Now's the time to say Goodbye!

I've decided that now's the time to say "goodbye" for this blog, it is very unlikely that I shall write on here again, probably. Anyway, it's been a blast, I loved sharing research I've undertaken, and exploring. But I'm getting on now. However, I shall continue sharing things on the Stacey Marie (RX134) facebook page, because, although she is no longer with us, I would hate for that page to discontinue, and for her to be forgotten, many thanks for following me folks, cheers!

Spring COVID-19 Vaccinations.

If you are aged 75 years by the 17th of June 2025, have a weakened immune system, or live in a care home for older adults, you can get a COVID-19 vaccination. For full details of everyone who is eligible, and how to make appointments/walk in, go to the Government website.

Filsham Reedbed Update

I have been writing about nearby Filsham Reedbed for years now, and many times, for example when I walked out there for my daily exercise during the first Covid Lockdown (blog). Well, I walked out there very recently with my brother and was amazed to find it so open, certainly been plenty of work carried out there; see photographs below!

So I carried out a wee bit of research, Filsham Reedbed being a Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve, and me a member, and discovered that a habitat restoration project has begun there to improve the site. Overgrown vegetation has been removed (obviously!), helping to create new areas of open water to benefit numerous species including plants, birds and insects. Apparently, fencing is going to be introduced to help grazing in certain areas.

Filsham Reedbed is one of the largest reedbeds in Sussex, just to the west of Hastings in the Coombe Haven valley. If you want to find out more about the Sussex Wildlife Trust and its work, or to join, please go to their website.

Ewe's Milk Cheese and Wine!

I'll begin with a visit I made to a sheep farmer with my brother over 20 years ago, when we visited the Bergerie d'Acremont (website) in the Ardennes (above). We were treated to an array of excellent ewe's/sheep's milk cheeses, including a wonderful hard cheese and a brie-like cheese, some of which I later bought. It was mature, the rest of the people on my train home must have wondered where the aroma was coming from! 😉 Anyway, I bought 4 of the 5 ewe's milk cheeses available on my last visit to Penbuckles (website), bottom image. I'll begin this with the wine accompanying my cheese tasting. From Italy's Biscardo winery near Verona (website), their 13.5% Neropasso, made from partially dried Corvina, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, a deep ruby red wine with a cherry and plum fruity aroma and taste, slightly spicy, smooth and rich, and so easy to drink accompanying the cheese, recommended! 👍

So, to the cheeses, starting with bottom left in my photograph, the Sussex Ewe, which I think is made by High Weald Dairy (website), apologies if I'm wrong, I'll check and correct when next at Penbuckles. Whatever, it's really nice and tasty, a harder cheese with a slightly nutty flavour that brought a little chill to my cheeks, nice one! Going anticlockwise in the photograph, so bottom right, is the Wigmore, from Village Maid of Berkshire I do believe (website), a brie-like softer cheese, creamy with a very mild slightly sweet taste, and VERY easy to eat! 😁

So, to the last 2 cheeses starting with, in the top right of the photograph, from the more local The Traditional Cheese Dairy at Waldron in East Sussex (website) and their Lord of the Hundreds. A harder ewe's milk cheese, with a slightly nutty taste, quite strong and flavoursome, and again that chill to the cheeks I get from a more mature cheese, I really liked this! 😁 My final cheese, top left in the photograph, was from Devon, the Ticklemore Cheese Company (website), and their Beenleigh Blue. This blue cheese is lighter and sweeter than most blue cheeses I've tasted, but certainly has plenty of flavour, a little creamy, and yet again I got that nice wee chill in my cheeks, nice one! An overall pleasant 'tasting' with a bit more reported at my other blog. 👍

Public Consultation: Should Bottle Alley Have CCTV?

Hastings Borough Council has funding available from Central Government’s Safer Streets Fund (Government website) to use for 'graffiti prevention and to help improve the safety of public spaces.' The council is planning to use this money to introduce public space CCTV along Bottle Alley. Find out more at the Council website and have your say online.

(Mostly Good) News about Empty Buildings + Roadworks

The once gracious Post Office in the town centre, and the much newer University of Brighton building adjacent/behind it, are to become 41 flats and 667 square metres of commercial floorspace (The Argus). Very glad to see the old Post Office building will be refurbished, but sad that the University of Brighton couldn't find enough students for its Hastings campus. Oh yes, and where will the new inhabitants find to park vehicles?

