Hastings Old Town Carnival Week Continues...

Archive Image, Pram Race

Indeed, Hastings Old Town Carnival Week has still to reach its culmination at the coming weekend, but events are still occurring. For example, today (Monday 31st July), and don't forget that many events are ongoing, this evening the Seaboot Race is being held in Courtyard Street from 6.00pm, and the fancy dress Old Town Treasure Trail begins on Winkle Island, registering by 6.30pm, and finishing at the Lord Nelson pub, The Bourne. Further details of the events today can be found on the website, and I apologise for missing a few out earlier today.

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 1st of August, sees the Crazy Bike Race, aka the Jimmy Read Memorial Bike Race, begin from 5.30pm at the bottom of Crown Lane, off All Saints Street. Winkle Tossing starts at 6.00pm on Winkle Island, Rock-a-Nore Road, and the Family Quiz at St Mary Star of the Sea, The Bourne entrance, begins at 7.00pm. Further details of all the events tomorrow can be found at the website.

Registration for the Pram Race (Wednesday) needs to be made by 6.00pm tomorrow (Tuesday) at The Cutter pub, East Parade, opposite 'Swan Lake' (boating lake).

Wednesday the 2nd of August will then see the first day during Hastings Old Town Carnival Week when you'll be able to walk in the middle of the road between 6.00pm and 11.00pm, as the roads around the 'Old Town' will be closed for the duration of the Pram Race. Teams are asked to arrive at The Cutter pub by 7.00pm, the race starting off between 7.15 and 7.30pm, good luck to all participants! Further details of all events on Wednesday can be found at the website. 

Okay, let's not forget there will be some inconvenience for drivers and others, but £thousands are raised for local charities by the Pram Race and other events.👍

It doesn't stop though, and on Thursday the 3rd of August, there are many events too, ongoing events and specific for that day too. Events on Thursday include an Organic Cream Tea from 2.30 to 5.00pm at 106 High Street (entrance from Salters Lane), with a charity fundraising raffle; Donut Eating Competition in Butlers Gap, George Street, from 5.00 to 7.00pm, followed by Singing in the Street; Winkle Club Crazy Golf Tournament at Hastings Adventure Golf course, Marine Parade from 6.00 to 8.00pm; HBBS Fundraising Auction at Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association, Marine Parade, from 7.00pm (viewing from 3.00 to 6.30pm); and the High Street will be closed between 12.00 noon and 12.00 midnight Roebuck Street and Torfield Close for Live Music at the FILO, indeed, outside the FILO between 9.00 and 11.00pm!

Full details of all events for Thursday at the website.

And the weekend to come too, enjoy yourselves folks! 👌

Lions Hastings Pier Limited in Adminstration!

Has the man no shame?!? It has been reported that Lions Hastings Pier Limited has gone into administration, a legal way of rich shareholders shirking responsibility... Although the Pier should continue to run as it is at the moment, ownership remains with Gulzar. A meeting of creditors, including Gulzar as a creditor, has been called for Thursday the 3rd of August (Hastings Online Times).

A fair assessment of circumstances is given by Hastings Online Times.

I nearly swore when I found out! 😖

You have until Monday to use old Postage Stamps!

Older stamps without barcodes on them cannot be used for posting mail after Monday, although 'Special Stamps with pictures on and Christmas Stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid." However, non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for new bar-coded versions through Royal Mail's "Stamp Swap Out scheme..." Full details can be found at the Royal Mail website. So, look out your old stamps folks!

Oh yes, and if old stamps are then used recipients may be surcharged £1.10...

Reporting Potholes & Other Highway Problems

This photograph is from the SinkySnap facebook page, many thanks (more about this further down), but it's an excellent and creative method of highlighting problems with potholes, and the photograph is of a very local pothole.* To report any highway problems, concerning potholes, trees, vegetation, street lighting, footpaths, road markings, whatever, you can do so at the East Sussex County Council website.

As I've said recently (blog), together with more money coming from central government, and by raising money from other areas, ESCC has said it is hoping to increase council spending on highways to nearly £34 million for East Sussex, including drainage work, and the patching and repair of potholes, fingers crossed.

And SinkySnap? Well, apart from highlighting problems with potholes on facebook, and they are also on twitter, although haven't posted anything there this year, yet, but the mind behind it is that of a local artist, I'll cut & paste below from her etsy shop site how she describes her project:

"Rediscoving my childhood toys a few years ago, I've carried on playing ~ this time with a camera and my aquired adult skills of prop and scenery making to create stories and iconic homages featuring Sindy, Barbie, Action Man and all their 1/6th scale chums. Most recently producing the 'Pothole' series, highlighting the terrible state of our roads by assembling a tableau in or around the offending pothole, usually in the middle of a street!"

