Stacey Marie update...

 Back to her colours when she was fishing in the 1990s!

Almost finished, for this year...

November Fishing from the Pier.

Pictured is Peter Cornwell (left) with a 4lb bass, and David Freeman (right) with a 6 ½ lb bass, both caught off Hastings Pier on live whiting. Details for fishing from the Pier is on the Hastings Pier Fishing facebook page, from which this photograph has been copied, many thanks, or ring Paul's Tackle shop on 01424 433404. 

Fishing 7 days a week:
Day fishing £5 x 1 rod, £8 x 2 rods)
Monday-Wednesday: 9am - 4.30pm
Thursday: 9am - 8pm
Friday: 9am - 9pm
Saturday: 8.30am - 9pm
Sunday: 8.30am - 5pm

Limited to 20 anglers at a time.

Bookings and payments taken in advance or on the day on a first come first served basis through Pauls Tackle Hastings:
Tele: 01424 433404

Night Fishing, I do believe, is just Friday and Saturday nights, unless another event is being staged on the Pier, but check with Paul for day and night fishing arrangements.

Father Seamus Stapleton R.I.P.

We mourn the sad loss of Father Seamus Stapleton, priest of St Mary Star of the Sea, Hastings, who unexpectedly died before mass earlier today, R.I.P. 

London ale prices outshone in Hastings!

Last weekend, as I said before, I went up t' frozen North, where it was actually quite mild, but, I went via Victoria, thanks to National Express coaches, OK, it takes ages, but I had a good book to read, and it only cost me £19.50 return from Hastings to Sheffield... Anyway, not trusting buses/coaches to get me there on time, I allowed myself a couple of hours in-between services, so had a wee pint close by at the St George's Tavern, Ebury Bridge, on the way up. This is a Nicholson's house, so usually trustworthy for us ale drinkers, and had 6 ales available, and East Sussex brewery, Dark Star's Hophead was one of them, nothing else interested me anyway, and it was in very good form, but, as would be expected, cost more than I'd usually pay, a 3.8% ale for £4.30 a pint!

Similarly, on the way back I had some time to fill, so bought a sandwich and crossed Chelsea Bridge, and ate my sandwich in Battersea Park, where there were plenty of promenaders! On my way back to Victoria Coach Station I walked via Pimlico and popped into the Cask Ale and Kitchen bar, forgetting this would likely be even more expensive, which it was, of course. Up to 10 ales here, many crafty keg beers, and loadsa bottled beers! I settled on the 6.5% Dark Star (have to support my county of abode and I'm not nicknamed 'Hophead' for no reason) Green Hopped IPA, which was excellent, and so it should have been at £5.35 a pint!

Anyway, thinking back on where you can regularly buy Dark Star ales in Hastings, other than Hophead as a regular ale at £3.60 a pint down at the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town, of course, but you can buy at least 2 Dark Star ales at any one time at The Tower in London Road, Bohemia, just above St Leonards. This excellent ale house has won the local CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub of the Year award 2 years running, and I have previously congratulated Louisa, the licensee, before for this grand achievement, and it also sells Hophead as a regular ale, at just £2.80 a pint! I also remember it very recently having the Green Hopped IPA, which Louisa was selling at £2.05 a pint less than in London, ie at £3.30 a pint...

I know where I'd prefer to drink a pint, not in London, cheers Louisa! 

West Hill Houses

I never did find out much about the houses that were planned to be built opposite the Castle up on the West Hill, see my blog of 9th December 2014, but!

Now they appear to be close to completion... amazed me!

RNLI Record Collection Box Again!

The record for the amount of money submitted to the RNLI Hastings in one collection box, as reported in one of my blogs in April, has been surpassed by £146.22 and now stands at £443.15! And who raised this lofty sum, yet again...

'twas the Dolphin Inn again, congratulations and many thanks to its generous customers and to Mark and Maureen, the licensees! 

Fifth Black Huts Festival 26-30 October 2016

Oops! I nearly missed this entirely, the Fifth Black Huts Festival, on at the Electric Palace in the High Street and The Beacon, St Mary's Terrace ( for details see the website).

Red Ensign at half-mast again...

Sadly, the Red Ensign again flies at half-mast at the Fishermen's Museum in Rock-a-Nore Road, following the death of retired Hastings fisherman, and regular at the Dolphin Inn, "Squeaky" - Peter Pepper R.I.P.

