Carnival Monday

This Monday, there is plenty of fun to be had, and things to see and join in with, notably around Courthouse Street, including a Street Market from 10.00 onwards, a Cheese & Wine Extravaganza from 12 noon, which I took full advantage of last year, very nice thank you very much, and all day entertainment, on the stage at Reeves Corner; see website for full details of these and other events.

Other events include, of course, the Seaboot Race from 6pm (above), Organic Cream Tea at 106 High Street, Coffee Morning with Stalls at the Crypt, St Mary Star of the Sea Church, walks as described recently, including the Stade Walk, and competitive Winkle Tossing down at Winkle Island, Rock-a-Nore Road, 2pm to 4.30pm!

Tug-o-War Fun...

The Tug-o-War is not just competed for by the enormous teams who are going for the trophies, and that knocked out these 2 pub teams, but also by the smaller pub teams made up of customers and staff, eg the Plough Inn, up on the West Hill, above, and the...

Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road. They all look pretty big lads to me, but you should have seen both of the McKimmie men's teams, and a few of the others! But, the important thing about the 'smaller' pub teams competing is that it keeps up the number of entrants (25 men's teams!), it keeps up the fun for local folk, and it keeps the event going.

Nice one, and congratulations again to the McKimmie A men's team and the Anchor Black women's team, the 2 champions. Plenty more happening over the next 8 days, so do carry on enjoying Hastings Old Town Carnival Week 2016! 

Many thanks to Marcus J Lamb-Bentley for these photographs, cheers Marcus!

Carnival Kicks Off!

As previously said, the tug-o-war starts the festivities, and the rope is already placed before the RNLI Lifeboat Station early doors...

Teams are already thirst quenching before they tackle each other, here, the Dolphin team discuss tactics opposite RX134, Stacey Marie, and, coincidentally...

They were the first team knocked out, though after giving a good performance against the much heavier McKimmie B team, but going down 0-2. The McKimmie A team went on to win in the final against the Anchor.

The first women's bout was between the McKimmie women's team, who lost to the Anchor, who went on to tug against themselves in the final, where the Anchor Black team beat the Anchor Animals.

And the Home Secretary was seen, together with some men with hearing aids, and lumpy clothing, presumably her bodyguards!

Hastings Coastguard warning over Pokemon!

UK Coastguard has put out a safety reminder after three girls ignored a red flag beach warning at Hastings Pier last night and went into the water chasing Pokémon. Hastings Coastguard Rescue Team and the Hastings RNLI inshore lifeboat were sent to the scene, along with Sussex Police.  Police officers were able to get the girls out of the water minutes before the UK Coastguard and RNLI arrived. For more information, see the Maritime and Coastguard Agency safety reminder at this link.  

1st weekend of Carnival Week!

Having written very little over the past few days, I feel I may be overawed by how much there is to write in this coming week plus! Hastings Old Town Carnival officially starts tomorrow morning, but there's stuff on today too, and runs until Sunday week (website). Today, from 5.30pm, the windows of All Saints Street will be judged as to which is the "best dressed" and, from 6.30pm on the stage at Reeves Corner in the High Street, will be the Old Town Criers Competition, oh yez! 

Carnival Week, as usual, kicks off proper with the Tug of War competition, weather permitting, in front of the RNLI Lifeboat Station at the Stade at 10.30am tomorrow morning, between teams from various pubs and bars of the Old Town, male and female...

And there's so much more happening, look to the website for full details of the many events to come, including, on Saturday, the Coronation of the Carnival Queen at the Stade Open Space at 12.30pm, a Summer Fete at Old Hastings House, and the Carnival Procession, starting at Winkle Island, Rock-a-Nore Road, from 1.20pm. On Sunday, events include a Car Boot Sale in the Stables Theatre car park from 10am to 1pm, an hour with DJ Wendy May at the Stade Open Space from 1pm, and there will be Children's Entertainment at the Stade Open Space between 12 noon and 2pm on Saturday, and between 12 noon and 1pm on Sunday.

And music... The "Nearly" on the Beach Concert runs from 2pm to 8pm on Saturday, and from 2pm to 7pm on Sunday, and was considered a greater success than was envisioned by many last year, following it's moving off the pebbles... Also, all day on both days, there will be entertainment on the stage at Reeves Corner, High Street, not to mention the many pubs and bars with music laid on Saturday evening!

The Carnival is organised by Old Hastings Preservation Society and the Hastings Old Town Carnival Association, and plenty is happening at Hastings History House in Courthouse Street all week, from Saturday including exhibitions of Sixty Years of Carnival and Lost Roads of Hastings & St Leonards, plus numerous walks...

