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.............................

Hastings Castle lottery bid is in ruins - Hastings & St Leonards Observer

A MULTI-million pound bid to revamp Hastings’s historic castle has been kiboshed by the Lottery.......................

The HLF recognised the castle’s historic importance, but was unimpressed by the details of the plans - which the council has been working on for almost a decade.
Carole Souter, chief executive of HLF, told the Observer: “Hastings Castle is a much-loved and hugely significant local landmark and we applaud the council’s aspirations to renovate and open up the site.
“However, we had concerns about the viability of the project and due to the competitive nature of this round of funding were unable to support it.”................
http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local-news/hastings_castle_lottery_bid_is_in_ruins_1_2741581

1066 & all that - Hastings Castle at risk. See it now!

CIMG5098, a photo by marijsak on Flickr.

Photos - follow the link below..........

please email us if you can help identify any of these photos in any way - Many thanks

http://ohpsupdate.blogspot.com/p/photos-can-you-help-identify-them.html

email: ohps@ohps.org.uk

Old Town Walks

Every Tuesday from May to September meeting at 2.30 at the top of the West Hill Cliff Railway.
Explore the hidden secrets of Hastings Old Town with our  friendly and approachable guides. The walks are free but donations are appreciated. There are some steep slopes involved. We are happy to organise walks for groups and can offer a range of themes and routes to suit.

Current Exhibitions at Hastings History House

• “Hidden Connections and Strange Coincidences”
  Exploring the byways of historical research, one thing leads to another -
• Flight from Justice
• Flight for Justice
• Fight for Justice...........................

• A Town Transformed” Hastings and St Leonards in 1920s and 30s
• Hastings & St Leonards in the 1920's & 30's - not forgetting Sidney Little! 

We are at The History House, 21 Courthouse Street, in the Old Town.
Tel: 01424 424744

Books! Books! Books!

• We have a stock of new local history publications
• We have a changing collection of second hand fiction for sale at 50p each
• We have other non-fiction second hand books which often provide surprising finds for people's interests
• We hold regular Book Sales

We also have a range of second books which often include interesting titles
Some of these are listed ont the Books page at :
http://ohpsupdate.blogspot.com/p/books-books-books.html

• If you are interested in any of the listed titles and cannot visit Hastings (well worth the effort!) please email us with an offer, including postage [ohps@ohps.org.uk]