Hastings Bonfire Day/Night 2024 This Weekend!

Hastings Week 2024 commences tomorrow (Saturday 12th September - website) and, of course, tomorrow also coincides with Hastings Bonfire celebrations (website). The bonfire is already being set up, indeed, saw people working on it yesterday, and leads up to Hastings Day on Monday 14th September, the 958th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings (Britannica).

The procession congregates from 6.30 pm by the White Rock Hotel and, meanwhile, the beacon is lit up on the East Hill at 7 pm, then Hastings Runners will bring lit torches down to Robertson Street. The procession starts from the western end of Robertson Street at about 7.15 pm, heads along Robertson Street and the America Ground, where torches are lit, then turns right into Harold Place before turning left and heading eastwards along the seafront to Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town, then turns left and goes up All Saints Street, where, at the top, it will cross The Bourne to the High Street, then back down to the seafront and along westwards to the Pelham Beach car park for the bonfire and fireworks at 9 pm, see the map above. Enjoy!

Hastings Pirate Day 2022 - Weekend 16th/17th July!

This was the scene 10 years ago (22nd of July 2012), when 14,231 Pirates turned up on Pelham Beach, Hastings (Guinness World Records), and, despite attempts to break this record elsewhere since, Hastings still holds the world record for the largest gathering of pirates in one place. Consequently, this is yet another year when, no worries, it will just be about dressing up, turning up and having fun!

If you're new to Hastings, or just visiting this weekend, do not be surprised to see people dressed up appropriately, or inappropriately (😉) wherever you are, town centre, old town, on the beach, in pubs, everywhere! The people of Hastings do love to dress up, and pirates come from near and far for this weekend. 

So, what will be happening? Plenty, in fact, with Hastings Pier (above) and the Stade Open Space (near the Lifeboat Station) being the main focal points: But things happening from music at St Leonards - Goat Ledge; to the Town Centre Pirate Treasure Trail; to Pelham Beach with Pirate Golf, drums and more; to Rock a Nore with museums, aquarium, children's craft workshop, pirates, and much more! 

Indeed, fun for all the family across town, with live music and cabaret, film, drums and cannon fire, Blackbeard's market, bars, and pubs of course, all joining in the spirit of Pirate Day, and 2 parades too! Both processions starting at 3.00pm on Sunday and heading towards Pelham Beach, one from the Pier heading eastwards, the other from the Stade Open Space heading westwards, reaching Pelham Beach to join the celebrations of Hastings being Pirate Capital of the World for 10 years!

Go to Hastings Pirate Day website to see more details of the programme, and just wander around, things will be happening in many places not listed, I'm sure.

Try not to walk the plank, but do enjoy yourselves, avast ye, me hearties!

RNLI Lifeguards to Reappear this Half-Term.

I am sure we are all happy that the RNLI Lifeguard Stations at Pelham Beach and Marina St Leonards Beach are both returning to service from today until the end of the School Half-Term week (RNLI). We are reminded that the temperature of the water is still VERY cold, and more information can be found at the RNLI website, including the following 5 safety tips, which are cut & pasted below from that site: 

"1. Swim at a lifeguarded beach, between the red and yellow flags

2. Never use inflatables in strong winds or rough seas

3. Check tide times before you go

4. If you get into trouble, stick your hand in the air and shout for help

5. If you see someone else in trouble, tell a lifeguard as soon as you can. If you can't see a lifeguard, call 999 or 112 immediately and ask for the Coastguard."

Whatever, stay safe folks!

 

Awards for Hastings Beaches

I am pleased to share that Hastings and St Leonards beaches have won awards (HBC website), that is, Pelham Beach and Marina Beach have both "been given Seaside Award status... for the high standard of facilities the beaches have to offer visitors to the seafront." In addition, Marina Beach has retained its Blue Flag status which "recognises beaches for being clean, safe and having excellent water quality." 

For more information about Blue Flag, which covers 50 countries, go to their website.

Please note that I took the photograph above from Pelham Beach early one morning, I tend not to take photographs of our beaches during daylight, but do like this image.

 

Procession and Bonfire this evening... means closed seafront roads

The bonfire set up on Pelham Beach earlier today (above), and yes, for obvious safety reasons, roads will be closed to traffic near the seafront from 6pm to 11pm this evening, for the return of Hastings Bonfire celebration (website), part of the Hastings Week celebrations, following the cancellation last year due to the COVID-19 Crisis. 