Indeed, walks include a Twilight Smugglers Walk, Foyle's Walk, Ghost Walks, and the Stade Walk I often mention, except not just on Saturday this week, but on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, not to forget next Saturday and Sunday too, though I may just remind you! For the Stade walks, meet at the Fishermen's Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road at 11am each day; remembering these walks are organised by the charity, so donations to the Fishermen's Museum would be much appreciated, many thanks. More details of these, and many other walks, can be seen at the website too.

Not forgetting that the Carnival isn't the only thing happening in Hastings this coming week, though you may be forgiven for thinking so, but, for example, on Hastings Pier there will not only be the usual facilities, but Wilde's Punch and Judy Show will be held on Saturday and Sunday at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm (see website).

Whatever you do, and wherever you go, enjoy your weekend!

Old Town Walk + White Rock Promenade Update

The Tuesday 2.30pm free guided walk of the Old Town meets again up by the top of the West Hill Lift, very good weather forecast; organised by Old Hastings Preservation Society, therefore donations to this charity are very welcome, many thanks; see website.

The Kiosk near to Robertson Street on the White Rock promenade update...

As the Kiosk looked in the plans, getting there!

Pier Update

The Hastings Pier Charity is looking for volunteers, particularly with the busy summer season now upon us; see website for more details... and a new share offer finishes at the end of the week, again, see website for more details; though shares can also be bought offline, visit the Hastings Pier Shop, in The Deck pavilion for application forms.

Extra events on the Pier this Wednesday 27th June include a performance from The Extreme Cellists at 10.00, Yoga on the Pier at 10.30, a concert by the Eastbourne Lions Youth Brass Band at 14.00 (website), and 10.30-15.30, in Alexandra Park (and on 3rd August), the Charity's Learning Team is organising Play Days in the Park, with free arts and crafts activities. 

Finally, if you haven't already read it, there was a very supportive article in the national Guardian newspaper about the Pier; see link.

Wines, Books, and Beer!

16/08/19 - This business is now closed down...



I'd thought for a while now that something Hastings was missing is a good quality off licence, selling decent wines and beers, not just specialising in one or the other, and we have got one, and, thanks to a wee chat I had with Becky, who works at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, whilst I was admiring the Turner painting up there (recently reported on this blog), I discovered Borough Wines, Beers and Books exists in Robertson Street; American Pale Ales in the America Ground, indeed! 

Now, for many of you, no doubt, this does not come as news, because it's been there for nearly a year! So, how did I miss this? Well, I'll use as my excuse, that I rarely walk down Robertson Street at times they would be open, as I tend to walk down there early doors, and I'll stick to that... anyway, better late than never! Wine? Well, they even sell it by refilling your 'bottle', indeed!

Plus they sell a good selection of already filled wine bottles, and, a dream of mine is having my own pub with a book shop attached, this is an off licence with a book shop within, as you can see here! There are a couple over half a dozen Borough shops in London, one of my favourite areas of London, actually, Borough Market, and expanding to have our very own one down here in Hastings (website).

And, of course, beers! There is a very interesting selection of local beers, as well as beers from around the UK, and, indeed, many from abroad. I, on my first visit, bought a couple of cans (!?!) of beer, both incredibly delicious, a grapefruit pale ale, High Wire from Magic Rock brewery, and a 'blood orange' IPA, Bloody 'ell, from Beavertown brewery; more about the beers at the Beermeister blog.

I'll be back soon!

More fun in Hastings this weekend!

This weekend, Stade Saturdays presents, from 7.30pm on the Stade open space (23rd July), 40 Mayotte dancers from the Mayotte archipelago in the Indian Ocean, collaborating with Ghanaian Afla Sackey and his band, Afrik Bawantu (website).

Dolphin Inn

Plenty of free music in pubs too, including Beatwave at the Albion in George Street, a "weekend of Surf, Beat and Garage Frenzy by the Sea", starting this Friday evening, 22nd and going onto Sunday (facebook page), and not to mention world famous jazz musician, yet very local, Liane Carroll, Roger Carey, and everyone's favourite drummer Russell Field, on at the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road, this Saturday evening from 9pm!

There is also plenty to do at the Pier this weekend, with, in addition to the usual facilities and funfair, the returning Chill at the Pier DJ Slot, with Daniel Martin and Dan Willett, in the Pavilion Restaurant and Bar from 3pm on Saturday 23rd, and on Sunday, there are more Science on Sea Family Workshops with Blast Science from 11am, and the Oresome Community Choir are performing from 11am (website).

