H.O.T. Carnival Procession et al... Plus.

OK, this is a library photograph of mine as the current Hastings Lifeboat can no longer get around the island in front of Iceland, with it's tractor it is just too long. However, images of the procession yesterday can be found on the H.O.T. Carnival facebook page (I was away due to the reintroduction of football in England following the inter seasons break, my bad!).

The image immediately above, however, was Hastings Lifeboat contribution yesterday (image thanks to their facebook page), trusting they raised serious money, and trusting others taking part did similarly too, Respect to Hastings! Things are still happening in connection with the Carnival Week; see website for today (Sunday), and tomorrow, Monday 12th, sees the annual Fancy Dress Litter Pick (website) organised, as ever, by local councillor James Bacon, and meeting at The Stade Open Space at 10.30. Many thanks in anticipation of their effort.

Steve the Beermeister says to not forget that there are some rather interesting Polish beers still available at The Jolly Fisherman, East Beach Street (blog), enjoy folks!

Carnival Keeps On Keeping On!

This was the scene about 4.00pm yesterday (blog), and it got busier and busier, a great start for the Hastings Old Town Carnival Week (and a bit), and money raised for the RNLI and Hastings Lifeboat too, nice one! But Carnival continues today, including the Old Town Criers Competition from 7.30 on the steps of St Clements Church (register from 7.00pm), and Reggae on the Stade from 7.30 to 10.00pm (entry from 6.30pm) (more on website).

Seasons Greetings and Thanks!

I give thanks to all those who have helped us over recent times, including carers, those working in the emergency services, the police, fire fighters, ambulance staff and paramedics, the NHS, doctors, nurses, other health professionals and ancillary staff, and the brave crews and volunteers of the RNLI lifeboat service. Respect! 💓

And many thanks to Charles Schulz for the imagery. 👍

Finally, I wish to share my best wishes with you, and peace and goodwill to all, whatever one's beliefs, let's continue to work together folks. 👌

And remember, stay safe!

Hastings Lifeboat looking for Volunteers

The Hastings Lifeboat, and other nearby RNLI services, are seeking volunteers, if you are interested, go to their website, a worthwhile charity to support indeed. 👍

Festive Fun Day - Sunday.

For a Sunday that looks to be damp (Met Office), Priory Meadow has arranged a Festive Fun Day, I'll copy & paste details from their website below, but I suspect the weather may well mean that its organisation may be a little different on the day:

FESTIVE FUN DAY, SUNDAY 27TH NOVEMBER, 10AM – 4PM

Our Christmas Shopping Festive Fun Day is back this month!

Sunday 27^th November between 10am and 4pm there is free festive entertainment for all the family to enjoy throughout the day whilst Christmas shopping, with a magical atmosphere, live music, Father Christmas and even The Grinch!

OUTSIDE – LIVE MUSIC AND STREET FOOD

You’ll find a stage in Queens Square by our 35ft Christmas tree with a fantastic local line up.

Kick starting the festivities is White Rock Theatre, who are bringing along some of the cast from this year’s must-see pantomime, Beauty and the Beast. Local panto legends Tim McArthur and Ben Watson will be providing all the laughs, and White Rock Tiddlers will be taking to the stage too.

Lea Goddard, The Coverups, and HPO Brass will also take to the stage with a host of Christmas tunes.

Take a seat on one of our many benches, grab a bite to eat from The Swing Grill, El Changarro or Khalid’s Kitchen and sit back and enjoy the shows.

INSIDE – FATHER CHRISTMAS, CRAFTS, THE GRINCH, FACE PAINTING AND MORE

Inside the shopping centre you’ll find even more festive delights, such as free face and glitter painting by Fantasy Face Painting, and a children’s Christmas card making activity run by the Glow Baby team.

It wouldn’t be a Christmas event without Father Christmas. Meet the jolly man himself outside Marks and Spencer for free throughout the day and take a photo with him in his sleigh. Plus keep an eye out for his wife, Mrs Claus, who will be wandering around handing out delicious complimentary treats and surprises.

A cantankerous, green, fluffy misery will be roaming at intervals spreading his grumpy charm… The Grinch will be attending with his usual mischief and trying to ruin Christmas!

Our charity partner of the year, RNLI, will be joining us for the festivities. Donations to the charity are greatly appreciated.

Centre Manager, Andy Harvey, said: “We hope you can join us for what is going to be a very festive Christmas shopping experience this December, something you certainly can’t enjoy when shopping online.”

Please note all entertainment is subject to change or be cancelled at any point. Acts are performing at scheduled intervals throughout the day.

RNLI Donations, Nice One!

I just saw on Facebook that the Dolphin Inn had amassed donations totalling £1,379.50 in the RNLI Charity Box, nice one! 👍

Loggets World Championship at the Stag Inn on Sunday!

