Women March! Saturday, June 23rd 11.30am

St Mary in the Castle

FREE EVENT

Doors: 11:30am
Show: 12pm

Women’s Voice invites you to dress as a suffragette and join the great women’s suffrage procession on Saturday 23 June.

10am: Assemble at Warrior Square Gardens.
11am: Setting off: we will march along the seafront to the town centre, then back to St Mary’s in the Castle.
12.30pm: Speakers, films, theatre and a massed women’s choir singing songs from the suffrage movement. All events are free.

Speaking for Women’s Voice, Ann Kramer says: ‘the march will be one of the highpoints of the events we have organised to celebrate one hundred years since (some) women won the parliamentary vote. Local suffragists and suffragettes processed along the seafront and through the streets of Hastings more than a hundred years ago in their fight for the vote, so we decided it would be good to honour their struggle and re-create one of their processions.’

A visit from Hawaii– Friends of Hastings Cemetery Update

After posting the fascinating story of a Dr. Makalua on the website, a faculty member at the University of Hawaii contacted us to say she is bringing a group of students over in July to retrace the steps and tours of a study abroad program from Hawaii between 1880 and 1892 which includes the student,  ​Matthew Makalua,

New Stories

• Dewar, Rev. David Erskine - there are a number of Dewars and Parrys in the Cemetery, but we are not currently aware of any connection (watch this space!) But we do know that he was the father of Annie Clementina Makalua. (See below)

Updated Story

• Makalua, Matthew M (Dr), MRCS, LRCP & Annie Clementine - First ethnic Hawaiian to qualify as a doctor; practised in Hastings

St Mary in the Castle Tour Wednesday, June 27th 12pm FREE ENTRY

Meet in the cafe just before 12pm.

Join us for an informative and historical tour of the 19th century church and it's crypt.

The tour is free but donations are very welcome.

Cyril and Lilian Bishop Lifeboat

Lord Boyce, Lord Warden and Admiral of the Cinque Ports, will have the honour of raising the Dunkirk Little Ships flag on the Cyril and Lilian Bishop Lifeboat.

The flag raising will take place during a day of celebration and street processions in Hastings Old Town on Saturday May 26 and the public are invited to come along and attend.

The day will start with a muster at the lifeboat station at 11.30am

Read more at: https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/lord-warden-set-to-raise-the-flag-for-the-ghost-of-dunkirk-lifeboat-1-8442942

Cemetery Walks

Meeting - Friends of Hastings Pier

White Rock Area Development

Over the next few years, HBC will be embarking on a major redesign and redevelopment of White Rock Gardens, and the ‘Bohemia Quarter’. This will probably be the biggest public space redevelopment in Hastings since the last war, and would mean new, modern facilities for sport, leisure, and culture, developing this space to complement Hastings Pier, and become a new destination for our town......

Watch out for the Area Action Plan consultation when it emerges later this year.  HBC say this could be one of the most exciting projects we’ve seen in Hastings for a generation, creating a new cultural, leisure and tourism destination, something quite special for visitors and local people alike.

Read more at: https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/opinion/council-plans-for-exciting-times-1-8424565

Thank you to all who voted - we won!

Hastings Old Town crowned Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood

Read more at: https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/hastings-old-town-crowned-britain-s-best-walking-neighbourhood-1-8420968

Talk - Pebsham Airfield and Sidney Little

Hastings History House

21 Courthouse Street

Saturday 17th March, 5.30PM

Tickets - Members £4

Non-Members - £5

Refreshments Available

Book Sale!

Hastings History House

21 Courthouse Street

Thursday 8th March - Sunday 11th March

11 - 4PM Daily

Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood award

Voting on Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood Award is now live until 14 March.

There are many neighbourhoods across the country that are already great for walking, so we’ve launched our first ever Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood award to celebrate them.

We asked people to nominate their favourites, and we’ve put together a shortlist of ten of the best. Take a look at the shortlist and cast a vote now for your favourite using the voting form at the bottom of the page.

And the ten nominees are...

Diglis, Worcester

Dumfries, Scotland

Hackney, London

Hastings Old Town, Sussex

Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria

Newtown, Wales

Salford, Greater Manchester

Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire

Town Moor, Newcastle

Walthamstow, London

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/Get%20involved/Campaign%20with%20us/Britains%20Best%20Walking%20Neighbourhood%20award?utm_source=walk%20mag&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=spring%202018

Friends of Hastings Cemetery Update

Walks to be announced : if you would like to arrange a walk see Contact page.

"the grave's a fine and private place…" exploring Hastings Cemetery

New Stories

• Kent, Maria Penelope - died far from her home in Whitchurch, Shropshire

• Langham, James George  & Family -Local Solicitor; lived in the High Street

Recent Story

• Glenn, John M Grey, his wife, sister in law, (M A Graham) and step-son - (Thomas Goldsworthy) raises several questions, why Hastings? Lucknow story? and some of the mourners at the funerals? [see http://thehistorybucket.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/]

Updated Stories

• Evans, Kingsley Alan - a private in the 48thBattalion, Canadian Infantry, died of pneumonia. Uncle was a local schoolteacher
• Whistler Family - Annie, “Whistler’s Mother”, William Whistler, doctor, Helen his wife (nee Ionides)

E-petition re Threat to Rights of Way on the Stade

Two petitions relating to the above, if you wish to register your objection

http://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=5

https://www.change.org/p/councillor-sue-beaney-protect-rights-of-way-on-the-stade

Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve - new visitor centre

This week, 19^th to 23^rd February, Hastings Borough Council is undertaking preparatory works on the site of the new visitor centre.  The site has been marked out on the ground and a layer of topsoil to a depth of 30 centimetres is being removed from the footprint of the proposed building.

Archaeology

The County Archaeologist has been on site to oversee the excavation.  There have been archaeological finds during the site works by way of a medieval bracelet and stone age flints.  As a result of the underlying archaeology there are localised excavations that are greater than 30 centimetres. The Hastings Area Archaeology Group will undertake further localised excavation on site before any building works commence.

Outstanding Planning Application
http://publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=_HSTBC_DCAPR_114791

You should be aware that there is an outstanding Planning Application (HS/FA/17/01018) to vary the approved drawings of the granted planning permission for the visitor centre (Reference HS/FA/14/01033). These variations are amendments to the roof structure, window openings, ventilation unit and weatherboarding material.

The Chairman of the Friends of Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, Andrew Blackmore, has commented on this outstanding application: “Our committee discussed this application at a recent meeting and we have serious concerns. The changes of design and materials proposed represent a significant downgrade in terms of quality and aesthetics. Metal shutters will give the building a particularly grim aspect in what is a highly sensitive location. It is in everyone's interest, we believe, that any new visitor centre at the Country Park is built to the specification that the location deserves, and that the process of decision making is transparent. Changes of this magnitude need proper scrutiny from public and planners alike, and the rationale behind them should be explained in full.”