So, do enjoy the weekend, plenty more to do of course, with, in the old town, the Blue Reef Aquarium and Fishermen's Museum, Hastings Castle and Smugglers Experience up on the West Hill, shops and markets all over the place, and, of course, the seafront!

They do delivery!

Should someone tell the gull that they do delivery?

J. M. W. Turner back on show!

I hadn't been to Hastings Museum & Art Gallery for a while, and I knew our very own Turner painting was back on show, so I made a trip up Bohemia Road to the Museum (website), friendly and helpful staff, beautiful building, interesting, with plenty to see, and free admission (but don't forget, closed on Mondays)! 

So, what's there? Well, a new display, The Story of Hastings in 66 Objects, with key stories about Hastings, local characters, and representative objects for each, including a very nice Lambretta; I spent longer than I ever have before in the Grey Owl exhibition, ie our very own Native American aka Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, the video shown is excellent, with original film of this famous conservationist; and, of course, the current art exhibition, All at Sea, which includes...

Turner's Fish Market on the Sands, Early Morning (1824), and Turner certainly painted a substantial number of works in Hastings in the early 19th century, this beauty is on show until the 4th of September, and looks much better in reality, of course, plus many other works that include scenes from Hastings, mostly, including works by William Henry Borrow, W Yale, William George Moss and John Cole. 

Visit the Museum & Art Gallery and you'll find much more too, enjoy!

Sorry, I've been away!

Sorry, I haven't written for a few days, but I've been away, and one does need to get away from perpetual access for peace of mind sometimes, back to normal soon, cheers!

Pirate Day 2016

As current holders, we shan't be going for the record of most pirates on the beach this year, however, this Sunday is Pirate Day, with much better weather forecast this year, and it is 'officially' organised this time, with associated events from the Pier to Rock-a-Nore, including a procession between Hastings Pier and the Stade Open Space (website), indeed, at Priory Meadow, Saturday and Sunday, there will be children's workshops, a treasure hunt, face painting and goody bags, though, probably not for adults! 

On Hastings Pier there will be organised various associated events from 10-10.30 on Sunday (website), and there's more fun all over Hastings, at Pelham Beach, in the town centre, at Butler's Gap, the Stade, White Rock Theatre, and I'm sure most public houses will have music, not to mention grog and other beverages available...

More swashbuckling fun will be had up at Hastings Castle and the Smugglers Adventure on the West Hill, and down at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Rock-a-Nore Road, with pirate workshops, flag designing classes, and much more fun (website), indeed fun for all the family, enjoy the weekend! 

Seaside Tsar?

Will Hastings really need a Seaside Tsar, I don't think so, despite the British Hospitality Association wanting one, now that we're leaving the EU, and the Euro being much stronger than the £sterling? Surely more Europeans are likely to come over here for cheaper holidays, and, with the very likely increase in costs to travel abroad to come for us, surely more Brits are likely to have their holidays at the British seaside in future!

The Nearby Amsterdam wreck.

And look at just some of what we have to offer...

For more details of what the British Hospitality Association say go to link.  

Looking up at the West Hill.

It looks pretty rosy, looking up at the East Hill from Rock-a-Nore, and it should look rosy for Hastings tourist-wise, an opportunity that shouldn't be missed!

If there's any money going around, pass it to us, local people should get the chance to spend any extra money available, local people know better than some faceless bureaucrat, rather than keep reducing your annual contributions towards our council, pretty please!

The cricketer is back!

I saw a film of Judy the Mayor, and the unveiling of the return of Priory Meadow's cricketer, so I had to take photographs early morning! But, where had it been?

And there's the ball, up there still! 

Free Guided Old Town Walk.

After the excitement of the weekend, remember that the free guided walks in the Old Town continue on Tuesdays into August, when they become a wee bit more irregular, and more often! See the Old Hastings Preservation Society (OHPS) website for more details. Meeting up at the top of the West Hill lift at 2.30pm today, and donations to the OHPS would be very welcome, many thanks.

Oh yes, and there may be showers much later, but should be OK!

Blacksmiths on the Beach?

So, Blacksmiths on the Beach, what was that all about this weekend past? Well, it was part of Stade Saturdays, and connected to the 950th anniversary celebrations ROOT1066 (website), and the sculpture that will be unveiled on the beach on the 10th of September, rising "like the prow of a Norman longboat out of the shingle..."

Also, it ensured a very interesting 3 days for adults and children alike, with craftspeople shaping hot iron, hammers smashing on heated iron and anvils, with opportunities for us less crafty persons to try our hands at forging, and with a "safe children's forge" provided!

If you want to know more about the British Artist Blacksmiths Association, who were the experts working on this excellent 3 day event, go to their website.