Hastings Bonfire, Procession & Fireworks and more!

The bonfire set up on Pelham Beach earlier today (above). Roads will be closed to traffic near the seafront and in the old town between 6.00 and 11.00pm this evening, to allow for the Procession and Hastings Bonfire celebrations to go ahead safely (HBBS), the culmination of Hastings Week 2022 celebrations. The procession will congregate at White Rock and starts from that end of Robertson Street about 7.15pm, following the lighting of the beacon at 7.00pm up on the East Hill and the arrival of lit torches. The procession will proceed along Robertson Street and across the America Ground, turning right into Harold Place, then turning left and heading eastwards along the seafront to Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town, turning left and walking up All Saints Street to the top. Then crossing The Bourne to the High Street and back down to the seafront and turning right to the west and to the Pelham Beach car park for the bonfire and fireworks at 9pm, see the map below, and website for full details.

I wonder who the effigy will be of this year... Putin? 😏

As it still is Hastings Week (website), there are other things going on too this weekend. Today (Saturday) includes the 5th Hastings Vintage & Classic Motorcycle Show, from 10.00am to 2.30pm at The Stade, and the 69th National Town Criers Championship at Butlers Gap in George Street from 11.00am. Tomorrow (Sunday) sees the 13th Sprat & Winkle Run, which begins in Sevenoaks from 7.00am, driving through Kent and East Sussex before arriving in Hastings between 10.00am and 12.30pm, and finishes at 4.00pm. What is the Sprat & Winkle Run? It is a run organised by the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society (website), so expect to see about 70 vintage commercial vehicles at The Stade tomorrow...

The closing ceremony, that is The Reflection, will be held in St Clements Church, Swan Terrace from 4.00pm tomorrow (Sunday). 

Further details for the weekend can be seen at the website, enjoy, and stay safe!

BONFIRE 2019!

Setting up for this years Bonfire on Pelham Beach (Saturday 19th October website) this morning, the culmination of Hastings Week (blog), and I'm still guessing who will be on the bonfire, but I'm going for Donald Trump 😉

Past Procession

The torchlight procession starts tomorrow building up outside the White Rock Hotel but actually begins at the bottom of Robertson Street on the America Ground at 19.15 (website), with the bonfire and fireworks on Pelham Beach at 21.00, and the forecast doesn't look too bad... Have fun, it should be good!

Hastings Week... end!

Hastings Week nears its climax tomorrow, when the Bonfire on Pelham Beach will be lit, and whatever the burnt offering (?My guess = Trump?) will be, well, burnt... plus fireworks galore, obviously. See above image of when the building of the bonfire commenced this morning, however, SO MUCH MORE! Today until Sunday, there are guided walks, lectures, music galore in addition to the usual venues, a town criers competition, vintage vehicles run and show, and more; see website for more details.

Of course, the culmination on Hastings Day tomorrow (14th October), organised by the Hastings Borough Bonfire Society (HBBS), is the annual torchlight procession and fireworks, and burning of the effigy (I did get it correct last year, though it was pretty obvious what it would be, last year being the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings!). The procession begins at White Rock near the Pier; full details and safety advice can be seen at the HBBS website.

In addition, to all the merriment in Hastings, not so far away in Bexhill, at the (RAFA) Albatross Club, is a beer festival, from today until Sunday; see facebook page.

Enjoy the weekend!