And things are moving for business around Hastings Castle and St Mary in the Castle, 10 years ago our glittering 'Jewel in the Crown' (blog), but sadly not for the church itself at the moment. The management of Hastings Castle and the adjacent cafe by the top of West Hill lift, is now to be run by Troika Projects (HBC website), and the shopping arcade, design based on Burlington Arcade, is to become a food hall with 7 different ethnic food restaurant booths (Sussex World); Indian, Italian, Turkish, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Now I do realise that there are roadworks in other parts of town, and my thoughts go out to the drivers, and pedestrians, who have to put up with them. But nearest to where I live are these roadworks by The Carlisle at the seafront, and where they go on and on, no joke...

Clocks Spring/Sprung Forward!

Did you remember to change your clocks before you went to bed last night? If not, your mobile phones and computers may well show you are now up at 06.54 instead of 05.54 as we lost an hour between 01.00 and 02.00 this morning. Indeed, we 'time travelled' overnight as time moved forward, and in Britain we are no longer on Greenwich Mean Time (website)!

Some Still Closed BUT Some Opening...

Good to see the Bottle of Hastings premises has been taken over (and the same website address!) by another Wine Bar (and coffee) Shop, Hastings Wine & Coffee, 91-92 Queens Road TN34 1RL (website). I shall write more after a visit, plus about buying wine in Hastings, including Penbuckles, which shall also be coming into another blog soon!

Interesting that apparently unsellable building's frontages are being decorated, for example Debenhams (above) and the St Mary in the Castle Restaurant. I recently mentioned that Peacocks closed down 5 years ago (blog), but all that's happened since was immediate redecoration, some other work was done (?), and the doorway was boarded up when a couple of tents set up residence there; I do understand why it was boarded up, and it has happened elsewhere, but is this really the way to sort out housing problems, just push them away?

Hastings Half Marathon ran by some anyway!

Well, many runners decided to run the Hastings Half Marathon 2025 anyway, despite it being cancelled (blog). I only found out when I looked at the Hastings Photographers facebook page, and discovered the many photographs posted there!

These first 2 photographs from Hastings Photographers were taken by Marie Richardson.

I presume many runners decided to complete the half marathon as they had trained for the event so went through with it anyway, and others ran because they had already raised money for charities. Apparently, some ran the actual full course, though likely not in the road for some parts, and others made up the distance running along the seafront.

The third and fourth photographs, again from Hastings Photographers, were taken by Brian Bailey. Many thanks to Marie and Brian, and great respect to all those who ran the 2025 Hastings Half Marathon! I wish I'd known...

5 Years On!

5 years ago today I did my best to be positive, and got out early in the morning, and it was very quiet indeed, because it was the first day of the first Covid Lockdown (blog). Plenty has happened since then, and Covid is still with us, but in a much less threatening way, and I'm keeping up with the vaccinations, which seem to have helped. Keeping up my positivity, I actually made myself healthier over the following months, pubs being closed helped with that, but also my virtually daily morning walks, mostly across Hastings Countryside Park, helped enormously, and quite wonderful weather that year facilitated too.

Coincidentally, Peacocks in Queens Road had it's last day on the Saturday (blog), as if having had a premonition, but much more to do with the arrival of Primark to Hastings. Oh yes, and for a different reason, the 2020 Hastings Half Marathon had been cancelled too (blog), a virus and explosive chemicals 5 years apart, hmmm... make hay whilst the sun shines folks!

Half Marathon Cancelled, and Roadworks Extended.

Sadly, the Hastings Half Marathon 2025 has been cancelled (facebook). Apparently the man who is in custody is being held under the Mental Health Act.

And the roadworks at the seafront have been extended by another week, life, eh...

St Leonards Incident, Police Update.

The incident concerning the 'Bomb Disposal Squad' at the seafront in the St Leonards area near West Marina Gardens (blog) continues into the weekend. The Police confirm a 28 year old man is in custody and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team are "conducting a thorough search of the property for any further hazardous material." Also, that "the chemicals are not part of any large scale drugs production and the incident is not believed to be terror-related." (Sussex Police) 73 temporarily displaced neighbours are being provided shelter at the Royal Victoria Hotel (blog), arranged by Hastings Borough Council, and Police are mindful of trying to sort this out before the Hastings Half Marathon tomorrow/Sunday (blog). The seafront and road remain blocked, consequently today's/Saturday's Park Run has been cancelled (website).

Bomb Disposal Squad at St Leonards!

Sorry I'm a bit late with this news (I live in the centre of town) so was unaware, but the image above of the Bomb Disposal Squad at the seafront in St Leonards, west of Marine Court, is quite new and from Sussex World, many thanks to them, and there's video there too. I originally saw about this on the Hastings Police facebook page, which is providing updates gradually. Apparently a man in his 20s is in police custody, and this is not regarded as a terrorist event. Rumoured to be more to do with illicit alcohol/drugs maybe, as it's "suspected chemicals" in the building, either that or it's a big boy's chemistry set...

The 41st Hastings Half Marathon on Sunday.

