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 is made by Alsop & Walker 'Artisan Cheese Maskers' (who call this 'Ewe Eat Me' - website), who are based in Mayfield, near Heathfield. 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...