Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival 2021

Yes, indeedy, the Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival returns this weekend, 18-19 September 2021, at The Stade Open Space, open 11.00 to 18.00 both days, providing food and drink, and with music until 19.00 (visit1066country). Entry is by wristband on the day for £5 (under 18s free), or wristbands can be bought beforehand at the Hastings Visitor Information Centre for £4.

As ever, there is the usual Sunday morning (10.00, doors open 09.00) Jazz Breakfast with Liane Carroll & Friends in a separate marquee from the main festival, costing £20 (children £10) for 2 hours of music, continental breakfast and a wristband for the main festival; tickets available from Hastings Visitor Information Centre, but be sure to be quick if you want to go as tickets always do go quickly (visit1066country).

Enjoy your weekend folks, and stay safe! 

Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival 2019

Not to forget that this weekend, 14-15th September, also sees the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival 2019 at the Stade Open Space (website), and not just food and drink, but live music and entertainment too. Adult entrance is £4 at the gate, children under 18 free, though you can purchase a wristband to gain entrance for £2.50 if you buy in advance from Hastings Tourist Information Centre at Breeds Place. 

As usual, on Sunday morning is the Jazz Breakfast with Liane Carroll and Friends, price £19 for adults and £10 for children 17 and under, tickets from Breeds Place too, though hurry up, because this event usually sells out early, please don't hold your breath as they may have already gone by the time you read this blog.

Enjoy your weekend, though I may have one more blog to add... 😉

So much great music in Hastings, and free!

Liane Carroll

I missed my friend Rod's birthday celebrations at the Dolphin Inn Saturday evening, sadly, because there was yet another example of seeing quality free live music in Hastings, namely Liane Carroll, Roger Carey, and John Newan (usually Russell Field plays with them, but I presume he was playing elsewhere, maybe on tour)! To see the world renowned Liane Carroll for nothing isn't that rare in Hastings, but isn't it great?!? Anyway, here's a link to something of her's that is very Hastings!

Happy Birthday Rod!! 😃

Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival 2018 this weekend.

This weekend sees the annual Seafood & Wine Festival (for details go to the website), admittance for the entire weekend is £2 in advance from the Information Centre at Muriel Matters House, or £3 on the door; please note the Jazz Breakfast with Liane Carroll on Sunday is already sold out! The weather forecast looks fine (Met Office), so it should be an enjoyable weekend!

Seafood & Wine Festival continues...

 

Okay, the Beermeister was let down by his contact at the FILO (obviously unforgiven), so, apologies for not providing the information I hoped to about the ales available (see previous blog), but I'm sure you already know better than me by now anyway! So, the 2017 Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival carries on anyway, see the internet.

This Sunday morning sees the return of the annual Jazz Breakfast with Liane Carroll & friends, another guided walk of the Stade, meeting up outside the Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road, at 11.00 am (website), and much much more, enjoy!

Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival 2017 this weekend!

OK, there's so much going on at the moment, what with Arts, Music and Fringe Festivals, but, this being Hastings, we've another festival this weekend, the 2017 Seafood & Wine Festival at The Stade! Obviously, seafood and wine, but so much more, tastings, cookery demonstrations, champagne breakfasts, music, and the usual mini-beer festival provided by the FILO Brewing Company, together with other local ales, ciders, lagers, and, of course, wine (the Beermeister hopes to be able to provide a list of the ales available asap, if possible I shall publish more details). Tickets for the festival are £2 in advance, cover both days, and can be bought at the Tourist Information Centre on the ground floor at Muriel Matters House, or bought 'on the door' for £3; the breakfast on Sunday costs more too, with entertainment, as usual, provided by internationally famed Liane Carroll. See website for further details.

And I apologise for the fuzziness of the above photograph, but it was very windy yesterday early morning, but this evening, in the 'music tent' at the Stade Beach, music kicks off the weekend with Super-Ska Night. OK, not as selective as this, and without the pressure or missing words, but here are samples of a band I saw many years ago (video and video), this is ska! Tickets are £8.50 in advance from the Tourist Information Centre at Muriel Matters House, or £10 on the door.

Enjoy the weekend!

Hastings Jazz & Blues Festival 2-4th June 2017

Hastings Winkle Club's Jazz and Blues Festival returns to The Stade Open Space this weekend, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th June 2017. Free music starts tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm with the Helen Sharp Jazz Quartet, culminating with the world famous, multi-award winning, Liane Carroll Band, 7.30-9pm. 

Sunday entertainment starts with the Jazz Breakfast, yes, includes food, tea and coffee being available, 10.30am at The Stade Open Space, and winds down with The Tom Fitzpatrick Band 6.30-7.30pm; see website for full details of the free music at The Stade. There will be collection buckets for people, encouraged to make donations to the Winkle Club, who support local charities and poorer folk and people in need (website).

