There have been moments in my long life when I have despaired of the human race. The morning of Tuesday 6 October, at the time of hearing the news that Hastings Pier was destroyed and burning, was one of them. Arson was suspected. I thought back to the hundreds of Saturday nights I spent at dances on the Pier with my friends, back in the 1950’s and 60’s, and remembered the great fun we had in that amazing domed ballroom. It was like the death of an old friend. Why should anyone want to kill the Pier? She was old and frail and thanks to years of neglect, in dire need of restoration. Continue reading Like the Death of an Old Friend