Walley's and Pickled, Queens Road.

Opened a couple of months ago, Walley's, 191 Queens Road, Hastings TN34 1RG (website - my image), where the laundrette used to be, sells plants, stuff to do with plants, and some less perishable Greek foodstuffs. It opens from 11.00-20.00 Wednesdays to Saturdays and 11.00-17.00 Sundays; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Downstairs, is Pickled, their Greek restaurant:

This is a bar too, and the style of food served in Pickled (facebook) is meze/mezze, the Greek equivalent to Spanish tapas. The reason why I have posted this blog is, not just that it's new, but that a number of different groups of people I know have eaten there and have all shared glowing reports. The images immediately above and below are from their facebook page.

I've been told that the food quality is very good, and at a reasonable price too; the meze/side dishes range in price from £6.50 to £7.50, and 'Pickled Classics' from £7.00 to £10.00. The image above looks toward the attractive garden area, which can be accessed from St Andrews Mews whilst open, and will become a great boon during warmer months I have no doubt, nice one!

The outside garden area peaking in from St Andrews Mews,

It's Now December So...

Indeed, I have held off this early seasonal blog until December because, well, just because it was too early for me in November, though apparently not too early for trees and decorations to appear around Hastings town, in shops, and in pubs and bars, so here I am...

Not only does a warm welcome meet you as you come down from from Hastings railway and bus interchange (top), but as you enter the Priory Meadow indoor shopping centre too.

Not to forget the caring bear in front of the Charity Giving Tree in aid of Hastings Foodbank, where you can make a donation by taking a tag from the tree, purchase a suitable gift, and then take the gift to Kids Stuff (website) in Priory Meadow, and many thanks for your kindness.

And a warm welcome also meets you when entering St Andrews Mews after crossing South Terrace from Marks & Spencer, there's a tree placed there since I took this photograph!

And, of course there are many other Christmas Trees, lights and allsorts of decorations around town, so, apologies, but early Seasonal Greetings folks, it's coming nery soon!

Biltong in St Andrews Mews!

Look away vegans...

I was walking by the other day and was excited to find that the Sussex Biltong Company (website) has opened an outlet in St Andrews Mews TN34 1SJ, near the Waldegrave Street end, in what used to be the office (photograph above). Of course I had to purchase some, and I can tell you that having it freshly cut, then eating it, is nothing like the dry tasteless biltong you get in packs in pubs, t'was lovely!

Apparently, they are having a 3 month long trial to see if Hastings is a suitable place for them to sell their products, and I vote, YES PLEASE!! ✔

Smoke Shack Update (speedy!)

I realise I only recently wrote about the Smoke Shack Bar & Grill, in this blog, but I've since seen further information on their facebook page! First, they've revised opening times, not that I previously told you, 😉 but which are:

Tuesday - Saturday 12.00 to 22.00 (kitchen open to 21.00);

Sunday 09.00 to 16.00;

Closed Mondays.

And they have a new menu (from the 6th of July), below: 

And no! I don't have shares, I just like to see a new local business succeed. 👍

Oh yes, and the cafe/coffee place that was just past the bar briefly, has appeared to have moved to the end of the mews opposite Marks & Spencer.

If I don't write again, have a good weekend folks! 👌

Things are changing, and Good, and not so Good, News!

I've been waiting to drink on Hastings Pier again for quite a while now, and they do sell bottle-conditioned St Austell Proper Job, at 5.5% a beefed up and better version of the cask ale I believe, and many others agree, and which helped me through the dreaded lockdowns (blog). So I visited La Belle Vue (website) on the pier, the recently opened French bistro and bar, and chatted to the proprietor Keir a couple of days before coming here for a drink, indeed, I took the photograph above on the south facing upstairs 'outside' bar just before meeting her.

I came back on Saturday and drank in the downstairs bar, where I was served by the proficient Lucien, who I got on famously with as he had studied at the University of Exeter, and I had trained and worked in Exeter many years before, indeed, before he was born! 😁 However, when he wasn't carrying out his dealing with other customer duties we did share memories of the wonderful city that is Exeter, and which feels more like a town, and where I haven't visited since 2009, having lived here in the mid/late 1980s (blog written by Kieran).

I did drink a few pints, first, La Belle Vue Cidre (4.8%), which I believe to be from Appleshed Cider of Hereford (twitter), and made with apples that grow in their own "orchards that shelter beneath the Malvern Hills in Gloucestershire." A medium dry cider, not as dry as the usual ciders I drink, but very refreshing, and just £4.40 a pint, on a seaside pier, great value indeed!