I'm now following both pages. 👍

*Winchelsea Road/Rock Lane 

HOT Carnival Week & Hastings Reggae Festival, Busy, Busy, Busy!

An exciting 10 days coming up, including on Saturday the 29th of July, up at The Oval, Bohemia Road TN34 1EU, the Hastings Reggae Festival, with set times beginning at 12.00 noon with DJ Killa Kutz, and culminating with UB40 headlining from 20.30 to 22.00 hours. More information can be found at their facebook page (from whence the photograph above comes, many thanks) and at REGGAEVILLE, and tickets can be purchased online at skiddle, I believe that there are still tickets available.

Not to forget that from Friday the 28th of July to Sunday the 6th of August is Hastings Old Town Carnival Week (website); I'd normally include an image of the lifeboat in the Carnival Parade, but the new lifeboat and its tractor are too long to go around the traffic island by Iceland, and so have not been featured for a few years now. Or, more likely, I would include a photograph from the Tug O' War, but, despite what is written in the paper copy of the programme, sadly, there will not be a Tug O' War again this year. Consequently, I am missing a few of my favourite photographs to include here, instead, I have used a photograph of the Nearly on the Beach Concert, taken by Rachel Rigsby, many thanks, and featured on the website.

There will be much ado about many things for 10 days, with the Old Town Criers' Competition on Friday the 28th, from 19.00 hours on the steps of St Clements Church, Swan Terrace, just off the High Street TN34 3ES (website).  Sessions of the Nearly on the Beach Concert will be held on both days over the weekend at the Stade Open Space, near Hastings Lifeboat Station, on Saturday from 13.00 to 20.00 hours, and on Sunday from 12.00 to 20.00 hours, when it will be preceded by breakfasts and reggae music with Reggae Brek from 10.00 to 12.00 noon (website). 

Of course there will be many other events, guided walks, films, fairs and markets, cream teas at St Clements Church, Services, and much more! For further details of what's happening on Saturday go to the website, and for Sunday, go to the website. Plus, of course, there's plenty more to do around Hastings always... 😎

Enjoy your weekend folks! 👍

Railway Public Consultation end 26th July.

If you would like to express your opinions you have less than 2 days left to, as the public consultation regarding how tickets are sold and customer services at railway stations finishes tomorrow, Wednesday the 26th of July 2023. The main idea appears to be to move staff "out from behind traditional ticket office windows, which would close, onto station concourses" (website). From the consultation document linked, it appears that there are no plans to alter the situation at Hastings Railway Station, although many stations close by could well be effected, including Rye, Lewes, Cooden Beach and Eastbourne. Go to the website for further information and FAQs. 

Hastings Foodbank Update

I like to remind myself to make donations to Hastings Foodbank (website), and today is one of those days, but, nevertheless, they continue to remain desperate for certain items, which currently includes:

UHT Milk, Full Fat and Semi-skimmed;

Tinned Meat (but not corned beef or pork);

Tinned Vegetables (especially peas and carrots);

Tinned Fruit;

Coffee.

Also required are:  Toilet Rolls;

Toiletries (shower gel, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste);

Tinned Fish;

Tinned Potatoes;

Tinned Rice Pudding;

Jam;

Fruit Juice.

At the moment they have plenty of  tea, pasta, cereal and baked beans.

There are Foodbank donation points all over Hastings, and full details of addresses and opening times are at the website, and include the HBC Community Contact Centre (Muriel Matters House), The Hastings Centre (The Ridge), Tesco Extra (St Leonards), Sainsbury's (Station Approach), Asda, Tesco Express (Havelock Road), Morrisons, NatWest Bank (Havelock Road), and Nationwide Building Society branches. 

And if you'd prefer to donate money instead go to the website.

Let's not forget those less fortunate than ourselves, also please remember that people using the excellent service that Hastings Foodbank provides include nurses, other health service workers, and other keyworkers, people who were being heralded during the Pandemic as heroes and applauded on doorsteps on Thursday evenings... 👏

Respect to those who deserve it👍 

Hastings Pirate Weekend 2023, 15-16 July.