Indeed, the Loggets World Championship is being held this Sunday, the 14th of August (Sussex World), I kid you not! The game of Loggets (or Loggats) has been around since the 14th century at least, when King Edward III proclaimed that, on Feast Days, every able-bodied man should practice using bows and arrows/bolts/pellets, specifically forbidding many games, including Loggats, on "pain of imprisonment" (James Masters), So, it wasn't a rarely played game by 1363, although very rare now!

So what is Loggets? Traditionally, it's a game where you throw sticks at a stake in the ground (Free Dictionary); on Sunday it will be throwing pieces of wood, or loggets, at a figurine called The Tom. Each team member will have 3 loggets to throw.

Accordingly, on Sunday, in the back garden of the Stag Inn, 14 All Saints Street TN34 3BJ (website), from 2.00pm, the Loggets World Championship 2022 begins. Apparently, they're very welcoming to 'newbies' to the game, that is, in teams of 2, and the entry fee costs £2 per team member; with proceeds being donated to the RNLI, a very worthy cause indeed, nice one!

I think you shouldn't fear imprisonment for playing Loggets these days, so feel safe to enter the Loggets World Championship and good luck to all that enter!

Hastings Lifeboat Reminder: Jewellery Donations Please!

As I said in my blog in March, Hastings RNLI Fundraisers continue to raise funds for Hastings Lifeboat Station (website), indeed, a Jewellery Sale will be held over the weekend of the 8th and 9th of October 2022, all money raised will help "save lives at sea" and all donations would be very much appreciated.

"If you have any jewellery you would like to donate please pop into our gift shop for our volunteers who run the event." (facebook).

As ever, with respect to the brave men and women who crew the lifeboats, beach support workers, and to all those who support them, mostly unpaid volunteers!

Had to see the latest Norman Invasion of Hastings...

Indeed, I'd got the day wrong originally, but glad to have found out and passed that information in my last blog, where I gave details of the friendly invasion, the Normandy Food Tour 2022, and it seemed pretty friendly too! Food, drinks (where most visitors appeared to be sitting - behind the vehicle in front of me) and music...

The Food Tour is well worth the visit, and still 4 hours left for it to be open in Hastings, but, of course, the RNLI Lifeboat Station a few metres away is well worth the visit too, if not today, over the weekend. And, adding on to what I said in my last blog, of course, there are many other places to visit and things to do: Hastings Pier, the Blue Reef Aquarium, Fishermen's Museum, Shipwreck Museum, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Hastings Castle, the award winning Parks, pubs, bars and restaurants galore, and fish and chips galore!! Not to forget Jack in the Green this weekend...

Enjoy yourselves!

Hastings RNLI Lifeboat - Seeking Jewellery Donations for Sale!

Hastings RNLI Fundraisers continue to raise funds for Hastings Lifeboat Station (website), indeed, a Jewellery Sale is planned for October, all money raised will help "save lives at sea" and would be very much appreciated.

"If you have any jewellery you would like to donate please pop into our gift shop for our volunteers who run the event." (Facebook page).

As ever, with respect to the brave men and women who crew the lifeboats,  beach support workers, and to all those who support them, mostly unpaid volunteers!

Waking up to a Red Weather Warning!

Indeed, another Red Weather Warning has been issued by the Met Office for the South East today, including Hastings, of course. What does this mean? Well, between approximately 10.00 and 15.00 they warn that Storm Eunice will cause significant disruption through strong winds bringing dangerous conditions, eg due to flying debris.

Also, Car Parks on the seafront will remain closed today.

What the Met Office warns may happen: 

Flying debris resulting in danger to life;  

Damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down;

Roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights;

Power cuts affecting other services, such as mobile phone coverage; 

Large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, seafronts and homes (very significant down here, and the RNLI warn us similarly).

So, please do be careful today folks, stay safe! 

On the positive side, it should be sunny this afternoon... 

Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer Vacancy

Indeed, I seem to be writing about the RNLI and Hastings Lifeboat quite a bit recently; for example, my last relevant blog. However, I've just noticed an advertisement for the position of Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer at Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Station. The position will be for someone who wants to help "save lives at sea by raising awareness of the RNLI, through promoting the activity of the lifeboat station, highlighting the lifesaving work of (their) volunteers and sharing key messages via local, digital and social media." The closing date is the 30th of January 2022.

If you want further information, or wish to apply, go to the RNLI website.

Support for the RNLI increases!

Interesting that, since I first wrote a blog about fishermen trying to block the launch of Hastings lifeboat, that verbal messages of support to the RNLI have dominated the media, and been made in person, financial support has increased significantly (Observer), and I have only heard very positive comments about, and respect towards, the brave folk, virtually all volunteers, who make up the crews and land support teams.

