Slim Monday!

So, still a Fat Tuesday Music Festival 2022 event before tomorrow's culmination, free entry to the Lord Nelson pub, is Slim Monday, from 8.00 to 10.30 pm (website). Presented by Toby Barelli, aka King Size Slim, and featuring many guest acts, enjoy!

Fat Tuesday Music Festival Sunday 27th Umbrella Parade plus...

So, this Sunday, and hopefully the wind will not seriously effect the parade, is the planned Umbrella Parade, forming at The Stade from 11.30, starting at 12 noon heading for St Mary in the Castle (website). There, from 12.30 to 2.00 pm, is the Preservation Sunday party (website), free entry with music, dancing, food and drink!

Also, from 1.00 to 10.00 pm at The Crypt, 57 Robertson Street TN34 1HY, is Sunday Sonics (website), free entry for a mixture of live music, art, DJ sets, film and more!

Enjoy your Sunday, and stay safe folks! 

The Countryside Code

It's not just the Fat Tuesday Music Festival 2022 (blog) that is being blessed by gorgeous weather, but you may well take advantage with a lovely walk in the countryside this weekend, for example, in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve (above). But are you aware of The Countryside Code? If not, here are the salient points; for more detail see the The Countryside Code itself online (website):

Respect other people

• Consider the local community and other people enjoying the outdoors 

• Park carefully so access to gateways and driveways are clear

• Leave gates and property as you find them

• Follow paths but give way to others where it is narrow

Protect the natural environment 

• Leave no trace of your visit, take all your litter home

• Do not have BBQs or fires

• Keep dogs under effective control 

• Dog poo – bag it and bin it

Enjoy the outdoors

• Plan ahead, check what facilities are open, be prepared

• Follow advice and local signs and obey social distancing measures

New Hotel Approved...

Further to my blog in November, Hastings Borough Council's Planning Committee yesterday approved the building of a new Premier Inn hotel on what is now the carpark at the corner of Cornwallis Street/South Terrace/Mann Street (Sussex World).

 

Let's hope this brings jobs to Hastings, which it should really!

A Sad Day to loosen Covid Rules...

On the same day that England ends legal Covid restrictions (BBC), Putin orders Russian troops to attack Ukraine (BBC), a worrying and sad day indeed!

My thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, stay safe!

Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival Returns!

2 years since the last one, and the Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival is back (website) so this year we can celebrate Mardi Gras in style again! The festival kicks off on Friday the 25th with a one day music conference, Un-Convention, from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm at the East Hastings Sea Angling Association opposite Hastings Lifeboat Station (website), continuing that evening with Le Grand Mardi Gras Ball, 8.00 pm to 3.00 am, at the White Rock Theatre (website). The festival goes on to encompass numerous venues across Hastings throughout the 5 days of the festival until culminating on the evening of Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day/Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras, Tuesday the 1st of March, for the Fat Tuesday Tour 2022 (website), with partying and music galore from 24 bands at 12 venues, plus a Reggae Room at the Sea Angling Club!

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Spectacle! 

OK, we may not be as spectacular as Mardi Gras in New Orleans (website) which has been going since 1703, originally 60 miles south of New Orleans, at Point Du Mardi Gras, where  French explorers landed a few years earlier, on the day of Mardi Gras, the 2nd of March 1699. New Orleans was established in 1718, with Mardi Gras regularly celebrated there by the 1830s, and by 1875, large floats were being built in New Orleans to celebrate the festival, the year it became a legal public holiday.

Rio de Janeiro Carnaval, Glamour!

Although Mardi Gras in Rio, has been put back for 3 weeks this year, but this too is spectacular, and has been celebrated, initially with feasts, since the 17th century, masquerade balls became popular in the 19th century, but in the early 20th century the culture of African music and dance, introduced by freed slaves and their children, was enveloped within Portuguese Rio de Janeiro, then was founded the dance style of Samba (website). Mardi Gras was now celebrated in Rio together with the development of Samba schools in the 1920s (there are about 200 schools in existence now) the Carnaval (Portuguese for Carnival) festival became centred on the parade of the Samba schools and the glamour that was introduced (website), and since 1933 Rio Carnaval has become the largest Mardi Gras festival in the World, with 2 million people participating every year. 

OK, we may not have as much spectacle and glamour as New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, although there will be plenty of dressing up, be assured of that, and Mardi Gras and Carnaval have been going considerably longer than Fat Tuesday in Hastings... But what we do have is music galore and we party, for example on Saturday 22nd Unplugged carries on with 60 artists and bands playing 15 minutes acoustic sets at 30 venues across Hastings, for 5 hours from 1-6pm, and from Tommy's Pizzeria in St Leonards to the Dolphin Inn in Rock-a-Nore Road in the old town (if you don't have a programme already, for specific acts and where they're playing, please go to the website), and don't be surprised to find further live music sets at some venues later that evening!

