Town Centre, Couple of News Items.

Many times I've written about the ongoing building of the hotel in Cornwallis Street (eg blog), see image at bottom, well, the road is vlosed off from the South Terrace end, which I imagine hasn't made Pissarro's too happy, but the entrance from St Andrews Square has been opened for visitors to the garage back there, but no parking room available for anyone else, oh well, and...

I meant to wrote about this last week too (apologies for delay), but Greggs in Queens Road has moved. I saw it was closed in the early morning, but walked by again in the early evening and took this photograph, it has enlarged slughtly to 2/4 doors back down Queens Road!

Driving in Hastings Ain't Easy!

The town centre itself has seen numerous roads blocked, notably Queens Road (eg blog), including utility companies blocking the road, Police too, work on the traffice lights by Marks & Spencer, and trucks, including trucks with multiple trailers, backing out of Cornwallis Street into Queens Road because they thought they'd found an easy route through, notably to the building of the hotel (blog) on the other side of St Andrews Square, in that end of Cornwallis Street!

Of course there are roadworks all around Hastings too, including in St Margarets Road (above), and I don't have a car at present, but friends have regularly shared their nightmare travels around Hastings! Whatever check up before travelling (Hastings Online), and stay safe folks!

St Andrews Square Back to Normal, at last!

I first mentioned the leak and 6 excavations in St Andrews Square the month before last (blog), this morning the final work finished, until the next time, at least, phew!

Leaks, Pits and Hotels!

I've recently been reporting about the LEAK, pits and trenches in and around St Andrew's Square (eg blog), but now I can confirm that something is happening. The photographs on today's blog were taken over the weekend, you'll appreciate, it's a bit more damp this morning! Anyway, the leaky holes are still there in the car parking spaces, but the leak looks to have been fixed; I hope my raising the matter with Southern Water had some influence. Meanwhile the pits at the 4 corners of the square have been roughly filled in, but still need road surface replacement.

But I noticed another leak in Priory Street! I'm sure there are many other leaks around town, feel free to mention them in the comments below so that othere are aware, cheers!

And the hotel in Cornwallis Street (blog)? Well, as you can see above, notices have been added to the fencing around the building site which confirm the planned hotel is to be situated there.

Leaking Pipe and SIX Pits!

Well, since I last wrote about the leak in St Andrew's Square 2 weeks ago (blog), it's still leaking! The only difference is that 4 holes/pits have been dug off each corner of the square, one just down from the leak in Cornwallis Street close to queen's Road, the second just in Cornwallis Street at the diagonally opposite corner of the square opposite where the foundations for a hotel appear to be being dug (blog).

The other 2 pits are at either end of Waldegrave Street, one virtually opposite Marks & Spencer, and the other just below Earl Street which, as you can see in the photograph above, means that the road is blocked off! How many weeks is this going to continue with parking spaces depleted and a road cut off? How many gallons of water are going to be lost? I give up!

Waste & Recycling, and Leaks!

I've been away for a break celebrating my birthday and when I returned, this leak in St Andrews Square is still there and uncovered; they know about it, obviously, they did this work there weeks ago, but not a big enough leak for them to worry about, I presume. Meanwhile water is being wasted and 3 car parking spaces, in an area with precious parking spaces, cannot be used!

From Hastings Borough Council: "If you use pink sacks for your recycling and have run out, there are now more in stock at Muriel Matters House. You can collect these from main reception during office opening hours. You just need to give your address when you collect them. You can also use any plastic bag other than black bags to put your recycling in for collection.

Your waste and recycling should be left outside your property on the morning of your collection day. You can check your collection day using our online checker at the website."

Hastings: Updates, Good & Bad News, What's Going On?

I was out earlier, walking along the seafront, and saw this quite lovely view of the Channel and a cafe, Goat Ledge (website), which I really do have to write a blog about soon. It reminded me of the Hastings Pride Festival and Parade on Sunday (blog). I found out earlier that our new Member of Parliament Helena Dollimore M.P. was the first ever Hastings M.P. to speak at Hastings Pride (twitter, wants to be called X); make your own assumptions about the previous 2.

I did wonder earlier this month (blog) whether the Hotel plan for Cornwallis Street Car park would be going ahead, well, something is definitely happening there! Let's wait and see...