The funeral will be held at the Crematorium on Friday November the 4th at 2pm, and Jonathan Mendenhall will be celebrating his life, amongst the grief...

2 Norman churches in Hastings: first, the Church of St Clement.

The first of the two Norman churches we are blessed with in Hastings, St Clements, which was originally built in the 11th century, but had to be rebuilt about 1380 due to fire damage when Hastings was attacked by the French a few years earlier. This is a Grade II listed building, built of sandstone and its tower is chequered with knapped flint; with the Victorians adding their bit as they usually did, consequently, a 19th century Chancel extension, south porch and re-roofing (for more detail see Listed Buildings website). 

One of my earlier blogs looked at the Pre-Raphaelites in Hastings and mentioned the marriage of Lizzie Siddal and Dante Gabriel Rossetti at St Clements on the 23rd of May 1860; a sanctuary lamp was donated as a gift to the church by Rossetti.

Sorry, I've been away, thus quiet on my blog...

No, not to there (above), but up int' frozen North of England:

Well, it wasn't so frozen really, but I noticed that quite a lot of work was going on in the areas I lived when a postgraduate student in Sheffield, see the "Little Kelham" image, though, I imagine, there won't be much of that going on in 2 or 3 years time...

Anyway, I've a bit of work I've agreed to do to help out a friend, then I'll be flying again, so please do watch this space, cheers!

A much quieter weekend to come...

Well, it'll be a much quieter weekend than of late, though the fireworks last Saturday could have been much more impressive, as weather conditions meant that some of the more spectacular fireworks available couldn't be set off, oh dear... The trains should be back to their usual self, as in, just unreliable rather than rare, and the regular attractions remain, of course, eg museums, parks, castle, aquarium, etc etc... and music et al in pubs like the Dolphin Inn, for example, Friday and Saturday evenings, and the Pier:

From the Pier you can fish all weekend, with the required bookings, of course, all day plus night fishing tonight (Friday) and Saturday; see my earlier blog regarding more complete details. In addition, the Pier is hosting exhibitions and family science workshops over the weekend, see their website. 

Whatever you do, have a good weekend!

Another 3 days of rail turmoil.

More industrial action commenced today and continues until Thursday (20th) 23.59 hours, or may as well say midnight. There does appear to be a rail replacement service (buses) so travelling on Southern won't be as bad, though Southeastern Railway must be doing well out of the fall out...

See the Southern website for further details and good luck if travelling today, and it looks like a bus if you're going to the Brighton & Hove Albion match this evening!

Full English Breakfasts in the Old Town

I've already written about Full English Breakfasts across the town, from west of St Leonards to the east of Iceland, and thought it was about time to delve into breakfasts in the Old Town, which do come on as a wee bit more expensive, as I expected. First to the Land of Green Ginger in the High Street, where a Full English Breakfast costs £9.50, no drink included, the pot of tea for one is £1.80, so £11.30 in all...

Very nicely presented, and very tasty, thank you, and, for your money you get 1 very nice herby sausage (from a nearby source apparently), 2 thick rashers of flavoursome bacon, 2 fried eggs, either sauteed potatoes or bubble & squeak (I went for the sauteed), baked beans, a tomato cut in half lightly cooked, I'd have preferred more mushrooms but OK, and 2 slices of white or wholemeal toast. Overall I'd give it 8/10 for decent quality particularly.

My second foray into the Old Town was in George Street this time, at The Green Cafe, where my breakfast cost a wee bit more, but this time included a pot of tea (I could have had coffee instead), and came to £10.50, so cheaper...

I do like the interior of this cafe, you can see why it's called The Green Cafe, everything matches, and I'm always a sucker for ceramic tiles! Anyway, the Full English Breakfast...

Again, a very decent sausage, which, for me (as I've said before) is a very important part of the meal, 2 good rashers of bacon, half a cooked tomato, 2 fried eggs (I always asked for fried, for research purposes!), 4 very nicely cooked decent sized mushrooms, potato rosti, hash brown, baked beans, a slice of toast, and the pot of tea. Another 8/10 scored!

It was difficult to say one was better than the other, indeed, both were very good... though the Land of Green Ginger, for example, had the better bread for toast, but The Green Cafe had the much better mushrooms, so that just shades my decision...

