Saturday, 18 February 2023

Fat Tuesday Music Festival - Unplugged Saturday!

A reminder that today there is free live music from 60 artists and bands across town with the Fat Tuesday Music Festival's Unplugged Saturday acoustic sets from 1-6.00pm, details below from the website.

SCHEDULE

ARTISTVENUETIME
Ethan Johns
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Robin Bennett
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Charlie Austen
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 1:00 PM
The United Stöats Of America
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Atli
Porters18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Beth Sarah
First In Last Out18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Snake Eats Boy
SEED18th Feb - 1:00 PM
The Dead Rabbits
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Tom Clarkson
The Piper18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Martin Ledner
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Fat Tuesday Club
Albion18th Feb - 1:00 PM
KING SIZE SLIM
The Crown18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Elisha Edwards
Little Mashers18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Claire Nicolson
Stag Inn18th Feb - 1:00 PM
Anna Page
HEIST18th Feb - 1:00 PM
The WOTS Duo
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 1:15 PM
India Electric Company
The Black Market18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Cordelia Gartside
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Someone Anyone
The Railway18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Rufus Miller
Royal Standard18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Frank From Blue Velvet
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 1:15 PM
The Longshore Drifters
The St Leonard18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Now & Then
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Sugar Loaf Band
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Hastings Punk Choir
Albion18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Matt James
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 1:15 PM
The Umbrellabirds
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 1:15 PM
SHADY BABY
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Coral Palms
The Carlisle18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Ragati String Band
The London Trader18th Feb - 1:15 PM
Patients
The Crown18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Kay Iris
HEIST18th Feb - 1:30 PM
SILENT NATIVES
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Prince Keira
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Stone Junction
SEED18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Lily Ramona
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 1:30 PM
The Twitten Revellers
The Piper18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Tara Franks and Tullis Rennie
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 1:30 PM
The Rebel Gentlemen
Stag Inn18th Feb - 1:30 PM
SABRINA
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 1:30 PM
The Kukes
Albion18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Pepe Belmonte
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Melo
First In Last Out18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Creature Creature
Porters18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Tom Cole
Little Mashers18th Feb - 1:30 PM
Mighty Sounds (Unplugged)
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Danny Horn & The Shared Myths
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 1:45 PM
George Dewhurst
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 1:45 PM
The Haystingers
The St Leonard18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Victoria McDonnell Band
The Railway18th Feb - 1:45 PM
The Rufus Stone Band
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Sistie Moose
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Lewis Floyd Henry
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Dhol Players & Band Baja
Royal Standard18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Lost Revellers
The Black Market18th Feb - 1:45 PM
KINSELLA
The London Trader18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Stormy-T and Bluesman’s Lane
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Bold Reilly
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 1:45 PM
The Shady Pines
The Carlisle18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Mr Wilson's Second Liners
Albion18th Feb - 1:45 PM
Anna Page
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Elisha Edwards
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Ethan Johns
Albion18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Claire Nicolson
First In Last Out18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Robin Bennett
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 2:00 PM
The Dead Rabbits
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Tom Clarkson
HEIST18th Feb - 2:00 PM
KING SIZE SLIM
SEED18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Atli
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Beth Sarah
Porters18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Snake Eats Boy
Stag Inn18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Martin Ledner
The Piper18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Charlie Austen
Little Mashers18th Feb - 2:00 PM
Fat Tuesday Club
The Crown18th Feb - 2:00 PM
The United Stöats Of America
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 2:00 PM
India Electric Company
Albion18th Feb - 2:15 PM
The Umbrellabirds
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Coral Palms
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Frank From Blue Velvet
The Black Market18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Ragati String Band
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Now & Then
The St Leonard18th Feb - 2:15 PM
SHADY BABY
The Carlisle18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Matt James
The London Trader18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Someone Anyone
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Sugar Loaf Band
Royal Standard18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Rufus Miller
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 2:15 PM
The Longshore Drifters
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Hastings Punk Choir
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 2:15 PM
Cordelia Gartside
The Railway18th Feb - 2:15 PM
The WOTS Duo
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 2:15 PM
SILENT NATIVES
Albion18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Lily Ramona
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Patients
SEED18th Feb - 2:30 PM
The Kukes
The Crown18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Kay Iris
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Creature Creature
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Prince Keira
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Melo
Porters18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Stone Junction
Stag Inn18th Feb - 2:30 PM