Whilst in the area, surprise surprise, yet another water leak, this time in St Andrews Square, and it has been dug up since before the weekend. I spoke to a Highways official this morning, and yes, he said, there is a water leak... Waiting for it to be fixed, and remember all these leaks when you are paying your water rates/bill, and a wonderful visitor to the area decided to park, basically, where she shouldn't, thankfully she left before anyone turned up to work on it, laugh stifled!

There will be an exercise launch of the Hastings Lifeboat this evening at 18.00, recovery planned for 19.00 (facebook), worth a visit if you haven't seen a launch yet!

Do you recognise this man? Seen here entering the Dolphin Inn, Rock a Nore Road, early yesterday morning after breaking in through a window, after which he stole a number of charity boxes, obviously he has no conscience or scruples! If you do know the thief/criminal please get in touch with the Police (website), or call 101 or 01273 475432 for Hastings Police.

He rode off on a cycle, tats on arms/hands, and generously left his fingerprints behind...

Town Centre, Power Resupply Required!

Following on from yesterday's results of the previous night's deluge, and the most fire engines I've ever seen in one place (blog), now comes the clean up... etc...

The Fire & Rescue Service is still in attendance, notably a fire engine outside the cinema, apparently still pumping out water from Priory Meadow. Now though there are many UK Power Networks' vans (I've never seen so many of these either, not just those in the photograph, but in St Andrews Square too!) in the vicinity to replace the fire tenders, presumably to sort out electricity supplies. Indeed, they have even set up a temporary HQ in the Salvation Army building in St Andrews Square.

And yes, Priory Meadow is still closed, although a few businesses in Queens Road are open now, but not those with entrances in the shopping centre, it appears.

Restricted Parking in St Andrew's Square Tomorrow 20th May

I just noticed that parking will be restricted in St Andrew's Square tomorrow, between 09.00 am and 4.00 pm, for "tree maintenance." If you need to park near the town centre you may find it difficult to find a parking space around the square, pass it on!

Guess they found the leak in South Terrace

It appears they found the water mains leak they had been avidly seeking in South Terrace/St Andrews Square (many instances of a search have been witnessed over the last week!), it was opposite M&S all the time...

Arson just off St Andrews Square

On Thursday 9th January there was a fire just off St Andrews Square, at the basement door of a 3 floor residential property that has been empty for at least 10 years. The East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service was called and extinguished the fire, many thanks to the crew, which apparently was set because people were trying to gain entrance (by burning down the door!), and was very likely to be connected to drugs...

Hastings Pride 2018 - Today!

Today's Hastings Pride Festival is situated up at The Oval, Bohemia Road TN34 1ET (website). The festival is free to attend, is for the community, and aimed to be inclusive, fun, and entertaining, but do dress up for the weather, if not for the festival; the forecast isn't that great (Met Office). It starts at 12.00, following the Festival Parade, that gathers from 10.00 and heads off at 11.00, at/from the car park in Cornwallis Street, at the North-East corner of St Andrews Square, on its way to The Oval (website).

The Festival includes music, comedy, food and drink, a family funfair, market and information stalls, and much more; enjoy the day!

How to upset your voters, HBC...

Already upsetting older people in the Old Town by telling them that they need to walk up the hill to Clive Vale to see their GPs, now, I saw yesterday, the Hastings Old Town Hall Association has been passed by finally (see my previous blogs) so that a commercial indoor 'playground' called "Discovery" takes over the space; see my blog and their website. Although the website suggests it opened in 2016, I walked past and noticed that redecoration was in process, so presume it will open soon, good luck to them...

 

Meanwhile, regarding residents in other areas, hygiene, and toilet provision, voters all over town are demonstrating and setting up petitions, in Ore, St Leonards, the list goes on. Most people will be aware of the continuing problem of dog mess all over town, I didn't think you'd appreciate a suitable image here, so I've just photographed a small corner of St Andrews Square in the town centre, which has regularly seen 'fly tipping' here, despite 3 huge bins in the diagonally opposite corner of the square, and which has been a mess for weeks now! Oh yes, and there are planned closures of public toilets in Ore and in the town centre, councillors had better be careful who they upset with their monetary savings, even if national government stimulated, if they wish to be re-elected...

Coastal Currents: Harriett Macaree...

The Arts Festivals are everywhere! Just now I was walking through St Andrews Square in the centre of town, and there was an "Open Studio" for Harriet Macaree (Coastal Currents website), who is also participating as part of the Azzur performance at the Stade Open Space this evening; see my blog earlier today! 

Worth a visit, art is everywhere in Hastings!