A Past Procession

The procession congregates at White Rock and starts from that end of Robertson Street at 7.15pm, along Robertson Street and across the America Ground, turning right into Harold Place before turning left and heading eastwards along the seafront to High Street in the old town. Up to the top and across The Bourne to All Saints Street, back down to Rock-a-Nore Road/the seafront and back to the west to the Pelham Beach car park for the bonfire and fireworks at 9pm, see the map above.

Oh yes, and I just spotted that there is a Vintage and Classic Motorcycle Show today, being set up at The Stade Open Space; I was told it closes by 3pm.

Enjoy, stay safe, be careful for your pets and look after each other!

Hastings to Bexhill Walk "The Musical"

I had to include this image at Pelham Beach because it is so amusing, an outdoor beach gym thingamabob and notice saying "This facility is closed" - Honest! 😂 Anyway, an eclectic mix of music, something that tells a story for each image: Walking From Hastings to Bexhill & Back The Musical, first link to YouTube. Oh yes, and I took these photographs earlier today, mostly...

My second image is, well you can see it, Hastings Pier, sadly closed until who knows when, and there was such hope for an expanding and exciting future at one time (for example, blog), but either the Administrators' ineptitude, incompetence and/or a stuffed brown envelope left it in the hands of Mr G, annoyingly; anyway, YouTube.

OK, I really should have posted the photograph I took of the Azur Pavilion, but it doesn't look great with all the shutters closed, so I posted this, if you've seen the film Byzantium, you'll know what I'm getting at, cue YouTube.

This wonderful building I have written about many times before, particularly detailed in this blog, and a highly appropriate song from YouTube.

And you really can hear the echo of the sea hitting the beach, and quite severely today too, off the sand cliffs here; Great song (for me anyway) at YouTube.

If you've walked this walk before you will be aware that this is the cliff side of Galley Hill, I did take a photograph of the road going up the hill, but it wasn't good, anyway cue YouTube, and I didn't run... By someone I had a bit of a crush on as a younger man, and who I would have been very happy to run up hills with in those days. 😉

So, here we are at Bexhill, and I own up, this wasn't taken today (as if you couldn't have guessed), but my brother calls me lots of things, maybe the best of which is 'Mr Blue Sky' (don't fall for that one 😉), as he says I regularly exhibit Blue Sky Thinking. As it was pretty overcast earlier I used this photograph as an exquisite image with plenty of blue sky! The De La Warr Pavilion (blog), championed by the 9th Earl De La Warr, however, his father, the 8th Earl De La Warr, turned Bexhill on Sea into the "Birthplace of British Motor Racing" from 1902, indeed, running up Galley Hill (website).

Anyway, my final piece of fun music @ YouTube, hope you enjoyed the musical! 😊

Out for a Weekend Walk & Beer to Your Door!

I had to get out for a bit of exercise and to stop myself climbing the walls this morning, living alone can lead you to do suchlike, particularly if you don't see anyone else you know for too long. So I got out and managed to wave and/or say 'hello' to a few people I know, and a couple I don't know, as that face in my bathroom mirror gets a wee bit boring when the only other person I see. 😉 Anyway, a bit windy, high waters and waves, like above at Rock-a-Nore, where a couple of lads were actually fishing at the end of the east harbour arm, having to jump up for every high wave; I would have published a photograph of them, but I was giggling and the one above came out better.

I had managed to see a few people I know, thankfully, and had short very socially distanced chats, and on my way back I noticed that the Jolly Fisherman was again making Friday deliveries (blog from the first lockdown), and this lockdown the rules allow for click & collect too; above are the ales, keg beers and ciders/perry available; they also have numerous bottles and cans. Go to their website for further details, I have to admit to being tempted, particularly by the Angels & Demons brew, but... 😈

Notice anything different in the photograph above? Well, the footpath 'widening' has gone a few weeks earlier than originally planned (blog), there were a few complaints that it was effecting local businesses because of less parking, although with the lockdown until the beginning of December, at least, did it really matter? Anyway, now I'll have to walk in the road proper to avoid cycles on the footpath, or do as I did earlier and use the cycle path, much safer and less likely to get hit by a cycle! 😏

Talking of parking, was there an Optivo convention on Pelham Beach this morning?

Anyway, please look after yourselves folks, wash your hands regularly, maintain social distancing of at least 2 metres, wear face coverings where required, and let's respect and be considerate to each other, cheers m'dears!

Sunday Sunny and Windy Walk About...