I then drank La Belle Vue Lager, or Bière Blonde (4.0%), I haven't been able to work out where it's from, but it was very good, and tasted more like a Belgian blonde ale than a lager to me, although not quite the potency of many Belgian beers. 😁 At 4.0% I could drink this all day, and at just £4.25 a pint, I could nearly afford to drink it all day, excellent value! 😉

My final pint was of Grand Central IPA (above photo and 4.2%), which is brewed in the Manchester area, I believe by Hydes Brewery of Salford. This is what I call a 'crafty keg' beer, and 'vegan friendly' with a slight haze. Brewed with 6 different hops from the USA and Australia, consequently packed with citrus and forest fruit flavours, and quite delicious, cheers!

Oh yes, and La Belle Vue is primarily a French restaurant (website), with traditional French starters including Soupe à l'oignon, Escargot, Leek Terrine et Cuisses de grenouille, main meals as the above menu, and interesting bar snacks too (facebook). I also briefly chatted to another couple of staff, very friendly respectful service, and met up with Keir again, which was a nice touch to end my visit, I'll be back! 👌 

Also, St Andrews Mews, which I have written about a few times before, eg blog, is under new ownership, and pastel shades of paint are now adorning the walls, and things are changing indeed. The cafe that was there has been enlarged and is now a 'bar & grill' and a smaller takeaway coffee outlet has arrived too, some businesses are staying, some have left, and some new ones are arriving, watch this space!

After the fire at 39-41 George Street, reported in this blog, and the postponement of the new building project, I have it on good authority the demolition of the old amusement arcade/night club is happening. Sadly, the neighbouring Rainbow Restaurant, 11 Sturdee Place, cannot start it's own rebuilding/refurbishment until the demolition is complete and it is safe to work there, so not for some months yet (facebook).

Oh yes, forgot to mention that the drainage appears to be sorted out, at least here!

The Who Exhibition and Virtual Reality Experience!

Remembering that The Who played on Hastings Pier as far back as 1969, now you can experience The Who again in Hastings in this exhibition and virtual reality experience at St Andrews Mews (TN34 1SJ) for the next few months. The Mews goes from opposite M&S into St Andrews Square, if you aren't aware of it, and I have written about it before (blog). Anyway, for further details regarding The Who experience go to the website.

Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, 1.00-8.00pm Wednesdays and Thursdays, 12.00-9.00pm Fridays and Saturdays, 12.00-5.00pm Sundays. 

Baba O'Riley YouTube.

1066 Computers

I'm sorted out IT-wise, with thanks to the fast, efficient and friendly help of 1066 Computers of St Andrews Shopping Mews TN34 1SJ (website), indeed, much cheaper than buying a new laptop, so should be back to usual blogging!

Hair Today and Studio One

I was going to headline this something like 'Hair Today Gone Tomorrow' but that would have been very silly, but with my minimal hair (cut by myself every 2 or 3 weeks with my own clippers, number 1/2) I very rarely visit a barbers/hairdressers, but yesterday I did! Quite frankly, I couldn't be bothered with cutting my hair but was fed up of looking like a hippy, so I dropped in very early to Studio One, at the Cornwallis Street/St Andrews Square end of St Andrews Market TN34 1SJ (definitely the postcode!). As I've said before (blog) St Andrews Market appears to be the Hastings 'Centre for Alternative Therapies' but it also has much more! Cycles, Pet Care, Cafe etc... but also Studio One, and a fine coiffing I was given too, very early (I'd just got back from the launderette before 08.00) and Sharon, bless her, booked me in soon after 08.00, many thanks! Friendly service and at a decent price too, I'll be back, within the next 5 years or so 😉

Hastings Centre for Alternative Therapies?

Recently walking through St Andrews Mews, TN34 1S? (there are a few postcodes but TN34 1S is definitely correct), and I was surprised that there are four alternative therapies being provided here, in addition to the other shops, bikes, pet care, clothes, hairdresser, shirt printing, music and DVD, and cafe etc etc! Has St Andrews Mews become the Hastings centre for alternative therapies?

I found there are Podiatry and Chiropody, Brown Emmett muscle release technique, Russian alternative complementary therapy, and reflexology (which I benefited from when recuperating from fixation of a fractured vertebra a while ago now, I had lots of time, and they wanted someone happy to be used to practice on by students, so free to me too!), now this is a fair selection of alternative therapies, worth noting!