Hastings Fishermen's Museum Open at Weekends...

I forgot to mention in my blog for the weekend that Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road, has reopened for a few hours at weekends, ie from 2.00 to 5.00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays (website), plus it is planned that Hastings History House in Courthouse Street will be reopening on 1st August (website).

Visitors to museums in England are being encouraged to wear face coverings (website).

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, at least it should be drier tomorrow 👍

Another Weekend in Hastings

Though having calmed down a bit, there is still much to do this weekend in Hastings, eg you could visit Hastings Fishermen's Museum (website) in Rock-a-Nore Road, or Hastings History House (website) in Courthouse Street, or the Blue Reef Aquarium (website) or the Norman Hastings Castle (website), or the beautiful Alexandra Park or St Leonards Gardens, or promenade along the seafront and/or drink a beer or two in many great pubs, or extend the promenade onto the Pier... 

Oh yes! The Pavilion Restaurant & Bar on Hastings Pier is now open and "champions fresh, seasonal ingredients from local Sussex producers and an eclectic collection of homemade traditional and contemporary dishes." The restaurant  is located in the original western Pavilion building and is now operated by Hastings Pier Charity. "Local suppliers include Sussex Ice Cream, Harveys Brewery (a new beer is to be available exclusively at Hastings Pier) and Nyetimber Vineyard as well as locally-sourced seafood." To book a table call 01424 445588. 

Apart from the usual facilities on the Pier, see website for other events. Have fun!

Hastings Old Town Hall Association Meeting Agenda 27th June

Meeting Monday 27th June at 6.00 for 6.30 – History House, Courthouse Street

A G E N D A

1] Submission to Cllr Peter Chowney requesting trial rent free period to include:

a] Covering letter

b] Business Plan – as confirmed 20/6

c] Expressions of Interest

d] CVs for future directors of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation

please forward to Anne Scott ohpscontact@gmail.com

e] Outline weekly programme of potential users

Hastings Old Town Hall Association Agenda

This evenings meeting, 6.00 for 6.30 at Hastings History House, Courthouse Street.

A G E N D A

1] Quick debrief of meeting with Councillors

2] Submission to Hastings Council – what needs to be included

a] Revised Business Plan

b] List of expressions of Interest – received AND expressed

c] Personal background of key workers. For example
Name … Key Education …. Main jobs held …. Budgetary
responsibilities … Ambitions for HOTHA

Meetings today..

This evening, at 7pm, there is a meeting of the St Andrews Residents Association (STAR) in the Unitarian Meeting House, South Terrace. Find out what's new in the area, meet your councillors, and support your community, should you live in the area.

Also, for the Hastings Old Town Hall Association, at 11am, there will be a second chance to see inside the Old Town Hall. Visit, and consider how your group and/or ideas would fit into the spaces. Also, note any works needed before the lease is taken on. 

Also, the agenda for meeting 6 for 6.30pm at Hastings History House this evening.


1. Business Plan – hire fee structure – we need to reflect some more about all possibilities. { this is not easy }


2. Meeting with Cllr Peter Chowney – suggested Structure / approach.

Anne Scott – background and where we are including Business Plan; Charitable Incorporated Organisation; Coastal Communities Round 4; Foreshore Trust and other applications; Premises licence; Visitors shop + information + Language schools; Insurance cover; Building maintenance + utilities; Business rates; Festivals links;

To agree 6 short presentations

Hastings Embroidery – why we can not do it


3. Dick Edwards – what we would like HBC to do now


4. Any Other Business

Old Town Hall Meeting This Evening.

Meeting 6.00 for 6.30 Monday 23rd May – History House 

A G E N D A

1] Jobs agreed – how should we fill them ?

* Volunteers manager; Bookings /Programme manager ; Exhibition Co- ordinator; Premises manager ; Cleaners ; Fundraising team; Publicity team + Information team; Retail team ; Day to Day treasurer; Education officer; +++

2] Expressions of interest from various group / activity organisers -

* How should this be approached ?

* Do we need a notional timetable over the week / month etc.

* Booking form

* Fee structure

3] Early bird programme of activities

4] Future agenda items.

Hastings Old Town Hall -Notes from a meeting held 16th May at Hastings History House

10 people present

1 Dick reported that Cllr. Peter Chowney had said there was a commercial bid in from an Old Town business for the OTH but that he would be willing to consider a well prepared bid from the community. He had said that after an initial trial period a rent would be expected.

It was felt a meeting of the steering group with Cllr. Chowney was desirable topics to be covered:

1 Terms of Lease

2 Insurance

3 Business Plan

4 Funding

5 package of users and schedule of events

6 staff and management structure

2 Working group

Jobs to be covered

Funding team – Sue Dawson, Dick Edwards

Publicity Team

Treasurer – Dick reported Phil White [HOTRA’s Treasurer] was happy to keep accounts] leaving a role for day to day financial management/banking etc.

