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...

New Kiosk, Seating et al...

I've given up waiting to post this image, the new kiosk just on the seafront, at the end of the America Ground, to the left, as you look at the photograph, is a new wooden staircase down to the beach, where tons of enormous (Norwegian, I have been advised) rocks are being shaped into 2 groynes! At the public presentation at the White Rock Hotel in June last year (link to relevant blog) I was told that this would be an 'information' kiosk, but artist designs around during the many months this was being constructed appeared to show food and beverages being sold, we'll see...

I had really wanted to wait until this seating, in front of the old baths/Source Park, was available to the public, but, what the heck...

Even More Happening at the Pier!

The front of the Pier is now festooned with pennants created by children from all primary schools in Hastings and St Leonards, plus some from schools further out!

The Deck, above the Visitors' Centre, has opened today, with cheerful and friendly staff, as you can just about see, a wee bit dark, sorry; so you can eat and drink upstairs here, as well as at the old Pavilion towards the front of the Pier now. The seating here is protected from the wind by clear strengthened glass, so no spoiling the view, and is very comfy.

Talking about seating, more benches were being added as I photographed; these made from recovered decking from the old Pier, as is the cladding around the Visitors' Centre. 

Oh! I've also discovered that fishing from the Pier will be allowed at specified times and timetables will be available soon. To keep in touch with developments and with details of events, gigs etc, see the Pier's new website.