Hastings Bonfire Day/Night 2024 This Weekend!

Hastings Week 2024 commences tomorrow (Saturday 12th September - website) and, of course, tomorrow also coincides with Hastings Bonfire celebrations (website). The bonfire is already being set up, indeed, saw people working on it yesterday, and leads up to Hastings Day on Monday 14th September, the 958th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings (Britannica).

The procession congregates from 6.30 pm by the White Rock Hotel and, meanwhile, the beacon is lit up on the East Hill at 7 pm, then Hastings Runners will bring lit torches down to Robertson Street. The procession starts from the western end of Robertson Street at about 7.15 pm, heads along Robertson Street and the America Ground, where torches are lit, then turns right into Harold Place before turning left and heading eastwards along the seafront to Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town, then turns left and goes up All Saints Street, where, at the top, it will cross The Bourne to the High Street, then back down to the seafront and along westwards to the Pelham Beach car park for the bonfire and fireworks at 9 pm, see the map above. Enjoy!

Hastings Day and Bonfire and Fireworks too!

Happy Hastings Day! 😕Coincidentally, this year, the Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's torchlit procession is on the same day, and their bonfire will be on Pelham Beach as usual, and yes, roads will be closed to traffic near the seafront from 6 pm to 11 pm this evening. Indeed, the Hastings Bonfire 2023 celebration (website) is the culmination of Hastings Week celebrations, as usual (website). 

A Past Procession

The procession congregates from 6.30 pm by the White Rock Hotel and, meanwhile, the beacon is lit up on the East Hill at 7 pm, then Hastings Runners will bring lit torches down to Robertson Street. The procession starts from the western end of Robertson Street at about 7.15 pm, heads along Robertson Street and the America Ground, where torches are lit, then turns right into Harold Place before turning left and heading eastwards along the seafront to Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town, then turns left and goes up All Saints Street, where, at the top, it will cross The Bourne to the High Street, then back down to the seafront and along westwards to the Pelham Beach car park for the bonfire and fireworks at 9 pm, see the map above.

There are a few other Hastings Week events being held today, of course (website), including the sixth Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Show at The Stade Open Space from 10.00 am to 2.30 pm.

Enjoy the day, stay safe, and please be careful for your pets when the procession gets going and, notably, when the fireworks begin 🎆 and look after each other!

Hastings Day is the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, 14th October 1066 (blog).

Hastings Day, Week and Beer!

Hastings Week begins today and, as ever, is based around the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings on the 14th of October 1066, beginning with the opening ceremony at 10.30 today (Saturday 7th) on Winkle Island, Rock a Nore Road, and culminating with Hastings Day itself, and the torchlit procession from the America Ground along the seafront and around the Old Town, and back to Pelham Beach for the bonfire and fireworks; all weather permitting! For more details of these and other events for the next week plus, go to the website.

And beer? Well. this weekend sees a beer festival across 16 venues from the Marina Fountain, West St Leonards, to the Crown in the Old Town, that is, Hastings Tap Takeover 2023 (website). Each of the venues has its beer taps taken over by beers from different independent breweries from around the country, for example, I've already enjoyed drinking Scottish brewery Newbarns' beers at the Prince Albert, Cornwallis Street, in the town centre, and more of that soon... 

Enjoy the weekend, indeed, enjoy the week!

Hastings Bonfire, Pier, RNLI Stall & O.W.E.N.S

Apologies for the language, but this was the effigy destroyed yesterday evening, self-explanatory, and cheers to Rod for sending this photo to me - credit for this photo goes to @allybobble from twitter - many thanks to you, nice one! But no fireworks last night sadly, as the wind was too strong to enable their safe display, still, looking on the bright side, plenty of fireworks available for next year!

I had chatted to a few of HBBS members clearing up before wandering to the west and passing the very empty Hastings Pier, apparently not to open up for Christmas, sadly.

A wander through Bottle Alley to just below Warrior Square Gardens and on the lower promenade was, and is still I presume, a RNLI Lifeboat Stall. Had a good chat with the 2 volunteers, good luck to their endeavour!

Oh yes, and carrying on home, walking into Robertson Street, and O.W.E.N.S appears to be open, sort of, they're not great with the online explanations (website), but the notice (above) is in the window of what was Debenhams, and presumably shows the opening times until they open 'officially' on the 11th of November... Not sure if it meant yesterday or next Saturday, but be watchful in the town centre. Anyway, the website gives alternative opening times to the 12.00 noon opening times in the notice.