Yes indeed, this weekend Pirate Day 2023 (website programme) is extended over both days, and already started in some venues, eg the Jenny Lind (facebook). From below Warrior Square Gardens at the Goat Ledge, to Rock-a-Nore, timbers will be shivered, and shenanigans will be going on, culminating in the Great Buccaneers Procession, which will begin outside Owens (was Debenhams) in Robertson Street at 12.00 on Sunday, and arrive at The Stade Open Space 30 minutes, or so, later! 

Events over the weekend include the rather exotic Captain Shaku sharing stories about the Diamond Ship and more, at the Smugglers Adventure up on the West Hill on Saturday, and at Hastings Castle on Sunday (3 times both days, usual admission charge includes meeting Captain Shaku - website). But there will be shenanigans aplenty both days, with music, dance, and games aplenty for all ages; see the programme for more details... Enjoy the weekend me hearties! 👍

Connected Futures: Research Project for 16-24 Year Olds

Connected Futures is a research project led by younger people which, in this instance, is exploring barriers to employment for younger people in Hastings  (16-24 years old), and is a collaboration between CXK, East Sussex County Council and Hastings Borough Council, and funded by the Youth Futures Foundation. For further information go to the CXK website, and to take part in the survey go to this CXK Survey.

CXK state that the research group will explore:

• The barriers NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) young people face.

• Rates of school suspension and absence

• The experiences of young people with challenging family circumstances

• Appropriate, tailored prevision post-16 that addresses the needs of our young people

• The experiences young people face with prejudice, discrimination and hostility

• A coherent approach that enabled young people to succeed and flourish

• Plus, many more areas…

HBC Out of Hours & Other Council Telephone Contact Numbers

Hastings Borough Council Out of Hours telephone number is 01424 451999; a 24/7 service is maintained (website). 📞

Other Contact Telephone Numbers during normal hours:

Litter, graffiti and fly-tipping: 01424 451077;

Collection of bulky household items: 01424 451077;

Abandoned & Untaxed Vehicles on Hastings & St Leonards' highways: 01243 642222;

Street Lighting Faults (East Sussex County Council). Each streetlight has a number, quote this number when calling: 0345 6080 193.

More details may be found at the website.

Hastings Beer & Music Festival 2023

I nearly missed this, yet again, despite me knowing people who are attending tomorrow (Saturday). It began yesterday with the comedy night, oops! Dance this evening, apparently, and the big culminating event tomorrow. The 2023 Hastings Beer and Music Festival (6th to 8th of July - website) is being held at The Oval, Bohemia Road TN34 1EU, and tickets can be bought from this page of the website. The Festival is organised by Hastings Round Table, thus all profits go to charity, indeed, "Film, DJs and Live Music all raising money for local good causes." 🎶

The Oval

The Festival has been running since 1981, when it was situated in Alexandra Park, but as it grew in size it had to move to a larger venue, hence from 2017 it has been held at The Oval. It is entirely staffed by volunteers, which means more money going to charities. Oh yes, and BEER! They have a large Real Ale Tent supplied by many local breweries, also local ciders and wines, lagers, and 'high quality' local food. 🍻

What more do you want? oh yes, and live music! Their facebook page appears to be the best place to find out what's on at the Festival, enjoy! 👍

Smoke Shack Update (speedy!)

I realise I only recently wrote about the Smoke Shack Bar & Grill, in this blog, but I've since seen further information on their facebook page! First, they've revised opening times, not that I previously told you, 😉 but which are:

Tuesday - Saturday 12.00 to 22.00 (kitchen open to 21.00);

Sunday 09.00 to 16.00;

Closed Mondays.

And they have a new menu (from the 6th of July), below: 

And no! I don't have shares, I just like to see a new local business succeed. 👍

Oh yes, and the cafe/coffee place that was just past the bar briefly, has appeared to have moved to the end of the mews opposite Marks & Spencer.

If I don't write again, have a good weekend folks! 👌

Railway Public Consultation

There is a public consultation until the 26th of July 2023 regarding how tickets are sold and customer service at railway stations. The main idea appears to be to move staff "out from behind traditional ticket office windows, which would close, onto station concourses" (website). From the consultation document linked, it appears that there are no plans to alter the situation at Hastings Railway Station, although many stations close by could well be effected, including Rye, Lewes, Cooden Beach and Eastbourne.

Go to the website for further information and FAQs.

Welcome to Hastings, something new-ish...

