(Mostly Good) News about Empty Buildings + Roadworks

The once gracious Post Office in the town centre, and the much newer University of Brighton building adjacent/behind it, are to become 41 flats and 667 square metres of commercial floorspace (The Argus). Very glad to see the old Post Office building will be refurbished, but sad that the University of Brighton couldn't find enough students for its Hastings campus. Oh yes, and where will the new inhabitants find to park vehicles?

And things are moving for business around Hastings Castle and St Mary in the Castle, 10 years ago our glittering 'Jewel in the Crown' (blog), but sadly not for the church itself at the moment. The management of Hastings Castle and the adjacent cafe by the top of West Hill lift, is now to be run by Troika Projects (HBC website), and the shopping arcade, design based on Burlington Arcade, is to become a food hall with 7 different ethnic food restaurant booths (Sussex World); Indian, Italian, Turkish, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Now I do realise that there are roadworks in other parts of town, and my thoughts go out to the drivers, and pedestrians, who have to put up with them. But nearest to where I live are these roadworks by The Carlisle at the seafront, and where they go on and on, no joke...

Some Still Closed BUT Some Opening...

Good to see the Bottle of Hastings premises has been taken over (and the same website address!) by another Wine Bar (and coffee) Shop, Hastings Wine & Coffee, 91-92 Queens Road TN34 1RL (website). I shall write more after a visit, plus about buying wine in Hastings, including Penbuckles, which shall also be coming into another blog soon!

Interesting that apparently unsellable building's frontages are being decorated, for example Debenhams (above) and the St Mary in the Castle Restaurant. I recently mentioned that Peacocks closed down 5 years ago (blog), but all that's happened since was immediate redecoration, some other work was done (?), and the doorway was boarded up when a couple of tents set up residence there; I do understand why it was boarded up, and it has happened elsewhere, but is this really the way to sort out housing problems, just push them away?

Thankfully it's just hot air, Climate Change is a Hoax, isn't it?

This photograph was taken an hour ago looking up at Hastings St Mary in the Castle (blog), still no new news there yet! Well, we're into the Indian Summer which we seem to have more and more of over the years, good old September, and the month of certain people's birthdays. 😉 Today is meant to be the hottest day of the year in Britain (BBC), and it's certainly hot, but the temperature will be hotter in other parts of the country I imagine (Met Office). So, we had the 40 days of rain recently, many thanks St Swithin (Historic UK), now we have, quite frankly, another freaky weather situation...

But have no fear, ignore the experts, as the nutjobs of the right-wing keep asserting, ignore 'experts' over Science, the NHS, Brexit, Climate Change, whatever, indeed, Climate Change is a "hoax" if you listen to the non-experts (Forbes - Trump). But, it appears to me that things are a wee bit strange, and I do tend to listen to 'experts' in their field of expertise, for example, I went to a NHS Medical Consultant about my cataracts, and I'd go to an electrician if I needed my home re-wired. So, rather than listen to ideological right-wing bampots, I look to scientists and appropriate 'experts' concerning nature, and about the realities and myths of Climate Change (WWF).

It's not a hoax! 😟

Seafront Walk & Changing Face of Hastings

Before reaching the seafront I walked past Priory Meadow, noting that the car park is free to enter for now, although the hours of opening are now 07.00 to 19.00 (above). Presumably this is connected to the recent flood and ongoing work, still, free, eh?!?

Then, turning right onto the seafront after walking through Robertson Street and the America Ground, I wandered up to Hastings Pier, which remains closed, but the promise of its reopening very soon under new management (Sussex World). Indeed, the Pavilion to the front and west (above) is to become an Italian/Mediterranean Restaurant, and the central Deck Pavilion is to become a French Bistro and bar, with other food offerings from the huts, so, good news, and roll on!

Where the waste pipe from the drain opposite The Carlisle and Albert Road was damaged what seems like years ago, well, that appears to being worked on at last!

Hastings Jewel in the Crown, St Mary in the Castle (blog), and the restaurant, remain closed, with its own Shanty Town in front; be wary if you have small children or a dog as you go by, as detritus in the vicinity includes drug use throwaways. People either loved Jeremy Birch (R.I.P.) or didn't, but I tend to believe he would not have let this situation develop for what he called Hastings Jewel in the Crown if he had still been leader of the Council. However, there does appear to be expressions of interest being made to the Council including from a community consortium, so, fingers crossed...

