This morning's sky

Sadly, I do not have photographic equipment that could do justice to the beauty of the sky this morning looking over the Channel, but these were the three bright celestial objects that showed up. Plus, crystal clear, and the light reflected by the moon shimmering over the water added to the delightful image, and a couple of fishing boats' lights present too, as I wandered along between 05.40 and 05.50 hours. 

Such natural beauty really is free to admire, ooh! And I found this film on youtube from the early hours too, though, sadly, not from Hastings beach, which was much clearer and much more dramatic in my opinion, may be cloudier tomorrow...

Night Shelter

Further to my previous blog about the Snowflake Winter Night Shelter, Hastings Borough Council has now announced that, as the cold weather is continuing, its Night Shelter will remain open until Monday 4th February 2019, please let people you see who lack accommodation know, see notice reproduced below: 

"Wednesday (30th), Thursday (31st), Sunday (3rd) – the night shelter will be located in the Crypt area at Christ Church, London Road;

Friday (1st), Saturday (2nd) - the night shelter will be located in Christ Church Parish Centre (locate in the Old School Building on the opposite side of Christ Church Courtyard to the Crypt). 

Guests need to arrive between 8pm and 10pm. People will not be able to access the shelter after 10pm. Guests will then need to leave the shelter at 8am the following morning. 

Any individuals who need to use the night shelter are asked to come to the Community Contact Centre at Hastings Town Hall to register. The contact centre’s opening hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 8.30am to 5pm, Wednesday : 10.00am to 5pm and Friday: 8.30am to 4.30pm people can also register at the night shelter each evening between 8pm and 10pm. We’d encourage people to present as early as possible.

Dogs may be brought to the shelter, and cages will be provided. No alcohol or other substances should be brought to the shelter. A member of the housing options team will open the shelter and security will be provided throughout the night.

We will consider other temporary accommodation options for any individuals who are we are not able to accommodate in the night shelter."

Threat to ENT Care...

With plans to move NHS Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) services away from Hastings Conquest Hospital, is this what we want? See online Petition.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Including the 11th November, this is another day we should never allow ourselves to forget, indeed, nearly 384,000 British members of the Armed Forces died fighting against the Nazis and their allies, and over 67,000 British civilians died because of World War II, mostly due to bombing. Latest research has discovered that 1 in 20 British people do not believe the Holocaust happened, whilst 1 in 12 believe it has been exaggerated (Huffington Post). Let's not forget, since taking power in 1933, under Hitler's leadership, 11 million people in Europe were murdered by the Nazis, including two-thirds of the Jewish population of Europe, ie 6 million Jews were murdered!

For such a large number of Brits today to own up to such ignorance is very disturbing. The Nazis started by placing political opponents in their prison camps, eg Dachau was opened in March 1933 and was filled with Communists and Social Democrats, indeed, the Nazis proclaimed that Marxism was a 'Jewish Doctrine' and aimed to destroy Germany. But it wasn't just Jews and Socialists that were persecuted and murdered, other religious groups too, eg the Orthodox Christians of Eastern and Central Europe, Muslims, Romany, Slavs and Serbs, trades unionists, teachers, homosexuals, and physically and mentally ill people, basically, anyone who was not considered the 'perfect' Ayrian, and those who opposed the Nazis or tried to help those who did...

This year the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day, today, is Torn From Home, and includes remembrance of the end of the genocide in Cambodia 40 years ago, and the 25th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, that began in April 1994 (website).

Lest we forget... 😢 

Light Up Dog Walk on Sunday 27th

Tomorrow evening (Sunday 27th January 2019) there will be another Hastings Dress Up Dog Walk with a Punk Themed Light Up Dog Walk! Congregating from 5pm in front of Hastings Pier (obviously not on it! Previous blog) and planned to be over by 7pm, the walk will head eastwards along the seafront, then down Robertson Street and head towards the old town and Butlers Gap in George Street (facebook event page). Obviously dressing up as a Punk, and lighting up, will be the order of the day, and any money raised will be in aid of Tesa's Rescue (facebook page).

Hastings Pier Video

Here is a link to a film on YouTube showing how sad an empty Pier looks, indeed, the new owner still hasn't done anything with it except add a few plastic 'statues' and close it down because he can't afford to pay staff wages. Even those who moaned about the Charity have to see that this charlatan is much worse, there is NO-ONE on Hastings Pier, people cannot even promenade on the Pier! Indeed, the Friends of Hastings Pier had a serious plan to improve facilities on the Pier (one of previous blogs, for example) and a new pavilion designed by the architects who built the Eden Project in Cornwall (drMM Architects) would have already been under construction by now, sad days...

You still can have a say on Gulzar's application to get planning permission to have a further 4 sheds on Hastings Pier for 5 years, plus permission for a shed already there without planning permission/approval; go to the Hastings Borough Council website.

Hogwarts? No...

If, like me, you have noticed owls of various sizes on display in the town centre every now and then, well, this is because of 1066 Falconry (facebook page). This company, based in Battle, has been around since 1993, and they can provide birds of prey for fetes, talks at schools and public displays, 'Harry Potter' parties (indeed, for any party), and they can even provide birds to fly your wedding rings down the aisle!

A Wee One!

In addition, 1066 Falconry also provide falconry training/courses, pest control, and the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured birds of prey.

Interesting to know where I can go for such help and advice.

Stan Kelly R.I.P.

I must apologise for missing the sad passing away of another retired local fisherman, 84-year old Stan Kelly, last week, on the same day that Jimmy Toller was being laid to rest. I hadn't cottoned on that the Red Ensign was still being flown at half-mast outside the Fishermen's Museum until today, and now my thoughts are with his family and friends. I believe Stan will be buried on the 7th February in Scotland, R.I.P.

