Hastings Old Town Carnival Sunday 31/07/22

The Hastings Old Town Carnival Week 2022 continues today (blog) and tomorrow, Sunday 31st, with Day 2 of the Nearly on the Beach Concert (website), which will be held on the Stade Open Space. Collections will be made in aid of Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Station, Pett Level Rescue and Hastings Sea Cadets. The organisers apologise that dogs are not allowed, and alcohol or drinks glasses should not be brought onto the Stade, however there will be a licensed bar and catering provided.

In addition, there will be plenty more events, including those ongoing; exhibitions; Foyles, Twitten & Cat Creeps, and Stade guided walks; Screenings at the Electric Palace; Boot Sale at Stables Theatre; Big Family BBQ and Picnic up at the Lower Torfield Allotments just off The Bourne; and special services at St Mary Star of the Sea and St Clements churches. More details at the website.

Have an excellent weekend folks! 👌 

Cyril & Lilian Bishop update.

Early this month, and the site for where the Cyril & Lilian Bishop will be docked, in front of All Saints Church and opposite the Stables Theatre, on The Bourne. I have written a few times about this retired lifeboat, one of the "Little Ships" that evacuated troops from Dunkirk during WW2, indeed, the only Hastings boat that brought troops off the beach then (though many others helped with other duties during the evacuation process), eg see this blog, which provides a potted history of the boat and the actions of local characters who have brought her 'home' and been restoring her since.

Work on the site started soon after the first photograph was taken, if you would like to know a bit more about the Cyril & Lilian Bishop, here is a little factsheet.

The site is getting nearer to being finished now, I took these last 2 photographs yesterday, and am now waiting eagerly for the boat to be hauled up All Saints Street on the 17th of June 2017, to her final dry dock. By the way, the boat also has a facebook page.

Carnival Thursday

And the Carnival Week keeps on keeping on! Thursday sees even more exhibitions, tours and walks, a Coffee Morning in aid of the Hastings Lifeboats 10am to 12 noon at the Isobel Blackman Centre in Winding Street, Craft Fair & Cream Tea in All Saints Hall 10am to 3pm, Music and Dance, a production of Blithe Spirit at the Stables Theatre at 7.30pm, and much entertainment at Reeves Corner, including a Grand Charity Auction at 6.30pm and The Great Whelk Eating Competition at 5pm!

For further details visit the website, and have even more fun!

Carnival Tuesday

Hastings Old Town Carnival keeps on... The weather doesn't look so good early doors, with rain forecast until about 10am, then overcast for the rest of the day (as we all know, probably a few showers too!), but it should be decent enough for the cyclists who will undertake the Jimmy Read Memorial Bike Race in Crown Lane that starts at 5.30pm...

Other of the events today include Entertainment at Reeves Corner from 10am, exhibitions at the Fishermen's Museum, the Stables Theatre and at Hastings History House in Courthouse Street, tours of All Saints Church bell tower, and walks galore, the Architecture of Hill Street and the Croft, Stade Guided Walk, the Twittens and Cat Creeps, Old Town Walk, Foyles Walk and Ghost Walks; see website for full details of these and other events.

And, not to be missed, there is an Open Day at Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Station from 11am until 2pm, enjoy your day, but beware the weather!