Hastings Bonfire, Procession & Fireworks and more!

The bonfire set up on Pelham Beach earlier today (above). Roads will be closed to traffic near the seafront and in the old town between 6.00 and 11.00pm this evening, to allow for the Procession and Hastings Bonfire celebrations to go ahead safely (HBBS), the culmination of Hastings Week 2022 celebrations. The procession will congregate at White Rock and starts from that end of Robertson Street about 7.15pm, following the lighting of the beacon at 7.00pm up on the East Hill and the arrival of lit torches. The procession will proceed along Robertson Street and across the America Ground, turning right into Harold Place, then turning left and heading eastwards along the seafront to Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town, turning left and walking up All Saints Street to the top. Then crossing The Bourne to the High Street and back down to the seafront and turning right to the west and to the Pelham Beach car park for the bonfire and fireworks at 9pm, see the map below, and website for full details.

I wonder who the effigy will be of this year... Putin? 😏

As it still is Hastings Week (website), there are other things going on too this weekend. Today (Saturday) includes the 5th Hastings Vintage & Classic Motorcycle Show, from 10.00am to 2.30pm at The Stade, and the 69th National Town Criers Championship at Butlers Gap in George Street from 11.00am. Tomorrow (Sunday) sees the 13th Sprat & Winkle Run, which begins in Sevenoaks from 7.00am, driving through Kent and East Sussex before arriving in Hastings between 10.00am and 12.30pm, and finishes at 4.00pm. What is the Sprat & Winkle Run? It is a run organised by the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society (website), so expect to see about 70 vintage commercial vehicles at The Stade tomorrow...

The closing ceremony, that is The Reflection, will be held in St Clements Church, Swan Terrace from 4.00pm tomorrow (Sunday). 

Further details for the weekend can be seen at the website, enjoy, and stay safe!

Battle of Hastings - Hastings Week

Battle Abbey

Well, we won't be celebrating the Battle of Hastings (954 years ago today) so loudly this year, and no bonfire on the beach or procession at the weekend (blog), but some things are happening to celebrate; see their facebook page.

Happy Hastings 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!

Music Month and Hastings Week Continue...

Hastings Music Month continues, this evening with Lulu and Wasp playing at the White Rock Theatre opposite the Pier, and the Tune Raiders playing at the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road (indeed, their regular weekly slot); see website for details of these and other planned gigs this week. 

In addition, Hastings Week poodles along, with not so much happening until the weekend, though the organisers of the next few days events would disagree with such a statement, so go to the website and find out more!

This Weekend, AND Hastings Week Commences!

So, Hastings Week starts tomorrow (website and facebook page), with the Opening Ceremony from 3pm up at Hastings Castle, with free entry to the castle from 2.30pm, there's a treat! Of course, there will be other events going on before that time, for example, in conjunction with Stade Saturdays on the Stade Open Space will be a Classic Cars & Motorcycles Show from 10am to 3pm, which continues on Sunday, and much more; go to website for further details of events, exhibitions, guided walks...

Of course, much more happening and places to visit, as ever, Hastings Fishermen's Museum, the Aquarium, Lifeboat Station, Parks and Gardens, Miniature Railways, Music Month continues (today as well, see website) and, amongst other things, there will be the Retrobella Vintage & Retro Indoor Market on the Pier both days (website).

Hastings Weeks kicks off this weekend!

Hastings Week 2016 (8th to the 16th October) kicks off on Saturday with its opening ceremony up at the Castle; marching units meet at West Hill Cafe at 10.30, and the parade commences at 10.50 for the short distance to the Castle, starting a week commemorating the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings! There will be walks, talks, tea and coffee and, well take a look at their website if you haven't already procured a copy of the free programme (try pubs, shops, the tourist centre if lacking said programme).

