Caravan/Lodge Parks Reopened...

Recently I have written a couple of times about Shear Barn reopening (eg blog), well, the weekend just gone they allowed Caravans and Caravanettes that have washing and toilet facilities to stay in their touring field, and quite few turned up. Indeed, on my early morning walk coming back from Fairlight, along Barley Lane, and so a bit later for me, it was a bit like Clapham Junction on Sunday, as in busy... I suppose not so busy really, but it felt like it compared to the last few months, so many dog walkers!

Anyway, the touring field was emptier on Monday morning and, thankfully, I had a more peaceful return to the Old Town the last couple of mornings, but Rocklands is open now too (website), so I'm expecting earlier morning 'traffic' to increase... Oh well, more money for Hastings businesses, so not all bad! 😉

A pint in a pub and Covid-19

By Steve the Beermeister:

As we said recently (blog), it is the personal choice of every one of us, from the 4th of July 2020, whether we go to a pub, restaurant or bar, providing we take into account Government Guidance (website). Our opinion, expressed in that blog, is that, shamefully, the Government is passing the buck, indeed, passing on as much responsibility as they can, and Government Policy and Guidance is a Pig's Ear!

Whatever! I drank a wonderful pint from Kent Brewery (website) on Monday, their gorgeous 4.8% version of an American Pale Ale, Prohibition, a finalist in the 2019 CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain contest, and up there with the best. I have drunk it since lockdown and the Coronavirus Crisis began, recently thanks to the life preserving delivery service of The Jolly Fisherman (website) a couple of weeks ago, but that first pint, fresh from the cask, was wonderful. Prohibition is a very pale golden bitter, straw coloured even, with a big citrus/tropical fruit aroma and taste, particularly grapefruit flavour. A good strength and body ensures you know you have had a drink, and it finishes with what I always rave about, a dry bitter aftertaste, gorgeous!

And, knowing I can't travel far these days because of travelling restrictions brought in by the Government thanks to the Coronavirus Crisis, my drinking has to be in Hastings, or within walking distance of Hastings. So where did I have my first post-lockdown ale in a pub? The Dolphin Inn (website) at 11-12 Rock a Nore Road TN34 3DW, reopened on Monday (I stayed in at the weekend), and it was great to meet up with people I'd not seen for a while, appropriate social distancing of course, and table service! As you can see from the interior photograph above, they have redecorated and re-planned the inside to a warm hospitable environment, not that it hasn't always been so.

Everything has been reorganized so that only one person can use each toilet at a time, during busy periods there will be someone on the door to ensure the numbers of customers in the pub are restricted at any one time, and service is to the tables inside, although customers sitting outside have to go inside to a set point for their drinks, and there is off sales provision too. 

In the short-term there will be just the 4 ales on at any one time, including their 3 regulars still, Dark Star Hophead, Young's Special and Harvey's Sussex Best. This week the guest ales at the 4th pump will be from Kent Brewery (website), and as I said, they started off with Prohibition, of which they had 2 firkins, hurry if you want to drink Prohibition, as it is going quickly, but if you do miss it, it will be replaced by another excellent ale from that brewery, so no real concern. Oh yes, and they have a new chef, Tim, who many of us know from elsewhere, dishing up some very interesting looking food (website), specials on the menus are to be introduced as reopening lengthens, and a Japanese Evening is planned to be held soon.

(Ed) Not all licensed premises in Hastings are open yet, but a few reopened on Monday in addition to the Dolphin, and some will be open again very soon, but during my early morning walks (I have continued this institution!) I noticed that The Retreat Bar up at Shear Barn in Barley Lane, has reopened, although not at the hour I pass. 😉 Indeed, I noted their opening times for now as 4pm to 7pm Mon/Tuesday; closed Wednesdays; 4pm to 7pm Thursday; 5pm to 9pm Fri/Saturdays; 2pm to 6pm Sunday. Their restaurant is closed until further notice.

Whatever, wherever, remember to be careful folks!

Sheer Barn, Carpentry, Decking AND Priory Meadow Car Park

In a recent blog I mentioned that Shear Barn (website) was reopening soon with a clear 3 phase plan for 2020, and, on that day, there were 2 large new toilet block units arriving (since arrived blog), well, they're not where I last photographed them (above), in the past 2 days they have been moved to a more permanent location in the touring field, and two units are uniting and becoming one toilet block!