I have spoken to friends who have visited O.W.E.N.S, so go for it people!

Hastings Old Town Carnival Thursday 4th August.

Carnival Week continues today as well, as my blog described yesterday, but tomorrow:

How many doughnuts can you eat in a minute?!? Well, on Thursday you have the chance to enter the Donut Eating Competition (website), from 5.30 to 6.30pm at Butlers Gap in George Street. If you can refrain from being ill, there are also the ongoing events, plus Ancient Streets of Hastings Old Town, Twitten and Cat Creeps and the Original Old Town walks; the Grand Auction at Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association 7.00 to 9.00pm in aid of Hastings Borough Bonfire Society; and at Hastings Adventure Golf from 6.00 to 8.00pm Winkle Club Crazy Golf.

For more details of the events on Thursday see the website, enjoy! 👌

Procession and Bonfire this evening... means closed seafront roads

The bonfire set up on Pelham Beach earlier today (above), and yes, for obvious safety reasons, roads will be closed to traffic near the seafront from 6pm to 11pm this evening, for the return of Hastings Bonfire celebration (website), part of the Hastings Week celebrations, following the cancellation last year due to the COVID-19 Crisis. 

A Past Procession

The procession congregates at White Rock and starts from that end of Robertson Street at 7.15pm, along Robertson Street and across the America Ground, turning right into Harold Place before turning left and heading eastwards along the seafront to High Street in the old town. Up to the top and across The Bourne to All Saints Street, back down to Rock-a-Nore Road/the seafront and back to the west to the Pelham Beach car park for the bonfire and fireworks at 9pm, see the map above.

Oh yes, and I just spotted that there is a Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Show today, being set up at The Stade Open Space; I was told it closes by 3pm.

Enjoy, stay safe, be careful for your pets and look after each other!

Cannon and Bonfire...

 The Bonfire pile is growing...

And the event is kicked off with 4 cannon firing 25 times from the harbour arm at 15.00, after all, it is the 25th bonfire event since it was restored 24 years ago...

BONFIRE 2019!

Setting up for this years Bonfire on Pelham Beach (Saturday 19th October website) this morning, the culmination of Hastings Week (blog), and I'm still guessing who will be on the bonfire, but I'm going for Donald Trump 😉

Past Procession

The torchlight procession starts tomorrow building up outside the White Rock Hotel but actually begins at the bottom of Robertson Street on the America Ground at 19.15 (website), with the bonfire and fireworks on Pelham Beach at 21.00, and the forecast doesn't look too bad... Have fun, it should be good!

Hastings Week 2019

Hastings Week, which always envelopes the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings on the 14th Ocober, kicks off this weekend with the Hastings Tap Takeover at 12 local venues, as previously described in a Steve the Beermeister blog, from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th October. For details of other events, with the week culminating with Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's torch-lit procession, fireworks and bonfire on Saturday 19th October, go to the website. Enjoy!

Today, mostly lifeboat images...

OK, we know the main feature now, but what effigy/effigies will be on the bonfire?

Yes, we see a few motorbikes in Hastings, indeed not that rare, but for Stade Saturdays today, the last of the year I believe, there was the Classic Motorbike Show, and Bonfire stuff this evening of course (website)!

Lifeboats arriving, including Hastings new Shannon Class, the current incumbent, which should be going out to calls for about another month whilst crew train on the newbie, the enormous Eastbourne lifeboat, and 2 inshore boats.

The Shannon Class shows off, shooting away at great speed!

Eastbourne Boat 

Hastings 3 lifeboats, for now

The Eastbourne boat doesn't want to be left out!

The Shannon Class RNLI 13-28, the Richard & Caroline Colton, lands!

Coming Home

And I have many more images to post with thanks to our roving photographer Marcus, and his photographs are much better quality than mine here, coming very soon!

Hastings Day Weekend!

As you can see above, the bonfire was already being prepared on Pelham Beach this morning for tomorrow's HBBS procession, dressing up, flaming torches, drums, fireworks and, of course, this year's bonfire and effigies (website). The procession starts at White Rock at 7.15pm tomorrow evening (13th October) and the fireworks are due to be ignited from 9.30pm (map on website).

