Hastings Will Never Be Poor
In these times of “Impending doom”, as we are led to believe by our politicians, it is nice to report that “Hastings Town”, the magazine and the town itself, are coming along nicely and bucking the trend.
So many times we hear the same sad tale that Hastings is the poorest town in England or that the crime rate here is on the increase. Recently I was told by a Canadian visitor that he had heard that our police force had the “Lowest morale in the country”.
Let “Hastings Town” be the first to report that this is one of the most vibrant and exciting places on the South Coast. It might be poor financially but it is rich in people with ambition and talent. It also possesses folk that care and folk that work to make this town a better place.
We have been around for just four months but many names have been coming to our attention for the amount of effort they put in for Hastings. One man’s name constantly springs up wherever there is any Hastings action going on. That man is Ion Castro. Ion has produced articles on the three things that made Hastings a special place in the 20th. Century. The Pier, The Albert Memorial and the Trolleybusses. He is not just a sentimentalist looking back at better times, but a constructive advocate of ways for getting Hastings & St. Leonards a better future. We are discovering he is involved with, usually in an official capacity, many Hastings events. The Annual Vintage Bus Rally to be held at The Oval later this month and the Old Town Carnival are just two he will be very busy with this summer.
Ion is a more than capable photographer and historian he is also a defender of the good things in the town and has a keen understanding of local politics and the way they are driven, as his letters to the Observer demonstrate. While there are Ion Castro’s in Hastings this town will never be poor.
High Street Parking
There is something wrong here. The parking spaces in the High Street that have been transferred to ‘Permit Holders Only’ stand empty for most of the day. High Street customers are unable to use them as they did before. This throws greater pressure on The Bourne Car Park which is often full.
Why not make the spaces ‘Permit Holders Only’ from 5pm. – 9am. and use empty spaces for one hour parking between 9am. & 5pm when permit holders are at work? Permit holders would, of course, be able to use them free in the daytime by displaying their permit.
This would be useful to the customers wanting to do a quick shop in the High Street and a great relief to the traders whose businesses have been affected.
“Rye’s Own” May 2008
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