Oh yes, and The Deluxe Bingo Hall closed at the weekend, although it appears that the amusement arcade is still functioning, at least the machines are still lit; I've heard their lease lasts for a while longer. And another Hastings seafront building that made an obvious cameo appearance in the film Byzantium (blog).

So, things do change, stay safe folks!

Hastings the Happiest Place in Sussex - Official! Plus more...

Indeed, Hastings has been rated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as the happiest place to live in Sussex, with a happiness rating of 7.9, which is above the national average of 7.45 (Sussex Live). If you want to know more about the research, and comparisons to other 'well-being' statistics and areas of the country, go to the ONS website. It appears the really happy English live in Hexham up int' north, and Brits? Well people in Northern Ireland are the happiest, makes you wonder about the Brexit fuss on that side of the Irish Sea! But good news for us still.

Back in September I gave a very unsubtle hint about the takeover of The Italian Way by Rocksalt (blog), well it is now well and truly open, and has been busy when I've passed it whilst open, this image is from earlier this morning. And it most definitely sells Italian style food still, with just the one burger, the Rocksalt Italian Burger!

I've written a few times about the closure of St Mary in the Castle (for example, blog), not such good news, and looking into the restaurant yesterday (above) cleared of trappings, it looks pretty bleak, so for here, still not so good news, yet...

To cheer me up I took a photo of the lights in the town centre early doors, Hastings Council does like to illuminate early every year, but it does look nice. 👍

Oh yes, and the issue of 39-41 George Street, where scaffolding had blocked the road for ages until removal 2 years ago (blog), well, it's still boarded up (above), but approval has been given for the demolition of the former amusement arcade and nightclub. In its place the construction of ground floor commercial units with 20 flats above has been approved (Sussex World), see the image below of how it should then look.

That's all from me today folks, enjoy the weekend!

Fire Station Open Day, RNLI Vacancy, plus more this Weekend

On Sunday, the 21st of August, the Bohemia Road Community Fire Station, strangely enough up Bohemia Road, TN34 1EX, on the right as you go uphill, is having an Open Day. Doors will be open and visitors will be welcome between 11.00am and 4.00pm, with "fun for all the family" 🚒 and I know the son of a certain friend will be absolutely delighted to attend! 

"Crews will be showcasing their new Aerial Ladder Platform" and activities will be "going on throughout the day, including a Breathing Apparatus drill and Chip pan fire demonstration" and "firefighters will also be providing advice on road, water and home safety" (Hastings in East Sussex Town Guide).

And while we're talking about Emergency Services, you could always visit Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Station at The Stade TN34 3AR (facebook page). Indeed, I noticed that they are looking for a volunteer to join them in the role of Deputy Launching Authority. The closing date for applications is the 2nd of October 2022, and the role description and further details can be found at the website. 

Of course there is always plenty to do in Hastings, museums, art galleries, amusement arcades, crazy golf courses, parks, the beach and promenade, restaurants, cafes and pubs, and, of course, fish & chips, but beware of the gulls swooping down to pinch any food you may have, chips, ice cream, whatever, just look up and they're like vultures! 

Also, there is the award winning Hastings Pier too, great to extend your promenading on, but also with music from this evening until Sunday, see their facebook page for details. There's plenty more music around town too, always worth a wander around the Old Town any evening, certainly over the weekend/Sunday afternoon, including live music at St Mary in the Castle this evening and tomorrow, music at The Carlisle tomorrow evening and Sunday afternoon, local band Cushty playing at the Dolphin Inn on Saturday evening (it will be busy!), and the Martin Blackman Band will be playing at the Lord Nelson pub on Sunday from 5.00pm, but look out for more music elsewhere!

The weather should be okay over the weekend (Met Office), enjoy!

Hastings Old Town Carnival Week 2022 Culmination

From now to Monday there is plenty happening still, including today (blog), but the week really culminates with the Grand Procession on Saturday the 6th, which begins at the Rock-a-Nore car park at 5.00pm, and with the theme of Kings & Queens (website, and many thanks to them for the above library photograph).

