Halloween!

Unsurprisingly, there's very little advertised for this evening regarding Halloween, despite the significance of today being the 31st of October...

Surprisingly, the only event advertised is at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery between 11am and noon! This will be a 'special talk' on 'Witches, Wise Women and the Magic of Sussex' given by Brion Purdey (website). The Museum is at John's Place, should you not already be aware, about half a mile up(hill) Bohemia Road from the seafront/town centre, TN34 1ET.

If you'd like to be reminded of the link between witches, wise women and ale feel free to have a look at an earlier blog investigating the oldest pub in Hastings!

Whatever, enjoy your evening... 👻

Hastings Castle closing for the Winter this coming week.

You only have a few more days in which to visit Hastings Castle before it closes for the winter (website); as from the 1st of November it will be closed until it reopens on the 16th of February 2019, if you've never visited see my blog from 3 years ago. 

Debenhams, Business Rates and an Election?

I'm a wee bit concerned that, following the announcement that Debenhams has lost almost half a £billion for the year to September, they are now planning to close down up to 50 of their stores over the next 3-5 years (Financial Times)! This is a bit worrying for Hastings Town Centre, what would happen to this large building if it closed down, and add another reason for people not to shop in Hastings, indeed, Debenhams is the only department store we have...

Though help may just be at hand, excuse the pun, following the Prime Minister's recent announcement at the Conservative Party Conference (Independent) that everything is great now, thanks to the British people coping with austerity, austerity measures are nearly over, "when we've secured a good Brexit deal for Britain..."

So, noises are being made that more money is to be made available to fix roads (already reported early this year in this blog), and local councils will receive more money from central government, for example, to help lower business rates to help town and city centres. OK, if you believe this will happen and, frankly, we've just wasted more than 8 years with austerity measures rather than investing in the economy, then you may also recognize that this sounds like a build up to another early general election, particularly noting that our MP keeps turning up around Hastings...

So, Hastings Borough Council, now has to be the time to negotiate with Debenhams, and others, regarding reducing business rates, or Hastings will just fill up with even more cafes, estate agents and charity shops!

Hastings Halloween!

OK, it may seem a little early, but there are already Halloween events happening in Hastings, including a special Halloween Quiz Night tonight at the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road (website). The Dolphin's Quiz Night is held every Thursday, starts at 8.30pm, has cash prizes, and is free to enter!

Already on up on the West Hill at Smugglers Adventure is a Ghostly Quiz Trail and at Hastings Castle there's Halloween Fun (website), and there's Halloween Fun at the Blue Reef Aquarium too (website), in Rock-a-Nore Road! If you know of other Halloween events please feel free to add a comment, and Visit 1066 Country suggests quite a few alternative Halloween events as well (website).

Don't be too scared, just be very wary... 



Dungeness to Boulogne...

 Way to go!

I reported about Mark and Jason undertaking a kayak 'marathon' across the Channel from Dungeness to Boulogne the other day (blog), in aid of raising money for local lass Elsie-Rose, and for the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation.

These photographs were taken on Wednesday from Will's support boat, many thanks for sharing them... It looks nice and gentle, but unsurprisingly they were both pretty tired by the finish, and I have to say that some of the boats they passed by in the shipping lanes look frighteningly large!

Not far now, well done lads!

If you want to know more about Elsie-Rose, the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation or SMA Type 1, you can refer to the blog mentioned above, or go to her mother's guest blog posted here a couple of months ago, my respect to all. 👍

Today in Hastings, and interesting news...

Earlier this morning, a man, sadly deceased, was discovered at Pelham Crescent... I spoke to a local resident, who told me that the cleaner at St Mary in the Castle was the unlucky person to find the body, and that it was an older male who probably died of natural causes, R.I.P.

Oh yes, and Boris visited Hastings today, with a rather attractive woman (obviously not his wife, and no detrimental comment towards his estranged wife Marina meant by this, just saying, the woman in the Toyota 'people carrier' with him wasn't unattractive), and they were spotted at Rock-a-Nore, anyone else see them?

Charity Raisers return from France!

Mark returns!