These days I don't usually wander around Hastings during the afternoon, and very rarely weekends at the best of times, but I wanted to have a look around and see how Silly Saturday plus was getting on, so I wandered out via Claremont to the seafront, and was surprised by how quiet it was! Sunday afternoon, 1.30pm, and I took the above photograph of Pelham Beach, as you can see it was very quiet, although I wasn't really too surprised as the water was rough, no swimming, and quite a strong wind too at about 25 mph with gusts of up to 40 mph. But the car park was full! 😕

Intrigued, I looked for the quietest way to the Old Town and followed the now running Miniature Railway to The Stade (above), as there were certainly more people walking alongside the main road; nice to see the railway having customers too, 2 trains running and both had people aboard. I was looking for someone I know to enquire about yesterday, but it was busier along Rock-a-Nore Road, and the main road, so some intended sources were busy, but I did manage to have a chat with Oliver and Becky at The Jolly Fisherman (blog), which is continuing with its takeout business at the moment (blog). They were open yesterday evening too, for people who had booked tables, and it could be worth keeping an eye out for them opening for people to sit down inside for table service, indeed, they are considering their options...

A Quiet George Street

Anyway, they informed me that it was quite quiet yesterday (Silly Saturday), certainly in the Old Town, which is not surprising really, because it wasn't exactly the nicest day of the Summer. Indeed, there weren't that many pubs and bars open in the Old Town, and the ones I saw open today appeared to have their places organised very well to ensure social distancing was maintained.

However, it appears that a certain bar in Queens Road was 'rammed' yesterday, but, when I walked back home via the town centre and Queens Road this afternoon, everywhere seemed very quiet, including said bar. Let's hope it continues... 

Another Weekend - What is Normality?!?

Another weekend is upon us, the FOURTEENTH without pubs being open, and we are hoping to return to 'normality' some time soon? Holiday parks are soon to reopen, but with limitations, public toilets have reopened with limited hours, shops have reopened, well some of them, but with limitations, takeaway food and even drinks have got going again, but with limitations, from this weekend there will be a RNLI Lifeguard on Pelham Beach, so you are limited to swimming in that 'safe' spot... You can meet up with up to 5 people from other households, in an open space, and providing you all stay at least 2 metres apart, indeed, you can go into a partnership with anyone and make your own 'support bubble' and behave as if you live in the same household as that partner. In England you can drive to anywhere you like, in England, but you cannot travel on public transport to anywhere you want unless you have a reason agreed to by the Government, or whatever officialdom interprets as an acceptable reason... 

In fact, you are actively discouraged from travelling by public transport, which creates a divide regarding civil liberties, people with cars are allowed to travel to wherever they want, in England, but if you do not have a car or motorbike you are stuck within walking distance so you have not got true freedom of movement. Also, after years of trying to convince people that for health reasons, and environmental reasons, they should use public transport and get out of the car and walk, we are now being told to jump in a car and drive to anywhere we want, which is okay if you have a car, but what a contradiction! I can go into a 'support bubble' with anyone I want to, providing they want to too, indeed can hug that person if we both agree to, but I cannot visit my next of kin and hug family members. This is NOT normal... 

Trying to get frustration off my chest, thank you 😥

Have a good weekend and stay safe...

BONFIRE 2019!

Setting up for this years Bonfire on Pelham Beach (Saturday 19th October website) this morning, the culmination of Hastings Week (blog), and I'm still guessing who will be on the bonfire, but I'm going for Donald Trump 😉

Past Procession

The torchlight procession starts tomorrow building up outside the White Rock Hotel but actually begins at the bottom of Robertson Street on the America Ground at 19.15 (website), with the bonfire and fireworks on Pelham Beach at 21.00, and the forecast doesn't look too bad... Have fun, it should be good!

No Guided Walk, but Coastal Currents continues...

True, no OHPS guided walk of the Old Town today, but there will be a few more guided walks to come: Sunday 14th of October (Battle of Hastings Day) will have guided walks of the Old Town and the Stade, and the day before a Stade Walk (13th, Bonfire) and over the weekend of the Herring Fair (17th and 18th November), there will be Stade Walks on both days (website). So plenty to look forward to still, and...

The 2018 Coastal Currents Arts Festival continues until the end of the month, which includes using the fencing around the site of the public toilets in the town centre, no potential canvas wasted! And there is still no sign of any building or use of this land, I've already suggested an open space, maybe seating for older people waiting at the nearby bus stop, maybe disabled parking, I await with baited breath...

