Seasons Greetings!

Things are a wee bit better than a year ago, despite the higher incidence of the dreaded COVID-19, fingers crossed things continue to improve, but don't be surprised with further restrictions coming in before the New Year... Anyhow, please let us all have a good and happy season and enjoy ourselves as much as we can. Also, we must try to remember others, especially with the remaining (BBC) restrictions we now live within, and try to watch out for each other in these still troubled times. 

Also, I give thanks to all those who have helped us to survive these last two years, too many to mention individually, but including all the keyworkers, the drivers and carers, those working in the emergency services, the police, fire fighters, ambulance staff and paramedics, the NHS, doctors, nurses, other health professionals and ancillary staff, the brave crews and volunteers of the RNLI lifeboat service, who have had some locals giving them a hard time through no fault other than they have continued to maintain their philosophy of trying to save all lives at sea, and again, not forgetting the scientists who helped develop the vaccines to rid us of the cause of distress and illness caused by the pandemic... Respect!

Finally, I wish to share my best wishes with you, and peace and goodwill to all, whatever one's beliefs, let's continue to work together folks.

And remember, stay safe!

Stacey Marie (facebook page) sends her regards too! 😉

Hastings Refuse and Recycling Collection Changes

Hastings Borough Council will be closed from 12.30pm tomorrow until Tuesday the 4th of January 2022 (website), if you need to contact the Council in the meantime, you are recommended to access services online at My Hastings. 

Regarding refuse and recycling collections, from Monday the 27th of December, they will be one working day later than usual until Monday the 10th of January 2022; see above image, and more details at the HBC website. 

Garden waste and bulky waste collections will be suspended for two weeks from Monday 27th until Monday the 10th of January, when they return to normal.

I trust this helps...

Bottle Alley Light Show & Hastings Miniature Railway Christmas Trains

The Bottle Alley 'festive light show' continues each night until the 4th of January; shows are at 7.30pm and 9.30pm with an extended show on Fridays (Hastings Borough Council facebook page), this is well worth seeing, well, I like it! 😉

And yesterday evening I noticed the Miniature Railway is running its Christmas Special until Christmas Eve, ie tomorrow, from 5.30pm; last train at 8.10pm this evening and 7.10pm tomorrow. Tickets are £3.50 per person and includes refreshment; cash asked for please, and no booking required. Head to the station at Rock-a-Nore to board the train (Hastings Miniature Railway facebook page).

Enjoy yourselves and stay safe! 

Happy Solstice!

I'm not a tree hugger, nor am I a pagan, though some may argue, but let's celebrate the Winter Solstice, or beginning of Winter today at 10.59, plus side is from tomorrow there will progressively be more hours of daylight until the Summer Solstice, enjoy! 😉

For information about the Winter Solstice this website is pretty good.

Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer Vacancy

Indeed, I seem to be writing about the RNLI and Hastings Lifeboat quite a bit recently; for example, my last relevant blog. However, I've just noticed an advertisement for the position of Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer at Hastings RNLI Lifeboat Station. The position will be for someone who wants to help "save lives at sea by raising awareness of the RNLI, through promoting the activity of the lifeboat station, highlighting the lifesaving work of (their) volunteers and sharing key messages via local, digital and social media." The closing date is the 30th of January 2022.

If you want further information, or wish to apply, go to the RNLI website.

Combining Ale, the FILO, Pickled Onions & Charity!

By Steve the Beermeister 

OK, I own up that the main purpose of my visit yesterday to the First In Last Out, 14-15 High Street TN34 3EY (website) wasn't just to drink real ales brewed in Hastings, indeed, close by and up the road actually, but because for a number of years now I have gladly taken advantage of the rather special spicy pickled onions (above) prepared and provided by Elina (once apprenticed to Paul; see older blog), and a wonderful puller of real ales too! Elina starts work on the onions well in advance of this holiday season, and all proceeds from the sale of the pickled onions go to the charity for homeless people in Hastings, Eastbourne and Bexhill, Warming Up The Homeless (website). So, not only have I contributed to that charity, I have excellent pickled onions to go with the cold meat, cheese and bubble & squeak that I shall be enjoying on Boxing/St Stephen's Day, quality, cheers Elina!

But, also, the beers... the 4 handpumps shown in the photograph above, plus a seasonal winter warmer that was a wee bit too sweet for me to drink more than a half of, quite pleasant, liquid Caramac came to mind, and with rum added to the cask, many thanks to Adam (whose back is in the image above) for serving it up. When I first arrived the first other customer I recognised was Eddie, who, coincidentally, I have seen a few times recently after not seeing each other for ages, great to chat, cheers Eddie! 

