19th Century Watercolourists, to be re-written...

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery

OK, I'm not re-writing history, but I have recently received some new (to me) very interesting information about 19th century watercolour artists in Hastings which, together with the results of the closure of the Old Town Hall Museum, has encouraged me to do a wee bit more research and re-write my 3 year-old blog, where did those 3 years go?!? Anyway, I still have to visit once again, and always a pleasure, Hastings Museum & Art Gallery in John's Place, up Bohemia Road TN34 1ET, however...

Fish Market on the Sands, Early Morning (1824)

I noticed on their website that the museum's Turner painting is back on display, so please do visit the Museum & Art Gallery to enjoy; opening hours until April are 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, and 12 noon to 4pm on Sundays, closed on Mondays.

More to come!

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.

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. 

12th Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition

Playing the Piano at Priory Meadow this weekend. 

The 12th Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition has started up, to be held at the White Rock Theatre again, and a 'pop-up' office at the old Town Hall/Museum in the Old Town. For more details see website. 

Old Town Hall (Museum) available to let...

Hastings Borough Council have advertised the former Old Town Hall/Museum as being available to let at a rent of £35,000 per annum, if anyone is interested see their website...

Sad goodbye to Old Town Hall Museum...

I know it was April 1st yesterday morning, but it was no joke, the Hastings Old Town Hall Museum wouldn't be opening anymore due to central government financial cuts, and the consequent need for Hastings Borough Council to make savings, in this instance, by bringing all the Museum's exhibits under one roof, up in Bohemia Road. 

Built in 1823, the town hall until 1881 (and 1st Hastings police station during that period), and a museum since 1949, now waiting to see the next phase of its history, a sad day... 

Sadly, bye bye to the Old Town Hall Museum!

Well, the partial eclipse was a disappointment down here with the cloud cover, and more disappointing news is that the Hastings Old Town Hall Museum is closing (as I hinted earlier this year) on the 1st April 2015, and this isn't a joke, sadly...  

I dropped in and had a chat to Rebecca, who gave me the bad news earlier today. The Old Town Hall Museum (website) provides an introduction to the history of the town, with historical and interactive exhibits, and with a number of paintings adorning the walls (some now on display at the main museum), as told in my blog about Early 19th Century Watercolourists in Hastings a couple of months ago. This has happened as a result of the cut in funding from Central Government to Hastings Borough Council, and, if you haven't been for a while, hurry up and visit, because there are some great exhibits, which will need to be found a place up at Bohemia Road, who knows when... 

The building has a wonderful history too. It was built in 1823, and offices here became the earliest police station in  Hastings, when Hastings Police Force was set up in 1836; the oldest force in Sussex, I believe! The newer town hall in Queens Road replaced the old town hall in 1881; also see my blog of 18th January about that building. Since 1949, the old town hall has been a museum, more recently being reopened in 1999 following refurbishment that was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. 

  

We shall have to wait and see what will develop for this Grade II listed building...

Hastings 'Gothic' Town Hall

The 'new' town hall was opened in Queens Road by the mayor, Mr William F Revill, on 7th September 1881, replacing the smaller town hall in the High Street (built in 1823), which is now the Old Town Hall Museum; itself under threat of closure because of recent spending reductions dictated to Hastings Borough Council by central Government. 

Hastings 'new' Town Hall

The architect was Henry Ward (1854-1927), who briefly worked under the guidance of local architect Walter Liberty Vernon when he first moved to Hastings, soon succeeding Vernon, and working for 50 years in Hastings, becoming a prolific architect, based in his practice at 8 Bank Buildings, Hastings. 

As a young architect Ward entered the winning design in the competition for the new Hastings Municipal Buildings. The site of the building was an awkward shape to deal with, and the winning design was a clever piece of ingenuity. It brought Ward recognition that ensured his election as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects, an honour conferred only following significant professional success. 

Council Chamber

Consequently, one of his first designs was the Grade II listed 'Gothic Revival' Hastings Town Hall, which originally included the local Police Court and cells at the end of the ground floor corridor. The bench was at the east end of the room, with the dock in front, and the west end given over to a public gallery. Next to the court room was the police station, which took up the central part of the Station Road frontage. 

External walls were built using local blue stone, having Bath stone dressings, and the roofing was green slates. Inside, the staircase included scagliola marble columns and stained glass windows. The southern chimney place is made of Bath stone, having a carved statue of St Michael (the 'patron saint' of Hastings) and large painted tiles of Kings William and Harold. 

No more clocks -

Early sign of austerity measures?

Having recently visited the 'Council Chamber' I can confirm it is a reminder of Victorian municipal splendour, the Victorians certainly didn't hide their lights under bushels! Sadly, it is now showing slight signs of neglect, needing a fresh lick of paint at least, presumably another result of austerity measures. Indeed, the clocks outside the town hall disappeared ages ago, due to the expense of fixing them apparently. 

The opening ceremony for the town hall was followed by a luncheon in a large marquee in the adjoining cricket ground, with over a hundred guests enjoying fine food and the entertainment of a local band. Indeed, the first council meeting at the new town hall received a petition protesting about the cost to ratepayers of such an expensive event. The council refused to discuss the petition... 

Ward's Grave

Henry Ward died at the age of 73, at home in 22 Magdalen Terrace, Bohemia Road, having designed numerous other local buildings in his career, including many churches, the Observer Building, Bexhill Town Hall, and a few days after his death the Plummer Roddis department store (now Debenhams) was opened. 

A man of substance, locally a significant architect, he was buried in September 1927 at Hastings cemetery.