Entries to the procession must be returned by tomorrow/Friday evening (website), but other events continue tomorrow too, including what have now become regular events for this Carnival Week, but notably, the Old Town Gurning Competition at Butlers Gap from 6.00 to 7.00pm (website), the Twilight Smugglers and Stade guided walks, and OTCW Last Supper in Courthouse Street, with Bangers & Mash served for £7 from 4.30pm; serving stops at 6.30pm. For details of all Friday events see the website.

Before the procession, between 3.00 and 4.00pm on Saturday, there is an opportunity to join a guided tour around the wonderful St Mary in the Castle, which I have written about many times, including recently, but I would recommend booking a place as soon as possible as there are limited places available, see website. In addition the ongoing exhibitions and events continue, plus guided walks, and then Fireworks at Dusk from Hastings Castle up on the West Hill, approximately from 8.30 to 9.00pm. For more details of the events on Saturday go to the website.

And it's not completely over yet! On Sunday the 7th there are still many of the ongoing events running; exhibitions and museums open; Hastings Ghost, Foyles and Twitten & Cat Creeps guided walks; services at St Clements and St Mary Star of the Sea churches, and the combined church Blessing of the Sea (website), a historic ceremony on the beach, by the west side of the harbour arm, from 4.00 to 4.30pm. For more details of the events on Sunday go to the website.

Then, for Monday the 8th, our mayor and local councillor, James Bacon, has organised a Fancy Dress Litter Pick (website), a family friendly event including a Best Dressed Competition for those who turn up in fancy dress. Meeting at 10.30am at the Stade Open Space, presumably close by Stade Hall, if you can bring gloves, sacks and litter pickers that would be appreciated, lets help Keep the Old Town Tidy, cheers!

That's it folks! 👌

St Mary in the Castle Council Update

Further to my recent blog about the St Mary in the Castle Charitable Trust not renewing its lease later this year, Councillor Andy Batsford, Cabinet Lead for Health and Culture at Hastings Borough Council has got in touch with me, many thanks Andy!

Councillor Batsford included the Council statement issued recently to the media, which I reproduce below, and reassured me that St Mary in the Castle is still regarded as a "Jewel in Hastings Cultural crown." The Council is looking for a "cultural partner that has the means and ability to take St Marys on as a going concern" and as a sustainable business, and is excited by potential future developments. 

However, the Council continues to need to look for savings across the board in these financially tight times, so consequently cannot offer any more grants to whoever takes over next, following what had previously been given to help St Mary in the Castle reopen following the Covid-19 Crisis (see below). 

I understand this completely, as Central Government has reduced the Central Government Revenue Support Grant that Hastings received from the £14,000,000 a year it was when they took over at Westminster in 2010 to nothing since 2018... In addition to not receiving any central government grant anymore, Local Government is severely restricted in how much it can increase Council Tax annually despite the increasing costs and inflation that we are all experiencing, indeed, this year limited to just 1.99%, which includes a 1% increase in the Adult Social Care precept, so effectively just a 0.99% increase for 2022/23 - see blog.

Here is the Hastings Borough Council press statement:

“We are also very sad to hear the news of the closure of St Mary in the Castle, and we would like to thank the trustees and staff there for their hard work over the years, running a very complex venue during a difficult time. They have provided many years of great entertainment, culture and world class acts for the town and its visitors.

“Hastings Borough Council was keen to help the trustees of St Mary in the Castle reopen after Covid, we met them on a number of occasions and gave them £18,000 last summer. However even this, a grant of just over £50,000 from Arts Council England, and over £87,000 for Covid recovery from the government through Hastings Borough Council appears not to have been enough given the ever increasing costs of running venues. The café received additional Covid recovery payments.

“The trustees of St Mary in the Castle told us that without more funding they would have to close. Sadly we are now in that position. Hastings Borough Council simply does not have the resources available to support St Mary in the Castle.

“We will now look at all options that don’t involve further funding from the council. We look forward to ideas and conversations from individuals, organisations and companies who can work with the council to provide a first class entertainment venue that can be fully sustainable without sadly any Council subsidy.”

