Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday

Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival: 13th to 17th of February 2026 is back next week, and it's time to celebrate again Britain's largest Mardi Gras in Hastings! The full details of events can be found at the website. As usual I'll share details and notes here about the history of Mardi Gras itself. The festival encompasses numerous venues across Hastings throughout the 5 days of the festival until culminating on the evening of Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day/Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras/whatever 🎶 Tuesday the 17th of February, for the Fat Tuesday Tour 2026, with partying and music galore from 24 established acts at 12 venues plus!

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Spectacle! 

OK, we may not be as spectacular as Mardi Gras in New Orleans (website) which has been going since 1703, originally 60 miles south of New Orleans, at Point Du Mardi Gras, where  French explorers landed a few years earlier, on the day of Mardi Gras, the 2nd of March 1699. New Orleans was established in 1718, with Mardi Gras regularly celebrated there by the 1830s, and by 1875, large floats were being built in New Orleans to celebrate the festival, the year it became a legal public holiday.

Rio de Janeiro Carnaval, Glamour!

Or as glamourous as Carnaval in Rio which has been celebrated, initially with feasts, since the 17th century. Masquerade balls became popular in the 19th century, but in the early 20th century the culture of African music and dance, introduced by freed slaves and their children, was enveloped within Portuguese Rio de Janeiro, then was founded the dance style of Samba (Sambassadorsofgroove). Mardi Gras was now celebrated in Rio together with the development of Samba schools in the 1920s (there are about 200 schools in existence now) the Carnaval (Portuguese for Carnival) festival became centred on the parade of the Samba schools and the glamour that was introduced, and since 1933 Rio Carnaval has become the largest Mardi Gras festival in the World, with 2 million people participating every year.

We may not have as much spectacle and glamour as New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, although there will be plenty of dressing up, be assured of that, and Mardi Gras and Carnaval have been going considerably longer than Fat Tuesday in Hastings, but we do have free live music galore and we party, this is Hastings!

Whichever events you attend, do enjoy our Mardi Gras and have fun!

Peace on Earth, Happy New Year!

Sad that 2025 saw the continuation of a major war in Europe, it's been nearly 4 years now with hundreds of thousands of needless deaths and destruction because of the evil dictator in Russia! Conflict in the Middle East continues, and conflict in the Americas, Asia and Africa too; notably since January the wannabe dictator Trump has threatened Canada and Greenland, and others, and now he's on the verge of starting a war with Venezuela, apparently for oil, maybe Colombia as well! There still remain millions of refugees fleeing wars and poverty too, sadly. We thought the world had changed following 1945, at least in Europe, but apparently not so...

However, I am an optimistic soul, consequently, I trust that things will improve in 2026, and I wish to share my hope for peace and true goodwill to the people of Hastings and everyone worldwide, fingers crossed folks... 

Happy New Year! 🎉

Season's Greetings!

I give thanks to all those who have helped over the year, those working in the emergency services, the police, fire fighters, ambulance staff and paramedics, the NHS, doctors, nurses, other health professionals and ancillary staff, and the brave crews and volunteers of the RNLI lifeboat service. Respect! 💓

And many thanks to Charles Schulz for the imagery. 👍

Finally, I wish to share my best wishes with you, and peace and goodwill to all, whatever one's beliefs, let's continue to work together folks. 👌

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Message from Wildlife Trust

I've received a seasonal message from the Wildlife Trusts CEO, Craig Bennett: "Hello, I would like to say a big personal thank you to all of you who have supported us over the past year. Whether you have signed a petition, sent a postcard, donated, or acted for nature on your own doorstep, you make a huge difference.  Thanks to your efforts, we have ensured bees are protected from harmful neonicotinoid pesticides, drawn attention to the catastrophic harms of bottom trawling on the seabed, and held the UK Government accountable to their election promises to restore nature. Yet we know that there are threats on the horizon and nature will still need YOU next year. The Wildlife Trusts do not do this alone. It takes a movement of people for nature to meet the challenges we keep facing head on. We look forward to standing up for wildlife together in 2026. Season’s greetings to you all and best wishes for the new year! Craig Bennett Chief Executive The Wildlife Trusts" - A link to Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Hastings Pier To Be Sold Again?!?

It appears the fake sheik is about cash in on his bargain buy, and put up for sale Hastings Pier (BBC), a landmark close to my heart, and which I have written about many times over the years, eg in this blog. Waiting to see the outcome, fingers crossed it's better than the last one!