Apologies about Pirate Day!

Indeed, I said that the Pirate Day celebrations would spread from the Stade to the Pier yesterday, sadly, the new owner of the Pier had arranged nothing, except to fly 4 skull & crossbone flags from the Deck (which is still not in use!), cancelling all else that was in the 2018 programme (most events ended up in the town centre, cheers!).

Oh well, better luck next year Mr Gulzar, I thought that one of the reasons you had been given Hastings Pier so abruptly by the administrators and the Heritage Lottery Fund was because it meant you could use the potential of summer takings, shame you weren't ready and appear to have no plans, and now the deal smells even fishier!

RRRrrrrrrr.... Pirate Day 2018!

OK, of course there's many other things happening this weekend, but Pirate Day 2018, what more can I say?!? Ever since Hastings recorded the Guinness Book of Records standing record of the number of pirates in a single area, ie on the beach in Hastings in 2012 (14,231), we've been waiting for our Cornish piratical chums in Penzance to catch up, and they still haven't... So, it's yet another day for Hastings folk to dress up and enjoy itself, but with no pressure...

So much going on, and not just directly to do with Pirate Day 2018, eg Stade Saturdays (website) has Mike Willis singing 'Nashville' from 7.30pm on Saturday the 14th, but also stretches into Sunday the 15th, ie Pirate Day, for pirates, music and much more from 11am. While talking about the Stade, Hastings Lifeboat Station will provide us with more shanties, pirate songs and drums in conjunction with refreshments, also from 11am onwards!

And, well, Pirate Day itself will no doubt see thousands of pirates parading round town, drinking and causing friendly mayhem, and too many events for me to mention, but spreading from the Stade to the Pier via George Street, up on West Hill, Pelham Beach, and Priory Meadow (Visit 1066 website for more in-depth information of each venue). The beach, streets, pubs and bars will be full of pirates, and of course there's a procession planned: from 2pm the Parade of the Kraken commences up from the bottom of High Street/East Street/West Street, crosses The Bourne at the top over into All Saints Street and down to Winkle Island...

Dress up, or not, have fun, and there's even more sunshine forecast this weekend (Met Office), so Factor 50 for me!