Also there is much more to follow until Fat Tuesday itself (website), and I shall be writing more about that too, but do enjoy yourselves, have fun, and stay safe!

Step Back - Probably Covid Restrictions To End...

Well, the Government looks to be stepping back from all Covid restrictions, if Johnson's comments yesterday are to be believed (BBC), to be confirmed in Cabinet this morning, apparently, then announced in Parliament later today, this, at the same time as the news of our 95 years old Queen being infected with COVID-19 was announced... 

We are now being told that, although the pandemic is not over yet, it is time to learn to live with Covid, but continuing to watch out for future variants. Hopefully this job will be left to experts who have monitored notifiable diseases for years, ie the public health authorities, not a pal of his who sets up another company to milk the taxpayer for money, as has been done with £billions over the last 2 years!

Anyway, trust is being put in the power of Covid vaccines, now that 91% of people 12 years old and over in the UK have had their first dose of a Covid vaccine, 85% their second dose, and 66% a booster. For Hastings, we appear to have more Covid deniers and conspiracy theorists than the national average, with the corresponding figures being 81%, 76% and 60% (BBC), roughly 10% fewer than nationally.

There is a suggestion that the Government's approach is to help divert rebellious Conservative backbench MPs from plotting to kick Johnson out of Downing Street, particularly noting that nearly 100 Conservative MPs voted against Covid passes in England, or that this is a diversion from the Police investigation into parties in Downing Street during lockdown... but surely not...

Anyway, it is not known yet whether free lateral flow tests will continue to be supplied to us, so I have a pack of them arriving today. Do what you have to feel safe folks!

It looks like April the 1st, not a joke apparently, will be the date free tests go, see this BBC page for further advice about testing etc...

Sad News R.I.P. David...

I've just hear the sad news that David at the Horse & Groom has passed away, thoughts with his family and friends, R.I.P. 😞

February Walk-In Covid Vaccination Centres in Hastings

For information, I am reproducing details of walk-in clinics for Covid vaccinations in Hastings for people of 16 years old and over for the rest of the month (Sussex Health and Care) - for First dose, Second (if over 8 weeks since First) and Booster (if at least 3 months since Second); for details specifically for 12-15 year olds go to this page.

Due to the Red Weather Warning I mentioned in my last blog, maybe not today?

Friday 18 February 2022

• 10.00-16.00 – Hastings Town Hall Priory Square entrance Hastings, TN34 1QR. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca 1st, 2nd and booster doses.
• 09.00-18.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 09.00-16.00 – Laycock Pharmacy, 494 – 500 Old London Road, Hastings, TN35 5BL. 12 and over. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 09.15-13.00 & 14.15-17.00 – Clarity Pharmacy, 28 Kings Road, St Leonards, TN37 6DU. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Saturday 19 February 2022

• 10.00-15.30 – Hastings Town Hall Priory Square entrance Hastings, TN34 1QR. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca 1st, 2nd and booster doses.
• 10.00-16.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 09.00-13.00 – Laycock Pharmacy, 494 – 500 Old London Road, Hastings, TN35 5BL. 12 and over. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 09.00-12.00 – Clarity Pharmacy, 28 Kings Road, St Leonards, TN37 6DU. Pfizer. 12 years and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Monday 21 February 2022

• 09.00-18.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 09.15-13.00 & 14.15-17.00 – Clarity Pharmacy, 28 Kings Road, St Leonards, TN37 6DU. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Tuesday 22 February 2022

• 10.00-16.00 – Hastings Town Hall Priory Square entrance Hastings, TN34 1QR. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca 1st, 2nd and booster doses.
• 09.00-18.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 09.00-16.00 – Laycock Pharmacy, 494 – 500 Old London Road, Hastings, TN35 5BL. 12 and over. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Wednesday 23 February 2022

• 10.00-16.00 – Hastings Town Hall Priory Square entrance Hastings, TN34 1QR. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca 1st, 2nd and booster doses.
• 09.00-18.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 09.00-13.00 – Laycock Pharmacy, 494 – 500 Old London Road, Hastings, TN35 5BL. 12 and over. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Thursday 24 February 2022

• 10.00-19.00 – Hastings Town Hall Priory Square entrance Hastings, TN34 1QR. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca 1st, 2nd and booster doses.
• 09.00-18.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 09.00-16.00 – Laycock Pharmacy, 494 – 500 Old London Road, Hastings, TN35 5BL. 12 and over. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 09.15-13.00 & 14.15-17.00 – Clarity Pharmacy, 28 Kings Road, St Leonards, TN37 6DU. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Friday 25 February 2022