Start/Finish

Organised by Hastings Lions Club to raise money for various charities, indeed, much is raised every year, the 41st Hastings Half Marathon starts in Sea Road by West Marina Gardens this Sunday 23rd March 2025 at 10.30 am (website). 

Route Map

Spectators are welcome all around the route, so please feel free to find a spot and to cheer on the runners as they pass, indeed the conditions look pretty favourable (Met Office forecast). From me, best wishes and good luck to all competitors, and respect!

Kelp Recovery: 4 Years Update from SWT.

I have written about this subject before, eg blog, but have just received an email from the Sussex Wildlife Trust reminding me of the "UK’s largest marine rewilding initiative, Sussex Kelp Recovery Project (SKRP), marking the four-year anniversary of the project and the introduction of the Sussex Nearshore Trawling Byelaw. The milestone comes as SKRP researchers report encouraging signs of recovery, including increased marine life [Black Sea Bream in image above, from the website] and changes to life on the seabed along the Sussex coastline." For further information about this welcome update go to the Sussex Wildlife Trust's website. Good news!

Jobs and Apprentices Fair in Bexhill Tomorrow.

There will be a Jobs & Apprentices Fair on Friday the 21st of March 2025 from 10.30am to 3.30pm at the iconic De La Warr Pavilion (blog) in Bexhill (website). You can turn up on the day, but they recommend registering at the website in advance. They will be catering for people looking for a first or new job, people returning to work, and people wanting to learn new skills. Please note there will be a quiet time between 2.00 and 3.30pm for d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse visitors. Further information at the website. Happy job hunting folks!

The fence is up!

And the road has been closed west of Iceland overnight recently for a new road surface, fewer pot holes now obviously, and people are still blaming HBC not ESCC!

Apologies, plus there you are!

Well, the fence has been added today, no apologies there, but apologies for saying music would be played in the Dolphin on St Patrick's Day, it was posted on numerous sites, but didn't happen, and I'm sorry if anyone read it here and turned up at the pub, damn!

Continuing Roadworks Along Seafront

Well, we know that roadworks along the seafront are going on for a while still, but replacing the wee wall is taking a bit longer than just the 3 days oginally planned (blog), I suspect someone at East Sussex Highways was unaware that the wall and island separating the road along East Parade was at different heights either side! Apparently, waiting to erect a fence now!

St Patrick's Day Music in Hastings!

Happy St Patrick's Day! Live Irish Music on at:

Hastings Fat Tuesday Tour 4th March 2025

Tomorrow evening, Tuesday the 4th of March is the day, Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday, whatever you want to call it, and Hastings hosts the biggest Mardi Gras festival in Britain: For the Fat Tuesday Tour 24 acts will be playing at 3 venues each from the following 12, from the Carlisle in the west/town centre to the Dolphin Inn in the east/old town, and all free, but don't forget to drink!😉

Albion, 33 George Street TN34 3EA;

Hastings and St Leonards Angling Association, Marine Parade TN34 3AG;

Carlisle, 24 Pelham Street TN34 1PE;

Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road TN34 3DW;

Dragon Bar, 71 George Street TN34 3EE;

First In Last Out, 14-15 High Street TN34 3EY;

Jenny Lind Inn, 69 High Street TN34 3EW;

London Trader, 4-7 East Beach Street TN34 3AR;

Lord Nelson, 1 East Bourne Street TN34 3DP;

Porters Wine Bar, 56 High Street TN34 3EN;

Pump House, 64 George Street TN34 3EE;

Royal Standard, East Beach Street TN34 3DW.

Each of the 24 acts will play 20 minutes sets in 3 of the venues, and each venue will have 6 acts, from 8.00 pm until 11.00/11.30 pm; please go to the Hastings Fat Tuesday website for greater detail for each act and each venue. In addition, from 8.00 pm until 1.00 am, opposite the Lifeboat Station at East Hastings Sea Angling Association, The Stade TN34 3FJ, will be the Reggae Room.

If you want to play it by ear, just walk around the Old Town and don't be surprised by the quality of free live music available, have fun and party. However, I recommend people consider their favourite venues and what they sell drinks-wise, consider who they'd like to see, then decide on getting to one venue early, and stay there, it will be busy!

For full details of all events (there is more!) go to the website.

If you haven't already read it, I wrote more about Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras and the history of Mardi Gras in last Thursday's blog.  

Enjoy free live music and party folks!

Hastings Fat Tuesday 2025!

Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival: 28th of February to the 4th of March 2025 is back again and it's time to celebrate Britain's largest Mardi Gras in Hastings! The full details of events can be found at the website. As usual I'll share details and notes here about the history of Mardi Gras itself. The festival encompasses 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/whatever 🎶 Tuesday the 4th of March, for the Fat Tuesday Tour 2025 (website), with partying and music galore from 24 established acts at 12 venues from The Carlisle in the west to The Dolphin Inn in the east, and entry is free. Plus there's the Reggae Room Party at East Hastings Sea Angling Association (website).

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!

Or as glamourous as Carnaval in Rio which 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 (Sambassadorsofgroove). 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, and since 1933 Rio Carnaval has become the largest Mardi Gras festival in the World, with 2 million people participating every year.

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 we do have free live music galore and we party, for example Saturday 1st March Unplugged boasts 60 emerging artists and bands playing 15 minutes acoustic sets at 30 venues across Hastings, for 5 hours from 1-6pm, from Day Glo Records in St Leonards in the west, to the Dolphin Inn in the Old Town in the east (if you don't have a programme already, for specific acts and where they're playing, go to the website), entry is free, and don't be surprised to find more free non-festival live music at a number of venues Saturday evening too, this is Hastings!

Whichever events you attend do enjoy our Mardi Gras and have fun!

Some Updates Regarding Hastings...

Following the public consultation about the town centre over a year ago now (blog), things are happening, ish... The road along the seafront is being worked on (see further down), apparently by the same people as will be working on the proposed new pathway to the seafront from the town centre. However, the so-called 'pedestrianised' town centre still isn't, for a few years now in fact, and be careful dodging the cars, vans and motorcycles tearing through!

Along the seafront, the empty Chatsworth Hotel has now been bought by Buckswood School, apparently for short-stay accommodation for pupils (Sussex World), but maybe for hotel accommodation for visiting relatives too? And will what was the Indian Restaurant be reopened as a restaurant of some sort I wonder, remembering that Buckswood managed the St Mary in the Castle restaurant for some time a while ago (blog), and what will happen there?!?

The refurbishment of the road along the seafront will continue, and the low wall in the middle of the road in front of East Parade is going to be removed; planned for Monday the 10th and Wednesday the 12th of March 2025, working between 09.30 and 16.30 (East Sussex Highways). For details of all planned roadworks go to the Hastings Borough Council website.

Sussex Mayor, Your Opinion?

For the future, Central Government at Westminster plans for you to be served by just one council (known as ‘unitary government’) rather than the present two-tier system of East Sussex County Council and a borough or district council (For example Hastings), with a Mayor elected for overall policy in Sussex. Now, I know that in Hastings there are varying opinions about Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council, whatever, you now have your chance to make your opinion known about the future of local governance in Hastings and Sussex. For further information, and to give your opinion, go to the Government website.

RNLI Lifeguards for 2025 now being recruited.

The RNLI is looking for this summer's lifeguards in East Sussex, including Hastings; for details of requirements and conditions please go to the RNLI website. Respect to those who apply.

Tower Beer Festival This Weekend!

The Tower, up on the corner of London Road and Tower Road, Bohemia TN37 6NB, is holding its annual real ale festival this weekend (facebook), from Friday the 21st to Sunday the 23rd of February 2025; 11am to 11pm Friday and Saturday, 11am to 10pm Sunday... oh yes, and real ciders will be available too! Some of what will be available below:

Fat Tuesday 2025 - Early Warning!

Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival early warning for us all, this year running from Friday the 28th of February to Fat Tuesday the 4th of March 2025 (website) and it will again be time to celebrate Mardi Gras in style in Hastings!

Maximum Bus Fare Now £3.

The maximum single bus fare is now £3, sorry I'm a bit late, not so up to date news! For full details of local fares in East Sussex go to the Stagecoach website.

Humpback Whales!

If you haven't seen a Humpback Whale swimming off the Sussex Coast recently, I guess, like me, most of you have heard about it. I've seen video taken from Hastings Pier of a whale on facebook, and this video on YouTube had Brighton spectators pretty excited! I've had a communcication from the Sussex Wildlife Trust, providing information about the importance of humpback whales and reasons why we are seeing them in local waters more regularly. Indeed, if you do spot a humpback whale, or any other marine mammal off our coast, they ask that you please report this to the Sussex Dolphin Project. Keep your eyes open folks, many thanks!

Town Centre, Couple of News Items.

Many times I've written about the ongoing building of the hotel in Cornwallis Street (eg blog), see image at bottom, well, the road is vlosed off from the South Terrace end, which I imagine hasn't made Pissarro's too happy, but the entrance from St Andrews Square has been opened for visitors to the garage back there, but no parking room available for anyone else, oh well, and...

I meant to wrote about this last week too (apologies for delay), but Greggs in Queens Road has moved. I saw it was closed in the early morning, but walked by again in the early evening and took this photograph, it has enlarged slughtly to 2/4 doors back down Queens Road!