Earlier in the day, Hastings new Shannon Class lifeboat will be arriving, escorted by both current Hastings lifeboats, and the lifeboats from Rye and Eastbourne (allowing for emergencies). I shall be there and so will many others to welcome her, the Richard & Caroline Colton, about 12 noon (Hastings RNLI facebook page).

Also, Saturday and Sunday, there are many other planned activities (website), for example on both days there are OHPS organised Stade Walks, meeting up outside Hastings Fishermen's Museum at 11am, and on Sunday (Hastings Day, ie the 952nd anniversary of the Battle of Hastings), will be the last OHPS Old Town Guided Walk of the year, meeting up by the top of the West Hill Lift at 2.30pm (website).

Much for everyone in the family to enjoy this weekend!

Bonfires and Fireworks this Weekend...

I'd imagine the vast majority of HBBS members will be in Lewes this evening, if not all, where one of the most famous and spectacular Sussex 'bonfire celebrations' takes place (website), but if you want to start earlier, closer to home, the Battel Bonfire Boyes are Battle equivalent is today too (website), with daylight events from 10am. 

Tomorrow, on the 5th of November, other large events close to Hastings include the Bexhill Bonfire Guys celebrations at Galley Hill from 4-7pm (facebook page), and the annual Robin Hood Bonfire Society in Icklesham (facebook page), where the gates at the pub open at 5pm, whilst the procession starts at 5.40pm by the Village Hall; the bonfire is lit at 6.20pm and fireworks should begin about 20 minutes later.

Whatever you do, be careful, and especially be safe if you're lighting your own bonfire and/or firing off your own fireworks. Also, remember to check under your bonfire for small resting animals, particularly hedgehogs who love to curl up in small protected spaces... and then you may enjoy yourselves!

More crackin' images from last Saturday...

Not quite as exciting this weekend, though still plenty to do if you can dodge the wind and rain, though it's strangely quiet, bright and peaceful at the moment! Anyway, here are a few more images from last Saturday which I have borrowed from the Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's facebook page, many thanks to them and Mark Duncan!

If you are not already aware of HBBS, please have a look at their website, indeed, it may be worth a look at the website anyway, and again, many thanks to them for sharing these images. Have a nice day! 👌 

Hastings Week... end!

Hastings Week nears its climax tomorrow, when the Bonfire on Pelham Beach will be lit, and whatever the burnt offering (?My guess = Trump?) will be, well, burnt... plus fireworks galore, obviously. See above image of when the building of the bonfire commenced this morning, however, SO MUCH MORE! Today until Sunday, there are guided walks, lectures, music galore in addition to the usual venues, a town criers competition, vintage vehicles run and show, and more; see website for more details.

Of course, the culmination on Hastings Day tomorrow (14th October), organised by the Hastings Borough Bonfire Society (HBBS), is the annual torchlight procession and fireworks, and burning of the effigy (I did get it correct last year, though it was pretty obvious what it would be, last year being the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings!). The procession begins at White Rock near the Pier; full details and safety advice can be seen at the HBBS website.

In addition, to all the merriment in Hastings, not so far away in Bexhill, at the (RAFA) Albatross Club, is a beer festival, from today until Sunday; see facebook page.

Enjoy the weekend!

Armed Forces Day & A Kraken Hunt!

Today Armed Forces Day is being celebrated from 10.30am to 4.30pm in Hastings (though it was yesterday); see website. Also, starting a wee bit later, from noon until 4pm will be The Wonders of the Deep Kraken Hunt – "A treasure hunt with a difference!" This is a Hastings Borough Bonfire Society celebration of the 100th year sine the birth of 'Oxo', Leslie Ernest Richardson (born on the 15th November 1917). 

Today, the Bonfire Society will be taking to the streets and pubs of the old town in search of 'wonders of the deep' cards, leading to the discovery of the Kraken, "the greatest sea monster of all." All competitors will be given a list of clues to the pubs, all with names connected to the sea. Once pubs have been tracked down, answering a question correctly earns points towards a chance to win The Great Kraken Hunt.

The Hastings Borough Bonfire Society invites people to go along and join in, or to just "watch the fun." Starting out from the Cinque Ports Arms, All Saints Street, 12.00-12.30pm; entry costs £5, and dress is expected to be nautical or steampunk.

Enjoy the day!