Category: Hastings Town

One from Lon Castro’s Archive

One from Ion Castro’s Archive Whilst looking for something else I came across this leaflet advertising Hastings – how times have changed – seagull smoking a pipe!!! So politically incorrect on so many levels, and, on the reverse “Every day’s a gay day” – nothing wrong with that but was that what they wanted to say? Continue reading One from Lon Castro’s Archive

Hastings Week Awards The Bowskill trophy

By Ion Castro

The Bowskill Trophy is presented annually in memory of Cyril Bowskill who, with his wife Joan was a great supporter of Hastings Week, from majority vote based on public nominations it is awarded to the person, group or organisation who has done most to promote the prestige of the week. Continue reading Hastings Week Awards The Bowskill trophy

The Royal Standard

By John Hodges

The first licence to sell beer was granted to the Royal Standard at sometime around 1822, at a time that predated the introduction of the new Beer House Act. This piece of sweeping legislation permitted any householder assessed to the poor rate, to obtain from the excise on a payment of two guineas, a licence to sell beer by retail from their dwelling house. Continue reading The Royal Standard

Hastings a Front Line Town

 

By Nathan Dylan Goodwin

The people of Hastings could not have anticipated the scale of death and destruction, which would span almost six, long years in the borough’s history when the country went to war in 1939, a war which left in its wake 154 civilians dead and more than 14,000 properties damaged or destroyed. Continue reading Hastings a Front Line Town

Lover’s Seat

BY TONY MAY

I have been in a somewhat romantic mood of late and as I approach my 49th birthday as a Batchelor I have been spending rather more time than is healthy perhaps reflecting on the course of my life so far. Continue reading Lover’s Seat

The Pier Will Live Again

By Tony May

Have you ever had your signature analysed by a computer and learnt what it reveals about your personality traits? I have, I paid my money and took my chances when browsing the kiosks on Brighton Pier a number of years ago. I remember reading the printout I got and contemplating what it said about me… Continue reading The Pier Will Live Again

Hastings & The Great War

By Tony May

With 2014 being the 100th anniversary of the beginning of The First World War and having recently watched the ‘The Great War’ boxed-set on DVD, I felt compelled to write something about civilized mans lowest moment in history. Continue reading Hastings & The Great War

WORK BEGINS ON HASTINGS PIER

By COUNCILLOR JOHN HODGES

At last signs of real progress are beginning to happen on the pier. A column supporting Hastings Pier has been replaced, marking the very first stage of the restoration of Hastings Pier. During the past five years one column broke at a point below the beach level and collapsed. Because of its location this is a critical column and its replacement was essential- Continue reading WORK BEGINS ON HASTINGS PIER

‘Then, before then, before that and now’

Four phases of ‘The Memorial’

Ion Castro looks into his archive

Many of us, especially older ones like me, still refer to the town centre as ‘The Memorial’, no, not the Shopping centre but the place, partially pedestrianised, where Havelock Road meets Cambridge Road, Robertson Street, Harold Place, Wellington Place and York Buildings, Queens Road and Station Road, where, in 1863 a memorial to Albert the Good, Queen Victoria’s husband was erected to commemorate the untimely death in 1861 of the Queen’s consort. The Memorial lasted until 1973 and gave its name to the area but what was there before that? Continue reading ‘Then, before then, before that and now’