Please Don't Forget Hastings Foodbank, Especially Nowadays!

I've just been reminded after reading a post from the Council, that Hastings Foodbank (website) is desperate for certain items:

UHT Milk, Full Fat and Semi-skimmed;

Tinned Meat (but not corned beef and pork);

Tinned Vegetables (especially peas and carrots);

Tinned Fruit;

Tinned Spaghetti in sauce.

Also required are:  Toilet Rolls;

Toiletries (shower gel, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste);

Tinned Fish;

Tinned Potatoes;

Tinned Rice Pudding;

Fruit Juice;

Tea and Coffee.

There are Food Bank donation points all over Hastings, and full details of addresses and opening times are at the website, but they include:

HBC Community Contact Centre (Muriel Matters House), The Hastings Centre (The Ridge), Tesco Extra (St Leonards), Sainsbury's (Station Approach), Asda, Tesco Express (Havelock Road), Morrisons, NatWest Bank (Havelock Road), all Nationwide Building Society branches, and I presume at Sainsbury's (Sedlescombe Road)! 

I realise times are getting hard for all of us, and look like they will be getting even worse, but let's care for each other folks, notably for those worse off, many thanks!

Stay safe and look after each other... 👍

Queens Road - Closed this morning to through traffic

Queens Road is closed/blocked off between the 2 entrances to Morrisons this morning (Tuesday), so if wanting to go shopping there by car or van, you can get into the car park either way still, pedestrians have no problem walking down the road, just vehicles blocked. I spoke to one of the lads, and he told me that they are making available manhole covers, and other access points, that had been covered/partially covered when the road has had resurfacing work carried out. This is this morning, I presume they are gradually moving along the road, so be aware traffic wise.

I had been shopping up Bohemia Road at Lidl but had decided to walk back via Alexandra Park,  gorgeous day and reasonably quiet... Although it was the first time I have ever seen a police car patrolling inside the park, and I spotted a black headed gull too, presumably a wee bit lost, not the police car! 😉

Hastings Central Banks, Shops & Other Information

Alexandra Park

Having had a lay in this morning (I woke at 05.00 instead of 04.00 😉 ) I decided my daily exercise, maintaining over 2 metres distance etc., would be an information gathering occasion too, predominantly for the town centre. Starting off via Morrisons at 06.45-ish I checked on their opening times (I haven't been in here for what seems like months, but more likely, a couple of weeks). Anyway, they are now opening Monday to Saturday 8 am to 8 pm, 10 am to 4 pm on Sundays. Responsibly, they have a queuing system to ensure that a limited number of customers are in the store at any one time.

Next, I had planned to walk up through Alexandra Park (blog about the park, among many) to Lidl in Bohemia Road, but as I walked through the park I realized that, at 07.00 hours, it was packed with people walking their dogs (avoid the park if possible, if you want to maintain social distancing easily that is!). So, I got out to Lower Park Road at my earliest convenience, then wandered up the path through the woods (above image, and saw no-one here) that connects with Amherst Road, and then up to Bohemia Road. To Lidl, who are ensuring sensible levels of customers by using a queuing system too (not while I was there, of course, I was way too early), their opening times appear to be the same as usual, that is, from 10.00 today.

Continuing my daily exercise regime (fewer miles today, Sunday being the day of rest), and the fact that, if you live a few minutes walk from the seafront, you should enjoy that fact when the weather is fine (though spots of rain and SNOW 😲 today), I carried on down to the seafront and took this photograph. Then I set back eastwards to see what was happening at Iceland, who have changed their hours a wee bit and, since the last time I was there, they appear to have changed their priorities too. Usual Sunday opening time from 10.00 am, but from 09.00 to 17.00 for customers Monday to Saturday, however, for NHS staff they are remaining open from 17.00 (5 pm).

Then, walking back into the town centre I checked up on bank opening times, which generally appear to be closed at weekends now, and open between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm (10.00 to 14.00 hours) Monday to Friday, although with slight deviations of opening at 09.00 some days, then closing at 13.00 hours. I imagine that at other banks around the Hastings area the opening times are very similar, but please add a comment if I am wrong here, many thanks. And I do apologize for switching between the 24 hour and 12 hour clock during this blog, but you'll get the gist. 

Also, at the 2 'local' shops, Sainsbury's Local in Devonshire Road (Station Approach, below the railway station) and Tesco Express in Havelock Road, both have monitored queuing arranged outside to limit customers. Indeed, impressively I found this morning, that Tesco Express asks customers to use the hand sanitizer provided by them, just inside the door, when you enter, and on leaving, excellent facility Tesco, many thanks!

Continue to remain careful, respect others and maintain at least 2 metres between you and other people at all times. We'll all be grateful for social distancing, no doubt...