And on Pelham Beach parts of ex-fishing boat, RX320 Rosie Haze, have been reassembled by the artist Nic Acaster (website) and turned into the sculpture Boats & Bones; details of the remaining festival can be seen at the Coastal Currents website.

Boats & Bones

Pirate Day 2017 - Sunday 16th July...

OK, there's always plenty happening in Hastings every weekend, but this weekend, events are likely to be dominated by Pirate Day on Sunday and, despite it not being a year needed to count the pirates in town (yet again, as Penzance still hasn't caught up with the Hastings' record of 14,231 achieved in 2012), Roger Crouch returns as organiser to ensure that much pirate fun will be there for young and old; see website.

And it's not just another event dominated by the 'old town' as plenty is going on from the end of Rock-a-Nore Road at the Blue Reef Aquarium, all the way to Grosvenor Gardens and the Bo Peep Inn, where I've been told pirate flags are flying already! The old town will see mermaids, shanty songs and drums; Hastings Lifeboat has an exercise launch at 09.00am and Pirate Day Refreshments from 11.00am; Pelham Beach will see free-fall parachuting and flags; the town centre and Priory Meadow will see music and workshops; the Pier and White Rock Theatre will see a treasure hunt and children's entertainment; then there will be 'Treasure Island' at St Leonards Warrior Square... Not to mention the procession, Punch & Judy, sword fighting, pirate films, and much more, and, of course much rum me 'arties!

Have piratical fun! 💀 

2 Hastings & St Leonards Beaches Win Awards, Again!

Marina St Leonards Beach has retained its status from last year and again been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag status of the Quality Coasts Awards by Keep Britain Tidy, and their Seaside Award. Pelham Beach has also retained the Seaside Award. Aaron Woods, resort manager for Hastings Borough Council, said “This is the second year in a row that Marina beach has been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag, a fantastic result for Hastings and it reflects the hard work and commitment given by the council and other partners to make this happen."

The Quality Coast Award is managed by Keep Britain Tidy and rewards English beaches that are maintained to high standards. This initiative provides access to funding and a framework to plan future improvements (website).

Well done Hastings & St Leonards! 😎

Saturday, Sunday...

I'll write again tomorrow about Monday and its events, from the Pier of the Year to the Fishermen's Museum, from whence the Jack will emerge at 10.15... Meanwhile, the Pier continues with its usual activities, and tomorrow will see Morris Dancing on the Pier (website), as a friend posted on facebook earlier, "The bells, the dreaded, unavoidable bells will be heard all over the town." 

Which leads us to the Jack in the Green festivities themselves (website), with, yes you've guessed correctly, even more Morris Dancing, today (Saturday) at Winkle Island from 12 noon until about 4pm, music all over the place, the annual 'special service' at St Clements Church tomorrow at 10am, and the "Drum Off" at Butlers Gap, also tomorrow, at 4.30pm.

So, all this, in addition to the usual Hastings musical, and other, events, and building up to May Day, and... Well, have a good sleep tomorrow night, I'll be down at Rock a Nore by 9am to witness the growing crowds and dressing up, not to mention the arrival of thousands of motorbikes at the Pelham Beach car park, and to drink a few ales!

Remember, drinking from glass is banned in the old town during the festivities on Monday, so be prepared to drink out of plastic, or, more sensibly, bring your own pewter tankard like I shall, cheers!

Pirate Day 2016

As current holders, we shan't be going for the record of most pirates on the beach this year, however, this Sunday is Pirate Day, with much better weather forecast this year, and it is 'officially' organised this time, with associated events from the Pier to Rock-a-Nore, including a procession between Hastings Pier and the Stade Open Space (website), indeed, at Priory Meadow, Saturday and Sunday, there will be children's workshops, a treasure hunt, face painting and goody bags, though, probably not for adults! 

On Hastings Pier there will be organised various associated events from 10-10.30 on Sunday (website), and there's more fun all over Hastings, at Pelham Beach, in the town centre, at Butler's Gap, the Stade, White Rock Theatre, and I'm sure most public houses will have music, not to mention grog and other beverages available...

More swashbuckling fun will be had up at Hastings Castle and the Smugglers Adventure on the West Hill, and down at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Rock-a-Nore Road, with pirate workshops, flag designing classes, and much more fun (website), indeed fun for all the family, enjoy the weekend! 

Kite Flying at the weekend

Something else happened over the weekend, of course, though not something you see so often on the beach, but why not?!?