In February Andy Dinsdale regaled us with tales of beachcombing in the Rye Bay area and his illustrations showed a plethora of washed-up items from lobster pot tags from Canada to pieces of Lego and Smarties tube tops. Amongst the real items he brought in for us to handle were the much sought-after sea beans which were the stars of a previous talk.
Last Saturday we were greatly entertained by Ken Brooks’s talk, intriguingly titled “Beside the Seaside”, in which he took a light-hearted look at seaside life in our local area through the ages but concentrating on the Victorian and later periods. The illustrations were delightful – from Edwardian ladies and gentlemen posing in their “modest” bathing costumes to the bathing belles of the 1960s! Ken finished his talk with a brief look at the history and geology of Ecclesbourne Glen which featured some unfamiliar views of the cafes and watch-houses which used to be in this area before either being demolished or washed away.
Both these talks were held in our new venue, All Saints Church Hall, in All Saints Street, Hastings Old Town. This hall is much more spacious than our previous venue and we have received many very positive comments on our choice. The next event to be held there will be our AGM in June so we look forward to welcoming you then.
In the meantime, please make a note in your diaries of our first outdoor event of the year, “A Walk with the Experts to North’s Seat”, when we will be enjoying a gentle stroll in the company of Steve Peak, Alan Parker and other experts from the Friends who will chat about the history, natural history and other issues affecting this scenic area. The date is Saturday 16th April. Meet at the Fairlight Road Picnic Site at 10.30am. Stout footwear is recommended!