Though, not so far away, at the end of George Street, on Marine Parade at the seafront, Taylor's provides you with, maybe not quite so much food, but for half the price, and still very decent quality; see my blog from earlier in the year, and I shall have a look at seafront cafes next, so will likely re-visit Taylor's, I hate this job, shame it's not paid!

                                                                             

The Bonfire and Fireworks: a few photographs...

Borrowed from facebook, consequently, shared all over the place, so I can't be sure who posted them, but many thanks to the individuals concerned. Anyway, the Longboat above.

Fireworks, and there were a lot! 

The end of the Longboat!

Nearly cleared up! (My image)

Red Footed Booby Update:

The RSPCA has got back to me and reported that the Red Footed Booby, featured in my earlier blogs in September, following his appearance on St Leonard's Beach, is "doing really well... We're organising for him to head back home at the moment!"

So, he will be returning the 6,000 miles home very soon, a happy ending to this story!

950 Years Celebrations: photographs earlier today...

The bonfire pile on the beach earlier this morning, and Saxon and Norman figures present, but why is there a St George's Cross there?

I did suggest a Longboat...

FILO bar: putting up the beers

2 Special beers from FILO Brewing Company for the anniversary, Harold's Ale and the darker, spicy William's Wallop (4.5%), a very tasty beer with hints of mace and ginger.

The paler golden Harold's Ale (4.2%) tastes much stronger than the suggested ABV, with plenty of body, a grapefruit citrus flavour and a nice dry bitter finish.

Oh yes, and the Saxons had arrived!

A bit later, and it had brightened up, with a pretty decent band over there on the stage!

And this looks even more like a longboat, we'll see what goes on top of it!

This Day in 1066, Edgar becomes King!

Just to confuse matters, on this day in 1066, Edgar the Ætheling was pronounced King of England, indeed, he was the last in the line of Saxon Kings of England, being the last male descendant in direct line from Edmund Ironside (Edmund II). 

Although he was never crowned, Edgar was King until 10th December 1066, when William the Bastard (as he was known in those days) had him taken into custody. Indeed, Edgar should have been King since January 1066, but, because he was young and war was being faced, Harold Godwinson had been chosen as King by the Witenagemot., the council (Wise Men) of the Anglo-Saxon Kings of England for more than 400 years...

Edgar escaped capture in 1068, and led a very eventful life, living into his 70s. Looking him up is well worth the read; eg see this website.

Anniversary, Bonfire and more this weekend!

Anyhow... I drank a pint or three of this rather nice 950th anniversary ale from Old Dairy Brewery in the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road, earlier today, after a rather painful root canal experience at the Dentist! Not bad at all pale ale, for a Kent brewer, and spot on delivery for the 950th anniversary.

 Saxons arrive at Battle today

At the Stade Open Space this Saturday, 15th, there is plenty more happening, regarding ale, for example, I believe there will be another couple of anniversary specials on the bar set up by the FILO for the day, and plenty of children's events throughout the day too (website). The earlier part of the day's events are situated in Battle, but a Grande Promenade of Normans and Saxons start at the Stade, 4pm to 5.15pm. 

Also, quite a bit happening on Hastings Pier; see website. By the way, these photographs show the bonfire being built up earlier today, and rumoured to be the biggest and best firework display to come, plus, the most supported Bonfire procession ever tomorrow! So says my contact at the Bonfire Society, though I couldn't get details of what will be placed on the bonfire this year, he denied any knowledge as this is a big secret, but my money would be on either a Norman Longboat, or effigies of Harold Godwinson and William the Bastard (as he was then known).

So, although more will be happening on Sunday too, the real culmination will be Saturday evening with the rather impressive Torchlight Procession, Bonfire and Fireworks; the Procession starting at 7.15pm outside the White Rock Hotel; see the Bonfire Society website for further details and a map of the procession. Have fun!

950th Anniversary: Today's the Day!

So, today is the day, but the main celebrations are coming tomorrow folks (today, in Battle), ie mixed up with the Bonfire parade and fireworks, etc... However, today and tomorrow see the last OHPS free guided walks of the year (website for more details):

At 11.00 each day are the Stade Walks, meeting at Hastings Fishermen's Museum, and...

At 14.30 are the Old Town Walks, meeting up at the West Hill Lift. The Old Hastings Preservation Society (OHPS) is a charity and provides for these walks freely, but a donation to the Fishermen's Museum or the OHPS would be welcome, many thanks!