Register to Vote, again!

For the second time this year we are being asked to register to vote!

Like me, you've most likely had a letter/registration form through your letterbox, which you need to complete and return in the envelope provided, or you can register on-line. If you require further information, have a look at the Government's website. 

Bottle Alley and "Point of Decay"

Since Friday, Bottle Alley has been converted into a scene of art, thanks to ZEROH as part of the opening ceremony of the Hastings & St Leonards Coastal Currents Arts Festival, see website. Here are some photographs I took yesterday...  

For continuing and new events go to the website.

Stade Saturday AND Sunday this weekend, and much more!

Yes! Stade Saturday includes a Sunday, this weekend! 

Today, Saturday 29^th August, from 7.30pm, at the Stade open space, as part of the Hastings & St Leonards Coastal Currents Arts Festival, which runs until 13^th September, is MANJUSAKA. This free performance follows years of development of the project by Yumino Seki and her team, and is drawn from Butoh, a form of Japanese avant-garde dance theatre.  

Tomorrow, from 1.30 to 8pm, at the Stade, the Anna Mudeka Band perform a unique fusion of Zimbabwean Mbira driven music to listen to, or dance the hours away, and take advantage to learn Zimbabwean dance moves in Anna's workshop!

For more details of what's happening over the next 2 weeks, eg today's Kids Kite Workshop at the Stade open space, go to the Coastal Currents website.    

Summer Craft Fair this Friday...

Hastings Summer Craft Fair is tomorrow at the White Rock Theatre, from 11.00 to 16.00; see website for further details and enjoy! 

Head shavings to raise money for 7 year-old girl.

The 7 year-old daughter of a customer of the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road, has sadly been diagnosed with cancer recently. I am not publicising her name for privacy reasons, as you will appreciate. Whatever, the coming months are going to be a very tough journey for her, and for her family... 

2 volunteers have agreed to have their heads shaved, Debs (barmaid) and Richard (customer), to raise money to provide the brave wee lass with a special treat in the next few months. If you wish to know any more about this, please visit the Dolphin and talk to the landlord and landlady, Mark and Maureen, who can tell you more. Indeed, within 24 hours, £250 has already been raised; donation forms are at the Dolphin.  

Debs and Richard will be having their heads shaved at the Dolphin on Sunday 13th September at 2pm. Please come along that afternoon and give them support, and any donations towards the 7 year-old's treat would be most welcome, many thanks.       

Reply to Stephanie!

I've had a wee play with my settings, layout etc, but have to own up that I'm not the best person for anything too technical, more of a words man really. Please see if what I've done works, and/or, I'd be grateful for any advice, many thanks!  

Cycling Further... and response to HowAboutNo

Yes, indeed, the previous, but one, blog's photographs were taken on the other side of the road, and not too far from the Carlisle, though not such a conflicting a scenario as you appear to remember... I took these photographs this morning at about 06.30 from here, and it was a wee bit wet, so not too bright a morning!  

You suggested the "markings just stop", though these 2 photographs show they do not 'just stop'. On the floor there is a clear depiction of a cycle, leading cyclists to the right, and even cyclists who are illiterate could make out what this image tells them...  

Also, the sign at the same place has an arrow that points cyclists to the right, not to the left, just before where the previous images had been taken, for example, below: 

Sadly, it was wet, so I put my camera away before carrying on, but in a couple of minutes, when I was the other side of the road to St Mary in the Castle, a young lad (late teens/early 20s) was cycling along the pavement, heading into town, outside their restaurant. As I said, before 7 in the morning, very little road traffic, a cycle path to my right, and the lad was riding along the pavement... 

It does need sorting out, again noting the law, cyclists "MUST NOT cycle on the pavement", paragraph 64 (website). 

Waterfall in the High Street Surprise!

Yesterday afternoon was a bit wet... 

Here it comes down from the West Hill... 

... cascading into the High Street! 

The weather forecast doesn't look too good until Friday either, oh well, get out the wellies and waterproofs, have fun!

Damned Cyclists!

OK? WHEN did cyclists get permission to ride on the pavement? The lad above is outwith the law! To his left is a perfectly good road to cycle on, to the right is a perfectly good cycle path, as you will all know! The Law appears to state that cyclists MUST NOT cycle on a pavement (64 Government website), yet, and most cyclists do appear to obey the law, but many do not, cycle paths have been built for them, and roads are meant for them, NOT pavements, which many DO use! Last night, at 7.30pm, I was nearly hit by 3 cycles on the pavement, ie on a Sunday, when it was nice and quiet on the road!     

There were more cyclists later on last night who were happy to aim their bikes at me too, ON THE PAVEMENT! And it's not just young male flibbertigibbets! All ages, and both genders, no doubt cross-genders too... and I haven't even gone into cyclists ignoring crossings and traffic lights yet!

Something needs to be done, I used to visit my brother in Oxford, when he was at uni there, and it was much safer! 

Today, at St Michael's Hospice!

From the Hospice's facebook page: 

We'll be cheering Gary Baxter over the finish line at the Hospice this evening, with an ETA of 6pm. We'd love to see you at the Hospice from 6pm to cheer with us!