With many thanks again to Councillor Andy Batsford. 👍

St Mary in the Castle to lose its shine?

Many years ago St Mary in the Castle was referred to as the Jewel in Hastings Crown by then leader of Hastings Borough Council, Jeremy Birch (R.I.P.), and I have written quite a few times about St Mary in the Castle on this blog, for example, and for the Hastings Independent. But I fear this wonderful building may be about to lose its shine, or should that be lose its glitter?

8 years ago I interviewed 2 of the trustees of the St Mary in the Castle Charitable Trust and the administrator, who showed me around this wonderful building, and everything looked hunky dory. Since then this nearly 200 year-old jewel became a well loved venue, indeed, friends of my niece are getting married there very soon! 

But I recently discovered that, after nearly 10 years holding the tenancy, the Trust will not be extending the lease beyond the end of October 2022, basically, their statement says that they cannot afford to continue, sadly.

The statement gives more detail of the reasons, and I have made enquiries to try to discover more about the positions of the Trust and of the Council.

28th July, still awaiting updates... 

Stay in touch for more information as and when...

Fat Tuesday Music Festival Sunday 27th Umbrella Parade plus...

So, this Sunday, and hopefully the wind will not seriously effect the parade, is the planned Umbrella Parade, forming at The Stade from 11.30, starting at 12 noon heading for St Mary in the Castle (website). There, from 12.30 to 2.00 pm, is the Preservation Sunday party (website), free entry with music, dancing, food and drink!

Also, from 1.00 to 10.00 pm at The Crypt, 57 Robertson Street TN34 1HY, is Sunday Sonics (website), free entry for a mixture of live music, art, DJ sets, film and more!

Enjoy your Sunday, and stay safe folks! 

Christmas Day Walk Photos & Another Bakers Shop!

Not much chatting for me today, but it was glorious yesterday, if a bit chilly, so I wandered out to St Leonards along the seafront, and Beachy Head waaay over there!

I turned around at Marina Court and headed to the Old Town and one of my favourite views down Rock-a-Nore Road, I nearly added a photograph of the Stacey Marie, but, despite repainting it very recently she's not among today's photographs. 

A lovely 'blue sky' image of the Lifeboat Station with the East Hill in the background.

OK, I own up that I'm a bit late, apparently it reopened as a baker's shop a few weeks ago, but the Old Customs House is now an outlet for Frankonia (website). I'm assured by my mate Frank that it's nothing to do with him, but he also assured me that there are good bakers shops in St Leonards too, but I only noticed the Customs House had become a bakers shop a couple of days ago, and didn't know about St Leonards bakers. Sorry, but I just don't eat much bread and patisseries, so can't really review bakers, but there's another one in the Old Town now! 😉

And on my way home I had to take a photograph looking up at the West Hill, with St Mary in the Castle and Pelham Crescent sitting below the ruins of Hastings Castle. 

Happy St Stephen's Day!

A Virtual Walk from Hastings to Pevensey Bay

I shall start this virtual walk, mostly along the seafront from east to west, from the Old Town and Rock-a-Nore Road, with this photograph taken close to Hastings Fishermen's Museum (blog), please feel free to join me, and I assure you you won't get tired, physically tired anyway. 😉 So we can wander along here, with the sun behind us, and to our left, in the early part of the walk, past that well known landmark, the Stacey Marie (blog), past numerous chippies and pubs to the right, and world famous Hastings Adventure Golf Courses to the left, yes! World famous indeed, with World Championships being held here most years (eg blog), sadly not this year though, understandably, because of the Coronavirus crisis, but in our walk reaching...

... over on the right, and nearly 200 years old, is St Mary in the Castle, with its foundation stone laid in 1825, and construction completed by 1828. The church was part of a larger project, Pelham Crescent, and with a shopping arcade below that was strongly influenced by the fashionable Burlington Arcade in London. The building is quite magnificent, and more information and photographs of the inside can be seen at this blog, although you should try to visit when things get back to normal, if you haven't already been inside it would be well worth it! You'll also realize from the image above it was taken very recently during the 'lockdown' thus eerily quiet.

