Hastings Half Marathon ran by some anyway!

Well, many runners decided to run the Hastings Half Marathon 2025 anyway, despite it being cancelled (blog). I only found out when I looked at the Hastings Photographers facebook page, and discovered the many photographs posted there!

These first 2 photographs from Hastings Photographers were taken by Marie Richardson.

I presume many runners decided to complete the half marathon as they had trained for the event so went through with it anyway, and others ran because they had already raised money for charities. Apparently, some ran the actual full course, though likely not in the road for some parts, and others made up the distance running along the seafront.

The third and fourth photographs, again from Hastings Photographers, were taken by Brian Bailey. Many thanks to Marie and Brian, and great respect to all those who ran the 2025 Hastings Half Marathon! I wish I'd known...

5 Years On!

5 years ago today I did my best to be positive, and got out early in the morning, and it was very quiet indeed, because it was the first day of the first Covid Lockdown (blog). Plenty has happened since then, and Covid is still with us, but in a much less threatening way, and I'm keeping up with the vaccinations, which seem to have helped. Keeping up my positivity, I actually made myself healthier over the following months, pubs being closed helped with that, but also my virtually daily morning walks, mostly across Hastings Countryside Park, helped enormously, and quite wonderful weather that year facilitated too.

Coincidentally, Peacocks in Queens Road had it's last day on the Saturday (blog), as if having had a premonition, but much more to do with the arrival of Primark to Hastings. Oh yes, and for a different reason, the 2020 Hastings Half Marathon had been cancelled too (blog), a virus and explosive chemicals 5 years apart, hmmm... make hay whilst the sun shines folks!

Half Marathon Cancelled, and Roadworks Extended.

Sadly, the Hastings Half Marathon 2025 has been cancelled (facebook). Apparently the man who is in custody is being held under the Mental Health Act.

And the roadworks at the seafront have been extended by another week, life, eh...

St Leonards Incident, Police Update.

The incident concerning the 'Bomb Disposal Squad' at the seafront in the St Leonards area near West Marina Gardens (blog) continues into the weekend. The Police confirm a 28 year old man is in custody and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team are "conducting a thorough search of the property for any further hazardous material." Also, that "the chemicals are not part of any large scale drugs production and the incident is not believed to be terror-related." (Sussex Police) 73 temporarily displaced neighbours are being provided shelter at the Royal Victoria Hotel (blog), arranged by Hastings Borough Council, and Police are mindful of trying to sort this out before the Hastings Half Marathon tomorrow/Sunday (blog). The seafront and road remain blocked, consequently today's/Saturday's Park Run has been cancelled (website).

Bomb Disposal Squad at St Leonards!

Sorry I'm a bit late with this news (I live in the centre of town) so was unaware, but the image above of the Bomb Disposal Squad at the seafront in St Leonards, west of Marine Court, is quite new and from Sussex World, many thanks to them, and there's video there too. I originally saw about this on the Hastings Police facebook page, which is providing updates gradually. Apparently a man in his 20s is in police custody, and this is not regarded as a terrorist event. Rumoured to be more to do with illicit alcohol/drugs maybe, as it's "suspected chemicals" in the building, either that or it's a big boy's chemistry set...