Hastings Jack in the Green Weekend & May Day

Yesterday morning I wandered into Hastings Old Town to take some photographs helping to map out how the 40th anniversary Hastings Jack in the Green procession develops, which I wrote about in a blog on Friday. Tomorrow, May Day, the main event kicks off when Jack is released from Hastings Fishermen's Museum (website) in Rock-a-Nore Road at about 10.15 usually. Jack is welcomed, there's a wee bit of music and dancing and twirling around, then the procession begins by heading westwards; see their website for further details of the event.

I am using specific landmarks, including the museum, which I've chosen as pubs en route that are using the Hastings Old Town Cup, as I mentioned in my blog, as a decent attempt to be more environmentally friendly this year, hopefully with significantly fewer plastic cups being thrown away. The first such pub the procession passes will be The Dolphin Inn, 11-12 Rock-a-Nore Road (website).

After passing by, the procession will then turn right and proceed up All Saints Street, where it will pass The Crown, 64-66 All Saints Street (website).

The procession continues up the street and reaches The Stag Inn, 14 All Saints Street (website), just before turning left to cross The Bourne; remember that much of the Old Town will be shut off to traffic for a while to enable the safe crossing, and the safety of the procession and the many members of the public who will be watching/following.

The procession will then continue down the High Street, passing The First In Last Out, 14-15 Hugh Street (FILO - website) before reaching...

The Jenny Lind Inn, 69 High Street (website), where by now participants will need a rest, and a few ales, with about a 45 minutes break at 11.30-ish. Following the break the procession then continues down and turns right to head up Swan Terrace, passing by St Clements church (blog) on the right, and then up Croft Road, heading for the top of the West Hill. Once there, partying continues, music, food and drink (bar run by the FILO), craft wares, including the event T-shirt, and, by now, necessary facilities for those who have already been drinking, phew!

By now you may have realised, not only did I not carry on up the hill yesterday, but that I'd actually been heading in the opposite direction all the time, whilst taking my photographs. I'd decided to have a couple of drinks out of a Hastings Old Town Cup (blog), just to provide you with a relevant image. The things I do for research. 😉

Oh yes, there was dancing around the old town and at the Stade, as I suggested (blog), for example at Winkle Island yesterday (website), above image. And similar today, also drums, and much more happening too (website).

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and tomorrow's procession folks, which will look something like the photograph above! 👍

Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green 40th Anniversary

With the May Day public holiday actually falling on the 1st of May this year, what an excellent year to be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the revival of Hastings Jack in the Green (website). This evening (Friday 28th April) from 7.30 to 9.30pm at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Keith Leech will be giving a talk on the origins of Jack in the Green and the development of Hastings Jack. Then, until the culmination of the weekend on Monday the 1st of May, May Day, with the procession (above) that starts in Rock a Nore Road outside Hastings Fishermen's Museum, from where the Jack is released in the morning, and which ends up on the West Hill, where the Jack is slain in the afternoon, there is much merry making and dancing, and many drums banged, over the weekend (events), more to come...

Also, a reminder that on Monday pubs and bars in the old town will not be using glasses to serve drinks in, usually a police order, I seem to remember. Consequently, those horrible flexible disposable environmentally unfriendly plastic beakers will be used, but this year, similar to Fat Tuesday 4 years ago, a firm plastic cup will be used in 15 pubs and bars (above). They can be washed/rinsed and re-used again and again (I still use my Fat Tuesday one from 2019), and you will be asked to pay £2 to either buy your own, or borrow it for the day (deposit). Then you can move between establishments and/or drink outside, and, if you want your deposit back you can reclaim it at any of the 15 pubs and bars taking part; a great environmental decision, sensible recycling indeed, but I shall be keeping mine as a memento and to use for future events. 👍

Looking forward to Hastings Jack in the Green folks, cheers!

Oh yes, and you may see a few motorbikes too 😉

Hastings Virtual Jack and May Day!

Happy May Day 2020! Well, as we are all already well aware, the usual festivities in Hastings aren't going ahead this year, but, as I said in a blog last week, Hastings Virtual Jack 2020 has been organised by Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green (facebook page), and has 'kicked off' today! This morning, on my way home from my (Government approved) daily exercise in Hastings Country Park, appropriate decorations are already in abundance, noticeably in All Saints Street (just a small sample of shown above, and following, but there's much more).

Indeed, even on my way back, walking along Barley Lane before entering the Old Town, I noticed the flag below, not a great image, sorry, it was a wee bit damp...

And, after walking down All Saints Street, and crossing over The Bourne, the front, and back, of The Jolly Fisherman were both adorned appropriately for the occasion (images below), nice one Becky and Oliver!

I love the back of the pub, around in East Street (below), and particularly its wee door, it makes even me feel tall! Again, great decorations, and another flag too. 

And, opposite the rear of The Jolly Fisherman in East Street there are many more decorations, but I particularly liked the relevant collection below...

Nice one Hastings, always ensuring we party even if not allowed to do so overtly 😉 but certainly ensuring we don't forget Jack in the Green this year, and with the promise of more to come over the weekend... Check with the facebook page for the virtual events, or just look about you at beautiful Hastings and the May Day decorations.

Happy May Day to you all!

#HastingsVirtualJack2020