Onwards to the west we go and reach one of the main stars of the film Byzantium (trailer), indeed, there are many Hastings landmarks we can recognize in the film, half being filmed here and half in Ireland. Anyway, we pass what was originally the Palace Hotel, built in 1885-86, and now Grade II listed Palace Court over to our right. You will see from this blog that I regularly enjoy walking along the seafront, although more recently Hastings Countryside Park Nature Reserve, one of our regular local award winning parks, check out this blog, but I digress, and virtually...

Virtual Hastings Pier

Maybe not what you expected to see as we reach Hastings Pier, but what the second phase was planned to be when Friends of Hastings Pier put in a bid to move the Pier on from phase 1, regrettably there having previously been no movement towards the second phase by Hastings Pier Charity before they went into administration. This is the plan devised by the architects dRMM, with their previous phase 2 plan having included a sliding canopy that would have moved along the length of the Pier. However, this updated second phase plan was to ensure the Pier would remain a 'sustainable community asset' (dRMM) and was designed just before the Pier was suspiciously sold to a private bidder, and includes a modern pavilion similar in construction to the Eden Project, which is another dRMM success story. Sadly, the Pier is rarely open now, from even before the Coronavirus crisis, as local folk will already be well aware.

You can see many blogs (for example) I've written about Hastings Pier, the potential there was for it to be developed, and the dubious result, but I'm past that now, and we are about to reach Marine Court; you will have come to realize that I have written a few recent blogs with this virtual walk in mind. 😏 Indeed, I wrote a recent blog about the early 'postmodern' Grade II listed Marine Court, which was built in the 1930s and links Art Deco with Modernism, a wonderful take on the Queen Mary ocean liner, and was the tallest apartment building in Britain of its time.

Oops! On we go, nearly missing the Royal Victoria Hotel, just to our right, which was built in the early 19th century, and was originally called the St Leonards Hotel, a focal point for then 'up and coming' Burtons' St Leonards, the brainchild of architect James Burton, and later developed by his son Decimus (much more information at the Burtons' St Leonards Society website). Also, to our left, over the beach, would have been St Leonards Pier, had we been walking past in the late 19th century and until it was demolished in 1951 following fire and bomb damage in World War II, and storm damage that year. But this is a virtual walk, so please feel free to have a look at a previous blog about St Leonards Pier, including early 20th century photographs.

We shall now continue on along the seafront, and I had to include the photograph above because I love those houses over there with the balconies, with their Mediterranean 'feel' and what I call Hastings very own Côte d'Azur, but then I do have a pretty good imagination. Anyway, let's carry on our way to...

... Bulverhythe, which was once an 'official port' of Hastings, and became a 'limb port' of the Cinque Ports in 1359 following the order of King Edward III. It was a larger 'haven' than the Priory Valley, which had been the major Hastings port when the Normans invaded and hence the castle being built above it, and consequently Bulverhythe became an important port for the town (Hastings Chronicle). All that is left of Bulverhythe now are the ruins of the old church and what could be argued to be the oldest pub in Hastings, The Bull Inn (blog). Whatever, that is an argument that could go on and on, and I thank my friend John Hodges (R.I.P.) for his advice and sharing of local knowledge with me. Also, this is the border of the Combe Valley Countryside Park, which is on the edge of Hastings Borough with half of the area owned and farmed privately, the rest owned by Hastings, Rother and East Sussex councils.

Ah, so what shall we do now? Well, I want us to make a slight detour northwards along the Combe Haven, but we shall first have to cross the railway and A259, please come along with me. It's not too far off our path, and visiting the Sussex Wildlife Trust's Filsham Reedbed nature reserve always helps me to relax, it is always so peaceful. I shan't dwell on this now, but if you'd like to join in with the detour, please have a look at my last visit here towards the beginning of the 'lockdown' (blog).

If you'd like, and we're not too early, we could have a venture into the Brickmaker's Alehouse when we reach Bexhill, but it's probably better to drop in for a drink on the way back, when we may well need a virtual drink. However, fortunately I've visited here before 'lockdown' so please have a look at the Steve the Beermeister blog for more about this great little micropub. The Brickmaker's has had many previous incarnations, but it is named because it had once been run by Lunsford/Ashdown Brickworks. But, maybe we should go elsewhere for a coffee and cake now...

