I was out quite early this morning, shopping at Morrisons just after 07.00, and then walking via back streets to St Leonards Church at the end of Undercliff, then crossing to the seafront. I walked eastwards and took this photograph looking back to the west (my earliest photographs today are all facing away from the sun 😎), with Eastbourne and Beachy Head way over there in the distance. Indeed, the tide would be turning back towards shore about 10 minutes after I took the photograph.
The first photograph with a direct reference to the vampire film Byzantium (YouTube trailer), half of which was filmed in Hastings and half was filmed in Cork, is of the lower promenade part of the Azur Marina Pavilion (website), which was built in the 1930s; Hastings & St Leonards has quite a few art deco buildings from this time! This part of the building is featured in the film as the lounge of a home for older people, and the character played by Saoirse Ronan plays the piano here, and more, but I shan't ruin it in case you haven't seen the film yet, and decide to... 😉 I first wrote about the Azur over 7 years ago, when I reviewed the breakfast served, and eaten by me, here (blog).
I carried on eastwards, deciding to look back and take this photograph, with the Azur Marina Pavilion dwarfed by, and apparently listing towards it, Marine Court, which I have written about before (blog). Marine Court is another fine 1930s building and modelled on the Cunard Liner the Queen Mary, the blog is well worth the read.
Carrying on to the east and I walked through Bottle Alley, shortly before the end of which I looked back westwards again and took this photograph. I have written about Sidney Little's Bottle Alley before when the new lighting was installed 5 years ago, when I also mentioned it featuring in the film Byzantium (blog).
Carrying on further to the east and I soon reached one of the main stars of the film Byzantium (trailer), as in, the building used in the film as Byzantium. This was originally called the Palace Hotel, and was built in 1885-86, it is now the Grade II listed Palace Court, and is across the road from the beach.
Again looking back westwards, although nothing to do with the film, indeed, it wasn't even here when Byzantium was being filmed in Hastings, but I photographed this really quite marvellous sculpture on the beach. This was created as part of the 950th Battle of Hastings anniversary celebrations and depicts a Norman Longboat (blog).
First of all I have to admit the photograph above is one I took quite a few years ago, so you may well have seen it before, but in the film Byzantium the beaches of Hastings are filmed quite a bit, so a decision? I thought about photographing the groyne on the beach where the other main character, played by Gemma Arterton, well, I shan't say what she was doing there, but she was playing a vampire... 😉 Anyway, the beach above, and some of the fishing boats there, was featured in the film too, and this photograph also includes the East Hill in the background. Very early in the film, when the 2 main characters Clara and Eleanor Webb (Arterton and Ronan) are about to enter Hastings, they cross the East Hill and the camera looks down into Hastings Old Town, I have shared quite a few photographs of similar images before, particularly when walking back across Hastings Country Park during recent 'lockdowns.'
Anyway, the destination of my walk was Rock-a-Nore, and when the footpath ended, and Rock-a-Nore Road enters into car parks, unless walking down to the beach and rocks, this is as far as one can walk, and this one (me) didn't fancy walking any further eastwards today, particularly as the tide was coming in now. So the view of the cliffs looking eastwards from Rock-a-Nore, and up on top there Hastings Country Park.
I hope you have all enjoyed your August Bank Holiday, stay safe folks!