Retail co-ordinator – Jacky Pratt

Education Officer/team – Michelle Frankel

Once/if we have access for temporary use – Keyholder – KC at Jenny Lind + one or two more.

Locking up procedure/security – Jacky Pratt +

Information co-ordinator

Cleaning management /cleaner – though it was expected that users would clean up after themselves and take rubbish away.

Premises co-ordinator – bookings etc.

Key Priorities

Temporary Use – open by August

Public Liability Insurance needed and possibly premises?

Claire Hamill offered a fundraising gig – licensing Dick will enquire of HBC

Michelle Frankel said her group were ready to go - plays and work on ‘Women of Note in Hastings’.

Fair/Market would be comparatively easy to organise and enable us to assess the need for such space.

Storytelling –a request for a monthly venue.

Possibly library use.

3 Funding Strategy

Sue had obtained details of the Foreshore Trust grants, and 1066 fund, Brigit had found out about NISA community fund

Membership – get involved a space for you / Sponsorship

Shares, and crowd funding were thought to be right if longer lease taken on.

A Hiring fee structure was discussed and £10 an hour or £30 a session was felt to be affordable by community groups. % of take for events when tickets sold.

4 Keeping the Community involved

Many thanks to Dee Harvey for excellent poster – to be used on flyers with info on the back.

Social media – volunteers needed/Dick would send article to Hastings Independent/Observer.

5 Dates for meetings – Mondays seemed to suit most people next meeting Monday 23rd 6 for 6.30 at Hastings History House, following was Bank Holiday but it might be possible TBC. It was important to keep the momentum going if we were to succeed.

6 AOB Hastings Embroidery – Dick had circulated a link www.1066.co.nz which was the Bayeux Tapestry made of steel and was due to be displayed in St Mary-in-the-Castle this year. It was felt that the HE would be ideally shown with this.

Old Town Hall meeting tonight.

There will be another meeting about the Old Town Hall this evening, 6pm for 6.30pm start, at Hastings History House in Courthouse Street...

Agenda: 

1] Funding – Foreshore Trust closing date 9/6; ?other ideas

2] Temporary bank account

3] Retail activities – suppliers /products / educational games / payments

4] Circulating Library

5] Urbanism award

6] Press officer

7] Firming up ideas after Borough elections

8] Volunteer register

9] The Story so far – website appeal etc.

10] Next Meeting Wednesday 11th May

Save the Old Town Hall, High Street!

If you don't want to lose the Old Town Hall, built in 1823 (link to my blog about the history of the building), as a resource for Hastings, there is a group trying to adopt the building for the local community, their next meeting is at Hastings History House , Courthouse Street, on the 4th of May, and here are the minutes from the last meeting, good luck to them! 

Hastings History House

Notes from a meeting re The Old Town Hall held at Hastings History House on 25th April 2016.

16 people present – who introduced themselves, Dick welcomed two representatives from the Hasting Youth Council and said how important it was to the OTHG to have their input.
1] Urbanism Award Ceremony Brigit had been finding out more about this. She reported the award was a framed sketch and poem by the Academy of Urbanisim’s artist and poet in residence. It was possibly to be presented on 21st June date tbc. It was agreed this should happen in the heart of the Old Town at the Old Town Hall with community involvement, it would be a good day to open the building. Ian said he has escorted the judges around and was told community reps would be invited to the prize winners announcement ceremony but this hadn’t happened. Cllr Dawn Poole had emailed the following ‘I had been to visit the Academy of Urbanism about the White Rock area. As well as giving me a copy of the booklet with prize-winners (which included the poem in the latest HOTRA newsletter) the academy agreed to my request to present the award to local residents when it visits Hastings in May.’
2] Funding/grants/shares/Peppercorn rent
Dick reported that Awards for All would fund groups setting up like ours but possibly a 13 week waiting list. Other potential donors might be local trusts, organisations and individuals but there may be a gap before our organisation could register as a CIO. Sponsorship – local shops NISA might be interested, Crowd funding – seemed to be a possibility as the funds were pledged but not claimed until the project was ready to roll. £12.50 - £15 per hour seemed to be the current hire rate for meeting rooms in the Old Town. Mary reported she had look at chair and table hire and the advice was if you want for longer than 2 months it’s best to buy. 2nd hand often on ebay etc.
Staffing would have to be entirely voluntary in the first 6 months. Dick will put together a folder to include a list of groups, suggested programme and a timeline. He would continue to try and contact Treasure Tots to see if they were still interested.