 By Steve the Beermeister

Here are 3 pubs/bars that are either new, or have newish licensees, and are all close to where I live, in the centre of Hastings. Now, if you visit Hastings by train, as you walk towards the town centre, the first pub you'll see is opposite you, that is, The Seadog, 32 Station Road TN34 1NJ (website), giving you a big WELCOME TO HASTINGS! Under its original name, the Royal George, this first opened as a beer house in 1851, it became Grace's Wine Bar in the 1980s, The Priory in 1990, closed for 4 years then reopened as Frank's Front Room for a couple of years, then closed again, reopening back to its original name as the Royal George in 2017, then closed again, but reopened last year as The Seadog; for an excellent history read at Hastings Pub History, to whom many thanks for information, cheers!

The building looks well refreshed from the outside, and the inside is bright and clean too, the pub has 2 rooms, though easy to traverse between. There is a small bar in the middle, with 2 handpumps, I was told usually 1 cider and 1 ale. The day I visited I was told they had trouble with the cooling system in the cellar, so no cider, just the one ale, which on the day (regularly changes) was from Manchester brewery, Marble Beers (website), a brewery that used to be inside the Marble Arch Inn round the corner from where it now is, and which I have written about before, eg blog. Anyway, the Marble Mild (4.1%) does what it says on the label really, it's a very decent not too dark mild, which could have been cooler (2nd pint was better), but not unexpected with their cellar temperature problem. It just means that I'll have to visit again soon. 😉

4 or 5 minutes walk away is The Prince Albert, 28 Cornwallis Street TN34 1SS (website), which used to be a Shepherd Neame pub for years, but has recently been sold by them, and now is a genuine free house. The first time it was a licensed premises was in 1867 (David Russell, Register of Licensees for Hastings & St Leonards), I haven't found out which brewery was first involved with them, but it's been run by a couple of new licensees recently, after being closed for a couple of years. The current licensees reopened again earlier this year.

They do change their ales regularly, and I had heard they had one of my favourite ales on Friday (Kent Prohibition), but for my visit yesterday, they had a 'tap takeover' by Anspach & Hobday of London SE1 (website). Many keg beers were theirs too, but I went for the 3 cask ales (above), starting off with The Ordinary Bitter (3.7%), weaker than a 'best bitter' but, again, it does what it says on the label really. Brewed with East Kent Goldings and Chinook hops, it's malty and bitter, and a very quaffable 'ordinary' ale, which is not denigrating it, but obviously brewed with traditional tastes in mind, similar to Young's Ordinary, but a bit maltier.

Then I moved onto the paler ales, my second pint being Bermondsey Pale (4.0%), unsurprisingly, a paler ale, the label says English hops, but I can't find which, although I'm guessing including East Kent Goldings. A wee bit fruity, but essentially a very decent pale dry bitter. Then I went for the big one, The IPA (6.0%), essentially billed as a West Coast of the USA style APA, brewed with Summit and Ekuanot hops from the USA, and Australian Enigma hops. A big fruity aroma and taste, with an enigmatic taste too that I couldn't work out, 😉 but a full-bodied golden bitter, with a nice dry finish, nice one! 👍

Finally, a new bar, very recently opened, and a minute or so walk away from The Prince Albert, that is the Smoke Shack Bar & Grill, St Andrews Market TN34 1SJ (facebook). No cask conditioned ales here, but I had to put in a visit, and they do sell 2 crafty keg beers. I had a pint from Cornish brewer Verdant (website), their 4.5% Light Bulb, an extra pale bitter brewed with Magnum, Simcoe and Centennial hops, producing a fruity beer, as you'd expect from these hops, very refreshing, just a wee bit too cloudy for my personal taste though.

Their second beer was from a much more local brewery, Lakedown (website) and their 5.3% NEIPA, brewed with Citra, Mosaic and Centennial hops. Unfortunately I did not try this beer, so can offer no opinion this time, maybe that's for another visit, cheers folks!

Hastings Old Town Tuesday Guided Walks

How did I miss the return of these? The regular Tuesday guided walks of Hastings Old Town are back, and facilitated by the OHPS (website). If you wish to take part you need to book at the website, these guided walks cost £6; remember when they depended only on donations? Memories... Walks start at 2.30 pm, meeting up by the West Hill Cafe close by the lift. An OHPS volunteer will guide your exploration of the historic buildings of the old town, walking the twittens and cat creeps, and will tell you why celebrities of their day flocked to Hastings, and, indeed, many still do visit/move here!

The walk proceeds gently downhill, with some steps, and lasts about 2 hours. Wearing comfortable walking shoes is sensible, of course, and the weather forecast for the next Tuesday, July the 4th, suggests the chance of showers, but worth checking up nearer the day. Whatever, and whenever, be prepared, whether rain, sun or wind. 

Please do enjoy yourselves!