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 May Day Weekend - Jack in the Green Returns!

Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green isn't just about the impressive May Day bank holiday Monday morning procession (above, near the start in Rock-a-Nore Road), no, it is returning with much merrymaking, drinking, music and dancing from Friday the 29th of April evening, and over the weekend, and culminating with the Procession through Hastings old town on Monday the 2nd of May, an afternoon of entertainment up on the West Hill, and the Slaying of the Jack from 4pm. See the website for fuller details.

Also, the organiser of Bike1066 has retired, so there will be no official Bikers' event in Hastings on Monday (HBC), but Hastings Council is allotting dedicated motorbike parking in Pelham Place car park and at The Stade open space. I am assured by a friend that quite a few motorbikes will be turning up to Hastings over the weekend, particularly on Monday, since the event hasn't happened since 2019 (blog). Indeed, biker groups are now consulting one another about organising an event for next year.

Roll on!! 👌 

Nicer News & Weekend Update

Nicer news? Well, the iconic De La Warr Pavilion (blog) reopens today, a fitting celebration of its 85th anniversary, and will be open until the 3rd of January, all being well. Then it will be closed until the 16th of January 2021 for essential maintenance; for more information about what's on and other details, please go to their website.

I found this image on the Courthouse Cooperative Hastings facebook page, which only goes to prove that some of us are trying to make the best of a bad job, and are actively promoting shopping locally too (blog), indeed, very worthwhile...

However, having trouble parking in the old town this weekend? Well, that could be partly due to much of the Rock-a-Nore car park being closed off for repair, consequently, if wishing to park nearby and what remains of that car park is full, you can either park up Harold Road and walk down, or use the Pelham Beach car park, but...

The west end of the Pelham Beach car park has been closed the last few days, and you guessed it, if you haven't already visited, it's not looking like this (empty, above), but has numerous people testing for COVID-19... Sorry, but I had to say something about the COVID-19 Crisis and I had been so positive in this blog, but it's not anywhere near as good in Hastings as it was when I wrote this blog just a month ago, sadly.

Darrell Gale, Director of Public Health for East Sussex, reports that the "number of people with new cases of Covid has doubled in the Hastings area" and is rising sharply in Rother too. The figures look worryingly like we may be heading towards Tier 3, despite the many months of being sensible in Hastings and its environs, and it appears that teenagers of secondary school age are now the super spreaders, the incidence being highest in that section of society locally, and regionally.

If you do want to be tested for COVID-19, you need to pay for it to be done privately, unless you either have a high temperature, have a new continuous cough, have lost your sense of smell or taste, been asked to get a test by the council or to confirm a positive test, or are taking part in a Government Pilot Project (not here as far as I'm aware), then you can get a free test. Go to the Government website for more details or to book a test, which leads you to a link where you may book a test, for example in the Pelham Beach car park...

Look after yourselves folks, remember to wash your hands regularly, maintain social distancing of 2 metres whenever possible, and wear face coverings were appropriate.

Please be careful!

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... 

Filming moved to St Leonards...

So, the film unit has moved along the coast to St Leonards after moving away from Pelham Car Park, no idea where they've been in the meantime, presumably at at least one school, but if anyone knows, please feel free to share the information with me, cheers! Anyway, this photograph was taken yesterday morning, and I noticed that Hastings Observer only knew about them filming yesterday (seen on twitter), and had no idea what the filming is about, hate to brag, but I was onto it 2 weeks ago (if you haven't already read it, my previous blog). 😉

Ooh, another film set in Hastings...

Yep, I think the last time a film was being shot, with it's set in Pelham Car Park, was for Byzantium, quite a few years ago now, well there's another one being shot as I write, if you hadn't already noticed! Being the inquiring sort (nosy) I had to find out what's going on, and a wee birdie told me it's for a film (fictional) about some girls growing up in Hastings, for Film4, and should be broadcast next year, so now you know too!