Public Toilets Vandalized at the Weekend!

I have just seen on the Council facebook page that over the weekend "5 of our public toilets that we reopened last week were vandalised. There was extensive graffiti, and damage to pipework, cisterns and toilet pans... As a result of this vandalism, we will have to use our limited resources for vital work to clean up and fix the facilities. 

"If you have any information about who was responsible for any of this damage, please let us know (ed - or let the Police know) 

"Please respect the town and help us keep residents safe."

Frankly, I am disgusted with the people who did this! 😡 

Public Toilets Musing...

I got my inspiration for the public toilets part of my blog yesterday from this wee (excuse the pun, but it is intentional, though I do use the word 'wee' a lot 😉) piece I wrote as a facebook post, cut & pasted below, slightly different emphasis than the blog:

"Apparently, the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government have “published guidance to help them (Councils) ensure facilities are safe where they are open including increasing cleaning of touch points.” Try and find that guidance! I've been reading through pages and pages of the stuff with no luck, except them saying people should be discouraged from using public toilets, if they do they should wash their hands as per guidance, and toilets and surfaces need cleaning after every use, basically referring to every other guidance. In fact, they're leaving it up to Councils to shoulder responsibility and the cost, and all that cleaning will be costly! Loo management to keep down numbers inside public toilets, loo cleaners, cleaning equipment, bleach or whatever, hand sanitizer etc etc...

Local Council Tax payers to foot the cost, of course, as if Council Tax isn't already high in Hastings and, since the year before last we haven't had any Central Government funding, same as about 50% of councils now."

I hope that clarifies where I was coming from on this subject?

Another Weekend...

Having just returned from the Tower pub with a few pints of ale, working out at just £2.20 a pint now (also see previous blog), so I thought I'd sit down with a pint and write this... Indeed, another weekend arrives, and it's been 12 weeks since pubs were closed from that Friday evening, and the full lockdown arrived on Monday 11 weeks and 4 days ago. Hastings has since been besieged by visitors at weekends, hopefully PLEASE not ruining our place as having the lowest Covid-19 infection rate in the country (blog).

Having tried all types of tactics to discourage visitors, and making note of the beaches being left with rubbish galore, and visitors urinating and defecating in public places because the toilets are closed, the top image appears the latest poster around, plus the 2 immediately above. I've seen all sorts of arguments for and against opening the public toilets and, on reading through numerous Government advice pages on the internet, I feel it's all pretty difficult to enable opening public loos (also see this interesting Guardian article). The Government advice is ambiguous of course, basically, please don't travel anywhere that is too far to without using the loo, but you can travel as far as you like within England, to Councils, do open public toilets, but you have to ensure 2 metre distancing and that the toilets are cleaned after every time it's used!

A knife in the back for councils, making them shoulder responsibility without giving any extra resources, meaning it's us good old Hastings Council Tax payers who have to foot the bill! Some councils around the country have opened some toilets, but not all, or for limited periods, others remain closed, as in Hastings. The organisation of this would be very difficult, and we've already seen, and have known for a long time, that left to their own devices, some of the public are, frankly, dirty buggers! So, attendants would have to make sure people going into toilets didn't go in when a maximum number were already in, imagine the comments they would receive from people crossing their legs because they're keen to empty their bowels and/or bladders! Then the attendant would have to keep going in to ensure cleanliness, not nice to imagine, nor easy...

And I love this idea for seating in Priory Meadow (above), I bet that works! 😉

Anyway, have a good weekend, and be careful. I shall be battening down the hatches after my early morning walk, with a few pints and DVDs, enjoy!

I have since added another blog that clarifies (I hope) where I was coming from concerning the closure of public toilets etc...

Please Don't Use Hastings As A Toilet... AGAIN!

Most visitors over the past few weekends no doubt have been as responsible as they could be, but you now know the public toilets in Hastings are CLOSED, as are pubs! Which means it is IRRESPONSIBLE to visit again, unless you can keep it in, which is very unlikely if you come down from London, say... 

So, please be respectful and stay away if you can't hold it in, many thanks.

Be careful folks, WE are all in this together!

Sunday/Monday...

Good to see the 'fabulous' Baker Boys, Howard and Simon, back in a proper truck this morning, at least they, who appear to be the major potato supplier to Hastings, are selling more potatoes in the town after a period of coolness. It could well have been that chip shops, in particular, had been using up their potatoes from the beginning of lockdown, but I was confused at least twice when these 2 bearded lads in a dark pickup acknowledged me walking down the street (it was the Baker Boys, of course).

Anyway, I stayed indoors yesterday after my early morning walk/exercise, fearing the worst when I passed through the Pelham Beach car park (to the left and forward of the truck above, if you're a reader who doesn't know Hastings) at about 09.00 yesterday morning, and already there were cars and motorbikes arriving, and I could hear motorbikes roaring up and down Queens Road all day! Indeed, a little birdy has told me that Rock-a-Nore Road was like a car park overflow, virtually bumper-to-bumper with visiting cars parked along it, and a lack of 'social distancing' observed; I do hope the Council sent traffic wardens along to make some money out of it, aside from the takeaways/chippies, Hastings could do with making some money during lockdown. 😉

However, it is still a concern, aside from my delight for them that some local businesses have started gaining income following a couple of months of economic drought, but facilities are not really here for visitors, again, my little birdy reports a host of people urinating wherever they could find some sort of cover... Potential visitors, please note, yet again, PUBLIC TOILETS ARE NOT OPEN IN HASTINGS!

And please note that Hastings has had the lowest Coronavirus infection rate in England (blog), and we'd be very grateful if it stayed that way, so please do stay away until it is safer to visit. There is nothing here for you except chips, fish, gulls, and pissing in the streets, and I've just stopped myself from uttering a rude word or two...

In fact, we are not going anywhere, please come back at a safer time!

Respect the people of Hastings, and stay safe folks.

Reminder, please save your visit for a safer time!

Hastings Borough Council, and surely most of the people of Hastings, are concerned that this bank holiday weekend may see a horde of visitors arrive in Hastings, despite the continuing Coronavirus Crisis. 

Hastings has the lowest Coronavirus infection rate in England (Argus); ie equivalent to just 47 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 244 per 100,000. Please let's keep it that way, and please do not bring Covid-19 into the town, many thanks.

If too many people visit any one place it becomes untenable to maintain social distancing there, and anyway, there's nothing for you to do here! Public facilities are not available, specifically public toilets are closed, and there are no washing facilities either. Pubs, bars and restaurants, where people could head to for toilet facilities in 'normal' times, not to forget they provide hospitality facilities, are closed too!

Amusement arcades are closed, the fair is closed, museums are closed, libraries are closed, the aquarium is closed, the castle is closed, the pier is closed, indeed, all 'visitor attractions' are closed, and  most shops are closed too.

We are not going anywhere, so please save your visit for a safer time!

Respect the people of Hastings and stay safe folks.

Save your visit for a safer time please!

Hastings Borough Council, and surely most of the people of Hastings, are concerned that this bank holiday weekend may see a horde of visitors arrive in Hastings, despite the continuing Coronavirus Crisis. 

Hastings has the lowest Coronavirus infection rate in England (Argus), please let's keep it that way, and please do not bring Covid-19 into the town. Anyway, there's nothing for you to do here! Public facilities are not available, specifically public toilets are closed.

Indeed, we're not going anywhere, save your visit for a safer time please!

Respect the people of Hastings and stay safe folks.