Here's a toilet block prepared from last year, with decking around, looking good (above). I had an idea I know who carried out this work, checked since, and I am correct. It is Lee of L S Carpentry, who previously voluntarily helped us out using his considerable carpentry skills, unpaid, thus helping Hastings Fishermen's Museum too, when we carried out refurbishment of the Museum's outdoor exhibit RX134 Stacey Marie (facebook page). I've referred to him before, because one good turn deserves another, and it isn't just that one time he has helped us out with her, but on many occasions. Therefore, and this is unsolicited, again, if you want a good local carpenter, Lee fits the description, and can be contacted at stockleylee@hotmail.com 👍 

And the 2 new toilet block units? Well, as you can see from the photograph above, they are becoming one, which I hadn't figured out until I received some advice from Yvonne on twitter, many thanks. They are now waiting to have their union completed, electricity and water supplies connected and Lee's decking to be added, presumably. I returned this morning (Sunday 28th) to take this photograph and, have edited this blog to include the new information and to be more accurate; I own up to never having walked through these fields before, mainly because they've had people camping in them, therefore I always use Barley Lane, anyway, thanks again to Yvonne!

And Priory Meadow Car Park? I mentioned in a blog way back in early April that the car park was free, well, as I was walking back home from my daily early morning walk, I noticed they are charging again now, a sign of the town centre getting back to normal... Indeed, not now left to just the 4-10 'social drinkers' that loiter, and generally appear to have a good time, near the bus stop by Jempson's, the public is returning!

Be careful out there folks, Covid-19 is still about!

Nitrous Oxide and New Toilet Blocks... Separately!

From my walk this morning, and I shall deal with the 2 subjects separately, although it is likely that toilet blocks have been used as somewhere in which to sniff Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas), but first, the commonly seen aftermath of (usually) young people sniffing Nitrous Oxide/Laughing Gas/Hippy Crack/Noz in cars... Although it is illegal to use Nitrous Oxide for recreational purposes, it is reasonably easy to purchase because of its legal uses, notably for making whipped cream, of all innocuous things. Okay, I get that youngsters are taking advantage of that ease of acquisition, and it is relatively cheap, and no judgmental attitude from me people, but there is a bin just yards away from where the canisters are dumped, please use the bins or take home your rubbish, many thanks! Plus, I don't want others to think I'm irresponsible, so I must give this health warning, sniffing Nitrous Oxide can cause health problems, including an increased heart rate, swelling of the brain, nerve damage, burns and anaemia, not to forget death (average of 5 deaths per year in Britain). I trawled the internet for articles, and this is the most recent, from the ITV website just 3 days ago.

Secondly, toilet blocks, as in those that I mentioned in my blog yesterday, when I referred to the coming reopening of Shear Barn, and the possible traffic problems in Barley Lane because of the delivery of the toilet blocks in the photograph above. Well, here they are this morning, 2 rather large portable buildings, so I can understand about the warning given to local car owners regarding parking and the width of the road. Indeed, I have been given a report (many thanks Yvonne) that the police had to be called as a low loader was stuck in Barley Lane, you can't say I didn't warn you... 😉

Be safe folk!

Barley Lane Today and Shear Barn Reopening Soon...

Friday 19th June 2020: So, apart from Shear Barn being in Barley Lane, what's the connection, and specifically for today? Well, the management of Shear Barn have put out notices (under windscreen wipers and tied to posts, see below) which suggests there could be traffic problems during the middle of today, please be warned. The notice asks that local people please not be parked between 10am and 2pm as a "toilet block is being delivered" to the holiday park, presumably it is going to be a wide load...

Which itself suggests that Shear Barn will be reopening soon, and you would not be wrong for presuming that too, though not opening for all types of visitors this summer. From Friday the 3rd of July 2020 they will be reopening for 'Lodge Holidays' and owners of Lodges will be welcomed back, and from Friday the 10th of July they will be reopening their touring field, but only for "self-contained motorhomes, campervans, caravans" and only those with their own washing and toilet facilities (website).

Great to see local businesses coming out of the Coronavirus lockdown at last, and I wish Shear Barn and their customers/clients well, but please remember to stay safe!

Respect each other and please respect social distancing and hygiene advice.