Wet Tuesday - is it something to do with cemeteries?

Since the group was started, we have only had two really wet days, both when exploring cemeteries.


Misayao leading a Walk!


The raindrops looked lovely on the bare branches

The Rev'd Deryck Charnock patiently waited half an hour or more past the appointed hour (Stagecoach had a problem with their new buses!) for the first of our group to turn up (including Carole from Greece) and then welcomed us with offers of tea and coffee, gratefully accepted.

More tea and coffee greeted the even later arrivals, then we explored the Church, discussed its history, and many other matters.  We had a quick look round the surroundings but decided to leave our exploration of the woods until another (drier) day.

Tt

Tuesday, January 24th The Church in the Wood

Meet at the Station at 10:25 - bus leaves at 10:32 from C

The Church in the Wood, St Leonard's Church , known originally as St Rumbold's Church, is an Anglican church in the Hollington area of Hastings.  Although Hollington is now a large suburb, consisting mostly of postwar residential development, the church has stood in isolation in the middle of an ancient wood since it was founded in the 13th century - probably as the successor to an 11th-century chapel.  Restoration work in the Victorian era has given the Early English Gothic-style building its present appearance, but some mediaeval work remains.  Legends and miraculous events have been associated with the church, and its secluded situation has been praised by writers including Charles Lamb. English Heritage has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

Post Christmas blues - hie you to the Old Town!

Boxing Day fun in the Old Town

AN afternoon of fun is in store in the Old Town, this Boxing Day.
From 12.30pm the four Hastings Morris teams will be Morris dancing at Winkle Island, followed by a mummer’s play.
Afterwards, a human fox hunt will play out through the streets of the Old Town, then at around 3pm, organised by the Hastings Bonfire Society, will be the Fifth International Spronkers Championship, at The Stag, in All Saints Street. Think conkers, but with sprouts.

And thanks to the FILO for a GREAT Christmas quiz and to the lovbely girl at The Electric Palace who made our experience at The Holly & the Ivy so enjoyable - my forst visit but won't be my last!

December

No walk scheduled for December. Next outing will be in January - Church in the Wood, more on this anon.

Lots going on in Hastings this month.

Currently part of the vampire film, Byzantium, is being made here, presumably the filing we saw at Camber Sands was also part of this/

.

Then there's loads more:

8th December - Sound Waves, All Saints, forgotten Carols & other Christmas songs

10th December - OHPS Christmas Social (members & by invitation only)

10th December - Carols in All Saints

11th December - Old Town Victorian Christmas Event

15th December - Old Town Late Night Christmas Shopping

16th December - Christmas Carols at the Fishermen.s Museum

17th December - Christmas Concert in St Mary's = Hastings Philharmonic Choir

18th December, FILO Christmas Pub Quiz

and for those of you who missed Liane Carroll last Sunday at St Mary's, what can I say? It was a triumph.

Or if you're far away, Hastings stars briefly, but significantly, in The Stone Summons, which you can order online in hard copy, or on Kindle, and cuddle up with a good read.

"This review is from: The Stone Summons (Kindle Edition)

I have already read this several times (I have a printed copy too) and each time find something new. It is a children's book but you find yourself transported ito their world and caring about them. The characterization is strong and the book is hard to put down as the story leads you on and you want to know what happens next. Sequel please!"

The Stone Summons eBook: M. J. Sak.: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

The Stone Summons (to order printed copy.)

Camber Sands to Rye

No photos! And we found the Sea Buckthorn and I took some lovely (I think) shots. But I've just spent some time downloading about 100 photos from Bath, Trowbridge, a walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal, some stunning photos of reflection on the sand of the lights at twilight on Pelham Beach, and today's walk - I then deleted them from the camera - and the folder is empty! Must have clicked Cancel instead of Finish, but there is no way back.

When we got there the sand was blasting off the beach, proving my point about how well Hastings has been designed! No sand (apart from the beach netball court!) blowing in your face, even when we have huge expanses of sand at low tide, it is damp and doesn't blow around.

There was some filming going on, with a lovely horse, and lots of figures in black.. We then walked to Rye along the cycle path, lovely countryside on one side, and on the other, mostly the road. We had a somewhat windy lunch en route, so it all turned into quite a good day.

Linda arranged everything very well, good weather, apart from the wind, the front seats upstairs on the bus, both there and back, and all in all, a most enjoyable day.

29th November - Camber Sands

Weather may be wild and woolly, but we will risk it. Quite like a raging sea myself.
The 100 bus leaves Hastings Station 10.15. The intrepid Linda will lead us onward, where we will recce and decide if we wish to walk on to Rye, and take the bus back from there, or enjoy ourselves exploring the area and searching for sea buckthorn.
Return will be on the 14.18 or 15.18 100 bus, either from Pontins or from Rye, or maybe even Lydd (in which case the bus return times will be earlier! - Group decision!

North's Seat

Photos from the Walk

Name:North's Seat - Hill number:5449 Height:175m / 574ft Area:42: South-East England & the Isle of Wight Summit feature:trig point: OS measurement Drop:109m Col grid ref:TQ752154

1787 Sept-Oct - General William Roy set up a 32-feet high scaffold tower supporting a theodolite where North’s Seat is today, or close to it. He was making long-range observations as part of the triangulation survey linking London and Paris that resulted in 1791 of the setting up of the Ordnance Survey, the world’s first official surveying body. Fairlight and Dover were the two key English cross-Channel observation points. The 1787 survey enabled the production of the first one-inch-to-the-mile maps, which began in the 1790s.

1825 - Sir John Herschel took long-range survey readings close to where North’s Seat is today in order to help determine precise calculations for degrees of longitude.
There were two windmills on the west side of Mill Lane on Fairlight Down: one stood at the lane’s 90-degree turn, close to today’s Hillcrest School, the other on the later site of North’s Seat.

1869 April 21 - The Fairlight windmill, a famous landmark visible for many miles around, was burnt to the ground. It was never replaced, and North’s Seat, in memory of Frederick North, was erected in April 1870 on its site at Fairlight Down.

1869 Oct 29 - Death of Frederick North, the highly respected Liberal MP, whose home had been Hastings Lodge in Old London Road. His daughter Marianne became the world-famous botanic artist. The by-election on November 17 was the last election in Hastings to be held with open-air hustings, at the Central Cricket Ground, prior to the 1872 Ballot Act bringing in polling booths.

1870 April - A large seat for 12 people, made by GE Jones of York Gardens, was erected by the famous artist Miss Marianne North on Fairlight Down in memory of her father Frederick North MP, who had died 29 October 1869. North’s Seat, as it was called, was put on the site of the Fairlight Mill, the well-known and valuable landmark windmill built in 1819, which burnt down on April 21 1869.
A sign said “Frederick North, his seat”. The Hastings News suggested removing the scrub hedge which was blocking the view. [This would be a good idea today!] In the years following it suffered much vandalism.
More Vandalism From the Hastings News of 20/06/1879
The News commented on the vandalism continually carried out on Old Humphrys tomb and on Mr North's Seat, at Fairlight Down. Miss Marianne North had instructed that the seat be repaired and repainted.

1938 July - Hastings Council accepted Major Sayer’s generous offer of selling North’s Seat and the acre of surrounding land to the council for £100. The seat had been replaced by a large viewing platform in 1930, which was to be used as a look-out during World War Two. But this was vandalised in 1982 and so was demolished and replaced by two seats, with a large round direction plaque, which is still there.

1988 - The North’s Seat area was added to the Country Park.