Some very late news has just come in – Arthur Woodgate has, at last, got a pint of shrimps! The fishmonger at Jempsons Peasmarsh has found a source and from now on there will be shrimps next to the prawns on his slab.
On other fronts the news is not so good. A lorry ran into the crossing gates at The Grove and the road there was closed for more than two hours, right through the school finishing time.
The Post Office in Cinque Ports Street was closed for “Confidential reasons” and at the time of the main magazine going to press has not been re-opened.
The repairs to the drainage system on the Peasmarsh road have not been successfully completed and the road will have to be closed again in the near future.
These three ‘bad news items’ beg the answers to three very serious questions.
1. What would have happened if the new Primary School adjacent to the Thomas Peacock had been open when the crossing gates were damaged?
2. Why the hell did Post Office Counters (or whatever they are called now) close the Tilling Green Post Office when they knew the Cinque Ports Street Office had previous problems and has always been over used on busy days.
3. The reason the Peasmarsh Road has to close completely and not allow a single lane to operate is down to European Health and Safety rules in protection of the workers on the site – but what about the safety of drivers and their passengers having to negotiate narrow lanes to go about their business?
Problem Three is easily solved. Tell the European Parliament what you think of their Health and Safety rules, open single operation but implement a m.p.h. limit, enforceable by a £100 fine. The workers will still be safe and the traffic will lose a couple of minutes but not half an hour.
The answer to Problem Two is obvious, another Postmaster and counter squad should have be sent in within 24 hours to operate the office until the problems, whatever they are, can be sorted out?
Problem One is a different kettle of fish. Its too late to move the school but there is still time to build a roadway through the old Ferry Road School site which is still publicly owned.
The point of access at The Adelaide Pub, which school buses and parents picking up pupils used for more than forty years, is we are told, no longer a right of way to the site. The ground belongs to the pub. It seems unbelievable that the previous years of access was not established in law by County when the school was abandoned, but why, at this point in time can’t they come to an accommodation with the owners of the Adelaide? After all it would only be for an hour at the most, twice a day. We would make a wager that, if the site is sold to a development company, a right of way will be obtained.
When we look at the terraces in Rye that were constructed in the 1850’s it seems incredible that the fine brick built school on Tilling Green, which was built just 50 years ago, is to be knocked down instead of being used as a ready built Community Centre for the Estate. Tilling Green has been stripped of all its assets over the years. The Estate took part of it’s name from the square patch of grass that stood between the southern end of Pottingfield Road and the ends of Marley Road and Lee Avenue. It was used for many communal activities until some bright spark decided to build on it. The Post Office has gone, the School has gone, why not forget profit for once and give something back to Tilling Green?
“Hastings Town” May 2008
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