And, if you weren't aware, Saturday the 8th is also World Octopus Day, which, of course, will be celebrated at the Blue Reef Aquarium, towards the end of Rock-a-Nore Road (website). At noon there will be a talk and demonstration of feeding the aquarium's resident Giant Pacific Octopus, Count Oswald, and younger visitors can join the Octo-trail and create designs relating to Octopus Day.

Of course there is much more to do and visit, eg the Pier, Hastings Fishermens Museum and the Shipwreck Museum, both close by the aquarium, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery in Bohemia Road, Parks and Miniature Railway, Fair, etc etc... Have fun!

Older commercial vehicles at the Stade yesterday.

Just a few photographs I took before wending my way, via the Dolphin Inn, to the the Beer Festival at the FILO yesterday... 

... and the end of Hastings Week 2015...

Bonfire Beer Festival at the FILO

By Steve the Beermeister...

Whilst processions were being held, and bonfires and fireworks were being lit down on the beach, there has been a beer festival at the First In Last Out (FILO) in the High Street... Quite a few decent ales to drink there, indeed, and there should still be some left to sup this afternoon and evening, I'm having another go at them anyway! As usual, there are 4 of the FILO Brewery's own ales at the bar, their Crofters Best Bitter, Bourne Blonde, Old Town Tom, and Cardinal Sussex Porter.   

Of their 10 'guest' festival ales, I tried a few; Inveralmond Tight Head (4.2%) has plenty of malt in its flavour, as one would expect from a Scottish ale, though a bit too sweet for me, like liquid 'Caramac' (I love dry bitter pale golden ales, please take note, so don't let my preferences put you off, there are plenty of styles for everyone!). Another darker ale I tasted was the burnished copper coloured Tring Thunderdell (4.3%), rich with roasted barley in the flavour and taste, plenty of body and taste! Other darker ales include the 'brown ale' Kirby Lonsdale Devil's Bridge (3.7%), Hanlons 'porter' Devon Darkness (4.2%), and Dark Star Winter Meltdown (5.0%).   

Of the paler ales, I have regularly drunk before the golden hoppy Salopian Shropshire Gold (3.8%) and Moorhouse's Blonde Witch (4.5%). Also, I drank a pint of the excellent Burning Sky Aurora (5.6%), with its tangerine and grapefruit aroma and rich deep fruity flavour and body, with a dry bitter finish, quality! I also tried the 4.7% Springhead Barebones, another very decent ale with a hint of roasted barley in the flavour, with a deep amber colour and dry finish. Finally, the 10th ale was the Blackwater Brewery Voodoo (4.6%), contract brewed at Salopian Brewery, another excellent refreshing ale with a strong citrus aroma, grapefruit and an orangey flavours too (need to wink here), I wrote "NICE+++" in my notes, so it tied with the Aurora as one of my 2 favourite ales of the visit!

Still ales available today, oh yes, and 3 real ciders hopefully! Plus events still happening with Hastings Week too (website), enjoy, cheers!       

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 Week starts today!

The 2015 Hastings Week kicks off today with the opening ceremony at 09.35 at the Town Hall in Queens Road, having started forming outside BHS 10-20 minutes beforehand. For more information on what's happening this week, go to the website.  

Stade Saturdays, in conjunction with Hastings Week, carries on with the Classic Car Show at the Stade, and continues on to Sunday (website). 

Sonpikkante! - Stade Saturday 3rd October

At 7.30 this evening, Sonpikkante play the last planned gig of the Stade Saturdays performances of 2015, though there is more, non-musical, stuff to come over the next couple of weeks, notably with Hastings Week to come! 

Apparently, 'Sonpikkante' means "hot chilli"; and they play "raw Afro-Columbian roots music", including a fusion of Afro-caribbean rhythms, dub, Haitian, "classic 60s Cumbia, Vallenato and Puta" with a 'Salsa groove' - Sounds exciting, so get on down to the Stade open space at 7.30pm for a free music delight!      

For more details of Stade Saturdays 2015, see the website.