So my main drinks were two of the above ales, the easy to drink FILO Churches Pale Ale (4.2%), a refreshing session ale brewed with one of my favourite U.S. hops, Amarillo, and the stronger 4.8% FILO Gold,  brewed with another great hop from the USA, Cascade, their 'premium ale, nice and pale and golden, good stuff!

So, a pleasant afternoon was had, good ale, good company, and pickled onions to add to the mix, many thanks again to Elina for her time and patience, cheers! 

The FILO Brewery website.

Fishing Stories & Tales with Mick Barrow

Fishing Stories & Tales with Mick Barrow can be enjoyed this Saturday the 18th of December, but tickets are limited, so you need to apply quickly; see the Hastings Fishermen's Museum events page on facebook for further information; a Hastings Mens Network event. Mick has been a fisherman for 55 years, and has many years experience as a member of the lifeboat crew too. Meeting at 13.00 at Winkle Island and then heading down to Hastings Fishermen's Museum further down Rock-a-Nore Road. 

Incidentally, the photograph of RX134, the Stacey Marie, used on the events page, and above, is quite a few years old, to see more recent images see her facebook page.

Support for the RNLI increases!

Interesting that, since I first wrote a blog about fishermen trying to block the launch of Hastings lifeboat, that verbal messages of support to the RNLI have dominated the media, and been made in person, financial support has increased significantly (Observer), and I have only heard very positive comments about, and respect towards, the brave folk, virtually all volunteers, who make up the crews and land support teams.

Interestingly, fishermen have historically made up crews for Hastings lifeboats over many years, and that, since 1824, the philosophy and purpose of the RNLI has continued to be to save lives at sea, that is for everyone in danger at sea, valuing the lives of whoever may be in trouble. To find out more about the Philosophy of the RNLI have a read of their appropriate website page.

Respect to everyone involved in the RNLI, particularly to the crews, many thanks! 

More COVID-19 Restrictions Begin Today for England.

From today the wearing of face coverings has become mandatory in more places since they were reintroduced at the end of November (blog); now including for most indoor public venues, places of worship, hairdressers, theatres, cinemas, and shops and public transport of course (BBC). In addition, from Monday next, the 13th of December, people are being advised to work from home again, if they can... 

Also, if agreed to by Parliament (very unlikely to not be agreed), from next Wednesday, the 15th of December, people will need a NHS Covid Pass, that is, either for proof of vaccination status or a negative lateral flow test, if they want to gain entry to certain public venues, that is:

• Nightclubs
• Indoor unseated venues with more than 500 people
• Unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people
• Any venue with more than 10,000 people

Stay safe folks!

RNLI back online...

I have just checked the RNLI website and they are online this morning, good news!

RNLI now threatened Nationally by Bigots, Dark Days!

Following on from the recent threats against our own local lifeboat crew and trying to prevent the lifeboat's launch (blog), and I have had feedback from the local lifeboat station which confirms this. More recently, right-wing bigots/bampots/whatever you want to call these thugs, have latched onto 'hacking' the national RNLI's website, it appears, which has had to be closed down (report).

My support, as most decent people's does surely, continues to be given to our brave lifeboat crews, mostly volunteers, who risk their lives to save other people's lives at sea, and who are simply doing their job, my respect to the RNLI. 

Another Planet Hastings Charity Donation

Marion and David H and Dave G of Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club yesterday donated £85, via their collection box in the Dolphin Inn, to Armed Forces Bikers (website). Armed Forces Bikers is a registered charity (no: 1147967) that assists former members of the UK armed forces in need as a result of physical or psychological harm suffered whilst in service, to help them resettle and/or rehabilitate into civilian life following service, and to relieve the needs of former members and their families.

Grants are provided for many reasons, eg to help move into rented accommodation by paying bonds, acquiring domestic equipment, to provide short-term hardship funds, to pay for training courses that help to gain employment, travel expenses to unemployed veterans for courses, meetings and interviews, and equipment, such as laptops, that help unemployed veterans find employment and write CVs.

The photograph above is of the same 3 donors when they presented Mark, landlord of the Dolphin Inn, a few years ago, with a contribution to go towards his efforts to raise money to support the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation (blog). 

Generous friends indeed, many thanks again!