Brave enough to join the RNLI?

Not the easiest of volunteering work, but... should you feel up to the challenge, the RNLI are recruiting for those who are! Go to their website...

And get my respect!

SUPER BLOOD WOLF MOON!

Did you see it? Happily, I did, a total lunar eclipse (when the Earth is in-between the Sun and Moon - Astronomy Now) at 05.12 hours, and, because it was when the Moon is closest to Earth, it appears larger, not just red, and is called a Super Blood Wolf Moon, though I can confirm I did not see any werewolves about this morning! 😉

But what I also saw, a little later over the English Channel, was the near conjunction of the third and fourth brightest celestial objects (after the Sun and Moon), that are the planets Venus and Jupiter. Indeed, there is officially a close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter tomorrow morning (22nd) South/South East an hour or so before dawn (Astronomy Now), when they appear close to each other a little above the horizon. Sadly for us, it looks like it will be cloudy, probably rain tomorrow morning... 😢

Some beautiful events are free, it is true, so enjoy when you can, and, with any luck, Venus and Jupiter should be seen still fairly close to each other on Thursday morning when the sky may be clear of cloud, fingers crossed (Met Office)! 😊

A reminder...

OK, this is a stock image from my collection, as I have no idea how the breakfasts are going to look today, obviously not yet, but a reminder that Clare is serving breakfasts at the Dolphin Inn from 09.00 today (previous blog), good luck with that and enjoy peeps! 

Jimmy Toller R.I.P.

As I said in my blog towards the end of last year Jimmy 'Toller' Adams' funeral is today (Friday 18th January) from 2pm at Hastings Cemetery/Crematorium; afterwards people are coming down to the East Hastings Sea Angling Association club at The Stade...

Great to have known you James, R.I.P. 😢

Clare's Back in a Kitchen at...

OK, I've given away the surprise already (above), but I said in a blog last month that I would share news of where her next venture will be, well from Saturday morning (19th January 2019) she will be working from the kitchen of the Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road TN34 3DW (Tel: 01424 434326, facebook page). Her relevant facebook page previously 'Clare Kittiwake' is now known as Clare Paula.

You can take it from this that Marcus has moved on, and is now working in Brighton I believe, and I wish him all the best for his own new venture, cheers Marcus!

On Saturday, the Dolphin Inn will be open for breakfast from 09.00 to 12.00 (menu above). To begin with, future breakfast opening times will be Monday-Friday 10.00 to 12.00, and from 09.00 to 12.00 at weekends. The lunch menu will be available every day from 12.00 to 17.00 (below, plus light lunches and additions to the menu further below, the Fish Supper evenings on Mondays will continue (18.00 to 21.00), and expect further additions, maybe changes, as the Dolphin Inn New Year New Menu settles in! 

Best wishes to Clare in her new venture at the Dolphin Inn too!

Lifeboat Exercise This Evening

An exercise launch is planned for this evening (Wednesday 16th January) of both Hastings Lifeboats from 18.00, with recovery at approximately 20.00 hours. Another chance to see the new Shannon Class Lifeboat in action, providing she hasn't already been called out in an emergency, of course.

UNESCO Bid for Hastings

A cross-party initiative to make a bid for Hastings to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site (facebook) is being discussed this evening (Tuesday 15th January 2019) at Hastings Voluntary Action, Jackson Hall, Portland Place TN34 1QN, starting from 18.30 to 19.00 hours. The meeting is being hosted by Hastings Green Party and will discuss this proposal by looking at 3 areas, the underlying geology of Hastings Country Park, the first Norman Castle to be built in Britain on the West Hill, and the history of sea bathing in Hastings since the 18th century.

Register to Vote!

If you are not already on the register, now may be a great time to remedy that situation, who knows when the next general election may be (forget about the 5 years, that's only been stuck to the once so far, in 2015!), and there are local elections most years, so go to the Government website and please register...

You know it makes sense 😉

Hastings Pier Demonstration & Did You Miss Me?

I'm guessing you didn't miss me, but I did miss the supportive demonstration of Hastings Pier on Saturday, I realise it's too late now, but below is the programme for the event. It seems that about 250 supporters turned up, and our MP, Amber Rudd, and the Leader of the Council, Peter Chowney, were there too, apparently Ms Rudd was there to translate for the owner, Mr  Gulzar: see film on youtube.

There are other photographs of the event on the Where do we go from pier? facebook group, and more film and excellent analysis at the Hastings Independent Press facebook page, I'd also suggest you watch out for the Hastings Independent 2-weekly newspaper which has been exploring the whole saga with some very astute journalism... I shall be writing more once I get sorted out again now I'm back, please look forward to it, many thanks!

Jazz Hastings

Tina May

I picked up a leaflet in the launderette in the High Street early doors with details of the first 6 months of the 2019 Jazz Hastings at the East Hastings Sea Angling Association, opposite the Lifeboat Station by The Stade. The first gig this year is the Tina May Trio next week, and entry is usually £10 on the door for all gigs, starting at 8.30pm (under 18s for £3, and no membership required - website):

15th January 2019 - Tina May Trio; 

12th February 2019 - Rod Youngs: The Power of Three;

12th March 2019 - The Oxley-Meier Guitar Project; 

9th April 2019 - Henry Lowther's Still Waters; 

7th May 2019 - Toni Kofi: A Portrait of Cannonball; 

4th June 2019 - Julian Nicholas Band.

The leaflet also mentions that last Sundays in the month see free associated gigs playing at the FILO public house in the High Street, 7.30pm to 10.00pm; line-ups are often decided late in the day, but there is always quality jazz to enjoy!

RNLI Lifeguards - Seasonal Recruitment

The RNLI are again recruiting for lifeguards to work through the warmer months, if you are interested go the RNLI website.