St Mary's in the Castle - Petition

"I want St Mary in the Castle to be kept as an arts centre" petition"

Voices from the Hastings Stade

A new book , a collection of oral histories from the Hastings Fishing Industry published by the Fishermen's Museum, available from The Fishermen.s Museum, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings, Tel 01424 461446
 and from The History House, 21 Courthouse Street, Hastings, Tel: 01424 424744

White Rock - History

For some reason there has been a recent proliferation in queries about "Wherefore is White Rock?"

OHPS has compiled a short document, with illustrations, for those interested. (20p) but here is some brief information.

Alexandra Park - Memories

Do you have photos, postcards, memories of Alexandra Park?  They are needed for an upcoming exhibition.. Please bring into the History House, 21 Courthouse Street, open Thursday - Sunday, 11- 4, or email ohps@ophs.org.uk

BBC One - Inside Out South East 7.30 Monday 9th January 2012

A closer look at stories from the South East

We return to a Hastings fishing family a generation on from a 1986 documentary

Featuring Hastings Fishermen’s Museum

   Rock-a-Nore Road

Christmas in Hastings

10th December - Carols in All Saints

11th December - Old Town Victorian Christmas Event

15th December - Old Town Late Night Christmas Shopping

16th December - Christmas Carols at the Fishermen.s Museum

17th December - Christmas Concert in St Mary's = Hastings Philharmonic Choir

18th December, FILO Christmas Pub Quiz

 

Skating at Priory Meadow : through to 3rd January, closed Christmas Day and Boxing day.

Christmas Social - 10 December, 5.30PM

History House, 21 Courthouse Street
A celebration of Christmas and 2011.
Tickets £2

Bottle with message from the Bourne Hall found October 2011

St Mary's in the Castle

Despite statements to the contrary, it appears that HBC is not going to honour the commitment to ensuring that St Mary's remains an Arts & Culture Centre.

How can this be so?

 “There’s nowhere with better acoustics in the south east of England. I’ve played in the Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room and they’re not as good.”
Trevor Watts, saxophonist and composer, 2.4.1992

“St Mary-in-the-Castle is a building of national importance, and a unique

historic structure. It is important to the future of Hastings as a visitor focal

point, a resource for the local economy and major tourism project. A range

of uses are possible, but the most appropriate and viable are a combination

of an arena for events and exhibitions to develop ‘cultural tourism’, an

amphitheatre for conferences and meetings, and a memorable visitor

experience… It is rare for major projects of this kind to be viable with just a

single use.”

‘Making St Mary-in-the-Castle Church a Resource for Hastings’ URBED

report, September 1991

“St Mary might be the linchpin’ for raising the profile of Hastings – putting it

on the international map as a centre for cultural, trade and events of all kinds

– enriching the life of the whole town, and (attracting) an increasing number

of visitors and participants from far and near.”

Nicholas Allott, Trustee, Mackintosh Foundation, 18.12.1991

“I have for many years, since I came to Hastings, been concerned about St Mary-in-the Castle, built by Joseph Kaye who lived in my house…It is a fine building – neo, neo classical – and should be used for cultural purposes…For many reasons it should be treasured and not made a mockery of. It could be the focus of Hastings

.John Bratby RA, Chief Editor of Art Quarterly, 13.11.1991

“I am staggered by the beauty of Pelham Crescent…You say you need my signature – if that is all you need you have got it, but I would do anything else I could to save it. Please let me know.”

Sir Roger de Grey, President, Royal Academy of Arts, 28.11.1991

“I support your campaign – it would cater for the cultural needs of the residents and encourage active participation as opposed to passive reception.”

Adrian Heath, Painter, 5.12.1991

“I certainly support the idea of turning the church into an arts centre. If, as I understand, Pelham Crescent is to be restored, such a project would be most timely and would probably be the only rival to the achievements of St George’s in Bristol, an arts centre of enviable qualities in an ideal setting.”

http://www.nickwates.co.uk/reports/r&ppdfs/St%20Mary%20Prospectus.pdf
(For those wondering about the Labels, Keywords, Tags, could them what you will) it is because everyone should be concerned that they may lose the chance to visit this World Treasure.)Peter Katin, pianist, 3.1.1992

“We sincerely hope you manage to persuade Hastings Borough Council to re-think the plans for this splendid church.”

Hastings Week 2011 : 7 - 16th October

History House open 11 - 4 daily, except Monday

Exhibitions:

Hastings Bonfire; Bayeux Tapestry & 1066;

And Some of All That

Talks:

• The Story of Ore - Saturday 8th - 5.30PM
• William Lucky Bastard - Sunday 9th - 3PM
• Hastings Pirates and Privateers - Friday 14th - 4.30PM

Old Town Gudided Walks Tuesday 11th - Thursday 13th

2.30 meet at the top of the West Hill Lift

Photography Competition - Prizes! Prizes! Prizes!

Photograph your very favourite building in Hastings (East Sussex)  or St Leonards, (East Sussex) not just for the sake of winning a prize but to highlight what you consider an important building in your area, to form a record of buildings as at 2011, and to feature in a display in 2012.

Age Limit - None
Clsoing Date: 3PM on the 11th September 2011.
All entries to be in to The History House, 21 Courthouse Street, Hastings, TN34 3AU

Please label the back of your entry with contact details - Name / Telephone No. or email address
Your age if under 12
Hard copy entries only

Current Exhibitions

Broderick and Blomfield, Hastings Photographers -  exhibition

'Roman Excavation 2011' - new display by Hastings Area Archaeological Group.

Fears of closure after hub bid fails for St Mary-in-the-Castle - UPDATE

Good News! St Mary in the Castle will remain open under present management until at least August 2012.

Barbara Rogers is the businesswoman whose hard work and dedication is currently keeping St Mary-in-the-Castle open with a café and management of event bookings.

She fears the building will close as her contract to run it expires on August 31.
She said: “There are no bookings for the autumn and I am here only to the end of next month. The council needs to do a very rapid rethink.

This  Grade 11* listed is a rare example of a church as part of a residential development, the accoustics of the auditorium are internationally acknowledged as superb, and the building occupies a prime and iconic position on the sea front.

How has it been allowed to come to this - again?

More anger over Hastings development plans

Hastings & St Leonards Observer

Published on Friday 24 June 2011 16:00

THE row over developing the town’s green spaces is rumbling on with fingers now being pointed at a local housing association as well as the council,
The Observer reported last week that plots of land off Ghyllside Avenue and Parkstone Road could be auctioned off to raise money for Hastings Borough Council.............................