The Rebel Gentlemen
First In Last Out18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Pepe Belmonte
Little Mashers18th Feb - 2:30 PM
SABRINA
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 2:30 PM
The Twitten Revellers
HEIST18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Tara Franks and Tullis Rennie
The Piper18th Feb - 2:30 PM
Tom Cole
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 2:30 PM
The Haystingers
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Stormy-T and Bluesman’s Lane
The London Trader18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Mr Wilson's Second Liners
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Mighty Sounds (Unplugged)
The Carlisle18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Bold Reilly
The St Leonard18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Lewis Floyd Henry
Royal Standard18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Dhol Players & Band Baja
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 2:45 PM
George Dewhurst
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 2:45 PM
The Shady Pines
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Victoria McDonnell Band
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Danny Horn & The Shared Myths
The Black Market18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Lost Revellers
Albion18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Sistie Moose
The Railway18th Feb - 2:45 PM
KINSELLA
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 2:45 PM
The Rufus Stone Band
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 2:45 PM
Claire Nicolson
Porters18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Robin Bennett
Albion18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Charlie Austen
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Martin Ledner
HEIST18th Feb - 3:00 PM
KING SIZE SLIM
Stag Inn18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Ethan Johns
The Crown18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Anna Page
Little Mashers18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Elisha Edwards
The Piper18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Tom Clarkson
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Fat Tuesday Club
SEED18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Snake Eats Boy
First In Last Out18th Feb - 3:00 PM
The United Stöats Of America
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Atli
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 3:00 PM
Beth Sarah
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 3:00 PM
The Dead Rabbits
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 3:00 PM
India Electric Company
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Now & Then
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Matt James
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Frank From Blue Velvet
Albion18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Cordelia Gartside
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Ragati String Band
Royal Standard18th Feb - 3:15 PM
SHADY BABY
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Someone Anyone
The St Leonard18th Feb - 3:15 PM
The Longshore Drifters
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Coral Palms
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 3:15 PM
The WOTS Duo
The Railway18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Hastings Punk Choir
The Carlisle18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Rufus Miller
The Black Market18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Sugar Loaf Band
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 3:15 PM
The Umbrellabirds
The London Trader18th Feb - 3:15 PM
Creature Creature
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Tara Franks and Tullis Rennie
HEIST18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Pepe Belmonte
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Tom Cole
The Piper18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Prince Keira
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Patients
Stag Inn18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Melo
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 3:30 PM
The Kukes
SEED18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Kay Iris
Little Mashers18th Feb - 3:30 PM
SILENT NATIVES
The Crown18th Feb - 3:30 PM
SABRINA
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Stone Junction
First In Last Out18th Feb - 3:30 PM
The Twitten Revellers
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 3:30 PM
Lily Ramona
Albion18th Feb - 3:30 PM
The Rebel Gentlemen
Porters18th Feb - 3:30 PM
The Haystingers
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Dhol Players & Band Baja
The Black Market18th Feb - 3:45 PM
The Rufus Stone Band
The London Trader18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Danny Horn & The Shared Myths
Albion18th Feb - 3:45 PM
KINSELLA
Royal Standard18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Lost Revellers
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Mr Wilson's Second Liners
The Carlisle18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Victoria McDonnell Band
The St Leonard18th Feb - 3:45 PM
The Shady Pines
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 3:45 PM
George Dewhurst
The Railway18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Mighty Sounds (Unplugged)
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Sistie Moose
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Lewis Floyd Henry
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Stormy-T and Bluesman’s Lane
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Bold Reilly
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 3:45 PM
Tom Clarkson
Little Mashers18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Fat Tuesday Club
Stag Inn18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Snake Eats Boy
Porters18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Ethan Johns
SEED18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Elisha Edwards
HEIST18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Claire Nicolson
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Anna Page
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Beth Sarah
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 4:00 PM
KING SIZE SLIM
First In Last Out18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Martin Ledner
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Charlie Austen
The Piper18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Atli
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 4:00 PM
The United Stöats Of America
Albion18th Feb - 4:00 PM
Robin Bennett
The Crown18th Feb - 4:00 PM
The Dead Rabbits
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 4:00 PM
The Longshore Drifters
The Railway18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Now & Then
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 4:15 PM
India Electric Company
The Carlisle18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Frank From Blue Velvet
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Hastings Punk Choir