... and the obvious delightful venue for coffee and cake in Bexhill on Sea is another wonderful Art Deco/Modernist building, the De La Warr Pavilion, now definitely be aware of why I've been writing about local buildings recently, notably this blog, in this instance! Much more at the blog if you'd like to know more about this iconic 1930s architectural masterpiece, but for now we're going there for coffee, unless that isn't your choice of beverage. Whatever we have to drink, they sell decent cakes as well, quite sizeable too, my brother and I often share a piece when we sit out on the first floor balcony, so I suggest we do the same, or maybe just go for a piece each cut in half so that we both have 2 different cakes. Let's go for it! 😉 You get credits for each hot drink on a 'loyalty card' too for a 'buy 9 get one free' offer, and sitting on the balcony provides us with a great view of the seafront, what's not to like?

After soaking in the rays on the balcony, and enjoying our small repast, we shall set forth on the way to Pevensey, but, if we hadn't stopped in Bexhill, we would very likely have now had a pot of tea or a beer, depending on the time, at the Cooden Beach Hotel (blog), another 1930s building, although very different in style. But we are heading for Pevensey Bay, and it'll take a bit of virtual effort as mostly shingle beach for the rest of the way, unless the tide is out, and the we can walk on sand more, so let us presume the tide is virtually out for an easier walk and we can reach our third delightful 1930s Art Deco meets Modernist building, and one with a slightly risqué past, The Sandcastle (blog), which sits on the beach handily, so it cannot be missed!

If you'd like to find out more about the intriguing past of The Sandcastle please have a read of the blog, because it does have an interesting history, but I thought we'd come away from the beach now for a drink in Pevensey, we should be ready for that virtual pint of Harveys Sussex Best before making our way back to Hastings. And where better to enjoy our well deserved drinks than at The Lamb Inn (website), one of the oldest pubs in the country, dating back to 1180, cheers!

It is a long walk back too, but a beautiful day in which to enjoy the gorgeous coastal scenery, the 1930s architectural delights, and a beer or two (or whatever you'd prefer to drink, of course), and probably pop in to the Brickmaker's Alehouse on the way back too. I also mention these pubs because it is now 8 weeks since we have been allowed to go for a drink in a bar, where did those 8 weeks go?!?

I hope you enjoyed our virtual day out, cheers, and look after yourselves!

Weekend Jack in the Green!

I wandered into the old town this morning to take some early photographs, which I shall embellish appropriately; yesterday (blog) I mentioned Jack in the Green events today (Saturday), so this blog will mention events tomorrow (Sunday 5th). I took photographs from the Albion, the first pub I found with greenery as I arrived from the west...

So, events tomorrow (website) include the Morris Dancers Church Service at St Clement's (above) from 10.00am, followed by dancing outside at 11.00am, and later, music there with The Copper Family at 4.00pm; doors open at 3.30pm, tickets £8.

Jenny Lind

Greenery in the High Street too... but meanwhile, down at the Stade Open Space tomorrow, a (Morris) Dance Spectacular begins at 12.00 noon...

 Stag Inn

Greenery up at the top of All Saints Street too; meanwhile, down at Butler's Gap at 4.00pm The Drum-Off, when 2 local drumming groups, Sambalanco and Section 5, march and bang their way from each end of the old town to go head to head!

And even greenery (and colours!) at cute local cottages... Oh yes, the programme, from 7.30pm, upstairs in the Cinque Ports Arms, further up All Saints Street from this image, with more traditional music with The Big Squeeze...

And the furthest pub  to the east with greenery, the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road (above)... Though the final event of the day tomorrow is another Ceilidh at St Mary in the Castle from 8.00pm; tickets £12 adults, £5 children, £25 families. 

Greenery even up on the West Hill at the Plough Inn (photograph from Jamie's facebook page, many thanks!), opposite where the Jack in the Green procession on Monday finishes, and I believe  there will be a barbecue there on Monday too...

Plenty to enjoy, and even more on Monday!!