Gary will be completing 380 miles, non stop, from Newcastle to Hastings and we'll be celebrating with him as he gets to the Hospice. There will be live music, nibbles and much more to celebrate his incredible achievement.

Gary is cycling in aid of the Hospice and Macmillan Nurses, who cared for his aunt and grandparents and in support of his Mum. Gary's Mum, who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, has just received some fantastic news that the chemotherapy seems to be working. We're really pleased for Gary and his family and wish them all the best.

Hospice Fire update...

Irene Dibben, chairwoman of St Michael's Hospice, has been reported to say that the consequences of the 11 July fire have been "quite major", and the hospice may take up to a year to reopen (BBC), though nothing has been recorded to this effect on their own website, to date.  

Meanwhile, numerous local fund-raising schemes for the hospice continue to evolve, including many organised by local people, and businesses and shops; eg a Concert for St Michael's, featuring a variety of local music, on 6th September at the White Rock Theatre (website), and the 1066 Charity Walk on 27th September (Hospice website). 

Keep up the excellent work people of Hastings!  

Stade Saturday, and today is...

... Eight Foot Square Performance Day, 1-9pm.

Today it’s the turn of the Hastings community to show what local people can do!

There is a flavour of the 'Big Top' today, with the Pulse School of Movement and Hastings Guerilla Circus, amongst others, delivering an exciting programme of local circus skills, interspersed with athletic turns from the South East Stars Cheerleaders, and a join-in workout from Active Hastings.

From circus to street art, from sand castles to human pyramids, whether it’s singing, dancing, playing music or any other performance, it'll be there!

There will also be workshops on a variety of performance skills on site throughout the day. Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition is hosting a people’s piano recital, for you virtuosos to roll up your sleeves and perform on the keys, and there will be a programme of the best of local amateur pianists from 7.30pm.

For further details of all Stade Saturday events, go to the Council website.

Amused me...

With thanks to Ed McLachlan, quality!

'Oh What a Night'

With thanks to Debbie McSweeney's friend, Marie Callaghan...

"On Friday 14th August we held a disco/karaoke fund raising night in memory of Debbie McSweeney. We had a raffle and proceeds were donated to McMillan Cancer Support. We raised £2000, but more than that a great night was had by all. Debbie's sister Caroline and brother Brian were able to attend and lend their support. Debbie was the only person who relocated to Hastings for 20 years but was still able to fill a hall in Glasgow. The night was attended by about 150 people from the Maryhill district in Glasgow, where Debbie was brought up and went to school." 

Debbie would have loved it, nice one Marie, and yet more charity fundraising for MacMillan in honour of a nurse in Hastings, who had many friends and loved life, R.I.P. 

Bushels Kentish Cider on again!

Had a few pints of this rather excellent, sweet to start, yet comes on very dry and bitter, reasonably local, cider at the Dolphin Inn, yet again... there finished the previous story!

My weekend, and much walking...

My brother visited at the weekend, and, as ever, we walked a fair bit, hence my not being around so much to write blogs, sorry...

Started off at Battle on Saturday (train from Hastings to Battle) and walked south to Crowhurst and St George's, the parish church (website), where we ate our first sandwich of the day, before going to...

The Plough, where we drank a pint of the decent 4% Long Man Best Bitter (website).  

Then we carried on towards Bexhill, though with a couple of deviations, due to the building of a Bexhill/Hastings link road (website), that added a few miles to the walk! This photograph was taken from a grid reference of about 756106.  

Anyway, we finally reached Bexhill, and saw our first Cornish flag of the day...

And, at the house I call the Bexhill Flag Raiser's, saw this ensign, presumably because of the 2015 Eastbourne Air Show (website), of which we spotted quite a few planes towards the west, including the Red Arrows...

We then returned to Hastings, where we searched for somewhere to watch the football on television, to no avail (though I today discovered that it was on at the Wellington in the High Street), but Dan wanted to try the FILO Pirate Gold (5.8%) anyway, so we visited the First In Last Out, where we enjoyed a nice pint or two before heading home.  

On Sunday, we just walked to Cooden Beach and back, as Dan had to catch a fairly early train home, so, passed the ever-developing Pier (website)...

Then saw this new cafe, by the old lido, that I'd never seen before (so new, obviously!). 

At Bexhill, we saw even more flags, no idea what this is about!

We had a coffee each, and an excellent piece of carrot cake, at the wonderful Art Nouveau/Modernist De La Warr Pavilion (website), always a delight to visit, sit on the balcony, and watch the world go by, not to mention the boat races this Sunday!

Then we headed off to Cooden Beach, before returning to the Albatross Club (RAFA club) at Bexhill seafront, of which I happen to be an Associate Member, so reasonably priced ale, and free roast potatoes on a Sunday, thank you very much!

And another excellent local ale we enjoyed too, the 5.5% Franklins New Zealand IPA!

And the Dutch tricolour had been added since the morning!

The new cafe was now open too... Anyway, Dan caught his train home, and I visited the Dolphin Inn yesterday evening, but that's another story, cheers!