The Spirit of Cricket statue has been returned to Priory Meadow, eight months after it was damaged by contractors.
The statue was first revealed in Queens Square when the shopping centre opened in 1997 and was put in place to mark the former Central Cricket Ground that the centre was built on.
Some of the recent stories have been looking at those who have no memorials, whose memorials have been lost, or whose ashes were scattered in The Garden of Remembrance.
Some of these stories have been explored because of an enquiry, sometimes from overseas.
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Following their restoration of the Priscilla MacBean lifeboat, which was discovered as a rotting hulk in Eastbourne and is now on permanent show in the Old Town.
Now they are set to bring home a former Hastings lifeboat which earned the legend ‘The Ghost of Dunkirk’
The Cyril and Lilian Bishop lifeboat, which saved 34 lives in Hastings during the 1930’s, spent four days and four nights rescuing British and French soldiers from the beaches during the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War 2.
“She is best known and earned her nickname ‘The Ghost of Dunkirk when in late May 1940 the Dunkirk evacuation needed shallow draught vessels to make their way to Dover and the RNLI was asked to send as many lifeboats as possible and coxswain George Moon quickly called a crew together consisting of Will Martin, Bodger Barton, Jumbo White, Bill Hilder and finally Freddie Button.
“On arrival at Dover George Moon tells us that all the lifeboats were commandeered by the Royal Navy and he and the rest of the crew travelled back to Hastings by train.
In February 2015, a bid put forward by campaigners was refused planning consent by Hastings Borough Council, going against officers’ recommendations.
Members said the statue’s condition was so poor it would not be suitable for display alongside the town hall, which is a Grade-II listed building.
Campaigners submitted an appeal to have the decision overturned, which was successful.
A new heritage group, the Albert Statue Group, was formed early this year to raise funds for the project.
Hastings Lions Club came forward with a generous donation for buying and installing the new Portland stone pedestal on which the statue is to be erected.
There have also been donations from members of the public who are keen to see the long-neglected statue back in the public domain.
Roger Wilcock, of A. C. Towner Ltd has been advising on the project, and he is doing some of the preparatory work free of charge, with consent from his employer Edward Towner, as this is a community project without financial support from the council.
The life-size statue of Prince Albert, sculpted in Portland stone by Edwin Stirling at his Liverpool studio, was saved for the town by Edith Skelton, who bought it from the demolition firm for £50.
Open 364 days a year and free to enter, the Fishermen’s Museum at Rock-a-Nore is possibly one of the area’s most underrated and fascinating attractions.
It is a treasure trove of exhibits which show the history of the local fishing fleet and our relationship with the sea, having a full sized fishing lugger as its centre piece.
But the volunteer run museum, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this month, is in desperate need of financial support if it is to continue opening as it currently does.
“If everyone who came in donated just £1 we would be in a healthy position”
The museum is housed in the former Fishermen’s Church, built on the Stade in 1852, which fell out of use after the Second World War.
Hastings Fishermen’s Museum opened on May 17 1956.