There are 8 other official venues with music starting this evening (Friday), ie the Albion, Anchor, Dragon Bar, Jenny Lind, Old Market, Porters, Nelson and Trader (website for individual gig information). Of course, we're blessed with plenty of live music around the town centre and old town, I know there is music at the Dolphin Inn this evening, and with an act from the Stade crossing the road tomorrow evening (Saturday) to continue their gig! Also, music at the East Hastings Angling Club tomorrow evening! If you know of any further music venues, please let me know, cheers!

Jack in the Green Festival Starts Today!

OK, today starts with music, but the Festival carries on until the procession on Monday; see Jack in the Green website for further details. Of course, music continues at all the regular venues as usual, the pubs and bars, and a special Liane Carroll Trio gig at the Kino Theatre, St Leonards, on Sunday, you'll never guess who the other two are... or, you will if you regularly follow music in Hastings!

Of course, the May Day weekend doesn't only mean Jack in the Green, as thousands of motorbikes descend upon Hastings on May Day, which is, indeed, May the 1st this year!

I'll add a couple more blogs this weekend to keep up to date on events over the next few days, and the weather forecast looks good too, so enjoy!

Seafood & Wine Festival 17th-18th September 2016

Following the opening Ska music this evening (see my last blog), the weekend sees the annual Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival at The Stade, 17-18 September (see website for more details). Because it is the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings this year, there will be a 1066 theme, indeed, come dressed as a Saxon or Norman and claim a free festival glass! Of course, there is much to do and see: locally caught fish, wines and other local produce, FILO bar with locally brewed real ales, seafood cooking sessions in the Classroom on the Coast, guided walks, and much music and merry making!

This all continues on Sunday, but with the added bonus of a very reasonably priced Jazz Breakfast with local, and internationally acclaimed, jazz musician and singer Liane Carroll in the morning; £15 for adults and £10 for children, I'd hate to think what you'd need to pay to see her in Ronnie Scotts or elsewhere in London! 

The price includes a free wristband for the rest of the festival, otherwise, admission is by wristband on the day costing £2, or £1 if bought in advance at the Tourist Information Centre in Breeds Place opposite the fountain, where tickets for the Jazz Breakfast can also be bought, though only limited tickets for that event, so good luck!

More fun in Hastings this weekend!

This weekend, Stade Saturdays presents, from 7.30pm on the Stade open space (23rd July), 40 Mayotte dancers from the Mayotte archipelago in the Indian Ocean, collaborating with Ghanaian Afla Sackey and his band, Afrik Bawantu (website).

Dolphin Inn

Plenty of free music in pubs too, including Beatwave at the Albion in George Street, a "weekend of Surf, Beat and Garage Frenzy by the Sea", starting this Friday evening, 22nd and going onto Sunday (facebook page), and not to mention world famous jazz musician, yet very local, Liane Carroll, Roger Carey, and everyone's favourite drummer Russell Field, on at the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road, this Saturday evening from 9pm!

There is also plenty to do at the Pier this weekend, with, in addition to the usual facilities and funfair, the returning Chill at the Pier DJ Slot, with Daniel Martin and Dan Willett, in the Pavilion Restaurant and Bar from 3pm on Saturday 23rd, and on Sunday, there are more Science on Sea Family Workshops with Blast Science from 11am, and the Oresome Community Choir are performing from 11am (website).

So, do enjoy the weekend, plenty more to do of course, with, in the old town, the Blue Reef Aquarium and Fishermen's Museum, Hastings Castle and Smugglers Experience up on the West Hill, shops and markets all over the place, and, of course, the seafront!

1066 Wine & Food Festival starts today!

Well well, following on from this weekend's Midsummer Fish Festival, is the first 1066 Wine & Food Festival! That is, this new festival starts at 6pm this evening, at St Mary in the Castle, with a talk about English sparkling wine, delivered by Jilly Goolden at 7pm, and music from Liane Carroll from 8pm. The festival carries on throughout the week with participating businesses offering special deals and other events (see website), through to next weekend, where, on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a wine fair at Stade Hall, and professional tutored wine tastings next door at Classroom on the Coast.  

To properly take advantage of the festival and its special offers, discounts and events, Festival Cards are available for just £5 from the Hastings Midsummer Fish Festival (above), all participating businesses, and tourist information centres; the Festival Card also gives 3 months free membership of the Hastings Card, with its own special offers and reductions at shops and attractions.    

Indeed, it's always good to see inside the gorgeous St Mary in the Castle, but for further information, see the 1066 Wine & Food Festival website.

Admission to this evening's opening event is free to Festival Card holders, though, probably, it would be best to check on availability and book at their website as, obviously, space is limited, enjoy the week!