No Jamie Oliver, now no Health Centre!

It was disappointing when finding out that Jamie Oliver's team were not impressed enough that they would turn the former Ice House in Rock-a-Nore Road into a restaurant, now, on reading the Hastings Old Town Residents' Association's latest news letter, planning permission has been refused by the Council to turn this into a state of the art Health Centre, copied from HOTRA's October Parish News:

"Briefly  their reasons are 1] lack of available parking and poor patient access; 2] loss of existing use as tourist accommodation; 3] not enough provision for waste." 

Hastings Pier and a myth or rumour, or two?

Further to my recent blog, I can confirm that plans are afoot to try to open the pier this month, but nothing definite yet, apparently, though the Jack in the Green Programme already has Morris Dancers on the Pier on Sunday 1st May between 12.30 and 2pm; keep your eyes open for an earlier opportunity...

As you can tell from this photograph, I've been clambering around and under the Pier recently, but to the rumours alluded to above... First, there will be NO charge to go onto the Pier, excepting for attending gigs etc, so, it will be gratis, free, zero charge! If you hear anyone say anything else, and I've heard a £4 charge rumoured, that is codswallop, you can put people straight on that (I've been talking to someone very much in the know). 

Secondly, Harry Ramsden's are NOT going to be on the Pier, though there is truth behind their having been interested, but their model wasn't acceptable to the Pier Charity, Jamie Oliver had been in contact, but not for him I believe, and local trainees will gain experience in the restaurant in the old pavilion. There will be a separate cafe in the middle of the Pier, an information centre, and a bar...  

I trust this helps, it certainly hasn't dampened my enthusiasm!

Take Your Fish To (Common) Market...

The local fishing industry has many problems with the European Union, and justifiably so, particularly the ever decreasing fishing quotas being allocated, but I felt a wee bit concerned when I saw so many Ukip flags on the fishermen's beach yesterday. See below, where 3 flags are on show. Sorry the photograph is so poor, but it was damp, and, just when you want wind to fly the flags, it dropped, the 'law of sod' apparently! 

Anyway, my mind went back to the excellent 5 or 10 minutes of the Jamie Oliver Channel 4 television programme at the end of January, when Tush Hamilton shared his knowledge of whole fish and their culinary delights with Jamie and Jimmy. Also, Tush and Paul Joy bemoaned the fact that the UK market has become obsessed with filleted fish, which also means wastage, and Paul explained that, consequently, 90% of his catch that morning, and 90% of the Hastings catch of whole fish generally, goes to Belgium or France via the local market (Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast).

Now I'm wondering if supporting the UK leaving the EU isn't a wee bit myopic considering that amount of fish crossing the Channel? I'm sure that the French, Belgian and Dutch fishing fleets would scramble for the UK's share of fishing quotas, and that the UK's power to influence European fishing policy would be lost...

Shouldn't our MEPs and MPs be representing the interests of our fishing industry and fighting more forcefully within the EU, earning their keep, in effect, rather than sticking their heads in the sand, or, as is the habit of Ukip MEPs, not even turning up for debates (confirmed by EU records)? They then claim their salaries and allowances, paid for by the UK taxpayer, but fail to represent the people who voted them in, shame on them... 

Jamie Oliver in Hastings

So, Jamie Oliver was spotted interviewing people on the fishermen's beach a week or so ago, apparently for his television programme to be screened this Friday evening on Channel 4, Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast, I believe it is called (sorry, I don't have a television, so I have to take people's word for it). Anyway, watch it, as it should be very interesting; he had to censor Tush Hamilton when he was talking about fishermen and skate, so I hear... 

Also, a little bird (not a gull) told me that Jamie has had his people sniffing around Rock-a-Nore recently too, so we may just be getting a Jamie Oliver restaurant in Hastings in the near future! Remember, you read it here first...