OK, so we've been writing about Mark and Jason and their plan to kayak across the English Channel/La Manche to raise money for Elsie-Rose and the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation for ages now (eg blog)... and now they've only been and done it, congratulations to all! Indeed, Jason was allowed into France without his passport, the French authorities being decent beings after finding out he'd brought a bag full of his laundry, rather than a similar bag with lunch and his passport in it, true story! 

Elsie-Rose


Young local character Elsie-Rose was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 in September 2014, a condition that causes severe muscle weakness and results in problems with movement, eating, breathing and swallowing. Without intervention, sadly, most children with SMA Type 1 die within the first 2 years of life. However, the cheerful and resilient Elsie-Rose strives to carry on enjoying life just like any other 4 year-old child, despite all the complications she just keeps on smiling!

Elsie-Rose angling recently

Because many of the expenses encountered supporting children with SMA Type 1 are not provided for by the NHS, Social Services or the Department of Health, the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation was set up to support families with disabled, sick and terminally ill children. Indeed, my respect and warm regards go out to Elsie-Rose's mother, family and friends, and Elsie-Rose herself, and how they cope with the myriad of complications involved in their lives.

As soon as all the money raised by/pledged to Mark and his team is counted I shall let you know the result. Again, well done, and more photographs to come!

If you would like to know more about Elsie-Rose and the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation, and campaigns they are involved in, please go to their facebook page or twitter. If you would like more information about Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 please go to the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Support UK website.

A New Lifeboat Arrives in Hastings, More Photographs!

These photographs are with thanks to our roving photographer Marcus, who has a significantly better camera and eye than I have, cheers Marcus!

To get an idea of how these photographs run you can see my previous blog, but essentially this is the new Shannon Class Hastings Lifeboat, the Richard & Caroline Colton arriving in Hastings today, accompanied by the present Hastings and Eastbourne Lifeboats, together with 2 inshore lifeboats, great memory, cheers!

Today, mostly lifeboat images...

OK, we know the main feature now, but what effigy/effigies will be on the bonfire?

Yes, we see a few motorbikes in Hastings, indeed not that rare, but for Stade Saturdays today, the last of the year I believe, there was the Classic Motorbike Show, and Bonfire stuff this evening of course (website)!

Lifeboats arriving, including Hastings new Shannon Class, the current incumbent, which should be going out to calls for about another month whilst crew train on the newbie, the enormous Eastbourne lifeboat, and 2 inshore boats.

The Shannon Class shows off, shooting away at great speed!

Eastbourne Boat 

Hastings 3 lifeboats, for now

The Eastbourne boat doesn't want to be left out!

The Shannon Class RNLI 13-28, the Richard & Caroline Colton, lands!

Coming Home

And I have many more images to post with thanks to our roving photographer Marcus, and his photographs are much better quality than mine here, coming very soon!

Hastings Day Weekend!

As you can see above, the bonfire was already being prepared on Pelham Beach this morning for tomorrow's HBBS procession, dressing up, flaming torches, drums, fireworks and, of course, this year's bonfire and effigies (website). The procession starts at White Rock at 7.15pm tomorrow evening (13th October) and the fireworks are due to be ignited from 9.30pm (map on website).

Earlier in the day, Hastings new Shannon Class lifeboat will be arriving, escorted by both current Hastings lifeboats, and the lifeboats from Rye and Eastbourne (allowing for emergencies). I shall be there and so will many others to welcome her, the Richard & Caroline Colton, about 12 noon (Hastings RNLI facebook page).

Also, Saturday and Sunday, there are many other planned activities (website), for example on both days there are OHPS organised Stade Walks, meeting up outside Hastings Fishermen's Museum at 11am, and on Sunday (Hastings Day, ie the 952nd anniversary of the Battle of Hastings), will be the last OHPS Old Town Guided Walk of the year, meeting up by the top of the West Hill Lift at 2.30pm (website).

Much for everyone in the family to enjoy this weekend!

Fred White R.I.P.

Were you woken in the very early hours this morning by the helicopter flying above the Fishermen's Beach below the Old Town, aware that the lifeboat and various emergency vehicles were about? Sadly, the Red Ensign flying at half-mast outside the Fishermen's Museum will provide a clue, local fisherman (retired), and former coxwain of Hastings lifeboat, Fred White was found on the Fishermen's Beach, deceased, R.I.P. Our thoughts are with Fred's family and friends.