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Someone Anyone
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Rufus Miller
Albion18th Feb - 4:15 PM
The WOTS Duo
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Matt James
Royal Standard18th Feb - 4:15 PM
The Umbrellabirds
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Cordelia Gartside
The St Leonard18th Feb - 4:15 PM
SHADY BABY
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Sugar Loaf Band
The Black Market18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Coral Palms
The London Trader18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Ragati String Band
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 4:15 PM
Patients
First In Last Out18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Stone Junction
Porters18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Melo
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Lily Ramona
The Crown18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Prince Keira
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Tara Franks and Tullis Rennie
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 4:30 PM
The Rebel Gentlemen
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Tom Cole
HEIST18th Feb - 4:30 PM
The Kukes
Stag Inn18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Pepe Belmonte
The Piper18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Kay Iris
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 4:30 PM
SILENT NATIVES
SEED18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Creature Creature
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 4:30 PM
SABRINA
Albion18th Feb - 4:30 PM
The Twitten Revellers
Little Mashers18th Feb - 4:30 PM
Stormy-T and Bluesman’s Lane
Royal Standard18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Lewis Floyd Henry
The Black Market18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Mr Wilson's Second Liners
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Victoria McDonnell Band
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Dhol Players & Band Baja
Albion18th Feb - 4:45 PM
The Rufus Stone Band
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Sistie Moose
The St Leonard18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Lost Revellers
The Carlisle18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Danny Horn & The Shared Myths
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Bold Reilly
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 4:45 PM
The Haystingers
The Railway18th Feb - 4:45 PM
The Shady Pines
The London Trader18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Mighty Sounds (Unplugged)
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 4:45 PM
KINSELLA
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 4:45 PM
George Dewhurst
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 4:45 PM
Atli
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Martin Ledner
Little Mashers18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Fat Tuesday Club
First In Last Out18th Feb - 5:00 PM
The United Stöats Of America
The Crown18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Elisha Edwards
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 5:00 PM
The Dead Rabbits
Albion18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Ethan Johns
Stag Inn18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Beth Sarah
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Snake Eats Boy
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Robin Bennett
SEED18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Charlie Austen
HEIST18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Anna Page
The Piper18th Feb - 5:00 PM
KING SIZE SLIM
Porters18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Tom Clarkson
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Claire Nicolson
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 5:00 PM
Cordelia Gartside
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Ragati String Band
The Black Market18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Frank From Blue Velvet
The Carlisle18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Now & Then
The Railway18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Hastings Punk Choir
Hastings & St Leonards Angling Association (HSLAA)18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Matt James
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Rufus Miller
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Someone Anyone
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 5:15 PM
SHADY BABY
The London Trader18th Feb - 5:15 PM
The Longshore Drifters
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 5:15 PM
India Electric Company
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 5:15 PM
The WOTS Duo
The St Leonard18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Coral Palms
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 5:15 PM
The Umbrellabirds
Royal Standard18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Sugar Loaf Band
Albion18th Feb - 5:15 PM
Prince Keira
Albion18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Melo
Ye Olde Pumphouse18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Pepe Belmonte
HEIST18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Tara Franks and Tullis Rennie
Little Mashers18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Lily Ramona
SEED18th Feb - 5:30 PM
The Twitten Revellers
Oscar's on the Square18th Feb - 5:30 PM
SABRINA
The Crown18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Stone Junction
The Dolphin Inn18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Creature Creature
British Tea Museum18th Feb - 5:30 PM
The Kukes
First In Last Out18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Tom Cole
Collected Fictions18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Kay Iris
The Piper18th Feb - 5:30 PM
SILENT NATIVES
Stag Inn18th Feb - 5:30 PM
The Rebel Gentlemen
Anchor Inn18th Feb - 5:30 PM
Patients
Porters18th Feb - 5:30 PM
The Haystingers
No 28. (Formerly Tommys)18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Lewis Floyd Henry
Albion18th Feb - 5:45 PM
KINSELLA
The Black Market18th Feb - 5:45 PM
George Dewhurst
The St Leonard18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Victoria McDonnell Band
Day Glo Records18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Danny Horn & The Shared Myths
The Carlisle18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Lost Revellers
East Hastings Sea Angling Association and Social Club (EHSAA)18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Sistie Moose
Cactus Hound18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Dhol Players & Band Baja
The Lord Nelson18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Mighty Sounds (Unplugged)
The London Trader18th Feb - 5:45 PM
The Rufus Stone Band
Royal Standard18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Stormy-T and Bluesman’s Lane
Dragon Bar18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Bold Reilly
The Railway18th Feb - 5:45 PM
The Shady Pines
Jenny Lind18th Feb - 5:45 PM
Mr Wilson's Second Liners
Hastings & St Leo gli -ng Association (HSLAA)

