Pier being kept in community ownership, after all, private enterprise tried to have it burnt down, it was the community who resurrected the Pier, then please encourage them to come and support the Pier, maybe have a new pavilion named after them! Please get them to, or go yourself, to Crowdfunding and make a pledge, all pledges would be very gratefully received, many thanks!

Saturday in Hastings, Photographs & A Bit More!

Good morning! I'm actually starting off yesterday's images at where I last took a photograph, just before I entered the Cinque Ports Arms in All Saints Street, where Harveys Sussex Best Bitter and Fullers ESB were both enjoyed, cheers!

The Crown, All Saints Street

Earlier, in the town centre with the Isle of Man TT simulator situated just in front of Debenhams, see the Bike1066 website.

Then I wandered along the seafront to Hastings Pier, for which, as you will have seen in recent blogs (for example), there is a Friends of Hastings Pier campaign to raise money to keep the Pier in community ownership, I've pledged a contribution towards the Community Ownership Bid at Crowdfunding, if you have any money to pledge too, please do, the people of Hastings and visitors who love the Pier will be extremely grateful, many thanks!

Still on the Pier, which sees Hastings Pier hosting aPIERtite (website) over the 3 day holiday weekend, much too much going on to mention all of it here, but there's free admission, street food from all over the world on offer, an eclectic range of music (here the stage is being set up and decorated with greenery), and other entertainment, not to mention promenading on the award winning People's Pier! 

Pavilion Restaurant with Greenery

I then wandered eastwards and took this early doors photograph of the Bike1066 Breakout Zone (website) at the Stade Open Space.

The Wall of Death!

Oh yes, still too early to visit the pub, but plenty of interesting motorcycles turning up to whet your appetite for tomorrow (Monday) and the 40th Hastings May Day Run!