For those who are unaware, traditionally, for local fishermen, the ensign will now fly at half-mast every day whilst the museum is open, until after Fred's funeral. 😢

Is this another film based in Hastings?!?

This is getting strange, everyone seems to be wanting to be filmed in Hastings! First Film4, now a film starring Gemma Arterton (as photographed above on Hastings beach a few years ago for Byzantium 2012!) called Summerland... And maybe this is the film that the trucks and film unit are for in my earlier blog. We are popular!

Filming moved to St Leonards...

So, the film unit has moved along the coast to St Leonards after moving away from Pelham Car Park, no idea where they've been in the meantime, presumably at at least one school, but if anyone knows, please feel free to share the information with me, cheers! Anyway, this photograph was taken yesterday morning, and I noticed that Hastings Observer only knew about them filming yesterday (seen on twitter), and had no idea what the filming is about, hate to brag, but I was onto it 2 weeks ago (if you haven't already read it, my previous blog). 😉

Hastings Week, and This Weekend

So, Hastings Week 2018 is from tomorrow, Saturday the 6th of October, to Hastings Day, Sunday the 14th and the 952nd anniversary of the Battle of Hastings (Visit 1066 Country website). So why have I started off this blog with using a photograph of the Stacey Marie (blog)? Well, it is always nice to start off a blog with an attractive image, and in the Hastings Week 2018 programme the Old Town Fryer at East Beach Street uses two photographs (though old 😉) of my favourite Hastings Fishermen's Museum exhibit in their advertisement, so indeed, this is a very appropriate photograph in my opinion, plus, of course, she is an excellent advertisement for the sustainable fishing industry of Hastings (blog). 

However, this weekend there are no OHPS guided walks organised, (although there will be next weekend!) but there are many other intriguing walks organised, for example tomorrow, a 10.66 Walk (meeting at Grosvenor Gardens, St Leonards, starting at 11.06 am) and a Secret Hastings Walk (meeting at the Chessboard in George Street, starting at 6pm), and so much more. As you can see above, there is a Jewellery Sale tomorrow and Sunday at the Lifeboat Station, starting 10.00 each day, with all proceeds going to the RNLI (and next weekend will see the arrival of our new Shannon Class lifeboat*, more of nearer the time). And both days have an extended Stade Saturdays Classic Cars exhibition on the Stade Open Space (website).

Keep your eyes open for plenty of interesting events this week, and enjoy!

* The ceremony for her being named Richard and Caroline Colton will be held at Hastings Lifeboat Station on the 27th of April 2019 (latest information available).

Meet the Police at the Stade Hall...

Haven't seen a police officer for a while? Now's your chance! This Thursday (4th October) at the Stade Hall @ 6pm, and there's a public meeting with representatives of the Police and Hastings Borough Council concerning 'Drugs & Anti-Social Behaviour' in the Old Town; your chance to ask the questions you may have been dying to ask!

Congratulations to the Dolphin Inn!

By Steve the Beermeister:

So, congratulations to the Dolphin Inn (website), Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3DW, for winning the South East Sussex CAMRA Community Pub of the Year 2018!

 The Award

The Dolphin sells 6 different cask conditioned ales, 3 of which are regulars, ie Dark Star Hophead, Youngs Special and Harveys Sussex Best, so 2 local ales there. In addition, they always have 3 guest ales, with an emphasis on providing ales from local Sussex and Kent breweries.

Receiving the Award

Community pub? Certainly, the Dolphin is in the centre of the fishing quarter, opposite the Fish Market, and provides a service for the local community. You'll see fishermen, local tradespersons and artisans, retired and working, male and female, young and old! Regulars who need help get it, whether it's dropping off coal at their homes or providing food at home for those not so well, the landlord and a regular annually paint the Stacey Marie RX134 opposite (Hastings Fishermen's Museum outdoor exhibit), and various other locals help as well, including rebuilding and adding a fibreglass deck, as volunteers. And the catering side of the business is a firm champion of the local fishing industry and Hastings Fish (blog). 

Also, £thousands are raised every year for charity, including the local Winkle Club, RNLI Hastings Lifeboat, St Michael's Hospice, and, this year, making a specific campaign to raise money to support the grandchild of a local fisherman, Elsie- Rose, and for the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation (blog).

All in all, nice one Mark, Maureen, family & colleagues!