5:45 PM 

Enjoy the day!


Thursday, 16 February 2023

Mardi Gras - Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival 2023


Hastings Fat Tuesday Music Festival is back for 2023 (website) and it's time to celebrate Mardi Gras in style again! The festival kicks off this Friday the 17th with a one day music conference, Un-Convention, from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm at the East Hastings Sea Angling Association opposite Hastings Lifeboat Station; tickets for the whole day are £5 (website), and continues in the evening with Le Grand Mardi Gras Ball, 8.00 pm to 3.00 am, at the White Rock Theatre; Early Bird tickets £22.50, otherwise £27.00 (website). The festival goes on to encompass 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 21st of February, for the Fat Tuesday Tour 2023 (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 too on Tuesday evening, 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!

Mardi Gras in Rio is from the 17th to the 25th of February this year (website), which is spectacular too, and 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 what we do have is music galore and we party, for example on Saturday Unplugged boasts 60 artists and bands playing 15 minutes acoustic sets at 30 venues across Hastings, for 5 hours from 1-6pm, from St Leonards in the west to 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 free non-festival live music at some venues later that evening, that's Hastings!


Of course, there is much more to follow during the Fat Tuesday music festival (website), for example the Umbrella Parade on Sunday the 19th, this year starting at the seafront promenade below London Road in St Leonards at noon, and heading to the White Rock Theatre where there will be a family-friendly party (website).

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

Thursday, 9 February 2023

RNLI looking for this summer's lifeguards.

The RNLI is looking for this summer's lifeguards in East Sussex starting from the 7th of April until the 1st of October 2023, I'll copy the requirements below, but note that they "can help you gain the (vocational) qualifications you need" (RNLI).

  • Hold a National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NVBLQ) or equivalent or ILS Beach/Surf Lifeguard qualification or equivalent. You can find out if your beach/surf lifeguard qualification is recognised on the ILS website.
    • Take a health assessment (including an eyesight test) to ensure you are physically up to the job. This applies even if you've worked as an RNLI lifeguard before.
    • Complete a 400m pool swim in under 7½ minutes, the first 200m of which must be completed in under 3½ minutes.
    • Complete a 25m pool swim underwater and a 25m surface swim consecutively in under 50 seconds.
    • Complete a 200m beach run in under 40 seconds.
    • Be focused, vigilant, proactive and professional, with excellent people and rescue skills.
    • Be approachable, someone who enjoys meeting people and helping them stay safe.
    • Be a team player, get on well with other people, communicate easily and follow direction when required to.
    • Be over 16 and of school leaving age (with the permission of parent/guardian, if under 18).
    • Be willing to provide a DBS check or national/international equivalent.

    Good luck and stay safe folks! 


    Monday, 6 February 2023

    Businesses (& Street) still closed but Cafe/Bar and Butchers open!


    Following the significant East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service call outs last month (blog) one end of George Street remains closed, now with a CCTV van in situ (probably due to suspected re-entering of the premises by persons). Also, some shops and businesses, including HMV, remain closed at Priory Meadow (blog) and parking is still restricted in their car park; see Sussex World.


    Whereas, a new South American Cafe/Bar has opened up at 44 Marina, St Leonards TN38 0BU, that is Cumbia Kitchen (website). The business having been going for over 4 years selling 'pop-up' street-style food at various festivals and venues around town, eg at the Dolphin Inn, and with a kiosk on Hastings Pier, remember the pier? 😒 


    Also, a new butchers is opening at 34 Robertson Street TN34 1HT on Thursday 9th (Sussex World). Beak & Tail is the result of many years of experience working as butchers in East Sussex, London and Kent, of 2 young (compared to me) brothers, one of whom, Tom, I met this morning, Great to have a butchers back in town lads!

    Anyway, very good luck to the new businesses👍

    Good news and bad news here folks...