General Election!

I said there was a General Election coming soon (blog), as have most pundits of course, if not on the Electoral Register you need to hurry to here.

12th of December 2019 (BBC).

Hastings Castle, a few days left...

Hastings Castle will be closing for the winter after this weekend, and the Smugglers Adventure from the weekend after (website), so hurry up if you want to visit either! If you'd like to know a little more about the oldest Norman castle in Britain I have written a blog about it with plenty of photographs of the castle and views from the castle, enjoy!

If You Forgot, It Is Now GMT!

If you forgot, the clocks were turned back an hour at 02.00 hours this morning, it is now Greenwich Mean Time, I trust you enjoyed your extra hour, though my feelings go out to people working night shifts, as I have a few years ago, when I had to work 14 hours instead of 13 at this time of year, oh well...

On the Electoral Register?

Unless you've been hiding in Iceland or somewhere you are probably well aware that a General Election in December is a very real possibility! So, if you are not already on the Electoral Register have a look at the Hastings Borough Council website for advice, or just go straight to the Government website and register online, if you're not on the Electoral Register, you can't vote, and you could be fined!

Just a couple of days left...

You now have only a couple of days left in which to see Hastings very own Turner watercolour at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery before it goes into storage for a year or two, as I suggested in my blog recently. I visited earlier today to take advantage of it still be exhibited (until Sunday) and took this photograph, and there are many other wonderful artworks to enjoy, well worth the visit!

Cuppa Club this lunchtime!

This lunchtime, between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm Cuppa Club returns to Priory Meadow, under cover, and just in front of Marks & Spencer's (website). Refreshments, that is tea and cake, are being provided to older folk, and the event is backed up by volunteers from Age UK East Sussex, plus there's entertainment planned, and I did notice what looked like wee goody bags on each seat, not sure what though, enjoy!

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery and The Stade & Fishing

Today (until 5pm) and this week (opening times: closed Monday, 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, 12 noon to 5pm Sunday 27th), there are 2 exhibitions at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery due to end next Sunday that concern The Stade, and Hastings Fishing Quarter and Fleet, so hurry if you don't want to miss them. They are Fishing for Generations (website), a photographic exhibition of John Cole's that portrays the men and women of Hastings fishing community from the 1990s to today, and:

The Art of Life on the Stade (website), with artworks that "explore fishing activity, complemented by several historic fishing objects." This exhibition has also featured Hastings very own Turner painting, one of 10 he is known to have painted in Hastings, the early 19th century Fishmarket on the Sands.

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is uphill on the right of Bohemia Road in John's Place TN34 1ET; more details for visiting can be found at the website. Enjoy!

Cannon and Bonfire...

 The Bonfire pile is growing...

And the event is kicked off with 4 cannon firing 25 times from the harbour arm at 15.00, after all, it is the 25th bonfire event since it was restored 24 years ago...

BONFIRE 2019!

Setting up for this years Bonfire on Pelham Beach (Saturday 19th October website) this morning, the culmination of Hastings Week (blog), and I'm still guessing who will be on the bonfire, but I'm going for Donald Trump 😉

Past Procession

The torchlight procession starts tomorrow building up outside the White Rock Hotel but actually begins at the bottom of Robertson Street on the America Ground at 19.15 (website), with the bonfire and fireworks on Pelham Beach at 21.00, and the forecast doesn't look too bad... Have fun, it should be good!

Hastings Week 2019

Hastings Week, which always envelopes the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings on the 14th Ocober, kicks off this weekend with the Hastings Tap Takeover at 12 local venues, as previously described in a Steve the Beermeister blog, from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th October. For details of other events, with the week culminating with Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's torch-lit procession, fireworks and bonfire on Saturday 19th October, go to the website. Enjoy!

Had my first Hastings Tap Takeover ale!

By Steve the Beermeister:

Already on at the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road, a pretty special (very) pale hoppy bitter from Kent Brewery (website) Beyond the Pale, with plenty of body and tropical and citrus fruits flavour, deservedly so for a 5.4% very dry and bitter ale, excellent! This is my first beer from the Hastings Tap Takeover, 11-13 October 2019 (previous blog).

And, below, 2 more Kent ales on today (11th), with 3 more to come:

World Mental Health Day 10 October 2019

World Mental Health Day for 2019 is tomorrow, the 10th of October (website), with the emphasis this year on 'suicide prevention.' This is supported by appropriate organisations and charities in Britain, of course, including Mind (website) and the Mental Health Foundation (website) who also have an additional theme of 'supporting good mental health in the workplace.'

Hastings Tap Takeover 11-13 October 2019

By Steve the Beermeister:

This weekend, to help kick off Hastings Week (website) with a bang, twelve venues in Hastings, from The Dolphin Inn in the east to The Tower in the west, will be holding 'tap takeovers' by twelve different breweries (Hastings Tap Takeover facebook page). Each venue will be helping to celebrate 'exceptional independent breweries'  from near and far, with great real ales, and crafty keg beers too!

For full details of the venues and breweries involved, either go to the Steve the Beermeister blogspot, or to the Hastings Taptakeover facebook page. 

Happy Anniversary! 15 Years of Park Run...

OK, not 15 years in Hastings, the first Hastings Park Run along the seafront from West Marina Gardens to just past the Pier and back (5K) was in April 2015, and I first gave notice of the 4th run in my blog of 7th May 2015. They begin at 09.00 every Saturday morning, with anything up to a few hundred taking part at a time, men and women, young and old, seasoned runners and newcomers, all are welcome! If you would like to take part and wish for more details please go to the website.

The 15th anniversary goes back to when Zimbabwean Paul Sinton-Hewitt organised the first Park Run, with just 13 runners taking part, at Bushey Park in Watford... 4 million people have since taken part, with 6 million involved/interested in the event, in 21 countries (Guardian). From small acorns... Happy Anniversary!

Update re Channel Crossing: Sussex Police request assistance.

An update from yesterday, apparently there were 2 rigid inflatable boats that came over from France early yesterday morning, one landed near Winchelsea, and the other (see above image) landed close to Hastings. 17 men, women and children have been detained by the UK Border Force, and the police believe a few that landed at Winchelsea "disappeared into the surrounding countryside."

Hastings Police: "Two of those detained required medical treatment and we are concerned that one or two others still outstanding may also be in need of assistance.

"We would ask anyone seeing strangers in the area who may appear cold, wet, hungry, disorientated, or in need of medical aid, to report it by calling immediately on 999, quoting serial 276 of 3/10." (Sussex Police website). 



Rock-a-Nore Invasion?!?

You know something's up when 7 police vehicles and the Coastguard go tearing down Rock-a-Nore Road with 'blues & twos' blazing, and they're still there as I write! And ambulance. Though no UK Border Force yet apparently... 😧

Since discovered that the Lifeboat is now out and helicopter too, cheers Rod!

10.47 the helicopter is now at Pett Level apparently, again, cheers Rod!

Vehicles are now leaving (10.51), apparently moving on to Pett, maybe?

Out there, Fairlight Glen most likely, it appears illegal persons have landed, no sun today so the naturists shouldn't be disturbed.

Fingers crossed people are safe, whatever.

International Day of Older Persons... today!

Today, the 1st of October 2019, is again the International Day of Older Persons (United Nations website), which provides "an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges of ageing in today's world." 

East Sussex County Council has a page on its website to celebrate the day, and an events programme too (website). Us older folk should enjoy our day! 😉