• 10.00-16.00 – Hastings Town Hall Priory Square entrance Hastings, TN34 1QR. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca 1st, 2nd and booster doses.
• 09.00-18.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 09.00-16.00 – Laycock Pharmacy, 494 – 500 Old London Road, Hastings, TN35 5BL. 12 and over. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 09.15-13.00 & 14.15-17.00 – Clarity Pharmacy, 28 Kings Road, St Leonards, TN37 6DU. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Saturday 26 February 2022

• 10.00-15.30 – Hastings Town Hall Priory Square entrance Hastings, TN34 1QR. Pfizer and Astra Zeneca 1st, 2nd and booster doses.
• 10.00-16.00 – Kings Church, The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings, TN34 2SA. 1st, 2nd and booster doses. AstraZeneca and Pfizer. 12 years and above.
• 09.00-13.00 – Laycock Pharmacy, 494 – 500 Old London Road, Hastings, TN35 5BL. 12 and over. AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 10.00-17.00 – Wellcare Pharmacy, 68 Malvern Way, Hastings, TN34 3PX. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.
• 09.00-12.00 – Clarity Pharmacy, 28 Kings Road, St Leonards, TN37 6DU. Pfizer. 12 year and over. 1st, 2nd and booster doses if eligible.

Stay safe folks! 👌

Waking up to a Red Weather Warning!

Indeed, another Red Weather Warning has been issued by the Met Office for the South East today, including Hastings, of course. What does this mean? Well, between approximately 10.00 and 15.00 they warn that Storm Eunice will cause significant disruption through strong winds bringing dangerous conditions, eg due to flying debris.

Also, Car Parks on the seafront will remain closed today.

What the Met Office warns may happen: 

Flying debris resulting in danger to life;  

Damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down;

Roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights;

Power cuts affecting other services, such as mobile phone coverage; 

Large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, seafronts and homes (very significant down here, and the RNLI warn us similarly).

So, please do be careful today folks, stay safe! 

On the positive side, it should be sunny this afternoon... 

New, Hastings Smugglers Gin!

I wrote about Hastings 1066 Gin nearly 3 years ago (blog), when I was informed by Julian Haswell that he would soon be distilling his gin in Hastings, well, I met his colleague Elaine yesterday who told me that they are now based up on the Ridge, and distilling their gins there (website). She also provided information about Julian's new creation, the 47% Hastings Smugglers Gin, and a very tasty taste too, so watch out for this from the 1st of March, coinciding with Fat Tuesday, as did the release of Hastings 1066 Gin coincide with the 2019 Fat Tuesday celebration, watch out for it!😉

100th Birthday Celebration, Fat Tuesday Cometh & More!

If you wondered what all the singing was about on Tuesday at Winkle Island, then I can advise you that it was a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" in celebration of George's 100th birthday, many congratulations to him, and quite a few glasses were raised to him yesterday as well! 

Sadly, George died on the 10th of January 2023, R.I.P. 😢

Indeed, the Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival 2022 is soon to be upon us, from the 25th February to the 1st of March, 2 years on from the last Fat Tuesday, which was the final major event in Hastings before the first COVID-19 Crisis lockdown (blog). The festival kicks off with the Fat Friday Mardi Gras Ball on Friday 25th, culminating with the Fat Tuesday Tour of 13 pubs and bars in the Old Town on the evening of Tuesday 1st March; more details will follow here, but if you can't wait, see their website.

Hastings Fat Tuesday is the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the UK, which, like the usually impressive New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro Mardi Gras, were all cancelled last year due to the pandemic. This year most of the parades in New Orleans will be shortened, and the Rio Mardi Gras has been put back to April the 20th to the 30th. 

On Tuesday I noticed a very significant Police and PCSO presence around Hastings and particularly in the town centre, this being a continuation of Hastings Police high-vis patrols, engaging with Hastings folk and maintaining an eye on the area (twitter).

And a warning, as if you didn't already know, that Storm Eunice will be upon us overnight and tomorrow, with an Amber Weather Warning that wind speed down here is forecast to reach up to nearly 50mph, with gusts of up to more than 70mph! Rain is forecast between 02.00 and 10.00 (Met Office), which will feel unbearable, I imagine, noting wind speed, so batten down the hatches and stay safe! 

COVID-19 Vaccinations & Superstar Saturday...

