The statue of Prince Albert will be installed by the town hall

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.

Read more: http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local/work-to-start-on-installation-of-hastings-statue-1-7416965#ixzz4AuIcC7Yf

More support needed to keep local treasure afloat

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.

Read more: http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local/more-support-needed-to-keep-local-treasure-afloat-1-7397804#ixzz49fyYGw9W

Could you display town’s tapestry?

Saturday 30 January 2016
There has been a lot of interest recently in the Hastings Embroidery, and whether it could be put back on display during this 950th anniversary year of the Battle of Hastings.

The embroidery was made in 1966, during the 900th anniversary year, and depicts the history of Hastings during those 900 years.

The embroidery was put into climate-controlled storage in London over ten years ago, because ‘expert’ opinion suggested that it was deteriorating and could not remain on display unless it was housed in very expensive climate-controlled cabinets.

However, two panels have remained on display in the Town Hall throughout that period, and have shown no sign of significant deterioration.

So it would seem to be better to have it where it can be seen, even if it is slowly deteriorating, rather than keeping it in perfect condition in storage where no-one can ever see it.

The biggest problem now with bringing the embroidery back is finding the space to accommodate it – the whole thing is 263 feet long.

Unfortunately, there’s no council building big enough.

However, if any other group, organisation or business in Hastings could find somewhere, the council would be happy to loan it to them free, subject to them displaying it securely, insuring it, and of course, making it accessible for public view.

It would be good to have the embroidery back in Hastings, as it hasn’t been seen by anyone in its entirety for a long time, and could be of interest to local people and visitors alike during this anniversary year.

So if anyone is interested in arranging to display it, has access to a suitable space, and is able to make it available for public view, please let me know.

Peter Chowney

Leader