Interestingly, fishermen have historically made up crews for Hastings lifeboats over many years, and that, since 1824, the philosophy and purpose of the RNLI has continued to be to save lives at sea, that is for everyone in danger at sea, valuing the lives of whoever may be in trouble. To find out more about the Philosophy of the RNLI have a read of their appropriate website page.

Respect to everyone involved in the RNLI, particularly to the crews, many thanks! 

RNLI now threatened Nationally by Bigots, Dark Days!

Following on from the recent threats against our own local lifeboat crew and trying to prevent the lifeboat's launch (blog), and I have had feedback from the local lifeboat station which confirms this. More recently, right-wing bigots/bampots/whatever you want to call these thugs, have latched onto 'hacking' the national RNLI's website, it appears, which has had to be closed down (report).

My support, as most decent people's does surely, continues to be given to our brave lifeboat crews, mostly volunteers, who risk their lives to save other people's lives at sea, and who are simply doing their job, my respect to the RNLI. 

Sad, but People in Hastings attempted to block Lifeboat launch!

It happened 10 days ago (I only just found out), but a group of people, apparently local fisherman, and this has been supported by someone I know, who knows, tried to prevent the Hastings RNLI lifeboat from being launched (Argus) because they didn't want them to "bring any more of those (migrants) home." Now, 2 questions, first, how did they know the lifeboat was being launched regarding migrants crossing the Channel, rather than being launched to assist a boat in jeopardy? Second, are they happy to block the RNLI doing their voluntary work, protecting lives at risk at sea, and how would these same fishermen feel if the lifeboat was prevented from launching when a fishing boat and its crew was at risk? The police are investigating...

Just thinking, sad that anyone appears happy to see people lose their lives at sea... 

Here comes the Weekend!

There will be a Pop Up Market at the Stade Hall close by to the RNLI Lifeboat Station (always well worth a visit too!) on Saturday and Sunday 11.00 am to 4.00 pm (2-3 October- website), featuring the work of creative 'makers' and small businesses.

And plenty of music up at the Oval with UKG By the Sea on Saturday 2nd October from midday to 11.00 pm; to purchase tickets please go to this website.

Indeed, here comes the weekend (YouTube), enjoy it, but stay safe!

Hastings Old Town Carnival Parade Returns & more to come still!

OK, we're very unlikely to see the lifeboat heading the parade this year (I took this photograph 3 years ago - blog), or ever again, as I believe it's too long to get around the roundabout by Iceland, but thinking back to past parades what great days they were; but maybe the RNLI inshore boat will lead the procession this year? 

Anyway, the carnival procession shouldn't be too spoilt by the morning thunder and lightning predicted by the Met Office, as it begins during the afternoon (website). And there are still many other events going on this weekend. Look at the website for details of the events being held on Saturday, and again at the website for Sunday. 

Keep a check with the website for changing weather conditions.

Whatever you do, please enjoy the weekend folks, and remember, be safe! 

Weather Warning - Strong Winds

The RNLI, as ever, correctly warn us against relaxed behaviour along the seafront with strong winds forecast (Met Office), we appear lucky to be missing rain compared to elsewhere, but with gusts between 30 and 60 miles per hour, do be careful folks!

Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Shop Reopening

Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Station shop is reopening today (Friday 4th August 2020), from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm daily. Of course there will be observation of Covid-19 precautions, including visitors required to wear face coverings and to maintain social distancing. Welcome back, although the lifeboat never went away thankfully!

Musicians and Coastal Currents, and LIVE MUSIC!

I'm a wee bit behind the times (only just saw this on facebook), but:  

Sussex musicians, Coastal Currents want to pay you! They "know times are tough with performances being cancelled and the creative economy struggling. But Coastal Currents raised money from the Arts Council England to be able to give you a space online to stream your live gigs! We support you during COVID and plan to continue supporting you. SO - If you want an hour of live streaming for you, your band, an experiment, to launch a track... to build an online audience - our online stream, gets around 3k watches - get in touch at info@coastalcurrents.org.uk and we can arrange a time for your live stream AND PAY YOU FOR IT! We can also facilitate it to stream to your page too!"  

I hope this information can help local musicians, and, by the way, live music is available on Hastings Pier at weekends, as I mentioned in my blog last week, and a small cover charge of £4 to see the music on the second half of the pier was brought in yesterday for LIVE & UNLOCKED (facebook); the front half of the Pier remained free to enter. Apparently there will NOT be a charge for Saturdays and Sundays (I have just read), but if you want to check on this weekend and future gigs, and see film of previous gigs, please go to the Hastings Flyer facebook page. By the way, tomorrow's music includes Kingsize Slim + Rufus Stone, and Dr Savage, have fun!

OK, Hastings Old Town Carnival Week (website) this year has mostly been a 'virtual' event, but I thought I'd include a photograph from 2 years ago, the last year the lifeboat could take part in the Carnival Parade (blog), sadly no parade this year... 😥

I have missed opportunities to walk along the middle of the road as well 😉