Today, Saturday the 12th of February, across Hastings, Superstar Saturday provides the opportunity for those aged 12 or over to receive 1st, 2nd or booster jabs as appropriate from 10.00 to 16.00, and no appointment required, at these locations:

• Hastings Town Hall, Priory Square entrance TN34 1QR
• Pelham Place car park, Pelham Place, Hastings TN34 3AD
• Laycock Pharmacy, 494 Old London Road, Hastings TN35 5BL (9am-1pm only)
• The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, Hastings TN34 2SA
• Hollington Tesco, Church Wood Drive, St Leonards TN38 9RB
• Silverhill Asda, Battle Road, St Leonards TN37 7AA
• Clarity Pharmacy, 28 Kings Road, St Leonards TN37 6DU

Go to the Sussex Health and Care Partnership website for further information, and for details of the free prize draw that all those vaccinated can enter, stay safe!

 

Police Property Act Fund (PPAF)

OK, it's only a small image, but it's the one used in East Sussex Council's February Funding E-Newsletter for promoting the Police Property Act Fund, relevance? No idea, but I think it's a stock image they have of the Stacey Marie, and regular readers and friends will be aware of my interest in The Stacey Marie, RX134 (Facebook Page), and I like to share any images that authorities, journalists, whoever, of her.

So, what is it? The PPAF? I'll cut & paste from the Sussex Police website:

"The Police Property Act Fund is made up of monies received by the police from the sale of found property and from property confiscated by order of court and then sold. The main aim of the fund is to support local projects undertaken by voluntary/charitable organisations that solely benefit the communities of Sussex."

They will consider applications submitted by voluntary and charitable organisations and community groups within Sussex. The following criteria must be met in order for a successful application to be made.

• Grants of up to £500 can be applied for.
• Each application needs to be supported by a Sussex Police officer or member of staff who has knowledge of the charity or organisation.
• An application will not be considered if a previous donation from us has been made within the past three years.
• The decision to make a donation and the amount donated will depend on the number of applications being considered at any one time and the amount that is available in the fund at the time of the application.

Should you know of any group or charity that may qualify, or wish to apply, you/they need to get in touch via this contact form. Good luck!

Someone's Dug Out An Olde Sign Methinks!

And it's many thanks to Hazel of the Hastings Arms (website) for pointing this out to me earlier, and an old 'new' sign methinks... It certainly is an old sign needing a bit of new paint, but "Cricket Ground" - I wonder when it was meant to be put up first?!?

Historical Hastings website, for information about the cricket ground. 😉

Have been travelling, blog re Peterborough and Rye Visits

Yes, I do apologise for not writing more recently, but I have been otherwise engaged, not least with a wee bit of wandering, virtually set free of the pandemic, although I'm still being very careful, wearing a face mask as appropriate, washing hands regularly, small bottle of sanitiser in my pocket, regular LFTs! Anyway, I did visit Peterborough again, and Peterborough Cathedral, built on the site of a monastery originally built in AD 655, rebuilding of the monastery church, what became the cathedral, commenced in 1118 following a fire in 1116 and previous sackings (more history at the website).

What I did find very interesting was that Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine Of Aragon, was buried here in 1536, and the remains of Mary, Queen of Scots, were buried here in 1587, though Mary's remains were exhumed on the orders of her son James I and transferred to a tomb at Westminster Abbey 25 years later. Katherine Of Aragon's body, though, remains entombed at Peterborough Cathedral, despite soldiers of Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentary Army vandalising the cathedral, and Katherine's tomb, in 1643; the memorial slab now there was installed in 1895. Katherine was an amazing woman of her time, and more information can be found at the Cathedral's website, and 12 'little-known' facts about her at the History Press website, both well worth a read.

Of course, whilst there, a number of hostelries were visited, and my alter ego, Steve the Beermeister, who wrote about my previous visit last year (blog), records details of the pubs visited on Saturday, including the new one above, and the beers enjoyed (blog).

And, as I wrote about my most recent visit to Rye in that recent blog, including visiting the Rye Waterworks micropub, I thought a few lines about the history of the Parish Church of St Mary in Rye would be very appropriate. Another Norman delight, with building of the church starting in the early 12th century, and the church continues to dominate the hill on which the 'old town' of Rye stands. 

Rye was regularly attacked by the French, as we know much of Kent and Sussex was in medieval times, notably Hastings too, but in 1377 Rye was looted and set on fire by French invaders, with extensive damage made to the church, its roof falling in, and the church bells carried off as a prize across the Channel. However, the next year men of Rye and Winchelsea sought revenge, sailing across the Channel themselves, in turn looting and setting fire to 2 towns in Normandy, recovering and returning much of the stolen loot to Rye, including the recovered church bells (Church website).

Enough of my musings, but get out there folks, remembering to stay safe of course!