Hastings & St Leonards Heritage

Old Hastings Preservation Society was founded in 1952 to promote the permanent preservation of buildings of beauty/historic interest, especially in Hastings & St. Leonards and foster an appreciation of the history of Hastings. We encourage and record research which supports our objectives. Good architecture, design and town planning is encouraged. In 1956 we founded the Hastings Fishermen’s Museum open daily in Rock-a-Nore Road and more recently Hastings History House.

Saturday, 11 July 2020

Carnival

OHPS is working on an exhibition about Carnival history. Currently we have a dearth of photos for the 1960's to 1990's, but other photos are also welcome.

If you can help please email photos to this address, before 21st July. Many thanks.

Friday, 26 June 2020

Alexandra Park Victorian Greenhouse

The greenhouse is now open on Wednesdays and Saturdays

from 11am to 1pm.

New plants arriving all the time.

Friday, 15 May 2020

A Gentle Reminder

If everyone spent £10 a week locally that they might otherwise have spent online with a national supplier we would lock about £20million into the Hastings economy each year.

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Country Park News!

After 16 months of hard work we have won the battle to keep the Country Park free of industrial scale solar arrays. Cllr. Colin Fitzgerald, Chair of The Country Park Management Forum and Deputy Leader of Hastings Borough Council, phoned me on Tuesday to tell me the Council’s decision. Here is the link to the Council’s press release:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/press_media/news/pr-20200511/

The decision was apparently based upon both a financial reappraisal and the response received from Natural England to the request for advice.

Sunday, 22 March 2020

Good Intentions!

Closure of our libraries: a statement from East Sussex County Council

This means thatf Saturday 21 March) was the final day when customers were be able to visit our libraries and borrow books or other physical items.

All current and new library loans will be extended until at least 30 June so no one has to worry about overdue library books or other items. We have scrapped fines for any items that were due to be returned after 9 March 2020.

Our online library of course will operate as normal and we have increased the number of items available online. Our eLibrary includes not just books but also audiobooks, magazines and reference material.

Thursday, 19 March 2020

In case you aren't aware.

You probably know that the History House and Fishermen's Museum are closed until further notice. Email requests will be responded to.
And here is some helpful information from the Library.

Coronavirus - what we’re doing to help

We want to help East Sussex residents as much as we can over this difficult time, taking into account the health and wellbeing of customers and staff.

We know how greatly library services and our staff are valued by local communities and wanted to let you know about some additional measures we’re taking to support residents and staff:

We’ve extended all current and new library loans until at least 30 June so you don’t have to worry about overdue library books or other items such as DVDs.
Until further notice we’re scrapping fines for any items that were due to be returned after 9 March 2020.
We’re suspending reservation fees until further notice.
To help people stock up on their reading matter, we’re increasing the number of books both adults and children can borrow to 30.
We’re buying even more eBooks. Our online offer is amazing and we provide a great range of eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines, as well as access to our online reference library – it’s all available in our eLibrary
Regrettably, as a precautionary measure we’ve decided to cancel all events in libraries such as rhymetimes, storytimes and code clubs for the foreseeable future. This is because our events involve a larger number of people being in closer contact for a longer period of time than other activities in our libraries.
In the coming days we’ll be increasing the space between our public computers. This will mean that there will be fewer computers available for you to use, but it enables us to maintain a safer distance between customers and keep you all safer

Please help us to keep you and our staff safe by maintaining a sensible distance from other customers and staff when visiting libraries and by keeping interactions to a minimum. Please remember to regularly wash your hands or use a hand sanitiser.

We’re continuing to ensure that surfaces, door handles, keyboards and other equipment are regularly wiped down.

As a further precautionary measure we would like to ask all of our customers to only use our libraries during the first hour of opening each day if they are:

aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)

under 70 with a disability, or an underlying health condition (i.e. anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds), as detailed in the government’s guidance

Do not visit the library if you have any of the symptoms, however mild, of coronavirus or if you live with someone who does. You should stay at home in line with NHS guidance.

We will continue to keep the situation under review, taking into account the latest information and we will keep you updated of any further changes to your libraries.

If you have any queries or need any further information, please contact us at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/libraries/form-library-enquiries/.

Thursday, 5 March 2020

Hastings Cemetery Update

New & Rewritten Stories

Adams, John Paine & Rachel - came to Hastings, publican of “Cottage Inn” St Andrews Road (later Queens Road)

Ball, Richard (Dick), Eliza and their daughter Nellie - he was captain of The Albertine, and maybe The New Albertine.

Hopper, Mary Anne - For 63 years faithful nurse and friend in the family of Rev. W. Darnell

Kenward, Charlotte, Henry & son Henry - dairman in Ore

Robins, Thomas Edward & Family - A memorial of a family covering 1923 - 2012. On the gravestone it is recorded Elsie was born in Hastings, Calcutta. It is reported that Thomas retired as Harbour Master, Calcutta [now Kolkata] in 1919 and the family came to Hastings. As he died in India in 1925, it seems more likely that he came with the family to bring Elsie, maybe to recuperate, as she was only 22 when she died, or perhaps to join family. (There have been Robins in Hastings for a long time.) The family lived in Hastings, Calcutta.

Updated Story - Mansell, Dr. Edward Rosser & Family - Civil Surgeon - Zulu Wars; Assistant Surgeon for the East Sussex, Hastings and St. Leonards Hospital

Monday, 2 March 2020

Fascinating New Exhibition

Wednesday, 22 January 2020

HASTINGS & ST. LEONARDS SOCIETY

Promoting Our Heritage and Civic Pride

Website: www.hastingsandstleonardssociety.org.uk

Secretary’s e-mail: hstlsoc@gmail.com

Open Meeting

Date: Tuesday 28 January 2020, start 6 p.m.
Venue: White Rock Hotel (ground floor meeting room)
Meeting to be chaired by Dr. Deborah Madden

Agenda

1. Welcome from the Chair, with any apologies for
absence and outline of the focus of the Meeting: The
heritage of Hastings town centre
2. Presentation on the restoration proposals for ‘His Place’
Church (former United Reformed Church) on Robertson
Street, by Nicky Roper
3. Report on the funding application situation at Holy
Trinity Church, from Edward Gosnell
4. Presentation on the Heritage Action Zone (HAZ)
initiative for the town centre, by Jess Steele
5. Discussion of the ‘My Town’ campaign (Government
funded)
6. A O B
Free admission. Note that the Hotel doesn’t charge for our use of
the room. In appreciation of this, we encourage purchases at the
bar and drinks may be brought into the meeting.