3] Promotion – Dee offered to do some posters; hopefully 2 large ones could go up in the OTH, Brenda will take an A3, Nisa, Roebuck Surgery, might put one up and other local shops; KC [might also put in this magazine]. Dick would get A4 copies. Richard suggested it incorporate a QR code which would take mobile phone users to the website, this was agreed if possible. Dick had included in HOTRA newsletter and would continue to use Parish News. Brigit said taxi firm might hand out flyers. Wording ‘Save the Old Town Hall –we need your help’ or similar.
Social networking, facebook etc. Sam said the Youth Council had already discussed on their facebook page. He and Josh would look into setting up an OTH facebook page. 4] Hastings Embroidery – Cathy Walling [Hastings Museum] estimated that the cost of getting this down and putting it on display to be £5-6000. It would need to be insured. The OTHG had no funds but felt 2016 should be the year it came back to visit Hastings and be on display. The logistics of display were discussed. Given the community interest in this one might expect volunteers to offer to help or contribute to make tit happen. If any of the original embroiders were still in town a ceremony could be held. The Observer had several correspondents recorded and might be willing to publicise.

5] Stallholders –drop off pick up – how would this be managed. Jackie and Ian had experience of this and timed slots was the answer. Market Charges – if an organiser was putting on the Market they might charge entry and they in turn would be charge by the OTHG accordingly.

6] Keyholder KC was willing and Linda had said a ‘signing the key in and out book’ would be kept.

7] Ideas from the Youth Council would be welcomed – artwork and vintage arcade games were some of the ideas they had discussed on facebook. The latter would be added to our list and Sam and Josh were thanked for their contribution.

Dick thanked all for attending and contributing to a positive meeting.
Would you please let Dick know if there is an item you want on the agenda to be discussed and/or bring to the
NEXT MEETING. THIS IS ON WEDS 4TH MAY 6 for 6.30 at Hastings History House

Future of Old Town Hall Public Meeting

Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall/Museum has been closed for some time now and, despite a short usage recently by the Hastings International Piano Concerto organisers, the building still awaits a planned purpose! 

History House

Well, something could be happening soon, indeed, this evening, Monday the 14th of March, there is to be held a meeting, 6pm for 6.30, at the History House in Courthouse Street, to discuss possible alternatives for the use of this wonderful old building in the High Street; a chance to put forward your views and to hear other's ideas too. 

Another big day in Hastings!

A busy penultimate day of Hastings week today, Saturday, starting off 10am-4pm with the 2-day Hobbies & Crafts Fayre at Sacred Heart School on Old London Road, the 63rd National Town Criers Championships 11am at Priory Meadow, numerous guided walks, exhibitions and music, including "Two Battles, Hastings and Waterloo" at Hastings History House in Courthouse Street, and culminating in the annual torchlit procession, bonfire and fireworks. See Hastings Week website for more details.  

You may well have already noticed the bonfire being built on the beach for this evenings entertainment, but for further details of the Procession etc from 7.15pm, see the Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's website. 

Have fun!  

Hastings Old Town Carnival Week

Hastings Old Town Carnival Week starts today! 

OK, I haven't taken any photographs today yet, but shall for later! This is the bar at the Stade Open Space being erected yesterday... Doesn't look too impressive at this stage, but will do by the time you reach the Stade today. 

The Week opens with numerous exhibitions (eg at the History House in Courthouse Street or Fishermens' Museum at Rock-a-Nore), many guided walks, and other events, eg the Tug-O-War begins very shortly, outside the RNLI Lifeboat Station at 10.30. See website for more full details of today's events.  

The bar started taking shape! So why is there a bar this year, and why isn't the free Concert ON the Beach, but "NEARLY on the Beach Concert" at the Stade Open Space? Many have huffed and puffed about sitting on pebbles, drinking beer out of cans, and moaned that listening to the free music was fun, and it won't be the same, but the concert had to be moved because the beach area where it is usually held has been used as a functioning builders' yard whilst the Winch Road has been worked on, and it's not quite finished (and planning had to be made for the concert in the meantime). Though who knows what may happen next year, if this year's turns out to be a success? 

Anyway, it is still a free concert, and any money collected goes to local charities and the RNLI, the musicians are playing voluntarily, and free still, and it's free to get into the fenced area on the Stade! However, bringing your own drinks in isn't being encouraged as a bar is being provided, with the bar staff all working voluntarily for nothing, and all profits going to the charities associated with the event, as ever, so please do feel free to place coins and notes in collection boxes!  

Steve the Beermeister has enquired already, and found out what ales are on at the Stade, these include locally brewed FILO ales, Gold, Crofters Best Bitter, Mike's Mild, Old Town Tom and Churches Pale Ale; a new local peripatetic brewer, also from Hastings, FT's Bespoke Brewery's Jack Russell's Extra Ale; Harveys Sussex Best; Dark Star Hophead, and Longman's Copper Hop... All East Sussex brewers! 

I know what I'm about to do, have a shave, nip along and take some photographs, and have fun, please also enjoy yourselves today!